Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 217: The New Ecology of Lake Ravelin and the Proposal of the Church of Dawn

Regardless of the method, the territory has now grown 276+74 extraordinary ears, a total of 350.

By the time the harvest comes, the number will be at least more than 4000+ Emerald Green Spirit Valleys, which is more than four times the harvest from the battlefield.

Farming still yields much greater rewards than hunting, and is also much more stable.

This is a profit of 4000+ gold crowns, and it is in short supply. It is an extraordinary grain circulated among the God-chosen Knights and nobles.

The two God-chosen knights in the territory can only eat this kind of extraordinary spiritual grain before the war, which can ensure that their transformation time is greatly extended by at least twice.

The five-minute and ten-minute divine general states can have a huge impact on the battle situation.

In addition, giving high-level champion knights more of this extraordinary grain can also increase their success rate of breakthrough.

Many high-ranking Champion Knights were stuck at the threshold of the Chosen Knight, lacking an opportunity to break through. Two high-ranking Champion Knights in the territory were already stuck, unable to break through.

Su Li had no other options. Since there was no such opportunity in the daily intelligence system, he could only wait. Perhaps after they had consumed enough extraordinary grains, such information would appear.

Besides the Supernatural Valley, Su Li was also very concerned about other supernatural creatures and asked, "What's the situation in Lake Ravelin? I see a lot of new creatures have appeared."

Fandral nodded and said, "Yes, once a lake's ecosystem is formed, migrating water birds and toads will bring various fish eggs and shells."

"Furthermore, Duinclaw successfully built a nest here, forming a magical spring below, which greatly improved the water quality, making the lake clear and like a body of living water."

"There are already three Demon Tide Mussels in the lake. They provide abundant vitality for the growth of the Light Scaled Fish. There are now more than 3 Light Scaled Fish in the lake."

"More than 30 light-scaled fish?!" Su Li was pleasantly surprised. "This wonderful environment of Lake Ravelin is just as suitable for the growth of light-scaled fish as it is for the growth of light-scaled fish."

When naming Lake Ravelin, Fandral introduced Su Li to the knowledge about fish reproduction.

Fish spawning is different from that of humans. It is not affected by physiology. External environmental conditions are the most basic. Although physiological stimulation 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.

Therefore, when the water conditions are suitable, the fish eggs hidden among the water plants and deep in the riverbed will quickly develop and multiply and grow into fry.

The vitality in Lake Ravelin is actually enough to support the growth of more than 30 light-scaled fish?

This is a precious fish that only dukes would serve on their tables. In Hesse Territory, it seems to have become a must-have dish for Su Li to improve his meals every month.

Fandral was also afraid that Su Li would slaughter another batch, so he quickly said, "My Lord, before the battle at the border outpost, we ate almost all the light-scale fish we could slaughter, leaving only one large fish weighing over 20 kilograms. Now these newly grown light-scale fish are less than the size of a palm. Please at least let them grow for a while before considering slaughtering them."

The growth of the smooth-scaled fish is not fast, but it is not slow either. Like carp and grass carp, it is not difficult for it to grow to 3 to 5 kilograms in a year.

A three-pound smooth-scale fish on the table is considered a big dish.

Su Li smiled and said, "Don't worry, my minister. The territory now has a complete strategy to deal with green dragon invasions. There is no longer any need to eat light-scale fish to urgently improve strength. I promise that before next year's Spring Birth Ceremony, I will never kill another light-scale fish."

"Tell me about the new fantastical creatures that have appeared in Lake Ravelin."

Fandral finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Cave corals are the most abundant in Lake Rafflin right now. These anemone-like creatures use their tentacles to drag prey to the lake bottom, providing food for the growth of fungi. Our territory's Holy Land Guards carry crimson pearls into the water almost every cycle to clear out these monsters. We've already accumulated over 140 crimson pearls."

Pearls are very precious treasures in this world, and scarlet pearls are the best among them. Not to mention their magical ability to allow humans to dive underwater for 3 minutes, just their beautiful color and round and smooth luster can make scarlet pearls sell for a considerable price.

Pearls like the one Su Li saw at the dock might only be worth a few dozen silver coins, but scarlet pearls, depending on their size, could be worth 2 to 7 gold crowns.

This means that the pearl output from Lake Ravelin alone can bring Su Li at least 300 gold crowns in half a year.

The dwarves of Redbeard Castle have no special talent in forging armor, but when it comes to making jewelry, they are the best among the Gray Mountain Dwarves.

