There were generally two ways to solve a problem.
One was to tackle the problem honestly. The other was more likely to leave serious consequences: eliminate the person who caused it.
Chris was now preparing to use the second approach.
Spring had arrived. Valentin led a donkey along a muddy dirt road on the King's Plain. Its hooves squelched through the snowmelt, a cheerful sound.
Valentin narrowed his cloudy old eyes at a dozen or so farmers gathered around a strange machine among the roadside fields... The iron contraption puffed white steam and lurched forward on its own, driving the plow blade ahead of it through the rich black earth. The farm women following behind only needed to break up the more stubborn clods with their hoes.
It was actually a steam engine, or more precisely, a Vertical Boiler Engine. With too few oxen and draft horses, Chris had been forced to supply materials and money for the players to build these machines by hand, replacing oxen in the fields.
These machines were valuable. Bagnia's poor farmers certainly could not afford them, so all the Vertical Boiler Engines were Prince Chris's private property.
Whenever they were lent to farmers, a dedicated instructor operated them, while several armed soldiers stood guard nearby to prevent anyone from stealing, seizing, or damaging the Prince's property.
The soil of the King's Plain had originally been fertile and loose, but after the fire swept through those fine fields, it had hardened and compacted. Without tilling, nothing but weeds would grow.
Of course, loosening the soil did not mean everything was settled. Plenty of other troubles still awaited the farmers.
"Want a ride, old sir?"
An ox cart loaded with seed wheat stopped beside Valentin. Its driver was a young man missing a front tooth,