What's wrong with me, a mage, loving to farm?

Chapter 206. Just Wanting the World to Be More Pleasant to Look At.

The former priest was in excellent physical condition.

Despite losing so much blood, Rhea managed to wake up within half an hour. After drinking a sip of the broth given to her by her companion, she decided to begin the task assigned by Kroya.

He was indeed full of confidence and enthusiasm, and he felt that he had experience, but the whole process was not as smooth as he had imagined.

The reason for the setbacks didn't even come from the environment or the people living here, but from... the apprentices sent from Han Reef Island.

Inside a house, he sat opposite his apprentice Jamie, and the two were arguing about something:

"I don't think we should do that."

Jamie had no liking for the guy who almost assassinated his respected mentor and benefactor.

Moreover, Kroya had instructed him to "cooperate," so the methods and approaches were naturally up to him.

Therefore, he did not hesitate to question Rhea's plan.

Of course, this questioning should be conducted within reasonable and justifiable limits.

He said, "If everything is arranged perfectly, why would we need people? We could just use golems, wouldn't we?"

Jamie was concerned about Rhea's methods of land reclamation and cultivation.

Rhea's method was to send people to supervise the work, allowing the farmers to simply focus on their tasks without having to think about anything else.

The subsequent farming arrangements can be handled by a single person; this is the consistent practice of the Church of the Earth Mother, which minimizes manpower consumption.

However, Jamie felt that this approach was in serious conflict with Chloe's usual method of setting goals, as Chloe always set a goal and then let them learn and work hard on their own.

He believed that in these matters, they should follow Cloa's method, as that was the most correct approach.

But Rhea was quite surprised.

The former priest widened his eyes: "Will Lord Kroya agree? It will be very troublesome and will consume more manpower and resources."

Moreover, methods for fertilizing fields are not suitable for ordinary people.

This is very sound advice, because it is indeed the case. Even the Church of the Earth Mother, which has always promoted harvest and farming, has never thought of imparting some knowledge to ordinary people.

Or rather... they also lack the means to pass on more knowledge to ordinary people.

"Since you have entrusted me with full responsibility, whatever it may be, as long as we can produce results, you will not care."

After Jamie finished explaining, he stared at Rhea for a moment, then suddenly asked curiously, "What method of fertilizing the field are you talking about?"

"Use magic." Rhea briefly explained the method passed down from the Church of the Earth Mother: "You can irrigate the earth with water containing magic, and then bury some magical beans that possess magic power. This will fertilize the land."

This knowledge actually involves some of the Vatican's secrets, such as what combinations of magical plants are more beneficial to the fields.

The production of land and food is something that all countries care about, so his words, in a sense, are a betrayal of the church.

If someone were to report him now, a knight of judgment would immediately come out and kill him.

However, Jamie didn't pay much attention to what he said and continued to ask:

"Have you ever considered using animal and human excrement to make fertilizer, which could also fertilize the fields?"

"!!!"

Rhea's pupils dilated instantly, and her expression twisted for a moment.

He instinctively blurted out, "How can those filthy things possibly defile Mother Earth's body, defile the pure and sacred fields!"

"..."

Jamie almost said something inappropriate, but thankfully he held back.

"But that's what Lord Kroya said," Jamie explained. "Lord Kroya instructed that if you want to turn vast fields into fertile land where crops can grow, this method is one of the less costly ones."

This is indeed something Cloa once said.

Because the outside world is different from Hanjiao Island, the latter can achieve a perfect magic field by accumulating various kinds of magic power, but this method cannot be used in the outside world.

The amount of magic needed to cover the vast fields outside is astronomical, and besides, the crops grown outside are mostly basic crops that don't rely much on magic.

Magic is a kind of nutrient for them; they need it, but it's not necessary.

So after racking his brains, Kroya found some methods for fertilizing the land in his memory—the simplest method was to combine farmyard manure with some fertile crops.

He wasn't sure if the bean-type magical plants in this world could function as fertilizer, so he thought he'd try planting them in combination.

That is, to use a magical plant that can fertilize the land as the core, and plant more crops nearby.

But how to complete this collaboration was the task he assigned to Jamie.

At this moment, Jamie was unaware that the priest in front of him knew the specific quantity and combination.

After hearing that this was a task assigned by Kroya, the former priest temporarily abandoned some of his aversion to "farm manure".

He thought about it carefully and suddenly realized that if this were true, it would be very difficult to put into practice.

For example...

"How are we going to collect it?" Rhea asked helplessly. "Animal feces are fine, but how are we going to collect human feces?"

"Are we supposed to go and collect them?"

"..."

Jamie gave him another strange look.

