Chapter 43. How to solve the food shortage (2)
Marez Wetland was an abandoned land.
It was full of muddy swamps everywhere.
In the thick swamp, unknown creatures swarmed.
Of course, it was impossible to build buildings or farm.
useless land.
Land that cannot be used.
As such, the Marez Wetland has been treated as a land that has no land for generations.
Baron Prontera, north of the Marsh.
Viscounty of Lacona, south of the marsh.
Both sides were equally disrespected.
This was because it was considered undevelopable land in the first place.
‘…But that will be an old story.’
It will be different from now on.
Thinking so, Lloyd raised his head.
I looked back.
asked carefully.
“Are you okay?”
“of course.”
Baron Frontera, who was following behind, nodded.
Lloyd quickly glanced up and down the baron.
The baron was wearing boots that came up to his knees.
It was a boot that boasted almost perfect waterproof performance because it was heavily oiled leather.
Unfortunately, the boots weren’t doing their job today.
“You don’t look very good. It looks like the water and mud have already entered the boots.”
No wonder the bog was knee deep.
Every time I took a step, my thighs were submerged.
Thanks to that, the inside of the baron’s boots was already a perfect sea of water.
The pants were also to the point where I couldn’t find anything dry at all.
But the baron was a man of unexpected grit.
“Okay. I was expecting something like this.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
I guess you weren’t like that.
Suddenly, Lloyd remembered what had happened two hours ago.
♣
Two hours ago.
Lloyd went to the baron’s office.
I told the baron that I was thinking of developing Marez Wetland in the south of the territory.
The reason and purpose of wetland development were clear.
It was to increase the food productivity of Ganoderma in the future.
‘Because I have to feed the Orc miners. Even if it’s not that, it’s something to be encouraged unconditionally to increase the farmland in the territory.’
food production.
Agriculture is the basis of all industries.
This is true even in the most advanced society.
The next step is possible only when the problem of eating and living is solved first.
He thought the same was true of Yeongji.
‘The Orc Miner is just the beginning. One day the population will increase too. But then, if the territory’s food production capacity fails to support the population, it will be difficult.’
As the number of mouths increased, productivity had to be raised as well.
However, there was no place to cultivate new farmland in the territory.
The only possible place was Marez Wetland, south of the territory.
So it was.
Wetlands had to be drained.
Reclamation work had to be carried out.
To do so, the baron’s permission was essential.
I revealed my plan to the baron to get permission.
If the baron objected, he prepared a persuasion plan in his heart.
But what
The baron reacted unexpectedly.
“Then are you thinking of going to observe the topography of the wetland?”
“yes? what yes That’s right.”
“good night. Then let me go with you.”
“…yes?”
“Do not take the servants. It would be okay to go alone with you and this father. First of all, I need to change into something comfortable. Please wait a moment.”
It was from then.
The baron didn’t even listen to my answer and started changing his clothes.
Wear comfortable tops and bottoms for movement and leather boots.
A portable sword was also worn at the waist.
He even ordered a maid to pack lunch!
“Um, I’m not going on a picnic.”
“know.”
“But why a boxed lunch….”
“Wouldn’t it be troublesome if you’re hungry even if you go to the wetland?”
“Um, but….”
“Am I wrong?”
“….”
Lloyd had to keep his mouth shut.
You weren’t wrong.
But I think it’s true that you really think of this as a picnic.
‘That’s a pretty enjoyable picnic, too.’
It was incomprehensible.
They were on their way to inspect and survey the swampy wetlands, which were all damp.
But, like a person going on a picnic, he looks so excited and ready.
‘What’s so fun about it?’
Even while leaving the mansion with the baron.
Even when moving across the estate towards the south where there is a wetland.
While struggling in the muddy swamp after finally arriving at the wetland.
Lloyd couldn’t understand the baron’s attitude.
In fact, it still is.
“Whoop whoop!”
The baron was breathing hard all the time.
Every time I took a step in the muddy swamp, I was implementing slapstick with my whole body.
The reason was simple.
It was because he had his arms raised to protect his lunch box.
Lloyd, who couldn’t see it, said.
“Can I take that lunch basket over there?”
“no. Okay.”
“But if you keep holding it up like that, your arms will hurt and your balance will be more difficult.”
“It is not difficult. You should focus on your work.”
“Well, I don’t think carrying one would interfere with looking around here.”
It was true.
In fact, it was Lloyd who had been using surveying skills since before.
But surveying didn’t have to keep you focused.
‘Because the measurement results are automatically saved as data.’
