You were made to farm, and now you're the emperor of an empire?

Chapter 267 Gweil, it's you I've chosen!

Rulers come in all shapes and sizes, and their methods of governance are equally diverse.

Roman followed a path of domineering rule.

He did not practice benevolent governance.

His attempt to single-handedly destroy the old production structure is a rebellious act that will inevitably attract criticism.

There's simply no way to cultivate a reputation for kindness and compassion.

But Roman didn't care about their opinions, or how many people were secretly cursing him.

You can curse, go ahead and curse, but it's best not to let Roman find out, or they'll be in big trouble.

Of course, such things, which are worse than flies and cockroaches, are ultimately only a minority.

Roman's rule was domineering, but not brainless.

For example, someone in life did something unusual.

For example, someone saves a child from drowning, maintains public health, works hard or gets injured, or has outstanding skills and does things well and beautifully... these kinds of things.

Roman would seize the opportunity to reward people, to publicize the reward, and to tell the crowd that there are rewards for doing certain things.

If someone beats their wife, scolds their father-in-law, steals, or doesn't work hard enough and gets reported... these are all bad things.

They were sent to the mines! Their status was the same as that of prisoners of war!

The purpose of doing this is to gain prestige.

The ruler's direction of governance should be expressed clearly and decisively, without any misunderstanding. This should be repeated over and over again, and gradually it will become a habitual way of thinking.

For human society, a better social atmosphere leads to increased productivity.

Because they know that there is a powerful ruler protecting them.

Rule is not about hiding things, but about displaying them openly and honestly.

Those pirates were a bunch of barbarians with no political sense.

Visette was an ambassador sent by the Pirate King, but he ended up having to kneel down and apologize to the King of the Vale.

Visette's anger was certainly not because she felt the Pirate King's face had been tarnished, but because she felt her dignity had been violated.

This is political insensitivity.

Roman, however, was able to use this opportunity to strengthen his base of rule.

Pirates are ruthless, but your rulers are more powerful.

This was even more unbelievable for the slaves who had just disembarked from the pirate ship.

It's not easy to make slaves feel safe when they are displaced.

……

June.

Neliel left Origin City with a thousand soldiers, and they would communicate with each other through the birds of the Beast Witch.

Faced with the current shortage of troops, Roman had no choice but to expand his army again.

This time, he plans to increase the number of troops in Origin City to five thousand.

That means recruiting another 3,500 new soldiers.

These new recruits were drawn from prisoners of war from the Battle of Spring Rain and from the previous batch of three thousand high-quality slaves.

In the past, they undertook various arduous labor tasks.

Even the most resolute believers and mercenaries fell silent in the face of that vast swamp.

When a person is overworked, their will is vulnerable and can be severely compromised!

Over the past period, Roman has selected a group of outstanding recruits.

The specific screening method involves having administrative officers ask a series of questions.

Do you have any relatives?
Would you be willing to become Lord Roman's soldier?
Do you want to receive a fixed salary?
Can they follow the rules and endure arduous training?

This is the initial screening; the subsequent military training will be even more brutal.

Once you stick to it, no one can maintain their original mindset after entering the army.

Their task of clearing the land was then handed over to a new batch of slaves.

This group of people greatly supplemented the workforce of Origin City, and there was a continuous stream of slaves to follow.

Every expansion of the military is a torment for veterans.

On average, a veteran is responsible for leading two or three new recruits in training.

The squad leaders were even busier than ever.

The training process was comprehensive, but the discipline process was difficult; it was overcome with gritted teeth. In any case, it's unlikely that the Roman Empire will launch a war in the short term.

Roman had also spoken to Finn.

He wanted not only able-bodied men, but also women and children, and even elderly people in their forties and fifties. These people were of lower value, but they were still somewhat useful.

You bunch of chickens in the north, let them peck at each other.

But don't kill civilians, please don't!
If we kill any more, there will be no one left to do the work!
These idiots are just wasting resources—if you dare kill any more civilians, I'll kill you all! (Angry)
Farming.

We still have to farm.

However, Roman's farming this time was quite special.

The crops were planted in experimental fields.

We need to both increase the cultivated area and improve crop varieties.

Both hands must be grasped, both hands must be hard!
……

Hot summer.

Roman brought Gweil to the rice paddies.

The crisscrossing ridges divide the fields into separate, enclosed sections, making them appear very orderly.

The silt in the original swamp is very fertile, but the original soil has both good and bad qualities, and rice varieties need time to adapt.

Now, Roman has reclaimed a total of about 700 acres of rice paddies, all of which have been planted.

Most of the rice is in the tillering stage, while a small portion is still in the transplanting stage. This is because some paddy fields were only recently prepared.

Rice is a seasonal crop, so three harvests a year is out of the question. Two harvests a year are feasible, given the abundant sunshine and suitable latitude here.

Roman plans to employ 5,000 workers to cultivate 2,000 acres of paddy fields in preparation for next year's harvest.

This year won't work.

Sudden environmental changes forced the team to readjust to the climate, but the original silt remained untreated…

Roman could tell at a glance that the rice in the tillering stage was not going to yield anything.

If we can achieve a yield of 100 jin per mu this year, we'll consider it a success.

In Roman's view, this is an extremely crucial crop that could become a major staple food that rivals wheat in the future.

Therefore, Roman valued rice even more than wheat.

However, using traditional breeding methods, it would take at least seven, eight, or nine generations of rice cultivation and replacement before individuals with superior traits could be selected with difficulty.
The whole process is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly.

Following the method of two harvests a year, it would take at least four or five years for wheat to grow through seven, eight, nine, or even ten generations.

Roman couldn't wait that long.

By next year at the latest, the costs he has invested in land reclamation and cultivation must yield results.

……

Gweil!
let's go!

The decision is yours!

……

Gweil's destiny is so powerful that it can influence everything.

To what extent exactly can it be achieved...?

Roman said he couldn't say.

But Gweil certainly couldn't change the macrocosm.

For example, during the Spring Rain War, the rebel army, even if Gweil used voodoo dolls, chanted spells, performed magic, witchcraft, curses, and prayers... she did whatever was most insidious.

But she wept day and night, exhausting herself, and if she was lucky, she might even cry a knight of judgment to death.

Let's say the Knight of Judgment wasn't wearing copper plate armor, didn't wear any jewels, was physically weak, and died from a cold, a fall, or a sudden heart attack—basically, he just happened to die.

But what about the other twenty-nine?

Even if she became a high-ranking witch, she cursed thirty Judgment Knights at once.

But what about the Broken Archers?

What about the more than 10,000 troops sent to quell the rebellion?
Moreover, the choir nuns can also resist the unpredictable forces of fate.

In other words, Gweil's fate magic, in the context of the macrocosm, does not actually play a decisive role; even if it does, it can only play a supporting role at most.

It doesn't work in the macroscopic world, but it does in the microscopic world.

(End of this chapter)