Food Self-Sufficiency

With the duel over, construction of the village began in earnest.

Until now, villages ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had been built along the borders—for defense, and for supply lines. But things were different now. This village was being raised for one purpose alone: food production. Farming.

The place I stood was one of the plains within the autonomous territory.

Magi Control.

I drew the Magi out of the farmland and transferred it into a small stone. I had grown so used to the work that I moved like a machine.

Pick up a stone. Use the skill. Set the stone down.

It was the same simple, repetitive labor as gluing eyes onto dolls. And because of that, I found I had room to think while I worked.

Once thirty thousand serfs are put to work, we can supply food to the three baronial houses.

Keep expanding farmland and farmers like this, and Ireland would eventually achieve food self-sufficiency.

"Young Lord."

"What is it?"

"A letter from Lord Isaac."

I finished injecting Magi into the stone in my hand and took the letter.

I turned my head and looked at the Magi Stones piled high. Injecting Magi into stones no bigger than a thumb had produced an enormous quantity.

"Ireland's demand alone won't be enough, clearly. Tell Isaac to proceed."

"Understood."

I returned to Magi Control like a machine and sank back into thought.

Magi Stones can't be manufactured on the continent the way soap can.

Which meant we would have to pay the Kallass territory's transit tolls. There was no way I was handing over thirty percent for free.

"Bring me a blank sheet of paper!"

On it, I wrote a letter to Viscount Kallass.

Kallass Manor. The Viscount's study.

The Viscount read the letter Elwin had sent.

Having finished the letter, he picked up the Magi Stone necklace enclosed with it.

"So this drives monsters away?"

The letter claimed it only repelled goblins. But given time, it said, it could drive off orcs, trolls—perhaps even ogres.

Dozens, even hundreds of people died to monsters every day. That held true even on the continent, where monsters were relatively scarce.

"This will make money. More and more of it, as time goes on."

Elwin had a nose for profit like nothing else. First soap, and now Magi Stone necklaces.

"Promotion and sales channels, is it? Of course we'll handle it. The more they sell, the better for us. You there. Summon Jeffrey."

"Yes, my lord."

A short while later, Jeffrey Kallass entered the study. The Viscount handed him Elwin's letter and the Magi Stone necklace.

"Can you manage it?"

"Of course, Father."

Monster Island. Frontier territory. The new village.

Today, as always, I was focused on Magi removal.

"Expand the farmland! Gather the Magi Stones!"

I sang to liven up the monotony of the routine.

"Expand the farmland! Gather the Magi Stones!"

The laborers hauling stones joined in.

I used the skill, then stood. I stretched my back and spread my arms wide. The sun hung high overhead.

"Oh... already lunchtime."

Just then, visitors arrived.

"Uncle Miller? And... a priest?"

The two said they had met on the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠way.

Uncle explained his reason for coming first.

"So you've discovered a broad plain in the troll region?"

"That's right. Not as large as Plain, but big enough to build four cities' worth."

With the villages already under construction, plus cities on that great plain, thirty thousand serfs could be housed without trouble.

"Excellent. We'll claim it. That settles that. And what brings you here, Father?"

The priest explained his purpose.

1) Additional priests, to match the growth in the faithful.

2) Delivery of the soap revenue.

3) The Moon Cult.

First, the priest reinforcements. The Earth Cult dispatched priests and temple knights according to the number of believers. As the faithful in the Frontier region had grown, so had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the reinforcements.

Second, the soap revenue. Outwardly, the Cult itself produced and sold the soap—but in truth, I was the one running it.

And last, the Moon Cult.

"How is the Moon Cult moving?"

Winning the duel had brought the truth of that day to light. But if the Moon Cult refused to accept it, trouble would follow again.

"They appear to be letting this matter pass."

"Is that so? Good."

It seemed the Moon Cult had no intention of stirring things up further for now.

"However..."

"However?"

