Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Territory Development (Part 2)
Fishing and hunting shouldn’t be stable sources of production, but with Su Li’s daily intelligence system assistance, the harvest is exceptionally bountiful, and the territory has initially found its footing.
However, to continue growing stronger, relying solely on fishing and hunting is far from enough. In the territory, there are nearly 200 serfs, 120 armed attendants, and 50 knights—a total of nearly four hundred people, along with over a hundred livestock. With people eating and horses consuming daily, the grain and fodder consumption exceed 2000 Jin.
Therefore, for more stable territorial development, Minister of the Seal Lauren and Minister of Agriculture Vandar have focused their efforts on farming.
Under their urging, the dwarf rune blacksmith Belos Dragon Hammer was forced to play the role of a rural farm tool blacksmith for half a month, successfully crafting over 130 iron tools. The remaining iron ingots were intended for a set of cavalry breastplates, but the Elder Druid Vandar fiercely opposed the idea, intimidating with his ferocious presence. After days of intense discussion, he pressured the stubborn dwarf into a compromise, leading to the production of only a chain armor shirt and using the remaining ingots to collaboratively create a Nord heavy plow.
With the support of these iron tools and three sets of heavy plows, nearly two hundred serfs, including women, the elderly, and children in their teens, have diligently worked day and night in the fields. In 15 days, they successfully cultivated over 1200 acres of prime farmland.
The Brionne River is clear and shallow, and the climate is mild and predictable. On the fertile plains of its northern bank, the 1200 acres of cultivated land are neat and orderly. The furrows and roads are planned very reasonably, with positions left for irrigation canals. With careful maintenance, this area will surely produce large quantities of grain in due time.
Three farm estates each tend to this fertile land, where wheat, carrots, and cabbage are grown in divided zones.
The climate here is mild and suitable, and the land is fertile, allowing for three harvests a year. Within half a month of sowing, tender green sprouts have already emerged.
Looking east from Su Li’s castle, the verdant fields, orderly farmland, and vast pastures together form a beautiful picture. With a gentle breeze and bright sunshine, it’s a perfect pastoral idyll.
Carrots and cabbages are high-yield crops. Even without fertilizers, each acre can produce at least 4000 to 6000 plants, easily achieving a yield of 2000 Imperial Jin per acre.
The biggest issue with them is storage; they might start rotting within one or two months. Taking all this into account, 400 acres are planted with these two vegetables, while the remaining 600 acres are planted with wheat. With a yield of 200 Imperial Jin per acre, there’s an income of 120,000 Jin in wheat. Once the tens of thousands of Jin of grain is harvested, it will supply all the residents for at least another quarter, allowing the territory to continue purchasing slaves and increasing the workforce.
The last 200 acres are planted with an economic crop—ramie. While the territory must develop, it cannot solely focus on food. Ramie can be used to make clothes, shoes, and also ropes, bags, fishing nets, hunting gear, etc. Therefore, despite the preciousness of the land and manpower, Lauren insisted on allocating 200 acres of prime farmland.
While progress is made in farming, the military strength of the territory is also steadily improving.
From the Dragon Blood Stone veins at the reservoir, 47 Dragon Blood Stones have been extracted! Of these, Su Li obtained 33. Unable to sell immediately, Su Li rented out 20 of them at a price of 1 Gold Coin per year to his knights, ensuring that all subordinates above the strength of formal knights wore a Dragon Blood Stone. The physique of these knights, influenced by the Dragon Qi, is becoming increasingly large and robust.
On the other hand, the effect of Light-Scaled Fish isn’t as direct as the Fire Rabbit; it’s a silent nurturing process. The day Su Li generously rewarded his soldiers, there was no immediate effect, but within the following 15 days, a high-tier apprentice knight successfully broke through to become a formal knight, and two armed attendants awakened their bloodlines and were promoted to apprentice knights.
The effect of increased aptitude will continue to work long-term, elevating many knights’ limits. The scale of elite knights and formal knights is bound to grow steadily over time. Su Li can even sense his own bloodline and strength continuously improving, feeling that breaking through to a high-tier apprentice knight is just a matter of time.
This has kept him pleasantly surprised in recent days. Could he actually be a hidden training genius?
Stern Knight, as the second son of the Guardian Knight of Bauhinia Earl, was praised as a genius for reaching the strength of a formal knight at the age of 20.
So Su Li believed that if he reached formal knight status at 18, wouldn’t he be a genius among geniuses?
It’s worth knowing that he broke through from an initial-tier knight to his current state in just a month and a half, solidifying his middle-tier apprentice knight realm and advancing towards high-tier apprentice knight status. This speed, aside from not surpassing Hilude, is several times faster than most elite knights in their training.
Military strength enhancement not only excites Su Li but also the Military Commander of Hesse Territory, Knight Commander Orstein.
This proud and dignified knight attributes the main reason for the military strengthening to his impeccable training. He is resolved to compete with Grand Master Ouldred in all aspects, including leadership and military exercises.
As a follower of the Sun Goddess, he demands excellence in leadership, strategy, military tactics, and martial arts. One of his goals is to train a knight order from scratch that is larger and more powerful than the Red Night Knight Order.
The promotion of two armed attendants to apprentice knights undoubtedly boosts his confidence and enthusiasm.
He is stricter in drilling the knights and attendant troops of Hesse Territory, with this squadron of attendants having abundant nutritional supplies. Under such rigorous training, their combat strength is advancing rapidly. They are now considered a beast-slaying force, capable of performing well even if sent to the battlefield immediately.
Of course, the Border Prince’s Territory here is far more open and accommodating than the Empire, as Extraordinary Power is not confined to knights alone; dwarves and elves can also display their unique racial abilities here.
So in cultivating Extraordinary Power, aside from human knights, Su Li has selected three teenage boys from among the residents to become blacksmith apprentices under the dwarf Belos Dragon Hammer. They can learn to forge weapons and armor while assisting Belos, relieving the dwarf master from personally handling some trivial tasks.
Additionally, Vandar selected a thirty-year-old woman with hidden elf bloodline from the female slaves Su Li purchased, training her to become a priestess of the Dawn Church. With her age and mixed bloodline, learning the elves’ extraordinary abilities might be difficult, but learning the doctrines of the Dawn Church and the art of farming to guide farmers is no problem.
Overall, during these two weeks, Su Li’s mood has been exceptionally upbeat. The territory is flourishing, brimming with vitality. He has completely treated this place as his home and homeland. A wandering otherworldly soul finally found a sense of belonging on this fertile land. His heart, like a seed, has taken root and sprouted, blossoming the fragrance of home on this beautiful, fertile soil.