This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

Therefore, in order to stimulate the thirst for knowledge among the people in his territory, Dick set strict literacy requirements when recruiting civil servants, which encouraged some people who wanted a government job to attend literacy classes. Meanwhile, at the orphanage that Natasha was in charge of, basic education was very effective.

It's worth mentioning that because she was so beloved by everyone, the children loved to call Natasha "Mom," while Dick was treated as a companion by the children, who called him "Governor Brother."

This generational difference in address left Natasha both amused and exasperated, especially after her recent breakthrough in her relationship with Dick, which suddenly took on a subtle sense of "immorality" in the way she was addressed!

The committee member of the Technology Department is naturally Ruby Eyes. Among the four departments, the Technology Department is also the largest, because the Technology Department is actually the product of the integration of departments such as industry, agriculture and even infrastructure. Ruby Eyes is the one who is capable and does more work.

Finally, there is the Commerce and Trade Department, whose members are the ship girl Ding An.

Dick initially intended to incorporate this department into the technical department, but after consulting with Ruby Eyes herself, he established a separate trade department dedicated to external liaison, which in effect assumed some diplomatic functions.

Lagug's main product for export is corn syrup. On his way back to the capital, Dick took samples to Marquis Ulen's territory to discuss the matter with the Marquis.

Human beings' pursuit of sugar can be said to be engraved in their genes, but the northern regions of the empire did not produce sugar crops, and the price of white sugar produced in the south often increased many times after being transported to the north over a long distance, making it unaffordable for ordinary people.

So when Dick took out the syrup jar and said that Lagug was capable of mass production, Marquis Ulen had an expression for a moment like that of the US military when they heard that you had oil in your house.

It can be said that he is extremely fond of people!

The sugar factory has already been built, and raw materials will not be a problem until next year.

The yield of corn in the experimental fields was evident to everyone in Laguge. The farmers were conservative, not foolish. Since this new crop could adapt to the local climate and had such an amazing yield, everyone naturally no longer had any initial concerns.

Because it was a purely internal meeting with no outsiders present, the atmosphere was relatively relaxed despite the seriousness of the conversation. Only Dick maintained a serious expression throughout, occasionally pausing abruptly mid-sentence, his body trembling slightly from time to time.

The first to realize what was going on was Tia, the spy. Her ability to read people was comparable to mind reading, but she didn't say anything, only showing a playful and mischievous smile.

The second to react was Crimson Eyes. The Demon Queen blushed and coughed lightly, reminding Dick that as a lord, his words and actions, while not necessarily setting a good example, should at least not be too outrageous.

Natasha, on the other hand, mistakenly thought Dick was unwell and was simply concerned about his health.

As for Ding'an, from the moment it was her turn to speak, she talked non-stop to Dick about her meticulously crafted "dessert empire" business plan, her mind entirely focused on how to make a little money.

This child may be very clever, but he's still a bit slow on the uptake in some areas!

The meeting lasted for more than forty minutes, and not only confirmed the government structure, but also finalized the general development plan for Lagog over the next three years.

Dick then adjourned the meeting. Hongyu Zhitong was the first to stand up, bowed, and quickly left the office, followed by Ding'an.

Natasha was about to leave when Tia reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Miss Natasha, is there anything else?"

"No, I was on my afternoon off."

"Then we can do it together."

"Ok?"

Seeing Natasha's puzzled expression, Tia reached out and guided her gaze toward Dick. Then, to her surprise, Belfast, disheveled, crawled out from under the table, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief and making swallowing motions, as if she had just tasted something delicious.

"You called us over to discuss work, but then made Miss Belfast do this kind of thing for you under the table. Young Master, you're such a pervert!"

As Tia spoke, she sat directly on the desk, then lifted her leg and spun 180 degrees, gracefully turning to face Dick. Her long legs were almost completely exposed from the side slit of her skirt, a dazzling expanse of white that made one's eyes dizzy. After turning around, she crossed her legs high, with the toes of her high heels resting right in front of Dick's chin.

Tia was already quite tall, and since she was sitting on the table, she was able to look down at Dick, who was sitting in the chair. Her queen-like posture exuded a powerful aura and was quite erotic. Especially when she lowered her voice and said the word "pervert" in a slightly reproachful tone, even though Dick wasn't a masochist, he couldn't help but feel a strong jolt in his heart.

