Chapter 222 Enclosure Movement
【Dear Mr. Colin,
It has been a week since you left. I wonder if you are okay now?
I wanted to wait a little longer before writing to you, but apart from you, I really don’t know who to talk to about my troubles.
Presumably you are still on the ship heading to Kao Continent now. I am not sure whether you can receive my letter. If you miss it, don’t worry. Just think of it as my own words.
Do you still remember what I said before about planning an industrial park near the refugee camp? Thanks to you, and thanks to my brother's strong support, this work is progressing smoothly. In addition, due to the mobilization of imperial troops to station in the Twilight Province, the prices of textiles, ironware, and other products have increased. Various industries based on the textile industry can be described as thriving in the new industrial zone of Thunder City.
However, it is precisely because of this that the price of wool on the northeastern coast of the Whirlpool Sea has skyrocketed. Many nobles have converted farmland into pastures in pursuit of higher profits... In particular, my brother's policies are also invisibly promoting this trend. Although these changes have brought about an increase in wealth, they have made me increasingly uneasy about the future.
My subordinates told me that in the Leiming County area, a large number of tenant farmers lost the land they relied on for survival. Instead of taking any measures to ensure their survival, their lords brutally drove them away from their hometown where they had lived for generations, forcing them to become refugees.
Many of them once lived a stable life, but now they can only wander around or huddle in simple camps. I feel sad that they are obviously the subjects of the Principality of Campbell and should live in a peaceful era, but like the people of the Twilight Province, they have to endure the displacement that only occurs in war years.
The only consolation is that the industrial zone outside Thunder City can provide them with some jobs. However, the growth rate of those jobs cannot keep up with the rate of landless tenant farmers leaving their hometowns.
I looked to my brother for answers and he told me that this was a necessary sacrifice. And my brother’s staff also warned me not to put too much emotion into this matter, because the reason why Thunder City Industrial Zone can grow so fast is because of the influx of landless tenant farmers who far exceed the increase in jobs. This is the correct cause and effect, and cause and effect cannot be reversed.
I feel very angry. If not for the people of the Principality of Campbell to live a happier life, why did my father die? My brother said that those things should be discussed by outsiders. The prosperity of the Campbell family and the Campbell Principality is the top priority.
These days, Teresa and I often go to the refugee camp outside Thunder City to relax. Watching that simple camp becoming a new city, watching people from afar integrating into local life, watching the smiling faces of children chasing and playing... That is my only comfort in my busy schedule.
However, recently, my only spiritual sustenance has gradually been replaced by other things.
I often hear people complain that the working conditions in factories are too harsh. They say that tenant farmers are flocking to the city like locusts. Not only can they tolerate meager wages, but they can even work hard without complaint as long as they are given a mouthful of food. Even so, there are still a large number of people who cannot find jobs and can only wait for relief in camps.
I heard children complaining that their fathers came back later and later, and their eyes became more and more tired. Some of them even started to drink alcohol, often lost their temper at home, and beat and scolded them.
In order to support the family, their mother had to start working outside the home, and they could only play by themselves.
In the tradition of the Principality of Campbell, this is abnormal. Unlike the nobles, they had no tutors and could only be educated by their parents. After reaching a certain age, they went to church schools or churches to receive education, or became apprentices to craftsmen. However, there are not enough churches and schools outside Thunder City, and there are not that many kind-hearted craftsmen. We can only let those children wander on the streets, or go to the factory with their parents.
The problem goes beyond that.
Due to the construction of the new industrial zone, the budget of the refugee camp is being consumed rapidly, and the original two meals a day have been reduced to one meal a day. And unlike the first time, the oatmeal became thinner and thinner.
I tried to persuade my brother to provide more funds to help the refugees, but he asked me to simply stop the emergency porridge and invest the remaining money in the factory, claiming that this was the only way to truly save them, instead of letting them develop the bad habit of getting something for nothing. But I think it is natural for a man to get food from his lord. This is by no means something unearned. It is a royal obligation.
I have asked myself countless times, is this really the kind of change I long for? If the prosperity of some people is based on the suffering of the majority, can this kind of prosperity still be called prosperity?
The citizens of Thunder City thanked me, but after seeing the farmers who lost their land, I couldn't feel happy about it. Some nobles were dissatisfied with the uneven distribution of the spoils and were complaining to the kingdom, but in fact they had already received a lot.
