Chapter 48. How to make land (3)
sick.
It’s not even a fist hit.
It’s not like I was kicked.
It’s not like I’m being beaten with a stick.
But it hurts so much that it tingles.
Viscount Lacona felt that way.
It had to be.
It was because at this moment, in a place where more than a hundred eyes and ears gathered, they were exposed to factual violence defenselessly.
“Now, let’s wrap things up. The Viscount is claiming that the southern half of the Mahrez Marsh is the exclusive domain of the Viscount, right?”
“Of course.”
“So you’re insisting that the southern half of the Marez Reclaimed Land that was reclaimed this time should belong to the Viscount?”
“That is also natural.”
“But there is a major flaw in that claim.”
“A loophole?”
“yes. It is a loophole that Marez Wetland has been abandoned for a long time.”
“Why is that a loophole?”
“Because it is a claim that violates the land law of the kingdom protected by His Majesty the King.”
“…what?”
A stalling brat.
Lloyd laughed.
“Act No. 321 on the Land Law of the Kingdom. The basis for this is the Special Act on the Development of Barren Lands.”
“Land law? Room 321?”
“yes. It is a law that organizes land ownership when abandoned barren land is reclaimed. Then, shall we appreciate it step by step from now on?”
“What is that….”
“Article 1. purpose. This Act aims at reclamation of long-neglected barren lands and establishment of ownership over settlements.”
“Look?”
“Article 2. Justice. In this Law, barren land is land that has been neglected for more than 100 years, where no person has been regularly residing for more than one year, and no cultivation has taken place.”
“Wait a minute, from my words….”
“Article 3. Qualification Requirements. Land that meets all of the following requirements is considered developed land. First, the land must be developed by investing capital and manpower with a clear purpose. second. It must be land on which a building can be built for a stable residence of people. Third, the land must be capable of farming for a long period of time. It must be land that has harvested the crops specified in the detailed rules of the fourth law more than once.”
“Hey, start with my words first….”
The viscount hurriedly spoke out.
However, such a protest (?) was soon buried by Lloyd’s words that continued like a liquidation flow.
“Article 4. ownership. If the developed land meets all the requirements of each subparagraph of Article 3, the land is recognized as the property of the developer and can be registered in the land registry of the Kingdom in accordance with the procedures.”
“….”
“Article 5. Kingdom Law Rules. Matters necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be determined by the Rules of the Law of the Kingdom. That’s it. Listen again once. There’s no counselor guidance, so shut up and admit defeat.”
“….”
Lloyd laughed.
The Viscount was at a loss for words.
‘What’s with all these guys?’
He looked at Lloyd with a puzzled look.
The eldest son of Baron Frontera.
The barony’s irredeemable mess.
He, too, had heard a glimpse of it through rumors.
It was said that he was a guy who lives every day indulging in alcohol and does all sorts of things.
Then he said that he had come to his senses about what kind of wind had recently blown.
So I underestimated myself.
Even when the madman of that rumor blocked the way.
Even when you start to refute something to your argument.
I only thought about how much I would do if I refuted the topic of a young kid.
I even thought that I should quickly shut up this intrusive guy and go see the baron.
But now that I came to see it, it wasn’t.
‘This guy is not easygoing.’
No, it wasn’t quite enough.
If you easily saw that you were young and rushed at it?
It seemed difficult to get even a single penny.
The Viscount swallowed dry saliva.
‘Was there such a law in the land law of the kingdom? I’m hearing it for the first time However, seeing that he came out with such a confident attitude, I don’t think he made it up with lies at all. Could that bastard have prepared for me to go out like this?’
So, did you know about that law in advance?
Creepy.
Suddenly, the Viscount felt goose bumps on his forearm.
If true, you should not look down on him, but rather as a terrifyingly thorough guy.
‘Where did this guy come out?’
The viscount organized his thoughts.
I couldn’t leave like this.
The Mahrez Marsh was vast.
The southern zone corresponding to half of its area.
It was an opportunity to swallow it for free without spending a single development cost.
The Viscount rolled his head with all his might.
‘Think about it. Find a loophole in that blue guy’s words. I couldn’t even refute it…Oh, that’s it.’
sparkle.
An idea that came out of nowhere.
The viscount’s expression brightened.
He looked down at Lloyd with a confident look.
“It is the land law of the kingdom. That sounds like an interesting story.”
“Isn’t it? Because the law is always fair.”
“okay. I guess so. That’s why it’s about giving people like me a fair chance. like now.”
“What do you want to say?”
“What do you mean? It’s like this. You’ve developed the Marez Wetland here, but it doesn’t seem to have met the important requirements yet.”
