Pioneer Lord: Starting From Daily Intelligence

Chapter 216: Chapter 118: The Second Harvest Season (Part 3)

The Half-Elves have long desired to recruit more Ogres, but the previously high grain prices left them with no suitable opportunity.

As the saying goes, young boys eat their fathers into poverty. A few teenagers with huge appetites can consume several pounds of bread in a day.

What’s more, these Ogre gluttons, with their immense strength, have stomachs that seem never to be full.

With the output of over ten million pounds of grain, the grain prices can be lower smoothly.

Achieving the Empire’s dream of buying a pound of grain for just one Copper Coin.

This has been the stable baseline pursued by the Empire for thousands of years. The Empire’s currency holds strong purchasing power; generally, if a Copper Coin cannot buy a pound of grain, it means the grain price is too volatile, posing a great threat to livelihood and stability.

And if all that grain is sold, Su Li would also be able to harvest 1,000 Golden Crowns in wealth!

Although this is far from the scale of industrial output, it’s the normal level for most territories within the Empire.

A Baron’s Territory, relying only on farming, if it manages to get 1,000 to 2,000 Golden Crowns in tax after deducting costs, consumption, and Knight wages, it would be very considerable.

If the army is slightly expanded, or if there’s a natural disaster, you’d face financial bankruptcy that year.

Thus, many Lords, while prestigious, also borrow a large amount of high-interest loans from Knight Orders, merchants, and Noble Families.

But then Vandar surprised Su Li, saying: ”My Lord, our output might be far more than this!”

”We also have three hundred acres of Blood Sacrifice fertile land, with a yield of 3,000 pounds of grain per acre. Added to the outputs from various farms, ranches, and autonomous territories, theoretically, our grain output could increase by half.”

This good news truly delighted Su Li, as he looked down towards the area below Jorn Shallow Bay and asked: ”Which piece is our Blood Sacrifice fertile land?”

Vandar immediately pointed to an especially lush and golden field near the forest line below the dam, saying: ”My Lord, do you see that red land? That which is significantly different from the yellow land nearby, that’s our Blood Sacrifice fertile land. The Father of Grains conducted Blood Sacrifices there twice, with the first sacrifice covering 200 acres and the second 80 acres.”

Following his finger, Su Li indeed saw a wheat field with darker-colored soil, not so much resembling blood as red earth, rich in iron oxides. On Earth, such fertile soil exists mainly in the southern hill regions.

But in this world, it has nothing to do with iron elements; it’s a typical sign of having Divine Grace.

It means Reya will favor this land, giving it incredible fertility.

One doesn’t need to understand the reasons behind the ways of the Divine Spirit; it’s akin to a nuclear-powered farm, perpetually fertile, without the need for crop rotation or fallowing. In some areas heavily imbued with Divine Grace, ten harvests a year are possible, essentially once a month.

However, it’s not easy for Hesse Territory to bathe these 280 acres in Divine Grace.

The army brought back bodies and flesh from the foot of the Gray Mountain Range, allowing Polevik to conduct the first sacrifice successfully, achieving the great feat of 200 acres.

The remaining 80 acres were the scale obtained after the territory’s second sacrifice.

With support from Su Li’s intelligence system, the Knights dismantled two Brass Sisterhood outposts and found a Demon Statue imbued with Divine Power.

This statue could be sacrificed, and when choosing which Divine Spirit to offer it to, Su Li decided to sacrifice it to the Dawn Goddess after some thought.

The effect was significant; while 30,000 acres of farmland produced only 10 million pounds of grain, these 300 acres of Blood Sacrifice red land produced 1 million pounds of grain.

No wonder all the world’s Lords believe the development degree of a territory depends on the extent of its land bathed in Divine Grace.

Vandar went on: ”This year is considered one of favorable weather, and with all types of grains in the territory combined, there may be as much as 30 million pounds.”

”Our concept of a border granary can now be initially realized.”

million pounds of grain, a number that greatly pleases Su Li.

One must know that when he first arrived in the territory, Hesse’s grain reserve was only a little over 60,000 pounds, even at the fullest it was just a little over 100,000 pounds.

to 3000, that’s a 30-fold difference.

The joy of harvest makes Su Li smile widely, instructing: ”During the harvest season, let the citizens hurry up and store all the grain. Minimize the losses caused by the Green Dragon Followers Legion.”

Hesse Territory has undergone two harvest seasons; less than half a year remains this year. At any moment, the Green Dragon in the Blood Pine Forest might awaken.

It is something Hesse Territory must guard against diligently.

Su Li even suspects that this Giant Dragon might deliberately choose this time to awaken, to raid during the territories’ harvest, looting abundantly.

It seems, fall defense is of utmost importance in every world.

Vandar immediately assured: ”My Lord, our Dawn Church has already drafted a detailed plan with the Provincial Affairs Council to ensure all the grain is harvested within 2 to 4 days. Then make every effort to mobilize the slaves, taking advantage of the high and refreshing autumn, to maximize field cultivation, striving to develop 1,000 hectares of land below Jorn Shallow Bay this year.”

1,000 hectares of land, equivalent to 100,000 acres of farmland.

If the Pioneer Territory can have 100,000 acres of farmland in the first year, then it may have 250,000 acres or even 300,000 acres next year.