Chapter 209 - Chapter Thirteen: Village Opening Ceremony
After successfully completing the fourth training session, the following day, the opening ceremony for the village in Regnentes, where Beatrix serves as the landowner, was held, hosted by the Lord-sama.
The Lord-sama's tasting event for beef jerky and cheese hot pot was also a success, and he even received a few orders, albeit small. He is hopeful that once the transportable volume increases, they will sell even more.
Due to the landowner's side wishing to keep things quiet with a small number of people, there were few guests.
Only the Lord-sama and Harrison-san.
When I consulted with the Headmistress, she put us in touch with them.
The Lord-sama seemed to think he would be able to meet the Headmistress, but since Harrison-san came, he appeared satisfied.
Harrison-san came for free this time.
The Bishop-sama, who serves as the manager, acted as the master of ceremonies at the village entrance. While the border guard and the Jaeger Corps stood in line, the landowner and the guests gave their greetings before the immigrants who had arrived early that morning in the horse-drawn carriage provided by the Lord-sama.
Afterward, we were shown around the village.
"The facilities within these stone walls are basically free. The flour mill, the smokehouse, the bread oven—all will be free of charge."
At the Bishop-sama's explanation, a stir arose among the immigrants.
"Is it really free?"
"Yes. In exchange, those living in this village will be required to pay a rent of one silver coin per household at the beginning of the month. Everything is included within that scope. Furthermore, in the form of taking that rent in advance, the landowner, Beatrix, has purchased and prepared the tools and rice seeds necessary for the work, so please be sure to pay properly."
Everyone's faces broke into smiles.
"Landowner-sama. Is it truly alright?"
Some people even went to confirm with Beatrix.
"It is as the Bishop-sama just said. Everything has been approved by the Lord-sama, so it's fine."
"Th-thank you very much."
"Say your thanks to the Lord-sama. I am not the one who gives the permission."
Everyone thanked the Lord-sama, and the Lord-sama swaggered, telling them not to worry.
It was exactly as we had discussed beforehand. It wasn't a lie, and that way, public order would be better. After all, the prestige of a Lord who possesses military power and authority is important; for everyone to live in peace, a feared and revered authority is necessary. The existence to be looked up to in this village is the Lord-sama, not the manager or the landowner. We, including the Bishop-sama, reached that conclusion.
"This is the shrine. It is not a church. It will be your place of worship and, at the same time, my place as the manager."
They had built a wide, roofed space in front of the shrine. There were no walls, but that wasn't a problem. Since it was built to match the original church, it could probably hold over a hundred people. Moreover, if you included the surrounding area, even more could gather. If it were the entire grounds, perhaps all the villagers could fit. It was like an open-air prayer hall. I knew a large amount of timber had been felled, but I never imagined they would make something this big.
Upon entering, a stone statue the size of a human was enshrined. This was also something the Lord-sama had prepared.
After receiving the Bishop-sama's explanation, Beatrix thanked the Lord-sama, and all the immigrants thanked him as well.
Afterward, as they were guided through facilities such as the meeting hall-cum-lodging facility where the immigrants would temporarily stay, the stone-heated bath utilizing river water, the communal toilets, the sawmill with a waterwheel managed by the woodcutters, the blacksmith, the communal warehouse and workspace, and the food storage full to the brim including the basement, voices of gratitude toward the Lord-sama rose from everyone each time.
Entering the residential area, there were already five wooden houses, and one brick house surrounded by a wooden fence.
The house where Beatrix was born and raised had been renovated. A kitchen, a living room with a fireplace, and a bedroom. It was a cozy house with two bedrooms on the second floor and no livestock shed; the graves in the back had become three and were neatly leveled.
"This is where the landowner, Beatrix, will use when she comes to this land. No one shall enter without the landowner's permission. And once a day, you shall take turns cleaning the garden. Those who violate this shall be punished in the name of the Lord."
Beatrix seemed overwhelmed by this. After bowing her head and thanking the Lord-sama, she couldn't raise her face for a while.
"First, please go and leave your luggage on the second floor of the meeting hall. One room per household. After that, since livestock will be managed collectively by the village, please bring them to the livestock shed."
Here, a voice of doubt arose. Livestock are personal property. In some cases, they also serve as taxes. What did collective management mean, they asked.
It was only natural. There was no reason to look after other people's livestock.
"It's simple. By managing them in one place, we eliminate waste in their care. Of course, what to do with that livestock is up to the owner's judgment. We are simply gathering the place where they are kept into one."
In any case, when they are sent out to pasture, individual households wouldn't do it. It would be best to decide on a few representatives and manage them as a group. Eventually, a shepherd would be decided upon within the village.
At first, they were tilting their heads in confusion, but when I said we would provide partitions and attach iron rings to their legs so the owners could be identified, they seemed to manage to be convinced. They had goats and chickens; the chickens were to have coops built by each individual, and the goats were tied in the village livestock shed. The goats, given oats by the woodcutter in charge of management, all ate at once.
