Three-Year Plan for Territory Development (3)
Jeron decided against touring the rest of the territory.
The class system of this era was absolute.
If the lord went around stirring things up for no good reason, it would only disrupt the work and delay progress, so he chose to restrain himself.
Instead, Jeron led Cain and Layla toward the mountain to begin a climb.
Though he had started the hike without a word of explanation, neither of them questioned it.
Cain might foam at the mouth whenever money was involved, but he was a loyal vassal whose family had served the Farrow line for generations. As for Layla's loyalty, it was a fact known to the entire territory.
While the feudal system of this era had many flaws, its strict hierarchy and absolute obedience made things much simpler than on Earth.
With no time constraints, Jeron climbed the mountain at a leisurely pace, listening to the sounds of nature.
He felt the passing wind and the crisp air.
Ever since he had awakened to mana, even the faintest trace of magical energy in the air filtered into his senses like cool peppermint.
The entire forest swayed and rustled, and mountain birds took flight.
It was a land vibrant with life.
Rustle. Rustle.
Rustle. Rustle.
Even the sound of the grass brushing against his legs was pleasant to hear.
Jeron organized his thoughts as he climbed.
If only I could bring back specialty crops from Earth.
So far, he had brought back various flower seeds and potatoes. However, potatoes were strictly a subsistence crop, making them difficult to market as a luxury specialty. In an era where frying things in oil was a luxury in itself, their utility was limited.
Items scavenged from dollar stores, gift shops, or supermarkets would eventually hit a limit, and they couldn't truly be called local specialties anyway.
If possible, he needed to quickly sweep the area around the middle school and then head toward the industrial complex.
Lost in thought, he soon reached the summit.
A cool breeze swept over him.
Looking down at the territory from this height, it no longer looked like a land on the brink of ruin.
With so many people mobilized for labor, the scene actually looked dynamic and full of life.
As the phytoncides filled his lungs, the lingering stench of manure that plagued the territory seemed to wash away.
Taking a sip of water, Jeron sat on a flat rock and looked down at the parched farmland.
"Do you two know why we have suffered poor harvests for two consecutive years?"
"Well, it is because it did not rain, causing a drought. Farming inevitably requires water, does it not?"
"A very conventional analysis."
Cain's thinking was rigid. He was sharp when it came to finances, but agriculture was not his specialty, and it showed in his answer.
It wasn't the answer Jeron was looking for.
He turned his gaze to Layla, hoping for more.
"What do you think, Sir Layla?"
"The territory does not lack water. For instance, even during the worst of the drought, no one died from a lack of drinking water. Lake Baitan on the outskirts of the territory is vast and never runs dry. The residents do not mind the labor of fetching drinking water from there. However, irrigating the entire farmland requires an immense amount of labor, which leaves the fields far from the lake dry and barren."
"You are correct. And the solution?"
"I believe the canal system you planned, My Lord, is meant to draw water from Lake Baitan and connect it to the territory and the fields. Doing so would save an immense amount of labor and prevent droughts from affecting us entirely."
Clap, clap, clap!
"Excellent!"
Jeron couldn't help but applaud.
Why had no one else thought of something so basic?
It was because of the sheer amount of labor required.
Building a canal was a massive undertaking, and no previous lord had dared to plan or execute a project that could bankrupt the territory.
As Cain listened to their conversation, his face turned pale.
Sweat began to pour down his completely bald head.
"M-My Lord! That will require an astronomical amount of labor and capital! Is that not a massive project that would require us to pull every single slave currently working on the castle walls and throw them into the canal construction? To complete a canal, we must dig the earth, level the bed, lay stones and gravel, and reinforce the entire structure like a stone wall. If we factor in the stonemasons required for this, I cannot even fathom how much capital will be consumed..."
"You seem to know exactly how a canal should be constructed, Cain."
"My Lord, that is not the point!"
"Cain, a canal doesn't need to be grand from the start. First, we simply dig the trenches to connect the water to the fields. It is not too late. If we can dig the channels and connect them to the fields now, we can save this year's harvest."
"Well... if it is just digging the earth, it might be possible within a few weeks, but..."
"Laying the gravel and reinforcing the canal can wait until after the harvest."
"Even that will require immense labor and cost..."
"Enough. This will be the foundation that makes our territory prosperous."
Cain broke out in a cold sweat again.
Although they expected massive profits once the merchant group began operating normally, those funds had already been earmarked for other projects before they even arrived.
Jeron viewed this as an absolute necessity, and Layla deeply agreed. Cain was simply having a fit at the thought of the impending expenses.
To break free from the cycle of poverty, the very structure of the territory had to change.
And this was just the beginning.
"The canal will run through the farmlands. We can also use it to divide the land into proper districts. Until now, land ownership has been managed haphazardly with vague boundaries. We will completely reform this. The same goes for the census. I am well aware that many people purposely avoid registering their names to evade taxes. Do you know how much revenue we are losing because of this?"
"Ah... Haha..."
A land survey and a population census.
These were the absolute basics of managing a territory or a nation.
Without these two steps, money would continue to leak out like water through a sieve.
Currently, the territory was in a completely raw state.