So Su Li never sold these pearls. Instead, he thought that after the war with the green dragon was over, these dwarves would be freed from armor production and could make high-end jewelry.

With so many pearls and gems stored in the treasury, Su Li's treasury still seemed very rich and abundant, with dazzling jewels.

And the treasures offered by Lake Ravelin are far more than these. Fandral continued, "There is also a subspecies of dragon turtle called the Lokhlom Star-Patterned Elephant Tortoise in Lake Ravelin. It is said that in the distant New World, some eccentric Albion mercenaries are famous for riding these strange creatures into the battlefield."

"But none of us have ever seen them, and even the names of these mercenaries rarely spread to the Old World. They are active on the distant coasts, battling high elves, dark elves, and Chaos Warriors. The main value of these star-patterned tortoises here is their star-patterned shells. Some fortune-telling wizards, private investigators, heavenly mages, and astrologers are willing to pay more than ten gold crowns for this precious shell."

Su Li frowned, somewhat dissatisfied, and asked, "Only 10 gold crowns?"

He has now seen too many projects that cost hundreds of gold crowns, or even two or three thousand gold crowns, so he really doesn't think highly of these mere 10 gold crowns.

This loan of 20000 gold crowns from the merchants truly broadened his horizons.

Now Su Li began to understand why salesgirls in high-end luxury stores tended to change their mindsets and lose their normal values.

He handled projects worth thousands of gold crowns, and when he looked at the profits from the 10 gold crowns in his hand, he could indeed feel a huge gap.

Fandral was also surprised for a moment, and said, "My Lord, 10 gold crowns is already a lot! This is a price that wizards and fortune tellers would only offer if they were very wealthy."

These fortune tellers are indeed quite rich. For example, next to the branch of the Order of the Corona, there is a two-story wooden building on Carnival Square, called Ophuls's Secret. The fortune teller and private detective Rosana Ophuls owns this simple wooden building. She usually works on the first floor and lives on the second floor at night.

The fact that she was able to buy a small detached house next to the Carnival Plaza, where every inch of land is worth a lot of money, shows her strength.

She is always able to help the interrogator recall a lost fortune or review the past by accessing items related to the incident, which makes her very good at detective work.

As the territory grew, there were quite a few people from all walks of life like her in the territory.

Su Li asked: "How many of these star-patterned tortoise shells are there? How many can we sell?"

Fandral spread his hands and said, "This tortoise shell is a rare commodity. Not only are the wizards in our territory in need, but we can also sell it to Maraisburg. It can be preserved for a long time, so there will always be a market. A giant tortoise can lay 100 to 150 eggs a year, but only about 2% of the eggs can reproduce and grow. So overall, the annual profit of this star-patterned tortoise shell is not a small amount."

This was a free profit of at least dozens of gold crowns, and perhaps hundreds of gold crowns at most. Su Li couldn't ask for more. After all, he didn't expect to become rich by relying on a creature from Lake Rafflin.

After introducing this species, Fandral continued, "In addition to this turtle, Lake Ravelin has also welcomed the beaver family of Biberg."

"Biberg is a strong beaver, also known as nature's dam engineer. He uses natural magic to build dams on both sides of the lake to raise the water level. So we, the Dawn Church, affectionately call him the Lake Guardian."

"It is also the most perfect sympathizer of nature. Mannan gifted it with the [Eternal Breath], allowing it to stay underwater indefinitely, searching for the perfect materials to build dams and improve wetland ecology. In the process, it will discard some precious materials it doesn't need into a corner near the dam."

"This means that if we visit its lair every once in a while, we can find some precious minerals, crystals, gems, etc. We can take all of this away by leaving a few dozen fish as gifts in exchange."

"Since this month, we have obtained a piece of dragon blood stone, half a pound of silver steel, and a piece of gold nugget the size of an animal tooth from the Biberg family."

A piece of gold nugget the size of an animal tooth?
That is really a huge fortune. This is pure gold. If you take it to Maleburg, the Goldsmiths' Guild will buy it for a high price. It is much more cost-effective than melting it into several gold crowns.

This piece of gold nugget alone is worth a fortune, hundreds of times the value of dozens of fish.

So Su Li smiled and said: "This is really a mountain of gold and silver, but it can't compare to green mountains and clear waters."

As long as the Hessen Territory develops the ecology of Lake Ravelin well, the endless stream of fantastical creatures that gather here will bring endless wealth to the territory.