Perhaps my requirements are too high. I hope they will become rich little by little. Through their own hard work, they will enable people who could not eat bread to eat bread, and people who could not eat cake to taste the taste of butter, instead of letting those who have eaten cake take away the only survival resources of the poor and laugh at the weak people for not working hard enough.
Are my requirements too high?
Or did I or my brother do something wrong from the beginning? Or maybe there is a better way...
I hope your wisdom can give me an answer. It would be better if you can tell me what to do next.
Sorry, you are the only one I can rely on.
Thank you for listening to so many of my complaints. Writing to you is the only comfort I have left.
————I admire you, Eileen Campbell.
It is the duty of the royal family to support their people. I completely agree with your point of view. This is not only the teaching of St. Sith to the first kings in the Book of Holy Words, but also the ancestral precepts of the Colin family.
However, I don't think your brother is wrong.
As a king, what he needs to focus on is not the happiness of any of the people in the Principality of Campbell. It is his duty to develop the Principality of Campbell into a stronger place, and this is also to live up to the sacrifices made by the previous king.
Similarly, you are not wrong, but you are in a different location and the scenery you see is also different.
The Principality of Campbell is becoming rich, the industrial wave is in full swing, the port is getting busier, people's wallets are getting bigger, and the royal land is becoming more valuable... These are all facts that can be seen with the naked eye. And the things you saw in the refugee camps are also real. After all, where in the world are there machines that don’t require fuel?
I sympathize with their situation just like you. I don’t want to use the word fuel to call them, but in fact they did burn something for the Principality of Campbell, such as life, tradition, dreams, youth and even souls.
This process will be painful, but the result must be happy. I believe that Duke Edward and the nobles led by him will be satisfied one day, and by then they will voluntarily distribute some of their wealth to those poor people.
When farmers who have lost their land grow old, they see that their children no longer have to work as cattle and horses for the nobles like themselves, but live a decent life like the citizens of Thunder City, embracing the sunshine at eight o'clock in the morning, enjoying a relaxing cup of black tea at noon, and returning home to accompany his family before the sun sets.
At that time, I believe they will be grateful for their hard work today. They did not burn themselves in vain. Thanks to their efforts, their children are so happy.
Please understand your brother.
Hence, let’s talk about something happy. Thanks to your support and His Majesty’s, the Principality of Colin is opening up new territory.
At the same time, we discovered something called fertilizer, which increased the yield of the land. Coupled with the steam engines and advanced reclamation tools of God's Empire, I will do my best to help you deal with the impact of the reduction of cultivated land on the Principality of Campbell.
—Yours faithfully, Roxey Colin.
The humid air is filled with the fragrance of earth, but the tenant farmers who are familiar with all this enjoy this peaceful time flawlessly.
It has been a week since Baron Dagos issued the eviction order, but the relocation is not progressing smoothly.
Few tenant farmers actively cooperated with the relocation. They deliberately delayed the process and even launched retaliatory actions.
The craftsmen hired by the baron had just built the fence, and they took advantage of the dark moon and high wind to tear down the fence.
In addition to these fierce resistances, there are also some relatively mild "protests".
Some lucky guys couldn't bear to miss the opportunity for spring plowing, so they secretly sown their private seeds.
Those fields were cultivated by their ancestors themselves, perhaps using simple stone tools.
The nobles have the ancestral training of the nobles, and these peasants also have their own traditions, but they do not have surnames and genealogies.
They believe that when the fertile land is covered with green wheat seedlings, Mr. Gus will extend the relocation for another year just for the sake of money.
However, they did not know that their mild or fierce resistance had completely angered Mr. Gus, who thought he was kind.
Especially when other nobles laughed at Baron Gus intentionally or unintentionally, this matter rose to the level of noble honor, forcing him to take action for the sake of face.
"This time is not a small trouble. I didn't expect that clown to actually spend a lot of money."
At the observation deck of the town, Sheriff Adlai held the binoculars and looked at the edge of the mist, with a cold smile on his lips.
Behind the mist between them, two neat rows of soldiers were advancing along the muddy path.
They were wearing light armor, the spears in their hands were imprinted with the light of morning light, and their eyes were as cold as winter.
Although there are a few fine steel-level masters in Baron Gus's manor, they are good at fighting alone, which is fine for appearance, but it is almost useless to actually go on the battlefield.
