"These weapons you've drawn Aurora, you say they're able to possibly take down the flying type enemies if they come close to our walls," Mark points at the excellent sketch on the white paper notebook.
"Depending on the materials used and the enchantment, I believe it can even take down the famous dragon, like buffing it with a hundred different skills, this way we can defend the kingdom capital."
"If one day the red dragon or any other ancient monster comes by, we'll be able to fight it off, but why water enchantments?"
"In case our soldiers hit them with this gigantic ballista the water enchantment will block fire magic from being formed inside the dragon."
Mark scratches his chin finding it interesting since Aurora's words could indeed work.
"Furthermore there's a chance we get invaded from the mountains, I don't know what other races there are, but from Ryu books, I saw dragons, wyverns, and harpies, they were all flying types.
"We have monsters called golems at the top of the mountains their territory stretches pretty far, and they fight off whatever comes from both sides. Not that long ago they'd stop the advancements of ogres."
"Yes I read about them, but a dragon would melt the golems probably."
"Perhaps you're right even though they can throw a big to a gigantic boulder, so even dragons need to be careful."
"Even the red dragon in the north?"
"That one is the sole exception Aurora, it can probably melt everything it wants from afar."
"Another thing I'm interested in is making observation towers, we can put a bell on top of it to alert everyone around it. Even use a smoke that leads all the way to other towers making a path of smoke back to the capital, but I'd recommend bells."
"I saw that in your book, and honestly that's a very interesting idea, we could put a soldier with the fire element in it. Also some archers with zoom skill which allows them to see further ahead, reducing the towers quantity."
"We need to improve the communication from our borders to the center of the kingdom if we want to expand successfully. If one of the borders is attacked we need to know from where to respond swiftly."
"By having a better way of passing messages we can distribute the army better, I understand."
"Another important thing is increasing the cereals farming fields, and put the soldiers also working on them when they have nothing to do, to self sustain themselves."
"That's an interesting approach, they tend to be lazy while on duty."
"These farming fields would extend near the borders so that we don't have to use wagons to carry the cereals later."
"Oh! Now I fully understand what you meant by that."
"You're almost there Mark, it is also to enable our armies to be at the borders instead of sitting on the capital doing nothing. This way we can also increase the recruitment and any extra labor will be used to chop woods, farming, fishing. This includes building walls, camps, and towers. Thanks to those things, they would receive titles, it would make them naturally stronger."
"You're perspective to war is out of this world Aurora, in the end, what you call defense is in reality kingdom building."
"We'd only leave enough troops back to protect the kingdom and the capital from any rebellion or criminal groups, keeping it safe is also the army job."
"If we keep the army outside at the borders won't the population be able to turn on the king easily?"
"We'll make the population expand to the borders by granting them all kinds of new jobs instead, make the citizens follow the armies to the borders."
"You're brilliant, how about the factions?"
"I believe that the nobles will want to partake part of their armies, especially by making rewards for having ranks in the army based on the new territories we'll get. Whoever does more in war will get more rewards."
"We'd have to reform the ranks further, however, that'd indeed keep the factions greedy and busy. It could even make them more motivated to participate in war."
"Yes, exactly, but it will also make the church expand further into the borders by consequence, as their followers will want to support the Saintess who'll be at the front lines."
Mark hits the table with both hands smiling excitedly," Everything could work, this is very interesting and exciting!"
"It couldn't, it will, after all, it was devised by me."
"Can't even call you arrogant as it is slowly taking shape into reality," Mark started laughing happily enjoying the idea.
"Do not allow the church to retain 30 summoned either, make them be part of the expeditions and of this development. Surely there'll be some interesting ones who'll have blessed skills that can make this progression faster, or even bring something useful to the table. So keep someone from our side take a look at them."
"We'll have a list of their classes and divine skills when Ryu comes back as well, any contact with them that you may see fit, just leave it to us to make it happen."
"Very good, at that point, we'll be able to deepen this plan.
