Chapter 551: Expansion with Justification
Crack!
As the last Dragon-Mad Gnoll fell, the entire town returned to peace.
The surviving residents, panic-stricken, stared at the gnoll corpses. The terrifying appearance of these monsters still made them tremble in fear.
Many residents only now realized that even inside the town, it was no longer safe.
Some of them were also aware that their lord had already abandoned them and fled.
Fear gripped their hearts, and inevitably, the thought of escaping surfaced in their minds.
There were even some opportunists who wanted to take advantage of the chaos to commit misdeeds.
Just as the town was about to fall into disorder, the bloodied guards emerged.
Recognized and trusted by the residents, they quickly restored order with their calls.
Soon, the residents understood that the adventurers who had taken down these Dragon-Mad Gnolls were reinforcements sent by Bay Territory.
While this reassured them, it also stirred up more hidden worries.
These adventurers were from Bay Territory, and although they didn't know why they had come to help—
It was certain that they wouldn't stay forever.
Once they left, if the Dragon-Mad Gnolls or even more terrifying dragon-blooded creatures attacked the town, they wouldn't be so lucky next time.
The guards' honesty confirmed this reality for them.
"According to the adventurers from Bay Territory, they will stay here for one day to arrange the evacuation of those who wish to leave..."
"They will use a teleportation array to send everyone 100 kilometers away to Bay Territory, which is much safer..."
"Once the Dragon Madness Disaster passes, it won't be too far to return to town."
Upon hearing this, most of the common residents relaxed.
As long as they didn't have to leave their homeland permanently, they could accept this arrangement.
After all, no one wanted to abandon their home.
However, some residents refused to leave and even proposed rather "bold" ideas.
"Why not make them stay? We can pay them gold!"
"Yeah! We can just hire them to stay!"
"That way, we wouldn't have to leave. If the lord doesn't return, we can elect a new one..."
"I believe the lord is just seeking reinforcements. These adventurers were likely sent by him..."
"..."
The conflicting opinions and voices made the guard captain's face turn grim.
He finally understood the good intentions of Alice's Adventurer Team. He cast a cold glance at them and said flatly:
"All of our guards have decided to leave, taking our families with us. If you wish to stay, you can try to convince the adventurers from Bay Territory yourselves."
As he spoke, the guard captain led his men to first seal off the lord's manor.
Under the incredulous gazes of many residents, he swiftly gathered supplies and distributed them to the families of the fallen guards.
Chris, who had long been prepared, quickly set up a teleportation array, sending the guards and their families to Bay Territory.
His adventurers naturally took over the lord's manor and the majority of the supplies within.
All these supplies were recorded and would be transported back to Bay Territory.
After deducting the costs for teleportation and protection, Bay Territory would generously return the remaining gold coins to the fleeing lord.
Even if they "forgot," Bay Territory would remind them.
No loopholes left for criticism.
Chris skillfully posted a notice and then loudly announced:
"We will only wait here for one day. After that, we will leave."
"The next wave of dragon-blooded creatures is expected to arrive in two days..."
As soon as these words fell, the residents who had been hesitant immediately grew anxious.
They quickly gathered around, eager to "negotiate" with Chris.
Morak and Fakor approached with several ogres and trolls, instantly intimidating everyone.
Not far away, Alice commanded the adventurers to clean up the battlefield and reported the mission's completion to Bay Territory, receiving new orders.
"Head to Clark Town. The lord there is also requesting reinforcements..."
"Contact other adventurer teams. More lords in the vicinity are preparing to request our aid."
Understanding what "requesting aid" truly meant, Alice's lips curled into a knowing smile.
She left a team to handle the aftermath while sending the rest of Alice's Adventurer Team to Clark Town.
At the same time, Alice quickly contacted other adventurer teams to inform them of the situation.
This was a lucrative opportunity!
Teleporting citizens earned money and extra merits.
Teleporting supplies cost money, but the lords paid for it.
Completing supply collection missions brought even more profit.
One battle, multiple gains.
The adventurers, who had initially been wary of Dragon Madness Maze, reignited their fighting spirit and busied themselves around Bay Territory.
Previously, only small village residents had been teleported to Bay Territory.
The population growth had been increasing but remained relatively modest.
But with entire towns now being "rescued," Bay Territory's already rapid population growth skyrocketed.
The daily increase surged from 6,000 people to 20,000.
The entire Bay Territory became bustling with activity.
Training facilities continuously admitted waves of new residents.
Seeing the job opportunities and wages in Bay Territory, many who had initially come only to take refuge eagerly joined the workforce.
Since they had to wait anyway, why not earn some money in the meantime?
Some teleported residents, however, had no intention of working.
These were wealthier families who, after several days of "observation," found Bay Territory unsuitable and planned to return home once things settled.
Then, they realized a problem.
The low cost of living in Bay Territory allowed them to sustain themselves for a long time, but the busy locals left them with no one to chat with.
They could only gather together, indulging in Bay Territory's specialty cuisine, waiting for the crisis to pass.
However, they soon changed their minds.
As they learned more about Bay Territory, they discovered its numerous benefits.
Free Professional training!
Their children could enroll in the Professional Training Academy!
Job wages and bonuses were exceptionally high!
It didn't take long before they began seeking employment.
As Bay Territory continued to bustle, the year 130 of the Netheril Era quietly passed.
The originally planned New Year's celebration was shortened from five hours to two.
When the celebration began—
The entire Bay Territory was immersed in joy.
Butler Ralph's passionate voice echoed through magical broadcasts, reaching every castle, stronghold, outpost, and camp in Bay Territory.
