Farmers are cleaning up the soil in the polluted fields.
Shovels were used to shovel charred soil into the cart, and everyone wore a gas mask that resembled two large mustaches to prevent inhaling residual toxins.
"Hey--whoosh!"
The young farmer tossed the last shovelful of dirt into the truck, straightened up, and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Finally, we don't have to pull the cart ourselves anymore!"
He looked at the Horseclaw harnessed to the front of the cart and grinned.
Upon hearing this, the old farmer beside him straightened up, rested for a moment, and nodded in agreement:
"Yes, this area should be cleared out today."
His gaze unconsciously fell on the middle-aged man not far away who was writing and drawing in a hardcover notebook.
That was one of the three foremen in their group.
Mu En adopted the "self-evaluation and public discussion" system from her previous life: each work group was jointly managed by three foremen who oversaw ten to fifteen group members and recorded each person's daily workload and completion quality.
The team leader's own "performance" is directly linked to the accuracy of records, the overall completion rate of the group's tasks, and the results of anonymous evaluations by group members.
The daily tasks are assigned by the elders and their designated coordinators. The task list, completion standards, and work point conversion details are posted on the bulletin board in advance.
Of course, more complex systems are also being built simultaneously.
For example, oversight and review mechanisms, rotation rules to prevent favoritism from distorting evaluations, and appeal procedures for disputes...
The details were handled by Mito and several meticulous clerks; specifics will not be elaborated here.
The foreman noticed the gaze and tapped the record paper clipped to the wooden board with the charcoal pencil.
"Keep up the good work! Elder Beruto has spoken: if we can clear this land a day ahead of schedule, everyone in the team will get an extra three work points!"
The allure of work points was immediately apparent, and the sound of shoveling soil picked up again.
Three work points are enough to exchange for three kilograms of Blessed Wheat, a bottle of olive oil, or... a nice meal at a tavern.
The thought of the sweet grape juice filled everyone with enthusiasm.
"By the way, what do we do next after all the pollution is cleaned up? I've applied to join the planting team several times, as written on the notice, but why hasn't it been approved yet?"
The young farmer who had spoken earlier casually asked the foreman a question.
The topic of Her Highness's triumphant return a couple of days ago is long gone.
Those dazzling weapons, equipment, gold and silver treasures ultimately have little direct connection to the lives of ordinary people.
Right now, everyone's biggest concern is focused on that wooden notice board in Castle Square.
As soon as he finished speaking, several farmers who were working nearby quietly pricked up their ears.
"You little brat, are you trying to farm? I bet you're just thinking about stealing food!" The foreman snorted and continued writing in his notebook.
A low chuckle rippled through the crowd. The young farmer blushed and continued shoveling soil.
After the laughter subsided, the foreman became serious, pointed the charcoal pencil towards the village, and earnestly instructed:
"Listen up, everyone. With the help of the Divine Tree, we won't need many people to farm anymore."
"Don't always think about spending your work points as soon as you get them. Saving them up and finding an opportunity to become Blessed is the right way."
"When you have free time, go to the 'tutoring classes' run by the elders and learn some new skills, like blacksmithing, carpentry, weaving, and building walls... those jobs are much faster than earning work points by farming."
The young farmer's hands didn't stop moving, and his mind was racing.
I heard Elder Gol is really short-handed. Since you're young and strong, trying your hand at blacksmithing seems like a good idea?
It was a bit tiring and hot, but the work points I earned were several times more than when digging.
If you could become a weapons craftsman, that would be even more amazing. Just look at those apprentices who go to the tavern every day to brag; you can tell how many work points they've earned...
It would be a lie to say I'm not envious.
Similar conversations between young farmers and foremen were taking place throughout the Valley of the Wind, naturally orchestrated by Mu En in secret.
Driven by both the new system and the Blessed' abilities, the Valley of the Wind is like a gear that has been lubricated, its operational efficiency increasing at a visible rate.
But new problems have also emerged.
The strange situation of "oversupply of manpower" and "undersupply of manpower" has appeared simultaneously in Valley of the Wind.
To put it simply, in the past, the Valley of the Wind required nearly half of its population to work in the fields in order to barely manage to cultivate its vast tracts of fertile land.
This is based on the fact that the humans in this world are generally quite strong.
Now, only five or six Blessed, plus twenty or thirty ordinary farmers responsible for assisting, are needed to maintain the current grain supply of the entire valley.
If it weren't for the vast areas of soil contaminated by the Sea of Corruption waiting to be cleaned up, the farmers would probably have no work to do long ago.
Meanwhile, other industries are facing a severe labor shortage.
In the textile workshop, the spinning wheels turned day and night, but they still couldn't keep up with the demand for new clothes.
The bricklayers and carpenters were kept on their toes by Mito, repairing granaries, expanding houses, making furniture... the list was endless.
The blacksmith shop was the hardest hit area. Newly captured Storm Rifle needed repair, militiamen's Ceramic Steel needed sharpening, farm tools needed mending, and they even had to try to replicate new bullets... Gol wished he could split each apprentice into three.
Even the most basic mill workers were overwhelmed with work due to the sudden surge in grain production.
No matter how powerful the Blessed, they cannot conjure clothes from cow hair or turn logs into furniture out of thin air through Incantations.
One of the notices posted in front of the castle gate was a "Notice on Enrollment for Skills Training Courses in Various Industries."
Mu En's goal is clear: to retrain the surplus manpower gradually released from basic agricultural production and transfer them to other industries with labor shortages.
He believes that, lured by the work points reward (basic work points can be earned for attending classes for more than two hours a day), this "night school"-like training system will attract many people to try it.
But this will take time.
Learning new skills and adapting to a new job is not something that can be done overnight; it is far less effective than simply bringing in existing, experienced professionals.
That's right, that's why Mu En insisted on saving the Pejite refugees.
The Valley of the Wind is starting to run out of people.
He needs a large number of skilled artisans and laborers from all walks of life, and the Pejite refugees happen to meet this need.
As the "nation of explorers," maintaining expeditions deep into the Sea of Corruption requires a massive support system.
Armor needs repair and maintenance, weapons need upkeep and upgrades, and mission assignments require dedicated personnel for management, coordination, intelligence gathering, and payment settlement.
He also needs talent in agriculture.
Mu En learned from Nausicaä that the Sea of Corruption kingdoms, which lack arable land, survived thanks to soilless cultivation techniques left over from ancient civilizations!
He had been wondering how the kingdoms of the Sea of Corruption, living in a toxic desert without the protection of wind and mountains, had managed to survive.
Now, everything makes sense.
If he could master this technology, he could completely break free from the limitations of soil fertility and produce food indefinitely.
Those who frequently read online novels Greater Will know how overpowered the "golden finger" of unlimited food is.
Coincidentally, the Kingdom of Pejite also has a large number of agronomists and facility maintenance personnel.
Even if only a small number of refugees master these skills, it would be enough to alleviate the immediate crisis in the Valley of the Wind of the Wind.
Just as Mu En was planning and anticipating.
Fresh blood is on its way.