In the early morning, beside the endless wheat fields outside Pinghu Town, dozens of sturdy guards spread out in a circle from a distance. The standard leather armor on their bodies and the markings on their chests showed their identities as mid-level paladins and combat priests.

The objects of protection are two noble adults, one is a young man with a delicate appearance like an elf, and the other is a middle-aged man about 40 years old, with the handsome appearance of a knight and aristocrat and a natural and elegant demeanor.

"The grains are plump. Randall will have a bumper harvest this year."

The middle-aged man held a slightly yellowed wheat ear, raised his hand to wipe off the grains, put it into his mouth and chewed it carefully. Facing the surprised gaze of the young noble, he explained with a smile: "To me, it is a waste of food.

It's a crime."

Victor was in awe, not because of the pope's power and status, not because of the legendary priest's power and wisdom, but because of Clement's life state of integrating knowledge and action, and his personality charm of being strict with himself and lenient towards others.

"Every grain of wheat embodies the hard work and sweat of the farmer." Victor thought for a while and then said sincerely: "Diligence is a virtue worthy of respect."

"It's not just farmers." The Pope nodded, threw away the bare ears of wheat, clapped his hands, turned his eyes to the green wheat fields and said: "More than seven hundred years ago, spelled wheat was just a common foxtail, used as pasture in the world.

It was widely cultivated in the south. During that period, green wheat in the north could meet the food needs of the kingdoms, and the southern nobles mainly relied on livestock herding of cattle and sheep to accumulate wealth. As the northern territory continued to shrink, the planting area of ​​green wheat decreased year by year, and the northern people passed through the Boulder Mountains.

The passes were moved into the southern territory, and food became a big problem."

"The scholars of the Church and the White Tower began to look for crops suitable for the southern land, including cultivating spelled wheat." Clement pondered for a moment, then turned to Victor and said: "You must not have thought of spelled wheat.

The breeding technology originated from ancient wizards. They used witchcraft to accelerate the mutation process of plants and cultivated green wheat that crops twice a year and is suitable for planting in the north. We have spent more than three hundred years selecting mutant plants of Setaria,

Spelled wheat was created.”

Victor did not expect that the Pope would openly acknowledge the wizard's contribution to agricultural development, so he could only remain silent at the moment.

Clement smiled nonchalantly, clasped his hands and said: "Spelled wheat has a long growth cycle and low yield. The south also needs other types of crops to fill the gap when wheat is not harvested. Drought-resistant rye has high yield.

The spiny kidney beans are all our breeding projects. Unfortunately, the yield of rye is lower, and the spiny kidney beans are too easy to rot and spoil. It will take longer to improve these varieties and a larger planting scale. But the lords are impatient, and the people need

Regarding food, all the contradictions are reflected in the limited arable land. Neither aristocratic scholars nor monasteries can solve this problem. They can only spend their energy on cultivating seeds, but never thought about changing the planting methods and tapping the potential of the land."

"Viscount Randall, you have done a good job!" The Pope nodded appreciatively, fully affirming the achievements of the new agricultural, animal husbandry and water conservancy projects.

Victor was secretly happy. He had been waiting for Clement’s summons ever since the Pope came to Centaur Hill. The morning after Randall led the carnival, the Pope finally allowed him to have an audience, and the location was chosen in the town.

The farmland outside was not the church in Pinghu Town. But it didn’t matter. With Clement’s identity, informal occasions provided a more relaxed communication environment.

The Wellington family cultivated spiny kidney beans, and the church rewarded them with a magical ring that delays aging. The Randall family not only cultivated spiny kidney beans, but also made two major achievements in new agriculture, animal husbandry and water conservancy projects. Viewed horizontally and vertically, they far exceed

The credit of the Wellington family. Therefore, the Pope chose an informal meeting, which allowed him to bargain first and then confirm the church's award to the Randall family.

Victor needs too many things, money, magical items, the church's martial arts secrets, loose policies, a cathedral to enhance the family's status or more clergy, etc. Of course, Victor knows that he does not

He has already made a sequence list of all the possible benefits and can strive for them one by one.

"This is the favor and guidance of the Supreme Lord." Victor said humbly and respectfully. He still had to show the attitude that a lord should have.

"My Lord has always taken care of us." Clement smiled faintly and said: "In the early days of Cambis developing the Centaur Hills, farmers cut down the purple cane forests and plowed the soil. In the first year, there was a big harvest of wheat. Everyone

Everyone thought it was because of the fertile land, so they accelerated the clearing of the purple cane forest. In the fourth year, the wheat output returned to its original state. Only you summed up the cultivation method of deep cultivation, and perfected the new agriculture and animal husbandry with Edwin.

System...I am very curious, how did you understand the guidance of the Supreme Lord and connect the purple cane forest with the way of growing wheat?"