These guys are obviously not servants in the manor, but mercenaries who are paid to do things.
"Shield Thrower" Hebal stood next to Adlai tremblingly, his calves trembling and fear written on his face.
"What happened? Mr. Gus, did he take the wrong medicine... This is his territory."
Adlai grinned and said coldly.
"But now that his subjects are disobedient, isn't it just right to teach him a lesson with a stick?"
Hebal swallowed.
"...What about us? What should we do..."
If he was asked to go to the fields to recruit young men, he would not even frown, and he would definitely take care of those lazy guys. But if he was asked to point his gun at his neighbors or drive them out of the town, he would not do it anyway. After all, they were his fellow villagers.
Adlai's face was as sinking as water and he said softly.
Those who came were not monsters or bandits, but local lords. They didn’t need to ring the bell.
In fact, this is the right choice.
If they do not choose to turn a blind eye, someone will ask them to close both eyes.
At the same time, the tenant farmers in the small town finally noticed the uniform footsteps.
They gathered at the edge of the field, with unconcealable fear and anger in their eyes.
Hence Baron Gus was riding a horse, looking majestically at the tenant farmers in burlap clothes, his contemptuous eyes burning with anger.
“You shameless lazy fools.” He stirred up the reins in his hands and trotted forward with his horse’s hooves. His belly held up by his belt bounced, and he continued to shout in a resonant drake voice, “I gave you enough time to get out of my soil. I even gave you the things on the land as compensation, and what did you do? Tear down my fence? Tsk, tsk, is this how you repay my kindness?"
Everyone was silent, just looking at him with wide eyes, with anger, flinching, shame and fear in their pupils. Others lowered their heads and stared at their toes, wanting to crawl into the soil to escape their fate at this moment.
Smelling the smell of earth, Gus frowned, his eyes becoming more disgusting and contemptuous.
His wife always feels that he is not brave enough and does not look like a real nobleman, so he should prove it.
He is glorious.
"Do you know what the village next door did? The baron there was a ruthless man. He set off a fire with a magic wand and set fire to every house he saw. He told me that the land burned by the flames will be more fertile and the grass that will grow will be more lush."
Everyone looked at him in fear. Even those who lowered their heads raised their heads in horror.
Seeing that they finally showed their proper expressions, Baron Gus's lips curled up into a satisfied smile.
It is too difficult for him to fight the Demon King's army alone, but it is still easy for him to deal with these guys.
He raised his chin and spoke in a louder voice.
"Of course, I am benevolent, and of course I will not set your house on fire with a magic wand...although I have the right and ability to do so."
He paused, suddenly changed the subject, and raised an evil smile at the corner of his mouth.
"But on the contrary, I have prepared other gifts for you."
As he finished speaking, he clapped his hands.
A magician in a robe walked out of the mercenary team and took off the cloak on his head.
That was a half-elf. He had a handsome face, a tall nose, and light golden hair.
It’s more than that.
He also has the natural affinity given to him by his half-elf blood, as well as the natural magic he learned later in life.
"...Seeds sleeping in the earth, please obey my orders, the fertile soil is available to you, please turn this place into an endless pasture."
He recited a spell in his mouth, raised the wand inlaid with malachite in his hand slightly, and at the same time opened the bag hanging on his waist.
A wisp of breeze blew, and countless tiny seeds were scattered on the field. They sprouted in an instant, turned into weeds, vines and thorns, and spread rapidly outward!
"No!!!"
John, who was carrying the hoe, wailed desperately and rushed forward to stop him, but was easily pushed to the ground by the soldiers.
At the same time, the surrounding farmers were horrified to see that the land they had lived on for generations was easily torn apart by the wildly growing vines, and the nutrients in the soil were quickly drained by the wildly growing weeds.
In just a few breaths, the lush grass covered the entire field, swallowing up the undeveloped wheat seedlings!
A drop of sweat dropped from the half-elf's forehead. He raised his sleeve and wiped it gently, then looked proudly in the direction of Baron Gus.
The latter nodded with a smile and clapped gently.
"Not bad."
Although natural spells are not very suitable for farming, as the crops will only grow and bear no fruit, they are perfect for opening up lawns!
This was an idea that came to his mind. Although other nobles were very aggressive, they were far less smart and flexible than him.
Of course, as his fame spreads, other nobles will soon follow suit.
