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

Chapter 6 Recruiting Apostles
The town of Sig was originally a gathering place for runaway slaves.

People who could not survive in human society fled to this basin and cultivated the land here, which can be regarded as a medieval paradise.

But Sige Town is not a true paradise, nor does it have that narrow passageway that allows people to pass through.

As more people gathered, they attracted the attention of the Lord of Cracked Armor.

In his youth, the Grand Duke of Cracked Armor led three knights into this place, slaughtered their way through, claimed the land as his own, and then left it to the task of managing agriculture.

But the problem was not completely eradicated.

Or rather, as long as external oppression persists, people will flee here to escape the oppression of nobles and royalty.

Farmers and slaves are not a threat, to be discussed for now.

But some people are different.

For example, wanted criminals, notorious thieves, and deserters from the battlefield.

These are all characters who could be wanted by the Black Iron Kingdom and its nobles.

Because of the mountainous terrain surrounding Sig Town, hunters also appeared.

This primitive profession wielded force, crafted weapons, and used bows and arrows; only nobles could subdue them.

There were no nobles in the town of Sig, only Moor and his 30 guards.

As long as there is no large-scale peasant uprising, these 30 semi-full-time guards, wearing leather armor, carrying iron-tipped spears and shields, and having received basic military training, are basically enough to maintain order.

In fact, in the heart of the kingdom, the number of these guards was somewhat small. For a population of two thousand, at least 100 qualified guards could be conscripted to form a militia. Families with guards could receive tax exemptions and had a higher social status.

But even with a large number of guards, they were helpless against the mountains and hunters.

The cost is too high, and it's unnecessary.

Moore cautioned, "Sir, some people are dangerous..."

His advice was to ignore those savages; some of them possessed the same power as the knights of war and were legendary thieves and wanted criminals.

A head-on confrontation would be unwise.

Keeping things separate is good for everyone.

Roman didn't say much, but simply let Moore continue.

The number of slaves in Sigge Town was over a hundred, which was also included in the total population.

The slaves were all purchased from outside, by merchants, stewards, and craftsmen who were dependent on the town of Sige. Only these people had the spare money to buy slaves.

Although Moore was trembling with fear in front of Roman, he was the real agricultural officer in Sgard and owned the most slaves, accounting for half of all slaves, and his assets were enormous.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have kept herself so fair and clean.

Roman listened quietly for a while and discovered that the overall population trend in Sig Town was increasing with age.

That is, the fewest are the elderly over 40 years old, followed by the middle-aged in 30 years old, the most are young people around 20 years old, and the most are minors and children under 15 years old.

The population structure of Sig Town is in the form of a life expectancy pyramid, with a larger number of younger children.

Declining physical function often means illness and death; virtually no farmer lives to a ripe old age.

War and disease can cause massive population loss. The constant warfare between nobles and kingdoms prevents the population from growing; not losing population is considered a victory.

According to Roman's estimates, the average lifespan in this era was only thirty or forty years.

This data indicates that this area has not experienced unnatural population decline for a long time.

The farmers in Sig were living such comfortable lives that they could afford to have children.

The slow growth is mainly due to the small population base and insufficient productivity.

If productivity is sufficient, population can be increased easily.

It can only be said that humans are the same as weeds. As long as there are enough nutrients and not much pressure to survive, they will naturally sprout up in large patches over time.

After Roman understood the situation, he sent Moore away.

He continued to systematically cultivate the wasteland, preparing to plant cabbages and strawberries on the land.

Before Roman arrived, he bought a large quantity of seeds in the Grand Duchy, intending to farm the land.

The land to the north of the manor is quite fertile, with moist soil, as evidenced by the dense, sprouting green grass.

Three more days passed.

After this period of construction, the land has taken on the shape of a manor, no longer just a few empty wooden houses, and Aaron and Green no longer have to squeeze into one room.

Roman had the right to summon the residents of Sig to serve here, but he felt it wasn't the right time for large-scale construction.

……

Today is the seventh day since Roman arrived in Sig.

He spent six days cultivating ten acres of land and finally upgraded his [Planting] skill to level 2.

He returned to his room, his mind reeling from the flood of knowledge.

After calming down, Roman realized that the benefits of this upgrade to the [Planting] skill were significant.

First, basic agricultural knowledge related to planting, such as manure fertilization, seed screening, and deep plowing, was unlocked, along with the modification of various farm implements such as curved plows, heavy plows, and winches. [Level 2 Planting: 1/380]

[Milestone Unlocked: The First Bucket of Soil]

[First bucket of soil: Receives 500 Primogems]

……

Including the 100 Primogems he gets from daily check-ins, he has a total of 1200 Primogems. He can draw 160 Primogems per draw and do seven draws.

