Farming

Archie was currently seated on his bed, scrolling through the system store in search of some farming seeds.

[Territory Management Store]

Item: High-grade Spirit Grains.

Description: These spirit grains can increase the speed of growth by tenfold. By imbuing them with mana, you can control which crop will sprout from them.

Effect: The sprouted crops will have increased vitality.

Price: 100 million grains = 10 AP

"I'll buy!"

Archie said it in surprise. "This is good stuff!"

"With this, won't the normal growth period decrease from 100 days to 10?"

"If we include the soil I'll be transforming, the quality will shoot up! Amazing," Archie said excitedly, realizing how convenient a world with magic could be.

Archie left the room and gathered Mars and Lilly for an internal meeting.

Lilly asked, "What's the occasion, young master?"

"We're heading to the newly designated farm field for our project," he responded.

Mars questioned, "Are we going to farm?"

"Yep, with these seeds I managed to acquire, we can solve the hunger problem that's been affecting the island."

Hearing that, both Lilly and Mars were excited.

With that, they left the royal palace with the guards and went to the location to start farming.

Upon arriving at the designated location, they found a village next to the field.

Archie decided to explore it since he was outside on a trip.

After taking the time to look around and observing the poor, skinny farmers suffering from starvation, the significance of the project became even more apparent. He couldn't turn a blind eye now.

Archie decided to start the project immediately and told the guards, "Alright, we'll be cultivating this field in front of you."

The guards were baffled when they saw the massive size of the field, which was only 1/10 the size of Texas.

"Let's get to it!" Archie declared.

Despite the immense size of the land, it was easy for the guards, thanks to the earth mages Archie had brought along, outpacing modern farming equipment.

Knights and mages in this world were separated by what they specialized in, either swords or magic, with very few mastering both.

Most knights and mages stuck to one path until they reached the 7th Circle, Emperor rank, where understanding both abilities was a significant advantage. As for the talented, they did it way earlier.

Archie's talent for swordsmanship and with the Celestial Foundation Method he received from the system made his journey a breeze.

The group discussed their farming plan, with earth mages plowing the field using earth magic at the front, followed by Archie infusing mana into the ground, improving soil components and crop quality.

With the plan in motion, Mars, who was helping the farmers in the back plant the seeds they had received, couldn't help but admire Archie's generosity. "He's truly a worthy young master."

Two weeks had passed, and they had finally completed the project.

With the soil that Archie had created and left behind for the farmers, as well as the crop rotation system from his previous life, they could now harvest every week and replant using the seeds that would be delivered to them.

As the Crown Prince prepared to leave the village where he had been staying for the past few weeks, the villagers gathered by the gate, holding flowers and cheering.

They threw the flowers towards Archie and the royal guards as they departed from the village.

With this project completed, the food situation should start to stabilize as more farmers gather in the village to start working.

Throughout the entire process, Archie had infused mana with the imagination of grains, corn, potatoes, soybeans, a dedicated rice farm, carrots, cabbages, and various other farmable vegetables.

Food production played a significant role in the self-sufficiency plan, given the importance of food security, particularly since 40% of their grains were imported from other kingdoms, primarily the Edenian Empire.

The increased pirate activity in the waters only made the situation worse.

This project would undoubtedly impact the shipping industry, affecting merchants crossing the seas to sell food and adventurer guilds taking up jobs as escorts.

Adventurers were cultivators with valuable skills who engaged in tasks like subduing beasts in the forests, clearing dungeons, and serving as mercenaries and escorts for merchant associations.

Since bandits still roamed the world, these jobs remained necessary and were often posted on notice boards in guild taverns with specified rewards.

Archie thought, 'We'll definitely receive complaints from these people.'

'Once the kingdom becomes fully self-sufficient, we can build our own naval vessels to export our products and sign trade agreements with friendly kingdoms. It's just a matter of time.'

With these plans in mind, Archie headed to the Royal Palace to plan his next course of action.

…

In the harbors of the Serpent Kingdom, inside a spacious tavern, a group of men sat in a private room, indulging in food and drinks while engaged in a discussion.

A man seated across the table laughed and said, "So, let's go over this once more. You're telling me the people supporting you will assist our crew in disrupting Avalonian imports, eh? Hahaha." The speaker was a large, burly man with a black beard and an eye patch covering his left eye.

"You preppy nobles have always been cunning in your dealings. Very well, what's the offer you've made? It's no simple task to persuade our boss to undertake this." As he spoke, he raised his hand, mimicking money signs with his fingers.

The man across from him, in aristocratic garments, replied, "Not only will you be responsible for disrupting the logistics chain, but also for engaging in naval warfare with their weak navy, completely isolating the island and causing them heavy losses, and they won't have access to necessities."

After pondering for a moment, the pirate said, "Though we're intrigued by the job, what about the Edenian Empire? They'll surely send naval support to protect their shipping vessels."

"You needn't concern yourself with such trivial thoughts. Our backers will handle the Edenian Empire, delaying their support and allowing you to deal with your task."

After some contemplation, the pirate responded, "Very well, I'll present this proposal to our boss, but remember, the final decision lies with him."

"You privateers stand to gain considerably during this period, so make it convincing!" the nobleman urged.

With that, the meeting concluded, and another conversation transpired a few hours later.

On a ship along the shores of the Serpent Kingdom, a large man with long black hair, gold teeth, and several beautiful women by his side lay down on a bed. As they engaged in their bed activities, a knocking sound echoed.

Knock, knock.

"Boss, we've received a commission proposal."

Interrupted by one of his crew members, he bid farewell to his companions and rose from the bed, putting on a robe and making his way to the door.

"Hmph, what is it?"

"It appears there's a proposal from an unknown supporter. They aim to disrupt Avalonian Island's shipping chains," the subordinate reported.

"Hmm, judging by the price they're willing to pay, it seems they're significant players. It's probably a joint alliance involving the Serpent Kingdom contributing to this financial pool, as there's no way the Serpent Kingdom alone can afford this."

After careful consideration, he decided, "Very well, we'll accept it. Send this message to all our fleets. Impose a naval blockade on that island. Let no one in or out, hahaha."

With that, a new challenge arose for Avalon Kingdom and its residents.