Alien Knights

"Your Majesty, your deeds are a legend!"

"Everything you created, whether it is in the southern empire or the northern barbarians, you can hear the voice of praise!"

"Your prestige among the believers is like the newborn sun. In the shrines, large and small, in addition to the cross of the Father, there are also your statues!"

The exhaustive flattery around him made Todd not only not have the slightest pleasure and satisfaction, but instead gave birth to an inexplicable sense of disgust.

Here and now, deep in his soul, he somewhat misses the small laboratory building behind the church, where there is the peace and purity he longs for. But now, the only reason why he didn't leave the banquet was the king's sense of responsibility.

Declining the invitation to dance with the noble daughters, Todd left his seat, and walked slowly towards the garden of the farm under the gaze of everyone.

Upon seeing this, Huggins made a gesture, and the king's "successor" guards stopped the nobles who wanted to follow, while guarding their monarch and walked out.

"Viscount Zangnar", who was drinking alone, looked at everything that happened in the hall, and seemed to lose interest in staying, and led his "daughter" to leave the venue.

The night wind in early spring is still chilly. The flowers and shrubs in the courtyard have been carefully pruned, and the air is mixed with the smell of plants and the fragrance of earth. Compared with fine wine, it is easier to intoxicate people.

Todd walked along the promenade for a while, the beautiful scenery along the way, and the voices fading away in his ears, slightly dispelled the depression in his heart.

A guard walked up to Huggins and whispered something. The latter frowned and looked forward, followed the king a few steps, thought twice, and finally slowed down.

Unaware of this, Todd walked into the depths of the courtyard and saw the figures of the two women from a distance.

The former queen of the Silver Ring Kingdom——Mary, and her maid Cathy.

The king's arrival made them feel a little overwhelmed. After recovering, the two hurriedly raised their skirts to salute.

Todd waved his hand indifferently, but what came to mind was the scene of meeting Mary for the first time and being blackmailed by the other party for a pot of "Gospel Flower". He said, "What are you doing here? Aren't you planning to go to the banquet?"

The half-drunk wine cup on the stone table, and the faintly visible tears of the woman under the moonlight made Todd instantly realize that he had said something stupid.

Just imagine, the silver ring nobles who defected to the kingdom held a banquet to curry favor with the new master. As an exiled queen, what kind of identity should she meet with others? Put on the airs of a queen and enjoy the compliments of past subjects?

A look of embarrassment climbed onto Todd's face. Seeing the woman shake her head slightly in depression, he quickly changed the subject: "Mary, I heard that you are writing a book recently. The title seems to be... called "Retrospective Applications of the Renaissance"? What exactly is that?"

Talking about her field of expertise, Mary seemed to open the door: "Your Majesty, the Renaissance is a concept put forward by a group of scholars who tend to return the existing artistic concepts to the ancient Taylor period. My book is to analyze the practical application of the Renaissance art, such as architecture, painting and decoration."

"I also heard that you are looking for sponsors for this book?"

Todd's words made Mary blush, and the woman whispered, "Yes, Your Majesty, the cost of publishing a book is more than I imagined."

In the past life of Queen Mary, she had no worries about food, clothing, and wealth. And her current situation made Todd feel deeply: "I am willing to support you. I am very satisfied with the design and construction of Muxi Cathedral, as well as the management of the holy library."

Mary shook her head resolutely: "Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but I can't accept your kindness. The matter of the cathedral and the holy treasury is my job, and you have paid the salary accordingly. I cannot use this as a bargaining chip for asking for funding."

Todd was stunned for a moment when he heard the words, and when he looked at the 21-year-old woman in front of him, his eyes showed three points of appreciation and seven points of approval.

Cathy, the maid, took advantage of the opportunity to place the fruit plate and pour the red wine, and gently nudged Mary with her elbow. To her disappointment, the latter did not respond.

Todd touched the bridge of his nose and thought for a while, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "If you refuse to accept my funding, then I would like to make a suggestion."

Mary sat up straight: "Your Majesty, I am all ears."

"I have seen the drawings of the cathedral you designed. You have extremely high attainments in art. Why don't you try to use this talent in products?"

Mary was a little disappointed when she heard the words, and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, do you mean to let me sell paintings on the street?"

Todd laughed and shook his head. "No, no, I mean why don't you create your own label and design clothes and bags and shoes and hats?"

"Own label? Design clothes?"

Todd picked up a beer and took a bite: "I have noticed that in the city, the rich have their own tailors, and the poor mostly sew their own clothes. These two methods are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also cost a lot of money. If there is a textile factory, it can use streamlined operations and trend-leading designs to produce clothes and shoes in large quantities. This will not only greatly reduce costs, but also guarantee sales."

Mary felt a little dizzy after hearing this: "Garment factory? Streamlined? Lead the trend? Your Majesty, it takes a lot of money to build a weaving workshop, hire workers, and buy equipment; and the new clothes and hats designed will be imitated by others within a few days."

Todd finished eating the pears and wiped his hands with a dry towel: "The first problem is easy to solve. The venue, personnel, equipment, and everything can be paid for by the Muxi Mutual Aid. What you have to do is "technical investment". Uh... I mean, you can use your design expertise to obtain the right to share profits. As for the second problem, this is a problem. First, it must be marked with anti-counterfeiting on the product, and secondly, you must apply for a patent for each designed product..."

Mary suddenly said: "Patent? I thought that patents can only be applied for inventions? Can designing clothes also be applied for?"

"Of course! Product design is also a kind of creation." Todd said here, and turned to himself: "But the design patent fee cannot be charged according to the standard of invention patents. Otherwise, a design will cost 30 Bronze Stars, which will seriously discourage the enthusiasm of designers."

Mary stirred the hem of the dress with her hands, and couldn't hide the excitement on her face: "Your Majesty, tomorrow! Can I go to your place tomorrow?! I used to have nothing to do, and I drew many drawings of clothes. They can be used directly with a little modification!"

Todd nodded and said, "I will wait for you at the headquarters of the Knights Order at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Before that, I will instruct my subordinates to find suitable factories and shops. I will entrust the purchase of textile machines and other equipment to the Raglans. Female workers and shop assistants can post recruitment notices..."

"His Majesty……"

Huggins' speech interrupted the king untimely.

Following the line of sight of the former, Todd found the silver ring nobles who were stopped by the guards at the edge of the courtyard, looking forward to it.

"It seems that I have been away from the banquet for too long, and the owner here has started to complain." Todd stood up with a wry smile, and walked back to the direction of the banquet hall.

Huggins followed the king's footsteps, and subtly looked back at Mary, who was still immersed in reverie.