Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 216: More than 300 extraordinary spikes and the territory's specialty: Halfling leather armor
In response to Su Li's question, Fandral immediately said, "My Lord, I have already used the [Sunfall] spell in the vanilla plantation. I used it twice, covering approximately 10 acres of vanilla fields."

Su Li asked with great interest, "How's the effect? ​​Are there any extraordinary vanilla orchids?"

Fandral nodded and said, "I found three Emerald Seed-level transcendent spices in this ten-acre vanilla field. However, the specific effects can only be analyzed after the vanilla pods mature and the arcane patterns on them are analyzed."

It is estimated that a champion-level druid can only grow emerald-level extraordinary fruits. If the druid wants to grow blue-level fruits, he needs to further improve his strength.

Perhaps when this archdruid reaches the legendary level and produces a large number of purple and gold-quality fruits, he will be able to mass-produce a large number of champion-level, divinely chosen, and even legendary knights in his territory!

After all, an old person in the family is truly a treasure.

A legendary druid's continuous farming can bring a large amount of extraordinary fruits to the territory.

But it's too early for that. By the time Fandral reaches the legendary level, there will probably be many legendary knights in the territory to protect him.

So Su Li didn't think much about it and asked, "How about other aspects? I've been busy with the war recently and haven't paid attention to farming."

Fandral hesitated, carefully choosing his words, trying not to anger Su Li: "Farming is going well, but the slaves... have some complaints."

Su Li was stunned for a moment and asked, "What do you mean it's going smoothly? What complaints do the slaves have?"

What complaints could these slaves have?

Fandral considered his words and whispered, "They think you're a bit... hypocritical. Some boast that you're giving them so much food because you expect them to fight for you, to go to the battlefield and fight against the minions of evil monsters."

"So some of them, under malicious instigation, chose to go on strike. They refused to go to the fields to pick cotton. Now is the cotton harvest season, which is related to the winter warmth of our territory, so it has a small impact."

"In addition, they demanded the same treatment as the armed attendants."

Hearing this, Su Li couldn't help but clench his right fist and asked with gritted teeth: "Am I too kind?"

If he hadn't taken into consideration the nobles' upbringing, which allowed him to express his anger but not his anger, he would have wanted to curse at these bastards right now!
He gave them far better-than-normal food, opportunities for advancement, and a bright future. He treated them as real human beings and believed that the fate of the territory was closely linked with theirs. He had never even thought of sending them to the battlefield. Even today, in the 5000 troops that Su Li calculated could be assembled, there was no room for any slaves.

In the end, in their eyes, I am just a hypocritical evaluation?

Freya, standing beside her, crossed her arms, supporting her heavy chest as she leaned against her tall half-griffin. She curled her lips and snorted coldly, "I've always felt that your attitude towards slaves was problematic. You always thought that if you gave someone a peach, they would give you a jade."

"But those values ​​are only shared by noble blood and honorable knights. They don't apply to slaves, who are born inferior. Have you ever thought about why they became slaves? I imagine that when a slave refused to pick cotton and accused you of hypocrisy, there must be a crowd of people cheering and applauding."

"There's a piece of traditional wisdom circulating among the nobility of the Empire, originating from the Kingdom of Arabia: If you joke with slaves, they will look down on you."

"Stop talking!" Su Li waved his hand irritably and asked, "Don't they have a traditional wisdom that says: Don't get angry easily, because when you get angry you will use your true abilities, and then others will know that your abilities are actually terrible?"

Freya shrugged and said, "I haven't heard of that, but what you said makes sense. You know the best thing to do."

How to do it?
Like other nobles in the empire, if a slave refused to work, the emperor would tie up his daughter and chop off his daughter's hands, feet and head one by one in front of the slave?
It seems that in the eyes of some citizens of the empire, this is the symbol of civilization.

Sure enough, in the eyes of these people, colonizing, enslaving and exploiting them is civilization.

If you really treat them as equals, they will feel it is hypocritical.

Freya said indifferently: "You should let go of your desire to help others and respect their fate."

That makes sense. The traditional Eastern morals that are natural to the nobility are truly inappropriate in the Empire.

Yi and Di are afraid of power but not virtuous.

If you are too friendly to them, they will think you are easy to bully.

Su Li said, "They certainly don't think Chief Judge Frederick is hypocritical. Forget it, I won't interfere in this matter. Let Frederick handle it."

Bloodbeard Frederick?
Fandral felt a chill on his back. The reputation of this chief judge in the Earldom of Bauhinia was so great that it could calm even a child's cries.

