Chapter 113: The Warship Is Completed, Ready for Battle!

The lush spring passed in the blink of an eye, and the scorching sun poured over the streets of Idar, filling the entire city with warmth.

Most of the commoners and serfs walked along one side of the street, where rare patches of shade offered some relief. This was all thanks to Bruno's previous renovation plans for Idar's main roads and Shabi's persistent waste collection efforts. Otherwise, the base of the walls would have been covered in filth, making it impossible to walk through.

Bruno's improvements to the main roads also eliminated the concern of falling debris from old, crumbling buildings. Before the renovations, no one could be sure when something might come loose and drop onto the streets below.

These changes were widely praised by the city's residents, greatly increasing Bruno's prestige among the people of Idar.

According to a survey conducted by the Idar Intelligence Bureau, Bruno's approval rating among Idar's populace had steadily risen, securing his place at the top!

With summer's arrival, Bruno had recently moved out of the lord's castle in Idar.

Strictly speaking, the lord's castle in Idar was not a proper fortress.

A true fortress, like the Citadel of Namur, would typically be built in a strategically advantageous location, such as on a mountaintop, a cliff, or an island in a river, providing essential defensive advantages to ensure the safety of its lord.

However, due to nearly a century of peace in the Norman Empire, cities had expanded as populations grew, leading to the emergence of many lordly castles within city limits.

Though these castles retained their traditional designs, their livability was less than ideal.

As the weather warmed, the Hanging Garden became even more beautiful. Vibrant flowers mingled with lush greenery, streams meandered through the garden, and wooden boats drifted lazily in the waters. Domesticated small beasts roamed about, making the Hanging Garden one of the most tranquil and elegant places in all of Idar Bruno's ideal retreat from the summer heat.

Thus, since the start of summer, Bruno had been living in the Hanging Garden, fully enjoying the luxuries of a noble's lifestyle.

Sleeping until he naturally woke up and counting money until his hands cramped.

Under Cario's leadership, the Idar Chamber of Commerce had steadily expanded, leveraging Idar's abundant salt production to maintain its monopoly over sea salt sales in its established markets.

Additionally, the sale of sugar to nobles across the region and the distribution of strong liquor in Idar had brought Bruno vast wealth over the past few months.

During this period, Idar had refrained from constructing any new wonders, and the cost of building a three-masted sailing ship was significantly lower than large scale infrastructure projects. As a result, the treasury of Idar finally became well-funded.

While Idar continued to thrive, Bruno finally received a letter from the Holy City of Bethlehem!

Cardinal Camus Blancard expressed deep sympathy for Idar's struggles against foreign invaders and commended Earl Bruno Stuart for his unwavering faith in the God of Light.

The cardinal also praised the workers from Idar, calling them the most devout believers and the most diligent laborers.

Moved by the sincere faith of these Idar workers who had gone to Bethlehem to build the grand statue, Cardinal Camus Blancard granted Bruno the Order of Saint George and exempted Idar from paying the tithe tax for the next five years!

Reading the letter, Bruno couldn't help but feel delighted.

His careful planning had finally paid off!

He had first transformed the unruly street thugs into devoted believers through his own noble character and great charisma. Then, he had secretly sent his trusted personal guard, Mike, to accompany them to Bethlehem.

Bruno had never expected any direct rewards from the church. His original intention was simply for Mike to return with firsthand knowledge of what he saw in Bethlehem.

Religion was a highly sensitive matter, regardless of time or place.

Bruno, therefore, approached the issue with extreme caution!

The first thing he needed to determine was whether the church in this world was a benevolent force or a villainous adversary.

After all, in most of the web novels Bruno had read in his past life, the church was often the final boss that the transmigrator had to confront!

However, to his surprise, before Mike's report even arrived, he had already received a personal letter from Cardinal Camus Blancard.

And not just any letter it came with the Order of Saint George!

According to the church's hierarchy of noble awards, the Golden Rose Order was the most prestigious, typically reserved for emperors or dukes.

Right below it was the Order of Saint George!

Bruno was already familiar with the significance of the Order of Saint George. Without a resident archbishop, the holder of this medal effectively became the church's representative in Idar!

Bruno didn't care much for the so called protection of the Holy Army, as there was no Holy Army presence in the eastern part of the empire.

However, among the many privileges granted to holders of the Order of Saint George, one in particular thrilled Bruno the right to interpret the church's sacred texts!

For Bruno, this opened up endless possibilities...

After all, in his past life, the Protestant Reformation had spread across Europe like wildfire the moment it was introduced!

Moreover, the church had exempted Idar from paying the tithe tax for five years!

Although Idar's current tithe tax was relatively small, the next five years were another story entirely. As a transmigrator, Bruno had full confidence in his ability to make Idar thrive!

In any case, Bruno had never planned to pay the church its full tax quota. Now, his refusal to pay would be completely justified.

Just as Bruno was reading the letter, a breathless and elated White Barrel came running toward him from a distance.

"My lord…" White Barrel said excitedly, panting heavily. "The ship… the three-masted ship! We've built it!"