"Can we really get food here?"
In the camp, one civilian sighed. They had all come because they'd heard Fruitvale Village had cheap grain — but they hadn't expected so many people to come. The sheer numbers had ruined their chances; now it seemed that even money might not be enough to buy food here.
"Don't worry. If it were anywhere else, I wouldn't dare promise — but with Lord Aven, there's no problem at all.
"Last year, during the winter beast tide, I met some folks from the southeastern corner. From their mouths, I learned all about Lord Aven.
"His kindness is famous. I even heard that last year, he spent huge sums of gold to buy unripe berries from farmers."
Gasps of surprise spread through the camp as eyes lit up with a light called hope.
"That's right. Don't worry."
"Sometimes I really envy the commoners in this land.
"To think there's a lord willing to buy grain at high prices, then sell it cheaply to his own people.
"If my old lord had done that, I would have followed him to the end of my days. But no… he was a bastard — he raised prices instead. He truly didn't want us to live!"
Another civilian let out a sigh, his eyes filled with deep envy, while his fists clenched tightly.
If Lord Aven could help him get through this crisis, then from now on he would definitely stay here—utterly devoted to following Lord Aven for life!
This commoner's words instantly resonated with the people around him. One after another, they began to voice their own thoughts, their envy for the people of this territory completely undisguised!
And so, similar conversations began to spread throughout the slums.
Some commoners from Fruitvale Village who overheard the discussions could not help but straighten their backs, their faces showing proud expressions.
Meanwhile, on the Pokémon Breeding House, the territory's officials had all gathered.
"Peter, how is the resettlement of the commoners going?" Aven asked, his eyes closing slightly.
He had expected that once the news spread, a large number of commoners would arrive, but he hadn't expected this many.
"Lord Aven, all those commoners have been settled outside the village," Peter replied.
"With the Mightyena and the villagers standing guard, there shouldn't be any problems with order."
Peter nodded slightly, thought for a moment, then added, "Lord Aven, are you truly planning to accept all of these villagers?"
It wasn't just Peter—Fessen also had a hesitant, concerned look on his face.
"Lord Aven, I fear our grain reserves won't last very long."
Aven nodded. "Mm. Since these villagers have already arrived here, of course we must accept them."
"Rest assured, I already have a plan. I should be able to settle all of them properly."
Then his gaze turned toward Phyllis.
Meeting Aven's eyes, Phyllis nodded.
"Lord Aven, if we distribute only at the minimum standard, it will still be enough to last until early winter."
"Good. Then it's settled."
"Fessen, later you'll go and compile the information on all these commoners."
"I need to see how many among them are truly destitute, and how many still have some savings."
"Also, when you compile the information, make sure to record their former occupations. There should be some skilled craftsmen among them."
"Once we know their situations, we can discuss how to arrange them. Using labor in exchange for food is quite a good solution."
Seeing that Aven had made up his mind, the officials present all accepted the orders.
After receiving their specific tasks, they withdrew one after another.
They could all sense that this was indeed an opportunity for the territory!
By evening, bonfires were lit on the grassy fields.
Aven had ordered the patrolmen to gather all the commoners together. One large pot after another was carried over by the villagers, placed on newly built simple mud stoves, and set over the fire to boil porridge.
As the faint aroma of food drifted through the air, a stir of excitement spread among the commoners.
They looked with delight toward the distant bonfires, their stomachs rumbling in response.
However, none of them moved. Instead, they turned their eyes toward the figure standing before the bonfires.
The firelight fell across his figure, giving off a sense of warmth.
Even though some of the people present didn't personally know this figure, it didn't stop them from guessing his identity—the Earl of the Southeastern Border, Lord Aven!
Aven stood silently before the flames, his gaze sweeping over the crowd of gathered commoners.
"I am Aven, Earl of the Southeastern Border!"
"I already know the reason why you've come to this land."
"I have called you here to tell you this—since you have come to this territory, I will take responsibility for you all!"
For a moment, the commoners were stunned.
Then, one by one, their eyes widened slightly with joy.
They understood—Lord Aven was willing to accept them!