"I'll also make sure the crown prince understands everything that we discuss here, allowing him to discuss it with the king, and then we can start acting."
"We'll have problems at some point keeping the main roads safe from bandits and criminals. Especially so if we need to transport armory, equipment, food during our lines whenever we need them from the capital."
"Solution?"
"Reforming the church about the disgrace titles and classes as they can be used to further strengthen our race. Don't discriminate against anyone especially peasants, as they overwhelm the nobles by number and allow them to become guards."
"If we did that it would be a direct confrontation with the church..."
"Make them send the Saintess and the elites to a different location, and I'll purge these 8 archbishops along with the pope and whoever dares stand in the way," Aurora said coldly while creating an ominous aura around making Mark slightly shake.
'This girl is truly merciless, but she's right, if we're going to do this, we can't be held back by anyone. If we wish to expand the territory... we need the crown prince to turn into the king gaining full power. That way we would be able to do as we wish, and if everything truly goes as this girl says... who knows how far I'll see the humans go.'
Mark looked down at the notes then at her making a serious expression.
"I'll convey the message to the crown prince, however, make sure you keep an eye on your surroundings. Once we all start moving to do everything, the way your family may be seen by the different factions will surely differ."
"It's fine, by that time I believe Iris will be able to deal with those things, she just needs to keep getting stronger and stronger."
"Eventually once you become a general, the royal guard will also accompany you and guard you, you'll just have to wait till you have the title. Your family too will be secured, so you can focus on the battlefield."
"Seems like you're starting to believe I'll lead the army Mark," upon hearing these words he smiled and then replied.
"Strangely after living for so long, I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
"The further we extend the better our transporting food methods will have to become, so pass 3 pages ahead. I drew a different mechanism that can be pulled by horses, also investing in such animals long-term will be very beneficial. We'll have to get some sponsoring from all the factions for all of this, but it should be quite doable they are pretty wealthy. We can also set taxes lower to live near the borders and merchanting licenses so that whoever wishes to sell goods will have to get and renew them every year. Of course, this applies to nobles too, the space they use will also have a cost, especially inside new camps. If everything goes well, I expect some rich people to appear, willing to sponsor our campaign."
"That would surely bring great wealth over time, keeping the merchants circulating through the kingdom, instead of being stagnant mostly on the capital will be very nice!"
"Thanks to the expeditions new people will come wanting to enlist in the ranks. More smiths will be required, creating more room for them so we can teach said jobs to some of the soldiers to have crafters close to the borders."
"This could become a self-sufficient army in the future."
"That's the benefits of good preparations, but the kingdom itself needs to develop better methods of farming. I've created an interesting way with Iris outside, would you like to come and take a look?"
"Of course, we've been sitting for a while, it's good to stretch the legs," he laughed while getting up and following Aurora outside.
A few moments later, they reach the field outside.
"So as you can see that big part is strawberries-only because Iris loves them, but what is interesting is this section over here."
"She does what I taught her, I call it crop rotation, after checking other farming fields. Noticing that they insist on the same product all year long, instead my sister does a rotation between wheat, turnips, barley, and clover."
"What're the advantages to this crop rotation?"
"Different plants need different types of food from the soil, we call those nutrients. That means using these four types, it equals to a non-exhaustion of the soil, so when it rotates the seeds clockwise. The properties that were sucked during that one year, are able to recover, making the soil healthier. That way, every year the necessity inside the ground remains the same, creating a natural regeneration of the soil through time. With mages of the earth and nature elements, I'm sure the fields can be enhanced a lot more, depending on the results... It could be super effective.
Aurora then points at some of the plants and follows with an explanation, "we end up selling these, especially since one of them is used for animal caring which we don't do, but if we did. We'd be able to have a good amount of food for them too, in other words, horses."
"Seems like you intend to reform the farming method as well," Mark felt surprised as he thought warfare was all she knew about.
