The State Farm (1)
It was a resounding victory that had all of Seoul erupting in cheers.
I asked Im Jui about what the Monolith had said after she returned, and though she seemed a bit surprised, she didn't take it too seriously.
There are monsters out there that mimic human speech. The type that parroting words they've heard somewhere, like a parrot or a recorder, without understanding the meaning.
Im Jui was certain the Monolith had just done the same—spouting human words it had overheard without comprehension.
But I was sure our eyes had met. The Monolith hadn't been looking at the foe trying to cleave it in two; it had stared right at me, through the drone.
It didn't feel like mindless mimicry.
"Can't capture it alive anyway... no point dwelling on it."
With nothing else to do, I decided to let it go.
The Monolith's bisected corpse went straight to the Workshop the moment it arrived, ground into materials.
Compared to the Moon Dancer, Silver Foam, or Tetora, there was zero damage on our side and it felt like an easy kill, but the points were more generous than expected.
"Makes sense."
Thanks to Seo I-rang tipping us off to its weakness, we pulled it off clean. Without that intel, the damage could've been way worse than those previous fights.
The land contaminated by the Monolith started sprouting weeds again the moment it died.
We'd fully reclaimed all of Gangnam District.
Word was, citizens from Gangnam and the Union were showering me with endless praise.
To celebrate the subjugation, we decided to throw a small party in Nakyuan (Paradise Territory) today.
I sent booze and meat over to the Union and Gangnam too, telling them to have their own little gatherings.
"Han Seol here."
"Come in."
Creeeak. As I was reviewing documents, Han Seol knocked and entered the office.
"Issues with the party prep?"
"No, it's not that..."
Han Seol looked a bit troubled.
"Then what?"
That's when Seo I-rang peeked her head around from behind Han Seol at the door.
"I-rang?"
Han Seol nodded at her, and Seo I-rang slowly stepped into view.
"What's up?"
Seo I-rang was basically the MVP of the Monolith subjugation, right up there with the executives.
I stood and approached; she bowed her head deeply.
"..."
I glanced at Han Seol, who prompted her.
"I-rang, you have to say it yourself."
Seo I-rang looked up at me and said,
"C-can... can I raise puppies?"
"Puppies?"
Apparently, when a Union truck came to pick up the booze I'd sent, there were two puppies in the passenger seat with the soldier driving.
He'd spotted them on the road here—next to their mother's corpse, probably killed fighting off wild dogs—and picked them up.
The kids swarmed the moment they saw the pups, petting them eagerly. Seo I-rang took special interest.
But these puppies' fate wasn't bright. In a world where the starving poor eat rats and bugs, dogs were destined for the pot.
The Union did keep some dogs—mostly military working breeds for tracking and scouting—but pet dogs? Only a tiny fraction among the wealthy elite.
That's the reality. Seo I-rang knew the pups' grim future, which is why she'd rushed here to beg me.
"Hmm..."
Her eyes started to glisten.
"If you want to raise them, go ahead."
"R-really?!"
She lit up with joy.
"But on one condition: you feed them yourself, bathe them yourself, train them yourself... and when they grow old and die, you bury them yourself."
"I-I can do that!"
"Good."
"Th-thank you!"
She threw herself into my arms.
"O-oppa, thank you so much!"
"Yeah. Wanna go see them together?"
She'd been scrawny and light when she first arrived, but now she'd grown taller, put on healthy weight—hugging her was starting to feel like a workout.
"..."
The two pups rolled onto their backs the second they saw me, bellies up in submission.
"They're literally palm-sized."
Definitely Sighthound breed—classic look. And ridiculously cute.
One had a golden coat, maybe some retriever blood; the other pure white. Both would live on the palace's 8th floor.
New family members.
"Names? Got any ideas?" Han Seol asked.
"Not yet..."
I stroked Seo I-rang's hair.
"You're their owner, so you name them."
"Okay!"
"What doggy luck."
