Chapter 163 - Additional Population and Heidi’s Worries (2/2)

“Of course it is.” Gawain smiled. “Do I need to lie to you all?”

But the words said by aristocratic lords would never be true.

Joan only dared to think this comment in her mind, but what she said was, “May I join my brother to look for the other settlements? His leg is troublesome. He needs someone to care for him.”

“I will arrange a horse or a carriage for him if there’s a need.” Gawain had already noticed the problem with the youth’s leg earlier but still nodded. “Of course, you can still move about with him.”

The young lady bowed her head deeply. “Thank you very much for your benevolence.”

A day later, Gawain and Amber led half of the soldiers and escorted the two mercenaries captured alive to first return back to the territory.

Meanwhile, Sir Philip was with the remaining half of the soldiers, escorting the dozens of ‘newly added population’ behind them. As the refugees were frail, with a considerable number of them having chronic diseases, Wright also stayed behind to attend to them.

That Holy Light Cleric could also carry the combat ability of a mad warrior while he was at it…

Gawain was in a very good mood. Although he had only brought back several dozens of additional population after all the hassle this trip, which wasn’t even as many people as a slave-transporting ship from Tanzan Town carried, he had successfully built a connection with the refugees in the wilderness north of the White River. The initial trust was about to be developed on the foundation of these several dozens of people. Thinking of how much of the labor force that the territory urgently needed was gathered in this vast barren land, he was extremely delighted.

Not to mention that the majority of these refugees possessed some craftsmanship or were freemen with at least some knowledge. Their fundamental quality was higher than that of the slaves who were bought. This would reduce a lot of costs in the subsequent education.

It was almost impossible for serfs to become refugees. This was because they were bound to the territory. When a famine came, the local aristocrats would gather their serfs and keep them alive at the lowest cost until the famine ended so as to reinstate production. Whereas, serfs who attempted to escape would be captured back and put to death. On the contrary, it was the freemen, whose statuses were slightly higher, who would lose all support in such situations, with no choice but to flee their hometown after a calamity.

Hence, there would occasionally be jokes that —— on some aristocratic lands, the price of freedom was instead costlier than becoming a serf.

But Heidi who managed the territory’s internal affairs was rather weighed down with worry. She approached Gawain. “Ancestor, are you really planning to take in all the homeless people in the wilderness north of the White River before the Cold Month?”

Gawain had long expected Heidi to come to him. He showed a smile. “Is there pressure on the ratios?”

“Indeed. —— If the hearsay is true, that there are refugees everywhere in the wilderness, we would be providing for about four thousand people through this winter. Through this period of population expansion, there are, now, still only two thousand people in the territory. This would be equivalent to providing for a number of refugees more than twice our current population. And this is only a secondary problem. After all, rations can be bought using money. Tanzan Town is fertile and is also willing to sell us provisions at low prices, so this would be easy to resolve. The real problem is how to maintain order after taking in so many additional people. We barely managed to digest and absorb those purchased serfs and slave laborers, making them residents who understand rules and abide by the laws. If another four thousand people were to be recklessly brought in, I really worry that the gains from our earlier effort would be lost ——even if those refugees do not mean to intentionally do so.”

“We increased from eight hundred people to two thousand. The population more than doubled, but order did not collapse.” Gawain looked towards Heidi with a smile. “So what’s there to be worried about?”

“That was because the previously added population had arrived before Frost Month —— the weather was warm, and there were ample jobs for those people. They could join the residents to cultivate lands, do logging, and construct houses. According to you, labor brings transformation. Ample jobs would be the best way to digest and absorb the newly added population. But it’s already late Frost Month now. It will soon be the snowing Fog Month, then Cold Month when dripping water freezes into icicles. We will no longer have enough jobs at that time…”

“Who said we don’t?” Gawain’s smile became even wider. “Why does winter mean no work and staying at home, consuming rations? In fact, it’s quite the contrary… I’ve got heaps of projects here waiting for manpower to complete them.”