This alone allowed them to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
At the very least, on this land, they no longer had to fear starving to death!
Suddenly, someone shouted, "Lord Aven, I am willing to join the territory! Please, Lord Aven, take me in!"
"I am willing to join you! Please, Lord Aven, take me in!"
At the same time, a commoner in the front row dropped to his knees as he called out loudly.
Then a second person, a third person…
Before long, a great swath of the crowd had fallen to their knees, a sea of dark silhouettes, their cries rising again and again—growing louder, more fervent.
Aven waited for a moment before continuing.
"However… you should also know the current situation in Fruitvale Village."
"The grain prices here are low, but the territory's finances are under heavy strain. If we add all of you to the population, the treasury will be hard-pressed to hold out."
"Therefore, I want to try a different approach. In the coming period, you will not be able to obtain grain through purchase—but I can pay you with an equivalent amount of grain as wages!"
When they heard that they could not buy grain, the villagers looked stunned and uncertain.
But upon hearing that they could exchange labor for food, they all looked up in sudden realization!
Most of these commoners had abandoned their original homes and traveled a long distance to reach Fruitvale Village.
By now, most of their savings were already insufficient to meet daily needs—they were already in desperate need of work.
And now, Lord Aven was not only willing to provide them with food, but also a job.
How could they not be overjoyed?
"We are willing to work in exchange for grain!" someone called out, unable to hold back.
The voice quickly grew more impassioned and loud.
"Lord Aven is merciful! Long live Lord Aven!"
The next day, a massive census began.
Since grain would be distributed according to headcount, the villagers cooperated fully, carefully reporting their household information.
When giving their reports, they were careful to double-check, fearing that if they forgot to list one person, they would receive one portion of grain less.
Interestingly, during this census, several fugitives from Aspiration City were discovered, leaving the officials in charge of the statistics somewhat surprised.
Soon, Aven had a list in his hands.
To his delight, among the new arrivals there truly were some skilled craftsmen.
Some had worked as construction craftsmen before, so Aven immediately assigned them to Master Thomas to help with the castle construction.
It was worth noting that since Aven's last inspection of the construction site—and after the recent grain crisis—Master Thomas had finally decided to pledge his loyalty.
Now, Thomas was proudly one of the territory's officials, and Aven planned to entrust him with all matters concerning territorial construction.
In addition to craftsmen, among these commoners were cooks, tailors, and even a blacksmith.
This made Aven extremely pleased—he was even planning to bring Rhydon over to have a good exchange with the blacksmith.
Of course, the majority of the newcomers were farmers and orchard workers.
Aven immediately allocated a plot of land to them, urging them to start clearing it for cultivation.
If they began now—with the help of Rhydon and the others—they should be able to finish clearing the land before sowing season, allowing for a substantial harvest of grain later on.
"Lord Aven, what about the rest of them?"
Fessen was working alongside Aven to arrange the commoners.
After all, craftsmen were in the minority—most people had no particular skills.
"Mm. The merchants you've marked down—"
"You can let them choose to purchase houses in Fruitvale Village. That way they can directly become villagers of Fruitvale Village."
"At that point, they can enjoy the same treatment as other villagers, purchasing grain with money."
Aven glanced over the list and saw that some of the commoners were actually merchants.
For them, doing business was naturally the best option.
However, he had no intention of letting these merchants operate independently—he planned to place them within the Fruitvale Village caravans, so they could be of real value.
Making them spend most of their savings on houses in Fruitvale Village was, of course, a way to bind them to the territory—ensuring they truly became part of it.
After all, merchants were different from ordinary villagers—their loyalty was far harder to guarantee.
"As for the others who truly have no particular skills, they can be sent to join the reclamation work in the Black Coast Forest."
"Here is a list of the resources that exist within the Black Coast Forest. You can arrange for them to enter accordingly."
"No—on second thought, I will personally handle this part. While opening up the land, we must first relocate the magical beast populations within the forest."
Aven's instructions were clear and methodical.
Developing the Black Coast Forest was a very important part of his plans—after all, it contained a large amount of medicinal herbs, minerals, and other resources.
(End of Chapter)