NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4 - Episode 4: Monster Agriculture
Episode 4: Monster Agriculture
We decided to hold an agriculture meeting. Gathering the monsters, we exchanged opinions on agriculture. Meel, the caretaker, was sweating as she expressed concern, “Won’t there be resistance to agriculture? Won’t monsters doing the slaves’ work be misunderstood?”
“Well, you never know until you try. That’s what the meeting is for.”
“But, wouldn’t it be better to keep the reduction of taxes to 60 percent a secret? Everyone will become anxious. Morale will definitely decrease.”
“Hmm…”
“This concerns the dignity of the Demon Duke. Increasing everyone’s morale is also the duty of a ruler.”
I stood in front of thousands of monsters.
“Everyone, thank you for gathering. The truth is, I called this meeting because I want monsters to participate in agriculture.”
I declared openly.
“I’ve set the tax collection from slaves to 60 percent. We need to consider their food expenses.”
Meel was sweating profusely.
“L-Lord Zaus! That was supposed to be kept a secret!”
“Well, it’s better to be straightforward about it now.”
“But if a riot breaks out, it won’t just be a commotion about defeating the hero!”
I conveyed everything.
The increase in everyone’s food expenses.
The granary reserves are running low.
The suffering of the slaves.
I told them all.
“So, because we reduced tax collection, the food situation has worsened. If we continue like this, everyone will starve. That’s why I want you all to engage in agriculture.”
Then, a goblin stood up.
“As expected of Lord Zaus! If tax collection becomes stricter, the slaves will be wiped out!”
The lizardman countered.
“But for us to do the work the slaves were doing is humiliating.”
“Well, then take a vote. Some monsters might be interested in agriculture.”
Hmm.
“That’s a good idea. Let’s go with that.”
The goblin blushed and wriggled its body.
“Hehehe. Lord Zaus praised me!”
Then, other monsters raised their hands after seeing the goblin.
“I-I’ll do agriculture!”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll do it too!”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll do it!”
“I’m glad.”
The monsters raised their hands one after another.
“I’ll do it too!”
“Me too!”
“I’ll do it because I want to be praised, too!”
It’s getting lively.
Thousands of volunteers have already emerged.
“I-I’ll do it too.”
Huh?
I noticed that Meel had raised her hand.
“No, you’re the caretaker.”
“I-I see…”
It might be best to divide them into teams for hero extermination and agriculture.
“But, this is amazing… Valuing the initiative of subordinates… This was unimaginable under Lord Gozack’s rule.”
“He ruled through fear.”
That’s inefficient.
We can’t produce good results if we do it unwillingly.
And I don’t want to incur unnecessary grudges and be poisoned.
“But, Lord Zaus, how do we do agriculture? I’ve never plowed a field before.”
“You’d better ask someone with experience.”
So, I took my subordinate monsters to the slave district.
“P-Please help us! Don’t kill us!!”
The district head bowed down.
I brought along some fierce monsters, so it’s understandable for them to misunderstand.
“Ah, District Head, it’s not like that. Actually…”
And I explained.
“Eh!? Teaching monsters agriculture!?”
“Well, it seems so. I want them to learn, but is that okay?”
“O-Of course… If it’s Lord Zaus’s command, we’ll do it… But I’ve never heard of monsters doing agriculture before.”
“Times are changing. Haha. We should give some kind of reward… What would be good?”
“S-Such a reward!”
“No, things like this are important. The slaves will have additional work due to education.”
That’s right.
The infrastructure in the slave district is not well developed.
“Should we improve the sewer system?”
“Really!? Are you going to do that!?”
There are monsters in the castle who are good at building houses. While teaching classes, I’ll have them work on improving the infrastructure in the slave district. If we install sewers and toilets, this place will become more livable. Plus, keeping it clean and suppressing bacterial growth should prevent diseases from spreading. And so, the monsters started attending the slave district.
After a while, the slave district transformed into a completely different, clean town. The foul smell disappeared, and it became a clean place.
With things like this, I want to develop it as a town.