Just like when he appeared at the banquet wearing white silk stockings, he was also the leader of this fashion at that time.
Looking at John who was pushed to the ground, Jimmy stepped forward tremblingly and looked at Mr. Gus desperately.
…This land is our lifeblood. Without it…where would we go?”
“Go away!” Gus spat and glared at this guy who didn’t know the heights of heaven and earth. “This is my land, the land of the Gus family. It has never belonged to you for a minute! My ancestors just allowed you to farm on this land, and you just regard this as your own territory? This is the final warning. I give you...the last three days. time! And as a punishment for your delay, I will demolish your doors and windows... and the bed too!"
Gus finally relented a little and did not kill him, even if he did have such an intention at the beginning... After all, other nobles did this, and he would not have too much psychological burden.
Perhaps what Madam said is not wrong, he is indeed not a qualified nobleman, and the extraordinary power given by his ancestors was completely wasted by him.
But these are not important anymore.
In the future, he will move into the city and no longer have to deal with these mud people.
That will be a truly decent life. He can focus on his favorite banquets and deal with decent gentlemen and ladies.
Even if I come back here, I will definitely take my family for an outing on the lawn instead of smelling the disgusting smell of pig shit.
He waved his hand, motioning the mercenaries to move forward, and asked the half-elf magician to continue casting spells.
He spent a lot of money to invite these people over, but he couldn't let the money go to waste.
The mercenaries began to take action.
They didn't have much sympathy with the locals. They would punch or kick the tenants who blocked their way, then pick up the tools in their hands and smash everything they could in their homes.
These poor people don’t have anything valuable to loot at home, so they naturally don’t spend too much time distinguishing between doors, windows and tables.
They only know that only by completing the task beautifully can they get the reward from Baron Gus.
· Angry roars and pitiful pleas for mercy came and went, and it was like hell outside Silver Pine Town.
Old Adam's legs felt like they were filled with lead. He looked at the dilapidated farmhouse with dull eyes, listening to the wails of his wife and children, as if he had lost his language.
The lame carpenter Tom chose to fight with them and rushed out holding a musket.
He probably didn’t want to live anymore, and he really didn’t want to live anymore, so he actually tried to stab the magician with a fire stick.
As a result, the half-elf just waved his wand gently and removed his other good leg.
Fortunately, Baron Gus only paid to teach them a lesson, so the elegant half-elf did not kill anyone.
The residents in the town closed their windows and doors tightly, keeping silent, and did not even dare to go out to take a look.
The adventurers were also silent and could only stand in a safe place and watch silently.
Their hometown is not here, and this matter has nothing to do with them.
Actually, Mr. Gus is pretty good.
Just smashed some things and didn't go on a killing spree... Otherwise, he could have done it more neatly, without making so many screams, which might even be heard by the gods in the dark.
"Shield Thrower" Hebal wiped the sweat from the top of his head and silently prayed that nothing would happen to his friends.
There was also the old Abel, the stupid "shoe-thrower". The poor guys in the tavern always laughed at them as a pair, one lost the shield and the other lost the shoe. Although he was very annoyed about this, he still didn't want anything to happen to that guy.
That was one of the few pleasures he had after work.
"Your Majesty Saint Sis... Please protect him. That guy is a good man. Although he is a little cunning, he is not guilty of this."
Sheriff Adlai did not speak, but silently watched everything happening outside the town, and looked at Baron Gus who was laughing loudly on his horse.
The Demon King is right.
This guy is a born devil.
But at the same time, he was also convinced that Saint Sith might really not be able to see anything.
Perhaps that being is like the emperor of the empire, who can only see the land under the steps.
The empire is too big.
Even the capital of the Lion Kingdom is far enough away from the Emperor's knees.
Let alone here...
"...If the Demon King invades, Silverpine Town may not even be able to raise 2,000 conscripts." Hebal muttered in a low voice, looked at Sheriff Adlai who was indifferent, and said with difficulty, "Don't you care, Your Majesty?"
Adlai raised a smile at the corner of his mouth.
Him Before, seeing Edward's military prowess, his loyalty to the Demon King was still somewhat wavering.
But now, that little bit of anxiety is gone.
"Aren't there still those "devout" mercenaries? Why do you worry about that adult."
Throwing these words aside, he held on to the ladder and left the observation deck.
He couldn't bear to see this miserable scene.
He had to go to church to pray for a while.