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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Bobto
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My first impression when I came to this village was exactly this:
“Wow, even with this, there was no rebellion, amazing. Wow, it’s a miracle.”
Because the village, once called a fertile field where even the wind stopped to linger, was now as desolate as if a famine had struck.
First of all, this area had been considered a breadbasket within the Kreutel Marquisate since ancient times, and it was renowned as a prosperous village not only in the Marquisate but also in nearby territories.
Before the corruption of the bailiff, it was a good neighborhood known for its kindness compared to other villages.
So much so that peasants from other territories secretly crossed over here to try to settle down. Even though they could have their hands or feet cut off if caught by the lord while trying to cross over.
However, not even a trace of such an appearance remained in Windheim now.
The peasants of the village were emaciated, and the village’s granaries, which should have been full of grain, were completely empty.
On the dining tables of the villagers, there was only thin porridge with sparse wheat and barley, and boiled cabbage without even salt sprinkled on it.
Ah, they were even in a state of drinking all the unpleasant-smelling water in which the cabbage was boiled because they were hungry.
At this rate, the peasants of the territory would suffer mass starvation and not survive this winter.
No matter how you think about it, isn’t this too much?
“Varso, Varso. Why is this territory so hopeless?”
Then Varso, who was next to me, smiled as if asking something obvious and said,
“Well, that’s because the previous bailiff embezzled so much.
Ah, by the way, after returning the cows, livestock, and grain to the peasants, what’s left is worth 200 gold coins.”
“…”
I was speechless. No, words wouldn’t come out. One gold coin is roughly the annual living expenses of a poor peasant household, so that crazy bailiff had accumulated the annual living expenses of 200 households in an area with a population of just over 2,000…
Amazing, I can’t even imagine how money-crazed this person was.
“Wow, it’s really amazing that there still hasn’t been a large-scale starvation death even with this.
Right, Varso?”
“That’s what I’m saying.
Thanks to that, we got this place.”
While that’s true, if the territory hadn’t been messed up like this, no matter how much I’m the successor of the lord, there’s no way a territory of this scale would have been granted to me, a 15-year-old.
Because there are many knights and few territories.
No matter how much the Marquis tries to push it through arbitrarily, there’s no way he can give away a territory of this scale just for the successor’s training.
Not a chance. Not a chance!
“Ha, let’s think positively, Varso.
Isn’t it thanks to a territory like this that I at least got a chance to demonstrate my abilities?”
“What will you do if you fail instead?
No, where do you even have the confidence that you will succeed?
In just a few months, when the barley and wheat run out, 5% of the peasants here will starve to death.”
“Don’t worry, there is an alternative.”
Hearing those words, Varso looked at Ella, smiled, and said,
“Ella, your master is really carefree. How can he be so calm even in a situation like this?”
Then Ella looked at me with confident eyes and said,
“Master will be able to do it.
Because he is my master…
Because he is my master who saved me from the bailiff…
He will help the people of this village too, right?
My master will be able to do it.”
Varso sighed and said,
“… Yes, you’re right.
Because your master is the invincible master who sliced up the corrupt bailiff with a sword as soon as he went on an inspection.
Yes, thanks to that, I thought my liver would fall out. Yes, that’s right.”
As we were chatting like that in the Windheim square, the village chiefs of the territory began to gather at my mansion.
Well, even if I say mansion, it’s the house the bailiff used to use.
“Alright, thank you for coming.
Are you the village chiefs of this territory’s villages?”
“Yes, that’s right, young master.”
And I looked at them, smiled, and said,
“Well, I am Ciel von Kreutel.
The legitimate successor of the Marquis of Kreutel, who is the rightful lord of the Kreutel Marquisate, and also a vassal who received this Windheim as a territory.
Today, I have come to inform you that I will govern this place and to convey my policy.”
At those words, the expressions of the village chiefs in front of me brightened.
Since the kind noble who had retrieved their stolen livestock and grain before had become the lord, they would have expectations that he would treat them well to that extent.
And even if I wasn’t a good lord, I would surely be better than the bailiff who managed this place, so they would have the conviction that life would get a little easier now.
Among the gathered village chiefs, the oldest one suddenly knelt in front of me, kissed my feet, and said,
“Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you for returning the grain and livestock to us.
Although it’s not enough to last until the next harvest season, at least with this much, we can prevent many peasants from starving to death.
Thank you so much. My lord…”
As soon as he finished speaking, the other village chiefs also quickly knelt and bowed their heads to express their gratitude to me.
On the faces of all the village chiefs, there was only sincere gratitude without any pretense or falsehood.
I was momentarily taken aback by the fact that what I had done just to survive without going to the academy was something so thankful and grateful to these people.