He reported the previous year's achievements and the significant gains of Bay Territory.
"Last year, Bay Territory cultivated 48.53 million acres of land, exceeding the original plan by 18.53 million acres."
"All participants received 10 acres matching their work time."
"Twenty percent of the land was awarded to 450,000 cultivators, averaging an extra 8.23 acres per person, with the highest award reaching 157 acres."
The obsession with land excited the new residents.
Next year, they anticipated even more.
"Bay Territory has officially surpassed 300,000 square kilometers and will continue expanding east and north next year!"
"The population has grown to 2.4 million, with 800,000 fully integrated..."
"Average wages have increased from 10 silver coins per month to 65..."
"Bonuses have tripled yearly salaries across all positions!"
"Professional training has yielded 28,765 new Professionals. Keep up the effort!"
"The Professional Training Academy will expand to accommodate 300,000 students. A new round of teacher recruitment begins soon..."
"..."
The various development achievements made everyone in Bay Territory feel a sense of pride.
Many who received this information were shocked by Bay Territory's rapid growth.
In just over a year.
Bay Territory had grown from a small village of one to two thousand people into a vast domain spanning over 300,000 square kilometers, making it seem almost unbelievable.
Was Bay Territory exaggerating?
"Many territories only delineate their boundaries, and it takes a long time to develop them."
"However, with the support of elemental energy pools and the assistance of engineering golems, development will be extremely fast!"
So fast that even Butler Ralph could hardly imagine it.
Matthew was not surprised. Having witnessed the era of magical technological advancements in the future, he felt more reflective about the changes and growth of the territory.
Of course, Matthew was very pleased with everyone's enthusiasm and effort in development. As he reviewed the summary report, a smile spread across his face.
Bay Territory:
Total reclaimed land: 49.15 million acres
Land reclaimed last year: 48.53 million acres.
Current number of land reclaimers: 450,000.
Next year's reclamation rate: 10 people per 5 acres per day.
Target for this year: 60 million acres!
Grain Production:
Expected yield for next year:
Wheat fields: 10 million acres, averaging 700 jin per acre.
Rice fields: 40 million acres, averaging 800 jin per acre.
Total cultivated area: 50 million acres.
The estimated grain output for next year is 19.5 million tons, enough to sustain 60 million people.
"With such high output next year, we no longer need to purchase staple grains from outside."
Matthew stroked his chin. With grain in hand, there was no fear in the heart—Bay Territory could now absorb population with confidence.
"Reclaiming 60 million acres of land and fully cultivating it is no easy feat."
Hearing the lord's words, Butler Ralph confidently replied:
"The addition of agricultural golems has greatly improved reclamation efficiency. If we were only expanding land, we could reach 100 million acres."
"However, to turn it into fertile land, we need to nurture and fertilize it. We will likely need to build dozens more fertilizer plants."
"The enthusiasm among the people is exceptionally high. Over 70% of the residents will choose to participate in land reclamation..."
Such high enthusiasm wasn't necessarily a good thing!
Matthew raised an eyebrow as he reviewed the projected reclamation capacity of Bay Territory—an astonishing 450 million acres.
He relaxed slightly. No matter the time, food production was always the foundation.
If too many people wanted to join the factories, expanding too fast could lead to difficulties in absorption.
Livestock Farms:
Current numbers: 2 million chickens, 1 million ducks, 200,000 geese, 200,000 pigs, 100,000 cows, 50,000 horses.
Estimated numbers for this year:
10 million chickens, 5 million ducks, 1 million geese, 1 million pigs, 500,000 cows, 300,000 horses.
In terms of livestock, Bay Territory did not blindly expand production.
This was due to ongoing breed research, grain production still catching up, and other factors.
Bay Territory's rapid development placed considerable pressure on its administrators, so blind expansion was not an option.
Moreover, the combination of technology and development was key to ensuring a stable growth path.
Unlike the past, where development relied solely on magic, Matthew and Bay Territory had to explore more options.
Relying on a single approach was ultimately too risky.
Production Factories:
Military factories, steel plants, textile mills, lumberyards, timber mills, slaughterhouses, food processing plants, herbal factories—100 factories in total.
Currently accommodating 100,000 jobs.
Plan for this year:
Add another 100 factories, creating 200,000 more jobs.
Special Factories:
Kobold Iron Refinery: Elemental Furnace, Manager—Silver-Fang.
Golem Manufacturing Plant: Manager—Victor.
Automated Alchemy Factory: Manager—Mountain.
Magical Item Production Factory: Manager—Magic Duncan.
Joint Manufacturing Factory: Manager—Annie.
Underworld Metal Smelting Plant: Under construction.
Shipbuilding Yard: Under construction.
The best representation of Bay Territory's technology and strength was naturally its various production factories.
As of now, the primary bottleneck in increasing production capacity and factory expansion was the shortage of professional talent.
Even though Bay Territory had continuously issued "recruitment advertisements."
Each month, one or two hundred new professionals joined.
It was still insufficient to meet the pace of factory expansion and growth.
"We must strengthen professional training, referring to the regular Professional training system, and expand the training teams."
"We need more specialists, whether it's to absorb and learn dwarven and elven technologies or to push forward the development of more construction techniques. We must improve in these areas..."
Butler Ralph noted this down. Although he carefully considered and analyzed the lord's judgments and orders, they always resulted in extraordinary and outstanding outcomes.
He then reported on the development of the military.
The establishment and expansion of major camps.
The arrangement of coastal defenses.
The construction of underground world fortresses and castles.
And many other Bay Territory development issues.