I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 311: Agricultural Revolution (3)

Starting new things like farming methods or introducing new technologies, things that haven’t been tried before, is not easy.

There are conflicts with those who insist on sticking to traditional methods, negotiations with public institutions, and countless trial and errors.

‘None of it is easy.’

And the most troublesome part of it all is convincing those who have been using the old methods for a long time to change.

"Are you really saying that if we fail with the farming method you instructed, you will cover all the losses?"

"I swear on the honor of the Rothschild family. If you want, after today’s discussion, I’ll have an official oath drawn up and give it to you immediately."

At those words, the village chiefs' expressions brightened.

Farming, in reality, may seem like something that peasants do every day, but if you think about it strictly, it’s quite similar to gambling.

If a drought, flood, landslide, or frost strikes, everything can collapse in an instant.

On the other hand, if the weather is perfect, there’s a bumper harvest, and you can get nearly double the usual yield.

In modern society, due to the profit from crop fluctuations between good and bad harvests, some might even say that gambling is more reliable.

For the peasants, who have to take risks every year, the full compensation for losses is like:

‘It’s like an investment where the principal is guaranteed.’

The village chiefs' faces lit up with smiles.

"If Your Lordship is going to go this far, how can we oppose it?"

"I’m glad you agree. And the farming method I’m about to implement has already been a great success in other regions."

The word "success" made everyone perk up.

They had agreed to adopt the new farming method, and of course, they were all curious about how much their income would increase by implementing it.

"Seeing Your Lordship’s confidence, it seems like there were substantial results?"

"Compared to the traditional methods, we were able to harvest about twice as much food. And we also got fodder for livestock and turnips."

The village chiefs were silent, staring at each other in disbelief.

Some of them even pinched their cheeks or pretended to slap themselves, as if thinking ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ they had misheard.

Doubling the harvest means the peasants’ income would more than double.

"The key to this farming method is to plant barley in the spring, and in the following year, plant turnips, beans, and wheat in that order. By alternating crops, the land doesn’t become exhausted."

All crops grow from the earth, but each requires different nutrients.

Especially in areas where wheat can’t be planted, planting beans will introduce a bacteria called root-nodule bacteria that enriches the soil.

The following year, wheat can be grown on that land.

This principle, taken to the extreme, is exactly what the Norfolk crop rotation method (or four-course method) is based on.

"I’m also planning on trying other things. Like releasing a lot of earthworms into the soil, or instead of just scattering seeds on the ground as usual, digging holes at certain intervals and planting the seeds carefully."

"Will that really be effective?"

"If things go wrong, I’ll take full responsibility."

There are many people in this world who think that if things go well, it’s because of their brilliance, but if things go wrong, it’s always the fault of their subordinates.

I’ve suffered under such professors during my graduate studies, and it was a nightmare.

During those times, I swore to myself that I would never become like those scumbags, but I can’t do that to the people under my rule.

‘I can’t be that kind of scum.’

"When we plant the seeds, I’ll have the new machines and tools from Rothschild University’s Department of Technology distributed to each village. It will make planting the seeds much easier."

In Korea, it’s common sense to bury seeds deep in the ground to grow them until they sprout.

But in the Toscana Empire, seeds are simply scattered on the surface of the ground.

While it’s convenient, it’s terribly inefficient.

It becomes hard for the seeds to root, and before they can, birds or insects usually eat them.

In the medieval era, it was considered a maximum efficiency to plant one wheat seed and get three in return.

‘And improving just that significantly raised harvest efficiency.’

"We’ll also expand and maintain various irrigation facilities, and gradually provide the necessary equipment for harvesting."

By distributing more efficient threshers than using a flail to separate the wheat, the labor needed during harvest will be reduced by a hundredfold.

"Is there anyone here who has complaints?"

"No, but we’ve never farmed like this before. It feels a bit unfamiliar."

"Trust me completely. Do you think I would make you try this new method if I wasn’t confident? I’m not doing this on a whim."

Other lords would never offer the solution I’m providing.

If they did, they’d go bankrupt, and even after several bankruptcies, they wouldn’t be able to pay off their debts.

