The Thresher
That night, Jeron hosted a small party in the castle gardens.
Thick, beautifully marbled cuts of pork belly boasted a fantastic color.
With bottles of soju brought out and freshly harvested onions and garlic prepared, the setup was a perfect replica of the pork belly parties he used to enjoy back in Korea.
To top it off, they had kimchi, gochujang, and doenjang salvaged from Old Man Park's shelter.
The Kang father and daughter stared at the lavish spread in sheer disbelief.
“What in the world... is all this?”
“It's a momentous day, so I made sure we did it right. Well? Doesn't it remind you of those backyard barbecues back in Korea?”
“Hahaha! It certainly does.”
Honestly, even Jeron wondered if he was allowed to enjoy such luxury.
Pork belly and soju.
Any Korean man who didn't lose his mind over this legendary pairing wasn't a real Korean man.
Old Man Park smiled as he prepared the doenjang-jjigae.
“It's too early to be surprised. Tell me, how long has it been since you last tasted red pepper flakes?”
“Master, we couldn't exactly eat red pepper flakes raw, so how could we have even dreamed of putting them in a stew?”
“Well, indulge yourselves tonight.”
Jeron also personally preferred his doenjang-jjigae with a healthy spoonful of red pepper flakes.
Just the thought of the spicy, savory stew made his mouth water. It was going to be a feast for the senses.
The charcoal was glowing hot, and a stone pot was placed directly over the embers.
The rich, savory aroma of boiling soybean paste wafted through the air.
Strong fermented soybean paste would have been even better, but he hadn't come across any during his farming runs so far.
Sizzle!
The pork belly hit the hot stone grill.
As the meat began to sear and crackle, a mouthwatering, savory scent spread in all directions.
Jeron lightly seasoned the meat with salt and pepper.
Lettuce alone was more than enough for the wraps.
The lettuce seeds, which he had obtained from an agricultural store on Earth, grew incredibly well in the garden, yielding massive harvests every few days.
Garlic, onions, and ssamjang—it was a flawless combination.
Paired with soju, there was no greater happiness in the world.
Before they took their first drink, Kang Yu-jung spoke up.
“Shouldn't our Lord say a few words on an occasion like this?”
“Ahem, shall I?”
Jeron stood up.
At this moment, he too was overcome by an indescribable emotion.
If not for the three moons hanging in the night sky, he would have believed he was back on a perfectly normal Earth, enjoying a barbecue with friends.
“You have all worked incredibly hard to get here.”
“……”
“And I pray that from now on, you will all enjoy a peaceful and comfortable life here on the Karen Continent.”
Despite the brevity of his toast, tears welled in everyone's eyes.
Old Man Park even swayed slightly, as if the heavy tension he had carried for so long was finally melting away.
Jeron raised his glass, calling out a toast just like they did at company dinners in Korea.
“To our future!”
“Cheers!”
Everyone downed their shots of soju in one go.
With food like this, it would have been a crime for the alcohol to taste anything but sweet.
The soju bottles emptied at a rapid pace.
In contrast, there was pork belly to spare.
While Koreans had a legendary obsession with pork belly, nobles of this era didn't care much for it.
Since smoking and curing techniques were primitive, pork belly was considered a cheap, greasy cut that only commoners ate out of necessity.
Perhaps that was why the maids watched Jeron and his companions with utterly baffled expressions as they feasted on the cut.
By the time they emptied their third bottle of soju, a warm buzz had settled over the group.
Mr. Kang clapped Jeron on the shoulder.
“I heard today. You're planning to raid a logistics warehouse.”
“Yes, Yujin Industries. It's an export company connected to a massive wheat farm.”
“My daughter and I will help you.”
“What?! Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“I can handle it on my own. There's no need for you to take unnecessary risks.”
“I'm more anxious letting you go alone. If something happens to you, how are we supposed to survive here?”
“Well...”
Jeron couldn't deny it.
He spoke as if going alone was the natural choice, but the moment he died, their standing in this world would instantly crumble.
But even putting that aside, Mr. Kang genuinely wanted to help Jeron.
“We all owe you a massive debt. Please, let us repay your kindness.”
“Dad is right. Going alone is too dangerous. Isn't it better to have someone watching your back?”
“But to go to such a dangerous place because of me...”
“It's only once in a while. Compared to when we lived there every single day with no dream or hope, this is nothing.”
The atmosphere threatened to turn solemn again.
Jeron had no choice but to nod.
“Very well. Since you both insist. Once we finish moving all the supplies from Elder Park's shelter, we will head to Yujin Industries. Please prepare yourselves until then.”
“Hahaha! You should have said so from the start.”
“You aren't alone. Never forget that.”
The drinking session stretched deep into the night.
For the first time since being reborn on the Karen Continent, Jeron felt the warm, familiar bond of Korean jeong—a connection he thought had vanished forever.
The harvest season began in earnest.
While experimental crops were being grown and harvested in the serfs' sectors, most of the commoners were busy harvesting native wheat.
Waking up at the break of dawn, the farmers organized labor pools. They worked at a feverish pace, eager to finish their harvest as quickly as possible so they could participate in the territory's public works projects.
This was a positive effect of the New Territory Movement—the sheer drive born from the realization that hard work directly translated to earning more money.
