CHAPTER 69: CHAPTER 11: THE CARAVAN’S VISIT

The so-called castle hall of Su Li was actually just the ground floor of this low stone-built house.

His castle was still very rudimentary, with only simple wooden walls enclosing an area, and a few stone-built simple houses inside.

However, the people within the castle were full of hope, everyone was passionate, ready to clear the wilderness and build a beautiful home together on this desolate land.

Thus, although the rooms were simple, every corner was full of life, the forge in the blacksmith shop was blazing, dwarves sweating profusely, swing after swing of the heavy hammer, ringing out a symphony of clanging sound.

In the stable, diligent attendants were repairing the war horses’ hooves, washing the dust and mud off the war horses’ bodies.

And in the milking room, there were industrious maids, milking bucket after bucket of pure white cow’s milk and goat’s milk, with a beautiful Priestess from the Dawn Church teaching them how to make cheese products.

Although this land was on the border, it was not without trade routes. Dwarves in the mountains would periodically organize trade caravans down the mountains, trading metalwork and other products for venison, beef, cheese, and other foods they could not produce in their strongholds from the Empire.

There was no hot tea in the castle. When Su Li returned to the castle with Lauren, Lauren had the maids bring two cups of warm milk, smiling and saying: "Lord, you must be weary from your journey, have a cup of hot milk to ease the fatigue. This fresh milk was just produced in our territory these past few days, please try it and see how it tastes."

Su Li was indeed quite thirsty, he tilted his head back and gulped down the big cup of milk in one go. After drinking, his eyes lit up: "Hmm~ It’s actually quite sweet, did you add sugar?"

"No, it’s the natural wildflower honey brewed by the bees in a hive we found in the green leaf forest. We collected about ten pounds," Lauren explained.

"Green Leaf Hills is truly a land rich in resources," Su Li smiled. The future plan for this area would undoubtedly be the territory’s manor region, with beautiful scenery and abundant game, it’s practically a natural royal manor.

They chatted casually for a while, then turned their attention back to business.

Lauren first reported on the tool production problem that Su Li was concerned about: "The territory now has over eight hundred tools, and the blacksmith shop is still in production. I plan to build a larger-scale blacksmith shop, let Belos Dragon Hammer move there with a few apprentices, and forge more refined weapons, equipment, and heavy armor. While the blacksmith shop within the castle will be managed by Harry and a few dwarf miners, melting iron ore, forging iron ingots, and producing simple tools."

"If everything goes smoothly, even if we increase by two or three hundred more slaves, we can settle them down steadily and provide them with enough farming tools to cultivate. Currently, these serfs are primarily taking care of the cultivated farmlands, resulting in our six heavy plows not yet being put to use."

Su Li asked with concern: "How many acres of farmland do we have now?"

This question should be answered by the Minister of Agriculture, Vandar, but since Lauren was familiar with the overall administration, he answered first, saying: "After a detailed tally, including the farmland of Wolfgang Farm, our territory has a total of 2,300 acres of productive farmland. Additionally, in the past few days, we’ve managed to cultivate 200 acres of new farmland using oxen in our spare time."

Speaking of this, Lauren was spiritedly: "Lord, the ’Power Field Technique’ you issued is simply a genius idea. Before this, no one ever thought that those habitually lazy, shameless lowly serfs could possess such a hardworking, dedicated virtue. They even took the initiative, after finishing their farm work, to exploit rest breaks, waking early and working late, to clear and cultivate fields."

"At the time, when several serfs applied for oxen and heavy plows with Vandar, Vandar even suspected them of being cattle thieves, wanting to flee the territory under the cover of darkness."

Su Li couldn’t help but smile, no one in this world understands just how terrifying this system can be better than him. After all, he was once overwhelmed by this kind of pressure. Well, let’s all keep striving together then, either internalize enough to become kings and escape these bull and horse identities, or completely lie flat and be rolled into a grain of dust.

Su Li then said: "’Power Field Technique’ can only solve the problem of scale, how about efficiency? How’s the progress of the water conservancy project?"

"Things have progressed swiftly in this regard, since your victory over the Beastmen in the Mut Valley battle, we acquired a large amount of ironware, and Belos has equipped the ogres with many professional excavation tools. Now, 20 ogres have already dug a total of 20 Imperial miles of ditches, and the reservoir has also been expanded to over 80 meters. According to Vandar’s assurance, the two Light-Scaled Fish will definitely survive and spawn within it. We’ve already jointly sent a letter to Military Commander Knight Oerstein, requesting that he dispatch a guard team to station here day and night to prevent fish thieves from stealing our precious Light-Scaled Fish."

