CHAPTER 75: CHAPTER 75: RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

In this world, knowledge is in the hands of a few people.

The Church clergy, nobility, and scholars!

Previously, Lynn was pondering about whom to appoint for educating the children.

Old John then appeared.

Lynn did not expect those dozen children to learn any profound knowledge.

He merely wished they could understand numbers and recognize letters, at least being able to comprehend the contents of a letter.

Not only children, but the guards of the Guard Team also needed to learn.

This was Lynn’s most basic requirement.

Old John was somewhat surprised.

It was his first time hearing.

A lord who would be so concerned about the education of children in his domain, besides his own children.

Looking at Lynn’s serious face, Old John’s heart was moved.

He agreed, "Everything will be just as you, Lord, require."

Lynn nodded in satisfaction.

...

Reclaiming wasteland is a dangerous labor.

It has always been so.

Two adult oxen pull the wheel plow, flipping the soil to the side.

The villagers, who already struggled to handle the heavy plow, might easily lose their footing, fall, and get injured by the plow.

In just three days.

Five or six people were carried back to the village.

Fortunately, with the presence of Old John.

What disappointed Lynn a bit was that Old John did not use his [Healing Light] skill.

Instead, he gathered various herbs from around the village to apply herbal treatments to the injured.

For those injured, Lynn had no sympathy.

After herbal treatment, if they couldn’t continue to handle the plow, they were to use a sickle to clear weeds.

If they couldn’t clear weeds, they were to help in the kitchen.

In any case, labor should not be idle.

As night fell.

In Lynn’s wooden house.

Kuisi was standing in front of Lynn.

She explained, "Master Lynn, after you modified the evaporator to a large iron pot, the production of fine salt doubled!"

"Now the Salt Factory can produce 600 pounds of fine salt daily."

A daily output of 600 pounds of fine salt, priced at seven pence per pound...

Each day can earn him Seventeen Gold Pounds, Ten Shillings!

If used to buy barley, it’s quite a lot.

But if buying armor, it would only be enough for one set of finely crafted Chain Armor.

With this little gold pound income, let alone building an army, it’s barely enough to sustain the villagers.

Lynn looked at Kuisi, "How much rock salt and fine salt is still left in the salt warehouse?"

Kuisi hesitated a bit and explained, "In the last trade with the merchant Grayson, it was all cleared... About fifty thousand pounds of rock salt and around two thousand pounds of fine salt are left."

Lynn nodded and dismissed Kuisi, letting her go back to rest.

The Kuisi before him seemed more mature and composed, busy as she was with village affairs.

...

George came back.

A caravan of ten two-horse carts came grandly towards the village.

Every cart was loaded with goods!

During this time, Lynn had the villagers repair the limestone road on the wasteland.

Otherwise, the former muddy dirt and gravel roads of the wasteland would certainly not bear the weight of the carts!

Standing at the village entrance, Lynn had a glance and noticed that this time George did not bring back any slaves!

Jumping down from the cart, George hurried to Lynn, bending over as he spoke.

"Master Lynn, I apologize, this time I could not bring you the slaves you desired... however, I brought you a lot of high-quality iron and grain!"

Lynn raised an eyebrow.

What he lacked most currently was high-quality iron and grain!

Lynn asked, "How much high-quality iron is there?"

George quickly explained, "Three thousand pounds of high-quality iron!"

"Master Lynn, I have reached a steel sale agreement with an iron trader from the Portlands Empire, please have a look to decide."

He took a rolled brown parchment from his bosom and handed it to Lynn.

Lynn accepted it and began to read.

The contents of the agreement were not complicated.

In short,

the iron trader from Portlands Empire and George reached an agreement to sell high-quality iron to George at a price two pence above market price.

The iron merchant needs a month for each round trip to the Portlands Empire.

In a month, three thousand pounds of high-quality iron would be delivered to Lynn!

It was the maximum load for a longship.

Returning the parchment to George, Lynn nodded and said, "No problem, you take full responsibility for this, let the iron merchant proceed with the delivery."

The price of high-quality iron, six pence a pound, plus two pence makes it eight pence.

Three thousand pounds of high-quality iron is One Hundred Gold Pounds!

Just the six-day output of the Salt Factory, Lynn could afford it.

Receiving Lynn’s response, George nodded solemnly, "Alright, Master Lynn."

"Besides the high-quality iron, I also brought back twenty thousand pounds of grain..."

"This is the remaining Fifty Gold Pounds!"

Lynn nodded, "Well done."

He glanced at Kuisi, who quickly took the bag.

Instantly, the weighty sensation appeared.

Lynn felt somewhat amazed in his heart.

Even he, it was the first time to see so many gold pounds.

After all, it was mostly bartering before.

Lynn naturally understood why George brought back the gold pounds.

Not due to lack of money to buy supplies, but his carts were limited, the market temporarily limited.

Lynn acknowledged, "Very well done, go rest."

Bag after bag of goods was unloaded from the carts by the villagers.

The high-quality iron was sent to the Blacksmith Shop, the grain was stored in the granary.

With the fifty thousand pounds of barley and twenty thousand pounds of peas brought by Grayson,

and now the twenty thousand pounds of grain brought back by George.

It was enough for the four hundred fifty mouths of villagers and fifty heads of livestock to eat for some time.

But, only for a period.

During spring plowing, Lynn planted only five acres of wheat.

That means,

Lynn still needs to keep buying grain to get through summer plowing!

...

All the previous iron was used to make iron pots.

From these three thousand pounds of high-quality iron, Lynn planned to allocate a portion for making weapons for the Guard Team!

The number of the Guard Team expanded to fifty people.

Aside from the thirteen scimitars and one set of half-finished Chain Armor previously acquired,

these guards didn’t even possess a decent weapon.

The remaining iron would all be used by Lynn to forge Wheel Plows!

Grain is the foundation of all development!

...

Under the night sky, the villagers stood on the open ground.

Four hundred villagers were standing on the open ground.

Their eyes were all fixed on the front.

There, Master Lynn was standing with Ehrelo of the Blacksmith Shop.

Scanning the crowd, Lynn spoke solemnly.

"Ehrelo, the blacksmith of the Blacksmith Shop, is a hero in my eyes."

"In my time of need, he led fifteen apprentices to forge twenty Wheel Plows day and night."

"Not to mention that these guards don’t even have a proper weapon."

"I am willing not only to give my gratitude, but also to give him a fitting reward."

"A reward that is as heavy as this."

Lynn took out twenty gold pounds and placed them in Ehrelo’s hands.

The crowd was abuzz!

Lynn’s voice pierced through the curious gathering of villagers.

"As long as you can complete the tasks I assign, you too, can earn golden pounds as a reward!"

Brainwashing?

Hardly,

Lynn had put actions to his words, taking out genuine gold pounds.

He’s here to stimulate their senses,

to show them that following him and completing tasks as required, not only ensures that they have enough to eat and a place to live,

but also begin to amass wealth!

...

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