Chapter 301: The Surprised Wisdom Tree
Bay City.
Inside the Lord's Mansion, in the meeting room.
Beelzebub respectfully helped Shaman Tana sit down.
He stood silently to the side, reflecting on the combat specializations he had learned today.
Learning is like rowing against the current; you either move forward or fall behind.
Combat abilities are the same!
However, Beelzebub could tell that today's meeting, called by the lord, had little to do with combat.
But that didn't mean the meeting wasn't important.
Since arriving in Bay Territory, Beelzebub had felt his growth in many aspects.
Not just in strength, but also in knowledge and wisdom.
Like the cultural lesson from a few days ago, a particular quote stuck with him:
"No matter how strong a nation is, being too warlike will lead to its demise, while forgetting to prepare for war invites danger."
For a territory, you can't only focus on combat.
Otherwise, what's the difference from barbarians?
Although Beelzebub didn't fully grasp all the knowledge presented,
That didn't stop him from seizing every opportunity to learn and expand his understanding.
Perhaps some of it wouldn't be useful, but it gave Beelzebub a sense of personal fulfillment.
As Beelzebub was lost in thought, Matthew started speaking again:
"There's an old Eastern saying, 'Food is the heaven for the people!'"
"Eating is the most important matter for us."
Hearing Matthew's words, the various specialists present, who were previously uncertain and anxious, began to relax slightly.
At least this indicated that Lord Matthew greatly valued agricultural production, so they didn't have to worry about losing their jobs.
After all, the salaries in Bay Territory were excellent!
Furthermore, the rapid development of Bay Territory far exceeded everyone's expectations, especially the renowned vocational academy.
This had excited the residents and adventurers alike.
No one wouldn't consider their descendants!
As long as the vocational academy continued to excel, the people's enthusiasm for staying in Bay Territory would remain high.
Noticing their somewhat excited expressions, Matthew continued with a smile:
"Everyone here is the best agricultural talent we have in Bay Territory."
"Thanks to your hard work, our agricultural progress has been so smooth."
"To ensure the continued development of our agriculture, we need to plan for the future."
As Matthew spoke, Ralph the steward began distributing materials to everyone in the room.
The elder Shaman Tana calmly took her copy of the documents.
She glanced at Lord Matthew's smiling face, feeling a wave of emotion.
If they hadn't met Lord Matthew, her entire tribe might have ended up like the slaves adventurers talked about.
They could have died one by one from harsh labor and danger.
Or perhaps they would have been drafted into slave armies, fighting as cannon fodder for their next meal.
The old and weak would have been ruthlessly abandoned, becoming food for the hunters of the wild.
The children, who might have lived the longest, would have been raised as slave soldiers, never to gain freedom.
Fortunately, none of this happened.
Because of this, whether it was for her tribe or the captives in the labor camps, she had one belief:
"There are no barbarians here, only Bay Territory people!"
Although integrating the barbarians into the community had initially been challenging,
Over time, they had not faced isolation, hostility, or discrimination.
Instead, they experienced unprecedented kindness, mutual aid, and cooperation.
Through continuous learning and living,
They gradually mastered the common tongue and unfamiliar skills.
They learned new ways to survive besides herding and raiding.
Now, everyone lived better and fuller lives than before, giving Tana the surreal feeling of being in a dream.
Shaman Tana used to fear that all of this was just an illusion, a beautiful dream before her death.
But she soon realized that instead of worrying, it was better to enjoy this "dream."
As she carefully flipped through the documents, she saw information on various livestock like cattle, sheep, and pigs, as well as poultry like chickens, ducks, and geese.
There were neat, beautiful letters alongside vivid illustrations.
Though she couldn't understand all of it, she could roughly guess its meaning.
Shaman Tana felt an indescribable sense of absurdity.
All the animal husbandry knowledge passed down by her tribe over hundreds or thousands of years could likely fit on just one page of these documents.
Seeing such detailed information and techniques, she had moments of realization.
So this is the power of written knowledge?
Sitting next to Tana was Elona, who was clearly excited.
She eagerly scanned the documents.
Some of the knowledge was her contribution, while other parts came from Bay Territory's other agricultural specialists.
Although some of it wasn't quite to her taste, it still gave her the wonderful feeling of understanding things by analogy.
That's the beauty of growing knowledge!
Guoguo, who was perched on Elona's shoulder, was fast asleep.
However, the Wisdom Tree in her hands was quietly glowing with a faint green light, clearly intrigued by the information.
Its newly grown fourth leaf was gently "trembling"—or more accurately, growing larger and stronger.
Compared to its initial understanding of plants, the Wisdom Tree was now far more excited and surprised by the practical application, modification, and cultivation of plants, as well as the knowledge born from these innovations.
"More… more!!"
Naturally, Matthew noticed the Wisdom Tree's change, choosing to ignore it for now while secretly planning to give it more tasks.
Bay Territory's development required various technological advances and breakthroughs, and the Wisdom Tree's intellect was crucial.
Surely, the reason it hadn't grown in thousands of years was that it hadn't used its mind enough!
"To better develop our territory, to create a more prosperous life for everyone, to provide richer and tastier food,"
"We will build new villages and towns across the Silver Moon River plains, cultivating more food, raising more livestock, and feeding more people."
"On this untapped land, everything will be transformed according to our plans."
"So let's discuss what direction these villages should take in their development and agriculture!"
"Everyone is free to speak their mind. If your proposal or plan is accepted, you will receive 100 gold coins and 100 contribution points as a reward."
"Additionally, the production manuals distributed to each participant will bear their name."
"However, this will require the approval of more than half of the people here."
"..."
Matthew skillfully painted a picture of future success for everyone.
A picture filled with the sweet scent of wealth!
A picture filled with the taste of fame and glory!
A picture filled with the satisfaction of fulfilling ambitions!
Anyone with a desire could find their own piece of the pie with Matthew!