The golden-furred pup was named "Raon," the white one "Haon." The adults had pitched name ideas, and Seo I-rang picked her favorites.
The pups romped through the grounds, adored by the kids.
They played all day, returned to the palace for chef-made meals and treats, got bathed, then slept.
Happier than most humans.
To keep her promise, Seo I-rang bathed and trained them herself.
That morning, she skipped breakfast saying she wasn't hungry, so Han Seol checked her room.
Water running in the attached bath, one pillow missing—she'd probably washed a puppy pee-soaked pillow herself.
Still just pups, house-training issues.
Good sense of responsibility.
I hoped she'd grow into a responsible adult, unlike me.
A month after building the palace, the food district bonus netted 700P.
Added to the Monolith's 150P and leftovers, points topped 1,000P again.
Very satisfying.
I immediately built two LV2 houses and one each of LV3 ranch and farm on Namsan (South Mountain Domain)—four buildings total.
Then recruited 150 more Union soldiers to station there, issuing citizenship.
500P vanished in a flash.
Before full-scale farming, I built extra houses for clean irrigation water.
The Union started laying pipes from Namsan to the farm.
Water from three 5-story houses should cover infinite ag needs.
They planned reservoirs for bulk storage.
"Way more than expected..."
"Yeah, a lot."
With spring thaw coming, farming starts soon—they publicly recruited farmers, no regional/age/gender limits beyond 17+ and able-bodied.
Aiming for 300 hires, but over 6,000 applied from Gangnam, Gangbuk, and Gyeonggi.
"That many?"
"Yes, for those terms."
Nothing fancy: portion of harvest, breaks, two meals daily, plus makgeolli/beer to take home.
Better than warlord/private elite farms, sure—but this mobbed?
"Hmm."
Han Seol chimed in.
"It's the trust that draws them."
"Trust?"
"Yeah. Other farms cheat sharecroppers with excuses. But a farm run by Union Marshal—who despises corruption—means they'll get fair pay for their work."
"Convincing."
Sharecroppers are the weakest link now—landlords steal shares openly, no courts or reports to file.
Rumors of "Seo Do-hyun," who purged corrupt elites and shows zero tolerance for graft, had spread to Gyeonggi.
"Select 300 able-bodied ones first."
"Got it."
Union soldiers on Namsan would oversee.
"Doing great."
I reviewed the State Farm report.
All fertilizer from Nakyuan mixed into the soil—a decent-sized farm now.
Still chilly, so focus on expanding with more soil prep.
Hired 40 more cooks for farm meals.
Farmers arrive mornings at the remodeled "State Farm HQ" (old ruin)—get briefed by Union ag experts, then hit the fields.
Lunch at noon: ingredients from Namsan's two LV3 farms and ranch.
Pickles, boiled potatoes/sweet potatoes, meat/canned stew soup.
After a short break following lunch, we returned to work; dinner was at 6 PM, then showers in simple facilities, and finally home.
"Want meals in goods?"
"Yes, requests to skip dinner for equivalent crops to take home."
"Not to sell—for family feeding, probably."
"Approve it."
Heartwarming.
These farmers joined to feed families—no slacking, full days' work.
Lunch only onsite; weekly rations at checkout: rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, cans, etc.
The farm's taking shape.
Union laborers remodeling nearby ruins—proper showers/dorms incoming.
Expand big enough, turn it into a village for farmers and families.
Spent 80P on another LV2 house for more farm/shower water.
If farming booms to scale, consider a new direct territory here.
"Then... let's eat, drink, and be merry today!"
"Marshal! Hooray!"
"Hooray!"
To commemorate the "Union Government State Farm" founding and tighten discipline among officials, I summoned all high-rankers from Gangnam and the Union to Nakyuan for a feast.
This time, I seated Na Jong-hoon and Na Hye-won openly beside me.
No need to hide anymore.
March was here—potato farming kicks off for real.
Hoping it all goes smoothly.