In the evening, Velin stood at the window of a wooden hut, gazing upon the nightscape of Starprayer Lake, feeling both body and mind relax.
At eight o'clock, the guidance of fate activated once more, bringing Velin a valuable piece of news.
[Three months from now, some three thousand kilometres west of Starprayer Lake, two red dragons and a golden dragon will clash in fierce combat. Monsters will rise in revolt, and within six months, they will strike the northwestern provinces of the Kingdom of Ilia…the majority of monsters advancing towards Starprayer Lake are Gnolls, with the highest-ranking possessing low-tier Silver-grade strength.]
"A crisis will arrive in six months."
Upon hearing this, Velin's thoughts were instantly thrown into disarray. Had he not come here to establish a domain precisely for safety? Why could he not shake off these troubles?
Two paths now lay before him.
First, halt development at Starprayer Lake and seek a secure location to avoid direct conflict. Yet this would waste a year.
Second, continue development. Within six months, if even one individual broke through to the lower-tier Silver rank, he would possess the strength to defend the Starprayer Lake territory.
Pacing the room, Velin halted by the window. His gaze sharpened as he peered through the glass, scanning the depths of the wasteland beyond.
"We've finally made a start—how could we abandon it so easily? They're merely a pack of Gnolls. I refuse to believe I cannot defend Starprayer Lake."
Nevertheless, to bolster the territory's defences, he would have to purchase slaves to strengthen his forces.
Moreover, he must acquire blacksmiths, carpenters, masons, and urgently needed architects to construct a fortress—one easily defended yet difficult to assault—within six months.
The following morning, Velin trained as usual on the clearing before his wooden hut.
Suddenly, the magic within his body reached a peculiar tipping point.
Slowly, Velin opened his eyes, a smile spreading across his face.
"At last, I've broken through. This month of training hasn't been in vain."
Advancing from mid-tier Bronze to high-tier Bronze, the magical power within his body had increased significantly.
Combined with the wood-attribute magic's strong restorative and enduring qualities, this meant his own foundation had grown considerably stronger.
At that moment, the brothers Orlando and Hibrael approached, accompanied by a young man.
"My lord, the task you entrusted to us is complete."
Velin rose to his feet, observing Kyle behind Orlando before nodding approvingly.
"Well done. Awakening magic within half a month and becoming a knight's squire—that's commendable talent."
Kyle knelt on the ground, speaking with reverence: "Thank you, my lord, for granting Kyle this opportunity. I swear upon my life to serve you faithfully forever and never betray you."
Velin handed his sword to Orlando, helped Kyle to his feet, and said with satisfaction, "You have earned this entirely through your own efforts. I promised that if you awakened magical power within half a month, I would take you as my squire."
"From this moment forth, you are my squire."
"My deepest gratitude, my lord."
Kyle's eyes shone with excitement and reverence as he bowed respectfully to Velin.
"Orlando."
"My lord."
"Kyle's magical affinity is fire. His further training shall be entrusted to you."
"Your command is my command."
Velin observed Orlando's growing maturity, patted his shoulder, and reached into his pocket. From his spatial ring, he retrieved seven mid-grade magic crystals and placed them into Orlando's hand.
"My Lord, what are these?" Orlando stared at the seven mid-grade magic crystals in his hands, his eyes widening in astonishment.
He had witnessed the other eleven knights willingly undertaking the gruelling task of dredging river channels for a single low-grade magic crystal, never once complaining.
"I have stated that by becoming my guardian knights, I shall focus my cultivation efforts upon you two."
"Four of these are rewards for you brothers. The remaining three shall serve as cultivation resources for all three of you. Peril approaches; you must hasten your advancement."
"Yes, my lord," the trio answered in unison.
Two days later, the first phase of the farmland reclamation plan concluded, followed by the process of dividing the plots.
On a vacant plot, thirty-nine freemen, one hundred and twenty-four serfs, and forty-two cannon fodder slaves all gathered. Gazing at the grid pattern marked on the wooden board, all but the bandit slaves looked on with anticipation.
The 825 acres of land, divided by Velin into 250 squares of roughly 3.3 acres each, lay before them.
"Through your efforts, we completed the reclamation task in early June. These lands shall now be granted to you."
"Next, each of you shall draw lots to determine the plot you shall cultivate."
Orlando then called out names one by one. Freemen stepped forward first to draw lots, followed by serfs.
As for the bandit slaves, they received no such privilege. Regarded as dregs of society, their fate was to be exploited until their usefulness was exhausted, then disposed of.
Velin stood observing the scene, witnessing the full spectrum of human existence.
Freemen and farmers drawn plots near Starprayer Lake pressed their thumbsprints onto the deeds with evident satisfaction.
Those assigned to remote areas seemed drained of all spirit.
The waiting crowd grew restless, watching prime parcels vanish before their eyes, their frustration mounting.
When all was concluded, one hundred and sixty-three deeds lay before Velin, signifying the grant of 540 acres of land and his ownership of 390 acres of tax-exempt fields.
As for the remaining bandit slaves, they would labour day and night within their designated area as true slaves until their lives ended.
The freedmen and serfs, upon receiving their land, immediately rushed to their respective plots and inscribed their names upon the notice boards.
Velin instructed Orlando to carry the deeds back to his chambers before summoning Andrew, the deputy captain of the knightly guard.
"My lord."
Knight Andrew had hurried to the call the moment he received word.
"How far along are the sweet potato seedlings you were preparing?"
"My lord, they are already prepared. As per your instructions, they are more than sufficient to plant 500 acres of farmland."
"Very well, that is good."
Hearing of such a large quantity of cassava seedlings, Velin nodded with satisfaction.
He intended to have the freemen and serfs plant 500 acres of cassava by the end of June, harvesting a crop in September to bolster next year's grain reserves. This would facilitate the expansion of his domain's population.
However, cassava could only be cultivated occasionally, as the crop contained trace toxins and severely depleted the soil.
After several consecutive seasons of yam cultivation, fertile land would become depleted.
Yet, by rotating crops with soybeans, this issue could be mitigated.
Under current circumstances, securing grain was paramount. In future, he intended to establish dedicated administrative roles to educate farmers on such practices, preventing irreversible declines in crop yields.
"Inform Baird that I shall be travelling to Carod Province for a while. He is to oversee all matters within the domain."
"Yes, my lord."
After Andrew departed, Velin returned to his quarters to prepare for tomorrow's journey.