In the third week of the Month of Recovery, Cecil's territory received a small amount of rain.
The head of agriculture, Norris, stood in front of the newly leveled farmland and watched the farmers busying themselves in the fields. They were carrying metal boxes that were similar to the combat backpacks of the soldiers. The metal boxes were connected with iron pipes and pressure rods. As the users pressed the pressure rods, the nozzles at the front of the iron pipes could spray a large amount of liquid evenly.
It was the "sprinkler" that the third workshop of the machine building had created this spring. It was said to be a new invention of Miss Rebecca's. There was no magic device inside, and even the dumbest person could learn to use it with a little training. Using this sprinkler, a farmer could finish the work of several people in a day. Its function was simple: to quickly and efficiently spray the alchemy potion evenly on the farmland.
The medicinal mist sprayed out from the sprinkler glowed with a faint blue-green under the sun. This magical mist would quickly take effect when it came into contact with the soil, soaking the soil and decomposing the plant debris in the soil. At the same time, it would release the harmful magic accumulated in the soil. Plants would constantly accumulate certain types of magic or elements in their roots during their growth, and this accumulation of magic or elements would lead to a decline in crop yields and rapid wilding. This was common knowledge among farmers, and there were usually only two ways to deal with it. One was to take two or three years of rest in exchange for the rebalance of magic and fertility in the soil, and the other was to use Druil Potion or Fertility Magic to adjust the soil.
The former was a waste of time and land, while the latter was expensive and could only be found by chance.
But in Cecil's territory, none of this was a problem.
The production of the alchemy factories had brought an unimaginable supply of alchemy potions to the land. Under normal circumstances, there would always be a shortage of agricultural growth enhancers and earth rejuvenation potions, but here, the government office directly distributed a certain amount to each farmer. It was also because of this that the farmers could use the "sprinkler" to spray the precious alchemy potions so that every inch of the land would be adequately maintained.
Looking at the medicinal mist slowly seeping into the soil, causing the entire farmland to glow with a faint magical radiance, Noris felt as though he had finally tasted the sweet rain after a long period of thirst. He knew that if the soil was properly maintained, it would be able to produce a lot more food, and food was the lifeblood of humans. All of this was thanks to the efforts of the lord and the various smart people in the various research institutes.
So, what unexpected things would those smart people come up with in the future that could change the whole territory?
In the government office located in the central area of the territory, Gwen met Heti, who had just completed the latest population count.
"We have welcomed the 30,000th settler in the territory." As soon as she saw Gwen, the beautiful lady excitedly reported the good news. "On the cargo ship that arrived at the Whitewater River pier this morning, a group of farmers from the western region have completed the registration. They have already reported to the buffer camp."
When she was in the government office, Heti usually wore a plain black dress, and her hair was tied up high. Looking at her like this, Gwen could not help but think of the words "workplace elite". When he heard the report, he could not help but smile. "It seems that the western district that has just finished its expansion in the winter will soon be lively again."
"Yes, this is all thanks to the news that we actively spread last year, and the results of the caravan activities," Heti said with a happy face, but then she frowned slightly. "But recently there have been some problems … With the increasing population of the main city, especially from different areas, fights have happened from time to time. Although the newly established security team is actively dealing with it, and order has not been affected, this is not a good trend …"
When the territory was first established, the security in the camp was maintained by the soldiers. But when the territory began to develop, and the original camp became a town settlement, Gwen set up a "security team" separate from the army to be responsible for maintaining order in the territory and dealing with security issues. The Knight apprentice named "Kerim" that Byron took in was the first security officer of the security team.
So far, this security team that was independent of the military system and directly responsible to the government office had done a good job. But it was obvious that the root cause of the recent problems in the territory was not as simple as "fighting because there are more people".
Hearing the content of Heti's report, Gwen did not look surprised at all. In fact, he had already heard about the recent increase in fighting in the territory — the reporter was Amber.
"I know about this situation," he nodded to Heti. "Amber mentioned it to me three days ago."
"Amber …" Heti looked surprised. "Is she still doing something serious?"
"… Occasionally, she's doing something serious." Gwen's mouth trembled, and he smiled bitterly in his heart. Every day, as long as the half-elf had free time, she would wander around the territory. She would go to various departments to eat, or run to the streets and alleys to mess with passers-by. Gwen said that her behavior was slacking (this statement once made Tyre unhappy), but in fact, the half-elf was really good at doing something serious. She would report to Gwen what she saw and heard in the territory. Although most of the time, she just thought that it would be interesting to come back and talk to people after going crazy outside, but Gwen did learn a lot about the changes in the city in the process.
