The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 112

Chapter 112: Development Goals and Officials

On this day, Lutz’s home in Enkar Village had an unusually high number of visitors.

First, there was the lord, Melfina, along with her two bodyguards and secretary, and her son Fritz, who lives nearby with his own family.

Then there were the eight individuals: Nid, the newly appointed village chief of Melto Village, which was established last fall; Mark, who manages the lord’s direct farm; and two new officials who have recently joined.

Although a larger house had been built for the village chief during the construction boom last fall, it was still only moderately grand for a commoner’s home, and with this many people gathered, it felt rather cramped.

“I wish we could have gathered at the lord’s residence, but it’s a bit chaotic there right now. I’m sorry for imposing on you, Lutz. I’m grateful you lent us your space.”

“No, no, it’s no trouble at all.”

“Today, I’d like to introduce the two new officials and briefly discuss the future initiatives for the Enkar region. Just as last year, we’ll continue with the farming, but since we’ll have many outsiders coming and going due to canal construction, I’d like to address that as well.”

“Canals, you say?”

“Yes. The Enkar region has abundant water, so we managed last year, but if we want to increase the farmland, irrigation will be necessary. It’s somewhat fortunate that this area gets a lot of rain from late spring to summer, so I want to create agricultural reservoirs and canals to connect them, to ensure there’s enough water even away from the settlement.”

“I see… Indeed, there are years when droughts lead to reduced harvests.”

“To ensure stable agriculture, we first need to secure stable water. The reservoirs themselves can be quickly dug by soil mages, so we just need to seal them with concrete to prevent leaks. I want to have at least the excavation completed before the rainy season.”

“Concrete, you say? That’s something I’m not familiar with…”

Lutz and the others also tilted their heads in confusion.

“Unlike natural rivers, simply digging a hole will result in the soil gradually absorbing the water, so we need to treat the surface to prevent leaks. It’s possible to line it with stones or bricks, but since we’re in a hurry, we’ll use concrete for this.”
Concrete itself has existed since what was considered ancient times in the previous life, and mortar exists in this world as well.

If mortar exists, there should be cement, but Melfina doesn’t remember seeing any concrete structures in this world.

In her previous life’s memories, concrete disappeared from the Middle Ages to the early modern period, so there might be a similar reason here.

“I’d like everyone to advise on convenient locations for agricultural reservoirs. Those working on-site will have the most knowledge.”

With a nod to Marie, she spreads out a plant paper on the table. It’s a copy of a rough map of the Enkar region, prepared by adventurers with surveying skills who investigated the area.

“Here is Enkar Village, and here is Melto Village. There’s a settlement of serfs a little farther away, and the current farmland is within this range. This year, we plan to clear as much land as we did last year.”

“Since we have more hands this year, clearing the land shouldn’t be a problem. However, if it’s the same as last year, it’s quite far from both Enkar Village and Melto Village.”

Nid’s comment was acknowledged with a nod, and Melfina traced the map with her fingertip. She pointed to a location that, if connected, would form a triangle with Enkar Village and Melto Village.

“I’m thinking of establishing a new farming village around here. The people from Melto Village have experience clearing wastelands from last year, so ideally, I want to keep half of the serfs near Melto Village and have a certain number of families relocate from Melto Village to the new settlement for guidance. Of course, we’ll provide houses at the new location that are the same as their current ones. They can choose to either sell or rent out their old homes to me.”

This year, many workers will be visiting the Enkar region, so the demand for housing will be high.

If a large amount of crops is harvested, storage space will also be necessary. The demand for buildings will be very high.

Establishing a new village is also intended to connect these three villages by road, making transportation simpler to prevent delays in harvest and communication.

“If it’s Lady Melfina’s wish, I believe many will be eager to go.”

“I hope that’s the case. With the settlement being dispersed, I plan to split the farm into two. Do you have anyone among Mark’s subordinates who could be entrusted with the new farm?”