At this moment, Tia had completely entered role-playing mode, her swaying jade feet frequently "displaying food" in front of Dick, and her tone was completely that of a bully who had seized a handle to blackmail someone.

"Young Master, you don't want your embarrassing behavior just now to become public knowledge, do you?"

Chapter 112: Rest Day, Rest, Day

In the castle's residential area, Ai and Honoka, being Japanese living in a modern city, were assigned to live in Shizuka's room as roommates after returning to Lagug with Dick.

Xiao Ai had already learned from others that the summoned beings in the team came from different worlds, and even if they were all from Japan, it was Japan in a parallel universe.

Just like Ms. Shizuka Marikawa, who warmly welcomed them, the other party's world had just experienced a terrible zombie crisis before she transmigrated, and she had never heard of the place name "Tawawa City".

After settling their meager luggage, Shizuka volunteered to show the newlyweds around the castle, introducing them to the various living facilities and the other companions they would be spending a lot of time with.

Xiao Ai greatly admired this seemingly mature but not very composed older woman's tall, supermodel-like figure. She was 27 centimeters taller than Xiao Ai, and her long legs were simply amazing! This was the ideal look of a "mature woman" in Xiao Ai's mind.

Honoka, who was summoned at the same time, had a similar figure to her, but she was five kilograms lighter and had amazing athletic ability. She was a genius martial arts girl who had created her own style.

Compared to the other person, Xiao Ai felt that she was short, fat, and useless, and she couldn't bear to look at herself.

Little did she know, Shizuka Marikawa actually envied Ai and Honoka, thinking that petite girls like them with large breasts would definitely be more popular with boys than someone like herself who was "Tokyo Tower".

The three of them walked around the castle. Since it was working hours, they didn't encounter many people in the residential area. Seeing that it was snowing outside, they went up to the rooftop terrace of the castle to enjoy the snow.

After hesitating for a long time, Xiao Ai finally couldn't help but ask Shizuka Marikawa beside her.

"Ms. Shizuka, isn't the atmosphere within our team a little... a bit too informal?"

"Hey! Really? I think it's great, very united and friendly, isn't it?"

"Group, unity and friendship?"

Xiao Ai recalled the scene she had witnessed and thought to herself that this way of showing "friendship" was too unrestrained. The impact on her was so great that she had "strange dreams" for many days in a row.

Fortunately, Dick was not the kind of wicked lord who would use violence to force others; his relationship with his female subordinates was entirely consensual.

However, what puzzled Xiao Ai a little was why Miss Rita only took her to observe, but didn't invite Sui Xiang, and said that she knew she was the same kind of person as her the moment she saw her.

"Speaking of which, do you two have any plans to do anything?"

"Uh... I haven't decided yet, Lord... He wants us to follow Miss Rita for now and make a decision after we've adapted to the living environment here."

Unlike the other people Dick summoned on demand, Ai and Honoka were beautiful high school girls that Dick "borrowed" for free. At least Honoka knew how to fight, while Ai was just an ordinary person.

So Dick thought about it and handed both of them over to Rita, trying to train them to be clerical staff. He didn't expect them to be able to work independently in the future; he just wanted them to be his personal secretaries.

The three of them stood on the terrace for a while. Ai, who was afraid of the cold, couldn't help but stomp her feet. Shizuka Kikukawa kindly reminded the two that winters in Laguge were colder than in Hokkaido, and they should be careful to keep warm when going out.

As soon as she finished speaking, Lucoa, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and hot pants, descended from the sky amidst a flurry of snowflakes. When she landed, she bounced around with surprising elasticity.

"Don't be like her, she's not human."

"Huh!?"

Lucoa had just finished delivering supplies to Newport in the north, and upon returning, she was inexplicably scolded, leaving her looking utterly embarrassed. Meanwhile, Ai stared at Lucoa with shining eyes, yearning for the magic Lucoa had just performed.

"That's wonderful! I wish I could fly too."

