Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 154: Construction of the Territory

Half of Frost Month had passed, and the temperatures were falling day by day. Before long, this entire southern land would enter a freezing winter. However, the first batch of crops had been harvested; in addition, the rations and supplies promised by the King had arrived in succession; the non-staple foodstuffs purchased from Tanzan Town were also steadily flowing in and filling up the warehouses. This winter, the territory didn’t need to worry about the problem of hunger at all.

The Cecil Clan was perhaps the most generous clan in terms of food —— on the lands of other clans, civilians often had to turn in 70-80% of their harvest as tax; serfs even needed to turn in close to 90% of rations. In doing so, even with the help of Druid spells or fertility theurgies, the poor lower classes were constantly living on the edge of hunger. So long as the year’s harvest was slightly bad, people starving to death would be a common thing. And all kinds of wild vegetables, tree barks, even grass roots were regular customers in most of the civilians’ pots. However, in the Cecil territory, Gawain had directly set the grain tax at half.

Residents were deeply grateful for his kindness, yet Gawain felt that this tax rate was still too high.

One reason why other aristocrat clans collected at an extremely high tax rate was because they usually did not really care about the agriculture in the territory; neither would they improve cultivation technology or carry out effective labor management, such that the harvests from their soil weren’t high in the first place. Also, low taxes wouldn’t be able to sustain their extravagant lifestyles. Their luxury and extravagance were truly at the extent of being sensational. A small baron needed to build a castle and provide for a butler, a personal manservant/maidservant, four first-class servants, and four first-class maidservants, as well as a significant number of handymen, laundry maidservants, kitchen maidservants, grooms, and many more. Moreover, they also had to hold endless banquets and hunting activities. If they were aristocrats with a religious belief, they would also donate a huge sum of riches to the local church —— and all these would mostly come from taxes, weighing on those poor people whose harvests weren’t high in the first place.

But the Cecil territory didn’t need all these.

Besides, Gawain was very clear of one thing —— in the situation where the magic-energy industry was starting, the economic output of the agriculture society would ultimately be surpassed and replaced by this industry. Farmland was once the main economic resource of this world, but very soon, gold coins would be flowing from the chains of factories and commerce. He did not intend on continuing the development model of taking nutrients from farmers —— only, the magical industry was still a straw in the wind, so he needed to maintain such a situation for the time being.

The gold and silver stored in the vault in the mountain would be used up sooner or later. However, Gawain was very confident of transforming the territory from net expenditure into a balance between income and expenditure. When the territory’s industrial output had satisfied self-use and a surplus appeared, it would be time to send a caravan out…

When they passed by the White River bank, Gawain saw a big ship stopped at the pier. Many people clothed in ragged garments were alighting the ship, receiving the routine registration and check. And those responsible for these affairs were clerks selected from the 100-men aid team as well as literate soldiers in the territory. After a period of adapting and learning, these people could undertake such jobs.

The population of the territory was still increasing steadily. After confirming the year’s harvest, Gawain had boldly gotten the ‘population recruitment office’ in Tanzan Town to add orders for a new batch of serfs and expanded the publicity of recruiting refugees. At present, almost every three to four days, a full ship of people would be transported from the upstream of the White River to here, becoming new residents of the Cecil territory. What was even more delightful was that there were now more and more refugees amongst these people.

This meant that those homeless people wandering outside had finally heard and believed the news regarding the Cecil pioneering camp, and once there was a start for such things, it would form a steady flow of population migration.

In places where there was no lack of population, refugees were indeed a significant, hidden trouble that gave public-security officers a headache. However, at the Cecil territory where the lack of manpower was giving both Heidi and Gawain hair loss, refugees were virtually gold that was flowing into the territory. ——As long as they could afford to feed them, no amount was too much.

Compared to slaves with clearly marked prices and a fixed cost, these refugees that would continuously flow in would be the most stable source for population for the Cecil territory in the future.

“How’s the securing of housing going?” Gawain’s gaze landed in the direction of the pier as he casually asked. “The weather is getting colder by the day.”

“There are enough wooden huts. According to the new method you stipulated, serfs or refugees who arrive at the territory do not need to participate in agriculture and factory labor at the start. Instead, they would work to build their own houses, and through this process, learn the labor system here and receive general knowledge education. This idea is extraordinarily effective —— they are extremely hardworking in their work and praised, in unison, the benevolence of the Cecil Clan. By the time they have completed this work, the basic labor system and general knowledge are already firmly etched in their minds.

“When building a home for themselves, every person would do his best, a very simple truth.” Gawain smiled. “And education with a subtle influence in the process of such devoted labor would strike root in hearts better than any whip or scolding.”

