Manor Lord of the Elf World

Chapter 23 Fishing and Keeping Warm (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Lord Raven, all the fields here have been plowed and will be left to dry for a day before we can start planting!"

Several farmers found Raven, who was training the mini-dragons by the river, and reported on the progress of their work in the fields.

In the past two days, in order to finish the work as soon as possible and plant the seeds, they have been working from dawn to dusk to cultivate the land, without daring to rest for a moment. Finally, they have cultivated a large area of ​​land today.

Upon hearing this, Raven nodded thoughtfully.

He didn't know much about reclaiming wasteland. Looking at the dark brown field not far away, Raven thought for a moment and then asked, "Doesn't it need fertilizer?"

A farmer shook his head: "The soil here is very fertile. Because it's close to the river, the soil moisture is just right. We don't need to use fertilizer for now."

“Alright, then the rest is up to you.” Raven nodded and said, “Go talk to Elif about the seeds later, he’ll be responsible for delivering them. Also, go find a basket.”

Basket?

The farmers were slightly taken aback, not quite understanding Lord Raven's intentions, but they still obediently returned to the camp and brought over a sturdy basket woven from vines.

"Wait a moment," Raven said to the group, then turned around and ordered Dratini, "Dragon, go into the water and use Thunder Wave!"

The temperature hasn't been too cold these past few days, and the sun was out yesterday, so the river that was frozen over has completely thawed.

Upon receiving the command, the Dratini plunged headfirst into the river.

The next second, a dense yellow electric light surged from its body.

From the shore, it looks like an ever-growing yellow orb of light.

“Sizzle!”

Through the conduction of the river water, the electric current released by the Dratini expanded to a very large area in the blink of an eye.

Immediately afterwards, shadows appeared on the river surface, and those shadows slowly floated to the surface of the water.

Upon closer inspection, everyone realized they were actually plump fish that had fainted!
"What... what is this?!" The farmers were taken aback.

“Mini Dragon, bring those fish up,” Raven continued.

The dwarf dragon obediently swam in the river, using its mouth and body to push the fish floating on the surface to the shore.

"Pack these fish up and take them back to our territory!" Raven said to the men behind him.

"Yes Yes!"

The group of people, who were taken aback, quickly came to their senses. While looking at the miniature dragon with amazement, they put the fish that had been paralyzed by the electromagnetic waves into the basket.

In no time at all, two large baskets were filled with fresh fish.

What a great harvest!

Several farmers looked excited.

Raven used a handkerchief to wipe the river water off the Mini Dragon, then lifted his coat and let it snuggle into his arms to warm up.

However, when he turned around, he saw a farmer holding a carp king with an excited expression.

"..." Raven couldn't help but say, "Let's put those red fish back into the river!"

"Huh? Lord Raven, why is that?" a farmer couldn't help but ask.

“Those aren’t edible fish; they’re a magical beast called Magikarp,” Raven explained. “They’re all bones and scales, so they’re inedible. Plus, they’re very vengeful. If they grow up, there’s a good chance they’ll come back for revenge.”

Warcraft?!
Upon hearing this, the group quickly threw the carp back into the river.

"Ahem." Raven coughed lightly, then said, "Alright, everyone, thank you for your hard work. Let's carry these fish back!"

The thought of having delicious fish soup again tonight made them grin from ear to ear.

What could be more comforting than a bowl of hot fish soup on a cold winter night?

After training for the day, Raven didn't go straight back to his tent. Instead, he took the Dratini to the medic Lila's tent.

When they arrived there, Lila was in her tent preparing a potion with some herbs.

Upon seeing Raven arrive, she was quite surprised: "Your Highness? What brings you here?"

“I need a potion to treat frostbite and restore my strength,” Raven said in a deep voice.

Both of these medicines can be used by Dratini. The wound medicine can help it recover its strength, while the frostbite medicine contains an ingredient that can warm the body, which is also very useful for Dratini.

"Okay, I'll get it for you right away!"

Lila quickly turned around, took out several bottles of medicine from her medicine box, and handed them over.

"Thank you for your hard work." Raven accepted the potion and prepared to leave.

But Lila called him down.

“Your Highness…” Raven turned around, somewhat puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

"I want to say thank you on behalf of everyone!" Lila's eyes were filled with gratitude.

Their prince is truly a kind and benevolent person!

Not only did he share his medicinal herbs with these commoners, but he also sent them many useful medicinal formulas.

"The recipes you gave me will definitely help a lot of people!" Lila said gratefully.

Raven smiled and said, "No need to be so polite. In my heart, you are more important than these things."

After all, what kind of territory is a territory without its people?

Lila was stunned for a moment, but Raven didn't say anything and turned to leave with Dratini.

*

It was already evening when Raven learned what had happened at the lumberyard.

After Raven finished his dinner, the old butler, Elif, came to him specifically to report on the progress of the day's work within the territory.

But as soon as he entered the tent, he bumped into a basket of fish.

The old butler was astonished: "Wow, so many fish!"

Raven smiled; these were all fished out of the river this afternoon by the Mini Dragon using electromagnetic waves.

There are currently no fishing nets specifically designed for catching fish within the territory, and manual fishing is too inefficient to meet the needs of so many people and Pokémon in the territory.

Now that we have the [Electromagnetic Wave] move, catching fish has become much easier.

In addition to the food carried by the convoy, residents were also able to eat some fresh fish.

Whether used to make fish soup or grilled fish, it's an excellent choice.

However, these fish cannot be stored for long periods of time; once stored for too long, the fish meat will spoil and become inedible.

Fortunately, there is an Ice-type Pokémon like Snowcap in the territory.

If you can't finish the fish, ask them to freeze it with ice-type moves so it can be stored for a longer time. In addition, you can also make smoked fish.

The berries and tree fruits gathered by the residents, along with the fish caught by the miniature dragons, will provide them with enough food to last longer, making it no problem for them to survive the cold winter.

After a brief moment of shock, Elif reported to Raven what had happened at the lumberyard that day.

"...Those three snow-hat monsters actually helped us with a lot of work today. Thanks to their help, we were able to cut down a lot of trees!"

"If things continue like this, we can solve the housing problem within the territory in less than a month!"

At this point, Eriff couldn't help but grin:
"Those three snow-hat monsters are quite popular in the territory now!"

Hearing this, Raven was somewhat surprised. The Snow Hat Monster was helping to cut down trees?
According to Elif, the people in the territory are slowly beginning to accept the existence of the Snow Hat Monster.

This is undoubtedly a good start.

However, Raven didn't dwell on this matter for long.

Because there are still many matters within his territory that await his handling and resolution.

With the housing and food issues temporarily resolved, the next problem is heating.

Looking at the burning charcoal in the brazier, Raven asked, "Is there enough charcoal left to last a month?"

While log cabins can provide shelter from the wind and rain, they cannot completely keep out the cold. Especially in such a simple log cabin, heating facilities are necessary inside.

Elif shook his head: "We've used up quite a bit of charcoal these past few days. It looks like we probably won't have enough for a month."

"I see..." Raven fell into deep thought.

It would be great if there were Fire-type Pokémon.

Whether for warmth in winter or for making charcoal, firing cement and bricks to build stronger and safer houses in the coming year, Fire-type Pokémon are indispensable.

However, it's winter now, and during this season, apart from Ice-type Pokémon being relatively common, all the other Pokémon seem to have disappeared. It's even rare to see Grass-type Pokémon outside.

Even so, Raven didn't want to give up easily.

"We still need to send people to explore the surrounding area," Raven muttered.

He needs to figure out the types of wild Pokémon that inhabit a certain area near his territory.

(End of this chapter)