Episode 152: Isn’t the situation a bit uncomfortable? (1)
Everyone looked at the wheat field in silence for a while.
I already confirmed that the sprouts were growing before going to the capital.
But when I saw this vast field filled with trees, I realized once again what a great thing Giselle had done.
Moreover, it is not harvest season yet, but it is still a shining golden color. It is an incredible growth rate, different from that of existing wheat.
Jiselle carefully checked the condition of the wheat and nodded.
“We’ll be able to harvest it soon.”
There were still some wheat heads that were slightly green because they were not fully ripe, but overall, they were good enough to be harvested right away.
Lowell smiled back and answered.
“Yes, I think we can start the first harvest soon. Preparations are already complete.”
“Okay, give generously to the people of Yeongji. They have a lot of work to do, so make sure they eat well.”
“With this much, there’s more than enough to distribute to all the people. You won’t have to worry until next year. Plus, you can harvest again in a few months, so it’ll be fine for a few years.”
Jiselle snickered at Lowell’s confident words.
“Don’t think about stockpiling, just think about feeding your fill. We’ll have to increase the cultivated land several times over what it is now.”
“Yes? Why?”
“There is something like that. Let’s go back to the castle and tell them.”
Giselle turned her horse’s head and spoke to Claude.
“Claude, gather the men together immediately. I need to explain the overall situation, as well as discuss the shortcomings and what to do next.”
“All right.”
Although Lowell was acting general, there were bound to be some shortcomings.
Because he does not yet have as much authority as the lord and the governor.
On the way back to the castle, Claude asked Lowell a question.
“Hey, bro. Did you take what I said?”
While Giselle and Claude were in the capital, Lowell also took charge of dealings with the upper class.
Claude had left, insisting that I bring at least a few gold coins while pretending to lower the price.
But Lowell answered Claude’s question with difficulty.
“Oh, how can you do such a bad thing?”
“No, you’re a bad guy! You exploited Yeongji so much in the past, so why are you acting like a good person now? Do you suddenly want to live a righteous life?”
“I told you I won’t do that anymore. In the past, I had no choice but to do it because the Lord told me to.”
“Wow, I was a bad guy. I’m a bad guy! I didn’t know that trying to get some pocket money after 20 years of unpaid work was such a bad thing!”
“… … .”
Lowell just ignored him and didn’t respond. There was no point in arguing with this guy.
Then Claude took a deep breath and spoke calmly.
“Yeah, well… … Still, since you’ve worked hard and put in a lot of effort, I should at least give you a reward.”
Lowell, who had been holding out without responding, turned around at the word ‘prize’.
“What kind of prize is it?”
Claude grinned and raised his fist.
“Fatal wound.”
Phew!
“Ahh! Why are you hitting me!”
Lowell was startled and took a defensive stance when Claude hit him on the shoulder. It was a textbook stance.
The only problem was that while taking that stance, he ended up hitting Claude’s chin with his arm.
“Ouch! You hit me? This is insubordination!”
“Huh? Sorry. Can I consider it as giving you a prize too?”
“Will it work? You come here. I’m dead.”
The two men grumbled and swung their fists in the air.
Belinda looked at the sight, which looked like a paper doll fluttering in the wind, with a pitiful expression on her face.
“No, neither of you can fight, so what are you doing?”
Jiselle couldn’t help but laugh when she heard the voices chattering behind her.
I liked this kind of noisy and comfortable atmosphere that can only be felt in a spiritual place.
* * *
All the servants gathered together and reported to the lord who had returned after a long time on the progress of the work they had been assigned.
Lowell, who was the first to serve as acting general, spoke.
“Now that the wheat has fully grown, there will be no problem in the future supply of food. The expected harvest is enormous, so we will gradually reduce the amount of grain we are purchasing from the upper level.”
As Lowell finished speaking, the faces of the attendants also showed signs of satisfaction.
It was a territory that could not even feed its few residents properly.
The once poor estate has now secured enough food to be the envy of others.
Belinda, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head and asked.
“So, to what extent is that?”
“This harvest alone would require several other territories in the north combined to produce a similar harvest.”
