System: Build My Own Territory Chapter 881 - 273: Celebrities of Kakasong City (10,000 words)_2

Stepping forth from the Lord’s Square, his boots carried him toward a distant, sprawling territory of fertile ground.

He paused before a crop that had attained a height of nearly a meter.

Lynn’s eyes surveyed the panorama unfolding before him.

In the gentle zephyr, the plants swayed in a continuous motion, reminiscent of undulating waves of gold.

The atmosphere was imbued with a rich and distinct aroma, the essence of barley.

Lowering his head slightly, he examined the sturdy stalks before him.

Clinging loosely to the stalks were leaves that had begun to yellow.

Dangling from the ears of grain were rows of ripened barley, akin to lustrous pearls.

This bountiful growth was thanks to Gavin and Wilbur, who had guided the farmers with unwavering dedication.

Their efforts encompassed fertilizing, managing pests, and ensuring proper irrigation.

Combined with the implementation of heavy plow cultivation and the favorable climate of the Karedi Empire,

the barley he had sown was maturing much sooner than anticipated.

The barley stood ready for harvest.

This development was a triumph, both for him and for the land itself!

If this field of barley could only be reaped successfully,

at least for a period, his territory would no longer face the specter of food scarcity.

Subsequently,

regardless of escalating market prices or the overall scarcity of provisions, his territory would remain unaffected!

Lynn tread carefully upon the limestone path winding between the fields, his gaze continuously sweeping over the barley on either side.

Before long, a realization dawned upon him.

The mature barley was solely the winter variety, planted the previous winter.

The spring barley, sown this year, was still in the crucial stage of grain filling.

The transition from the grain-filling phase to full maturity, requiring the barley grains to develop completely, would necessitate at least another fortnight.

This timing, by sheer coincidence, facilitated a staggered harvest of the winter barley.

Once the farmers concluded the winter barley harvest, followed by sun-drying, threshing, and the use of the grain winnowing machine,

after inspection and treatment against pests, the grain could be safely stored.

By that juncture, it would be mid to late July, and the farmers could then turn their attention to harvesting the spring barley.

As he ambled along,

Lynn observed that in addition to the winter barley,

the onions, garlic, carrots, lettuce, and spinach that had been planted had all reached their harvest period.

Witnessing these ready crops, Lynn experienced a subtle wave of relief.

These were the tangible results of his and the townsfolk’s combined efforts!

After completing a circuit of the fields, Lynn approached the townsfolk who were occupied with reclaiming wasteland.

Very shortly,

another matter presented itself, demanding his attention.

He needed to make arrangements for the newly recruited free citizens from Kakasong City to participate in harvesting the crops cultivated in Morgan Town’s lands.

Concurrently,

he also had to coordinate the territory’s own townsfolk to gather the winter barley and the other crops that had been sown.

His territory boasted over fifty thousand acres dedicated to barley cultivation.

Morgan Town, in its entirety, encompassed one hundred and twenty thousand acres of land.

Even excluding the forested hills and pasture areas, the acreage devoted to crops still amounted to a substantial eighty to ninety thousand acres!

Setting Morgan Town aside for a moment,

the fifty thousand acres within his direct territory alone required a considerable workforce.

Lynn’s mind rapidly processed various possibilities.

A viable solution began to form.

Wilbur, overseeing the farmers tending the fields, commanded a force of two thousand individuals.

Gavin, directing the townsfolk engaged in land reclamation, led a group of three thousand!

In three days’ time, the work of wasteland cultivation would conclude.

He could fully assemble these five thousand individuals and assign them to the impending summer harvest!

Five thousand people engaged in harvesting fifty thousand acres of barley – this was a sufficient labor force.

Moreover,

he needed to deliberate on strategies to boost the efficiency of the townsfolk’s barley harvesting operations!

Enhancing the townsfolk’s harvesting techniques in such a short timeframe was an almost insurmountable task.

The sole avenue for improvement lay in the harvesting implements themselves.

With an accessible open-pit iron mine, six iron smelting furnaces, and a fully operational Blacksmith Workshop, complemented by a significant number of blacksmith apprentices,

especially following the assimilation of the five manors from Morgan,

his territory was by no means deficient in iron tools.

However, he could undertake modifications to the conventional sickles.

Within his mind’s eye, a new design for a modified sickle – the serrated scythe – was vividly recalled.

Featuring a short handle, a slender blade, and a lightweight construction, equipped with a serrated edge, it was exceptionally sharp.

This tool was ideally suited for harvesting straw barley and similar stalked crops!

While Lynn was lost in thought, he arrived at the edge of the newly reclaimed farmland.

Three thousand townsfolk, organized into distinct teams, were diligently toiling across the grassy expanse of wasteland.

Even with the afternoon sun blazing overhead,

they persisted without pause, fully engrossed in the demanding cultivation work.

Standing on the limestone path, Lynn surveyed the scene.

Under Gavin’s competent supervision, the area of reclaimed grassy wasteland was immense.

As far as his vision extended, the boundary was virtually indiscernible.

During Lynn’s inspection, Gavin approached him, having come from the field ahead.

Approaching Lynn, Gavin, with sweat beading on his brow, offered a respectful greeting.

"Master."

Lynn turned his gaze toward Gavin.

Perhaps from the constant exposure to the sun.

Gavin's complexion had grown noticeably darker since their last encounter.

At this very moment, his pants and boots were caked with mud.

Acknowledging Gavin's arrival with a subtle nod, Lynn inquired, "June's end is but three days away."

"What is the current status of the land reclamation?"

At this question, Gavin quickly elaborated, "Master, to date, we have successfully reclaimed no less than thirty-eight thousand acres of farmland."

"With the remaining three days, we anticipate reaching approximately forty thousand acres!"

Lynn's eyebrows rose slightly.

The initial directive he had given Gavin was to reclaim a minimum of thirty thousand acres of farmland.