He is not only genuine, but also truly terrifying.

But he had no way to comment on this matter. Perhaps sometimes it takes some price to make both parties face reality.

Su Li then asked with concern: "Are we going to harvest cotton?"

Fandral nodded and immediately replied, "Yes, Lord. During the summer planting season, we planted over 800 mu of cash crops, including cotton, rapeseed, sugar beets, and more. Over 240000 mu of these are cotton, and we estimate we can produce jin of cotton."

24 kilograms of cotton?

Su Li didn't know whether the cotton yield was low or high.

But he calculated that on average each person in the territory could get nearly 50 kilograms of cotton, which was definitely not a low number.

This proves that the territory's cotton production may not even be inferior to that of modern society on Earth.

This is actually quite normal. Hesse Territory has ample sunlight, a mild climate, abundant water resources, and vast plains. This is the climate most conducive to the growth and development of cotton, equivalent to an enhanced version of XJ. Therefore, the cotton yield is naturally not low.

Moreover, the Border Prince Territory is located in the south of the empire. Although it also has autumns with withered grass and winters with falling snow, the winter is not as windy and snowy as Kislev and Nordland.

As long as the cotton harvest is good, it will be enough to meet the winter clothing and cotton robe needs of most people this winter.

Speaking of winter, Su Li turned to look at Tiberus beside him and asked, "You were once a follower of the Wolf God Yurik, who is also the God of Winter. Do you think this winter will be harsh?"

Tiberius, this fierce general, performed so bravely on the battlefield that he was the bravest among all the soldiers and had the most courage and spirit.

As a high-level champion knight, he also had a half-griffin as a mount. He was incredibly powerful, wearing vibranium rune armor and carrying a large number of witchcraft props. He killed 176 monsters on the battlefield alone, although nearly half of them were killed effortlessly while being chased.

But the remaining kills were also shocking enough. The monsters basically could not avoid his attacks, and they were killed and injured one after another.

What was even more terrifying was that his powerful defensive ability allowed him to fight bravely even when monsters surrounded him and attacked him with their sharp blades. He managed to kill the two teams of monsters that surrounded him, causing their morale to collapse and they fled in terror.

And he didn't just kill the weak. The monsters he killed included 17 armored wolves and 4 trolls.

This means that more than twenty elite monsters were chopped to pieces by him alone.

He even followed Captain Constantine in fearlessly charging towards the Wyvern King. With his powerful and ferocious fighting style, he fiercely smashed his hammer into the monster's giant legs several times. He also withstood another sweep from the monster without retreating an inch.

It can be said that if Commander Orstein had not wanted to fight the monster alone, he and Constantine would have been able to tear the monster to pieces with a group of champion knights.

Although his self-sufficient nature led him to rob other knights of their treasures through threats, duels, and picking fights, which didn't sit well with the knights, Su Li actually liked this upright and brave general. After all, such a lone minister couldn't stir up any trouble.

If he showed any intention or expression of disloyalty, the other knights would rush over and tear him to pieces without Su Li even having to say a word.

So Su Li basically took him with him whenever he went out to do something.

Hearing Su Li's question, he almost didn't think twice before replying, "Ulric is a very cruel deity. He's not as generous and magnanimous as the Sun Goddess and the Dawn Goddess. As the God of Winter, his harshness tortures everyone. In his view, those who can't even withstand the wind and snow are unworthy of his protection on the battlefield. Therefore, we northerners are more accustomed to the law of the jungle, where the strong always find ways to hide and dispel the cold. We have never considered questions like yours, because the northern winters are always harsh."

Tsk~ Su Li sighed and couldn't help but feel that it seemed that the north still had more of the dark and desperate characteristics of the empire.

However, what he said was an inspiration to Su Li. Su Li looked at Fandral and asked, "How much leather is there in our territory?"

"As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and saddles make the horse." Fandral said calmly, "Speaking of leather, we have a lot of it in our territory. But its uses are varied."

"We southerners don't like wearing animal skins and hats like people in Kislev and Nordland. So now it's mainly used to make leather armor and leather clothing."

Su Li knew about making leather clothes. Dwarves liked to skin and bones trolls and wear coats made of troll skin. This kind of troll leather coat was a symbol of wealth in dwarf society.

In a battle at the border outpost, Lord Hessen defeated four monster legions, including more than a dozen teams of trolls. Even though they were monster infantry, each team had only eight trolls, but the total number of trolls actually killed was more than a hundred, possibly even close to 200.