"Everything I read I understand, I've spent a while at the library, enough to read it's every book. Of course, that testing things helps, also making the soldiers do farming and fishing have other opportunities too."
"Hum? Like what?
"Not only we get cheaper labor since it becomes part of their wages, but also the titles that I mentioned before from farming, fishing, woodcutting, and possibly building will make them stronger."
"What do those titles do? Personally, I've never done any."
Aurora goes near the house and grabs a hoe while going into thinking.
'The church incites for people to not pursue too many titles due to them possibly having a negative effect. Possibly allowing peasants and nobles to obtain disgrace classes. Nobles have instant access to rank 1 classes, due to the noble title that is given upon their birth. This allows them to get classes like warrior, priest, wizard, and others. Meanwhile, peasants start with rank 0 choices, due to title peasant things like farmer, fishermen. Thus through many titles, lowborn can catch up to nobles. It's not by chance that Iris has become a little strong, she has a lot of titles and works very hard for them, since I'm a grimoire I don't get tired, probably why I don't have that type of thing. '
Upon returning she extends it to Mark.
"Check your personal data skill statuses numbers and then plow the fields. When you hear a message from the system compare the old number with the new one."
After a bit of plowing a familiar voice resounds in his mind, "let's see, personal data," he looks for a difference and realizes something interesting.
"I've become stronger by 1 point!"
"Which is barely anything I know, however, the more you plow the more it'll give. If you water the fields, plant seeds, and plants, and do many other things, everything will ultimately contribute to it."
"In other words, if we make soldiers do these jobs along with their usual training they can become stronger faster..." A smile appeared on Mark's face.
"You can water the fields if you'd like, it'll give you some stamina which in your age, extra health is always welcome."
"To think I'd see a day where a noble would be farming and watering fields by a peasant order," one of the guards said to the other from afar.
"I'm as surprised as you, but from their conversation, it seems like we might be the next ones doing that."
They look at each other feeling some unease.
whitesculptor A special thanks to Citrakayah and Bob barker for signing on Patreon!
"These weapons you've drawn Aurora, you say they're able to possibly take down the flying type enemies if they come close to our walls," Mark points at the excellent sketch on the white paper notebook.
"Depending on the materials used and the enchantment, I believe it can even take down the famous dragon, like buffing it with a hundred different skills, this way we can defend the kingdom capital."
"If one day the red dragon or any other ancient monster comes by, we'll be able to fight it off, but why water enchantments?"
"In case our soldiers hit them with this gigantic ballista the water enchantment will block fire magic from being formed inside the dragon."
Mark scratches his chin finding it interesting since Aurora's words could indeed work.
"Furthermore there's a chance we get invaded from the mountains, I don't know what other races there are, but from Ryu books, I saw dragons, wyverns, and harpies, they were all flying types.
"We have monsters called golems at the top of the mountains their territory stretches pretty far, and they fight off whatever comes from both sides. Not that long ago they'd stop the advancements of ogres."
"Yes I read about them, but a dragon would melt the golems probably."
"Perhaps you're right even though they can throw a big to a gigantic boulder, so even dragons need to be careful."
"Even the red dragon in the north?"
"That one is the sole exception Aurora, it can probably melt everything it wants from afar."
"Another thing I'm interested in is making observation towers, we can put a bell on top of it to alert everyone around it. Even use a smoke that leads all the way to other towers making a path of smoke back to the capital, but I'd recommend bells."
"I saw that in your book, and honestly that's a very interesting idea, we could put a soldier with the fire element in it. Also some archers with zoom skill which allows them to see further ahead, reducing the towers quantity."
"We need to improve the communication from our borders to the center of the kingdom if we want to expand successfully. If one of the borders is attacked we need to know from where to respond swiftly."
"By having a better way of passing messages we can distribute the army better, I understand."
"Another important thing is increasing the cereals farming fields, and put the soldiers also working on them when they have nothing to do, to self sustain themselves."
"That's an interesting approach, they tend to be lazy while on duty."