Once the moving was finished, everyone was gathered in the meeting hall on the first floor. It was for the allocation of immediate work.
"We will have you start pasturing immediately from today. However, for the time being, there are only weeds, so the taste of the milk will likely drop somewhat. Please endure that."
There was no problem here. There were about twenty goats in total. Not that many. It was decided that one man would take turns keeping watch daily.
"Next, we will till the fields. For agricultural work, we will determine the area for the entire village, and everyone will share the work. It is not a loan per person. Taxes will be paid by the village unit. Naturally, the harvest will also be harvested by the village unit and distributed according to the work."
In a sense, this was the key. It was a method devised to eliminate status differences within the village as much as possible. In other words, it was a system of receiving harvest from the village. Of course, mages are high earners, but the sense of unity from communal work would resolve status differences to some extent. Moreover, the landowner's place of stay would be in the village below. This was a wonderful idea from the Lord-sama.
Up to this point, it was fine.
The problem was from here on.
"The goal is ten fields' worth by the end of next month. We will cut the grass, perform field burning, and sprinkle water. After that, we till, sow seeds, cover them with soil, and sprinkle water again."
That was two fields per household.
At the Bishop-sama's explanation, voices immediately rose saying it was impossible.
"In our previous village, we hired mages or used plows pulled by collectively managed oxen, but since we can't use either, we can't dig deep. It's impossible."
"It's alright. The Class of 175 is here. The point is, you just need to remember our methods well. So, children, please come along too."
"The landowner-sama is going to do it?"
"That's right. It's part of the children's education. Of course, we'll all do it together."
"But what on earth are you going to plant? If it's ten fields, is it barley or oats?"
That was not it. First, it would be soil improvement.
I had Lyudmila explain.
"This spring, we're only sowing clover and livestock feed seeds. Please secure your food from the forest. After that, you'll make do with the food provided by the Lord-sama. It's tax-free for three years, right? We'll prepare during that time, and in the fourth year, we'll plant four fields' worth of wheat per household."
A stir occurred.
According to Lyudmila and Flora's calculations, if it's four fields per household, even after paying taxes, a family of four or five can eat wheat bread every night. Of course, while also leaving seeds. In reality, it was about thinking of a production increase system through new varieties of seeds, soil improvement using clover and turnips, the input of fertilizer, and the enhancement of irrigation. Moreover, though we hadn't told the villagers yet, we would plant four types of crops in rotation. Income obtained from barley cultivation, pasturing, and hunting would be further added. Flora's words were that each effect is small, but if you pile them up, the results will differ.
New techniques proposed by Flora were also planned to be introduced. It seems that if you collect earthworms and release them where cut weeds and livestock manure have been mixed into the soil, they will create good soil. Lyudmila and Flora consulted and asked Robinson-san to collect earthworms, and they are breeding earthworms by digging several holes in a corner of the fields in the Flatlands. Since they brought a bucketful of earthworms from there today, they will do the same in this village, and once they increase, they will sequentially release them into the planned work areas. Eventually, it seems they will be able to make their own compost separately from the toilets. Of course, that alone won't be enough, but the cheaper, the better.
The plan established by Lyudmila and Flora was first to reclaim wheat fields for the ten households of first-year immigrants. That would be forty fields' worth. In the first year, the goal is the propagation of clover, oats, and ryegrass for ten fields, which is about a quarter of the total. Half will be year-round pasture, and for the remaining quarter, once autumn comes, they will plant turnips to be used as livestock feed in winter. For Lyudmila and Flora, this village is a grand experimental site for opening up new agriculture.
"I-is such a thing really..."
"That is the intention. Not only that. In the future, we intend to increase the cultivated area per household and increase wheat production. For now, please believe in me as your landowner."
"Everyone. This land is a blessed land. Let us believe in Beatrix and work together here."
Everyone fell silent at the Bishop-sama's words, but they didn't seem to believe it.
"Priest Jeanne. Is what she said true?"
The Lord-sama pulled my sleeve and spoke in a low voice. He must have become uneasy.
"It's alright. It's based on the advice of the spirits I introduced before, and it's a method for which experiments are progressing even in Sertoria. So it's fine."
In the experiments Wilson-san is conducting in the Royal Capital area, we have received word that wheat production increased after planting clover. The plan is to implement that over three years, combined with pasturing. In addition, there are intermediate mages like Beatrix and Lyudmila. It will surely be fine.
"What, is that so? Then, it should be fine... I suppose."
"Yes. But please keep the talk of the spirits confidential."
"I understand. I shall remain silent."
The Lord-sama was also convinced. Probably.
"For the time being, we will use the food supplied by the Lord-sama, but that alone will not do. Therefore, you will hunt together with this village's guards and woodcutters. The target is wild boar. Let's do our best to aim for two a week. Beatrix will also cooperate. She is an intermediate mage."