“Is it an important requirement?”
“Cultivation. Farming in the last days. Whoop!”
The viscount smiled happily.
It was the laughter of a beast that discovered its prey’s weakness.
“Surely you just said that while reciting the land law of the kingdom. In order for barren land to be recognized as developed land, it must meet several requirements. Among them, there must have been a condition that the crop must be harvested more than once.”
“Yes, it was.”
“Puhaha! So that means you’re a kid. Have you harvested your crops?”
The viscount had a smile on his face.
It was the smile of someone who was sure of victory.
‘I won, you bastard!’
I was proud.
A young bastard who attempted an elaborate counterattack by citing the law.
He used the same loophole in the law to make him have nothing to say.
I definitely thought so.
That was certainly the case until Lloyd let out a cheesy laugh.
“This is so much fun. It is a crop.”
Instead of being embarrassed, he smiled as if he was genuinely happy.
Or a smile that seems to enjoy watching the other person struggling.
Lloyd said with a smile.
“Anyway, there was something I wanted to show you. Could you please move the horse you are riding a little sideways for a moment?”
“…what?”
“It takes two steps.”
“Now what…uh what?”
“Right. wow.”
While the viscount was flustered, Lloyd reached out.
I stroked the viscount’s white horse’s head.
The reins were naturally pulled aside.
The white horse purred once and then took two steps to the side.
It happened so naturally that the Viscount had no time to stop.
“What are you doing!”
“Yeah, wait a minute.”
The viscount protested, but to no avail.
Lloyd, who answered in a dry manner, bowed his back.
He reached out his hand to the ground.
Lululala, he said with a hum.
“Ugh. Fortunately, you are unharmed. You don’t know how much I was worried because you stopped talking here from a while ago. I was afraid you might step on this.”
“what?”
“Do you see here?”
Lloyd squatted and pointed to the ground.
The viscount’s suspicious gaze followed Lloyd’s fingertips.
and soon found
“weed?”
“Ding. It is an onion.”
Lloyd grabbed a bunch of green leaves sticking out of the ground.
He carefully dug and pulled the ground around him.
pp.
A reddish-brown round lump came out greedily.
A delightful smile bloomed across Lloyd’s lips.
“Oops. congratulations. You watched the historic first harvest of the Marez clearing live. I will not accept the price of the caliber as a service. ‘Cause I’m not obnoxious. Anyway, I’m so glad this egg is solid hehehehe.”
“….”
The viscount’s expression darkened.
Lloyd brushed the dirt off the onion. handed it over to the viscount.
“Now, the legal requirement that crops be harvested is fully met. How is it? You’ve come a long way, so take it with you as a souvenir. Sending it back empty-handed seems like it would be disrespectful to the guest.”
“….”
The Viscount did not accept the onion. no i didn’t
I just looked down at Lloyd with blank eyes wondering if this was a true story.
The same was true of the knights led by the viscount who were dumbfounded.
There was no time to be angry.
Lloyd laughed.
I tied the onion to the viscount’s saddle.
As if hammering nails into the lid of a coffin that was closing, he said.
“Then look carefully and go back. Xaviel?”
His cheerful voice called out to Xaviel.
“You are an honored guest. Take care of me on the way back.”
“yes. I will obey your order.”
Xaviel quickly noticed.
It was a silver-haired knight who had already carefully grasped the situation.
He knew better than anyone what Lloyd had prepared to create this situation.
It was because he was the one (?) who raised onions.
‘Whoa. Onion farming was rather difficult.’
Xaviel sighed lightly.
It must have been the time when the vertical drainage method was in full swing.
It must have been the morning after drilling all the holes in the ground in the designated area.
So, was it the time when he thought his role in this construction was over?
Lloyd had called him.
I was told that I had given this order.
‘You grow some onions starting today.’
At first, I thought it was some slang.
I wondered if I didn’t understand the words that had a special meaning.
but it wasn’t
The order really meant to grow onions.
It was only after receiving the hoe and manure that Lloyd took care of frugally that he realized that.
Of course, I felt a sense of backlash.
Participation in the construction so far was accepted because it was for the development of the territory.
But just growing an onion?
‘I wonder why you’re asking me to do this.’
This was not a knight’s job.
It was a farmer’s job.
But why are you making yourself do this?
At least I wanted to know why.
So I asked.
Lloyd laughed.
He replied indifferently, as if it was no big deal.
But the content was by no means trivial.
‘From now on, the onion you will grow will protect this Marez clearing.’
‘….’
It was a significant word.
It was also something I just couldn’t get away with.
