New chapter of May Our Village be Happy is out (1/2 chapters)

 

 

Sling and Three-Field System

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Although the amount of time spent on outdoor activities diminished significantly during the winter months, it was by no means reduced to zero. On relatively warm and sunny days, many residents would leave their homes to tend the fields, spread magic stone fertilizer, harvest winter vegetables, sow spring crops, or, in the case of Valentine Territory, engage in forest development. They undertook a variety of tasks according to the season and the immediate needs of the territory.

During this winter, Mika resolved to provide the residents with self-defense training. Once a week, he gathered the adult men of the territory and set aside time to instruct them in the fundamentals of group combat.

They practiced constructing simple formations, such as lines or encirclements, and moving while maintaining these formations. They trained in facing the enemy in a broad front while protecting one another, learning to cover each other’s flanks. All aspects of this training were based on knowledge Mika had acquired from observing the exercises of his family retainers and from reading books. Even so, Mika believed firmly that the difference between undertaking such training and neglecting it was enormous.

If, in a moment of crisis, everyone could move in an organized manner under Mika’s command, it would not be difficult to repel a small group of bandits or occasional beasts or magical creatures emerging from the depths of the forest. Even if another lord’s house were to mount an attack, the combination of Mika’s magic and the unexpectedly steadfast defense of the residents could increase the likelihood that the enemy would retreat for fear of incurring greater losses. For a small and weak territory like Valentine, merely repelling an attack could be considered a full victory. For this reason, Mika insisted on teaching the residents group combat.

Once the residents had become able to assemble and maneuver in formation with reasonable speed, Mika began a new training regimen which was practice with the sling.

“Now then, everyone, observe the safety rules and aim carefully at the targets, shall we!” (Mika)

In the latter part of January, responding to Mika’s call, the residents stood in an open area on the northern side of the village and threw stones at wooden targets set up before them.

The tool used for this purpose was known as the sling. It consisted of a cord woven such that the center portion was widened. A stone roughly the size of a fist was placed upon this widened section, both ends of the cord were gripped and swung, and finally, one end of the cord was released, launching the stone forward. With practice, a stone could be made to fly straight ahead, and the force generated by the centrifugal motion could, depending on where it struck, even take a human life.

A means of long-range attack could provide a decisive advantage in combat. Yet bows required skill, and crossbows were costly, making it unrealistic to arm every adult male with such weapons. A sling, however, required only a modified cord and readily available stones, while still delivering an attack with sufficient power and a range of several dozen meters. Therefore, Mika decided that every adult male should master the use of the sling. Women and those not yet of age were allowed to participate in the training if they wished.

“Jeremy, the stones you’re throwing aren’t hitting at all.” (Villager)

“Seriously. The target’s huge, yet I haven’t seen a single one land anywhere near it.” (Villager)

“Huh? That’s strange, isn’t it?” (Jeremy)

Chastised in a mixture of exasperation and teasing by the other residents, Jeremy tilted his head in confusion.

“Don’t worry, Jeremy. Even if your stones don’t strike the target, they are still flying straight ahead. In battle, everyone will throw stones at enemy formations simultaneously, so the number of stones matters more than perfect accuracy. Your stones will still contribute effectively to the density of the attack.” (Mika)

“So, I’m not completely useless… That’s a relief.” (Jeremy)

Relieved that his efforts were not entirely in vain, Jeremy exhaled in satisfaction.

“Compared to Jeremy, Lewis is amazing.” (Villager)

“Yes, every shot hits.” (Villager)

“Not just the standing targets. He even knocked down the wooden board I tossed into the air with a stone.” (Villager)

“Really? Lewis, how can you throw so accurately?” (Villager)

“…I just aim and throw. That’s all.” (Lewis)

The remarks were directed at a young resident named Lewis, who, silent by nature, muttered his response with a puzzled expression.

“Surely Lewis possesses a natural talent. In battle, he will likely perform best targeting individual enemies or aiming for the weaknesses of beasts or magical creatures, separate from the others.” (Mika)

Lewis nodded silently in response to Mika’s observation.

“Even setting Lewis aside, the others are gradually learning to throw stones straight, and at this rate, they should be able to fight stably in an emergency. I feel reassured.” (Mika)

As Dimitri remained vigilant beside them, ready to shield their lord in case a stray stone flew unexpectedly, Mika surveyed the training scene with satisfaction.