“Hey, aren’t the other territories in the north all poor? They don’t have much farmland, so they all have to import food. If you add those territories together, how much will it cost?”
Not only Fenris, but other fiefdoms in the north are not doing so well either. Leipold’s fiefdom is unusually well off.
The northern territories barely managed to survive by using the resources of the mountains, forests, and rivers rather than farming.
When Belinda pointed that out, Lowell nodded in agreement. Then he explained it in a more tangible way.
“If we just increase the cultivated land a little more, we will be on par with the great fiefdom of Leipold. The total harvest itself is still a little lacking, but… … In terms of population support per unit area of production, we are probably the best in the kingdom.”
“oh…….”
Belinda opened her eyes wide in admiration at those words.
The Leipold Estate, ruled by Amelia’s father, contains the largest plains in the North.
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Leipold was able to become a great territory because of the vast food produced there.
Yet the harvest of the Fenris domain, with a population of less than a tenth of that of the Leipold domain, is comparable to that of the Leipold domain!
Although it is still less than your production, it is an inevitable problem because the territory is small.
Belinda finally let go of her worries and relaxed her shoulders.
‘Oh my, our master has done something truly admirable. How on earth did he know about this?’
I’ve been watching Jiselle all this time, my heart aching.
Although everything he did was successful, nothing about it was normal.
But now that the food problem was solved and I was making steady money with cosmetics, I knew that I wouldn’t do anything strange again. My worries were over.
‘Fenris can continue to develop like this. If we inherit Ferdium, our young master will also be able to become a great lord. Ah, how happy our late wife would be if she saw this. I raised my young master well. Hohoho.’
Not only Belinda, but the other vassals also began to feel relieved little by little.
Right now, I’m busy managing the business because it hasn’t really taken off yet, but I thought that as time went by, I would be able to live without too many worries.
However, the relieved vassals were taken aback by Jiselle’s next words.
“What are you talking about? Why are you reducing food imports? Didn’t I tell you to keep buying until I said there was enough?”
When Jiselle retorted with a look of disbelief, Lowell retorted in surprise.
“Yes? It’s enough now. If you include the support we received this time, there’s absolutely no way it’s not enough. If we harvest this time, there’ll actually be a lot left over.”
“No, I’m not enough. So don’t stop and keep buying. Until I tell you to stop.”
“Oh, I understand.”
Lowell nodded, embarrassed by the firm order.
It’s hard to understand why they’re frantically gathering food, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to stock up on it, so I decided to move on.
If you feel like it has piled up to the point of rotting, it is not too late to stop it.
The others nodded to each other, thinking similar thoughts.
Jiselle continued with a calm expression.
“How is the construction of additional residences going?”
Lowell glanced at Alfoy and the wizards and answered.
“The schedule is a little behind, but it is expected to be completed within the next month. The road and waterway connections to the existing village have been completed as a top priority.”
“There were no accidents?”
“Yes, there were no problems maintaining public order as the mercenaries were patrolling in groups.”
Not only are there not many people living in Yeongji, but they all live cautiously, watching out for the feelings of those around them, as they do not want to experience the hardships of their previous lives again.
The neighbors were taking care of the people who were likely to cause an accident. So even if they wanted to cause an accident, they couldn’t.
“Are there any other problems?”
“I think we need to improve the living standards of the residents, but there are still many shortcomings. We are in the process of coordinating with the upper level to purchase daily necessities as soon as possible. We also plan to gradually increase the number of welfare facilities such as hospitals and libraries by inviting professional personnel.”
Providing food and shelter was not the end. From now on, goods and facilities that could improve the quality of life were needed.
Lowell smiled and said, “That’s okay.”
“Since the Lord has received a lot of supplies this time, there won’t be any major problems for the time being. After all, this is something that will inevitably take time.”
After the report on the overall situation of the territory was finished, the vassals also began to report in detail about the work they were in charge of.
“It did cost a bit of runestones, but… … there was no problem maintaining the pastures. We’ll soon be able to raise horses.”
“The workshop, granary, and bakery are also almost completed.”
“As you said, we also built an office in each village where officials could conduct public affairs.”
The gods were excited and chattered.
The territory that was thought to be beyond recovery was gradually coming back to life.