"These farming fields would extend near the borders so that we don't have to use wagons to carry the cereals later."
"Oh! Now I fully understand what you meant by that."
"You're almost there Mark, it is also to enable our armies to be at the borders instead of sitting on the capital doing nothing. This way we can also increase the recruitment and any extra labor will be used to chop woods, farming, fishing. This includes building walls, camps, and towers. Thanks to those things, they would receive titles, it would make them naturally stronger."
"You're perspective to war is out of this world Aurora, in the end, what you call defense is in reality kingdom building."
"We'd only leave enough troops back to protect the kingdom and the capital from any rebellion or criminal groups, keeping it safe is also the army job."
"If we keep the army outside at the borders won't the population be able to turn on the king easily?"
"We'll make the population expand to the borders by granting them all kinds of new jobs instead, make the citizens follow the armies to the borders."
"You're brilliant, how about the factions?"
"I believe that the nobles will want to partake part of their armies, especially by making rewards for having ranks in the army based on the new territories we'll get. Whoever does more in war will get more rewards."
"We'd have to reform the ranks further, however, that'd indeed keep the factions greedy and busy. It could even make them more motivated to participate in war."
"Yes, exactly, but it will also make the church expand further into the borders by consequence, as their followers will want to support the Saintess who'll be at the front lines."
Mark hits the table with both hands smiling excitedly," Everything could work, this is very interesting and exciting!"
"It couldn't, it will, after all, it was devised by me."
"Can't even call you arrogant as it is slowly taking shape into reality," Mark started laughing happily enjoying the idea.
"Do not allow the church to retain 30 summoned either, make them be part of the expeditions and of this development. Surely there'll be some interesting ones who'll have blessed skills that can make this progression faster, or even bring something useful to the table. So keep someone from our side take a look at them."
"We'll have a list of their classes and divine skills when Ryu comes back as well, any contact with them that you may see fit, just leave it to us to make it happen."
"Very good, at that point, we'll be able to deepen this plan.
"I'll also make sure the crown prince understands everything that we discuss here, allowing him to discuss it with the king, and then we can start acting."
"We'll have problems at some point keeping the main roads safe from bandits and criminals. Especially so if we need to transport armory, equipment, food during our lines whenever we need them from the capital."
"Solution?"
"Reforming the church about the disgrace titles and classes as they can be used to further strengthen our race. Don't discriminate against anyone especially peasants, as they overwhelm the nobles by number and allow them to become guards."
"If we did that it would be a direct confrontation with the church..."
"Make them send the Saintess and the elites to a different location, and I'll purge these 8 archbishops along with the pope and whoever dares stand in the way," Aurora said coldly while creating an ominous aura around making Mark slightly shake.
'This girl is truly merciless, but she's right, if we're going to do this, we can't be held back by anyone. If we wish to expand the territory... we need the crown prince to turn into the king gaining full power. That way we would be able to do as we wish, and if everything truly goes as this girl says... who knows how far I'll see the humans go.'
Mark looked down at the notes then at her making a serious expression.
"I'll convey the message to the crown prince, however, make sure you keep an eye on your surroundings. Once we all start moving to do everything, the way your family may be seen by the different factions will surely differ."
"It's fine, by that time I believe Iris will be able to deal with those things, she just needs to keep getting stronger and stronger."
"Eventually once you become a general, the royal guard will also accompany you and guard you, you'll just have to wait till you have the title. Your family too will be secured, so you can focus on the battlefield."
"Seems like you're starting to believe I'll lead the army Mark," upon hearing these words he smiled and then replied.
"Strangely after living for so long, I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
"The further we extend the better our transporting food methods will have to become, so pass 3 pages ahead. I drew a different mechanism that can be pulled by horses, also investing in such animals long-term will be very beneficial. We'll have to get some sponsoring from all the factions for all of this, but it should be quite doable they are pretty wealthy. We can also set taxes lower to live near the borders and merchanting licenses so that whoever wishes to sell goods will have to get and renew them every year. Of course, this applies to nobles too, the space they use will also have a cost, especially inside new camps. If everything goes well, I expect some rich people to appear, willing to sponsor our campaign."
