HTLCCBFT Chapter 6

　　After Oliver woke up, Fosse, who seemed calm, was actually anxious; deeply worried that his young master, who had only just recovered from fainting, would insist on returning to the fields to work the land again.

　　With these new instructions, Fosse’s anxiety eased, and he relayed the orders to the servant Johan waiting nearby.

　　Upon hearing the lord’s summon, Ed, responsible for cultivation, although incredibly surprised, quickly washed his face and rushed over.

　　To everyone on the vast estate, the duties he shouldered was crucial.

　　However, he mostly interacted with the serfs and seldom entered the castle, let alone meet the lord directly.

　　Following the expressionless servant, Ed nervously rubbed his hands, feeling the remnants of dirt slip through his fingers.

　　For most lords, as long as their lavish lifestyles within the castle were maintained, they did not care for the lives of the people under them – unless taxes failed to be collected or wine ceased to be brewed in the castle, which would then provoke their furious summons.

　　And with the previous eight lords of Laina dying soon after taking office for mysterious reasons, they certainly didn’t bother with cultivation issues.

　　This new lord was different.

　　Ed had witnessed the miraculous deeds of the new lord the day before.

　　Not only did he possess an angelic beauty that surpassed all imagination, but he also had an incredibly soft and kind glowing heart.

　　He was willing to show compassion to the lowliest serfs, personally handle the heavy agricultural tools, and directly dig into the solid earth …… had he not seen it with his own eyes, who would believe such a thing?

　　Lost in thought, Ed followed the servant and soon stopped in front of a door.

　　“Here we are.” Servant Johan warned him with a glance, advising sternly, “If you don’t want to irritate sir Fosse, don’t rudely stare at the noble lord. And answer truthfully whatever the lord asks, without any tricks.”

　　Being close to the noble lord, especially servants like Johan who could approach the lord, was a position of unspoken superiority.

　　Licking his dry lips, Ed said awkwardly, “I understand.”

　　”Your Highness, sir Fosse,” Johan announced respectfully from behind the door, “The person has been brought.”

　　The next moment, Fosse, having quietly obtained permission from the Duke, said coldly, “Come in.”

　　John bowed his head respectfully, carefully pushed the door open, then stepped aside to let only Ed in.

　　The parlor used by the lords was, of course, one of the most spacious and brightest places in the castle.

　　But Ed’s heart felt like it was confined in a tight box, and he didn’t even dare lift his head.

　　He swallowed hard, took a nervous step, and dropped to one knee on the soft red carpet, bowing deeply.

　　“Stand up.” Aware that the etiquette of the time neither permitted him to allow the man to take a seat before performing an act worthy of commendation nor allowed the other man to speak of his own accord, Oliver got straight to the point. “There’s no need to be nervous; I have a few questions for you.”

　　”God bless you, my lord.”

　　Ed spoke the formal words carefully, then looked up at the source of the clear, pleasant voice.

　　Despite Johan’s kind warning just moments before, Ed found himself briefly disoriented as he gazed directly into the breathtakingly beautiful and delicate face, which had been described as a unique, delightful creation by the gods and goddesses.

　　……Why would someone so beautiful be in an ominous place like Laina?

　　“I want to know about the specific plans for cultivation in the territory.”

　　It wasn’t until Oliver spoke slowly and methodically that the delirious Ed came to his senses.

　　The question concerned his job, after all, and despite his heart still racing with excitement, Ed quickly organized his thoughts and began to explain the specifics in no uncertain terms.

　　Oliver listened attentively.

　　As Fosse had elaborated on earlier, at least in Laina, there were two main cultivation periods each year: barley and oats, collectively known as spring wheat, were sown in the spring and harvested in the fall; wheat and rye, referred to as winter wheat, were sown in the fall and harvested in the summer.

　　Rye’s greatest advantage was its resilience, yielding decent harvests even in poor soil and harsh climate conditions.

　　Most importantly, the powerful and noble families, led by the lords, disdained the food made from dark rye flour, which was coarse in taste and poor in appearance. They would only eat food baked with white wheat flour, which required even more demanding growing conditions.

　　Especially during years of widespread crop failure, it was the presence of rye that allowed the starving serfs to endure through one winter after another.

　　In fact, the optimal time for plowing this year was on the verge of being missed—this was due to last year’s winter being exceptionally cold and long, with the permafrost not melting away until mid-spring.

　　The supervisors certainly weren’t concerned that the serfs had to exert more effort in clearing the land, but farming tools were valuable. Forcing an iron hoe into land that was too hard and solid could likely result in damage to the tool.

　　When the soil thawed, the weeds grew back wildly and had to be cut down.

　　Upon hearing this, Oliver was about to nod in agreement when he suddenly remembered something and couldn’t help but inquire, “Where are the oats?”

　　Ed hurriedly replied, “Your Highness, most of the oats are taken to brew, except for a small amount taken by the castle chefs to be made into oatmeal.”