“Wow! It’s incredible! I never dreamed such a day would come. With this, it’ll be easy to accommodate new slaves when they come! Thank you so much, Lord Zaus!!”
Hmm…
Come to think of it, we were replenishing slaves.
My father, Gozack, didn’t hesitate to kill slaves. So when slaves decreased due to illness or killing, they were brought from elsewhere to replenish them.
That’s inefficient.
The work of bringing them increases.
It would be more efficient if slaves married each other and increased on their own.
Yeah. Let’s do that.
It would reduce my workload and be easier.
“District Head, can I talk to you for a moment?”
I explain the rough plan.
“Eeeeeh!? Y-You mean introducing a marriage system!?”
“Yeah. Maybe even build a church. We’ll manage the family registers at the Demon Duke’s castle.”
“T-Then it’s not a slave district anymore. It’s already a town.”
“Oh, right.”
“Eh?”
“Let’s stop the slave system.”
“Eeeeeeh!?”
“I think townspeople are better.”
In my previous life, I was a corporate slave. And I died of overwork from working too much.
I had an aversion to the word “slave.”
But it’s a given that organizing a society follows a hierarchical pyramid structure.
Starting with me, the ruling Demon Duke, along with monsters and townspeople, it will become a healthy community.
So the slave district transformed into a large town.
The term “slave” was abolished. We introduced a marriage system, and they became townspeople.
The slave district was renamed Zaus Town and began to develop.
Townspeople shared ideas, built hospitals, and markets, and the town became lively.
It’s a strange sight to see monsters striding through the town, but townspeople respect and esteem them.
As long as the ruler gives them peace and in return they pay taxes, it’s a win-win relationship.
Within a month, monsters learned agriculture.
“Lord Zaus! This is the Houreen I made, Buu.”
Houreen is the equivalent of spinach in this world. Leafy vegetables around here can be harvested in a short period of time.
This way, the food shortage in the castle was resolved.
In addition to monster agriculture, townspeople receive 60 percent of the taxes.
Furthermore, the town continues to develop on its own. It seems that the epidemic has decreased due to the improvement of infrastructure, and it has become the best town.
Yeah.
The food shortage has been perfectly cleared.
Since townspeople marry and increase on their own, it’s easy and fun without the hassle of slave hunting.
Moreover, we get high-quality harvests for free, 60 percent of them. It’s the best environment.
Meel trembles as she looks at the mountains of spinach and tomatoes stacked up.
“W-Wow… T-This… the monsters made it, right? W-With this, there won’t be any food shortages.”
That’s right.
In addition to the 60 percent from townspeople, we can now eat vegetables grown by monsters.
They have more strength than humans, so they can easily cultivate large fields.
Thanks to this, we can expect a greater harvest than from humans alone.
If we can be self-sufficient, it will lead to further development of the Demon Duke’s territory.
“It seems to be every month. We can eat delicious vegetables.”
“W-Wow! I-It’s perfect. There’s so much that the food storage is overflowing.”
“Could it be that we have surplus?”
“Yes. It might rot.”
“Then, sell it to humans.”
“Eh!?”
“If you sell it cheaply, they’ll be delighted, right? Zaus Town is developing and a market has been established. If monsters open shops and sell vegetables, it’ll be good for us too. It’s better to make a little money than let it rot, right?”
“B-But, humans pay 60 percent of the taxes, don’t they? Wouldn’t it be strange to sell vegetables to them? I’d feel complicated if the vegetables I collected in the castle were sold in the market.”
“Then, focus on selling vegetables that humans don’t grow.”
“Ah! …B-But are there such vegetables?”
“It seems there are vegetables unique to monsters. Ones that are difficult for humans to grow. If you sell those, it will lead to further development.”
“T-That’s amazing! Townspeople will be delighted! The market will grow bigger and bigger! I never thought such a day would come…”
Hehehe.
With this, the agriculture team will produce food, and the extermination team will undergo combat training.
There are still five years until the hero attacks the Demon Duke’s castle.
I’ll strengthen my army until then.