Pioneer Lord: Starting From Daily Intelligence

Chapter 947: Chapter 125: Expansion of the Half-Elf Autonomous Region and Large-Scale Agriculture (Part 3)

Vandar laughed and said, ”After all, they are community-based races. As long as there is a Half-Elf in the territory, a community will quickly form one after another. Just the population in the Balan Autonomous Region alone exceeds 1,000.”

”But this is also a good thing for us, as Half-Elves have their own unique military unit systems.”

”For example, the Harvest Lord: They are the leaders of farm workers, mostly trained in swordsmanship. They can lead farms in defending against Beastmen, while supervising workers and slaves in production to enhance efficiency.”

”Food Cellar Guards: These are elite chefs guarding the dining cart. Moreover, they have an elite infantry unit called the ’Mad Chef.’ Chefs are the most respected people in Half-Elf communities, and these Mad Chefs have eaten too many spicy dumplings. Usually, they mix with ordinary chefs, but when war breaks out, they jump out and swing their heavy cooking utensils. Even Ogres would be bruised all over if hit by these heavy utensils.”

”Besides the well-known Goat Cavalry, they also have formidable Giant Eagle Riders. Whenever the Half-Elves are in distress, these Giant Eagles will appear. These elite units differ from humans, typically composed of two Giant Eagles and the riders on their backs, offering significant long-range shooting power.”

”Additionally, they will provide beast units, including poultry herds, shepherd dogs, and Tree-men. During times of crisis, Half-Elves will drive a group of chickens, geese, turkeys, and ducks onto the battlefield, and an enraged poultry flock can fight as a whole.”

Su Li couldn’t help but smile and asked, ”Are such combat units really effective? I know the combat capability of Half-Elves is worrisome, but isn’t this a bit too low? Isn’t it just sending meat to the enemy?”

Vandar shrugged and said, ”It depends on how you use this unit. Sending them against Great Horned Beasts or Giants is certainly like throwing dumplings to dogs. But they are effective against goblins, goblins, and Inferior Horned Beasts. Moreover, the poultry of our territory is mostly provided by these Half-Elves.”

Upon hearing this, Su Li’s smile slightly subsided as he recalled Vandar’s earlier report. Throughout spring, the total number of cattle, sheep, and pigs slaughtered reached more than 23,000 heads. There were over 1,300 poultry raised and over 260,000 poultry eggs harvested.

Compared with the staggering numbers of cattle, sheep, and pigs reaching over 23,000 heads, the quantity of poultry is undoubtedly much smaller. On one hand, this is because the territory was initially set with pastures, and on the Blood-red Plateau, there are lots of shepherds and nomadic tribes delivering many cattle and sheep. On the other hand, it is indeed because the rearing of poultry in the territory is quite scarce.

This poultry farming relies on large-scale pastures using slaves, mainly depending on each household’s free-range, necessitating plenty of Free People.

In these two aspects, the Half-Elves can perfectly balance.

Among them, there are many Free People who can freely manage their own pastures and farms.

Moreover, due to their natural affinity with poultry, they can raise a large number of chickens, ducks, and geese in one breeding farm.

This isn’t like the eastern smallholder economy where each household has one chicken cage, raising a few chickens within.

Nor is it like during the egg shortage in the Empire, renting chickens at sky-high prices, renting one chicken in a cage to bring into middle-class families, raising them on family lawns and gardens at primitive levels.

Instead, using nets or fences to encircle a large pasture, where dozens or even hundreds of chickens, ducks, and geese can be raised at once.

One key reason the scale of Half-Elf pastures hasn’t taken off yet is that their fragile agricultural level currently can’t provide enough feed for so many chickens, ducks, and geese.

But this will all be ready soon. Once the territory’s agriculture and animal husbandry develop another stage, there will be ample wheat bran, clover, cattle cabbage, and fish meal.

These poultry forage during the day in fields and riverbanks, and at night return to pastures where Half-Elves crush snails and small fish and shrimp, then mix them with wheat bran, forage, and vegetable scraps for feeding.

The scale of poultry farming is destined to elevate.

Half-Elves have also prepared sufficient armament to guard all this.