Su Li quickly calculated, with 10 days, 20 ogres dug 20 Imperial miles of ditches, and more than doubled the reservoir. This work efficiency was practically comparable to machinery. Indeed, when power is amplified several times, even just being on a construction site moving bricks can lead to prosperity.

Su Li grinned and said, "No wonder the halfling construction teams always make other business rivals grumble. If we had a hundred or so ogre workers, the construction progress in our territory could skyrocket every day! This efficiency is comparable to that of two or three thousand human serfs."

Sure enough, in such an otherworld, it’s still essential to tap into the magical abilities of alien races.

In a small town of the Empire, if there is a half-elf community and hundreds of ogre workers, the development speed would be extraordinary. The only problem might be how to feed these followers of the Great Stomach God.

Loren chuckled and said, "The half-elf chieftain, Hartskline, has already spotted this business opportunity. There are still thirty to forty members in her family, and she has sent one of her sons, with a group of half-elves and two ogre bull warriors, to form a caravan. They’ve borrowed 60 gold coins from us to go inside the Empire to recruit ogre mercenaries."

"Speaking of caravans, I just happen to have good news for you. Outside the wooden walls of the residential area in the south of the city, a human caravan visited just yesterday."

"So soon?" Su Li was surprised, no wonder Loren said this was good news. His territory had only been under construction for just a month, how could there be merchants visiting already? "What kind of caravan is it?"

"It’s a group of furniture merchants. They originally planned to go to Blood Pine Village to cut down precious pine wood. However, they encountered a large number of forest bandits and had to flee down the Brionne River, which led them to discover our territory. It is said their mercenary escorts suffered heavy losses, with at least 20 or more of them killed in action, and many others wounded. They hope we can provide them with some herbs and offer some military protection while they enter the forest to cut down trees."

Furniture merchants encountering forest bandits?

Upon hearing Loren say this, Su Li immediately found it reasonable. He remembered that under the influence of the giant dragon’s aura, the centaur Bloodhoof Tribe in the forest had become exceptionally aggressive and angry, starting to attack any forces they discovered.

If this green dragon isn’t dealt with, the forest bandits would roam out every spring during the animal mating season, raiding human territories, villages, and farms outside.

Who would have thought there’d be a benefit to this—the unrest caused by this centaur tribe actually drove a furniture merchant caravan into Hesse Territory.

After mulling it over for a moment, Su Li made a decision: "Grant them their request. First, negotiate with them, and after reaching an agreement, bring the caravan manager to see me. We must solve the matter of the forest bandits, capture them, and expand our army. Ransack their camps and capture slaves."

Loren, slightly surprised by this, suggested, "My Lord, these people are very dangerous. Among them are legendary thieves and wanted criminals, many even banished ranger knights. As you know, the range of ranger knights is quite broad, from apprentice knights to champion knights. Confronting them directly is not a wise choice. With your abilities, we can completely develop steadily, grow stronger, and then, in the future, wipe them out in one fell swoop."

"For the time being, our wise choice should be to remain mutually undisturbed with them. Until our strength is powerful enough to crush them."

Loren was indeed a standout graduate of the Mordheim Griffin Military Academy, with a perspective focused on the dangers of warfare and a theory centered on winning before fighting, truly deserving of his military academy background.

If agricultural supremacy were a viable strategy, Su Li wouldn’t consider military risks either. After all, war is one thing where no one can guarantee a sure victory.

But the pressure from the green dragon is right there, and if Su Li doesn’t enter the forest to weaken its minions, the odds of winning the ultimate battle in the future would diminish even further.

And to enter the forest, these forest bandits near the edges are his first targets to address.

So Su Li said, "My civil servant, your suggestion is very sound. From an internal affairs perspective, you’re not wrong. But as the lord, I must balance both civil and military matters. The threat of the forest bandits is too great for us, and we must actively defend, proactively weakening their strength. Otherwise, when they gather and raid outside, our mere one hundred soldiers and four hundred settlers can’t possibly withstand their vast numbers."

Loren, unaware of the terrifying reality of the green dragon’s existence, continued to advise, "My dear lord, you do not know how terrifying those bandits are. The previous lord once coveted the bounty and tried to lead troops in to sweep them out, suffering a huge loss. Those bounty notices are still gathering dust under the shelf in the government hall."

"There are bounty notices?" Su Li’s eyes lit up, this was indeed an unexpected delight: "Quickly bring them for me to see."

Loren immediately directed an attendant to fetch those near-moldy notices from under the shelf, hoping to dissuade Su Li from this impulsive idea.