　　”Brew?”

　　To have the luxury of making wine from precious grains during a severe food shortage while serfs were starving to death?

　　Hearing this unbelievable answer, Oliver almost laughed out of irritation.

　　He didn’t waste time asking “who made this foolish decision.”

　　It could only have been the former lords who took the lives of the serfs for granted.

　　“From now on, halt all brewing plans until the granaries are replenished,” Oliver stated without hesitation. “As for the manpower that becomes available, allocate some to the mill and some to assist in the fields.”

　　While it is true that the staple diet here consists of beans and bread, the reason the mill job is coveted and considered lucrative by many is due to the lords’ universal decree mandating the use of the mill.

　　When the wheat was sent to the mill, one-sixteenth of it was taken as a labor cost. This might not seem like much, but it was an amount that caused heartache for countless people struggling with food scarcity. Furthermore, many unscrupulous millers, with the tacit approval of the lords, deducted even more as labor fees, leaving those affected too intimidated to protest.

　　“From now on, the mill is not to charge any fees.” Those currently working in the mill and taking advantage of their positions were cronies of the previous lord. For Oliver, the new lord, driving them out was only natural: “If they wish to use their own grinding stones, do not stop them, in fact, encourage them.”

　　To save on the milling fee, some clever serfs had secretly made small, hand-operated grinders for personal use. However, these were quickly discovered, confiscated, and the makers were forced to pay hefty fines.

　　In Oliver’s opinion, these ‘cunning and miserly serfs’ were not only resourceful but also rare talents who excelled in manual labor.

　　“Also,” Oliver paused, then added, “record the names of those who can make such grinders, I might need them for other tasks.”

　　Ed knew it would be challenging, but he answered without hesitation, “Yes, Your Highness.”

　　“It will be difficult for you to manage it alone, then…” Oliver glanced at Fosse, who was respectfully attending with his head bowed, and the latter immediately understood, responding, “Please don’t worry, Your Highness, I’ll have Noel accompany him.”

　　With the Duke’s personal knight guard accompanying him, Ed could be completely at ease.

　　Oliver continued, “The fields should be separated into rows, and those spaces can be used to plant beans. When planting, diversify the types.”

　　Setting aside the chef’s dreadful culinary skills, beans could serve as a staple food and also help restore soil fertility.

　　Not only can they help rejuvenate the soil’s strength, but they can also mitigate the risks associated with natural disasters.

　　Speaking of soil fertility, Oliver recalled the reason he had summoned the men in the first place, “During these days of tilling, don’t neglect the areas covered in weeds.”

　　People were already aware that continuous cultivation on the same land would deplete its fertility.

　　It’s just that, with the absence of sufficient fertilizer, the process of restoring soil fertility is so slow that it often takes years—hence the practice of gradually planting less and less until finally having to abandon the field as it falls into disuse.

　　Oliver’s gaming system was capable of producing fertilizer in large quantities, but it was hindered by the lack of the necessary prerequisite: the experience value to raise the skill level of the ‘Farmer’ profession.

　　Even for a low-level fertilizer made from the simplest materials, the ‘Farmer’ level must be raised to level 1 before it can be utilized.

　　Moreover, Oliver believed that the gaming system’s items should only be used in emergencies. To support an entire territory’s arable land, foundational development was still necessary.

　　Unfortunately, he wasn’t a professional in agriculture.

　　Oliver sighed deeply, thought for a moment, and then recalled a bit of knowledge about the ‘three-field system’ he had read somewhere, “After reclaiming the land, we can’t rush to plant all of it. Let’s divide it into three areas first.”

　　Simply put, this involves dividing arable land into three parts: one for planting spring wheat, one reserved for winter wheat, and another left fallow, enclosed by a simple fence for families to graze their poultry and livestock.

　　Livestock manure and marl¹Marl is a sedimentary rock/soil consisting primarily of clay and calcium carbonate, often containing variable amounts of silt and sand. It’s known for its fertility and is used in agriculture to improve soil texture and pH balance, enhancing plant growth. were the best natural fertilizers available. While the three-field system might seem to reduce the cultivated area by two-thirds initially, the long-term benefits were clear from history—it would greatly improve land utilization.

　　Knowing not to rush, Oliver concluded with a smile, “That’s all for now. You may go.”

　　Laina, by any measure, was in dire need of revitalization.

　　As an amateur thrust into this role, Oliver could only do his best and take it one step at a time..

　　“Now then…” Once Ed had left, Fosse saw his beloved young master shake off his previous decisiveness, his beautiful eyes sparkling with eagerness: “Fosse, let’s go fishing first!”

　　He had had enough of the stench of smoked meat!

TL Here, I would much appreciate it if you would consider donating to my ko-fi ♥

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  Marl is a sedimentary rock/soil consisting primarily of clay and calcium carbonate, often containing variable amounts of silt and sand. It’s known for its fertility and is used in agriculture to improve soil texture and pH balance, enhancing plant growth.