Fandral said solemnly, "The growth and development of the territory is undoubtedly an exciting and positive thing, but it also brings a huge headache and pressure. Our Holy Land Guard has only three squads and is simply unable to stop the invasion of the Green Dragon Legion. If the evil minions reach here, they will definitely destroy everything here."

The green dragon's followers were all monsters of the jungle. Seeing these fantastical creatures in the lake, they would undoubtedly become feral and slaughter them all, eating their carcasses. This would cause them to wreak havoc, and the holy land that the Hessen Territory had painstakingly developed would suffer heavy losses. The dilapidated ecological environment would take a long time to recover.

This is indeed the biggest problem facing the territory now.

Su Li pondered for a moment and said, "The Holy Land Guard Corps alone cannot protect the ecology of Lake Rafflin. We still need to gather our main forces. The best plan is to defeat the Green Dragon Corps. After the war is over, I will increase the size of the Holy Land Guard Corps to a squadron."

Su Li then left the lakeside and walked to the dam of Bjorn Bay. Looking down at the vast fertile farmland, he asked, "How is the grain production, which is the most important issue in the territory?"

Speaking of this, Fandral became enthusiastic. His breathless state disappeared and he stood directly beside the gate, watching the huge waves pouring down. He said to Su Li, "The water of Lake Ravelin irrigates the fertile land below Bjorn Bay, so that this vast farmland will surely usher in a good harvest."

"We have now reclaimed 11 mu of fertile land in Bjorn Bay. In a good harvest, we will harvest more than 15000 tons of grain."

"If we add the fertile land from the blood sacrifice, the scale could double. 3 tons of grain is enough to sustain our territory for six months. This basically means that after the Spring Creation Ceremony next year, the territory will have an extremely abundant supply of grain, ready for export."

"By then, relying solely on the title of Border Granary, we will be able to earn over 3000 gold crowns every harvest season."

Hearing this, Su Li also felt happy.

The border granary, the goal he had been dreaming of for a long time, finally had a glimmer of hope of realization.

All these fertile fields in Bjorn's Bay belong to Su Li. Now Su Li can be regarded as a large landowner with 1100 hectares of fertile fields.

Thousands of acres of fertile land are the most typical symbol of wealth in the feudal era.

Even in the Eastern Celestial Empire, the scale of Su Li's fertile land is comparable to that of a large feudal landlord.

So Su Li smiled and said, "Your work at the Dawn Church has been very effective, even exceeding the target of more than 300 acres set at the meeting. At the end of the year, I will donate a sum of money to the Dawn Church, the amount of which will be no less than gold crowns."

"Also, if you have any requests, you can directly ask me."

Fandral bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord, but we in the Rhea Church generally do not build grand temples. The monasteries in the towns within our territory are sufficient."

"As you know, while the Goddess of the Morning is beloved by the people of the Empire, townspeople rarely pay attention to her except when they need her blessing—such as to ease the stress of childbirth, fill granaries and markets, or end a harsh winter."

“Our priestesses also visit larger settlements to care for expectant mothers, but they are not happy to be surrounded by walls and stones for long.”

“The true heartland of our church’s faith is in the villages and farms of the Empire Countryside, for in these places her grace is essential for survival and prosperity.”

"Rural life is considered 'under the care of Rhea' for good reason. If a subject lives in the countryside, Rhea will be with him from birth, watching him grow up, find love, marry, and bear children of his own. Even after his death, Rhea is responsible for handing his soul over to Morr and, in some legends, wishes for his body to be buried in the earth, where it can support future life."

"So we hope to build more monasteries and stone shrines dedicated to the goddess in the countryside, rural areas, and farms of the empire."

"But we're facing two thorny problems. One is that the territory's engineers and construction teams are too focused on urban areas. They're almost unwilling to develop in the countryside, resulting in many villages and farms being isolated in the vast foothills of the Hesse Territory, without even a dirt path. In winter, our rituals and missionary work become even more inconvenient. Many women in the villages are even forced to give birth in cruel conditions because they can't wait for the priestess to arrive."

"The second reason is that we are short of priests in the Church of Dawn. We hope to have more half-elves and druids join the territory."

The issues that Fandral mentioned are indeed very realistic. It can be seen that he has really studied the details of the territory and conducted a personal investigation.

There were already more than 30 nuns of the Church of Dawn in the Hesse Territory. It was the second largest religion in name but the largest in reality.

However, compared with the number of dwarves, the number of these half-elf nuns in the territory is indeed relatively small.

