The Farm Income Enhancement Project (1)
Aiden headed straight back to his office.
“Jamie… I suppose he’s out. Kalisa is gone, too.”
Jamie was likely out and about, conducting investigations to draft his reports. Kalisa was probably huddled with a few staff members from the Department of Commercial Development, crunching numbers to estimate this year’s northern farmland acreage and drafting a budget based on the new census data.
“Looks like I’ll have to do this one alone.”
He actually preferred it that way.
Humming a tune, he pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and dipped his quill into the inkwell. The pleasant, sharp scent of ink began to spread through the air.
- Farm Income Enhancement Project
The title of the report was the first thing he wrote on the paper.
“Hmm, good. I like it.”
As expected, when a project felt right, the title flowed out effortlessly.
‘I’ll divide the Lord’s direct-managed farmland as much as possible and encourage the cultivation of specialty crops.’
In this era, as was the case in most impoverished regions, the vast majority of land was used solely for food production. That meant they focused on rye, barley, and oats.
It wasn’t that the Northerners didn’t know that specialty crops were far more profitable. It was just that such crops required a lot of labor, technical skill, and, most importantly, a place to sell them.
‘The labor-intensive part is for the private sector to handle. The technology can be disseminated through the Administrative Welfare Center, and as for a place to sell—well, we have the trading post.’
Everything clicked into place perfectly. This was why a minimum administrative foundation was necessary for anything to function properly.
“Who’s so good at their job?”
Aiden, still humming, felt his spirits rise as his hand moved across the page without pause.
“I saw some residents raising sheep and goats the other day. In that case, I could encourage livestock farming by utilizing common land, not just specialty crops.”
Increasing the number of livestock held value beyond just obtaining meat. Shearing, processing, and commercializing wool were tasks that women and the elderly could also perform. In the North, which suffered from a labor shortage, creating work that even women and the elderly could do meant an effective increase in the economic population.
‘And an increase in the economic population means an increase in tax revenue.’
Increased tax revenue meant that even more projects could be undertaken in the North. It was a perfect virtuous cycle.
“...To make that happen, the first thing I need is...”
“We’re going to operate a pilot complex.”
Jamie and Kalisa, who had just returned from their field work, couldn’t help but have question marks floating over their heads at their superior’s sudden announcement of a new project.
“A pilot complex?”
“Yes.”
The outline of the project was already neatly organized on the blackboard in the corner of the office.
“Since it’s the sowing season, I believe it’s a project we can execute.”
“Which is to say, it’s a project that requires rapid implementation.”
“Exactly.”
Perhaps because they had spent so much time together, Jamie understood him perfectly.
“Aiming to improve farm income. That sounds good.”
“However, the farmers won’t be so easily persuaded to try growing new crops. The results haven’t been proven yet, after all.”
“That’s exactly why we need a pilot complex, isn’t it?”
Kalisa had raised a slight doubt, but dissenting opinions were important. A "yes-man" who blindly agreed with his superior was not needed in Aiden’s meetings.
“I’m going to provide a few incentives as a lure.”
Aiden began to add more details to the blackboard as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“First, we’ll provide the rent at a low cost. Fortunately, there’s idle land owned by the Lord’s castle, so that should be sufficient.”
“Excluding the land leased to tenant farmers, this is the amount of surplus land we have.”
Jamie quickly found a document and handed it over.
“This is enough. And next is taxes.”
“Are you planning to lower the taxes?”
“If they sell the crops grown in the pilot complex to the trading post, we’ll lower the tax rate. However, if they sell them elsewhere instead of through the trading post, the tax rate will remain the same.”
“Why is that?”
“The Department of Technical Labor will be providing various forms of assistance for the crops grown in the pilot complex. Things like arranging cheap labor or teaching them cultivation methods.”
Moreover, to confirm whether government policies were being implemented correctly, it was better to have the results verified collectively by the government.
‘If you continue a policy without properly verifying the results, it eventually leads to disaster.’
If he wasn’t careful, he might end up in a situation where the bear does the work and the fox takes the profit. Aiden thought to himself that, at least in the North, he wouldn’t let anyone treat "government money" as "easy money."
The meeting lasted late into the night. Since it was a project that had to be executed during the sowing season, time was of the essence, and it was inevitable that the civil servants would be worked to the bone.
Knock, knock.
“I’ve brought some late-night snacks from the kitchen.”
The snacks arrived just as Kalisa and Jamie were engaged in a fierce debate, veins popping in their necks.
“Sorry about that. The kitchen couldn’t close because of us.”
“Not at all, Administrative Officer. It’s just part of the job.”
The kitchen worker placed plates in front of each of them—sausages made of mystery meat, wrapped in potato dough and pan-fried in oil.
“Um, thank you, Administrative Officer!”
Suddenly, the worker’s face turned bright red, and he bowed deeply, completely out of the blue.
