The Dagger Revealed

No matter the wind, rain, or blazing sun, Mangalica pigs had thick coats of hair, while Landrace pigs clearly couldn't withstand such conditions.

Besides, though Mangalica pigs were gentle, they were still enormous beasts that could weigh as much as five hundred pounds. Raised free-range for years, they could easily drive off a few coyotes.

But everyone knew Franz's style: crossbreeding was a must. And not just with local Mangalica pigs—he also brought in Taihu pigs from the Far East.

Even in modern times, Taihu pigs remained the world's most prolific breed. They were also fiercely protective of their piglets and careful when lying down or getting up—advantages Landrace pigs lacked.

Landrace pigs often crushed or crippled their piglets. They might even attack them over food or for no reason at all, and the piglets they killed and ate caused enormous losses.

Taihu pigs could make up for these shortcomings. Franz had also brought in Yorkshire pigs and Russian pigs, hoping to create an even better breed.

Why hadn't he brought in African pigs? Because African swine fever was terrifying! Humans wouldn't have a drug that could theoretically fight it until 2022. Before then, infected pigs could only be disposed of through humane destruction.

For quite some time, the pig industry would still have to rely on Franz's support. That wasn't because pig farming was unprofitable.

It was because ordinary farmers couldn't afford it, while small landowners couldn't raise pigs on a large scale. Their returns were limited, and they had far too little protection against risk.

Large landowners and nobles had no incentive to reform, and they also wanted to reap the rewards without lifting a finger. After all, they were wealthy enough to think missing an opportunity or two didn't matter.

But Franz was far stronger than any