With that, he frowned slightly again. “But wooden huts cannot compare to brick houses after all, especially in winter… Even if we’ve prepared ample hay and used mud to plaster the walls, it would still be cold inside the huts.”

“Your benevolence is indeed touching, but the output of the brick and tile plant really cannot keep up.” Heidi shook her head regrettably. “The newly added population is too big. It’s impossible to build a brick house for every person. In fact, if it wasn’t because the logging shed and sawmill had stored large amounts of wood in advance and that the efficiency of the sawing machine driven by the Magic Powered Engine is exceptionally high, we might not even be able to ensure that there would be sufficient wooden huts…”

“Then at least guarantee the supply of charcoal. Let them tide over the first winter before anything else.” Gawain nodded. “Has Honeycomb Magic Web been laid in the new construction area?”

“Yes, according to your requests, all areas are laying Magic Webs. —— Even if a full area of laying cannot be achieved, it has been ensured that the honeycomb structures are connected in a line, linking up every construction area and leaving exposed Magic Web interfaces at every area.”

The so-called Magic Web interface was actually a small stick of magic-conducting material extending from the Magic Web unit. They were made of steel rods or even cheaper black stone covered with mithril; one end was connected to the Magic Web underground, while the other would extend out of the ground; it would be considered Gawain’s foundation for the territory’s future developments.

Although the Magic Web could provide ‘wireless energy supply’, where transfer of magical power could occur above the Magic Web or close to it, doing so wasn’t efficient. If they reserved many ‘Magic Web interfaces’, it would be in preparation for the future urbanization developments: for example, connecting to street lamps or providing magical power to every household.

“Now there’s another problem,” Heidi hesitated for a moment, but still decided to speak of it. “It’s about the night education that you pushed on.”

Gawain instantly frowned. “Night education? Those general-studies classes? What has happened?”

“You required every person in the territory to receive education, but now that people are surging in in large numbers, and all of them essentially being completely illiterate peasants, the number of teachers we have are completely insufficient,” Heidi said in a troubled manner. “We have established learning sites in the middle, west, and south of the territory and got all soldiers, craftsmen, and department heads that are literate to take turns in giving classes after finishing work, but things are still too busy. The capacity of every ‘class’ is limited, and those new residents lack discipline. Once there is a big number of people, the extent of the chaos is virtually a disaster. And if we reduce the number of people… we would have to increase the number of classes.”

“Increasing the number of classes would mean needing more teachers.” Gawain frowned. “Didn’t Tanzan Town send some clerical apprentices over?”

“They’ve been dispatched to teach, but we’re still lacking.”

“Then recruit them from the ‘100-men aid team’,” Gawain decided. “Other than ‘high-end talents’ like Jenni, some of the ordinary craftsmen or apprentices are also literate. They would probably be interested in the extra allowance for teachers. In addition, you have to start publicizing job recruitments for the steelworks and mechanical research station. Tell the residents, both freemen and serfs can enter the factories to work, but they must be able to read and count before they can sign up, and by working in factories, they would receive extra food allowance like the craftsmen. Only like this would they be motivated in learning. It would also be easier to maintain discipline.”

Heidi nodded lightly. “Yes, I understand now.”

Gawain thought for a while and asked, “Is there anything else you need to report?”

Heidi looked towards Amber at the side. “Her ability to sleep while walking is really very formidable.”

Gawain faltered and turned his head for a glance. In the end, he found that this half-elf was really following beside him with her eyes closed as if she’d been sleeping for some time already.

“When did this rascal fall asleep?!”

Heidi wore a helpless look. “When we first started discussing the building of houses.”

Gawain was stunned. “…In a way, she’s also a talent.”

And he’d just finished sighing when he saw Amber leisurely sober up. Miss Half-Elf rubbed her eyes, stared at Gawain and Heidi, and curiously asked, “You two are finally done discussing?”

The corner of Gawain’s lips twitched as he intentionally looked at Heidi. “Now about the production output of steel…”

Amber closed her eyes. “Wake me up when food’s ready.”

Gawain instantly had no way out. He was just thinking of casually grabbing Amber’s ear and twisting it to see if it would wake her up when he suddenly saw a soldier running over from the corner of his eye.

“Lord!” The soldier ran to Gawain and swiftly stood still before bowing. “A stranger has come to the territory!”

“Stranger?” Gawain faltered, not knowing what was so urgent about such a matter. “Is it a refugee from the north? If he came to seek refuge by himself…”

“No, that person was dressed in clothes of the Church of Holy Light. He seemed to be a missionary, but for some reason, he’s currently working at the building site.”

“Huh?”