There are five men. Once a week, all five will have to do wild boar extermination. Of course, the main actors are us, the woodcutters, and the guards, but until hunters move in, they have to do it together, or we can't make the specialty jerky.
"Furthermore, the children will have three hours a day. They will train in reading, writing, and calculation, as well as to learn magic."
Immediately, cheers rose from the children. There are twelve children in total. Three households are families of two, and two households are families of three. All are minors, with the oldest being thirteen. The smallest child is five.
"It is not guaranteed that everyone can learn. After all, it is one in ten. But even if one in ten becomes two, it is a great achievement. Soon, textbooks created by the heroes who defeated the previous Demon Lord will be specially distributed to this village. Intermediate mage Beatrix and I will also cooperate, so let's all do our best so that you can learn magic."
After showing the greatest excitement here, it became time for lunch.
It was a hot pot. We had to make an impression here and have them work hard at the wild boar extermination.
Everyone praised it as delicious, and I explained the recipe to the ladies, saying we would make this the village specialty.
I first won over the ladies, who deepened their confidence that if they could do this, it would sell. The husbands just had to hunt wild boar as they were told.
Next, I had them eat Highway Cookies. The adults were given mead to drink.
"Next year, we'll keep bees. Also, as I already mentioned, the bread oven can be used freely, so once acorns and honey can be harvested, please try to devise and make sweets like Highway Cookies. If something good is made, you may put it up for sale. That's how we'll all work hard together."
The children who ate the Highway Cookies replied energetically, and some among the housewives even wept with joy.
As a start, it was probably excellent.
We all saw the Lord-sama off, and from the afternoon, we would have them actually work. The housewives would do the pasturing, and for the husbands, the woodcutters, the guards, Harrison-san, and I would do the wild boar hunting. The bait was oats and beans.
We entered the forest and scattered the bait according to the woodcutters' advice. We left it as it was and temporarily exited the forest.
While the goats were being released in the pasture, Beatrix was performing a grand grass-cutting. She would do as much as she could, and the villagers were supposed to do it by next week. Ten fields is quite wide, but the Lord-sama had said that much would be fine.
Beside them, the Bishop-sama was explaining something to the children. Their studies had already begun.
By the way, the felling of timber for the connecting road is being done by Paul-san. We promised to cover today's food expenses.
"Um, Priest-sama."
A villager spoke to me. Apparently, they wanted to know about the landowner. Since it was something I fully expected, I had already discussed it with Beatrix and the Lord-sama. I explained that it was such-and-such. The circumstances of her becoming a citizen of the Kingdom of Sertoria were that when she encountered a great famine, she sought food in the forest and was left behind alone, but was miraculously saved.
"So, a survivor..."
"That's right. She was the child of a serf in the village below."
"She uses magic now, doesn't she?"
"That's right. She's just turned eighteen and is a user of three intermediate spells. Moreover, when she first received the oracle at age ten, she learned four at once, so she was called a genius girl."
"Then, my child might also really..."
"There is a possibility. But please do not have excessive expectations. However, please tell them clearly that it is a lie to say they won't learn magic because their parents can't use it. The living proof is the landowner of this village."
The villagers were patting each other's shoulders and rejoicing.
"Indeed. It is best for the children to spontaneously perform the training to learn magic. The parents should not voice unnecessary expectations and simply praise them for working hard and continuing their training. Do not ever forget that."
"Yes, I will tell my wife as well."
Receiving Harrison-san's words, he immediately ran toward the ladies who were pasturing.
"Harrison-san. Thank you very much."
"What. What I can do is only that much. Compared to what the Class of 175 is doing, it is nothing."
"What are you saying? We could never do things like exterminating monsters daily and giving donations to the poor."
The scale of what we were doing was different. They were simply not comparable.
"No, I heard from Eleanor-sama. About the matter of dyeing that Green Marble. You gathered mainly war widows who are struggling in life and created a place of income so they could sustain themselves. Simply giving donations like I do is no different from the nobles or royalty. Those who receive charity only crawl upon the ground. In that regard, Priest Jeanne provided a place to earn with their own hands. Everyone must be standing tall, without a doubt."
"No, not at all. I have no power, so I only spoke of what I was taught at the orphanage."
It was just a chance idea. I'm troubled to be praised so much.
"Priest Jeanne. Whatever form it may take, once this Demon Lord subjugation is over, I am thinking of living in this land. If so, together with that kind-hearted Lord-dono, I might be able to protect this village even a little from the greedy nobles and elders of this country. Of course, I might become a corpse without fulfilling the subjugation. So, for now, please keep it hidden within your heart, Priest Jeanne."
I unintentionally lost my words.
I didn't think he was thinking about this village to that extent.
Beatrix will surely be happy. He is the greatest ally we could have.
Just as I was about to say something, the villager returned, so I missed the timing, and in the end, we ended up heading toward the wild boar extermination as we were.