Chapter 4: ~New Home?~ ....and a chair. (1/2)

***Norfolk, Sarn-Valley***

So this is my new home! A collection of old wood-houses at a river which comes from the mountains. There are about ten thousand inhabitants in the City of Sarn. It's the biggest city... hrm... village on my land.

The Sarn-Village is the only bigger one because it has access to the sea.

Actually Sarn isn't just a single valley. It's a fjord which was created by a glacier. The following erosion of the mountains created a small maze of valleys which lead towards Sarn-Village.

There is a single river that comes from the mountain-range which encloses the main-valley. To enter the valley you either have to use one of the four pass-streets which lead over the mountain-range. Or you come over the river by ship.

Besides Sarn-Village there are quite a few small settlements throughout the whole valley. But none of them are worth mentioning.

Altogether there should be about a hundred thousand commoners here. Including women, children and old people. So less than fifty thousand who can really do some work. This will be a bother. Probably I should think of even less. Twenty or ten thousand workers in the whole valley should come closer to reality.

The others are either too young, too old or occupied with keeping the infrastructure running. First I will have to shut down this place against the outside world. That means taking over the local guards and enforcing strict security on the pass-streets.

I ponder above the problems while I am followed by a hundred burly men and Den. Walking down a street, I am heading towards the town hall.

Until now the people here governed themselves because the Jarl didn't bother to waste his time. But that will have to end.

Further forward is something like a central plaza with a big building. Of course it is made of wood. I snicker while I think about the villager who called this a town-hall.

A few steps take me across the plaza and I enter the town-hall, followed by Den and his burly men. A cute little female secretary is trying to stop me from entering through another door but one of Den's men blocks her.

Beyond the next door, I find ten old and middle aged men in a round room with a moderate size. They are sitting at a round table and an old geezer is in a big and comfortable chair. He looks like the leader.

~I always wanted a chair like that!~

“Who are you to disturb an important meeting of the elders.” The old white haired wobbly geezer sneers at me.

“What are elders?” I arch an eyebrow at the group.

“We are governing Sarn in place of the Jarl. And we have some important matters to discuss, so get out. Sarah! Why did you let those men inside.” The geezer wails at the secretary who is looking frightened around the corner.

He didn't see the hundred burly men with full armour and weapons in front of the building yet.

I sigh. “If you don't change your tone towards me, I will burn you to a crisp. And for who I am. I am the one who owns your asses! The Jarl sold me this whole desolate place. Call me Ascathon Asceron.”

The expressions of the group turn sour and the old geezer jumps out of my chair to wobble in front of me. “We have a democracy in this valley for over a hundred years now. I will be damned if suddenly someone from outside barges in and turns our society upside down.”

“Who are you?” I hate that guy already. He didn't introduce himself and I want his chair! Correction! He was sitting on ~my~ chair!

“I am the first elder! I governed this valley for half of my life!” The geezer snaps back.

“What are your qualifications besides being old?” I scratch my chest while I think about the situation.

“Huh? What qualifications? I was voted into my office by majority!” The geezer starts a tantrum in front of me.

“So all you can do is talking big and waste the time of people who are stupid enough to listen to you. ~Not needed.~” I wave my hand at one of my burly men and the old geezer is picked up at his collar and carried outside.

Hah. ~Nice~. I walk towards the big chairs and let myself fall into it. Then I take a look at the remaining nine men in front of me and fold my hands in front of my chest. “So what are ~your~ qualifications.” I look at the first guy to my left.