"The Saintess of the Moon and her priests do not forget a loss. Interference will come, one way or another. Be careful."

"I appreciate the warning."

They had let this one go—but another fight was inevitable. That was why I was focusing on food.

Without food self-sufficiency, Ireland would be dragged around by the Moon Cult, or by anyone else who chose to pull the strings.

Having said his piece, the priest prepared to leave.

"One more thing, if I may."

The priest, who had been organizing the documents he had brought, looked up again.

"You have something further to say?"

"The Cult operates orphanages, does it not?"

"It does, but...?"

"You gather children from across the continent, I assume?"

The priest nodded, though his expression was puzzled. He clearly wondered why I was asking.

"Raise those children here in Frontier."

"Here? But considering the distance and the cost..."

"I will provide the orphanage buildings. And cover fifty percent of the operating expenses."

The Cults sent people across the continent searching for those suited to become priests. Children of wealthy families were taken to educational facilities under Cult management; the rest were raised in the orphanages themselves. It was one of the ways the Cults trained their clergy.

In the end, fewer than three percent of those children become priests. And the rest?

The rest would simply be absorbed into Frontier's population.

"You would support us to that extent? I will convey this to the Cult at once."

The priest offered his thanks several times over, then departed for the Cult.

I need to draw in as much population as possible.

The conflict with the Moon Cult had exposed several of my weaknesses.

The first was military strength. Existing forces could not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stand against the Moon Cult. So I had developed gunpowder weapons.

The second was food. No matter how strong I became, I could not fight the Moon Cult or the lords of the continent alone. I needed the help of those around me.

And the prerequisite for that was food self-sufficiency. Without it, they could not aid me even if they wanted to—just as they had been unable to stop the duel.

"Food production requires two things."

1) Farmland.

2) Farmers.

Farmland I could obtain as much as I needed. Frontier had plenty of empty land, and if that ran short, I could expand the territory.

"In the end, the key is farmers."

If only the people were there, I could handle the rest with my own abilities.

I took out the documents stored in my study.

That @ was the population of my autonomous territory.

From purchasing slaves to drawing in wanderers, I had poured effort into growing the population, and so far I had gathered roughly sixty thousand. A considerable number of them were engaged in agriculture.

"We've already met Frontier's food demand. We're past that now."

And if another thirty thousand farmers were added? We could feed the populations of the three baronies as well.

"Even then, the Vampires Duchy's eight hundred thousand would remain."

Ireland's food self-sufficiency was going to take a little longer.

Just then, for the first time in a long while, the system notification changed.

"A mission, finally?"

Normally, a new mission would appear within hours of completing the last one. This time, it had taken over a month.

"So you're thinking the same thing."

Earth Cult. Central conference chamber.

The Saintess and the rest of the leadership had gathered.

The meeting began, and one of the cardinals rose from his seat.

"The first item on the agenda is Young Lord Elwin's proposal."

"What is it?"

"He has proposed operating a Cult orphanage on Ireland."

"An orphanage?"

"He offers to cover construction of the orphanage and fifty percent of its operating costs."

The Saintess closed her eyes. An orphanage, out of nowhere? She could not grasp Elwin's intent.

While she thought, the leadership exchanged opinions.

"Relocating a Cult orphanage?"

"What could his purpose be?"

"Could he be trying to expand his influence?"

"What if we used this opportunity to build additional orphanages?"

"Additional construction? The Cult's finances..."

Then the cardinal in charge of finances spoke.

"The finances are sufficient."

The chamber fell quiet. Coming from a man who always claimed funds were short, the words were hard to believe.

"Ahem. Ten percent of the soap revenue. The sum is considerable—and it grows every month."

"Excellent. Then let us build a new orphanage on Ireland."

"If it's an addition rather than a relocation, Ireland should be fine."

"Let us do so."

The leadership's opinions aligned.

The Saintess raised her head.

"Then proceed as such."