But on the other hand, I felt really proud.
Because in the decades of living in Korea, I had never received such sincere gratitude even once.
So I also felt a great sense of accomplishment for what I had done.
“No. I just did what was natural as a noble.
Alright, now let me convey my policy.”
At those words, the village chiefs looked at me with wide eyes, as if not to miss a single word of mine.
“Good, first of all, in the fields where you planted and harvested wheat this year, plant turnips next year, and in the fields where you planted barley this year, plant beans next year.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the village chiefs looked at each other blankly, doubting if they had misheard.
They exchanged signals with their eyes in front of me, as if to say, “Yes, we heard it right,” and then began to speak in loud voices, as if forgetting that they were standing in front of the lord.
“What? No, you’re telling us to plant crops again next year in the land where we farmed this year?
If we do that, the land will dry up and we can’t expect a harvest! Young master…”
“Yes, that’s right. No matter what…”
“We’re not saying we don’t trust you, young master, but usually, the land where farming was done needs to rest for at least a year before it can be farmed again.
But you’re telling us to plant turnips in the wheat fields and beans in the barley fields?”
“It makes more sense to say that the youngest son in our house will become a knight!
What kind of nonsensical words are you saying?”
Thinking about it from a common sense perspective, this is correct.
Because even though it’s a concept that is hardly applied in modern times, if crops are continuously planted on the same land when farming, the nutrients in that land will be depleted and it will become unusable land.
Of course, the farming of crops planted in succession will also fail.
The great scholars call this “continuous cropping damage.”
So I spoke gently in a voice that seemed to acknowledge their words.
“Hmm, yes, you’re right.”
At those words, the village chiefs’ faces brightened, thinking I was going to cancel my words. Right then, I asserted,
“But this is an order from the lord of this land.
Prepare to execute it as soon as you return.”
This time, the village chiefs’ faces turned pale.
They must have thought about the sight of their families and villagers starving to death because the farming failed due to my order.
“Ah… no, no matter how you think about it, this is not right.”
“Young master, you may not know well because you grew up nobly, but originally, farming should be done while letting the land rest.”
“That’s right.
It’s not for nothing that farmers let the land rest, right? Young master.”
The village chiefs tried their best to somehow overturn my order for a while like that.
No, they shouted loudly like the Joseon Dynasty’s officials who risked their lives to remonstrate.
It’s understandable, no, it’s really understandable.
Because I already know the results of the order I gave, but to them, it’s a lottery-level gamble that puts their own and their families’ lives at stake.
Even with stocks that you do with spare money, you tremble when recommending it to family or friends, so if it’s a year’s worth of farming that puts your own and your family’s lives at stake, it’s just pointless to talk about it.
However, without even listening to their words, I said,
“Let me say it again, it’s my order. As a peasant, are you daring to refuse my order?
You don’t think I’m easy because I retrieved your property from Bailiff Mars, do you?
I believe you won’t refuse my order.”
Hearing those words, the peasants, no, the village chiefs, seemed to sense a threat to their lives and stroked their necks with their hands, saying,
“I understand, my lord. But please spare our lives at least…”
No matter how good of an impression I showed them, it’s not good to establish discipline like this from the beginning.
Therefore, I spoke with the purpose of giving them a suitable carrot.
“Instead, I’m not trash like Mars who doesn’t take responsibility.
If the farming fails, I will buy and distribute the food for you to survive next year.”
At those words, the faces of the village chiefs in front of me brightened.
Well, compared to other lords, there’s nothing bad about me, who has some credibility, saying that I’ll provide food even if it fails and it’ll be a jackpot if it goes well.
And then I gave them an order to dismiss.
“Then go now and do as I commanded.”
**
While inspecting the territory, I heard the sound of peasants complaining from afar as they were plowing the fields.
“So the lord told us to plant these turnips in the fields where we planted wheat?”
“That’s what I’m saying.
Oh my… Even though the lord said he would take responsibility if the farming fails, what is this?
I was taught that the fields where wheat has been planted since my father’s father’s time should be left to rest for a year, but to plant turnips right away in the fields where wheat was harvested…”
“Ha, that’s what I’m saying.
Besides this land, we have to plant wheat and barley in other lands too…”
“The work just unnecessarily increased.”
I could go in here, smile, and say, “What are you complaining so much about?”
But butting in like that could be seen as a battalion commander directly nagging among soldiers who are doing a good job, so I have to endure it.
And there’s no way they can understand my current plan now anyway.
In the first place, what I’m attempting now is a way to create a “miracle” that didn’t exist in this world.
Moreover, this miracle is just a part of the Kreutel Marquisate development plan that I have in mind.
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Looks like some sort of crop rotation.