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

 

 

Castle Building

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

The barley harvest ended without any trouble, and the subsequent threshing work was completed swiftly with the help of the newly produced threshing machines.

The next task was to plow the farmland where wheat and rye would be sown. Mika continued to draw the plow with magic, while the villagers worked the land by hand. By combining their efforts, they comfortably finished plowing the planned area within October.

In the first half of November, seeds were sown, and the year’s main agricultural work came to an end. From that point, preparations for winter began in earnest. Yet compared to before, there was far more leeway. The villagers now possessed more than enough grain, and as always, the meat from the beasts and magic beasts hunted by Mika during the forest reclamation provided ample food. All that remained was to fatten the pigs, slaughter them to make preserved meat, and gather firewood.

With no need to hurry, the people made their winter preparations at a steady pace. During this period of calm, Mika began to take the first small steps toward his long-term goal. Specifically, he began the construction of a castle.

“It really goes faster when everyone helps. I am truly grateful.” (Mika)

On the northern side of the village, there was an open plain with few trees. As he spoke, Mika manipulated his giant personal shovel through magic, thrusting and loosening the ground. The loosened earth was then scooped up by the villagers and piled together in one place. Several men labored together, steadily building the mound with sheer manpower.

“It is an honor to be of service. I only hope this can serve as even a small repayment for your kindness, Mika-sama.” (Marcel)

“Of course it does. I could continue building on my own without trouble, but having others to help makes the work go much more efficiently. Besides, working together is much more enjoyable.” (Mika)

While responding to Marcel, who was among those assisting, Mika continued to move the shovel with magic.

Ordinarily, such public works for a lord would be treated as a type of tax labor. Mika, however, had no intention of imposing such duties upon the villagers this year. He had begun the project largely for his own enjoyment. Yet when the villagers heard that Mika intended to build a castle, they began to volunteer their time to help whenever they were free. Mika was deeply thankful for their goodwill.

“Thanks to everyone’s help, the foundation is finally taking shape. I never thought we would make this much progress before winter.” (Mika)

As he looked upon the steadily growing mound of soil, Mika spoke with quiet satisfaction.

At present, the Valentine territory centered around the lord’s manor and the clustered homes of the villagers. Farmland spread across the southern part of the settlement. This arrangement was convenient for farming and also minimized the risk of thieves, who were unlikely to come from that direction.

Forests surrounded both the village and the farmland. Narrow paths threaded through the less dense areas of the woods, linking the territory to Fontanier in the east and Colette in the west.

To the south lay an unbroken expanse of deep forest stretching for dozens of kilometers. It was said that many dangerous beasts and magic beasts dwelled in its depths, making travel to the lands beyond it impossible. Thus, the vast southern forest served as a natural boundary.

To the north, gentle hills extended from east to west. Though half-covered by forest, the slopes were not steep, and travel across them was possible if one followed the open stretches. Thanks to this, the Valentine territory maintained limited contact with the northern Meldars territory.

Mika chose the site for the castle on the northern side of the village, less than a hundred meters from the houses. Generations of lumber harvesting had cleared the area enough to make it suitable for construction.

The location was ideal. In times of emergency, the villagers could quickly take refuge there. Should enemies approach, the defenders could easily fire upon them with ballistae from the castle before they could reach the village. Moreover, the flat land was already partially open and not yet cultivated as farmland, making it convenient for building. It was, under current circumstances, the best possible place for a castle.

“Mika-sama, how long will it take to finish the castle?” (Villager)

“Will it be done next year?” (Villager)

“Haha, that would be nice, but unfortunately that is too soon. I think finishing it within three years would be a success.” (Mika)

Mika replied to their innocent questions with a wry smile.

In this era, the castles of small lords were typically made of wood. The chosen site, slightly elevated above its surroundings, would be enclosed with palisades of logs. Behind the palisades, wooden platforms would serve as walkways. Inside the enclosure, the main hall, watchtower, storehouse, and stables would be built. Around the outer perimeter, a dry moat several meters wide and deep would be dug.

