CHAPTER 469: CHAPTER 301: ARRANGEMENT_2

"Select forty war horses from all the horses currently in town for the Cavalry. Give the armor to the Cavalry, and use this batch of metal for casting cannons.

As for the muskets, wait a bit longer; soon you’ll be able to switch to specially made new guns. All herb-related resources are to be allocated to the sanatorium..."

Lance directly made numerous arrangements. It was now necessary to focus resources on creating a light cavalry unit, a precondition for ensuring mobility and raiding capability.

The favoritism was no longer concealed; in the feudal era, the Cavalry were the favored sons.

Nobody had any further objections; they just needed to follow the instructions and do their job.

This number of people is still insufficient. We must gather more people and develop a larger population to form a stronger army.

Previously, Lance had brought back over three thousand people with two cargo ships, but once they spread out, it became apparent the number wasn’t very large. If he had ten thousand soldiers, he would have already marched to the Old Ancestor’s doorstep.

"After completing identity registration, relax the restrictions and recruit more labor from the surrounding areas. The cargo ships should also get moving; I need more workers."

"My Lord, I fear that may allow Heretics to infiltrate."

"It doesn’t matter. As long as we maintain strong policies, those fellows will be caught up in the people’s war and won’t be able to stir up any trouble."

After the summary, Lance had those in the military system remain and took out the route map.

"After the Cavalry is assembled, follow me to suppress the Pirates. The horses will be left here; if anyone wants them, they can come and fetch them.

The Navy, prepare yourselves. You have been training for a long time. I need to see naval soldiers capable of fighting and daring to fight. We must reclaim the seas that belong to Hamlet and repair the maritime routes ravaged by Pirates for over a decade.

The Artillery is to be expanded and its training intensified. Soon your cannons will be ready, and I hope by then you can deliver a fierce bombardment, turning all enemies to dust.

The sanatorium should prepare the necessary medical supplies for this operation and also strengthen the training of medical soldiers in battlefield first aid..."

With this batch of resources at hand, Lance felt he could finally afford to show a bit of his hidden fangs and made a decisive call.

"In three days, the entire army will strike!"

"Yes!"

Bustle was the theme in Hamlet, and as its Lord, Lance naturally couldn’t slack off. He used this time to meet with those individuals, guiding them to join merchant guilds and venture beyond Hamlet.

Most of these individuals were unwilling to squander their lives in such sorry conditions. Having undergone more professional training, many agreed to join. Lance had also invested a lot of Gold Coins in them, and leaving them idle would be a waste.

Now Walter had acquired a group of elite Guards, enabling him to form a true Guard squad, and these individuals could, in turn, earn money.

Geralt, Junia, Tadiff, and Balistan were summoned before Lance.

"There’s an evil cult nestled in the wilderness north of the town. The task is to scout the wilderness. I will cover logistical expenses and offer a base reward of ten Gold Coins.

Drawing the map will earn an additional ten Gold Coins, and each piece of information gathered about the evil cult will also add ten Gold Coins. As long as you’re capable, my treasury will always be open to you.

Of course, this evil cult is very dangerous. Their followers are extremely fanatical, and they’ve mastered some Supernatural Powers. Therefore, your primary task is reconnaissance. There is no need to engage the enemy. If you do, however, be extremely careful to avoid the Witch hidden among them."

Lance’s explanation was mainly for Tadiff’s benefit, as it was unnecessary to explain to the others.

"Have your money ready," Tadiff said, blowing his nose, utterly unconcerned about the dangers Lance had described.

This wasn’t arrogance, but extreme confidence in his own abilities.

It was understandable, however, as he had shown formidable strength upon leaving prison, killing a leader while protected by his followers.

Lance, however, was curious about how Tadiff would react when facing the Heretics.

The team set off, a carriage taking them to the outpost. In accordance with their agreement, Lance sent Balistan to the most dangerous front, mainly because their team did not lack firepower.

Geralt and Tadiff were both capable of dealing massive damage. Junia’s Divine Arts could also provide control, support, and healing.

As long as Balistan held firm, their team was very well-rounded.

Lance had never given up on his desire to push north. Developing the wilderness was a way to steadily erode the Old Ancestor’s control.

Once he finished his own work in the coming days, and they had scouted and gathered sufficient information, they could seamlessly integrate their efforts and continue the push north against the Old Ancestor.

He wanted to succeed on two fronts...

"My Lord, here is the collated monthly report."

Tiffany walked in and handed him a document, making Lance realize that a month had flown by since his return from Totnes.

For Lance, however, it felt as though time had sped by, filled with back-to-back incidents and emergencies that nearly overwhelmed the Hamlet he had worked so hard to build.

Fortunately, Hamlet had not only weathered these numerous disasters without declining but, under Lance’s control, was operating with an efficiency unimaginable to the outside world.

Four weeks... Let’s see what I’ve accomplished...

Putting aside his emotions, Lance picked up the monthly report and started reading.

The roads from Hamlet to the three farms had now been cleared. The main structure of the collective farm was complete, and accommodations had been arranged for everyone. The current phase involved exploring and developing the surrounding areas, as well as initiating livestock breeding programs.

Moreover, it was worth noting that Lance hailed from a mysterious great eastern nation. While he might not understand muskets and cannons, his upbringing had endowed him with a unique understanding of agriculture and animal husbandry.

Reclaiming the wasteland inevitably involved clearing the native vegetation. Larger trees were cut down for lumber. As for weeds and other undergrowth, cattle were driven over them, while some people cut grass to feed the livestock.

He preserved existing fruit trees and planned to transplant berry bushes into consolidated areas for centralized management and easier harvesting, thereby providing labor opportunities for women and children.

The coastal fishing industry was also developing rapidly. While large ships couldn’t be built yet, small fishing boats were feasible. Lance introduced lines of credit, boat leasing, and installment plans, enabling people to acquire boats and head out to sea through various means.

This also absorbed the newly built fishing boats, stimulating the shipbuilding industry’s development; the two sectors complemented each other.

The volume of seaweed and fish catches even necessitated the construction of a dedicated processing workshop at the docks.

The shells of various shellfish, initially considered waste, were seen by Lance as excellent raw materials.

Shellfish shells are primarily composed of calcium carbonate, an excellent raw material for producing lime. Lime has numerous applications, notably as a crucial building material for constructing houses and paving roads.

Furthermore, in agriculture, lime can be used for pest control, to improve soil pH balance, and to supplement calcium.

Large, attractive shells were selected to be crafted into artisanal goods or other valuable decorative items.

Less appealing shells were ground into powder to substitute for bone meal in animal feed, supplying essential trace minerals and calcium necessary for animal growth.

Fish processing by-products were chopped, pulverized with shell powder, and mixed with bran (typically used for dark bread) to create livestock feed. This was particularly effective for chickens; the eggs they laid after consuming this feed were especially large.

More critically, all these activities created numerous job opportunities, allowing people to find work and earn money.

Solving the feed issue allowed for the expansion of animal husbandry, which had to shift from free-range to systematic, orderly practices. Although machinery for automation was lacking, Lance had access to abundant low-cost resources, making the overall production cost even lower.

Waste from animal husbandry was utilized to create compost. High temperatures during composting killed parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Once the fermentation process was complete, the compost was applied to both existing farmland and newly cultivated land.

This method could rapidly enrich the soil, eliminating the need for fallow periods and dramatically increasing land utilization.

It was a pity they lacked the conditions to construct biogas digesters. Otherwise, if biogas could be utilized, the efficiency of many town operations could be significantly improved.

The saying ’many hands make light work’ was no empty boast; the refugees were not without strength—they simply lacked someone to unite them.