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[FTMWDK] Chapter 129: Agriculture and Opportunity
🕑 Added 2023-11-23 06:13:28 +0000 UTC"Your Majesty? Your Majesty!"
"Hmm... What?!"
Arkhan, as if waking from a dream, snapped back to reality and turned to look at Bedivere in front of him.
"What happened?"
"Your Majesty, you've been quite absent-minded these days..." Bedivere puzzled. "Is it because of the recent workload?"
"Absent-minded? Really?" Arkhan's face showed a hint of embarrassment. He shifted his gaze away and coughed. "Ahem! Yeah, maybe it's because of the excessive workload lately. It's affecting my concentration."
"Really?" Bedivere's eyes filled with a mix of worry and concern. "How about we call it a day, and you take a break for now?"
"No need. I'll just take a moment to gather myself later." Arkhan shook his head. "Alright, let's continue with our previous discussion."
Bedivere slightly furrowed his brows, sighed inwardly, and reluctantly picked up the report in his hand.
"The winter planting is progressing steadily. The farmers' seed reserves are sufficient. Barring any unforeseen events, this year should see no major changes compared to previous ones."
Arkhan nodded slightly. "That's good. Agriculture is the foundation of a nation. We can't afford any negligence in this regard."
After finished speaking, he suddenly noticed Bedivere's hesitant expression.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
Bedivere forced a smile. "Your Majesty, I don't quite understand why you entrusted me with such an important task in agriculture. It might sound irresponsible, but I really don't have much knowledge in this area. That's why... I'd like to ask you to reconsider and appoint someone more suitable for this position."
Bedivere wasn't intentionally shirking responsibility. Since Arkhan assigned him the position of Minister of Agriculture, he had been diligently learning about agriculture. Unfortunately, he had never dealt with such matters before, so he started from scratch, which took a long time to master.
Moreover, there was no systematic agricultural knowledge in Britain; experiences were mainly passed down orally. This made Bedivere's learning curve much steeper.
On top of that, the policies proposed by Arkhan involved agricultural matters, so Bedivere had to absorb knowledge to solidify his foundation while figuring out how to implement the policies.
His workload in the past few days was almost comparable to Arkhan's, yet he remained the slowest in progress among all.
All of those caused Bedivere to feel pressured.
Arkhan pondered for a moment and said, "You're right; I overlooked this aspect. Don't worry, I'll bring someone over in a few days to assist you. With his help, you won't have to worry about these matters."
Bedivere looked at Arkhan with confusion.
'Does His Majesty have someone skilled in agriculture among his subordinates?'
===
The next day, Arkhan went to the outskirts of Camelot and found Karl, the old knight he had sent from Tintagel to Camelot.
"Oh, L-Lord Go—I mean, Your Majesty?"
Karl, who was working in the fields, looked bewildered at Arkhan who suddenly appeared before him. For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder if he was dreaming.
"Long time no see, Karl." Arkhan smiled.
Karl shivered all over. It was only now that he finally reacted. The divine being was indeed standing before him!
He hurriedly tried to kneel, but at the moment his knees bent, an inexplicable force lifted him back up.
"I already told you, no need to kneel every time you see me..." Arkhan shook his head, helpless.
"Ahaha... sorry, it's just a habit." Karl scratched his head, awkwardly chuckling.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Arkhan inquired about Karl's experiences since arriving in Camelot.
Initially, Arkhan imparted all his agricultural knowledge to Karl. However, uncertain about the effectiveness of this knowledge in the lands still under the influence of the Age of Gods, he sent Karl to Camelot in advance to test it out.
Karl didn't disappoint. In these past few months, he diligently followed Arkhan's teachings on grain cultivation and achieved impressive results.
Guided by Karl, Arkhan reached the granary where Karl stored the harvested grain. Seeing the abundance of wheat piled inside, even Arkhan was taken aback.
"Your Majesty, those tools and knowledge you gave me were incredible!"
Karl's face glowed with excitement.
"Especially that plow thing; it made cultivating the land ten times faster than others, and so deep! And the seed drill, the planting became quick and easy! Following your instructions, I watered, fertilized, weeded, and dealt with pests every day. Not a single issue with the wheat—all grew exceptionally well! With what I've grown alone, we can supply a village for a whole year!"
Arkhan's heart skipped a beat. Although prepared, he hadn't expected the results to be this extraordinary.
Yet, he knew the main factor was the efficiency brought by the use of the tools. At this moment, where the land still retained the 'True Ether' from the Age of Gods, the yield was exceptionally high. The more land they cultivated, the greater the final harvest.
As for the agricultural knowledge, its impact wasn't as significant.
For instance, the three-field system played a crucial role in European agricultural history, but it was irrelevant here. The land remained fertile without the need for fallow periods.
Perhaps these insights would only prove useful after the Age of Gods' influence waned.
However, seizing the current opportunity was essential.
Arkhan took a deep breath and patted Karl's shoulder without caring for his muddy appearance.
"I'm satisfied, Karl. You've done perfectly, living up to my expectations."
Karl was trembling with excitement. His efforts had finally gained acknowledgment.
The theory had been tested and proven remarkably effective. Without hesitation, Arkhan said, "Karl, next, I'll arrange for you to join Camelot's agricultural department. You'll be responsible for spreading the knowledge and tools. It might be a challenging task, so be prepared."
Karl nearly fainted. Despite his simple nature, having lived for so long, he understood Arkhan's intentions.
Without exaggeration, if this task succeeded, his name would be forever etched in Britain's history.
"Lo-Lord God, are you really... entrusting such a precious opportunity to me?" Karl's voice trembled with intense excitement and fear.
"Isn't this what I promised you from the beginning? Also, why did you call me Lord God again? I've told you I'm not some divine being." Arkhan smiled wryly and soon vanished like the wind.
Karl looked down at his hands covered in mud stains, tears streaming down his weathered face.
"Thank you... for trusting me..."
Karl muttered as he bowed to the empty spot where Arkhan had stood moments before.
