Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Farming
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I divided the fields into four sections and finished sowing the seeds when the system message appeared.
"If you've discovered it, why not just give me the skill right away?"
I was already applying the Norfolk Four-Course Rotation even without the skill.
Yet it insisted I had to spend skill points to learn it.
"Well, at least there's this to be grateful for."
Learning skills required points, but raising their levels didn't.
It seemed they leveled up with frequent use.
Thanks to that, reducing the soil's pollution had become much easier.
"Heir! We've finished clearing Field B."
With 100 slaves joining in, farming progressed quickly.
We finished clearing Field A first and planted barley seeds there.
The next area we worked on was Field B.
"Should we sow the seeds right away?"
I planned to grow clover and ryegrass in Field B.
But...
"Not yet. The prayer isn't complete. Focus on clearing Field C for now."
"Understood."
It wouldn't be too late to sow after bringing Field B's pollution down to 0%.
Clover and ryegrass were for livestock anyway.
And River Village didn't have any livestock yet.
After that, clearing and farming proceeded according to plan.
We lowered Field B's pollution and sowed clover and ryegrass seeds.
I split the slaves—some tended the barley, while the rest, along with the hired River Village folk, cleared Field C.
And I...
Earth Restoration
(Lv 2)
... diligently used the Earth Restoration skill in a prayer pose.
The sun, which had risen high, now hung in the west, and the sky was dyed red.
"Has our grandson finished his prayers?"
"I'm about to head in now."
I stood up and dusted off my knees.
Kneeling devoutly always dirtied the lower parts of my pants.
"Isn't it magnificent?"
The red-tinted sky and the barley fields stretching out beneath it.
It was like a painting.
But...
Wasn't Grandfather worried?
As the barley grew, anxiety spread among the people.
It was only natural.
They'd worked hard to grow it, but could they really eat it?
What if it was tainted by demonic energy and inedible?
Such worries were inevitable.
This was Monster Island, after all.
"Aren't you worried, Grandfather?"
"Worried... Yeah. I am worried."
Despite his words, Grandfather's expression was calm.
"But you know, if there's one person in this world who'll listen to you, it's me. If there's one who'll help with what you've set your mind to, it's me. No matter what you decided to do, I would've supported you."
Smack! Smack!
Grandfather slapped my back hard.
"Don't worry. If that barley turns out inedible, come hunt monsters with me. Like I did, become a hunter. Form a team. Then you'll never go hungry."
Grandfather told me not to worry,
but it felt like he was speaking to himself.
And chewing over his words, I realized they assumed the barley might be inedible.
"Don't worry, Grandfather."
"..."
He looked at me with a smile tugging at his lips.
Even adding a gentle eye smile.
I smiled back.
Then I ran into the barley field.
I plucked a handful of the still-immature barley.
"Grandfather, watch closely!"
I shoved the barley into my mouth and chewed it roughly.
I plucked another handful and offered it to Grandfather.
"Try some."
"This? It hasn't matured yet."
"It's fine. Give it a try."
Grandfather tossed it into his mouth all at once.
And chewed it like I did. Roughly.
"How is it?"
"...It's delicious. Really delicious."
Honestly, it tasted bad.
It was bluish-green barley, not even fully ripened.
And I was chewing grains and stems together.
There was no way it could taste good.
But I understood what Grandfather meant.
Grass and fruit tainted by demonic energy had an absolutely inedible taste.
Just the fact that it didn't have that weird... chemical, potion-like flavor was enough to call it delicious.
The next day,
River Village residents flocked to the barley field.
They snapped off stalks one by one and popped them into their mouths.
"Whoa! No weird taste at all!"
"Ooh!! This is... the real deal!"
"Praise the Goddess of the Earth!!"
"Long live the Heir!!"
After this incident, the River Village folk worked even harder.
'The slaves still lack motivation, though.'
Maybe because they were from the continent, but even the fact that they could eat crops grown from the soil didn't excite them much.
The slaves were like emotionless machines.
They woke at dawn to work,
and slept when night fell.
Their work efficiency hadn't improved much either.
They weren't slacking or shirking duties,
but progress felt slow somehow.
'Is it because they have no hope?'
They were slaves.
Slaves today,
slaves tomorrow.
Slaves until they died.
They couldn't own property.
No extra pay for hard work.
Putting myself in their position,
their attitude seemed perfectly natural.
In fact, it would be strange if slaves worked with enthusiasm.
'At this rate, they won't farm properly.'
I'd cleared an area suitable for 100 people to cultivate.
With Fields A and B complete, C and D needed to match that size.
But at their current efficiency, reaching the planned area would be tough.
'Just telling them to work harder won't fix it. So what should I do...'
I pondered for days.
Sorted my thoughts and discussed with Grandfather.
The conclusion we reached was
to pay them a portion of the harvest as wages.
In other words, recognize private property.
I gathered the slaves and announced the decision.
When I finished speaking, a young slave raised his hand.
"Does that mean the more harvest we get, the more money we receive?"
"Yes."
I deliberately set it as a percentage of the harvest, not a fixed amount.
To motivate them to work harder.
The young slave raised his hand again.
Emotion flickered in his eyes.
Different from the dead gaze before.
"Then... then could I save up that money and buy myself?"
"Exactly. We have records of what we paid for you. Pay that amount, and I'll free you from slavery."
The slaves clenched their fists tightly.
No cheers erupted, but their eyes alone showed they were different from usual.
As they silently cheered,
Isaac stepped forward.
He was currently acting as the slaves' leader.
Being older and more knowledgeable.
"How much will our wages be?"
"10% of production."
10%.
An ambiguous number.
No, a small one.
Farming in this world was all manual labor, from start to finish.
Sowing seeds to harvesting.
All done by hand.
And that 10% would be divided among 100 people.
Meaning each got just 0.1% of the harvest.
"It'll end up being more than you think. Because..."
I explained why 10% wasn't small.
First, grain prices on Monster Island.
Callas Viscounty took a 30% toll.
Add transport costs, and that made Monster Island grain prices.
At lowest, 1.5 times continental rates.
Sometimes over double.
Second, livestock prices.
Livestock cost even more than grain.
At least triple. In peak times, up to 10 times continental prices.
The slaves marveled once at grain prices,
and again at livestock prices.
"To reiterate, 10% is far from small. Work hard, and you could buy your freedom in a few years. I stake the honor of the Frontier family on this promise."
After that day,
the slaves' eyes changed.
They plowed deeper when clearing land,
and tended the barley with greater care.
Isaac even came to me separately.
"You want to expand the fields?"
"Yes. If we work hard, we can cultivate much more land than this."
What they once thought too vast became too small once we added the word "hope."
"Can't do that. We'll stick to the plan for now."
Isaac bowed regretfully.
"One thing I didn't mention that day: even after buying your freedom, if you want to keep farming, you're welcome to. You'll get 15% of the harvest then."
A 50% wage increase.
I hoped these people would settle on Monster Island.
Population would strengthen Frontier territory and
bolster my political power too.
'Either way, after I free them from slavery, they'll be loyal to me, right?'
"Thank you. I'll relay this to the slaves, Master."
Up to this point, I thought everything would go smoothly.
Until I heard the bell tolling at dawn.
.
.
Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong.
Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong.
"What is that? What's that sound?"
The clamor of the bell jolted me awake.
I grabbed my sword and rushed outside.
Others poured out of the buildings too.
I ran with them.
Toward the source of the bell.