Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 115: Territory Holy Land: Tears of Leif (Large Chapter with Extra Update)
Su Li stood by the newly formed lake. The scene before him changed so much that it was beyond his imagination.

A few days ago, this was just a simple reservoir, but now it has become a vast lake, like a shining pearl of the earth, inlaid in this fertile land.

The lake is vast and shimmering. The water is so clear that you can see the sand and rocks at the bottom and the schools of fish swimming freely in this new world. Occasionally, a few water birds fly across the lake, their reflections drawing graceful arcs on the water.

The surrounding scenery has become more magnificent as the lake expands. The originally low soil has been submerged by the lake, and the green mountains are reflected on the lake surface, blurring the boundary between the mountains and the water.

Su Li's attention was attracted by a small island in the lake. It was a natural island left behind after ditches were dug from both sides during the expansion of the reservoir according to Su Li's instructions. Several ancient trees stood proudly on it, and it was their existence that fixed the soil in this area.

Su Li took a deep breath. The air was filled with the freshness of lake water and the fragrance of soil, which made him feel peaceful and happy.

So he smiled and said to the ministers accompanying him: "This place is already so magnificent, calling it Fish Pond is inappropriate. We should give it a beautiful name. Do you have any good suggestions?"

Fandral stroked his wiry beard and said slowly, "A name is easy enough. But if a lake wants to be remembered, it must have a beautiful legend. So we must combine the name and the legend, so that it can be famous both within and beyond the territory."

That makes sense, Su Li nodded slowly. Just as West Lake always brings to mind the beautiful White Snake and Green Snake, and their tear-jerking love story, Jiuquan reminds people of the invincible Champion Marquis and that magnificent era.

Whether a territory has heritage is closely related to its history and legends.

Su Li asked, "My learned minister, do you have any good suggestions?"

Fandral thought for a moment and said, "I'm not very knowledgeable, so I can only think of two for now. One could be called Silver Shield Lake."

"We can give him a legend related to you, Lord. The story mainly tells the deeds of Lord Su Li, the Knight. You are a highly respected lord, known for your justice and virtue. When you came to this land, it was still a lake polluted by dark forces. The lake water was turbid and the surrounding land was barren."

"To purify this lake, the virtuous Lord, Knight Su Li, embarked on a journey to find the legendary Silver Shield. The Silver Shield is a divine artifact with the power of purification, said to be able to eliminate all evil and filth."

"After countless challenges and adventures, Knight Su Li finally found the Silver Shield in an ancient ruin. He brought it back to the lake and threw it into it. Instantly, the water began to clear, and the surrounding land gradually regained life."

"From then on, the lake was named Silver Shield Lake to commemorate Lord Su Li's heroic deeds and the magical power of the Silver Shield. Silver Shield Lake became a sacred place in the Black Forest Territory, and its water was believed to have magical healing and purification effects."

"Many knights and residents of the territory come here, hoping to receive the silver shield's blessing. A statue of the lord is also erected by the lake, holding a silver shield, guarding the peace of the lake and the territory."

"In the future, this legend can be passed down from generation to generation and become a part of the Hessen Territory's culture. Silver Shield Lake will also become a symbol of the territory's courage and purity."

Su Li's eyes lit up. That's why talents are the most important resources of every territory!

Fandral only talked about a story of more than 300 words, and he sketched out a picture of a powerful, heroic, and virtuous lord knight, a magnificent story, and a history and culture that will be remembered.

In the future, except for this first group of slaves who know what happened, all descendants of the Hessian Lords will regard this fictional legend as historical fact.

The power of the lord, the fantasy of the territory and its rich heritage, isn’t that what it is?
The only problem was that Su Li had to be thick-skinned, because at least in the early stages of his territory development, he had to face the ridicule and gossip of some insiders. After all, many people knew how this lake was created.

Su Li then asked, "I need to think about this name again. What's your other suggestion?"

"Another name might be Lake Ravlin. In divine teachings, 'Rin' is often associated with water and clarity, and could symbolize the clarity and purity of a lake. We can connect this lake with Knight Rav and give him a beautiful legend. Let's say it was formed from the tears of the powerful Paladin Rav, a high priestess of the Church of the Blazing Sun."

