Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest-Chapter 333 - 6: I Will Give Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse (Additional - for the Clan Leader, Asking for Votes)

Chapter 333: Chapter 6: I Will Give Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse (Additional Chapter for the Clan Leader, Asking for Votes)

The first group of residents to be settled numbered around thirteen thousand.

The brick houses were being built, and the roads, repaired.

They could very well set an example.

After experiencing the celebration, everyone had tasted meat and received better treatment, which should have motivated all to engage eagerly in the labor construction.

Those who received houses were overjoyed, while those who did not were deeply stimulated.

Anyway, the labor efficiency was bound to improve.

Moreover, after this period of adaptation, Roman found that the model of Origin City was not quite suitable for Fertile City.

The terrain of Fertile City was too fragmented, and the farmland too scattered.

Commuting back and forth, it took more than an hour just to travel each day.

Roman had no choice but to adopt a model where a living area overlooked a piece of farmland, with brick houses built right at the edge of the farmland.

Similar to land contracting, the system still operated on taxation.

Each living area in Fertile City had to have its own small kitchen to uniformly distribute meals.

But until there was a clear output and stored grain, they still had to rely on Roman allocating food to sustain them.

Tools, heavy plows, oxen for plowing, and draft horses were also distributed accordingly.

Ten or so agricultural guides were assigned to each living area, responsible for managing the kitchen and farming. Once a new batch of agricultural guides was trained, they could return.

For now, that was all that could be done; it was a necessary measure.

Otherwise, the management costs were too high.

It was sustainable in the short term, but not viable in the long term.

Roman had to call back the army.

It was fine to have them assist with farming when the situation was urgent, but now that half a year had passed, Fertile City should be able to operate on its own.

The first issue these living areas faced was the next round of planting.

Since soybeans could not be grown, they had to plant some vegetables instead.

Turnips, radishes, kale, onions, peas, fava beans, lettuce, alfalfa, garlic...

Especially garlic, which was cold-resistant, versatile, and only beneficial even if consumed in large quantities—it had to be planted extensively.

As long as the hospital always had a stock of allicin, it could greatly reduce the mortality rate of pregnant women.

Roman personally visited each piece of farmland.

Every living area received corresponding orders.

This plot of land would grow which vegetables, that plot of land would grow which beans. freewebnøvel.coɱ

Roman had clearly planned everything out, down to units of a thousand acres.

The seeding of vegetables also needed fertilizer to increase yield—organic fertilizer was effective for all crops.

But Fertile City had no marshes or peat, and it all had to be transported from Origin City.

Thousands of laborers were straining to pull boats laden with peat upstream.

This round of planting not only covered the original hundred thousand acres, but also prepared another ten thousand acres of grassland for breeding, constructing breeding farms, and bringing over piglets from Origin City.

It was said to diversify efforts, but this was also the limit.

Because Roman did not have the labor to cultivate more land extensively.

The most important reason was infrastructure development.

Roman again dispatched a construction team of over a thousand people from Origin City—the basic infrastructure of Origin City had already been mostly completed.

But not Fertile City.

If the progress of constructing houses and paving roads could be measured by a progress bar, then the progress bar for the first half of the year had only risen by one-fifth.

Unbearable!

Only one-fifth was completed in the first half of the year, but the remaining four-fifths had to be done in the second half.

This was non-negotiable!

The worse the road conditions, the more urgent the need to repair them, as it was the most effective way to improve organizational strength.

The population of Origin City was also increasingly large, now nearly breaking through the seventy thousand mark.

Recently acquired slaves would soon be integrated into the labor construction.

While Morry and Daken were still in Origin City, Roman took the opportunity to summon them both.

"Go to Ice Island and find the King of Ice Island," Roman said. "Tell him I want to do business in sheep’s wool with him."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"And if he refuses?"

Both men asked at the same time.

Roman paused before replying, "I shall give him a reason he cannot refuse."

He said, "Tell the King of Ice Island this—if he refuses to do business with me, or insists on taxing my trade, then I shall collaborate with pirates and support Alex in becoming the new King of Ice Island."

Upon hearing this, both men had difficulty maintaining their composure.

The first King of Ice Island was also the Pirate King, who was later shattered by the Conqueror. After a joint meeting in Ice Island, the latter bestowed upon him the title of King of Ice Island.

He granted the entire land of Igo, all of Ice Island, and the Thorny Peninsula to the Pirate King.

Thus, the Ice Island Kingdom was born.

But when Alex arrived with a new band of pirates, Ice Island became a target for their raids, and Roman ended up with many slaves from Ice Island.

Now, the King of Ice Island had lost Igo Land (where no one listened to him), the Thorny Peninsula (conquered by Alex), leaving him with only Ice Island itself.

Alex was sated, but he surely wouldn’t mind an overindulgence.

If the River Valley King were to join forces with the Pirate King, the King of Ice Island would truly crumble.

So Roman’s threat was just that, a threat; he had no wish to follow through.

Surrounded by sea on all sides, Ice Island had natural barriers, an advantageous geography, and a thriving trade. Although called an island, its size was substantial, supporting the lives of millions with rivers and plains conducive for grazing and farming, producing vast and superior quantities of wool.

If pirates took over Ice Island, their lack of sophistication would inevitably lead to the destruction of its production.

Roman wanted a stable source of wool, not land ravaged by pirates.

He intended to transport vast quantities of wool from Ice Island to Origin City, where textile workers in factories would process it into clothing and bedding.

Of course, it wasn’t likely that he could just dump the products onto the market.

For the time being, they would first focus on domestic usage.

Once the plan succeeded, the people of Origin City and Fertile City could keep working through winter!

He was fed up with the destitute sight of them without proper clothing.

Seeing Roman speak so earnestly, Morry understood the gravity of the task: "Your Highness, I happen to be quite familiar with Ice Island. I shall not fail in this mission."

Roman noticed that this young merchant had become more confident since he had volunteered to search for the Witch.

Previously, during negotiations with Roman, Morry was a capable merchant but overly so, lacking a spirit of adventure and being overly cautious.

Now, his actions were more decisive and straightforward.

Clearly, he was the material for great endeavors.

Roman felt Morry truly lived up to the legacy of a great merchant’s son, possessing both courage and audacity.

As the envoy of the River Valley King, setting foot on Ice Island soil to threaten the King of Ice Island, it would be normal even if the latter slaughtered him.

"Alright, then I await your good news," Roman said. "This time, I do not require slaves. Bring me the sheep of Ice Island, the more breeds the better."

Soon, the caravan of Origin City set sail once more.

Carrying salt and iron, they sailed down the Bro River and headed north.

Roman mentioned a threat, but if the King of Ice Island was foolish enough to kill his envoy,

It would be seeking death!

Roman began gathering his army from Fertile City.

It was time to start recruitment.

Military power was the greatest asset of the age.

It was also the source of Roman’s confidence to look down upon all the land.

Perhaps seven thousand soldiers might be enough.

Then again, maybe not.

Because seven thousand men alone could not strike simultaneously.

He needed even more troops!

Seventy thousand from Fertile City, eighty thousand from Origin City, a total of one hundred and fifty thousand.

Roman intended to withdraw ten thousand from that number...

That wouldn’t be excessive, would it?