Hans, a resident of the fief who had come out at dawn to help with the communal harvest, listened to the rumors circulating through the fields.
“I'm telling you, that threshing machine is absolutely mind-blowing! You just feed the wheat in, and the grains come pouring out. We don't even have to flail them anymore.”
“We don't have to thresh them by hand?”
“Exactly! It's some kind of magic machine. If you bring your wheat, they'll separate the grains for you completely free of charge!”
“Ha! What kind of nonsense is that? Why would our Lord do such a thing for free?”
“I'm telling you, it's true!”
The crowd murmured in excitement.
The harvesting farmers could talk of nothing else.
A magic-powered threshing machine?
It was truly astonishing.
Who were they, mere peasants, that the Lord himself would develop a threshing machine and provide it to them for free?
From the perspective of the people of this era, there was a clear limit to the benevolence a noble would show.
Jeron Farrow had already capped the tax rate at forty percent.
This alone was an incredibly generous policy. Furthermore, when the harvest failed last year, he had launched various public works projects across the territory to ensure his people had a way to make a living.
Simply refraining from brutal exploitation made someone a good lord. But lowering taxes and creating public works to keep his people from starving went beyond mere good governance—it was a profound, genuine love for his people.
And now, he was even stepping in to lighten their physical labor.
Hans shook his head in sheer awe.
“Where else in the world could you find a lord like ours?”
“Hahaha, probably nowhere.”
It was in the middle of the harvest when artisans from the workshop arrived and began busily assembling something right in the center of the fields.
The farmers no longer looked down on the artisans.
In accordance with the Lord's philosophy that treating skilled workers well was key to the territory's prosperity, discrimination against artisans had been strictly outlawed.
Jeron Farrow held an uncompromising stance on this matter, and the people, recognizing his grace, never dared to treat the artisans with disrespect.
As if to reinforce this, the soldiers actively assisted the artisans as they worked.
Once the threshing machine was fully assembled, Sir Leila, the commander in charge, gathered the farmers.
“Hear me, farmers of Farrow!”
Her clear, resonant voice rang out across the fields.
No matter how flexible the Lord was, the class system remained absolute law.
Thus, anyone foolish enough to show disrespect just because the knight was a woman would find themselves in grave trouble.
The farmers bowed deeply as she spoke.
I. Installation of Threshing and Milling Machinery
Manual threshing machines will be installed in every village. These devices can be easily operated using draft animals, eliminating the need for manual labor. A total of three automatic threshing machines will be installed across the territory, with their locations marked on the map. Three milling machines will also be installed, though families are permitted to use them only for their personal needs. Anyone caught using them for commercial sales will have their usage rights immediately revoked.
II. Temporary Tax Reduction
To improve the quality of life for every household, the Lord has decided to temporarily reduce this year's tax rate from forty percent to thirty percent. While the rate will return to forty percent next year, this temporary reduction reflects the Lord's determination to ease your burdens during the spring lean season.
III. Grain Purchase Program
The territory is prepared to purchase the entirety of the wheat produced as your share. The purchase will be made at current market prices. Should the price of wheat fluctuate and rise, you may hold onto your vouchers and present them later to sell at the higher rate. This is another decisive measure by the Lord to protect those who lack the means to properly store and manage their grain. Do not let your crops rot through poor storage; keep your wealth safely in silver or gold.
The murmurs grew even louder.
The Lord was actually developing and installing manual threshing machines in every village for their convenience.
On top of that, they could use the automatic milling machines for free. It was an astonishing level of welfare.
Grinding wheat into flour was incredibly labor-intensive, so it was obvious that grinding it for free and selling it would yield a massive profit.
But the Lord's strict command was to forbid such commercial exploitation.
“Waaaaah!”
Cheers erupted from all directions.
The Farrow territory already boasted incredibly low taxes, yet the Lord had decided to slash another ten percent off that rate.
Sir Leila waited for the roaring cheers to subside.
Only when the soldiers scowled and ordered them to be quiet did the commotion finally settle.
Having delivered the message, Sir Leila turned and departed.
“Uwooooah!”
Hans and the other commoners embraced each other, shouting praises to the heavens.
The Lord was already showering them with overwhelming grace. Now, they began to wonder if they even deserved to be cared for to this extent.
But a noble's decree was heavier than a thousand bars of gold.
While nobles of this era might exploit their people, they rarely went back on their official proclamations.
“What a truly wonderful place to live! Let's finish this harvest quickly so we can join the construction projects next week!”
“Agreed!”
Sir Leila and her soldiers were already disappearing into the distance.
They had a busy schedule, with many other villages to visit.
However, a low-ranking official from the castle remained behind, standing before the threshing machine.
“Five representatives from each village, step forward!”
“What is this for, sir?”
“You need to learn how to operate the thresher, don't you?”
“Ah!”
The villagers' faces lit up with understanding.
If the machine had simply been left there, they might have broken it by handling it incorrectly.
All they had to do was harness a horse or an ox to the rotating wheel that generated the power.
In an emergency, the villagers could even band together to turn the wheel themselves.
They brought out an ox from the village. As the beast began to walk slowly, the thresher started spinning, vigorously stripping the grains from the wheat stalks.
Even the veteran farmers with decades of experience stared at the sight in absolute shock.
“This performance is absolutely insane!”