The villagers worked together turning over the soil until they had five good sized areas for farming. they wanted to plant a mix of potatoes, corn, wheat, carrots and beans in these areas.
The idea was to have a variety of crops like potatoes and carrots and also wheat and corn along with some legumes, like beans.
To ensure a bountiful harvest, I intended to introduce a new concept: fertilizer made from the village's own human waste. I had instructed all the residents to collect their excrement in wooden buckets.
"What is this stuff used for, my lord?" Rikki asked. He looked into one of the buckets. His face showed that he was really confused and totally grossed out by what he saw. The buckets were filled with this mess and Rikki could not understand what it was, for.
Delbert leaned in close, whispering in a low, teasing voice, "Do you think Lord Ashzer intends to eat it?"
"Absolutely not!" I quickly clarified, waving my hands. "I am going to make fertilizer."
Most of the villagers who overheard our conversation simply tilted their heads. The concept of fertilizer was entirely foreign to them
"Listen closely," I addressed the confused crowd. "Before we sow the seeds, we need to feed the soil with this organic fertilizer. It will drastically accelerate the plants' growth and yield a much richer harvest."
The waste that was needed was brought forward. It was not a lot of waste because many people, in the village were used to putting it in the ground or going to the bathroom in the river near them. We all worked together to mix the smelling waste into the dirt and we planted the seeds that Osgar and Sean had gotten ready. The waste was mixed into the soil. Then the seeds were put in.
Ashzer's points have now reached -5p. A rather drastic and welcome increase from the abysmal -30p.
The peaceful morning was suddenly shattered. An older man came sprinting toward us, his face pale with panic. "Someone, please help! There is an injured person at the village entrance!"
We dropped our tools and immediately rushed toward the front of the village.
The sight that greeted us was startling. A young woman with long, vibrant red hair lay collapsed on the ground, wearing tattered brown clothing. She was groaning in intense pain. Between ragged breaths, she confessed that she was being hunted by a ruthless slaver syndicate. She pleaded for our forgiveness, warning us that her pursuers were heading straight for this village.
"Please, just let me go," the girl begged, trying to push herself up from the dirt. "The slavers are coming, and they are only after me. It would be better if you just gave me a horse so I can ride far away from here."
My initial instinct was to grant her request and provide her with a mount. But the moment she revealed herself to be a witch, my mind changed entirely.
"Well, look at it this way," I said calmly, crossing my arms. "We will help you fight them off. Then, You have to promise to be loyal to this village and do what the village needs. So what do you think about that?"
"Are you fucking Kidding me right now?" she snapped back firmly, her eyes wide with disbelief. "This weak, nameless village wants to defeat an entire troop of armed slavers? Thats impossible!"
"You are underestimating us," I replied, maintaining a steady gaze. "Just relax and leave it to me. I know exactly what needs to be done."
"But my Lord," one of the villagers chimed in nervously, "what this girl says is the truth. There is no way we can win against a slaver syndicate. I have heard they always bring at least one trained Mage with them."
"Don't worry. I already have a plan," I answered, flashing them a confident smile. "But before we prepare for battle... Miya, could you please release my seal for a moment?"
Meanwhile, a considerable distance away, a sinister procession traveled down a straight dirt path cutting through a lush forest. The slaver syndicate consisted of ten heavily armed men and one Mage. They were hauling a reinforced prison carriage behind their horses, heavily packed with captured slaves.
"Captain, where exactly did that little brat run off to?" asked one of the men. He was a portly fellow, wearing a dirty cloth wrapped tightly around his head.
"Kekeke," the Captain chuckled darkly. "Calm down. That vile monster is likely cowering in a pathetic little village somewhere around here."
A man with bright blue hair smirked and licked his lips. He was the group's Mage. "Why don't we just destroy the whole village while we are at it, Captain? Everyone knows the settlements out here are dirt poor. We can easily kidnap the women and children for extra profit."
"Pick up the pace!" the Captain roared to his men, his eyes gleaming with greed. "We are going to feast like kings today!"
"Yeah!" the troop cheered in unison, spurring their horses forward toward the village led by Ashzer.
Back at the village, the morning air felt really tense. The village entrance led to an open space with trees far away. The villagers stood strong with the witch who was very tired. It was weird that the only people you could see at the front
were kids, old people, like Osgar and the women.
Moments later, the slaver troop emerged from the distance. They rode in aggressively, pulling their horses to a halt right in front of the gathered villagers.
"So this is where you were hiding, you damn witch!" shouted one of the slaver thugs, pointing his sword threateningly at the red-haired girl.
Another slaver glanced around at the seemingly vulnerable crowd and grinned. "Captain, what should we do with the rest of this trash?"
The Captain surveyed the crowd, his gaze lingering with malicious intent. "The women here look quite fetching," he muttered, licking his lips in anticipation.