- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 72
**Chapter 72: Reservoir and the Joy of Harvest**
Thor had no idea that his father had once again prepared a generous gift for him, even including a Great Knight for support. After bidding farewell to Rachos Assad, Thor threw himself back into the development of his territory.
With two wars behind him, the external threats—at least those posed by neighboring frontier territories—were thoroughly dealt with.
Particularly, the fact that Baron Valmy and Baron Graton had sent their “hostages” ensured that there were no further issues in the region.
With that settled, Thor could focus entirely on development.
The first step in building up his territory was, of course, cultivating the land.
The Maine River Valley was vast, housing not only three noble lords and seven frontier lords, but also, technically, five more frontier lords, including the Emmosen family. However, these latter lords were located a bit farther from the valley.
The reason why so many frontier lords had gathered in this area, and why three noble lords had emerged here, was largely due to the open expanses to the north of the valley. Over time, the Maine River had created a massive crescent-shaped plain, where the land was flat and the soil rich—perfect for large-scale agriculture. The closer to the river, the more fertile the soil became.
Years of accumulated silt had created this ideal farmland. Were it not for the constant threat of flooding, this region could have produced several more noble lords.
Thor’s first task in reclaiming the land was to resolve the region’s water problems.
For this, Thor already had a plan: building a reservoir.
Yes, a reservoir.
In Thor’s previous life, reservoirs were “hydraulic structures used to store and regulate water flow to prevent floods, generate electricity, irrigate, and even support fisheries.”
While this world didn’t have the technology for electricity generation, a reservoir could still help control flooding, mitigate flood risks, and even support some degree of fish farming, providing a new source of economic output.
Thor hadn’t initiated this project earlier because the upper reaches of the river were within the territories of Baron Valmy and Baron Graton, and he didn’t have enough manpower. Now, though, these issues were resolved.
Thor quickly organized a force of over a thousand slaves, led by dozens of knights, and also requisitioned manpower from the territories of Baron Valmy and Baron Graton to begin construction of the reservoir upstream in the Maine River Valley.
A large workforce gathered, and the grand construction project began.
Although Valmy and Graton were somewhat reluctant, they were bound by the contract and had no choice but to comply.
Meanwhile, as the reservoir was being constructed, large areas of uncultivated land downstream in Eagle Ridge were also being prepared for farming.
With more than half a year before the next flood season, the reservoir could be completed within that time, thanks to the extraordinary abilities of this world. Without the threat of floods, land reclamation could proceed safely.
During this time, the first batch of grain reached its harvest.
The fertilization techniques from Thor’s previous world had proven highly effective in this one.
The wheat fields from the early stages of land cultivation yielded a bountiful harvest.
The slaves and free citizens were filled with excitement as they gazed at the heavy, ripe heads of wheat in their fields. Their faces glowed with enthusiasm.
“My God, this is unbelievable,” one slave exclaimed.
“Three hundred pounds! We’ve harvested three hundred pounds!” another shouted in awe.
“Blessings from the Goddess of Life!” someone else cried out.
“Our lord is truly amazing!” echoed through the fields.
On the land, slaves and free citizens alike were gleaming with excitement as they gathered their crops.
The wheat harvest far exceeded their expectations.
In their memories, even in a good year, an acre of land would yield about 200 pounds of wheat. But this time, they had harvested 300 pounds per acre—nearly double the usual yield, leaving them in disbelief.
Many even thought they must be dreaming.
In the castle…
“Three hundred pounds?” Thor murmured as he furrowed his brow and sighed.
He had tried to bring over as many techniques from his previous world as possible, but this world was different, and without modern fertilizers, the wheat yield would never reach the levels he had known before.
The yield here wasn’t even a tenth of what it could have been in his former world.
In the northern regions of his previous world, the yield per acre could reach around 1,100 pounds, while in the south, it was generally between 800 to 1,000 pounds.
Here, an acre was about twice the size it had been in his previous world, but pounds were roughly equivalent to the weights he was used to. Even so, the yield per acre here was only around 150 pounds, which felt pitifully low.
“My lord, this is already an impressive yield,” Raine said, still excited and full of admiration for Thor. “In Frostmoon Province, our family barely produces 200 pounds per acre! Sometimes, it’s less than 150.”
Thor, not wanting to dwell on the matter further, simply nodded and gave orders, “Alright, make sure to organize the storage of the grain as quickly as possible.”
The harvest meant he now had a significant amount of grain stored. In the Northern Province, grain was extremely valuable.
Over the past few months, his greatest expenditure hadn’t been on slaves, even though that had cost him quite a bit. The biggest drain on his resources had been the constant consumption of grain.
If this harvest had failed, he would have had to purchase more grain.
Though Rachos’ successful trade routes ensured a steady flow of gold coins, even that income might not have been enough to sustain them for long.
But now, with this harvest, Thor no longer had to worry as much. He could continue his development at a steady pace.
Although the wheat yield wasn’t ideal, he had already reclaimed a considerable amount of land and continued to clear more, ensuring that future harvests would provide a steady supply of food.
They were now on the path to self-sufficiency.
“I still need to find a way to increase the grain yield,” Thor muttered to himself. “It seems the elves in this world can help with that…”
His thoughts drifted to information he had read in books. Compared to humans, elves were clearly nature’s favorites, capable of accelerating plant growth and even enhancing their development.
To further improve crop yields, his methods from the previous world would no longer suffice. This world had its own unique ways of achieving results.
Thinking of elves, Thor also recalled the half-elf girl.
However, he wasn’t sure if the half-elf possessed these abilities, given that she wasn’t a full elf.
Moreover, she still hadn’t fully submitted to him.
**(End of Chapter)**