A proper census alone would likely increase the registered population by at least five thousand.
The land was no different.
By conducting a thorough investigation, they could collect taxes properly and reclaim land that was being used to generate illicit profits.
"The backlash will not be minor."
"We are in the middle of a reform. How can we reform anything without even establishing the basics? What is our slogan again?"
"'Let's live well.'"
"To live well, we must master the basics."
"The basics... Those are very wise words, My Lord, but your vassals are going to work themselves to death."
Jeron shrugged.
If his vassals worked themselves to death, he could only offer them his deepest condolences.
Jeron finalized several policies on the spot.
They discussed road construction, placing outposts at key locations, and improving hygiene by clearing all waste from the territory.
With every policy introduced, Cain's face grew paler, but Jeron did not stop speaking.
***
The Territory Development Office was established, and a building once used by the Second Knights was repaired for its use.
Though the territory currently had only about twenty knights, the family had once boasted a Second Knights division during its golden age.
This building had once been a symbol of immense wealth and power.
It had recently been used as a warehouse, but with the launch of the Territory Development Office, the building finally regained its purpose.
Currently, the office had only two employees.
They were busy drafting documents based on the discussions they had had with the lord earlier that day.
Since the lord had made his decision and issued his commands, it was time to work out the details.
Cain was already nursing a massive headache.
"If we proceed with all these projects at once, the territory will go bankrupt within two years."
"The merchant group will launch soon, and in the long run, this seems to be the only way to escape our poverty."
"Do you truly support the Lord, Sir Layla?"
"As knights, we simply follow the commands of our lord, but..."
"I am asking if you truly believe this will be effective."
"If you put it that way... Yes, I believe it is a brilliant strategy."
"A brilliant strategy!"
"A great transformation is coming to our territory. Under our Lord's guidance, I believe we can reform this land and even elevate our house's peerage in this generation."
"Haha, elevating our peerage? Isn't that going a bit too far?"
"Beyond governance, the Lord also possesses remarkable military insight. I am certain we will see striking changes in our military forces as well."
"Your faith in him is truly immense."
"Do you not share that faith, Treasurer?"
"Faith?"
Cain looked down at the stacks of documents.
This wasn't a matter of faith. Who didn't know that establishing the basics would develop the territory? However, executing these projects would drain the territory's remaining strength.
That was why he worried about bankruptcy.
"I am the treasurer. I cannot look at plans through the lens of faith. I must manage them to ensure we do not go bankrupt."
"The money issue will likely be resolved soon."
"What? How?"
"Even if we do not secure official trade rights immediately, we can still conduct trade. I do not know the source of the various goods the Lord has shown us, but assuming he can continue to supply them, I believe we will easily stay afloat."
"My word, that is indeed absolute faith."
Unlike the pragmatic Cain, Layla, as a pure knight, possessed unwavering loyalty.
Cain pushed the documents aside and stood up, stretching his stiff back.
Crack!
"Aigoo, I am too old for this suffering. My entire body aches, yet I am saddled with such overwork."
"Let us go, Sir Cain. I shall accompany you. My brother should be arriving at the lord's castle by now."
Dark circles hung heavily under Cain's eyes.
His workload had doubled compared to before, and he desperately wanted to rest, but Jeron was not one to let him idle.
Of course, despite his constant complaints, a spark of anticipation was growing in Cain's heart.
***
Evening was fast approaching.
Due to the old lord's insistence that dinner must be eaten together as a family, Jeron had to wrap up his daily tasks and head to the lakeside villa where his parents resided.
He preferred to finish all his work before dinner.
Today in particular, he felt a strange excitement because the Golden Key was finally fully charged.
Although Earth was a ruined world filled with dangerous mutants, and walking through that desolate wasteland alone could make him feel melancholic, returning there felt oddly like going home.
Wanting to return to a place teeming with danger was a paradox, even to Jeron himself.
He arrived outside the lord's reception room.
He had been gradually decorating this space with items he had brought back from Earth.
Things treated as trash on Earth became precious treasures here.
These included replica paintings, glass ornaments, and beautiful liquor bottles.
He had swept up anything that looked lightweight yet valuable, and the reception room was currently doubling as a temporary storage space.
Inside the reception room, Burken Cavain, the leader of the Cavain Merchant Group and Layla's older brother, was staring at the paintings, completely lost in admiration.
He was particularly spellbound by Van Gogh's The Starry Night.
Decorating the walls were replicas of the Mona Lisa, the Tree of Life, and The Gleaners—pieces Jeron had personally liked back when he lived on Earth. He had brought them over purely out of personal taste.
Before entering the room, Jeron overheard Burken speaking to Layla.
"These are truly magnificent works. I do not know who painted them, but they are masterpieces worthy of the ages. If we put these up for auction, they would fetch an astronomical price."
"Oh..."
Jeron's heart skipped a beat.
Until now, he had only thought of practical goods as sources of income. It had never occurred to him that the cheap replica paintings commonly hung in ordinary households could be worth money.
Because they were cheap, mass-printed replicas, Jeron had subconsciously dismissed them as worthless.
But in this world, Earth's cheap replicas were being hailed as masterpieces of the century.
Art can make money too?