章 177: C177
Shirou was being showered with proposals from various officials in charge of production and manufacturing, including fishery, mining, and handicrafts. The requests were piling up, and it was getting overwhelming.
To make matters worse, Gawain was also by his side, insisting on getting soldiers. The chaos was starting to take a toll on him, and he felt numb from the sheer volume of demands being made of him.
He directed the officials of the production and manufacturing industries to prepare their proposals and send them to the palace. Once he had done that, he turned his attention to Lucan and the others, asking them to digest the information he had just taught them. Finally, he discussed military matters with Gawain, addressing any concerns that had arisen since their last meeting.
"Have the soldiers expressed any complains recently?"
Gawain responded with a question of his own, "Your Majesty, what do you mean by complaints?"
He cited an example, "Have any of them expressed resentment towards Camelot for sending them to risk their lives without giving anything in return?"
"None of that, Your Majesty. The soldiers are all in high spirits, dedicated to serving Camelot and doing their best for their king. They have even expressed their willingness to die and become spirits, protecting Camelot with their souls."
Shirou lapsed into silence, struck by the realization that, despite their small numbers, the soldiers' morale was truly remarkable!
"How many disabled soldiers are there in the army?"
"There are 97 disabled soldiers, Your Majesty."
He nodded thoughtfully before saying, "The country will allocate a batch of food and money for you to distribute as rewards to the soldiers. Be sure to give extra to the disabled soldiers, and reassure them that they need not fear becoming disabled. The country will support them. Similarly, they need not fear death, for the country will provide for and care for their families and descendants."
Gawain looked at him with a bewildered expression.
"What's the matter?"
"Well... Your Majesty," Gawain replied, looking puzzled. "I understand the need to provide food and rewards to the soldiers, but why should we give special attention to the wounded and the deceased? Won't that put an additional strain on the kingdom?"
He looked at Gawain in astonishment, "How did Camelot, Orkney, and other kingdoms treat wounded soldiers and the deceased in the past?"
"We simply dismissed them," Gawain replied matter-of-factly.
Shirou: "..."
He massaged his temples, trying to alleviate the throbbing headache that had taken hold. He couldn't help but recall how the rulers of old viewed their subjects as mere pawns on a chessboard. While a military medical system existed, those soldiers who were no longer of use were unceremoniously discharged without any compensation.
This lack of regard for human life was largely due to the rulers' preoccupation with their own pleasure, but it was also rooted in the weak productivity and economy of ancient civilizations. After a battle, the number of disabled soldiers was simply too high for these countries to support.
Shirou inhaled deeply before speaking. "We cannot allow our soldiers to bleed and suffer without proper compensation."
"You are a truly merciful king. However," Gawain hesitated for a moment before asking, "Can Camelot bear the cost of such compensation?"
"Money can be earned, and crops can be regrown, but a heart that has gone cold may never be reignited. Gawain, you don't have to worry about this matter. As my knight and commander, your primary focus should be on leading our soldiers in battle and defeating our enemies. The internal affairs will be taken care of by me and my team of advisors. I'll start planning the compensation standards right away."
Military affairs are just as critical as agriculture.
Agriculture may be the foundation of ancient societies, but it is military affairs that protect the country and ensure stable productivity. These two aspects are interconnected and indispensable.
His army was already depleted, and their military strength was their most vulnerable point. If their morale were to falter, they would be completely done for!
While the soldiers' current morale was high, it was largely driven by the prospect of glory. While glory may inspire people to face death with ease, it is intangible and has a limited lifespan. It can quickly fade away. Only tangible rewards can truly delight people from the bottom of their hearts.
Glory, when combined with material incentives, can motivate people even more effectively.
Furthermore, these soldiers were all heroes. How could they allow their fellow heroes to bleed and suffer without proper compensation?
Although the country was currently impoverished and unable to provide substantial compensation, they could at least establish systems and standards to demonstrate their commitment to doing so in the future.
"What should we do about the soldiers, Your Majesty?" Gawain inquired.