In this era and in this world, one might compare it to Mika’s previous life in which innumerable small and large criminal organizations comprised the social order. Lords, like the bosses of those organizations, collected taxes under the guise of protection fees within their territories, employed subordinates for violent and intellectual tasks, maintained security and social function, and defended their lands from outsiders.

In such a world, the survival of a territory and its lord and subjects ultimately depended on strength alone. Without physical power, nothing could be protected. Of course, even in a violent world, conflict and war were not the sole means of a lord’s survival. In many cases, lords interacted with one another through dialogue, trade, and politically arranged marriages. In fact, the lords of neighboring territories to Valentine territory were reasonable enough to communicate logically.

Mika himself was a lord who desired peaceful interaction with other houses. His initial goal was to avoid antagonizing the neighboring lords, and in his first encounters with them, he demonstrated as friendly an attitude as possible. Specifically, he offered gifts and those were two gold coins of considerable value, along with four bottles of distilled spirits, including spares.

Yet in the end, it was physical force and organized military power that determined outcomes. Profit, ambition, and pride often led to conflict suddenly erupting. Mika had heard numerous stories of wars in his homeland, in which the Carossa Household dispatched troops, resulting in casualties among retainers and subjects. Though Mika had managed to establish friendly relations with neighboring territories, he could not afford complacency. The Howellz Household, with its ambitions and ability to muster a sizable force for an expedition, had been considered a potential adversary by Mika after hearing from Ernest.

Nevertheless, as a psychokinesis magic user, Mika himself served as a deterrent. The Howellz Household would be unlikely to risk significant casualties, including adult male laborers of the territory and their trump card, the physical magic user, simply to attack. If, however, they were to attack regardless, it must indicate either extreme ambition or an underestimation of Mika’s magical power. Either way, he would have to respond.

 

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By the latter half of February, following steady progress in forest development during the sunny days, a substantial portion of the southern forest in Valentine territory had been cleared. Prominent stones obstructing cultivation had been removed by the concerted effort of the residents, and the plow was now being drawn by Mika’s magic in preparation for sowing spring barley.

“If we continue at this pace, the plowing should be complete by the beginning of March.” (Mika)

“Yes, indeed. Following last autumn, your efforts are truly commendable.” (Marcel)

“This is all for the development of our territory, after all. It is rewarding work.” (Mika)

After the morning’s labor concluded and feeling a pleasant fatigue from the expenditure of mana, Mika responded to Marcel. Over the past six months, he had steadily expanded the farmland, and although magic had assisted, it had not doubled the cultivated area. Nevertheless, a significant portion had been cleared, and the new land would now allow the introduction of the three-field system in Valentine Territory.

“Next month we will sow barley on this farmland, and… in one corner of the fallow land over there, we will sow clover seeds.” (Marcel)

“Yes. I am eager to see how effective the agricultural methods of the Great Empire, as recorded in my family’s books, will be next year. Though, of course, we are only at the beginning of this year’s cultivation.” (Mika)

Facing the fallow land, Mika spoke to Marcel, who nodded with a faint smile.

Previously, as in most of the Dariander region, the village had employed a two-field system, one section for cultivation, the other left fallow to recover the soil. From this year onward, the three-field system would be adopted, with the additional practice of growing clover in part of the fallow field. Mika attributed the knowledge of clover cultivation to “ancient texts”.

The fields currently growing wheat and rye would be harvested in summer. The newly cleared fields would receive barley in spring, to be harvested in early autumn. Meanwhile, in the fields resting this year, clover would be planted as an experiment, with pigs grazing there. The pigs would consume the soft clover and deposit manure, enriching the soil more than mere fallow could. However, clover would only cover about a quarter of the fallow land, for two reasons: Mika could not be certain the clover here had the same soil-restoring effects as in his previous life, and implementing it across the entire fallow land at once might provoke resistance from the residents.

By employing plows to increase the yield per area and expanding the cultivated land, Mika could ensure that even if the three-field system or clover cultivation failed, there would be no immediate risk of famine. After Mika explained this, Marcel and the other residents agreed to experiment with the new methods.

“Though the three-field system and clover cultivation remain untested, the villagers are confident they will succeed. Since Mika-sama has read and studied the methods before deciding to implement them, there is no need to worry… I share this sentiment. Observing the bountiful growth of wheat thanks to the plow, I believe this village’s agriculture will flourish further.” (Marcel)

Saying this, Marcel surveyed the prospering wheat fields.

“I trust we can meet everyone’s expectations. Everything will surely go well.” (Mika)

Mika also looked upon the fields he had tilled last year, speaking as if to reassure himself.

 

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