Pioneer Lord: Starting From Daily Intelligence

Chapter 491: Chapter 3: The Pressure of Food and New Wheat Seed (Part 2)

”Look at what they’ve done. This time, over 5,000 lake fish were killed or stunned by the explosion! Our lake didn’t have many fish to begin with, and after one blast, the ecosystem is on the verge of collapse.”

”And when I went to reason with them. They shamelessly threw a disgusting blueprint, reeking of alcohol and sweat, in my face, saying that after calculation, this would significantly increase the irrigation area for Jorn Shallow Bay.”

”These iron-headed fools only know how to calculate. They even arrogantly claim that we Druids are just a bunch of long-eared idiots, and without their irrigation channels, the wheat fields wouldn’t even suffice to feed the Goblins. Is it worth destroying the entire Lake Reiflin ecosystem for irrigation?”

The Elder Druid’s roar shook dust from the Deer Horn Crown atop his head, clearly indicating that this round of explosions left him in a terrible state.

Su Li accepted the parchment from his hand, spread it out on the conference table. The water diversion routes marked by the Dwarves with gold runes spanned the entire Jorn Shallow Bay, even advancing towards the northeast Holy Forest and the burgeoning farms in the southeast.

Whenever Elves and Dwarves come together, a series of disputes arise due to their differing philosophies and issues like tree protection. The last time the Elves were this furious was because the Dwarves infused Alchemy Hardening Agent into the riverbed during canal constructions, causing all the fir trees over a dozen miles to turn to stone.

Back then, Edmond nearly mounted his Giant Eagle to confront the Dwarves. To counter this elite force, the Dwarf construction teams even pulled out a fully armed firearms squad. The tension was palpable and it was only due to Hilude, the Attendant Chief, bringing a contingent of Armed Attendants that they were forcibly separated.

Yet only a few days have passed, and the conflict has shifted to the Minister of Agriculture’s domain.

But Su Li truly finds it difficult to side with anyone. The Dawn Church is his most critical support in developing the territory’s agriculture, but the Dwarves’ water infrastructure and industrial production are equally indispensable.

Moreover, the Dwarves’ action, though rash, was indeed calculated to be the most efficient solution. After all, the Dwarves suffered heavy losses after the war, and the territory needed to construct canals as quickly as possible to irrigate fields, ensuring a more bountiful harvest season by year-end to avoid food shortages before next summer’s harvest.

They truly had no choice but to blast open a breach and build as swiftly as possible.

Fortunately, the territory is already used to these kinds of disputes between Dwarves and Elves. Various conflicts always exist between the core departments of any territory, for which the Provincial Affairs Council and Judicial Court have already set up special arbitration courts, saving Su Li from the headache of judging right from wrong.

As the Lord, he only needs to play the good guy, saying some soothing words to both parties. Thus, Su Li decisively said, ”The Dwarves’ behavior is indeed a bit rough. How can they insult others like that? I will reprimand them. Now, my minister, first tell me about the agricultural development situation in the territory?”

Vandar didn’t really expect Su Li to severely punish the Dwarf Engineering Masters. After all, his anger notwithstanding, he understood that the reclamation of Jorn Shallow Bay depended on the water infrastructure built by the Dwarf Engineering Masters.

So when Su Li gave him a way out, he promptly took the opportunity, giving a detailed report: ”My Lord, our reclamation efforts have been remarkably effective. Currently, the main focus of the territory is on restoring Jorn Shallow Bay. Over 60,000 acres of the territory’s most fertile land were ravaged and burned by monsters, but with our full efforts, it’s continuously being restored.”

”Though those irritable and obnoxious Dwarves talk nonsense like Goblins passing wind, their water infrastructure and flood defenses are truly effective. The Green Dragon monsters’ furious attacks couldn’t destroy their Alchemy Embankments. This forced the monsters to use fire to scorch the farmland, though it burned the wheat seedlings and crops, the Dawn Goddess’s blessing made the burned land more fertile. We quickly plowed new fields and replanted winter wheat.”

”The territory may have suffered war damage, but its production resources are not lacking. In fact, without immense military pressure, the territory has fully transformed from swords to plows. We have ample agricultural tools. Nearly 2,000 slaves, within a month, have reclaimed over 60,000 acres of fertile land in Jorn Shallow Bay, and they continue to expand eastwards. The channels constructed by the Dwarves provide water irrigation for these fields.”

This situation made Su Li very satisfied, indeed.

Now the territory’s farming isn’t impeded everywhere like it was at the beginning. There are plenty of serfs and tools, and with the addition of Dwarves and Half-Elves, the territory also has a considerable number of professional agricultural machines, farming far more area than a typical small-farm economy.

After all, specialized plowing machines and harvesters already reach the level of Imperial industrial production.

Su Li asked enthusiastically, ”How many plowing machines of this sort do we currently have?”

”33, my Lord,” Vandar promptly replied, ”The main factor limiting these agricultural devices is the number of Combat Rams. You know, dragging a heavy plowing machine requires 3 Combat Rams, and a small harvester requires 2 Combat Rams.”