Hearing the explanation of her ancestor, Heti also helplessly smiled bitterly. "That guy … Well, she's still a little useful. But ancestor, the problem of public security still has to be dealt with. Although fighting is a small matter, it's a problem to continue to develop. "
Gwen had thought about this a few days ago. At this moment, he heard Heti's words and asked her a question. "Have you ever thought about how the people spend their free time every day?"
"Spend … free time?" Heti was startled. Obviously, she had not thought about this question. After carefully thinking about her situation, she answered with uncertainty. "I don't know how they do it. I can only say that I usually read magic books or study the stars in my free time …"
"Ordinary people don't have this condition." Gwen smiled and shook his head. He then looked at the clock hanging on the wall (due to the existence of mechanical engineers and mechanical technology, mechanical clocks had long existed in this world). "How about this, it's time to rest. Come home with me, I'll show you something."
Heti did not understand, but she obediently followed Gwen home. But what Gwen showed her made her even more confused.
She had thought that it would be some new magic device or a new management method that could improve the security of the city. Both were things that her ancestor was best at. However, she did not expect that after Gawain came over with a square wooden box, there would only be a few dozen chess pieces carved out of wood inside.
"This is …" Heti looked curiously at Gwen as he took out a piece of parchment drawn with square lines from the wooden box and spread it on the table. Then, he took out the black and red chess pieces from the box and put them on the parchment. She finally could not help but ask, "What is this?"
"Chess." Gwen pointed to the chair opposite the table and motioned for Heti to sit there. "I'll teach you how to play."
"Play? Is this something to play with? "
Heti sat opposite Gwen curiously. She could not feel any magic fluctuation from the chess pieces, and even the material was just ordinary wood. She really could not see the connection between this thing and the deterioration of public security that she had previously reported. But, with great trust in Gwen, she began to listen carefully to Gwen's explanation of the rules of this "game."
The rules of chess were not complicated. Even an uneducated person could easily learn it, let alone Heti, who had a strong comprehension ability. The lady quickly figured out the meaning of these simple chess pieces. Gwen had localized the "translation" of the chess pieces, calling them "king," "emperor," "guard," "Knight," and so on, so that Heti could understand.
After figuring out the rules, Heti tried to play a game with Gwen.
"Is this … a step forward?" She held the chess piece labeled as "infantry," carefully pushed a step forward, and looked up to ask Gwen.
"Yes." Gwen nodded with a smile. "Then it's my turn."
In less than ten minutes, Heti's first chess game in her life ended in defeat.
However, she felt an incredible joy from this first game of chess where she failed miserably. These chess pieces could contain so many changes. Something as simple as the rules … could actually be so interesting?!
"Can I … do it again?" Heti looked excited and expectant. She looked straight into Gwen's eyes. "I think I don't need you to remind me this time!"
"Of course." It was rare for Gwen to see Heti so relaxed and happy. Naturally, he agreed readily. "This time, you'll arrange the chess pieces. I'll teach you."
Ten minutes later, Heti looked at the dead "king" surrounded by chariots and wizards. She clenched her fists unwillingly. "Ancestor, I want to play again."
When the sun gradually set and the sky became dark, Betty walked into the living room and lit the magic crystal lamp. The lady, who was addicted to chess, suddenly came to her senses. She looked at the time, and then at the chessboard in front of her. She sat up straight. "Ah! When I forget … (click). "
Heti's shoulder and neck made a loud crack. Before she could finish her sentence, she cried out in pain. "Ouch, ouch, ouch …"
"You've been sitting for too long. You need to move." Gwen looked up at her. "How is it? Is chess fun?"
"Okay …" Heti said instinctively. But then she finally remembered what the real topic was. "But what does this have to do with the residents' conflict and the deterioration of public security?"
"Of course." Gawain crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Why do you think they're fighting and causing trouble?"
Heti rubbed her shoulder and neck as she thought hard. "Because … they are grumpy?"
"There are grumpy people, but it's impossible for so many people to be grumpy. It's even more impossible for everyone to be mild in the past autumn and winter, and only become grumpy in the spring." Gwen shook his head. "The real reason is that our people finally have extra energy. They are full and warm, and they don't need to exhaust all their energy for a living. But after they are full and warm, they don't have many means of entertainment. So, of course, fighting is inevitable. Of course, this is not the whole reason, but it is an important reason. "
"No means of entertainment?" It seemed that this was the first time Heti thought about the problem of "civilian entertainment". "But before … and in other territories, why didn't such a problem occur?"
Gwen glanced at Heti. "That's because they have never been full."
Heti was stunned. She seemed to understand Gwen's words. Then she looked at the chess in front of her. "So, do you think this game can solve the problem of public security in the territory?"
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