Honoka, standing next to her, was also filled with envy. Although she was a martial arts prodigy and could learn many fighting styles and techniques after just one look, this talent was clearly not applicable to magic. This supernatural power was beyond her comprehension.

In fact, as soon as Ai and Honoka learned that this was a world of swords and magic, they immediately expressed their desire to learn magic to Dick.

However, after learning the "price" of becoming a magical girl, the two girls, who were still naive, blushed and said they would think about it more carefully.

Xiao Ai felt that there should be more than one way to teach Earthlings magic.

Much later, Xiao Ai did learn another way to teach magic to Earthlings, but that method was even harder for her to accept!

Seeing that the snow outside was falling heavier and heavier, the three of them followed Lucoa back indoors and headed toward Dick's office, chatting as they walked about the unfinished new port to the north.

Due to the recent sustained drop in temperature, construction on the new port has been temporarily suspended, and the remaining work will likely have to wait until spring when temperatures rise again. Fortunately, the pirates in the waters near the fjord have been largely eliminated, and the few who escaped have fled elsewhere.

The current head of the port area is Miss Golden Deer, who is also the main force in the maritime anti-piracy operations.

Incidentally, the Golden Hind is currently using an alias, referring to itself as "Francis Drake," so the Royal Fortune has followed suit, using "Bartholomew Roberts" as its alias.

Because they had names and could use powerful "magic," many of the port's garrison soldiers genuinely believed that the two women were noble ladies whom the governor had abducted from somewhere.

The Golden Deer sent a message to Dick: given her commendable achievements in suppressing the bandits, Dick was asked to make an effort to visit the port area within three days to "entertain the troops," otherwise she and the Royal Fortune would come after him.

Lucoa exclaimed, "No wonder she's a female pirate, she's so damn arrogant!"

As they chatted, the group arrived at the office door, only to see Natasha coming out.

The female doctor's fair cheeks still had a lingering flush. Seeing someone approaching, she hurriedly tidied her slightly disheveled hair. But this action seemed more like an attempt to cover up her mistake than anything else. She hadn't even noticed that the front of her shirt was buttoned incorrectly, revealing her black lace bra underneath.

Seeing this, Shizuka Marikawa smiled knowingly and stepped forward to help her colleague retie her buttons. Natasha's pretty face immediately turned bright red.

"Um, I..."

"Yes, I understand, I understand."

"???"

Knowing that she couldn't explain this, Natasha could only leave first, saying that she had other things to do at the hospital. At the same time, she reminded the others that Tia and Belfast were still inside and that they should wait a while.

Watching Natasha's retreating figure as if she were flying away, Lucoa asked in confusion.

Is the hospital very busy?

"No, she's off work today."

Chapter 113: The People Who Helped

The snowfall lasted for two days and one night, and the temperature in Laguge plummeted to below minus ten degrees Celsius.

At this time of year, apart from the Han Tie mine, which has to meet strict production targets, almost all other production activities in the entire Laguge region have ceased. For the next three or four months, residents will enter a winter-prepared mode, staying indoors as much as possible.

In a sense, it is precisely because of the harsh winter climate that large-scale production operations cannot be carried out in the northern region for about a quarter of the year, which is why its development level is far inferior to that of the warmer south, let alone compared with the capital region, which has absorbed the essence of the entire country.

But this year the situation has changed; the arrival of winter has not put the territory on pause.

Inside the lord's manor's meeting room, Dick listened attentively to the progress report from Ruby Eyes. At this time last year, Dick and his team had just arrived in Lagug, and his goal at the time was simply to ensure the survival of the people and allow more people to live through the harsh winter.

A year later, the climate in Lagug has improved, and food production has increased to a sufficient level. Therefore, the goal has become how to provide the residents of the territory with something to do during this long winter and generate some economic value.

In fact, unless forced to do unpaid labor for the lord, the common people themselves are unwilling to be idle for three or four months, wasting their stored grain without any income.

In order to maximize productivity, they began planning ahead of time in the first half of the year.

Because Laguge is sparsely populated, 12,000 of its 50,000 people are concentrated in towns, while the remaining less than 40,000 are scattered in more than 300 settlements. There are only three towns with more than 1,000 people, and the remaining villages have no more than 300 or 400 people, and as few as 20 or 30 people.