“...Me?”
Aiden pointed at himself, confused as to why he was being thanked.
“Ever since you arrived, Administrative Officer, everyone talks about tomorrow.”
The boy, who did odd jobs in the kitchen, continued to speak in a stuttering, rambling fashion.
“The work has increased, but it doesn’t feel hard at all. Before, even when there wasn’t much work, it was so hard, and that, uh... I don’t even know what I’m saying. I’m sorry. But, well, I want to be an innkeeper someday.”
Now, even his ears and neck were beet-red. He was as red as a radish.
“Sure. When you open your inn, I’ll be sure to visit.”
Aiden replied with a faint smile.
“I’ve heard something quite nice, so everyone, you’d better earn your keep with tonight’s snack, right?”
“Yes, sir!”
“...Yes.”
Kalisa and Jamie also nodded, looking somewhat choked up. It wasn’t that the boy had praised their abilities or marveled at their greatness; it was just a rambling story. But that story was exactly what the officials had wanted to hear most: seeing people who looked at the land they were cultivating, saw hope, and dreamed of a future.
The three leaders in the office didn’t leave until well past midnight, burying themselves in their work.
After a winter where the sun barely rose, spring had finally arrived in full force. The mornings of the Northerners began early. Among the residents heading to the fields with pickaxes and shovels, some who were passing by the trading post out of habit discovered a new notice posted on the wall.
[Recruitment for Farm Income Enhancement Pilot Complex]
- Priority given to residents wishing to grow specialty crops
- Low-cost leasing of land directly managed by the Lord
- Benefits: Priority supply rights to the trading post and support for cultivation methods from the Department of Technical Labor
- Tax reductions planned for crops from the pilot complex sold at the trading post
- Application: Temporary counter of the Department of Commercial Development inside the trading post
“Huh?”
“Isn’t this what Babe and the Administrative Officer were talking about yesterday?”
As a retired soldier who could read—albeit slowly—read the notice aloud, people began to gather from all sides.
“They’re even lowering taxes?”
“Hmm... should I give it a try?”
People were lost in thought, their eyes shining. Expanding one’s land was practically an instinct for farmers, as the size of the land one could cultivate was the size of one’s wealth.
“Excuse me, I’m here to apply for the project!”
While others were still hesitating, someone had already entered the trading post, shouting for land.
“I was the first one here, so you’ll give me the biggest plot, right? Yes? Right?”
It was Babe.
“What kind of crops are you planning to grow?”
“I’m thinking of growing marjoram. I have some seeds.”
“In that case, the land that fits that would be, let’s see...”
As the applications began to be processed inside the trading post, the farmers outside grew anxious.
“Honey, you go quickly and apply too!”
“Huh? Us too?”
“What if we dither and all the land the Lord’s castle is giving away is gone!”
“But we haven’t even decided what to plant on that land yet, and besides...”
“Just get the land first, we can plant something later! Hurry!”
It was human nature to feel envious when a neighbor bought land. But this wasn’t even buying land; it was practically receiving free land.
“I’d like to apply too, sir!”
“I was here first, start with me!”
“Hey, you people! Move aside, an elder is coming through!”
In an instant, the temporary application counter inside the trading post was packed.
“I’m glad I secured the seeds and seedlings in advance. I never thought they’d be used like this.”
Jamie, watching the scene from the second-floor railing of the trading post, looked at Aiden with admiration.
‘Could it be that everything was planned up to this point?’
He remembered the order to travel to various villages and purchase surplus plant seeds or seedlings to create a cultivation calendar. His body shivered.
‘Come to think of it, all these events are connected.’
As soon as he arrived, he had gone door-to-door to check the situation under the guise of conducting a census. Based on that census, he realized the number of merchants was strange and secured the unregistered villages.
‘He opened a temporary market so that the North’s surplus goods could circulate.’
After that, realizing that the Northerners had a weak sense of dates and numbers, he distributed calendars, and after realizing that each village grew different crops, he created a crop calendar.
And now.
The crop calendar had finally led to this project of increasing farm income.
“Administrative Officer!”
“Ah, you startled me. I’m not deaf yet, but if you keep shouting right into my ear, I think I’ll be soon.”
“Please teach me! I will learn diligently!”
Aiden’s expression crumpled. His adjutant was just, well, how should he put it...
‘He’s always beating around the bush.’
Aiden found that passion particularly overwhelming today.
A night truly too dark to rely on moonlight or starlight.
“What about what I asked for?”
“I’ve prepared it over here.”
“Tsk! Is this all there is?”
“This was all I could manage to get.”
“Try a little harder. This can’t be the entire supply.”
“That may be, but everyone is sowing their seeds now, so what can I do when the supply just isn’t piling up?”
In the darkness, the man roughly pulled off his robe’s hood, revealing his face. It was Jenkins, the merchant who had been kicked out after being caught bribing officials.