Even such simple structures were more than sufficient for defense in this age, when few lords maintained standing armies. For a minor lord such as Mika, a wooden fort of that scale was the most practical project achievable within a few years.

Since the land around the village was mostly flat, Mika began by shaping the terrain itself. The soil dug from the future moat would be piled up to form the castle’s foundation. Additional soil would be transported from nearby areas to create a mound several meters high and about fifty meters in diameter. In the early Middle Ages of his previous life, similar mounds were often constructed as the bases of castles and fortresses.

Though the castle would be small, surrounding such an area with palisades and filling it with structures would require a vast amount of timber. Even with a good stock of logs from past felling, processing and construction would demand great labor.

While psychokinesis magic could make the work far easier than relying solely on manpower, many tasks would still require hands. The Valentine territory had only a small population, and both Mika and the villagers were already burdened with numerous other duties. Thus, the labor that could be devoted to construction was limited.

Mika therefore considered it satisfactory if the castle could be completed by the year 1046 of the Holy Calendar, three years hence.

“I see, that makes sense.” (Villager)

“Building a castle really is difficult, isn’t it?” (Villager)

“Yes, it is. But once it is completed, it will give us immense security. If we ever face danger, everyone can retreat into the castle, and even an army of hundreds will not be able to take it easily.” (Mika)

Even a small castle possessed formidable defensive strength. Attacking from below while crossing a moat and breaking through a sturdy gate required tremendous effort. Armies composed mainly of conscripted peasants would find it nearly impossible to capture such a fortress, even if they numbered in the hundreds.

In the Valentine territory, Mika could also fight using psychokinesis magic, and the villagers had learned the skill of using slings. These factors made their defense even stronger. Even if neighboring minor lords joined forces or a great lord sent an expedition, the Valentine domain would not easily fall. Since few rulers of this time could sustain long campaigns, merely holding out would be enough to force an enemy to withdraw.

“An army of hundreds, huh? I cannot even imagine it.” (Villager)

“It is amazing that a castle could withstand so many attackers.” (Villager)

“Yes, with a castle, there will be nothing to fear.” (Villager)

The villagers spoke among themselves with a mixture of wonder and excitement.

“That is exactly why a castle is such a great structure. To complete it, I will need everyone’s help. I ask for your continued cooperation. Now, let us work a little longer until evening and finish today’s tasks.” (Mika)

The villagers responded cheerfully, and the work resumed. They continued steadily building up the mound of soil.

As the hill took shape, Mika’s thoughts turned toward the future. He imagined the day when the castle would stand completed and the territory would flourish.

Once they obtained draft horses, he planned to invite settlers from outside the territory with the help of his relatives, thereby increasing the population. With the added manpower, he would expand farmland not only to the south but also to the north. Blacksmiths and other craftsmen would be invited to settle, and Ernest would be encouraged to open a shop.

He still possessed several fragments of knowledge from his previous life that could be of use. By applying them, he could create new industries. He intended to improve the roads connecting east and west and to open a proper route northward to the Meldars territory. One day, through reclamation, they would even cut into the great southern forest and found a new village.

By continuing to develop the territory in this way, Mika believed that reaching a population of one thousand within his lifetime would be a tremendous success.

To sustain a thousand people, they would need either several well-developed villages or to transform the current one into a small town. Either path would require great time and effort. Even with psychokinesis magic, such growth without resorting to conquest would be the realistic limit of what one man could achieve in a single lifetime.

Still, when he considered that the previous lords of this land had taken two generations to build a village of only one hundred people, and neighboring territories had needed many generations to reach a few hundred, his ambitions were extraordinary.

With such high agricultural productivity, new industries, and a growing population, Mika believed that the Valentine territory would prosper long after his death. His name would endure as the founder who laid the foundations of its future glory. Perhaps one day, a great city would rise here, and a statue of him would stand at its heart.

He could not be sure of such an outcome, but the thought filled him with quiet satisfaction. Smiling to himself at the pleasant fantasy, Mika enjoyed life in the small village that he so dearly loved.

 

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