Chapter 22: Opportunity

In July, since Lord Farra sent people to bring in all the refugees who had never killed anyone, they had gradually gathered more than a thousand of them.

At present, the territory’s population had smoothly risen to over four thousand, approaching five thousand.

Thanks to the half-beastmen’s relentless logging and construction, by early July the simple houses that could hold every family had all been built.

Because they worked longer hours, they also earned more pay. The surplus piled up in their hands, and afterward Lord Farra began receiving applications to leave the domain, visit other villages, or even travel as far as Cagary City.

Usually, the people inside a lord’s territory are the lord’s property and may not wander about at will. After all, they are the lord’s labor force, servants, and slaves; if they could run around freely, would they ever come back? Obviously, unless they found no better place, they would not return.

Therefore, at the early-July meeting, when Mas raised this issue he bluntly said, “Lord Farra, their request is utterly unreasonable. As your subjects and your property, how can they leave the territory on their own?”

Lord Farra chuckled. “I have already received their applications. After the meeting, announce that anyone who wishes to leave the domain may go freely.”

“What? This…” Everyone was stunned.

Every one of Lord Farra’s decisions kept overturning their previous assumptions.

“However, the longest absence allowed is one year. Anyone who stays away for more than a year will have their household registry erased, their house reclaimed, and will never again be permitted to return to my domain as my people.”

He paused, then added, “In addition, after today’s meeting, go back and start recording everyone’s information, compile it into a register, and deliver it to me.”

“But, Lord Farra, we can’t read or write,” someone protested.

“It’s fine. I have already found people who can read and keep records, and they will help you handle these tasks.”

“Yes…” With literate people to assist, the job became much easier.

In fact, among the large batch of slaves Lord Farra had bought with Master Kone’s money, there was no shortage of literate individuals. He had simply not used them immediately, letting them work as ordinary commoners in his domain for a month before reassigning them.

“Next,” Lord Farra continued.

“Lord Farra, a merchant came earlier and wanted to buy houses and land here,” Axi reported. “Because we didn’t have your permission, we refused him for now. If someone like that approaches again, what should we do?”

“Land is not for sale,” Lord Farra answered without hesitation. “From now on, no one may trade land or houses. All land here belongs to me, and trading is forbidden. If they want to buy anything else, they may do so voluntarily as long as both parties agree. If anyone dares to force a trade, arrest them, try them, and hang them on the gallows in the square.”

“Yes!”

“Next issue!”

“Lord Farra, while on patrol someone told me the grain they received had been skimmed and the weight didn’t match,” Axi reported again.

Although he couldn’t read or write, Axi had an excellent memory and kept most matters in his head.

“Go investigate. Once it’s confirmed, you don’t need to report back. As soon as it’s verified, drag them to the gallows and hang them. What do they think grain is? The grain here is mine, and the wages for the commoners come from me. If anyone else reaches for my things again, don’t bother hanging them… boil them into soup and feed the pigs! Next!”

Lord Farra frowned deeply. He had never expected that before he even deployed those trouble-makers, others would already be trying to exploit loopholes.

For now, he still couldn’t replace payment in kind with copper coins, so the accounting was extremely troublesome. When he obtained copper coins through trade later, Lord Farra would gradually adopt money to replace barter. That way it would be much harder to game the system… and investigations would be easier.

Apart from these special matters, the rest were basic trivialities: expanding the chicken and sheep pens, building new granaries, or enlarging existing ones.

After those items, Mas suddenly remembered something and said, “By the way, Lord Farra, many people now have no work and no income, and it’s already affecting their ability to eat.”

“This quickly?” Lord Farra asked in surprise. According to his calculations, it shouldn’t have happened so soon.

“Yes. Construction work has tapered off. Once it stopped, I transferred some people to the fields to prepare the land, others to logging and land clearing, but there are still some left over…”

With a population of barely five thousand, they were already facing idle labor. At present the area needing manpower most was the farmland, followed by logging and land reclamation. Third was house construction, but no more houses needed building. Roads remained dirt tracks, so using surplus hands there would be wasteful.

Lord Farra considered and asked, “About how many people are idle right now?”

“About five hundred…”

“Out of those five hundred, I’ll take two hundred into the army, and send the rest to build and cultivate the fields.”

“Yes, Lord Farra.”

Fortunately the remainder wasn’t large; sending them all to field work would solve the problem.

“There’s still plenty of wasteland over there; whenever more hands become free, move them to reclaim that land and make the fields tidy.”

“Yes!”

After he invested Resource points in the hundred mu of wasteland, it basically all turned into cultivable plots. Unfortunately Resource points were still too few; otherwise Lord Farra could have turned the entire hundred mu into exceptionally vigorous Level 9 fields.

When the meeting ended, Lord Farra had Axi bring over several men he had met before.

“Mr. Harper, have you been well lately?”

Looking at these cautious men, Lord Farra approached with an inscrutable smile.

“S-still fine…” Harper answered carefully, clueless as to why he’d been summoned.

“I have a task for you.”

“Yes… may I ask what it is?”

Harper froze and then asked.

Lord Farra stared at him until the other man grew thoroughly unnerved, then spoke casually, “Starting today, you will follow Mas and help him record every person’s information in Jago Barony on paper, collate it, and deliver it to me.”

“…!” Harper was stunned, his heart jolting as he realized the assignment’s importance.

Lord Farra glanced at the men beside him. “These men will be under your command to assist your work. From today on, each of you will be paid two jin a day.”

“!” The men finally reacted.

“Do you have any objections?”

“None! Thank you, Lord Farra!”

They knelt on the spot, faces alight with delight. They knew their chance had arrived.