In the Blackwater Valley, a lush forest grew.

A river passed through it.

The crops in the territory were all growing fruitfully this year as the alpine waters that were rich in minerals fertilized them. It was a pity they could only plant one type of crop.

Everything was going smoothly, but Levi cursed himself for having no science or engineering background. Productivity and efficiency would be greatly improved if he knew how to integrate science into these processes.

Otherwise, he could be like the protagonists in other stories, being able to begin scientific revolutions thanks to their knowledge.

All he could do was learn by experience.

In this world, he wanted to pursue immortality. Becoming the lord of the land was but a stepping stone to this.

August: the month of the furnace.

It was hot in the South, but the Blackwater Valleys had the perfect temperature.

Knight Fred led his men to build canals that directed the river’s waters into the village, so the crops grew very well this year.

Levi called on his serfs to fish in the river for food and to sell.

Levi didn’t venture out into the river on his own, however. He was deathly paranoid about encountering an evil spirit.

Levi’s strength grew day by day, and he needed to consume more and more meat. Levi could consume enough meat for ten people in a single day, but this is wasteful, so he thought of eating fish.

The fish in the river were mostly cold-water fish, like perch and salmon. It was delicious and rich in fat, which sustained Levi greatly.

He taught the chefs how to handle and cook the fish—steamed, braised, grilled, etc. Although it wasn’t as delicious as the ones in his past life, it was good despite the lack of seasoning and spices.

Knight Fred also began eating fish after discovering how delicious it was. In the eyes of nobles and knights, fish was a low-grade food. This obviously shocked him, seeing a noble like Levi eat fish to save on costs.

Soon, the wheat turned gold, and the joy of the harvest was evident on Levi’s face.

Today was his weekly rest day, and he drank wine as he watched his serfs harvest the wheat at the foot of the mountain.

The weather was incredibly good, and he was confident that this year’s wheat output would be much higher than last year’s.

However, when the Harvest Moon (October) came, he was dumbfounded.

The output had increased by less than one per cent.

He sent for Knight Fred to investigate immediately.

Looking at the data from previous years, he found an interesting phenomenon.

No matter what, wheat production remains more or less the same throughout the years.

He discovered it was due to some draconian policy: serfs were considered the private property of the lord. A serf’s income, whether it be wheat or other products, was to be handed over to their lord. Then, their lord would hand it over to their lord, and vice versa.

Over time, the serfs found that their job had no purpose and became lazy. Levi felt it was necessary to change this policy.

He called upon Knight Fred and was surprised to hear his thoughts.

“This has been our culture, young master. How about punishing the serfs to meet a target? Then, they’ll be motivated to do so.”

Levi shook his head: “No. We are not to punish them. We are to.. keep them well fed.”

“No harm in trying.”

The Harvest Moon passed, and a new policy was implemented.

The women ran from house to house, yelling at their neighbours about the great news.

“Listen up! Our lord announced that next year, from the start, each household only needs to hand over 60% of the wheat we harvested, and the rest belongs to us!”

The serfs were stunned.

“Is that true? Is he lying to us?”

“Are you questioning his authority?”

“N-no..”

In order to dispel their worries, Levi himself gave a speech to the people, announcing the decree. Hearing this, the serfs were overjoyed. For the first time in their lives, they felt that life was perhaps worth living.

In the blink of an eye, it was the month of the northern winds again.

On the training ground, Levi’s arms shook and distorted his surroundings, and his Frostmourne shone with a shiny lustre.

The hard, black stone before him was finely sliced into four pieces with a single, swift slash.

[Golden Cross Proficiency +1]

And the system beeped, indicating that he had levelled up.

“Finally!”

Levi Snyder

Black Snake Breathing Method: Level 2 (4502/5000)

Golden Cross: Level 3 (1/10000); Special Effect: Vibrate (Advanced)