Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest-Chapter 334 - 7: The Eighth Recruitment

Military recruitment is a long-term task.

Seventeen to twenty-three is the prime age range for recruitment, as their bodies are still capable of improvement, their potential is eager to be developed, and they haven’t fully settled into their final form.

Military training is grueling and exceptional.

In fact, Roman’s seven thousand veterans were all in their youth, at the peak of their physical capabilities.

The most notable aspect was their ability to endure the high-intensity military training.

Without some potential, if their bodies were subjected to such strain, most people couldn’t withstand it.

In the long run, either they’d be dead or disabled.

Therefore, as soon as Jet saw some newly enlisted soldiers who couldn’t make it, he’d give them a severance payment to let them return to farming.

It would be unwise to let those labor forces be depleted by training.

Did everything end with just the smelting of the military furnace?

Of course not; Roman’s approach to training was so ferocious that every soldier was overextending their bodies to carry on.

He was certain that before reaching thirty, those subtle internal injuries would start to surface, and by forty, they would all be battered, aching throughout their bodies whenever there was cloudy rain.

In exchange, they got their golden ten years at the peak of their capabilities.

Roman never considered what would happen after ten years.

He only cared about what he could accomplish during those ten years.

...

At the end of July, the weather began to shift into autumn.

Temperatures cooled gradually, no longer as scorching as the Rexia heat.

Favorable weather increased the efficiency of labor.

Having witnessed the seeding and building properly underway in Fertile City, Roman stood up and returned to Origin City.

Due to frequent commutes between the two places, the inconvenience of transport increasingly irked him.

Just you wait, endure it for one year, and see what happens next year!

Roman silently gritted his teeth, returned to the estate, and promptly went to the school, where he grandiosely conducted several lessons.

After all, he was carrying the title of a principal.

He also met with all the assistant witches.

They were responsible for logistics—similar to the nuns in the monastery—in charge of cultivation, raising pigs, feeding chickens, and preparing herbal medicine.

Although Witch Forest had a profound heritage, it was impossible to support them for nothing.

In their prime, Witch Forest had nearly a thousand members; most were secluded deep in the mountains while a few hid in castles. With transport being inconvenient, they had to be self-sufficient.

Literacy was fundamental for witches.

Only with literacy could they pass on their knowledge.

Not just the knowledge of spells, but also of magic potions.

Witches could concoct various wondrous potions using special herbs.

Some enhanced strength, some allowed night vision, some sped up self-healing, some restored mana, some boosted physical robustness...

Those secret potion recipes were inherited through constant trial and error over the years.

Ordinary stimulants were one thing, but most exceptional potions could only be concocted by spellcasters, as they required mana to react.

The downside was that overdosing on those potions would accumulate toxins in the body, causing various side effects.

Such as paralysis, muscle dissolution, nerve weakening, vision decline, and more.

There is a saying: all medicine has its poison; there are no potions without side effects.

Some side effects could be alleviated, but others could not; once taken, it was tantamount to being paralyzed.

However, you could choose not to use them, but they were indispensable.

Roman had already sent people to plant the herbal seeds brought by the assistant witches.

This was also a challenging process.

A dozen or so assistant witches, accompanied by staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, went to seek the proper lands for planting.

Some herbs liked sunlight, others preferred shade, while some thrived in damp terrains.

The required conditions were quite demanding and varied greatly, making it hard to cultivate them.

Rashly changing the growth environment was one issue — whether they would survive was one aspect, and changes in the effectiveness of the herbs was another.

Gwivelle’s blessing could improve their survival rate.

If the effect changes, then just try again bit by bit.

...

Sitting on his throne, Roman finally saw the figure of the Witch appear at the entrance of the hall, followed by a little donkey.

When she saw him, her eyes instantly shone bright.

She quickened her pace and approached him, unable to wait as she said, "My Roman, did you come to see me?"

"Of course, I came just for you, my lucky goddess," Roman responded with generous praise.

He waited for the young girl to hop over, grabbed her wrist with one hand, and looped his other arm around her waist, pulling her to sit on his thigh.

"Why didn’t you tell me in advance?"

"If I told you, then there wouldn’t be any surprise, would there?"

"Hmm, I’m thrilled right now," she giggled, sidling up to him and nuzzling his ear, with the moistness of her breath seeming to retain the aftertaste of a young girl’s charm.

Roman also realized that Gwivelle had grown from that frail little fruit into a green fruit with a hint of sweetness, which was truly a surprise.

Without Shasta, he wouldn’t even dare to get close to her.

After all, it was too early; the fruit wasn’t yet ripe and luscious.

"Do you still have the strength?"

"I do!" Gwivelle nodded, explaining that after all this time, she maintained a balance between daily expenditure and recovery, which was beneficial for her.

She always had a bit of energy to spare without overtaxing herself.

"Then cast a spell on me."

"Mm, what would you like?"

"I want all the useful people."

"That won’t do," she said, blinking seriously, "Roman, you have to tell me exactly what you want so that I can help you. Just like those seeds, whether you want them to flourish, resist disease, or adapt to the soil..."

The Destiny Witch had changed from the past, gradually becoming a qualified middle-rank Witch, with a deeper understanding of her own spells.

After pondering for a moment, Roman said, "Then I want young and valiant people, the more courageous, the better."

Gwivelle beamed a smile and waved her hand in front of Roman, her movements lively and cheerful.

Roman loved this side of Gwivelle, who, despite the harshest trials, had preserved the innocence and liveliness of a young girl’s heart.

"Your wish has already come true!" she said.

"Really?"

"Really!" Gwivelle emphasized.

She hooked her arms around Roman’s neck, straightened up, and pressed her tender, light-colored lips gently against Roman’s cheek.

Her face flushed with a light pink glow, she buried her head in Roman’s arms as if she were shy, but in fact, she was secretly delighted in others’ unseen view.

Burrowing her head there, she mumbled, "This is a kiss from your lucky goddess!"

Now he had to believe.

Roman had come here for the eighth recruitment drive.

There was no choice but to return.

The trash heaps of Origin City and Fertile City, scoop them and you’d get nothing but trash.

Without Gwivelle’s discernment, it was unbearable to witness the outcomes.

This recruitment was of great importance, to ensure effectiveness.

Roman had Gwivelle bless him once a day, continuing for ten days in total, recruiting a hundred Angel Envoys every day.

...

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Now the new Angel Envoys placed before Roman were—

Five Stars, namely Instant Teleportation Vita and Void Monica, the first batch of witches to arrive in Origin City with a high content of gold.

Four Stars Angel Envoys, of which 5 were witches. The rest were people with unique talents like Kao.

Three Stars Angel Envoys, with a few being witches. A third were from Roman’s army, those who were sergeants but not Angel Envoys. Another part came from outside the military.

Two Stars Angel Envoys, two-thirds of which came from Roman’s army, with the remaining part from outside the army.

The rest were One Star Angel Envoys, and a significant number were Roman’s soldiers.