Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 429 Construction in Progress

Under Vader's command and coordination, these earth and stone building materials were piled up and then mixed in a certain proportion. Some of the clay-like substances were even specially extracted by the mage from the earth elemental realm because their place of origin was too far away and there was no time to transport them.

Even with the magical power of magic and the assistance of this tiny, all-powerful tool that can excavate, lift, compact, drive piles, and do everything else, the Tulou (earthen buildings) could not be built in a day.

It will take ten days.

In other words, within a week in the Faerûn plane, the first earthen building in High Cliff, or what could be called the world, was finally completed and stood tall on this northern land.

Seeing the sturdy and reliable fortress, comparable to the castles of noble lords, completed with their participation, and even to become their future residence, excitement, joy, and a sense of pride rose, filled, and surged in everyone's hearts.

And a sense of security—that's the greatest luxury for most ordinary people.

The walls on the outside of the Tulou, which are more than a meter thick, also bear the marks of their hard work. After the foundation frame was built with huge stones and logs, the concrete mixed with stones had to be compacted little by little by manpower using planks. Then, stones and pebbles were laid on the surface, making it impossible to chop even with an axe or chisel.

We can't ask for more. The only regret is that the interior of the Tulou is not yet completed, or rather, it hasn't even started yet. It's not even a bare shell right now, and we still have to wait a while before we can move in.

This is only the first building. In order to properly resettle all the refugees and immigrants from the riverside village, a total of four buildings will be built as the initial project. As for how the remaining people of Gaoya will feel when they see that the newcomers can live in such mansions, it is easy to imagine.

Forcing them to abandon their old houses and build new ones is not as good as inducing them to make their own requests. When they do, their enthusiasm will be much higher as they contribute to their own business.

After all, this mercy is not without its price. Even if no down payment is required, the subsequent repayment will be a long-term debt. This is fine for destitute refugees, but it would be too harsh to force those who already have property to accept it.

The changes in Gaoyaling during this period are not limited to infrastructure construction; at the same time, spring plowing and reclamation are also in full swing.

They were all farmers who toiled in the soil, so how could they not know the importance of spring plowing? Once the fields were divided, everyone rolled up their sleeves and worked enthusiastically.

Even though the refugees were eagerly watching their new homes nearing completion and their hopes were growing like buds, they dared not ignore the lord's orders. A large portion of the workforce still went to the designated fields to carry out public reclamation.

In fact, Lord Zhang was already quite benevolent. Generally speaking, when a lord's own serfs were insufficient to handle the farm work, one or more agricultural officials directly appointed by the lord would wield their benevolent little whips to encourage and urge those forgetful, short-sighted farmers who could not see the great significance of the lord's spring plowing affairs to join the public reclamation.

What? You're saying the cultivation of your own land isn't finished yet?
"Foolish! How can that be compared to the estates of the lords!" The agricultural officials cracked their whips and, with a forced, amiable smile, admonished the ignorant farmers. With their well-intentioned help, the farmers always came to their senses and repented.

With Zhang Yuan's abilities, there was no need to use the aforementioned "efficient" methods, nor was he interested in listening to the valuable experience passed down through generations of noblemen. He could greatly improve the labor efficiency of this era simply by relying on sufficient animal power and improved plows.

During this period, the mage felt less like a lord and more like a foreman or a labor export manager. His daily spell list consisted entirely of summoning, and it wasn't limited to chess pieces; earth elementals and docile large herbivores were also frequent visitors. Bison, wild doe, light rhinoceros, celestial elephants, and other creatures appeared, not for life-or-death battles, but to sow the seeds of spring's hope.

These powerful yet gentle giants don't resist this small burden. Compared to the unfortunate mission of being conscripted as meat shields and cannon fodder, this is just taking a stroll with a little thing, which is easy and enjoyable.

Well?
smell good!
Sniff sniff~
Cengceng~
Chew chew
Bah, bah, bah~
The only thing that bothers the farmers is that these big creatures actually steal their crops…

It's no wonder they're so greedy. Living in the land of beasts, the wild wilderness, or other dimensions year-round, they certainly don't lack food to fill their bellies. But similarly, being far from human habitation, they don't have many opportunities to savor these uniquely flavorful, fragrant little grains.

Go ahead and try to manage them, how do you suggest we manage them? Putting aside the fact that these big guys were summoned by the sorcerer, even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner. Just look at their size and strength, can we beat them, can we even move them?
Regardless, this is all grain meant for planting. Although we have a surplus, we probably can't afford to eat it all at once.

The disoriented refugees, having exhausted all their options, quickly reported the situation to their lord.

"When you let your oxen trot in the threshing floor, do not muzzle them."

Master Zhang was quite generous in these matters, allowing them to dry-fry some wheat and grains, which released a pleasant aroma that would satisfy the cravings of the large livestock.

Fortunately, these behemoths were only projections that came to the main plane; otherwise, their enormous appetites would have been enough to make Master Zhang weep with envy.

However, they weren't idle; they were quite enthusiastic about their work, and with the help of new farm tools, their efficiency was astonishing.

Despite having nearly half of their manpower reassigned to help at the construction site, the displaced people were clearing land even faster than the remaining residents of Gaoya who were cultivating the fertile land.

These events in the fields naturally couldn't be kept secret from the surrounding neighbors. Surprised, the remaining people and riverside villagers came to visit and inquire. After witnessing firsthand the astonishing efficiency of the summoned beasts and curved plows under the Lord's command, their eyes were filled with envy.

Mr. Zhang, who had always wanted to promote the new farm tools, readily agreed and allowed the farmers, who were extremely curious and interested in the curved plow, to experience it firsthand. After that, there was no need for further explanation; the farmers spontaneously came to the blacksmiths at the shop asking them to improve or sell them the new plow.

With all these measures in place, the spring planting plan in Gaoya Territory has proceeded very smoothly. The time lost due to the migration has been made up for by the efficient new farming methods. In fact, if the mages had continued to provide summons to support the farming of the remaining territories after the refugees had completed their allotted land reclamation, the progress would have been even faster.

only…

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(End of this chapter)