"It's quite simple. You and Tristan will lead our troops to find a local resident in Cornwall who can serve as a guide. Your task is to confront the bandits and robbers in the area. Any able-bodied individuals we capture will be conscripted to join our ranks."
"Um..." Gawain hesitated before speaking up, "Your Majesty, would it be wise to conscript bandits and robbers into the army? It could potentially destabilize the peace in Cornwall."
Shirou raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with that? Are bandits and robbers not human? If they are, then why can't they serve as soldiers?" He paused for a moment before continuing. "The presence of bandits and robbers within the kingdom is not solely the fault of foreign enemies. As leaders, it's our responsibility to ensure that the country is well-governed, prosperous, and secure. If we fail to do so, then it's no surprise that bandits and other criminal elements will emerge."
"Gawain, it's time for you to leave. And remember, you must not resort to indiscriminate killing or directly subdue them. You must engage in combat with them - defeat them first, and only then should you try to subdue them."
"Understood, Your Majesty!" Gawain replied, before taking his leave.
Shirou turned to the agricultural officials who were deep in discussion and asked, "Where were we just now?"
Lucan quickly responded, "Your Majesty, we were discussing the development of new farmland."
Shirou nodded before addressing the group. He explained that their previous method of opening up new farmland through slash-and-burn agriculture was outdated and unsustainable. He went on to suggest more effective methods for developing farmland, such as contour plowing and burned-soil farming.
He emphasized that burned-soil farming was particularly suitable for Britain's temperate maritime climate.
Burned-soil farming is a technique that involves piling up dead branches, fallen leaves, and straw on the ground and burning them to warm up the topsoil. This process not only eliminates pathogenic bacteria and underground pests but also improves soil fertility, making it an effective method for developing new farmland.
While it may seem similar to slash-and-burn agriculture, burned-soil farming is a more scientific and sustainable approach. Unlike slash-and-burn agriculture, which involves indiscriminately chopping and burning a piece of land, burned-soil farming emphasizes careful planning and layout to prevent land desertification and ensure long-term viability.
Despite Shirou's lengthy explanation, Lucan and the other officials still struggled to fully grasp the new agricultural concepts he presented. Shirou felt somewhat helpless, while Lucan and the others were embarrassed by their lack of understanding.
However, he knew that this was cutting-edge knowledge, and it would take time and effort to fully comprehend and implement. Whether it was contour plowing or burned-soil farming, these methods remained the primary means of developing new farmland, even in the mechanized era of the 21st century. They represented the collective wisdom and hard work of countless generations of agricultural scholars, who had spent thousands of years perfecting them.
Realizing that practical experience was the only way for Lucan and the other officials to fully comprehend the new agricultural concepts, he decided to focus on teaching the methods directly.
With winter planting season approaching and limited time left, he gave Lucan and the officials just one day to gather the people and begin developing new farmland. He planned to teach them the methods through hands-on practice, rather than theoretical knowledge alone.
Lucan and the other officials felt a sense of relief at Shirou's decision, as it offered them a chance for redemption. As they departed, they couldn't help but feel their own insignificance in the face of Shirou's knowledge and expertise.
Lucan, in particular, had been considered an experienced hand in farming, having served as Ywain's subordinate in the past. But in front of Shirou, he felt like an ignorant child, dwarfed by the vast ocean of knowledge that Shirou possessed.
After dismissing Lucan and the other officials, Shirou didn't immediately return to the palace. Instead, he made his way to Morgan's magic workshop.
"What brings you here, Arthur? Do you need something from your sister?" Morgan was in the midst of building a mithril mana furnace when she noticed Shirou's arrival. She put down her tools and greeted him warmly.
"Our kingdom's foundation is still fragile, and things are incredibly busy at the moment," Shirou explained with a sigh. "That's why I've come to ask for your help, sister."
"I know how hard things have been for you, brother. Please tell me what you need."
He nodded and then summoned a Gae Bolg, asking, "Sister, I've projected this spear. It can last for about three days in the outside environment. Do you have a way to completely solidify it?"