“Everyone currently working on the farm can handle the schedule you’ve set, Lady Melfina, so I don’t think it will be an issue to recommend someone. However, splitting the farm will require new staff.”

“If possible, I’d like to have about half of the current farm staff move to help establish and guide the new farm, and hire new staff from Enkar Village and Melto Village based on their preferences.”

“There should be many who are eager to join. Especially the second and third sons, who now prefer to work in the lord’s direct facilities rather than leave the village for work.”

In a situation where only primary industries exist, second and third sons who cannot inherit the farmland often either clear new land on their own or move to urban areas in search of work.

However, in the cities, many who started as apprentices from a young age have already acquired skills, and those who end up in dangerous jobs like adventurers or are exploited as simple laborers are common.

If they have a home and a job, there would be no need to choose such paths.

“Then, let’s have Lutz and Nid gather those who are interested, and leave the decision to hire up to Mark.”

“Since farm work is different from fieldwork and requires following a schedule, it might be good to set a trial period. Some people may not be suited for farm work.”

Melfina nodded at Mark’s words. He was the leader who had effectively managed the farm system she had hurriedly set up until today, so she could trust him with this responsibility.

Cows provide milk, chickens provide eggs, and pigs provide meat, with their manure used as fertilizer. With the settlement being divided, it would be more efficient to spread out the farms to reduce the transportation of feed like hay.

“Additionally, I want a specialized team to clear the forest for securing timber. Stable timber supply will be very important, especially in the coming years.”

Until now, serfs have been clearing the forest and cultivating the fields without any specialized roles, and there were no dedicated lumberjacks.

Last year, they had to urgently cut timber in the fall and winter after the final corn harvest.

Timber requires some time to dry after being cut, so it’s not feasible to just cut trees as needed. Last year, they were fortunate with things like repurposing the corn drying area and having no rain at crucial times, but such luck won’t last forever.

“I’m thinking of transferring forest land and certain rights to those who are interested. It would be helpful if they could engage in planned reforestation and work with the family for a long time.”

“Reforestation means planting new trees after cutting down the old ones, correct?”

Nid, who had been considering how to clear the forest as a former leader of the serfs, didn’t seem to grasp the concept of reforestation.

“Forests are a valuable resource, and if cleared aimlessly, they will eventually become depleted. After clearing, we need to plant useful tree seedlings and take care of them to help them grow.”

In fact, there have been civilizations that collapsed due to depleting water sources from indiscriminately clearing forests. The rich forests and water sources of the Enkar region are very attractive resources, but relying on them without sustainable development will lead to stagnation sooner or later.

“Lady Melfina, may I speak?”

One of the officials who had been silent until then—a man in his early twenties named Helmut—raised his hand.

“Go ahead, Helmut.”

“The duke’s family has requested that we export the same amount or more crops than last year. While agricultural water is one matter, it might be sufficient to have the serfs handle forestry work in their spare time.”

“That would lead to a shortage of timber. The demand for charcoal should decrease in the future, but Enkar can’t focus solely on agriculture.”

“Even so, we need the fields plowed until the potato blight subsides. This area seems quite abundant, but the entire country is suffering from food shortages.”

Helmut’s stern and cold tone made Nid frown, and Fritz also showed signs of displeasure. Regardless, Helmut continued.

“While it’s not bad to rely on the locals, entrusting various tasks to uneducated commoners seems questionable. It would be better to have a steward who can at least read, write, and calculate, and manage the farm or village. I’ve never heard of entrusting a direct lord’s project to people who can’t even count properly.”

“Helmut. The Enkar region is land that they have cultivated for a long time. They have every right to enjoy the blessings that come from Enkar more than anyone else.”

“Until Lady Melfina arrived, this was a remote village. It’s only natural to consider that all rights belong to Lady Melfina, and by extension, to the duke’s family.”

Helmut glanced briefly at Lutz, Fritz, Nid, and Mark, then snorted.

“Lady Melfina, people have inherent roles. Farmers till the soil, serfs perform the lord’s duties. Management and land ownership are tasks for others.”