"In a war against the Greenskin invasion, Leif sacrificed her life to protect the people of her territory. Her tears fell on the earth, forming this lake. The lake water has since possessed powerful magical powers of healing and purification."

"From then on, Lake Rafflin became a sacred place in the hearts of the territory's residents. As long as they prayed to the lake with respect, they would receive the priestess's blessing and protection. The land around the lake became fertile, with abundant crops, abundant fishing and hunting, and the territory became more prosperous and powerful."

"As time goes by, the name and legend of Lake Ravelin will be passed down from generation to generation in the territory, becoming an eternal symbol, representing hope, life, and the gift of the goddess."

"Great!" Su Li clapped his hands excitedly, and said in a somewhat excited voice, "Let's call it this! And this name is not made up, it's just a slight beautification of facts and history!"

It is true that not long after Leif's sacrifice, the territory dug out this beautiful lake, and it is not an exaggeration to call it Leif's Tears.

More importantly, the various magical powers bestowed upon it by legend can actually be realized by this lake!
This is not an ordinary freshwater lake. Two magic tide clams have been placed in it. Under the influence of the magic pearl, the spiritual energy content of the lake water is very abundant.

Washing your body with this lake water can help minor cuts on your fingers and common food poisoning heal faster.

The land irrigated with the water from this lake will undoubtedly become more fertile!

And as time goes by, the magic tide pearl gathers more and more energy, and these effects will become stronger and stronger.

By then, the legend carefully constructed by Fandral will become a legend that generations of people in the territory will believe in.

In the future, the territory will definitely send a large number of troops to be stationed here to protect more and more various fantastic creatures. It is only natural that this place will become the holy place of the territory.

Even the surrounding knights were amazed by the name. Naming the lake after a fallen knight was undoubtedly a monumental act. Furthermore, the myth fits the lake's current magical power so perfectly. This beautiful name will surely make the lake famous throughout the Border Princedom. In the future, the lake's fame might even spread throughout the empire. In that case, the lake would be remembered by everyone, no longer just an ordinary, nameless freshwater lake.

Su Li couldn't help but smile and said, "Very good. Our territory finally has a landmark building and wonder. In the future, when we go to Maleburg or other territories, when we talk about our Hesse Territory, in addition to knights and wars, we will also have a unique cultural landscape to talk about."

"This place has to live up to its name. How many light-scale fish are there?"

Fandral immediately replied, "Fish can spawn naturally as long as the external conditions are right. Generally, larger fish carry more eggs, while smaller ones carry fewer. The external conditions in Lake Ravelin are very suitable, and these light-scaled fish are quite large. They have already started laying eggs, at least tens of thousands of them."

So it’s good to have a talented person. A druid who has a better understanding of animals and nature can solve many knowledge misunderstandings.

If he hadn't introduced it, Su Li would have always thought that fish spawning is the same as human spawning, mainly affected by physiological factors.

But in fact, the role of external environmental conditions is the most basic for the reproduction of fish. Although physiological stimulation (catalyzing) has a certain effect, it does not play a decisive role. It can only promote the discharge of mature eggs and accelerate the maturation of eggs in the later stages of development.

Su Li immediately asked, "Can all the tens of thousands of eggs in there mature?"

If there were tens of thousands of light-scaled fish, the territory would be rich.

Fandral explained with a smile, "This is a bit complicated, so I'll give you a rough outline. Fish eggs can usually be stored in the soil for a long time, waiting until the conditions are right for them to grow. That's why there's a saying that grass seeds take a thousand years, and fish eggs take ten thousand years. The growth of the light-scaled fish requires sufficient energy, so most of these eggs are hidden beneath the soil, and then they reproduce and grow in batches."

Su Li nodded. He was quite familiar with this. It was mainly because in his previous life, he had seen many fish species declared extinct in the Yangtze River reappear after the water quality improved. These were fish eggs that had been hidden in the mud at the bottom and banks of the river for years. When the water was severely polluted, they couldn't grow. But when the water improved and the external conditions were right, they quietly emerged again.