Victor touched his brows and said coquettishly: "I was so poor at the time that I wished I could grow an acre of wheat with one seed. I was willing to try any method. The more I tried, the more I discovered the method of deep cultivation and careful cultivation.

, as well as purple cane wine, sweet potatoes, lizard wheels, jaggery, and coffee. In fact, these are all discoveries made by farmers, and they have now become my vassals."

"You don't have a single follower, you recruit some mercenaries and farmers as followers, you dare to come over and open up territory, and you can still achieve what you are today... Victor, you are indeed deeply favored by my lord." Clement shook his head.

smiled.

Victor was stunned for a moment and said with shame: "Now that I think about it, I was reckless at first. Fortunately, Sylvia sent the secret knight to protect me. However, I will not put life and death in the hands of others.

Here we go again.”

Clement nodded and said solemnly: "The trinity of lords, priests, and people. Any territory that the church has not set foot on belongs to the wild. Even knights can hardly guarantee their own safety. You should understand the reason."

The law of the jungle is enforced in a lawless land, and anything can happen. The church has always played the role of supervisor, and the church's armed forces are the cornerstone of the aristocratic order. If the lord is murdered, as long as the church wants to pursue it, it will definitely be found out. It is precisely because

With the existence of the church, even the king cannot do whatever he wants. Therefore, the cathedral is a symbol of the stability of the territory, which is of particular significance to the newly born lord family.

Victor took the opportunity to say: "Your Majesty, Randall Territory needs a cathedral."

Clement did not comment, but changed the topic and said: "The church is committed to population growth, but on this day, I realized that we were not prepared at all." After a pause, he further explained: "We were not prepared.

The good thing is that the lords and priests have not considered the problems that population growth will bring."

"The Randall Territory has performed very well on the issue of absorbing refugees." The pope said with a gentle tone and deep eyes, "Victor, I want to hear your opinions on population growth."

Victor thought for a while and said cautiously: "Your Majesty, your question is a bit too general."

Clement sighed secretly. The military parade and carnival led by Randall showed that the young lord was preparing to close the door to the refugees and concentrate on cultivating the next generation of people, and he had already won the support of the people. .Although this approach is completely in line with the interests of the Randall Territory, he hopes that the strength of the Centaur Hills and the Kingdom of Nahuel will expand rapidly and gain a significant advantage in the great development. Only in this way can he ensure the control of the Benedictine priests Take the initiative in educational reform.

Both Silvia and King Naville have high authority over their respective vassals. They can overcome all opinions, suppress different voices, and cooperate with the Benedictine change plan. Victor can influence Silvia's decision-making. , and the success of Centaur Hills will stimulate the lords of Nahuel. It can be said that Victor is a very key figure in Clement's entire layout.

Clement walked along the field ridge, with Victor half a shoulder behind him. After a while, Clement said: "Once the new farming and animal husbandry system in various places matures, the lords will first expel the refugees, and then You've already done that."

Victor's mind was racing, and he immediately grasped the source of the problem.

When a family of hired workers has a stable life and an increase in income, the first thing they think about is the reproduction of future generations. They do not want outsiders to compete with their own offspring. In the same way, when a family of subordinates becomes rich, they must also strive for more living space for their children and grandchildren. For the lord, it is of course better to cultivate the people than to absorb the refugees. When the upper and lower classes of the territory reach a consensus, the refugees will become the targets of expulsion. In fifteen years at most, the great migration of refugees will be inevitable.

The Pope is worried about the coming wave of refugees.

The leasing-employment system is very efficient in converting refugees and can quickly increase the strength of the Randall Territory, but it can eat as much as you want. Without land, there is no leasing. In fact, no system can solve the contradiction between population and land.

In the last years of the Qing Dynasty in the Chinese state of the Earth, a massive fight between natives and foreigners broke out in a southern province. In just a dozen years, more than a million people were killed or injured. The corruption of officials in the feudal dynasty and the turmoil of the current situation were certainly important reasons, but ultimately it was population growth. resulting in competition for survival.

By continuously absorbing refugees for a long time, the people of the Randall Territory will definitely form two major ethnic groups, the old and the new. This will be a serious hidden danger. From any point of view, it is better for the Randall family to cultivate the next generation of people than to cultivate the next generation of people without restraint. It is safer and more efficient to absorb refugees. In the future, even if the Randall leader absorbs the outside population, it will only select those who are skilled, talented, and good-looking. They will never accept everyone.

Victor weighed it again and again, and said frankly: "Your Majesty, the current population of Randall Territory and Fenix ​​Territory is about 85,000, and I can resettle another 40,000 refugees at most. Twenty years from now, I estimate that the total number of refugees in the Territory will be over 85,000." The population will reach 500,000, and to feed so many people requires at least 3 million acres of rotating farmland, which is almost the limit of Randall Territory’s development of cultivated land. Otherwise, the territory’s wild resources will be destroyed. The most important thing is that Randall The Er family does not have many stewards and deacons, and the huge population will overwhelm the fragile administrative system of Pinghu Town."

