Roland has been in a good mood recently.
Even when sitting alone in the office, he would occasionally hum a few tunes, reminiscing about the wonderful moments in the hot air balloon basket.
The sight of Anna closing her eyes for a kiss was utterly adorable, and the mere thought of it made him smile. Most importantly, the underlying meaning of her words had unmistakably revealed her burning passion.
All he could do was respond to her with even more enthusiasm.
So much so that Roland felt a faint tingling pain in his lips during landing.
Was it the prolonged kiss that made her gasp for air, causing her to bite her lip in panic?
In any case, he hadn't felt this way in a long time.
As life reached its quarter mark, the skills he'd learned from TV, movies, novels, and comics finally came into play—this time with Miss Anna, who was so beautiful and captivating. Roland felt he had finally taken the first step toward becoming a winner in life.
Satisfied with a deep breath, he reached into the drawer to grab some snacks to curb his excitement, only to find it empty—these beef jerky had been placed there just yesterday.
Roland glanced back at the nightingale perched by the window, which whistled and feigned a casual view of the scenery. He had deliberately replaced the dried fish with beef jerky to prevent the nightingale from stealing it, but to his surprise, she accepted the beef jerky without hesitation.
Just then, footsteps were heard outside the door.
"Your Highness, Sir Barov requests an audience." "Let him in." Unlike her usual discretion, the Nightingale did not vanish. Instead, she pulled down her hood and returned to her armchair by the wall.
The minister's assistant entered the office, noticed others were present, paused momentarily before quickly regaining his usual composure.
"Your Highness, the population census for this month has been completed." He handed over a scroll of parchment.
"So fast?" "With the Resident Registration Records now, compiling statistics is much easier," the Minister's Assistant chuckled. "Your earlier decision was truly wise." Well, they're all starting to flatter now... Roland unrolled the paper scroll, which clearly displayed the population categorized by occupation in Border Town. Compared to the unstructured report he had just received, Barov's capabilities had indeed improved significantly.
The first line also contains the largest group, serfs, totaling 3,628 individuals (including family members). Below is a note: 1,500 serfs were engaged in farming.
"Your Highness, isn't the farming population a bit too small?" Barov pointed to the first group. "According to the Ministry of Agriculture's Seni Eri estimates, doubling the number of farmland and laborers would be required to meet Border Town's grain needs without relying on imports." Roland had some familiarity with Seni's name—he was likely a Knight from the Wolf Clan. The initial 1,500 serfs sent there were primarily farmers, while subsequent batches were reassigned by Roland to mining operations or Karl's construction crews. They too received the same promise: sufficient work would grant them freedom.
"I don't plan to achieve food self-sufficiency this year. Castle's warehouse still holds plenty of wheat, enough to last two to three months. Besides, the wheat planted this year is different." "Different?" Barov was taken aback.
"Well, you'll see when the time comes," Roland chuckled. The Golden No.1 cultivar, a genetically engineered hybrid developed by Ye Zi, yields at least triple the output of conventional wheat per plant. Its harvest would undoubtedly astonish everyone. This was precisely why he avoided overpopulating the agricultural sector. With Ye Zi's genetically modified crops, a small farming community could sustain the majority of the population, freeing up precious human resources for industrial development and urban expansion.
He continued to look down.
The second line of the parchment lists construction workers, with the subsequent notes detailing various roles: stonemasons, bricklayers, masons, carpenters, and general laborers. The total workforce numbered over 1,100, the majority of whom were serfs serving as general laborers. It was precisely this influx of fresh labor that enabled Border Town to rapidly construct residential areas and factories in batches—standardizing, mass-producing, and systematizing construction methods became crucial for accelerating progress. While Roland found this pace insufficient, it was nothing short of astonishing to the locals.
The third line is the mining personnel.
Similar to the construction industry mentioned earlier, the local population of Border Town has dwindled to twenty-five, primarily engaged in steam engine operation, mine registration, and administrative duties. The remaining 1,600 individuals are all outsiders, including mercenaries captured during the Battle of Changge Fortress and serfs who were subsequently brought in.
"Recent brawls have erupted in the mining district," Barov stated. "The tensions between mercenaries and serfs pose a serious threat, Your Highness. With their overwhelming numbers, twenty-five officers alone would be powerless to control the situation. I propose deploying the First Army to assist with security." "Hmm..." Roland pondered. "Let's proceed. With current staffing shortages, forming a regular police force is impractical. I'll discuss with Iron Axe that a fifty-man musket corps would suffice." "Police... what exactly?" "Think of them as patrol units, but with expanded jurisdiction. They'll essentially handle internal law enforcement." In this era, there was no distinction between internal and external violence, so deploying military forces for policing wouldn't tarnish their reputation. He planned to avoid diverting resources to establish a second violent apparatus until resolving the Church's formidable threat.
Border Town's First Army ranks fourth.
After the Siege of the Fortress, the First Army's reputation resounded across the Western Frontier—its 300-strong forces had crushed the Duke's 1,500-strong coalition at minimal cost, leaving the Noble Fortresses disheartened. Following the merit-based rewards, Roland doubled the army's size to 600. The recruitment notice immediately drew townspeople flocking to the square. True to the principle that' the people's army must be made of the people,' Roland selected 300 well-qualified natives with clean criminal records to join the First Army.
The rest are all kinds of technicians.
For instance, the smelting and firing industry has seen a dramatic workforce surge over the past month, expanding from an initial 20+ employees to around 400. Thanks to "kiln expert" Losya, the Beipo Kiln Complex now produces not only red bricks but also cement and glass. Meanwhile, three shaft furnaces are under construction. Soon, the ore stored in the stockyard will first undergo primary melting in these shaft furnaces, then be transported to designated locations after forming ingots.
In terms of education, chemistry, industry, and animal husbandry combined, the population is still below fifty. Therefore, from a demographic perspective alone, Border Town has a long way to go. However, the transformation of this town, originally predominantly composed of hunters and miners, into its current state within just six months can be considered a remarkable and dramatic change.
Hunters have nearly vanished, and hunting has shifted from a survival necessity to a pastime. Excluding those who joined the First Army or the smelting industry, nearly a thousand people in the town remain unemployed. Once the literacy component of universal education is completed, Roland plans to bring all these settlers into the factory, marking the beginning of industrial production.