Novel Full Chapter 619: The Road Less Travelled
Chapter 619: The Road Less Travelled
“They intend to build the road to Lympsbury, not Castle City, first?” Dominic asked.
“That’s right. They seem to believe that having a road directly here from Castle City and region would cause a migration issue out of old Cygnia if we built it this year. So, they want the road to Lympsbury done first, and then we can sort out who wanted to live where.
Most of the ones who are wanting to leave Lympsbury have already done it over the last decade so they’re not expecting a large movement, only increased trade.
One more year to get back on its feet is what they think Castle City needs.
One year of supplies sent from our farms will be a huge economic boon to Wistover as well. You know how hard it can be to ship food long distances, even with the new airships. But right now, we’ve got the market for it, and we’ve got so many new farmers to grow food that we’ll be drowning in it by year’s end.”
Dominic nodded slowly. “That makes a lot of sense. But it also brings up another issue that I need to address. We need potato barns and grain silos with proper airflow. Do you know the ones that I mean?
There used to be some here, but the army smashed them when they looted the crops.”
The infrastructure team member laughed. “Oh, we’re well aware. We’ve been trying to find the design of the originals because they smashed them right to the ground.
There was a lot of rage behind that action, so I don’t know if they were empty or full when the place was invaded the first time.”
“Chock full. It was right after harvest season. But Dagos hadn’t sent nearly enough with their armies, other than the rations.
From what we heard, the big cities got a lot of rage as well.”
The Dagos armies were all commoners who were kept on the verge of starvation with punishing taxes, while the Dragon King took a set amount every year, and managed to extend his wealth somehow.
So, they all had it better than the army that was invading them, and that made the Dagos soldiers nearly as mad as the Nobles who ruled over them.
“Oh, I have the designs at the Manor. Come over later, or send someone, and I will grab them for you. Or ask Julio. He knows the ones, they’re vented, to keep airflow through the stored grain.
But you can work on the potato barns yourself. They just need to be below ground to keep the temperature regulated. That’s much less stressful than trying to keep grain dry and stable for years in case of drought.”
The man’s smile gave Dominic a glimpse into the grand plans that they had for the city’s infrastructure.
If they could build those everywhere, and a few more wine cellars at the Barony Manors who had good hills for the purpose, they could stockpile nearly everything that the Barony needed to make it through a few lean years, while still keeping up their shipments for cash.
“There was some talk of adding irrigation as well. I know that much of the Duchy already has irrigation canals installed, but some of the Barons have expressed a desire to add magitech water pumps and an irrigation pivot.
With them, they can keep perfect water levels in the dry season, and they can do it with a dugout pond that fills naturally during the wet season.
Or with water magic if we’re in hard times.
After seeing everything that has happened to the region, and talking to the new arrivals from the deserts of Axbridge, caution is the mood of the day, and the Barons all want to prepare for the absolute worst-case scenario.”
Dominic considered that information for a moment before answering.
“Well, they’re not wrong to want to take precautions. But even in good years, the extra irrigation will help keep crops growing at optimal rates. One other thing that we’re going to need are some more beekeepers.
The wild bee population likely does the job, but if we can get a few beekeepers to spread around between the Baronies, they will make some good money, and we will have the security.
Besides, while butterflies and ladybugs might do the job, it’s more efficient to have bees, and we get honey as a side product.
That alone is totally worth it. The lovely ladies of the bakery will thank us.”
“True, we have some sugar beets, but that needs refining, and it’s just not the same as using honey in your baking. Alright, I will send out a message requesting beekeepers with a hive. I don’t know how much we can get, but if I put it up on the board, we might find someone hiding in town with the skills.
If they find a wild nest and move it, they can start up their business from nothing but a few boxes.”
“Well, it sounds like I’ve got plenty to do, and designs to modernize. At least a little. The original grain silos were amazingly effective from what I have heard, but with a bit of magitech to add forced air on calm days, we could do it even better.
Airflow and low humidity is the key to keeping grain stable. Or having a witch around who can cast a spell to prevent spoilage.
But that’s more effort to maintain, and not practical to do at every single Barony.
As long as we can get the original design, we can make something that will keep the pulse crops fresh. Just leave it to us. We will get it all sorted out and bill it to the Nobles. They can afford the extra work if it’s not considered to be a Duchy improvement.”
Dominic laughed. “It probably is, but it’s also part of the Baron’s duties to his people, and to his own benefit, to have as much ability to feed his people as possible. We might be under a tax relief period, but I’m certain that they will pay for the improvements to their land.”