Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 8 Beginner Side Quests
Without the aid of magical beings like the Fairy Insects, cultivating such barren land, with its enormous investment of manpower and resources, would likely yield minimal or even be a loss, merely depleting the territory's vitality.

Kruse ignored the butler's explanation. He squatted down, stretched out his right hand, and dug his fingers into the hard ground, managing to grab a handful of dry, hard soil with some effort. He rubbed it vigorously in his palm.

*Plop plop*

Fine grains of sand and dust, like lifeless ashes, easily slipped through his fingers.

What remained in his palm was only a small amount of hardened soil and a lot of coarse gravel.

He could even sense that the life force contained in the soil was pitifully weak, and... an ominous sign of desertification had already clearly appeared!

Kruse's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

This is worse than he expected!

This is not just barrenness, but severe land degradation, and it is even heading towards desertification!
He stood up, brushed the dust off his hands, and sharply scanned the barren land. He asked in a deep voice, "Before this land became Lion Fang Territory, whose territory did it belong to?"

Upon hearing this, Butler Buffel's face flashed with obvious surprise, clearly not expecting Kruse to inquire about this long-forgotten matter. He composed himself and recalled, "Young Master, this place... along with most of our Lion Fang Territory, belonged to Baron Merk's fiefdom more than twenty years ago. He was the second son of the previous Earl, and the younger brother of the current Earl of Noukamp."

His tone carried a hint of regret: "That Baron Merck... alas, in order to support the war and the expenses of his territory, during that great war twenty years ago, he was too eager for quick success and used a large number of magical potions to increase production, forcibly overdrawing the potential of the land. In the first few years, the harvest did indeed increase dramatically, but the good times didn't last long..."

Baffir's voice lowered, as if recounting a terrible curse: "Soon, the land's backlash came. Fertilizer was lost at an alarming rate, the soil became compacted and sandy, and no decent crops could grow anymore; even the elven insects could not increase their yield. Baron Merk's territory was in dire straits. To save his family's legacy, he had to go to the front lines himself, hoping to exchange military merit for a new fiefdom from the Earl..."

The old butler sighed and shook his head: "It's a pity... Baron Merck ultimately... died on the battlefield, unable to fulfill his wish. His vast barony was also taken back by the Earl and subsequently divided into four knightly territories. The three more central and better-preserved territories were inherited by Baron Merck's three sons. As for our Lion Fang Territory... it was carved out from the most peripheral and worst-preserved part."

The implication is that Lion Fang Territory inherited the "legacy" that was most severely ravaged and degenerated by the magic potions back then!
The barrenness and desertification of this land are heavy scars left by the shortsightedness and greed of our predecessors.

Kruse listened quietly, looking at the scarred land beneath his feet. The urgency to cultivate new fields was replaced by a heavier sense of responsibility and a more complex challenge.

Restoring this land is a hundred times more difficult than cultivating a wasteland.

"Ding!"

A crisp, cold notification sound rang out from the depths of his mind without warning!
Immediately afterwards, a line of text, shimmering with a faint light, appeared clearly in his consciousness, as if branded:
[Ding! New player side quest triggered: The Call of the Earth]

Task Description: The land is barren and life is withered! Changing the land's condition and restoring its life-giving power is the sacred duty that every lord must fulfill! Successfully resolve the soil fertility problem in the core area of ​​Lion's Tooth Territory (Objective: Raise the soil fertility index of the selected area to a level where basic crops can be stably grown).

Quest Reward: A random sprite bug!
"Sprite Bug!" These two words were like a thunderclap, instantly dispelling the gloom in Kruze's heart and giving him a jolt!
The solemnity in his eyes vanished, replaced by an intensely blazing light!

He knew all too well what the sprite insects meant in this magical world!

They are nature's most wondrous gifts, unique treasures of this world! The value of a single insect that is perfectly compatible with a specific plant is immeasurable! They can: significantly increase the yield and quality of specific crops!

For example, the Pea Sprite Bug in Lion Tooth Ridge increased the yield per acre by 50%!

Cultivate precious magical plants or potions!

They are the foundation upon which all nobles live and thrive!

Owning a spirit insect often means that a family has a stable and extraordinary source of wealth and power!
Liontooth Territory was able to barely maintain its meager pea production on its barren land thanks to the pea sprite insect bestowed upon it by the count. It was only with the subsidies that Reyes, the father, managed to save from his own hard work that it did not go completely bankrupt!

Otherwise, with this severely degraded land, the people on the territory would have starved to death long ago!
Now, the system is actually rewarding you with a random sprite bug!
This is like sending charcoal in snowy weather; it's a tremendous opportunity that could change the fate of Lion Fang Territory!

“If only we had one more elf insect…” Kruze’s heart pounded violently, as if trying to break free from the restraints in his chest, “whether it’s a wheat elf insect, a pasture elf insect, or any other elf insect that can adapt to this land… the food crisis in Lion Fang Territory could truly be reversed! It might even… bring unexpected wealth!”

A tremendous hope burned in his heart like a raging fire, instantly igniting his fighting spirit!
Solving the soil fertility problem is no longer just about survival and completing tasks, but also about obtaining that spirit insect that can lay the foundation for the family's future!

Time is of the essence! He must act immediately!

Kruse's mind was racing at an unprecedented speed!

At this moment, his modern knowledge became his most powerful weapon! He abandoned the magical potion approach of this world and instead sank his consciousness into the depths of his distant memories from his past life.

“Composting…Grandpa…the village’s traditional method…” Fragments of memory quickly pieced together, combined, and became clear!
He recalled the scene he saw at his grandfather's house in the countryside when he was a child: organic matter such as plant stalks, animal manure, and kitchen waste were piled up and fermented in a pit, eventually turning into dark, fertile fertilizer that smelled of soil!
That's a completely natural, sustainable, and extremely low-cost method for improving soil!
Although the specific materials used in this world may differ, the underlying principles remain the same!

Microorganisms decompose organic matter to produce humus, improving soil structure and increasing fertility!

In the future, this could even be used to develop the territory's economic industry.

(End of this chapter)