Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 35 Beginner Quest 6
【Ding! 】

The crisp system notification sound arrived as scheduled, interrupting Kruse's thoughts on manpower allocation.

[New Player Quest 5: Developing Farmland (Part 4) Completed]

[Quest Reward: The lost tome "The Origin of Elves" has been sent to your system space]

Kruse didn't even bother to look at the book that sounded like an old, dusty archive right away.

His entire focus was on waiting—waiting for what would signal the next task.

Almost without pause, the moment the task completion notification faded, a new sound rang out:

【Ding! 】

[Triggering Beginner Quest 6: Developing Farmland (Part 5)]

[Task Description: Fertile lands are the foundation of a nation! Please expand the total area of ​​farmland in Lion's Tooth Territory to one thousand acres!]

[Quest Reward: A Monocle from the Elf King]

"A thousand acres?!" Even though Kruse was mentally prepared, he was still startled by this huge number.

All the land in Lion Tooth Territory that can be called "fields" now, including newly reclaimed sweet potato fields and existing pea fields, probably doesn't even amount to 500 mu!

This means he needs to cultivate more than 500 acres of land on top of what he already has!

This goal could only be achieved by including almost all the arable land around the territory, including slopes and forest clearings that need extensive transformation!

This is not only an extreme exploitation of human resources, but also a huge test of the territory's organizational capabilities, fertilizer reserves, and water allocation.

This is still Lion's Tooth Territory. If it were an ordinary knight's territory, the entire territory combined would probably not even be a thousand acres.

And the reward for the quest—"A Monocle from the Elf King"?
What is this strange thing?

It doesn't sound like a weapon that can directly enhance combat power, nor does it sound like a seed that can immediately solve the food problem.

Kruse frowned deeply. He had little interest in the book "The Origin of Elves" for the time being, because he felt it was too far removed from his immediate needs.

But this monocle... given the system's consistent style, the reward would never be something useless. The title "Elf King" further hints at its extraordinary origins.

Could it be...? A thought flashed through my mind: could these glasses help me observe crops better?
Or... a fairy bug?

It can even see through the soil's fertility or water source.
If it is indeed a similar function, its value for cultivating thousands of acres of farmland and implementing refined management will be immeasurable!

The task is unprecedented in difficulty, but the potential value of the reward also seems incredibly high.

Kruse took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping once more over the weary serfs and the vast wasteland before him.

The shock in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by a light tinged with a mixture of immense pressure and burning ambition. Thousands of acres of fertile land… this was practically creating another Lion's Tooth Territory!

But isn't this exactly what he wanted? To escape poverty and achieve prosperity!

This path is destined to be incredibly difficult, but the system has already set the next milestone there.

“Buffel!” he suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable determination. “The extra meals absolutely cannot stop. Tell them that after they’ve eaten their fill, I have a new mission to announce.”

………………

Several hundred meters outside the Lion's Tooth Territory border, deep in a patch of withered, yellow grass about half a person's height.

Two middle-aged men, dressed in drab, coarse cloth clothes that blended almost seamlessly into their surroundings, lay motionless on the dry ground. They carefully parted the grass stalks in front of them, their eyes fixed on the unusually busy hillside in the distance—the newly cultivated purple sweet potato field in Lion Tooth Territory.

At this moment, the entire territory should have been making final preparations for the upcoming summer harvest. However, the scene that greeted them filled the two men with doubt, and they looked at each other in bewilderment.

“Strange…” The middle-aged man with dry, yellow hair like weeds and a bright red nose lowered his voice, his tone full of confusion, “The summer harvest is just around the corner, and instead of tending to their pitiful peas, these poor bastards are digging up stones, uprooting trees, and clearing land all over the mountains? What are they trying to do? Are they starting to prepare for autumn planting or even next year’s spring planting? Isn’t that way too early!”

The more he spoke, the more unbelievable it seemed. He couldn't help but turn to his companion beside him: "Robert, have you heard of this? This land is notoriously 'cursed barren land,' nothing but rocks and sand. Throwing seeds here is a waste! If it weren't for the fact that their family's ancestral pea worm is still alive, no lord would be willing to suffer in this godforsaken place. What on earth is this new lord of Lion's Tooth Territory up to? Where does he get the audacity to clear so much wasteland?"

The man called Robert was a burly man with naturally curly hair and a dark complexion. He seemed far less "inquisitive" than his companions.

He yawned, lazily adjusted his arm that had gone numb from lying down, and hummed casually:
"What the hell are they up to! Kim, you're at it again, always overthinking things. Let them clear land if they want, let them plant stones if they want, what's it to us?"

He picked at his ear with his rough fingers, flicked away non-existent earwax, and continued, "The boss's orders to us are very clear: keep a close eye on Lion Tooth Territory, find out the exact dates of their summer harvest, see which granary they've hidden their pitiful grain in, how many guards they have, and when they're most lax. Everything else is bullshit!"

Robert's eyes revealed the coldness and pragmatism typical of seasoned bandits: "The more they busy themselves now, the more energy they expend, and the less they'll have to resist when it's time to reap the rewards. That's actually a good thing for us. Let's focus on doing our own job well and not worry about anything else!"

Clearly, these two were spies sent by the bandit gang that coveted the summer harvest in Lion Fang Territory.

Like lurking vipers, they coldly observe all movements in their territory, waiting only for the moment when their prey is at its weakest to deliver a fatal blow.

Their supposedly foolproof infiltration failed to escape the eyes of Rezal, who had been frequently "hunting" outside and was actually highly vigilant.

As an excellent hunter, he has a beast-like instinct for any unusual movement around his territory.

Just as Robert was yawning, feeling once again that the surveillance mission was incredibly tedious, a cold arrow, like a venomous snake, silently emerged from the dense forest to his side and rear!

"Ugh—!"

Robert was caught off guard and let out a piercing scream.

The rough but sharp arrow tore through the air with precision, piercing the thigh muscle that supported his body. The enormous impact even caused his body to lurch violently, and blood gushed out instantly, staining the withered grass beneath him red.

(End of this chapter)