Those small settlements had weak production capacity and lacked the ability to protect themselves, so Dick exercised the power of the governor and semi-forced the residents to consolidate their villages and land, eventually integrating more than 300 villages into 18 "standard villages" with a population of about 2,000.

Dick didn't simply move all the farmers together; he also provided these standard villages with supporting public facilities and services, including clinics, schools, bathhouses, and post offices, which effectively improved the residents' living conditions.

Hongyu Zhitong spent four months personally visiting these standard villages and then tailored agricultural development plans with different focuses for each village based on the local conditions.

Some villages are suitable for growing grain, while others are suitable for grazing. Several standard villages near towns, under the guidance of farmers' associations, have started growing cash crops such as flax, dye plants, and medicinal herbs.

Meanwhile, in the town, Dick designated a piece of land to build a new industrial zone, and with the help of the vast knowledge of the Demon King-level scholar, Ruby Eyes, he built various factories.

In short, Laguge is transforming from a scattered small-scale peasant economy into a centralized industrial economy.

Of course! Reform is never smooth sailing, and resistance certainly exists. Especially during the process of establishing standardized villages, Dick repeatedly threatened the interests of local gentry and landlords, clearly demonstrating his intention to wrest control of grassroots organizations from their hands.

But these obstacles have now disappeared. First, we have to thank the previous rebellion, which gave Dick a legitimate reason to carry out a purge. Second, we have to thank his earldom. As the lord of Lagug, he has unlimited power in his territory!

Thanks to the fact that the factory buildings in the industrial area were designed with centralized heating in mind, the low outdoor temperatures did not have a serious impact on the factory's production.

The workers work indoors in temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius. Although it is hard work, the wages are not low and lunch is provided. Therefore, this factory job is very popular among urban residents.

According to Hongyu Zhitong's calculations, the GDP of Laguge doubled in just six months.

It can only be said that when your starting point is low enough, even a slight improvement can be a leap forward!

"So that means we're rich now! Can we splurge a little at the end of the year?"

Upon hearing that the enhancement from the Crimson Jade Eye was so enormous, Black Gunner was so excited that she rubbed her hands together like flies, but Ding An poured cold water on her enthusiasm at that moment.

"GDP isn't cash. All our money has been invested in various construction projects. We just finished paying out this year's military salaries the day before yesterday, and there are less than 500 gold coins left in the treasury. If you want to be luxurious, my suggestion is to eat more roasted corn. That's the only thing we can have as much as we need right now."

After being rebuked by Ding An, Black Gun sullenly propped his chin on his hand. Dick, after glancing at the report in his hand, turned to Tia beside him and asked a question.

"It seems that quite a few refugees have come to our territory this year."

"There are quite a few, especially as winter approaches. In less than a month, more than two thousand people have been added sporadically. It's all thanks to the household registration system, otherwise we wouldn't be able to count them at all."

"What's the situation with these refugees? They can't all be spies, can they?"

“I have already sent people to investigate, and they have indeed found some spies sent from other territories, but most of the refugees are pioneers who migrated from the south with caravans, and they have certificates.”

"A caravan? What's its name?"

"The Golden Ant Chamber of Commerce specializes in expanding into the middle class."

In the Empire, more than 70% of the population is concentrated in the less than 20% of the land in the south, especially in the most prosperous capital region, where the population density is extremely high.

Therefore, as the land's carrying capacity reached its limit, the lords in the south had to find ways to relocate the remaining population, and thus the settlers came into being.

Settlers were generally free people who originally owned land or property, but their families began to decline due to poor management. However, they were not so poor that they had to sell themselves into slavery. So they sold their land and went to the backward but sparsely populated northern regions to make a living.

However, the journey from south to north spans thousands of kilometers, with high mountains, long roads, and uncertain prospects. If the settlers had no relatives to rely on in the north, they wouldn't know where to go. Because some territories were very xenophobic and didn't welcome outsiders, brokerage guilds that acted as intermediaries for the settlers came into being.

These merchant guilds can be considered a variant of slave traders. They also engage in normal trade, but they proactively use their connections in the northern regions to find out in advance which territories want to increase their population, how many people are needed, and whether they require specific types of talent.