He asked in confusion, "Don't you know what a toilet is?"

As he said this, he looked the former priest up and down, wondering if this guy really didn't go to the toilet.

Do they all relieve themselves in the roadside bushes? That's so dirty! Even five or six-year-old children on Hanjiao Island wouldn't do that.

"Of course I know." The former priest, infuriated by that gaze, retorted, "But..."

Just as he was about to say something, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and he asked with a surprised look, "Do you mean you're going to build a separate toilet for everyone?"

He never even considered the concept of a public toilet.

For some reason, Jamie suddenly felt a strange sense of superiority, so he described some of the infrastructure that Kroa had built to Rhea.

The latter was initially incredulous, then shocked, and finally filled with admiration.

"The mage Chloe actually... actually agreed to build such a facility for ordinary people?"

He truly couldn't imagine the existence of public toilets, bathrooms, and canteens.

Logically speaking, he should be considered well-informed, but even the legal code country of the Holy See doesn't do such things, and you can even see some everywhere on the streets... um.

He simply imagined the scene in his mind—clean streets, people without odors or filth, and places where he could buy food freely.

That feeling made him restless and excited.

"Can I go visit Han Reef Island?"

Rhea rubbed her hands together eagerly, wanting to see for herself what Kroya's territory was like.

"No." Jamie refused decisively.

However, he added, "If you do things well, Lord Kroya should agree."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of anticipation flashed in Rhea's eyes.

"Then let's do as Lord Kroya arranges."

"We can start by building... public toilets."

"Later, I learned of some magical plants that can help crops grow in the fields. Please ask Lord Kroya to find some of them."

As he spoke, he placed one hand on his chest and bowed, saying, "The task of teaching and imparting knowledge to the residents of Seagull Territory can only be entrusted to you. I don't know the specifics of the situation."

Once he accepted the task, he was, after all, a priest, whose greatest strengths were preaching and assigning tasks, so he was certainly capable of doing it well.

Jamie nodded. "I understand."

Although he was still dissatisfied with this guy, when it came to serious matters, he would definitely take the initiative to communicate and cooperate with him.

Everything was done to fulfill Kroya's orders.

……

After the two finished their discussion.

And so the renovation plan for Seagull Collar began.

It is worth mentioning that the original lord of Seagull Territory, a baron, has been sent by Kroya and other lords to an island in the near sea.

The island provided them with lodging, land, and ample food, and even some entertainment; the only drawback was the lack of freedom.

Kroya would never allow them to stay in their respective territories, as it would be troublesome if it interfered with what he was doing.

So for now, Jamie and Rhea are the bosses here, and no one will stop them from doing what they want.

At first, the farmers didn't understand what those white houses standing at the intersection were or what the purpose of building them was.

In their eyes, this house was even more luxurious than their own place, and some even wondered if it was a place for esteemed mages to live.

When the apprentice monks who were working hard on the construction heard this, they were all speechless, feeling a mix of amusement, sadness, and relief.

It's funny that they used the toilet as their home; it's sad that if Kroya hadn't taken them in, they might have had the same questions; thankfully, they can now help these people.

The apprentices were all teenagers, and after receiving Kroya's education, they inevitably had some unrealistic aspirations and naive fantasies.

For example, they longed to transform the northern lands where they were born into the same shape as the reef islands built by Kroya.

These traits are not contradictory to their maturity.

Kroya even somewhat approved of their seemingly unrealistic fantasies, and he often felt that the level of civilization in this world was extremely fragmented.

On one side is a wondrous and magnificent magical civilization, and on the other is an environment even worse than the medieval times in my memory—it can even be described as barbaric.

It's not that he's some kind of saint who wants to change the world, but rather that he wants to make the world more pleasing to the eye.

At least he won't see people relieving themselves in the bushes when he goes for a walk by the roadside, nor will he find anything discordant when he tries to take a closer look at any beautiful scenery.

This is a very difficult task, so he needs help, and the magicians he has trained are the best helpers.

The apprentices were also following Kroya's instructions.

Therefore, they wouldn't think that building a toilet for a group of ordinary people would be an insult.

Thanks to their efforts, the toilet was built quickly.

When they told the farmers what the toilet was for, the farmers were immediately stunned with surprise.

"bathroom?"

"Master, are you going to build us a toilet?"

"God above, is this true?"

The farmers cautiously entered the toilet and saw the spotless floor and walls, and then they saw the classic long row of squat toilets.

Water flows inside, brought over from afar by the apprentices. With just a small magical mechanism, a six-pointed star magic crystal can last for several months.

The pipes below, constructed by a team of earth thieves and sand worms, will be washed into a pool for easy access.

"It's so clean."

"How do I use this?"