The number of dwarves settled and traveling in the Hessen Territory may have reached six or seven hundred. In comparison, the number of elves, half-elves, and druids is negligible, only a few dozen.

This shows that the territory clearly values ​​dwarves more, which is also in line with the empire's consistent tradition.

However, in the border prince's territory, the people are mixed, and there are even green-skinned mercenaries. The territory is more open and diverse than the empire, and it should indeed attract a group of elven blood to join.

Su Li considered this question for a moment and said, "I will strengthen the trade routes and bring in more elven slaves. The roads in the territory do need to be improved, which will also help the villages deliver their specialties to Heisen Town."

There are many such closed and self-sufficient villages in Hesse. Mainly because when the immigrant group came here, Su Li allocated an area to them, and they started to build and cultivate the land on this farm themselves.

Many villages even lacked a dirt road connecting to Hesse Town. Only when the tax collectors from Hesse Town arrived did the farmers in the village know that the noble lords who ruled them were pioneer knights from the Bauhinia family.

This is also the norm in the empire. Nobles usually only build the areas they can see for their own enjoyment.

As for the invisible corners, they don’t even know why the peasants are rebelling, let alone developing any facilities for them.

The Lord of Hessen was helpless. With limited funds, they had to prioritize the development around Hessen Town. The construction of Bjorn Bay and Hessen Castle, two assets belonging to the lord, consumed 8% of manpower and material resources.

If we continue to develop water conservancy facilities and create a commercial environment in the town, there will be no spare capacity to build infrastructure in other villages.

Since the lords don't do things like paving roads and building bridges, the villagers can only hope that some big businessman will donate to them.

Merchants will not do anything without profit. They donate a road and then monopolize the specialties and trade of a village.

This is not in Su Li's interest. After all, the specialties of the territory can really be sold at a price.

In addition, building roads and infrastructure will also facilitate the rapid mobility of the army and give full play to the mobility advantages of the cavalry corps.

So, to Fandral's surprise, Su Li replied directly: "I will have the engineers of the territory immediately plan a set of roads connecting all the holy places, villages and farms in the territory, and start construction as soon as possible."

Fandral had thought Su Li would wait until the war against the green dragons was over before planning this, so he was overjoyed and said excitedly, "I praise your kindness and generosity, Lord. I believe that as long as we can withstand the threat of the green dragon army, we will be able to survive this winter in peace and with a good harvest."

After inspecting the farmland in the territory with Vandal, Su Li's confidence in the territory's grain output increased greatly. Then he inspected the Bauhinia Noble Ranch again with a happy mood.

This is Su Li's royal aristocratic ranch, where a large number of livestock belonging to Su Li are raised, including more than 600 war horses, more than 400 cattle, more than 3000 sheep, goats, battle rams, and more than 500 other miscellaneous creatures, such as mules, donkeys, deer, tinder rabbits, etc.

Now, with the growth of the territory and the rise of various ranches and villages, the livestock in the territory no longer rely on this ranch for supplies.

Due to the vastness, sparse population and fertile land of the Hessian territory, even a small village of thirty or forty people would have a village pasture where one or two cows, draft horses, sheep and other livestock were grazed.

In places like the Bloody Highlands in the north, knights have directly rented large farms and hired shepherds to herd hundreds of sheep.

According to the report from Edmund, the head pastor, the price of a newly-born lamb in the territory is now 7 to 9 silver coins.

It is a good thing that the price of lambs is so high. It proves that the people in the territory are confident in the future of the territory and have high development expectations, so they are actively cultivating livestock.

Su Li also experienced the powerful rewards brought by clean horse management. In recent months, the horses, cattle, sheep, dairy products, cashmere, etc. that came out of his noble ranch have brought Su Li an average monthly income of 50+ gold crowns. If the income from the tinderbox rabbits is added, then an average monthly income of 100 gold crowns is no problem at all.

When he finished looking at the ranch, it was already dark, and Su Li felt that there were still many things he had not had time to pay attention to.

For example, the cashmere factory that Lawn built for him, the furniture workshop in the territory, the weapons production in the armory, the medicine production in various monasteries, and so on.

He simply didn't have the energy to look closely. Before night fell, he could only squeeze out some time to pay attention to the production of the largest iron mine in the territory.

There are 160 dwarf miners working in the iron mine tower. Such a huge scale finally demonstrates the strategic value of this giant iron mine.

While the mining progress has been greatly improved, the dwarves successfully dug out 45 imperial kilograms of vibranium from a giant iron mine this month!

(End of this chapter)