But if I use the money earned from running the merchant guild, the income from the workshops in my domain, and the gold mined from the Maasai Alliance's gold mine...

Our family could run the land without collecting a single penny in taxes.

‘It’s like solving all problems with money.’

The village chiefs nodded suspiciously, smiling as they did.

"Well, our Lord wouldn’t do anything that would cause a loss."

"What kind of man is Your Lordship? He’s always confident in everything."

"He even put the family’s honor on the line."

Some might mock saying "What does it matter if a famous detective puts his grandfather’s name on the line?" but this is a medieval fantasy world.

Putting your family’s honor on the line means more than just risking your entire fortune.

‘No honor? Then you die.’

That’s the kind of world it is.

"The specifics will be explained later by others who will visit each of your villages. For now, I’ll leave. Feel free to talk among yourselves, enjoy your dinner, and return home."

Among the village chiefs, there’s an undercover agent.

As I converse openly with the spy, if there are any real complaints, they’ll naturally come out.

I’ll deal with them later.

I finished my official duties a bit earlier than expected, and went out for another walk around the city.

I don’t know when I’ll be back here again, so I wanted to look around as much as possible.

"I want to go to the market and buy some food to bring back."

Normally, I’d love to buy some snacks, but due to the risk of potential poisoning, I can’t buy food from outside.

While I haven’t done anything wrong within the Empire...

Some narrow-minded individuals might still bear a grudge and try to assassinate me.

"If Your Lordship wishes, we’ll go buy food and bring it back."

"Buying food directly from the market is better; it doesn’t mean anything if we bring it home first."

"It’s the same food, isn’t it?"

"It’s the atmosphere that matters."

As I chatted with Sebastian and walked down the street, a young girl approached me.

"Wow, it’s the lord. Hello, my lord!"

From the way she was dressed, she seemed like the daughter of a commoner.

She must have noticed from Sebastian calling me "Lord"...

If she were another noble, she might have scolded or even shoved me, but instead, I made eye contact with the girl and greeted her.

"Yes, I am Lord Rothschild."

Sebastian gave me a slightly incredulous look.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

As a noble, talking so casually with a commoner girl isn’t exactly normal.

I used to keep a ‘physical’ distance when interacting with villagers in Bi-O Village to maintain my dignity and show my power.

"Where is your mother?"

"She’s at home cooking."

"All alone?"

"Yes! And..."

The girl took out a poorly made toy from her pocket and handed it to me.

"This is a gift for you, my lord."

"Thank you. But why are you giving this to me?"

"My mom and dad always say that we can live so well because of you, so I’m giving you this gift. Thank you."

To me, the toy was practically worthless.

But I couldn’t ignore the girl’s heart.

"I will cherish this gift."

The girl bowed deeply in gratitude.

"Thank you."

"Then, since you gave me a gift, I want to return the favor. Would you like to come have dinner at my house? I’ll make anything you like."

"But my mom’s cooking dinner right now. She’ll be worried if I don’t go back."

Well, if Leo came home late, I’d be upset too.

"Then, I’ll invite your whole family tomorrow."

The girl’s eyes lit up when she heard that.

"Really?"

"Of course. And since you gave me a gift, I’ll give you one in return."

Though it wasn’t intentional, the fact that a little girl recognized me and gave me her precious item meant that the people here were fully supportive of me.

If I ever rise up against the Toscana Empire, they’d all support me.

Though that’ll never happen, of course.

And just like a sailor rowing when the tide is high, it’s best to take every opportunity to create good deeds.

It’s not that I’m calculating; it’s just that the girl’s gesture made me happy.

"What’s your name?"

"Ella."

"Alright, Ella."

I signaled to one of my men to come over.

"Take this girl home, get the address, and then invite her family to our mansion tomorrow."

"Yes, understood."

After giving the order, I patted Ella’s head gently.

"I’ll cherish the gift you gave me."

I’m going to display it in my office and brag about it to Erica, Kris, and Chloe.

The next day, I formally invited Ella’s family and enjoyed dinner with them.

Though I didn’t intend for it, this story naturally became a feel-good tale that spread widely throughout the Rothschild Barony.