49: Kingdom Secrets

While Wren and Master Capdo were conversing, there was new activity at the farmstead.

After consuming a thousand catties of fish, the farmstead's gates opened once more, and ten Farmers of similar height and appearance stepped out from within.

"Master!"

After exiting the farmstead, the ten Farmers knelt before Wren in unison.

As the master of the farmstead, Wren could feel a faint connection between himself and the ten Farmers before him.

"Once you have claimed ownership of the lair core, these lair creatures will naturally recognize you as their master and obey your commands. Furthermore, the loyalty of lair creatures toward their master is absolute; if you ordered them to die, they would carry it out without hesitation."

Master Capdo continued to explain to Wren from the side.

"Lair creatures possess low intelligence. They only know knowledge within the scope of their profession and are only capable of simple communication and understanding commands. However, if you ask them to do something outside their professional scope, they will fail to understand your instructions and fall into a state of stagnation."

"For example, if you ask these Farmers to fight or act as construction workers to build houses, they will suffer from behavioral confusion because the knowledge in their heads is insufficient to recognize those commands."

"If you ask them to farm, which is within the scope of the farmer profession, they can execute your orders perfectly."

"Lair creatures cannot reproduce on their own and lack superfluous emotions; they are more like puppets. However, they still need to eat, drink, and rest."

"Legend has it that lair creatures created by higher-level lair cores do not need to eat or drink, relying entirely on absorbing energy from heaven and earth to replenish their physical consumption. However, I have yet to see such a lair creature."

Master Capdo's explanation gave Wren a more comprehensive understanding of lair creatures.

He tried communicating with the ten Farmers before him and found that it was indeed as Master Capdo had said.

When talking about farming, these Farmers could speak eloquently and fluently. But as soon as anything else was mentioned, they would stammer for a long time without producing a single word, like a frozen computer.

"This feels like clones—technical clones programmed with specific knowledge."

Wren immediately thought of certain sci-fi concepts from his former world.

"Was ancient civilization technology really this advanced? To be able to build something like this is truly miraculous."

Wren was amazed by the lair core manufacturing technology.

Without hesitation, Wren constructed another farmstead core and recruited this week's ten Farmers at the same time.

Master Capdo watched quietly from the side; he had no questions and said nothing about Wren possessing two farmstead cores.

Fornal was summoned by Wren at this time. Wren instructed him to personally settle these 20 Farmers into their lodgings, after which he would personally lead them to work in the fields.

Lair creatures also needed to eat, drink, sleep, and rest, so these Farmers required a stable place to live. Unlike ordinary subjects, these lair creatures naturally had to be treated differently.

Therefore, Wren had Fornal designate a separate residential area in the territory for these Farmers to live in.

Fornal was surprised by how these strangers had appeared, but when Wren told him not to ask questions and just settle them in, Fornal didn't press further.

Once Fornal had led the Farmers away, Wren continued his conversation with Master Capdo.

"Master Capdo, do you know how long these Farmers can live? Do they age like normal humans?"

"This type of ordinary lair creature can live for twenty years, after which they will die. Lair creatures do not age; they will remain in their current state until their lifespan expires."

"Twenty years? That's not short!"

"Indeed, it is not short!" Master Capdo echoed.

The two were silent for a moment before Wren decided to ask a question that had been on his mind.

"Master Capdo, you said that these farmstead cores aren't rare and are the most common type of lair core, right?"

"Yes, farmstead cores are not rare among lair cores."

"Then many of the other high-ranking nobles must possess farmstead cores, right?"

Master Capdo nodded and said, "Basically, most nobles above the rank of Viscount should have farmstead cores."

"In other words, those Earls, Marquises, and Grand Dukes all have some farmstead cores in their hands."

"Then why is the farming technology within the kingdom so backward?"

Master Capdo gave Wren a meaningful look.

"I didn't expect you to see such a deep-seated issue just from the farmstead cores. You are indeed different from those minor nobles."

"This is the will of the Golden Royal Family and the various Grand Dukes. It's considered an open secret among the upper nobility."

Wren didn't speak, only looking at Master Capdo with a face full of confusion.

"The Golden Royal Family controls the kingdom's vastest and most fertile Golden Plains, which is the grain-producing region for the entire kingdom. The Grand Dukes of the Four Borders purchase massive amounts of grain from the Royal Family every year, which is also a major source of income for the Royal Family."

"Are you saying that suppressing farming technology and controlling grain production is the Royal Family's intention?"

"Would the Grand Dukes of the Four Borders agree to that? Letting the Royal Family hold the lifeline of their food supply?"

"That isn't the only reason; there are other factors involved."

Master Capdo began to slowly recount the hidden secrets.

"Recently, you have been consistently distributing grain to all the subjects of the Red River Territory, and they can basically eat their fill every day. What do you think of these subjects now that they are well-fed?"

Wren answered without thinking, "Well-fed subjects have strong physiques and have plenty of strength when working. They are much better than before."

Master Capdo asked Wren a question in return.

"And what if they are well-fed but have no work to do?"

"No work to do?"

"Yes, what would happen if they had no work to do?"

Master Capdo began to answer his own question.

"The Noah Continent has fertile land and vibrant vitality. Anything planted grows well, and the harvests are quite substantial. It is not difficult to eat one's fill."

"Yet, most ordinary subjects in the kingdom today can only eat until they are half-full, and many Serfs even go hungry."

"Why is this? To find the reason, one must speak of a hidden history of the kingdom."

Master Capdo's low voice began to narrate a secret from the Kingdom of Asriel's past.

"This year is 1238 of the golden calendar. The kingdom has been established for 1,238 years. Although its history is shallow compared to the legendary Tamriel Empire, one thousand two hundred years is not a small number for us."

"During these twelve hundred years, the kingdom has experienced many storms, various natural and man-made disasters, and all sorts of heroic figures rising in times of crisis to save the kingdom's people."

"Do you know what the most harmful disaster to the kingdom has been among them?"

Wren, listening humbly, cooperated by shaking his head.

"It is the Evil God Cults. These worshipers of Extraterritorial Evil Gods have even surpassed the Chaos Believers, the followers of Demon Gods, and all other enemies of humanity."

"There are definitive records that a major reason for the downfall of the once-mighty Tamriel Empire, as well as the Orc, and Elven Empires before it, was the Evil Gods and the Cultists who worshiped them."

"The Tamriel Empire collapsed. As for the Orcs? A large portion mutated into Fel Orcs, and the rest live miserable lives fighting them every day. As for the Elves, they have basically disappeared, with their figures only seen in remote, dense forests."

"As the self-proclaimed successor to the Tamriel Empire, the Golden Royal Family has a natural fear of Extraterritorial Evil Gods. Thus, since the first Golden King, the kingdom has used the harshest means to crack down on Cultists."

"Even so, two hundred years after the kingdom's founding—that is, a thousand years ago—a terrifying Evil God calamity occurred."

"Cultists manipulated ordinary people to complete a massive sacrifice, summoning a phantom of an Extraterritorial Evil God."

"In the end, it was His Majesty Asriel, the first Golden King, who banished the Evil God's phantom and destroyed the Cultists' plan at the cost of his own life."

"That disaster was known as the Black Calamity, and the Golden Royal Family calls that day the Day of Falling."

Wren listened to this royal secret; the information contained within was enormous, but he didn't understand what connection it had to suppressing grain production.

However, as an excellent listener, the first thing to do was to reserve his doubts and listen intently.

Wren did not interrupt Master Capdo's narration.