Chapter 202 The Murlocs' Great Use
Bay Territory.
The Lord's Manor.
Taking a big bite of meat, savoring the sweetness of the tender fibers.
As Matthew chewed, he noticed Yaya rubbing her little belly, her confused gaze catching his attention. He thought it rare and explained to her:
"Are you wondering why I'm giving such good conditions to these prisoners?"
The little one nodded her head like pounding garlic, counting on her little fingers:
"If we trade them to the Carlisle family, we could get a nice profit—lots of shiny gold coins..."
"But we have to feed them every day, and feeding so many people will cost a lot of cute gold coins..."
"Even if we spend money, why not give these benefits to the people of our own territory?"
Matthew didn't brush off Yaya's concerns, despite them seeming like trivial matters.
Instead, after finishing his food, he patiently explained:
"If we sell them to the Carlisle family, we'd have to send a group from the territory, which would affect the territory's current development."
"By employing these nearly 5,000 people and paying them the territory's minimum wage, they'll be very happy and work hard—just look at how motivated they are!"
"And once they finish their tasks,"
"if they continue working, we'll have another batch of reliable labor."
"And if they return home, won't they spread the word about Bay Territory?"
"The more people the territory has, the more wealth it will generate for us!"
"…"
Matthew explained the relationship between population and the territory to Yaya.
He emphasized that wealth mainly serves as a tool for circulation and guidance.
At first, Yaya was curious, then suddenly understood, nodding her head and saying something that left Matthew both surprised and delighted:
"I get it! The more kobolds there are, the more gold they dig up for me."
"I'll use that gold to buy gear and weapons to protect them, and they'll grow in number, which means I'll get even more gold..."
Affectionately patting her head, Matthew was thrilled by Yaya's insight and happily praised her:
"Exactly! The basic logic is just like that. The more generous we are, the more we get in return."
"Some people are so stingy, they want to keep everything for themselves, and they end up guarding a pile of worthless junk…"
Nearby, Liana remained silent but mentally took note of Matthew's words, deeply contemplating them.
Seeing this, Matthew smiled mysteriously and continued explaining territory matters to Yaya, gently stroking her head.
Matthew firmly believed that talent could be cultivated as long as they were given enough opportunities and resources.
After lunch, Matthew assigned Liana some new tasks, generously offering her encouragement.
Watching her grow little by little gave him a sense of accomplishment.
Murloc Castle.
Matthew slowly walked to the highest point of the castle under construction, gazing over the flat expanse of the Misty Swamp.
The village chief, Field, who was standing watch, was observing the busy ruins camp with interest, quietly calculating when it would be completed.
The pressure of managing the safety of the Murloc Camp gave Chief Field a profound sense of fulfillment. Seeing his lord's movements, he pointed to the endless expanse of the Misty Swamp and sighed:
"If we could make use of the swamp and develop it, we could establish several cities' worth of territory."
Matthew didn't want to dampen Chief Field's enthusiasm.
But he also wouldn't tell him that there was no chance until they dealt with the ancient black dragon lurking deep in the swamp.
However, this didn't stop Matthew from valuing and utilizing the Misty Swamp.
He pointed to the distant figures of Bobo and Old Six.
The latter had cleared out the murlocs in the surrounding area and gathered around 10,000 "subordinates," now showing off their power.
Having already made his plans, Matthew handed over a book of information, and as Chief Field curiously looked at it, Matthew said:
"For us humans, developing the Misty Swamp is incredibly difficult."
"But for murlocs, they can produce many useful things."
Murlocs?
If anyone else had said this, the experienced village chief Field would have dismissed it.
But coming from his lord, it didn't seem so unbelievable. Chief Field excitedly took the booklet and opened it:
"A plan for cyclical farming of mudfish, blackfish, and swamp crocodiles?"
Chief Field knew of mudfish.
It was a hardy fish species.
It could survive in the harsh conditions of the Misty Swamp, immune to both floods and droughts.
Mudfish had delicious and fresh meat. In his younger years, Chief Field would occasionally go to the edge of the Misty Swamp to catch some to satisfy his cravings.
However, mudfish were very small, only about a finger's length.
They were agile and quick, darting between mud and roots, making them very hard to catch.
They thrived in the Misty Swamp but were incredibly difficult to harvest, let alone sell in large quantities.
Otherwise, Bay Territory wouldn't have relied solely on cod as its staple fish for so long.
Blackfish were similar—they were hardy, reproduced well, and their meat was also delicious, but they were difficult to catch.
These fierce creatures would burrow half a meter into the mud to hunt and live, making human capture nearly impossible.
Additionally, they frequently changed their living areas, making it difficult to control them manually.
As for swamp crocodiles, there was no need to elaborate—they were the dominant magical creatures of the Misty Swamp.
When ordinary humans encountered them, they were basically doomed!
These huge, ferocious beasts loved ambushing from mud piles.
Some even lay in wait by roads, silently waiting for humans or livestock to wander by.
Raising such creatures?
Wasn't that a joke?
However, as Chief Field gradually read through the plan's details, the cloudiness in his old eyes brightened with excitement.
He carefully read each word, his expression growing more and more thrilled.
The key to solving the issues with all three lay in the vast numbers of murlocs in the Misty Swamp!
Finally, he slammed the booklet shut, glanced around warily to make sure no one was nearby, and whispered excitedly:
"My lord, if this farming plan succeeds, the entire Misty Swamp will become our treasure trove!"
Nodding naturally, Matthew watched the figures of Brown and Hawk heading toward the ruins camp, smiling as he replied:
"Why else would I go to such lengths to secure the rights to develop the entire Misty Swamp?"