Later, when you return to the mansion, you can always load and examine the survey data.
Concentrate then.
So what now?
It wasn’t difficult at all to carry a lunch basket instead.
But the baron was stubborn.
“Didn’t I say I’d come first? But how can I burden you?”
“Um, it’s okay if you don’t do that too much.”
“I’m really fine, so keep an eye out for yourself.”
“yes. Then, let’s take a break over there first.”
far ahead.
Just then, in the middle of the wetlands, I saw some high ground.
It was a kind of small mound where the soft ground rose up.
‘Well, at least it’s not even a few meters.’
It seemed appropriate to take a short break now.
“Then please follow me. Don’t fall.”
“Don’t worry. Whoa whoop!”
Lloyd led the baron to the mound.
Climbing up the mound, I saw a fairly flat and wide rock.
Lloyd sat down on a rock and caught his breath.
Meanwhile, the baron next to him opened the lunch box.
Inside was a wooden nest of boxes covered with pure white cloth.
“I’ve been wondering since before, what the hell did you bring so much care?”
“Whatever. I brought the most delicious thing in the world.”
The baron smiled and opened the box.
What’s inside that box….
“It’s boiled eggs and tomatoes.”
“yes?”
“I also sprinkled a lot of honey on the tomatoes. Now get a fork here.”
“….”
It was a bit unexpected.
’cause he’s noble though.
I thought it would be more plausible content than this.
The happy smile on the baron’s lips grew warmer.
“It’s been a while, so are you a little confused? Still, wasn’t it your favorite food when you were little?”
“….”
“You still look good. After refusing all the greasy good meals, you sighed. Boiled eggs and honey-coated tomatoes are the best. How embarrassing it was every time.”
“….”
“Even now, sometimes I regret it. At that time, you said you would give it without the boiled egg and tomato circle you said you liked…I mean.”
“….”
What should I answer?
Lloyd licked his lips while holding a fork.
Before I knew it, I also stopped using the surveying skill.
I just stared at the empty fork in silence.
The baron smiled and handed me an egg he had peeled himself.
“Here is the salt, dip it in and eat it. Make sure to drink water so you don’t get choked up.”
“….”
“Why didn’t you say something a little while ago? Is this kind of father awkward?”
“Ummm, that’s not it.”
“No, I fully understand.”
“….”
The baron’s eyes looking this way.
An incomprehensible feeling of regret was mixed.
But those feelings are temporary.
The baron burst out laughing.
“Heh heh heh. I’m going to catch up with this. Come on, let’s eat.”
“…yes.”
After that, neither the Baron nor Lloyd opened their mouths.
I sat on an unknown rock in a gray swamp and ate a soft-boiled egg and tomato.
In the meantime, the baron regretted his past times.
The times when he was disappointed with his son who went astray contrary to his expectations.
She treated her son as a sore finger all that time.
I wanted to apologize for my actions.
However, it was not easy to bring out and express such feelings in words.
Instead, the baron silently handed Lloyd a water bottle.
Lloyd silently took the water bottle and quenched his thirst.
Instead, I handed the baron some salt to dip the egg into.
Still the two were speechless.
On the way back to the mansion, Lloyd picked up a lunch box.
This time, even the baron did not refrain from Lloyd’s actions.
A lighter lunch basket than when it came.
That’s how the two of them walked a little lighter.
And so passed the first day of Lloyd’s wetland survey.
♣
Even after that, Lloyd clung to surveying for a while.
Marez Wetland was wider than expected.
It was impossible to cover that area with a surveying skill in a day or two.
‘Still, I’m glad my surveying skills are intermediate.’
It was now possible to measure an area of about 40 meters by 160 meters at a time, or 1,600 square meters.
I was able to measure a fairly large area by blasting it over and over again to the limit.
About 20 more days passed like that.
In the meantime, Lloyd was able to measure most of the scope of the first reclamation construction.
It was like getting all terrain data within range.
Of course, that didn’t mean everything was easy.
‘Design is another matter.’
Topographical data of the Marez Wetland obtained by surveying.
Looking at it, Lloyd narrowed his brows.
‘I expected it, but there are still too many variables.’
The wetland was in a lowland area surrounded by two river tributaries.
Every time the river flooded periodically, the water came into the wetland, and the water could not drain out and accumulated, forming a swampy area for a long time.
‘Anyway, dead people are a problem wherever I go.’
The same goes for the game and the land.
The game can live and the land can live only when the stagnant water is properly adjusted.
Recalling that truth, Lloyd devised a way to land reclamation in the wetland.