"That sounds simple enough," she replied with a smile. "Just fill it with a true ether container, and it will automatically absorb true ether from the atmosphere and last forever. As long as your magical energy, which serves as the outline of the weapon, remains intact and the true ether doesn't run out, it can be completely solidified."
His mind raced with possibilities. "Can you help me fill it with a true ether container?" he asked eagerly.
"I've told you time and time again, Arthur. Don't underestimate your sister!" she snapped, feeling offended. "If you ever do it again, I'll twist your ears!"
He quickly apologized and praised her strength and reliability, which seemed to calm her down.
He then asked, "How many true ether containers can you produce in a day? And how many of these weapons can you fill?"
Morgan quickly calculated and replied, "I can make around fifty true ether containers per day. As for filling these weapons, I can do that as well."
After a brief moment of calculation, he asked, "Do the other court magi who accompanied us possess this same skill?"
She sneered. "That white-haired waste definitely has it. As for the others? Heh, don't count on it."
He chose to ignore her contemptuous laughter and pressed on with his request. "Can you teach them this skill?"
She sighed. "I'm not interested in teaching waste," she said dismissively. "But since it's a request from my dear brother, I have no choice." She reached out and playfully touched his earlobe, flashing him a smile.
"Thank you, sis. I'll ask Merlin to bring the court magi over."
She raised an eyebrow. "Into my workshop? That's a taboo for magi," she warned. But then she softened her tone. "However, given the dire situation the Pendragon family is facing right now, the taboos of magi are meaningless. Forget it, I'll allow it."
"I'm sorry to trouble you, sis. I have some other matters to attend to, so I'll be on my way."
"Take care not to overexert yourself. Remember that your sister will always be here to support you."
"Thank you, sis." He left Morgan's workshop, feeling a sense of happiness welling up inside him.
At this time, three main forces held sway over the island of Britain. The most formidable among them was Vortigern, who controlled magical beasts. The Dead Apostles came next, followed by Shirou's and the Northern Kings' armies, which were comprised of humans.
Despite the impressive physical prowess exhibited by humans during the late age of the gods, they paled in comparison to the Dead Apostles and magical beasts.
To overcome the magical beasts and Dead Apostles, exceptional equipment was indispensable!
For instance, in Caerleon, he had projected almost 400 high-rank Noble Phantasms to outfit his soldiers, endowing them with the power to stand up against magical beasts and elevating each one of them to the status of a small hero!
However, the Noble Phantasms he projected could only be sustained for a maximum of three days before disappearing. Fortunately, Morgan had devised a means of stabilizing the Noble Phantasms he created through projection!
This implied that he could use projection to fashion not only weapons, but also armor of Noble Phantasm caliber to equip his soldiers!
Shirou had made some calculations.
By using the black mud, he could harness magical energy from Cornwall, a city where negative emotions ran deeper than in other places, and he could create roughly 100 Gae Bolgs of that caliber per day!
Assuming that Camelot could endure for three years, he deduced that if he were to continuously project Noble Phantasms day and night, he could craft approximately 100,000 high-ranking ones. That would be sufficient to equip the entire populace of Cornwall.
This was also his trump card. Unlike the treasures stored within Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon, which were finite and expended upon use, Shirou could project an unlimited number of Noble Phantasms as long as he had an adequate supply of magical energy!
Furthermore, even if he were to run low on magical energy, it would pose no issue. Thanks to the Evil Flower, his reserves would replenish faster with an increased number of people around him.
Most importantly, neither the Dead Apostles nor Vortigern had made an immediate attempt on his life, affording him the necessary time to prepare.
While this was certainly a welcome piece of news, it also signified that Shirou's already demanding schedule was about to become even more exhausting.
As night fell, he made his way back to the palace.
The officials responsible for the manufacturing and production sectors had already drafted and dispatched the proposal.
It was a towering stack of documents that made his head spin just by glancing at it. How could he possibly tackle this on his own?
"Merlin! Merlin! Where have you gone? Hurry and come here!" Shirou hollered.
As the saying goes, 'misery loves company,' so why not share the misery of paperwork with a friend and make it a party?
...
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