"That would surely bring great wealth over time, keeping the merchants circulating through the kingdom, instead of being stagnant mostly on the capital will be very nice!"
"Thanks to the expeditions new people will come wanting to enlist in the ranks. More smiths will be required, creating more room for them so we can teach said jobs to some of the soldiers to have crafters close to the borders."
"This could become a self-sufficient army in the future."
"That's the benefits of good preparations, but the kingdom itself needs to develop better methods of farming. I've created an interesting way with Iris outside, would you like to come and take a look?"
"Of course, we've been sitting for a while, it's good to stretch the legs," he laughed while getting up and following Aurora outside.
A few moments later, they reach the field outside.
"So as you can see that big part is strawberries-only because Iris loves them, but what is interesting is this section over here."
"She does what I taught her, I call it crop rotation, after checking other farming fields. Noticing that they insist on the same product all year long, instead my sister does a rotation between wheat, turnips, barley, and clover."
"What're the advantages to this crop rotation?"
"Different plants need different types of food from the soil, we call those nutrients. That means using these four types, it equals to a non-exhaustion of the soil, so when it rotates the seeds clockwise. The properties that were sucked during that one year, are able to recover, making the soil healthier. That way, every year the necessity inside the ground remains the same, creating a natural regeneration of the soil through time. With mages of the earth and nature elements, I'm sure the fields can be enhanced a lot more, depending on the results... It could be super effective.
Aurora then points at some of the plants and follows with an explanation, "we end up selling these, especially since one of them is used for animal caring which we don't do, but if we did. We'd be able to have a good amount of food for them too, in other words, horses."
"Seems like you intend to reform the farming method as well," Mark felt surprised as he thought warfare was all she knew about.
"Everything I read I understand, I've spent a while at the library, enough to read it's every book. Of course, that testing things helps, also making the soldiers do farming and fishing have other opportunities too."
"Hum? Like what?
"Not only we get cheaper labor since it becomes part of their wages, but also the titles that I mentioned before from farming, fishing, woodcutting, and possibly building will make them stronger."
"What do those titles do? Personally, I've never done any."
Aurora goes near the house and grabs a hoe while going into thinking.
'The church incites for people to not pursue too many titles due to them possibly having a negative effect. Possibly allowing peasants and nobles to obtain disgrace classes. Nobles have instant access to rank 1 classes, due to the noble title that is given upon their birth. This allows them to get classes like warrior, priest, wizard, and others. Meanwhile, peasants start with rank 0 choices, due to title peasant things like farmer, fishermen. Thus through many titles, lowborn can catch up to nobles. It's not by chance that Iris has become a little strong, she has a lot of titles and works very hard for them, since I'm a grimoire I don't get tired, probably why I don't have that type of thing. '
Upon returning she extends it to Mark.
"Check your personal data skill statuses numbers and then plow the fields. When you hear a message from the system compare the old number with the new one."
After a bit of plowing a familiar voice resounds in his mind, "let's see, personal data," he looks for a difference and realizes something interesting.
"I've become stronger by 1 point!"
"Which is barely anything I know, however, the more you plow the more it'll give. If you water the fields, plant seeds, and plants, and do many other things, everything will ultimately contribute to it."
"In other words, if we make soldiers do these jobs along with their usual training they can become stronger faster..." A smile appeared on Mark's face.
"You can water the fields if you'd like, it'll give you some stamina which in your age, extra health is always welcome."
"To think I'd see a day where a noble would be farming and watering fields by a peasant order," one of the guards said to the other from afar.
"I'm as surprised as you, but from their conversation, it seems like we might be the next ones doing that."
They look at each other feeling some unease.
whitesculptor A special thanks to Citrakayah and Bob barker for signing on Patreon!
