Chapter 25 Population Issues

A force required substantial financial support to operate well.

War was an economic affair, and development also relied on the economy.

The Bloodline was no exception.

Lide's farming plan would need a tremendous amount of funding in the future, which was why he was so eager to acquire a commerce association.

After the initial purchase of grain, Lide would inject funds again to allow Golden Wheat Commerce to operate normally.

With him as an Advanced Mage as a backing, Golden Wheat Commerce would no longer be endlessly exploited by greedy Nobles and could develop much better.

Moreover, the Bloodline possessed over a hundred Intermediate Mages, half of whom could be used to create magic items, enabling Golden Wheat Commerce to earn significant profits.

The profession of a mage was envied not only for their powerful abilities but also for their exceptional earning power.

Magic potions, magic scrolls, equipment enchantments—these all required the power of magic.

These industries were highly profitable, even more so than arms.

The Bloodline Ancestor's haughty and aloof nature led to them never using the Bloodline for profit, especially since they never lacked money before.

But things were different now; the farming plan would require a bottomless pit of funds. The Bloodline's accumulated wealth would eventually be spent, and failing to plan ahead would mean facing financial shortfalls in the future.

He intended to train mage apprentices with this in mind, but at the current stage, the focus had to be on supporting the large-scale farming plan. Profits would come once everything was on track.

Without sufficient human population entering the castle, these ideas of his were merely reflections on the water's surface.

Only after having at least ten thousand humans could the Bloodline avoid the huge annual risk of having to raid outside the Far Mountain Range for humans.

That would be the point of truly taking fate into their own hands.

Furthermore, in his plan, the population in the castle would not merely be ten thousand; the fertile land behind could sustain hundreds of thousands.

Lide believed that once the initial awkwardness was resolved, the castle would undoubtedly become a powerful force.

The potential of the Bloodline would not be inferior to Green City, a metropolis with a population of over a million.

Upon reaching such development, he would no longer need to worry about troublesome and reckless players.

After Laurent and the oak box filled with Gold Puck left the Mage Tower escorted by five mage apprentices, Vina impatiently rushed to Lide.

Her blue, sparkling eyes, as expressive as spring cuckoos, stared directly at the owner of the Mage Tower.

"Lord Lide, you just answered everyone's magic questions, didn't you?"

Looking at the admiration in the girl's beautiful blue eyes, Lide lightly nodded.

"Yes. You, along with Carlo and Kohen, come to my study, and I'll give you another lecture."

The girl's eyes instantly squinted into crescent shapes, her joy evident on her face.

Carlo and Kohen, who had already gained a lot, were even more pleased, surprised that Lord Lide would give them an exclusive lesson.

Although other mage apprentices were envious, they were well aware that their talents couldn't compare to the three.

"You don't need to be envious; their level has already far surpassed yours. Work hard and catch up soon; then I will also give you individual guidance."

This immediately excited the group of mage apprentices.

"Yes, Lord Lide!"

"You can count on me; I will certainly work hard!"

"Thank you..."

Seeing their enthusiastic expressions, Lide nodded and walked toward the study.

Since he decided to train these apprentices, he would do it well. The earlier they became full-fledged mages, the more they could assist him.

...

The efficiency of the Bloodline's work far exceeded Lide's expectations.

On the third day after returning to Green City, while Laurent was still busy with the enormous grain quantities, Audis sent a message via a bat, informing that the southern section of the castle had been cleared.

The cleared area could provide housing for over eight thousand people, and they also found thousands of winter coats in the warehouse.

Lide sighed in relief after receiving the news.

Half of the preliminary work for the farming plan had been completed. Now, as long as Golden Wheat Commerce acquired sufficient wheat, the plan could commence.

Of course, he wouldn't wait until the 1800 Gold Puck was all spent before the next step,

Just acquiring one-third of the grain would suffice to start the refugee amassing plan.

"Audis, send fifty members south of the Far Mountain Range to the battle areas where the Beastman Empire invaded to gather information on refugees. If you encounter large groups of refugees, send members to follow them.

Stay away from the main battlefield and avoid confrontations with the double-legged flying dragons of the Beastmen."

On the snow-white letter paper, written in standard continent-wide language with a quill, a script entirely unrelated to Chinese characters.

Lide rolled the paper, tied it inside the specialized alchemy storage bag on the bat's belly.

Flap, flap~

The trained bat flapped its wings, flying out of the Mage Tower through the half-open stained glass window after Lide released it.

Lide looked down at Green City through the semi-transparent stained-glass window, falling into thought.

Due to the invasion of the Beastman Empire, the number of refugees in Green City increased dramatically. It was a sign that the border fires must be more severe than in previous years.

Over the past few days, Lide felt a significant rise in tension within the city; the streets were filled with many more beggars and refugees than usual.

At this time, it was essential to send out the Bloodline to collect information first. Once Audis confirmed the situation, Golden Wheat Commerce would have completed its grain procurement.

Working on two fronts.

With one-third of the grain stockpiled, the refugee amassing plan could begin.

His plan was simple and direct: find the refugees and bring those displaced by the war back to the castle.

Amassing population.

Normally, if the Bloodline massively raided humans, it would be disastrous if discovered; after all, Bloodline members were the most sought-after creatures for mages, being full of alchemy materials.

But now was different. The Beastmen army had already devastated the border, and no one would care about a group of missing refugees.

Therefore, this period was an excellent opportunity for population expansion. Missing it might mean waiting until next year's Beastman invasion.

The Beastmen, crippled by lack of food during winter, invaded the Nolan Empire every year, plundering enough food and retreating to the barren wastelands in the spring.

The affluent and agriculturally proficient Nolan Empire was seen by the Beastmen as a breeding ground, returning for food every winter.

However, due to the annual retreats of the Beastmen, the Nolan Empire was hesitant to confront the Beast Clan head-on. The aristocrats, particularly, were unwilling to fight the ferocious Beastmen for the sake of the border civilians...

After all, the Beastmen would retreat in the spring, and without land loss, it had nothing to do with them.

The border civilians thus became victims, facing this same scenario every year.

It was undeniable that the borderlands were fertile; even with yearly devastation, the border civilians could recover quickly.

The border population thus remained relatively stable.

This historical backdrop gave Lide the confidence to establish this plan.

However, he foresaw that, after the farming plan was initiated, managing the population would be a constant challenge for the castle for a long time.

After all, amassing five thousand people was very different from amassing fifty thousand.

And his plan for the castle's population was in the hundreds of thousands.