Hearing that, he couldn’t refuse the order.
it must mean something
There must be some hidden purpose.
Thinking so, he obediently accepted the hoe and the manure. Onions were planted here.
Of course, it wasn’t easy.
It was because farming was the first.
‘I never knew that growing something in the ground was such a laborious task.’
he was an orphan
He lost his parents in the war when he was five years old.
What if it wasn’t for the hand of Baron Prontera?
He would have starved to death on the road.
To repay the favor, he devoted himself only to swordsmanship.
It was an effort to keep the oath to become the sword that protects the master.
As a result, I couldn’t build anything like farming experience.
Growing onions was the same.
‘I had to get a lot of help from the farmers.’
I’ve heard a lot of advice.
I also heard a lot of nagging.
Thanks to this, I was able to grow onions safely.
And today, that onion really saved the Marez clearing from the Viscount.
‘I wonder if Lloyd-nim expected all of this situation.’
Otherwise, it was not explained.
The more I thought about it, the more I was amazed.
But now was not the time for admiration.
It was time to respond to Lloyd’s meticulous and shameless response.
“I am Xaviel Asrahan, a knight serving Baron Prontera. I will escort you on the way back from here.”
came out quickly
While the viscount is parenting.
He skillfully set an example.
Before any refutation came out, he naturally led the viscount party.
“Let’s go. Come this way.”
“That’s right….”
The Viscount, who finally fully realized the situation, shuddered.
But, literally, it was already too late.
Numerous eyes and ears, including the baron’s engineering corps, were focused on him.
In that situation, I was completely pushed by logic to that kid.
But what if you don’t want to back down from here?
What if you don’t agree with the logic and get angry?
Only your own prestige will be shattered.
It would be like ruining one’s own reputation.
‘I ate properly.’
The viscount ate his bitter taste.
After glancing at Lloyd once, he turned his horse’s head.
He gnashed his teeth as he retreated under Xaviel’s escort.
At the place where the Viscount left, Lloyd with a proud expression and the pleasant hum of the Corps of Engineers looking at him remained.
“Did you just see it? Did you hear?”
“Of course I saw it. The expression on Viscount Lacona’s expression is really eerie.”
“I was upset and didn’t know what to do. Kkeukkuk.”
“Oh hey, it sucks.”
“I know. How did we develop this place that was all soggy?”
“Whoa. that’s right. It’s a land that I made by shoveling all day, but is that viscount trying to put a spoon there for free?”
“It’s really heartless. And Lloyd-sama properly kicked out that guy with no conscience.”
“Oh, it was really refreshing. Watching it makes me sick to my stomach.”
The sappers giggled happily.
The land was all a muddy swamp.
It was an abandoned land that could not be used.
But who changed this place?
It was them.
A shovel he held.
A lot of sweat from shoveling all day.
It was a land cultivated through hard work and labor under the scorching sun.
However, there was no way that the Viscount, who demanded that half of the area be given away for free, would look good in the eyes of the engineers.
Listening to the argument between Lloyd and the Viscount, I deeply rooted for Lloyd.
Naturally Lloyd’s victory felt like theirs.
‘My son-in-law is the best!’
All the soldiers in the field clenched their fists in unison.
I was proud.
I was proud.
Of course, Lloyd, the object of their pride and pride, only made an impression on everyone.
“What are you looking at? Do you have any good sights to see?”
Papapak!
As soon as the pinjan fell, the sappers moved in perfect order. He resumed shoveling at the speed of light as if he had never watched the debate.
The Corps of Engineers, who had already completed numerous construction projects with Lloyd.
‘It’s a bonus soon!’
Master Lloyd, who cares about the Corps of Engineers even though he speaks harshly.
Even if you nag me to work like that, in fact, the boy who thoroughly guarantees the break time.
And the grateful boy who always takes care of the thick bonuses whenever a big project is finished.
The shoveling of the sappers made them smile at the thought of the soon-to-be bonus.
Rural Frontera Barony in the eastern corner of the kingdom.
The largest construction project in the history of this estate was about to be completed.
Of course, people didn’t know yet.
that this work does not end here.
That this is just the beginning of a larger development plan.
Lloyd didn’t stop.
If until now was the time of reclamation.
From now on, it would be a pioneering time.
Lloyd proposed a plan to the baron prior to the completion of the land reclamation project, the water wheel.
Hearing his plan, the baron nodded happily.
The next day, the so-called ‘Marez Reclamation Encouragement Plan’ was announced in the barony.
Thanks to that, Viscount Lacona, a neighbor to the south who heard about the incentive, threw an onion he was fiddling with in his office at the wall with a full swing.