"Can we really use it?"

Faced with the farmers' cautious inquiries, an apprentice simply demonstrated how to use it—of course, it was just a pretense, and he didn't actually do anything in front of everyone.

"You all saw it, right? All you have to do is squat here and then..."

"Like this, and then like this again..."

The apprentice blushed slightly, but still explained in detail how to use it.

After his demonstration, the farmers felt as if a new world had opened up for them, and they couldn't wait to try it themselves.

In no time, all the stalls were occupied.

The farmers clearly didn't mention the awkwardness of going to the toilet face-to-face; in fact, they discussed it with great interest.

Hmm... the scene and the smell...

After a brief observation, the apprentices covered their noses and left the toilet, quickly heading off to continue construction elsewhere.

According to the plan, at least fifteen toilets need to be built to meet the needs of Seagull Territory.

As for if further needs are required, then the farmers should build it themselves, and it is reasonable for them to earn their wages through their own labor.

……

Meanwhile, on the other side...

The Terai River flows gurglingly, bringing magical, moist air to the land on both banks.

In the field, Rhea, carrying a hoe, was carefully planting several magical plants called "Tumor Beans" that Kroa had bought in the very center of the field.

This magical plant was the one he asked Kroya to buy; it was one of the magical plants the Church used to fertilize their fields.

It is not edible, but the nodules on its roots can grow very large and can remain in the soil for a very long time.

Although the Vatican doesn't know why they can fertilize fields, it has been using them.

Jamie and his apprentices were busy around.

As per Kroya's request, the initial plan was to conduct a trial on three acres of land to see how effective the magical plant fertilizer was before expanding the area.

Of course, the rest of the land is also being cultivated, with the help of worker bees and golems.

The Terai River is now absolutely safe from flooding and will not wash away the fields on both banks, so it is best to cultivate the land directly along the river.

The fields were planted with corn and potatoes that Kroya had bought from Estna. These two are the most common staple foods and are usually included in meals.

Planting these common crops was a first for the apprentices, and they were initially a little unaccustomed to it because they felt that these crops were too "delicate".

These corn seeds need to be soaked in water first, and then they need to be germinated before they can be sown in the soil. The planting time also depends on the weather, temperature, and the thickness of the soil layer.

Potatoes are similar; they're quite troublesome.

To be honest, they had planted quite a few magical plants on Hanjiao Island and had never been in such a predicament before.

Because magical plants require more magical energy in their environment, the magical energy concentration in the environment of Hanjiao Island is practically a paradise for magical plants, so they don't need to exert any effort at all.

You don't even need to worry about when to sow the seeds or the depth of the soil.

In comparison, corn and potatoes are incredibly delicate!

However, what they didn't know was that not only were they shocked, but even Rhea, the priestess of the Earth Mother Goddess, was completely dumbfounded—this, this is really the corn and potatoes I planted?

Rhea didn't dare to ask, thinking it was some brand new technology. It was already incredible that Kroa had allowed him to see it, so how could he dare to have any questions?

Neither of them knew that these were actually some memories from Kroya's previous life. In fact, he didn't know if this method would work in this world, which was why he wanted to test it.

Because of this, despite the confusion and bewilderment on both sides, the reclamation and planting of the land proceeded steadily.

Surprisingly, it went exceptionally smoothly.

In just over ten days, a vast expanse of land, spanning hundreds of acres, took shape along both banks of the Terai River, centered around the experimental field.

The golems were busy working alongside the people in the fields, planting all the corn and potatoes.

Although it looks like a dark, barren land now, it will soon become lush and green, full of corn and potatoes.

The farmers strictly followed Kroya's instructions, using farmyard manure and river water flowing from the beaver dam to irrigate the land in appropriate amounts.

Every day, apprentices deliver soil to the laboratory on Han Reef Island for testing, allowing the sentient plants to sense whether the land is suitable for them to take root.

This work will continue until the most suitable data is obtained.

Kroya also arranged for some magical beasts, such as black-feathered chickens, to patrol the fields to prevent insects from threatening the tender new shoots.

They held their heads high like great generals, showing no desire for the tender new shoots, their eyes fixed on the little insects, ready to peck them with lightning speed whenever they saw them.

With their help, naturally no insects can threaten the newly sprouted buds.

Humans, golems, and monsters worked together harmoniously in this field, tending to the tiny, newly sprouted shoots.

They were all hoping that the crops would grow well.

Time passed slowly.

One morning, a travel-worn group arrived at this field.

The leader was a young man with golden hair, which rippled in the breeze like waves of wheat.

Thank you all for your monthly tickets and recommendations... I'll be adding an extra chapter next month!

(End of this chapter)