In the case of Lake Ravelin, as long as the spiritual energy content of the lake water can be guaranteed to continue to increase, there is basically no need to worry about the extinction of the light-scaled fish. Even if one or two are stolen, batches will grow back in the future.

This made Su Li very happy. What is the sense of security in farming? This is the stability and security that farming brings! No longer have to worry about having no food to eat like fishing and hunting.

At the same time, he smiled and asked, "Does this mean that we can now slaughter several light-scaled fish in batches?"

Fandral nodded, then replied carefully, "But I still suggest you wait a little longer, let them reproduce for a while, and keep enough large fish to ensure you have a good supply in case of emergency."

Su Li thought about it for a moment, then said, "Okay, I'll follow your advice and keep them."

Su Li had originally intended to slaughter one, but considering the territory wasn't yet prosperous, he decided to postpone it for two or three months, waiting for the territory's population to increase and for caravans to arrive in large numbers. After two or three months, it was estimated that some light-scale fish fry would appear.

As a druid, Fandral naturally didn't want to kill any living creature. After receiving Su Li's promise, he immediately laughed happily and said, "This Demon Tide Clam is really a good thing. With its presence, the ecology here has rapidly improved, and the abundance of spiritual energy has increased significantly. It would be great if we could get a few more of them."

"I'll keep an eye on the problem of the Demonic Tide Mussels." Su Li nodded, then walked with Fandral to the lakeside. Looking at the snails, frogs, tadpoles, and other animals swimming in the lake, he asked, "Can the ecology here support the survival of so many fish? How has the situation improved?"

After all, this is an artificial lake and there was nothing in it before.

Su Li was also curious: if you dig a pond in a piece of land and don't put fish in it, will fish gradually appear in it? How will it form its own natural ecosystem?

Fandral pointed to the swarms of tadpoles in the lake and said, "For now, we just need to add a little grain to the fish pond every day. The ecosystem here is gradually taking shape. Do you see these tadpoles? Late spring and early summer are the seasons when tadpoles reproduce in large numbers."

Su Li nodded. Of course he understood this situation. Anyone who had ever gone into the water to catch fish would know how common tadpoles and frogs were in summer.

"Aside from the fish we stocked the lake with, toads and wood frogs were among the first animals to arrive," Vandal said. "Toads typically breed in herds: once one arrives, many more will flock to mate and lay eggs. Young people with experience in rural areas should have this impression. Every spring, frogs may lay eggs in even newly formed puddles by the roadside after rain, not to mention large lakes like these."

"In addition to toads and wood frogs, various swans and birds are frequent visitors here. They carry a large number of tiny organisms into the small lake in their feathers and feet, even including fish eggs from nearby lakes. With the first one, there will soon be thousands. There are already more than a dozen species of fish in the lake."

"With enough herbivorous fish, carnivorous fish will soon be able to survive and reproduce. Some plants or tall trees accidentally dumped into the water will also become their new habitats. For example, snails and large schools of fish will be used as hunting grounds by some large fish."

"At the same time, such an abundance of fish will also feed a large number of other small animals and birds, enriching the ecosystem around the lake. Birds in turn bring more algae, plant seeds, and fish eggs. Ultimately, the plankton, shrimp, insects, fish, small animals, snakes, birds, and even large animals here will form a thriving ecosystem layer by layer around the lake."

After hearing this, Su Li couldn't help but have his eyes light up, praising the magic of nature. No wonder so many people are obsessed with the natural school.

Just by listening to Fandral's words, he felt as if he had witnessed a grand performance of life and nature. He couldn't imagine how much enjoyment the druids must have felt when they witnessed all this with their own eyes.

Su Li was of course very encouraged by the fact that the territory had been developed from nothing into such a prosperous one.

He then turned his attention to the area around the lake. In addition to the natural ecology here, the territory's engineering construction here has also been quite fruitful.

　To avoid accusations that I watered down the 300-word story of Silver Shield Lake, I'm adding 1200 words today. This story came to mind when I was thinking of a name for the lake, and it felt very fitting with the historical and cultural heritage of the Knight Territory. It felt a bit of a shame to discard it, as it would have enriched the worldview.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)