"Of course, Your Majesty, you don't have to worry about the flow of refugees. As long as there is enough food, the refugees will gather in the major cities and do some hard work, or engage in the business of transporting and selling goods. This will actually increase the wealth of the great lord. The church only needs

With proper guidance, I think the major city lords will not reject the refugees."

"It's a pity that the geographical location of our Randall Territory does not have the conditions for trade." Victor shook his head with regret. Anyway, the population growth policy cannot be changed easily.

"Why not let the refugees join the mercenaries and open up the land?" Clement suddenly stopped and turned around and said: "If I equip your mercenaries with combat priests, will you change your mind?"

Victor's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. The low combat effectiveness of mercenaries is an unavoidable problem. The magic shown by the Pope in the military parade has an immediate effect on improving the combat effectiveness and morale of the legion. If the mercenary legion has a fixed battle

Priest assistance is really a way out. As for the influence of battle priests on mercenaries, Victor thinks that it can be put aside for the time being.

In the final analysis, the Grand Army's strategy is aimed at Ant-Man. Due to the mutual devouring and soul-binding of the Alchemy Tower, the masterminds behind Victor and Ant-Man are both exposed to each other's vision, and the two sides are already in a fight to the death.

Compared to the hundreds of thousands of Ant-Man's army of trainee knights, the strength of Alchemy Tower No. 7 is insignificant.

Victor's only way now is to take advantage of the situation and try to unite all parties to resist the invasion of the ant tide. The intensity of the war will definitely be very intense, but as long as the three fortresses are firmly guarded, every time a silver-level ant-man is killed, 7

The power of Alchemy Tower No. 7 will grow stronger. Only after the ebb and flow will Victor be able to counterattack Ant-Man's lair and seize the Law Crystal. After Alchemy Tower No. 7 is upgraded, it will not be too late to consider other things.

However, now I must behave like a normal lord.

Victor said hesitantly: "Your Majesty, the mercenary army..."

"The refugee mercenary army does not participate in the disputes between lords. This is a principle!" Clement seemed to see through Victor's mind and added: "The battle priest does not interfere with the actions of the vassal soldiers. This is also a principle."

Vassal soldiers with land? In other words, I am allowed to convert the elite of the mercenary legion into vassal soldiers, but the premise is to entrust the land first... The battle priest helps the mercenary legion to develop the land, and then uses the land to select elite vassal soldiers...

Is the Pope using the refugees as victims?! Doesn’t the church protect the refugees’ right to exist? How can it have such an attitude? Why is the Pope so eager to open up?

Information asymmetry made Victor confused. He tried: "Your Majesty, what else should I do?"

"Try to resettle the refugees as much as possible." Clement said with a smile: "I know you are short of manpower. It is a good way to imitate the silver tower and open a school. I can mobilize some trainee priests to help you, although they have not mastered the power of God yet."

It is still possible to teach refugees how to read and write."

Grab the ideology!

A bright light flashed in Victor's mind. Clement did not give him any more time to think, and said calmly: "You can also absorb the saber-tooth tiger business group under Sophia's command and let them help you manage the territory. In short,

I hope you will set an example for resettling refugees."

The secular should be secularized, and the divine should be restored to divine authority. Who would weaken the power of the lord, the knight of the saber-toothed tiger or the trainee priest of the church? Do you need to think about it?

Victor's pupils shrank and he said slowly: "Your Majesty, funds are needed to resettle the refugees and recruit mercenary corps. Sophia's saber-toothed tiger business group seems to be in trouble."

Clement pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "I will help you within my ability."

Victor saluted and said, "As you wish, Your Majesty."

Clement showed a satisfied smile on his face and said easily: "Victor, what kind of reward do you want? You are not allowed to raise money with me, and there is no discussion on the tithe."

Victor asked with an uneasy look on his face: "Your Majesty, what requests can I make?"

"Why don't you tell me?" Clement said with great interest.

"Build a church in Pinghu Town and have Father Miller preside over it."

Clement said with a smile: "If you pay, I have no objection."

"Well... I will prove my piety to the Supreme Lord. In addition, I hope Lord Turnans will help Nelson perfect his secret martial arts."

"Can."

"In addition, I plan to mint some small copper coins that are only circulated in Randall Territory."

"Coin?" Clement glanced at Victor meaningfully and said, "I have three conditions. First, the front of the copper coin must have the symbol of the Holy Mountain of Light engraved on it. Second, the exchange ratio of the small copper coin

It must correspond to the weight of copper soles. Thirdly, the tithe tax collected by Randall must be paid in conjunction with the church." He was very aware of the shortage of currency in Randall's territory and was not afraid that Victor would not agree.

"No problem." Victor nodded quickly and said: "Besides..."

Clement smiled heartily and said: "Haha, little guy, I have nothing else here..."
Chapter completed!