Frozen Flame of Dawn-Chapter 115 - 55: Doable Solution_2

Amira noted down the numbers, processing them carefully. "That’s not so promising, and we also need to consider the long-term sustainability and if we keep growing crops back-to-back without allowing the soil to replenish its nutrients, won’t it become barren over time?"

Megan sighed. "Exactly. If we overwork the land without proper crop rotation or soil recovery methods, the fertility of the soil will degrade, making it unsuitable for farming."

Tommy ran a hand through his hair before asking the most critical question. "Alright… then let’s cut to the chase—how much land do we need to expand to comfortably sustain our people?"

Megan looked up from her notes. "Based on our current population of 60,000—if we want to comfortably sustain everyone without worrying about food shortages and soil degradation—we need at least 4,000 hectares of farmland."

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Tommy groaned. "That’s eight times of what we currently have…"

Bella sighed. "And that’s assuming our population doesn’t keep growing and if more refugees arrive—which they will—we’ll need even more farmland."

Amira, unfazed, turned her sharp gaze to Aiden. "Looks like expanding farmland just became our next priority."

Aiden nodded, his brows furrowed in thought. "Yes, and we also have to plan ahead and need to be prepared to cultivate even more land if required so that even if we can sustain the people living here, we need a surplus—a backup supply, so we can help those in other cities and towns who can’t be relocated here."

Aiden’s words carried a deep sense of responsibility and he wasn’t just thinking about their own survival anymore—he was thinking bigger.

In this new world, traditional farming methods wouldn’t work as mutated beasts roamed freely, making open farmland outside cities impossible to maintain.

"Farming now has to be done in a closed, guarded environment with proper security—for both the crops and the people growing them." Amira nodded, fully agreeing.

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"Yeah, we have to take these scenarios into consideration." She turned to Megan. "We have a lot of unused land inside the basin. How much of it can we repurpose?"

Megan flipped through her notes, scanning the available data. "More than half of the land inside the basin is currently unoccupied. Not all of it is suitable for farming, but even if we use just a quarter of that land, we’ll be able to sustain our people and still have a small surplus for future needs."

Amira’s gaze sharpened. "Then let’s start there. We’ll begin farming inside the basin—it’s the safest, most secured location. That way, the crops can grow without external threats."

Aiden nodded, tapping his fingers against the table. "Crop rotation should be a priority. We can’t let the soil degrade from overuse."

"Agreed," Megan said. "We’ll rotate different crops after each harvest to keep the soil balanced."

Amira again added a point as she continued. "Also, reach out to the people we rescued from the nearby villages. Some of them must have been farmers before all of this happened. And don’t forget those who previously worked on the farmland here in the basin. They’ll have practical knowledge that can help us make the process more efficient."

Megan immediately caught on to Amira’s underlying meaning. "That’s a great idea. Not only will it make things run smoother, but it’ll also give people a purpose again."

Aiden nodded. "Morale is important. If people feel useless, they’ll lose their drive to survive. We need everyone to have a role."

Megan’s expression turned serious as a thought struck her, then she hesitated for a brief moment before finally voicing her concern. "But… to clear that much land and cultivate crops on a large scale, we’re going to need a huge workforce. Should we use awakened individuals or rely on normal workers?"

Amira had anticipated this question and didn’t hesitate. "We will rely on normal workers as much as possible and also going forward everyone needs to contribute—even if it’s just a little."

She glanced around the room, making sure everyone understood before continuing. "We have too many people sitting around doing nothing. We can’t let that continue. If we keep handing out food for free while they contribute nothing, it will create resentment among those who are actually working. We can’t let that happen."

Aiden crossed his arms, but he was clearly in agreement and just as he was about to add something, Bella leaned forward and cut in. "Then why don’t we set up a contribution system?"

Silence fell for a moment as everyone turned to her, intrigued, while Aiden, instead of speaking, leaned back slightly as he already had a similar thought, but Bella had caught on and was about to take it further.

Bella continued, her voice clear and confident. "If we implement a contribution system, we can assign value to every task. Each person can earn daily contribution points based on their work. Those who contribute get rewarded and those who don’t… well, they don’t."

Tommy frowned, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, but that doesn’t fully solve our problem. Even if we give them these contribution points, what can they actually use them for?"

Bella smiled slightly, as if she had anticipated this question. "That’s the point because right now, we still have a stockpile of old food—crops and grains from before the surge and they have no spiritual energy in them, meaning they don’t benefit normal humans beyond just filling their stomachs."

"So…?" Tommy prodded.

"So, here’s how it works," Bella leaned forward, placing her hands on the table. "those who don’t contribute will only get basic rations—the old food, the ones without any spiritual benefits but those who do contribute, will get our newly grown crops, the ones infused with spiritual energy and not only that the real incentive is that contribution points can also be exchanged for beast meat. Not every day, of course, but maybe once or twice a week."

A few murmurs went around the room.

Tommy’s eyes widened slightly as he finally understood where she was going. "Wait, you’re saying that by making contribution points a currency, people will actually want to work—because they won’t just be getting food, but better food which can makes them healthier and stronger?"

Bella nodded. "Exactly using this way, people won’t be forced to work—but they’ll want to as no one will want to be left behind while others grow stronger."

Ezzie, who had been silently listening until now was clearly impressed. "Damn, Bella, it’s like basically creating a new economy."

Bella shrugged. "That’s the goal because right now the old currency is worthless and money doesn’t mean anything anymore, and can’t go like this forever so we have to establish as system or structure and this contribution points can serve as the new currency—at least for now, until we find a better solution."