Roman originally planned to do a ten-pull, but he would have to wait four more days. Otherwise, he could only convert certain extraordinary resources into Primogems.

But Roman felt it was unnecessary, as extraordinary resources were very valuable.

He didn't know what the apostles were for the time being.

He checked the recruitment pool; there was no pity system, no rotation pool, and no prior announcement.

The interface shows only a gray pool of water, with faint starlight shimmering inside. At first glance, the numerous starlight points are densely packed together, making it difficult to count, perhaps nearly two thousand.

Roman looked at it for a moment and finally decided to recruit him.

After all, recruiting and training "Apostles" is the main gameplay of "Noah's Ark".

Even if we don't know what will happen, we still have to recruit. We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Swish!
The gray pool rippled slightly, and a faint starlight shot up like a comet striking the moon.

Starlight stands above the pool, radiating a dazzling blue light!
Roman felt a rare moment of tension, something he hadn't experienced in over a decade.

Deng!Deng!Deng!
Three stars appeared one after another on a card, the blue light dissipated, revealing the true face of the person.

Roman stared intently for a moment, then his eyes widened and he leaned back tactically!
Green!

What are you doing here, kid?

Above the recruitment pool in the interface, a free-spirited character is imprinted on a floating card. Despite his knightly attire, he doesn't appear serious. He has delicate features, tilts his head slightly, and has a frivolous smile on his lips.

Samsung Green (can be given an apostle codename)
Attack: D+, Defense: E, Speed: D+, Constitution: E+, Energy: E+
Talent: Agility - Increased dexterity
Skill 1: Evasion - Increases the probability of evading attacks.
Second Skill: Quick Attack - Increases attack speed]

Roman was genuinely surprised and didn't know what to say.

But it seems quite reasonable. He originally thought that the recruited "Apostles" would fall from the sky, kneel down on one knee, and serve him as their master.

Although he didn't need to explain anything to others, he himself would wonder about the apostles' origins.

Unexpectedly, the apostle he recruited turned out to be one of his own people.

That makes sense.

The assassin-type attributes and talent skills also fit Roman's understanding of Green's strength; that guy wasn't the type to fight head-on.

Roman immediately began a second recruitment drive.

Another beam of starlight shot out from the recruitment pool and stood above it.

The four stars shone with a purple glow.

Deng!Deng!Deng!Deng!
As the light fades, the image of a solemn-faced, armored traditional knight leaps onto the card.

Good heavens, it's another acquaintance!
Four-star Aaron (can be given the title of Apostle)
Attack: E+, Defense: D+, Speed: E, Constitution: D+, Energy: D-
Talent: Resilience - Increased resistance to abnormal statuses

Skill 1: Shield Bash - When attacking with a heavy shield, it applies a suppression effect to enemies.
Second skill: Unyielding - Physical endurance increases with the intensity of combat.

Roman observed for a moment and realized that Aaron's potential was clearly greater than Green's.

The two are of similar age and are both servants of the Rift Armor Clan. It's difficult to determine a winner in a fight between them, but now, seeing their stats...

It seems Aaron usually goes easy on them.

Aaron's 3D2E is clearly stronger than Green's 2D3E in terms of attributes alone.

But why are all the apostles his close associates?

With this question in mind, Roman launched another recruitment drive.

Bang! Bang!
A beam of starlight, radiating white light, stood above the recruitment pool.

Roman narrowed his eyes and saw a... unfamiliar guy appear on the card.

He was a young man with a rugged face, dressed in animal skins, and carrying a longbow; his attire resembled that of a hunter.

Who is this?
Two-star Dota (can be granted the title of Apostle)
Attack: E+, Defense: E, Speed: E+, Constitution: E+, Energy: E
Talent: Keen Eyesight – Enhanced ability to observe the environment
Skill 1: Tracking - Capture subtle clues and deduce the movements of the trace creator.

Although the 5E panel was in terrible condition, Roman expressed his understanding.

Both Green and Aaron are first-tier knights of the Cracked Armor Clan. They are well-nourished and have trained their bodies since childhood, showing considerable talent.

Aaron, in particular, will likely be promoted to a second-tier knight soon.

Not everyone can compare to the growth conditions of a War Knight.

This young man named Dota is clearly just an ordinary person, so it's normal for him to have this score.

and so……

Where is the apostle named Dota that he just recruited?
(End of this chapter)