Chapter 10: Chapter 0010: The Great Fertilization Battle of the Peanut Fields

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The fertility of Elf Bugs requires a significant amount of nutrients, and the barren Peanut Fields restricted the development of the Elf Bugs, resulting in all the peanut seedlings around the central part of the field nearly dying from concentrated nutrient deficiency.

The solution to cure this was simple, fertilizing the Peanut Fields was needed.

Liszt recalled his knowledge about farming and said to Old George.

“Old George, I’m entrusting you with a few tasks. First, mobilize the farmers to collect firewood and dead grass everywhere, burn them, and gather the remaining wood ash. Second, get able-bodied farmers to dig pond mud, just the layer at the bottom of the pond. Third, have the children collect feces, regardless of what kind, just pick it up.”

Old George had no questions regarding the orders from Lord Landlord, “Understood, Lord Landlord, Old George will surely carry out your commands.”

After Old George hobbled away.

Liszt turned to Goltai and said, “Teacher Goltai, I’m guessing the feces collected in Peanut Hamlet won’t be enough. Go to the town and organize it so that all farmers collect feces… Well, let’s do it this way, buy the feces in the name of the Administrative Officer, setting the price at one copper coin per basket.”

Copper coins, silver coins, Gold Coins, and Dragon coins are the universal currencies in this world.

However, different empires, kingdoms, and grand duchies issue their gold, silver, and copper coins, which all differ from one another. The copper coin mentioned by Liszt is the currency of the Duchy of Sapphire, with which one can buy roughly four loaves of bread, enough to feed an adult for several days.

A silver coin can exchange for one hundred copper coins, a Gold Coin for one hundred silver coins.

As for Dragon coins, formally known as Sapphire Dragon coins, they are gemstone coins imbued with the Magic Power of the Grand Duchy’s unique Sapphire Dragon, worth ten thousand Gold Coins, and are magic items in themselves.

Upon hearing this, Goltai couldn’t help but complain, “Wow, Liszt, why would you pay such a high price for dirty, lowly feces, which besides stinking and polluting our sense of smell, are worthless.”

“No, feces are very useful. Just carry out the publication, and find a place to accumulate the feces, preferably an uncultivated land away from the upwind,” Liszt understood the value of feces well. In the absence of chemical fertilizers and insufficient Elves, the best source of fertilizer for farming was feces.

As a major landlord who owned all the land in Fresh Flower Town, Liszt had many fields to cultivate, and he needed ample fertilizer. He also disliked the idea of his town’s streets being littered with carelessly disposed of feces and urine, as such conditions were an affront to civility.

He planned to buy feces long-term for two purposes: to use as compost and for sanitation—promoting the usage of toilets was not feasible for the time being, so buying feces was the most cost-effective approach.

“But the price is too high. One copper coin should buy ten baskets, no, twenty baskets,” Goltai suggested.

“Just do as I said, Teacher Goltai,” Liszt’s tone carried a hint of sternness.

With that, Goltai stopped his complaints, spread his hands and said, “As you wish.”

…

In those days, the landlord was the authority.

When Liszt’s orders were given, no one dared to shirk or evade them, so the clerks and farmers were very quick to act, and the pond mud, feces, and wood ash he required were already piled up in Peanut Hamlet.

“Very well, Old George, now lead the people to mix these materials together then dig a hole next to the root of each peanut seedling, sprinkle some of this mixture in, and bury it. Then water the plants and weed diligently, I believe the peanut seedlings will recover soon.”

Mounted on his Fire Dragon Horse, Liszt cheerfully directed the farmers of Peanut Hamlet to fertilize the Peanut Fields.

As a landlord, he naturally wouldn’t do the work himself—the noble system didn’t allow it, and he personally had no desire to.

The total area of the Peanut Fields in Peanut Hamlet is about one hundred acres, roughly the size of ten soccer fields or seven or eight elementary schools. There are twenty-three farming households in Peanut Hamlet, comprising ninety-two people.

Ninety-two serfs, excluding children who can’t work, plus the serfs brought in from the town, amounted to one hundred and twenty people, all busily working.

“Teacher Goltai, how many people are there in Fresh Flower Town?”

“Uh, sorry, Liszt, I haven’t been in town long enough to sort that out clearly.” Goltai was unclear and turned to ask a clerk, “You’ve lived in the town for many years, do you know how many households there are and the population? Over a thousand people?”

“I don’t know, Lord.” The clerk shook his head.

Goltai looked at another clerk.

This clerk shook his head as well.

Thus, not a single person in the whole of Fresh Flower Town knew exactly how many people there were. Liszt was speechless. Was Fresh Flower Town a forgotten place? Had the administrative officers of Coral Island never come to conduct a census before? Had the previous Administrative Officer never done a population survey either?

“We need a thorough census. A landlord who doesn’t even know the population of his own territory is truly speechless.”

Thinking this, he had already ordered, “Teacher Goltai, organize manpower, hurry to arrange the census. I need to know how many households there are in Fresh Flower Town, how many people, the names and family relationships of each person, as well as their occupations, ages, genders, and marital status.”

“This is going to be busy, Liszt. You know, there are too few officials in the town. We have no Finance Officer, no Defense Officer, no Legal Officer, no Diplomatic. In fact, we don’t even have an Administrative Officer. I should be serving as your advisor, not the town’s Administrative Officer.”

In a Noble’s territory, civil officials are basically led by the advisor, who oversees the Administrative Officer, Finance Officer, Defense Officer, Legal Officer, and the Diplomatic.

The military officer is the Knight Commander, who oversees the Knight Order.

There was no doubt, Goltai, as a down-and-out Honored Knight, low-level in the feudal system but still a Noble, had followed Liszt here with the intention of becoming an advisor. And the other knight teacher, Marcus, without a doubt, should serve as the Knight Commander… whether Fresh Flower Town could afford to maintain a Knight Order was another matter.

“Don’t rush, Teacher Goltai. Fresh Flower Town is awash with things to be done and my Castle awaits its rise. First manage the town’s affairs for me and complete the census.”

Liszt didn’t want to immediately delegate advisory powers to Goltai. It wasn’t for fear of being outmaneuvered, but rather because Goltai’s mind was filled with the feudal system and he wasn’t grounded enough to keep up with Liszt’s development plans.

“Alright then, Liszt. You’ve come of age and have the mindset of a qualified landlord. I heed your command,” Goltai saluted with one hand, displaying his Noble breeding, calm and composed.

…

For three days in a row, Peanut Hamlet was bustling with the fertilization process, which was a significant agricultural project. The one hundred acres were soon all fertilized with a mix of pond mud, manure, and ashes from plants and trees.

Especially the central plot of land, which received several times the fertilizer.

Liszt also came here to direct the operation for three days and when everything was done, all he could do was wait, wait for the Peanut Fields to be improved.

“I’ve done everything I can, hopefully the task will be completed soon.” He wasn’t one to dwell on matters, so once work here was over, he quickly moved on to other estate affairs.

The most important was the Elf Bug.