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

Chapter 302 Choosing Neither

All the thousands of boatmen had to be in good physical condition.

In early spring, the river water is icy cold; if you can't muster the strength, going there will be pointless.

Roman provided these boatmen with labor subsidies.

They didn't give us money, but rather honeycomb briquettes and other supplies.

Each boatman who completes the task receives a receipt afterward, which can be exchanged for 100 honeycomb briquettes, or equivalent daily necessities such as salt, meat, soybean oil, and furniture.

During this period, the quality of food was improved accordingly, the rationing system was abolished, and three meals a day were provided.

This was truly a last resort.

As long as the mountains aren't breached, Roman will continue to need boat trackers, and without improving their wages, no one will be willing to do this job.

Right now, the priority is spring planting.

He himself was not idle either; he went out every day to measure the area of ​​cultivated land.

The land of Plenty City is fragmented, scattered in dozens of pieces here and there, with countless corners and edges.

Roman would mark his territory every day, planting a flag every few hundred meters.

The flags, when connected by lines, form the shapes of square, rhombus, and triangular farmlands.

Although this shape discards much arable land, the standardized land can improve the efficiency of heavy plowing, allowing the land to be plowed straight for kilometers without having to turn around.

What's abandoned is abandoned.

There simply weren't enough plants to begin with.

This is very important, and only Roman can do it.

All I can say is that we have to run around everywhere and plant flags everywhere.

He also had to warn those idiots not to pull up the flag—Roman planted the flag in the ground today, only to find it all pulled up by the scoundrels the next day. How could he tolerate that?
He was to be executed outright; his propaganda slogan was, "The flag you pull down is your own head."

……

One day in mid-February.

Roman returned to the Castle of Abundance, his body aching all over and in a terrible mood.

He rode a horse all day, and his whole body felt like it was about to fall apart.

It rained again at noon, and the fine rain poured down on his head, soaking him to the bone.

Margaret and Shasta were also suffering, but they were used to being on the go, so this little bit of hardship was nothing to them.

"Your Highness, His Majesty's ministers will arrive tomorrow," Roman reported, formerly a male servant at Origin Manor and now the temporary steward of Abundance Castle.

"I understand..." Roman's face was gloomy as he handed the soaking wet fine wool black cloak to the maid.

He doesn't want to see anyone right now; he just wants to focus on developing his skills.

The production tasks in Plenty City were already fully booked, and any unexpected event could disrupt the established development plan.

But you can't offend the Minister of the Black Iron Sect either. If someone comes to visit you, it's a bit impolite to tell them to get lost and refuse to see them.

Roman took a hot shower, ate dinner, and immediately went to bed.

The next day, Roman didn't go to measure the farmland; he waited in the castle for half a day.

It was around noon.

Ten royal knights, clad in jet-black armor, led the way, their banners embroidered with the emblem of the Black Iron Throne. The entire caravan marched from the fields, attracting curious glances from the farmers, who quickly returned to their own tasks.

The new master was a ruthless man; if you didn't do enough work, you wouldn't get any food, and if you dared to slack off, you'd be beaten to death. After a few bloody lessons, no one dared to work half-heartedly anymore—even though they didn't know what they were doing.

The carriage carrying the Minister of Black Iron was a luxurious horse-drawn carriage, a mix of oak and metal, with silver-white curtains and gold trim around the frame, pulled by more than ten fine horses.

This was also the first time Roman had seen the Black Iron Minister's attire.

In the past, missions would travel to Sig Town by boat, as carriages couldn't pass through. Now, they're being shown off.

“Lord Roman, we meet again.” Damon entered the castle.

“You’ve kept me waiting too long,” Roman said coldly.

“We are traveling on behalf of His Majesty the King, and only a grand procession can demonstrate royal authority. As you know, the more important the occasion, the more likely it is to be delayed.”

Even so, the lord in front of him did not come out to greet him, showing no respect for his status whatsoever.

Oh well, what can I do? He's a lord.

Roman scoffed.

"Oh dear, it seems Lord Roman isn't in a good mood."

"Just tell me if you have anything to say."

“Very well. Lord Roman, His Majesty the King has sent me to arrange a marriage for you, or rather, His Majesty the King himself wants to arrange a marriage for you.”

Roman frowned. "You came here just for this?"

"Well? Your Excellency, this is a matter of great importance to your life."

"Do I agree?"

Damon was taken aback. "This is the person His Majesty assigned to you."

Roman interlaced his fingers on his abdomen, leaned back in his chair, and remained completely still. Since he was already there, he figured he might as well listen to what this minister had to say.

"As far as I know, you have built such a great career from scratch before you have even married. I suppose no one on this land is more outstanding than you. There are countless beautiful girls in our capital who admire you, but compared to the two most outstanding ladies, they are all just ordinary beauties."

"As you know, our King is in his prime, handsome and dashing. In his youth, he was only slightly less handsome than you. However, he had already married our Queen when he was your age. The Queen has given birth to six children for His Majesty. Unfortunately, our eldest prince died young, the second prince is a womanizer, the third prince is disabled, and the youngest prince is still nursing in the Queen's arms. There are a few illegitimate children, but they are not allowed to enter the court. They have neither achievements nor honors, and His Majesty does not know who to appoint as the crown prince."

"However, our eldest and second princesses are exceptionally outstanding, so you understand now, whose ladies can compare to the two most dazzling pearls in the palm of the Black Iron King's hand? Our King wishes to form a marriage alliance with you."

The minister before him used his excellent oratory skills to vividly describe to Roman the heroic bearing of the eldest princess, Tashina, and the exquisite beauty of the youngest princess, Sofia, but Roman had no interest in it.

He concluded by saying, "His Majesty the King highly respects your opinion. Which one would you choose?"

Roman said calmly, "I won't choose either one."

Damon's round face immediately fell: "Lord Roman, this is not the time to joke. Our eldest princess is a skilled warrior, and our youngest princess is incredibly intelligent. When they were born, His Majesty declared that only those who stood alive under his sword would be qualified to marry these two princesses—that's just a qualification, whether our princesses are willing is another matter. Now His Majesty is giving you the choice."

Forced into a corner, with the situation in turmoil, the Black Iron King needs strong reinforcements, and the River King is outstanding in every aspect.

Currently, they are on the same side, but the relationship between the ruler and his subjects is unstable.

The King of the Valley is a rising power; he rebelled against the Rift Armor just two years ago, and no one can guarantee his loyalty.

Marriage is recognized as the most reliable and intimate relationship in this land, and it is also a de facto alliance of interests.

“I don’t want to say it a second time,” Roman said coldly.

Marriage? Marry my ass! Those worthless scumbags don't even deserve him! Those stupid women only make him laugh!
(End of this chapter)