Now, it had barely reached the same level of development as other territories, but the vassals were satisfied with that.
Even after all the reports were over, Jiselle nodded a few times as if it was obvious.
“Yeah, it looks like it has at least some semblance of form.”
To others, the changes so far were a miracle, but to Giselle, it was not at all satisfactory.
Everyone is talking in a plausible manner, but in reality, all they have touched is the city where the permanent resident is and a few villages nearby.
Even though it was called infrastructure, it was only equipped with the bare minimum facilities necessary for people to live.
It means that now it has finally become similar to how people live.
‘It’s not enough. It’s far from enough. We won’t be able to last much longer like this.’
Objectively speaking, the Fenris Estate is still a small, poor, and cute estate.
If I had to name one advantage, it would be that I was able to increase the food supply rate by using magic.
Other people seem satisfied by comparing themselves to their previous appearance, but that shouldn’t be the case.
From now on, everyone had to work together toward the goal that Giselle herself had set.
“Thank you all for your hard work. Before I talk about future plans, I would like to share the achievements I made in the capital.”
This was after everyone had confirmed that Jiselle had returned with a huge amount of wealth.
People looked at Jiselle with eyes that expected praise and compensation for her hard work.
“… … So, the Marquis of Branford has decided to become your guardian. My father and I have also become members of the royalist faction, so please be aware of that.”
“Ohhh!”
Those who went could not help but be amazed by the unexpected good news.
The Marquis of Branford is a nobleman whose power is so powerful that he is widely known even in this rural area.
If such a man were to claim to be the lord’s guardian, then no one from the north would dare to tamper with the Fenris domain.
This was truly welcome news for the vassals who had grown increasingly worried that their territory would be attacked by neighboring territories like Ferdium as their territory developed.
“… … Also, Marquis Branford’s daughter invested 300,000 gold in the cosmetics business. Cosmetics are also very popular in the capital, so they will soon spread throughout the kingdom.”
“Ohhh!”
Jiselle continued, as if that wasn’t the end.
“Soon, a large population will migrate to the Fenris territory. These are people who have supported our territory from the royal faction.”
“Ohhh!”
The guests were busy marveling at the successive good news.
It is no exaggeration to say that the most important resource in a territory is ‘people’, as they form the basis of national power and military power.
However, as important as population is, it is a resource that cannot be easily increased in a short period of time.
‘We received such large-scale support from such resources!’
One of the men asked in an excited voice.
“So how many immigrants will come in?”
“At least 50 thousand.”
“Hahaha, I really hope so.”
The vassals laughed and responded, thinking that Jiselle was joking as usual. There were too many of them to believe that she was serious.
But Giselle, Claude, and Belinda all had indifferent expressions without a hint of laughter. They didn’t seem to be joking.
One of the men felt a bad premonition and spoke to Giselle in a cold sweat.
“Th, th… . Is it true that there are 50,000 people? That’s ridiculous.”
“What doesn’t make sense?”
“Our territory can’t accommodate that many people right now.”
“It’s okay, it won’t all come in at once. It’ll come in in units of thousands.”
“Well, we can’t afford it. They won’t have a home to stay in right now and they won’t have enough food.”
Jiselle nodded as if it was obvious.
“That’s right. So now you know what to do next?”
The servants looked at Claude as if to tell him to stop the lord.
When attention was focused on him, Claude coughed in vain and stepped forward.
“I’m sure you’re all shocked by the sudden news. I know how you feel. But it’s already happened. I can’t do anything to stop it.”
People had the same thought as they watched Claude talking as if it was someone else’s business.
‘Why is the governor of the territory so peaceful?’
Claude shrugged his shoulders and continued, regardless of whether people were glaring at him or not.
“Well, it’s no different than it is now. The scale is just a little… … It’s just gotten a lot bigger. Just like now, we’re building new houses, increasing farmland… … We’re also building more welfare facilities… … What else could there be? Right?”
Claude looked back at Giselle as if asking for her consent.
Jiselle nodded and answered.
“That’s something that should be done. There are other things that should be done along with that.”
“Huh? What is that? Is there anything else you can do besides this?”
“Yes, we must prepare for war.”
People’s expressions became bizarre at those words.