Trolls are the mortal enemies of the dwarves, so the dwarves always make the best use of all the materials on the trolls. The troll skulls are the perfect containers for them to drink troll brew, the troll acid is the material for them to make runes, and the troll skins are also their luxury materials.

So, just from these troll corpses, Su Li earned hundreds of gold crowns. This amount could have been doubled. The key was that before the battle, Su Li promised to award many troll quotas to the Master Engineer and Dogrin. Using dozens of gold crowns to boost their morale and work enthusiasm was an unparalleled reward.

However, Su Li didn't really pay much attention to the production of leather armor, so he asked, "How is the production of leather armor in our territory?"

Fandral said, "Your Lord Chancellor should report in detail on the production of leather armor. I can only tell you what I know. Leather armor is the most widely used armor in the Old World. It is common in the Empire, Kislev, and Araby. It is commonly used by mercenaries, militias, hunters, and caravan guards. It is not known for its defensive power, but its greatest feature is that it provides a small amount of protection without sacrificing agility."

"Leather armor is made from leather that has been boiled in water and oil. Even ordinary tailors can make it, and our territory produces a considerable amount. Leather armor is also very cheap, so economic reasons also contribute to its popularity. Halflings love to use leather armor."

"The leather armor and leather of our Balan Autonomous Territory are also quite famous specialties. The leather armor they craft possesses concealing magic, and its exquisiteness and practicality make it considered one of the best leather armors in the Border Prince Territories. This is a famous specialty of our territory, and it can bring considerable financial benefits to the territory."

Su Li really knew about this matter. After all, although Su Li did not ask about the specific trivial government affairs, he must know all the specialties in the territory.

The magical leather armor of the Balan Autonomous Territory was a specialty of their halfling race, and the production rights did not belong to Su Li. They were wealthy, and even if an individual member's assets were not enough to open a workshop, a large family with close personalities would jointly open a tailor shop to tailor leather armor.

Therefore, within the Balan Autonomous Territory, several major families opened six tailoring shops and one joint armor workshop. The leather armor they produced was sold well both within and outside the territory, and was one of the important specialties transported by halfling caravans to Maleburg.

This specialty is as famous as other territory specialties, but slightly different because their output does not belong to Su Li, but instead provides high taxes.

The reason why this kind of leather armor is so famous but accounts for a very small proportion in the Hessen army is entirely because the Hessen has a large number of blacksmith shops and armories directly under Su Li. The plate armor made by the dwarves is more sophisticated and does not require procurement costs.

Therefore, the cost-effectiveness of purchasing leather armor from halflings is relatively low. Only a small number of soldiers who are not suitable for wearing heavy armor, such as archers and swan knights, wear leather armor.

Of course, due to funding and production capacity issues, not all of the territory's troops wore heavy plate armor. However, those soldiers waiting to be replaced were not wearing leather armor, but rather studded leather armor or mail. This was an upgraded version of leather armor, using mass-produced leather pieces assembled with rivets. There were also variations called "studded armor" that used metal rings embedded in the armor. Studded leather armor could not be used with other metal armor of the same location, and the characteristic features of halfling leather armor were not present in studded leather armor.
In the north of the Empire, Nords wore animal hides such as bear, wolf, and other monster skins as armor. Many in Kislev also wore animal hides. These were heavy and non-breathable, making them uncomfortable to wear. They also restricted mobility and could not be combined with other armor (except helmets). However, animal hides offered roughly the same level of protection as chain mail and had the added benefit of intimidating the enemy.

Furthermore, the saying "clothes make the man" applies to this world as well. Fashion styles vary greatly from place to place—people in the southern territories of the Empire prefer shirts and cloaks, while Kislevites favor animal skins and fur hats. In comparison, the Empire's clothing trends are quite diverse, divided into westerners, northerners, and easterners. Imperials place great importance on clothing, and often judge people by appearance—those who dress more ostentatiously are treated more politely.

The western part of the empire refers to a territory with Terrabheim as its capital, including Avalan and Middenland. The people in these places have a sense of regional superiority over themselves and their hometowns. They are rich and live a very tasteful life. They regard people from other parts of the empire as country people. Because of the powerful armies of the western territories of the empire and the preferential policies of the emperor, westerners, from nobles to farmers, can afford to buy the clothes they want. Of course, clothes produced in the west are also more expensive than those produced in other places.

Western men liked to grow mustaches and long sideburns, while Western women largely determined the fashion trends of the Old World. They changed popular clothing or jewelry capriciously. In the era of the current emperor, the most popular women's clothing was a low-necked long dress with exposed chest and a brightly colored hat. These women have always been committed to showing off their figure as much as possible while wearing luxurious clothes.