Vandar continued, ”Half-Elves have two other famous units, namely Shepherd Dogs and Tree-men. Shepherd dogs’ owners usually ride on Combat Rams or shepherd dogs, using whistles to command them to fight or drive poultry and herds. These Shepherd Dogs are very loyal to their owners and often risk their lives to rescue them on the battlefield.”

”Moreover, Half-Elves have close connections with nature, forests, and juicy, succulent wild rabbits. Some Half-Elves successfully befriended Tree-men, who will fight alongside Half-Elves—their Half-Elf friends can sit on the shoulders of Tree-men. If you patrol near a Half-Elf’s territory or pasture, you often see lazy, slow-moving Tree-men sitting by the roadside in the green fields, which shouldn’t cause panic. These Tree-men are friends protecting the Half-Elves’ farms.”

It seems the Half-Elves’ lifestyle aligns more closely with many people’s fantasy world pastoral utopia expectations.

It’s no wonder many humans complain and exclude Half-Elves. Because evidently, their lifestyle is upheld by humans’ faith, force, and will.

Vandar then said, ”In the Balan Autonomous Region, they formed a large-scale ’Field Watcher Legion,’ which is a local militia responsible for border defense—especially the northwest bordering Blue Mirror Territory and Green Hills. Although Half-Elves aren’t skilled in combat and rely on the Imperial Army to protect their homes, their military power should not be underestimated. Half-Elves are excellent scouts due to their outstanding archery and ability to traverse forests quickly and quietly. Many Half-Elves are also culinary masters, and a wise general will leverage their strengths.”

Bordering the northwest with Blue Mirror Territory?

Su Li raised his eyebrows in surprise and said, ”Isn’t Balan Autonomous Region supposedly separated from Blue Mirror Territory by Flash Spear City? How come they’re bordering Blue Mirror Territory?”

Vandar spread his hands and replied slowly, ”In theory, yes. But you know, that’s just in theory. Half-Elves, due to not taking crime seriously, excel at exploiting legal loopholes. They’ve purchased a large amount of land and farmland in the territory’s west that lost its original owners during wartime.”

”And according to their agreement with you, the surrounding border near the west of your territory is the Half-Elf Autonomous Region. All the land they buy is autonomously governed. So, they bought a large amount of land to expand the range of the Half-Elf Autonomous Region. They might be the race within the territory, besides you, that holds the most ruling land.”

Indeed, Su Li remembered there was such a clause.

At the time when the Balantangborne Clan joined the Hesse Territory, Su Li signed this treaty with Hartskline. Since it was the territory’s most western side, it was barren plains with nothing but land full of wild grass!

So, Su Li agreed with the Balantangborne Clan that if they joined the territory, then these ownerless lands on the west could be sold to them, allowing them to self-govern in the western boundaries of the territory.

To be fair, at the time, this condition was extremely harsh. Su Li only had 80 Golden Crowns left, and the entire territory was barren and impoverished, with that piece of land worth nothing sold to Half-Elves for the sky-high price of 800 Golden Crowns.

It was almost like making a promise based on a map, casually pointing on a map at a barren land that didn’t belong to him, then selling to Half-Elves for 800 Golden Crowns.

But unexpectedly, even such a harsh condition was exploited by the Half-Elves.

After all, who can say the territory Marshal Orstein conquered doesn’t belong to the western borders of the Hesse Territory now?

It’s seemingly reasonable for them to establish industries there. Additionally, they didn’t just pick them for free; every piece of land was bought by Half-Elves at a high price.

Vandar comforted, ”Lord, let’s look on the positive side; this indeed aids in our territory’s development. Otherwise, relying solely on Bauhinia Clan’s assets, it’s unclear how long it would take to develop the land Marshal Orstein conquered.”

”Currently, we haven’t even finished developing Flash Spear City and Bjorn Shallow Bay. These Half-Elves’ pioneering efforts have indeed greatly increased our farming scale in the Hesse Territory.”

Su Li then was a bit swayed and said, ”Speaking of which, we should go check near Bjorn Shallow Bay’s summer planting conditions.”

”How expansive is our farmland in the territory currently? Besides the farms near Bjorn Shallow Bay, the territory’s entire farming scale should be about fully accounted for, right?”

With development reaching its current state, the territory’s agriculture can’t solely rely on the farms near Bjorn Shallow Bay anymore. This expansive land should see increased farming scales owned by Free People, farm owners, and Knight Clans!