‘Actually, I already thought of the method. You can apply the vertical drainage method by having fantasy species participate in it. You can promote compaction. But in the process, the embankment and waterway must be properly positioned at once.’
The area was so wide.
There were so many variables.
I wasn’t sure if the water would drain as cleanly as I had designed.
‘That said, I’d be in big trouble if I recklessly started with space and time.’
It was difficult to build embankments and dig channels, but if the water does not drain properly, it becomes difficult.
It literally means spending a lot of manpower and money and just shoveling.
Lloyd wanted to avoid such a situation.
‘Hmm. I wish I could do a simulation.’
Terrain data of Marez Wetland obtained with the surveying skill.
How nice it would be if we could put it in a supercomputer and run a simulation.
But here, it was an impossible dreamland story.
It was then.
“Um….”
corner of the bedroom.
Xaviel fidgeted in the armchair placed there.
Are you having a bad dream?
The elegant eyebrows were furrowed.
It felt like I would wake up if I left it like this.
Lloyd recited a magical (?) spell to the silver-haired knight who was tossing and turning in his sleep.
“The drain construction method consists of a drain part for collecting and discharging rainfall and river water that penetrated into the embankment during a flood, and a filter part to prevent clogging of the drain part with gutter water to receive drainage and lead it at a certain rate. The thickness of the drain hole…blah blah…At least 0.5m above the ground in the embankment…Mijoo Algojual…The average hydraulic gradient (H/D) at the front of the drain hole does not exceed 0.3…Blah blah…With a structure that secures a certain safety factor against sliding failure…Go to sleep.”
“…Kuuul.”
Xaviel fell asleep.
Lloyd grinned.
While he was reciting the contents of his major while trying to put the silver-haired knight to rest.
It was because I suddenly came up with a way to replace the simulation.
‘You did a good job reciting the embankment construction part. As expected, the answer was in the major. Let’s try it.’
He left the bedroom.
I went out into the backyard of the mansion.
There, I lifted a shovel under the moonlight.
He dug up the soil in the gym in the backyard, gathered it to one side, and carefully worked it out.
Water was fetched, and the grass and yellow soil were properly mixed with the water.
I also picked up and collected small stones.
Under the moonlight on a moonlit night, Lloyd’s sweat glistened.
Even after that, Lloyd continued to move busily.
So, when the morning finally dawned.
Lloyd’s work was revealed.
It was a miniature model of Marez Wetland, which was reduced to about 4 meters in length and width.
“Whoa. Will this be enough?”
Lloyd smiled heartily in the midst of the overwhelming fatigue.
Even if you look at it yourself, the model is made quite plausible.
‘I can’t help but do that. It’s because the data obtained with the surveying skill was reflected as it is.’
The elevation and slope of the entire terrain.
level and flow of water.
A number of other factors were also taken into account.
At this level, you will be able to do a sophisticated analog simulation.
‘Then let’s start.’
Lloyd rolled up his sleeves and trousers.
Transformed into a rice planting fashion and started touching models.
He created a miniature embankment on a model while using his design skills.
A hole was dug in the ground and a waterway was dug on one side.
and observed water loss.
It wasn’t easy.
As the morning passed and approached noon, the scorching midsummer sun poured in without a filter. hit me in the back no it was lost
Sweat dripped from all over his body.
The gaze of the people in the mansion also gathered.
“Hey, what is Master Lloyd doing this time?”
“Did you open your eyes to playing with mud?”
“No. There must be something.”
I should say I’m glad I didn’t chew on myself like I used to.
Lloyd continued to run analog simulations while receiving a lot of attention.
It failed every time and every time.
Drainage was not satisfactory.
But even so, he didn’t give up.
I had no intention of backing down until I found a way.
‘If I was going to back down loose, I wouldn’t even start!’
Every time I failed, I burned my guts.
Shouting ‘Again!’, they restored the terrain with both hands, poured additional thick water, and created various types of dikes and channels.
How many trials and failures have there been?
afternoon past noon.
After the afternoon, around the time to light up the evening play, etc.
Finally he found models of dikes and channels that drained properly.
‘done!’
Amid thick fatigue and dripping sweat, he clenched his fists.
The water was finally draining properly.
Not only did it come off properly, but it seemed like there was no problem with it being maintained.
I felt the reward of doing something close to nogada all day long.
That was the moment.
An unexpected message popped up in front of my eyes.
Ding dong.
[Overcame the limited conditions through wisdom and grit in the midst of difficulties.]
[That special experience has a great influence on < Skill: Design >.]
[New skill options have been opened.]