The northern lands of Nordland, Westland, and Ostland generally view the people of the center and west as soft and effeminate. Compared to the fashionable Westerners, the Northerners prefer to wear animal skins, like the Kislevites. They disdain makeup, silk, precious metals, and the "high life" that most Westerners value. Northerners are unkempt, often leaving their hair and beards uncut. Even women are often lectured by men not to dress as elegantly as Western women. This doesn't mean they lack a sense of fashion—Northerners favor particularly flashy colors and patterns, often wearing bright red and purple clothes that look very conspicuous, but of course no one finds it embarrassing to walk down the street this way.

The eastern part of the empire refers to those territories. Because of the poverty in these places, the common people cannot dress like the people in the west, let alone pay attention to fashion. The people here are lifeless and unwilling to interact with others because of the hard life. They look very sloppy. Women shave their heads in the summer to keep cool and grow their hair long in the winter to keep warm. The clothes here are all the same, with only a few changes in the color of the belts.

Among food, clothing, housing and transportation, clothing is the most important item in people’s livelihood.

After the Hessen Territory solved its basic survival needs, it had to pay attention to clothing.

But it is obvious that clothing production is not the strong point of Hessen.

Fandral continued, "The cash crops we harvested this year, such as hemp, kudzu, and cotton, are still not enough to meet the needs of the territory. The territory needs these materials not only for clothing, but also for storage bags, hemp rope, furniture, quilts, sheets, and carpets."

"The only thing we have in relatively large quantities is leather jackets. After all, under your guidance, the fishing and hunting output of our territory has far exceeded normal levels. So far, the territory has produced over 7000 leather jackets."

"But you know, fur coats aren't popular in the southern part of the empire. So these garments aren't selling well. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. The accumulated fur coats will allow our subjects and slaves to have a good winter."

Su Li said with some regret: "I feel that the territory really needs a senior administrative bureaucrat to unify its development. Our territory is too focused on heavy industry. The production of things like clothing and daily necessities is seriously lagging behind."

There is silk in this world, and the people of the empire can also make it. The silk passed down from the distant Zhendan Dynasty is even more valuable than gold.

The territory specialties that Su Li expected to be mass-produced were undoubtedly five major categories, namely food, armor, spices, silk, and porcelain.

These five categories are the most profitable industries, which can allow the territory to earn huge wealth with a small population.

He had mentioned this goal during the meeting, but it was clear that the territory was currently unable to achieve it.

Fandral shrugged and said, "There's nothing we can do. Our territory's development is seriously hampered by the military. We can only follow the development direction you originally planned. We must first solve the basic problem of food production, and then, when we have surplus manpower, we can focus on developing certain industries."

"My Lord, we have actually developed very quickly. In just over half a year, we have been able to fight wars and cultivate the land at the same time. In addition to developing the fertile land of Bjorn's Shallow Bay, we have also opened up 43 acres of vanilla fields, one-sixth of an acre of extraordinary grain fields, and planted three extraordinary spirit trees."

"It's really fast. You can't become fat in one go."

43 acres of spices, 1/6 acre of extraordinary grains and 3 extraordinary spiritual trees, this is one of Su Li’s biggest farming achievements in the past six months.

Talking about this, Su Li's mood became much better. He said excitedly: "My minister, you are right. I may be too anxious. Tell me about the situation of the extraordinary spiritual valley. Are these one-sixth of an acre of extraordinary grains alive?"

Fandral nodded excitedly and said, "Yes, Lord. Under Sister Isabella's care, we have successfully grown 100 Emerald Spikes in our 276-square-meter purple spiritual field. If the harvest is good, we can reap at least 2500 to 3500 gold crowns."

Without waiting for Su Li to cheer up, he continued, "And that's not all! In addition to this 100-square-meter extraordinary grain field, we used the [Sunfall] magic on the blood sacrifice grain field and successfully grew emerald ears. After our count, we found that there are at least 74 emerald ears growing in various acres of wheat fields."

As expected! Su Li clenched his fists excitedly. He remembered that Isabella had told him before that normal extraordinary spiritual grains grew in farmland. It took an acre of wheat field to absorb enough Ji Lun wind to produce one.

The magic of the falling sun satisfied all of these requirements, so spiritual grains grew smoothly in the wheat fields.

On the contrary, Su Li's 1/6 of the purple spiritual field is a different way of production.

(End of this chapter)