Fate: I Will Eventually Become the Hero of Justice II

Chapter 224

The abundance of food that King Arthur enjoyed during the Little Ice Age was a source of great confusion for the other kings, who were puzzled as to how he managed to maintain such a well-stocked supply while others struggled to provide even basic sustenance.

Even Shirou's own knights were at a loss to explain the source of King Arthur's bounty, and the mystery of his ample resources continued to elude them.

Kay and Merlin were among the few who were not puzzled by King Arthur's abundance of food during the Little Ice Age. The former had collaborated closely with Shirou and was intimately familiar with his agricultural reform strategy, while the latter had been privy to Shirou's plans from the earliest days of his reign, having been hung up and beaten by him as part of his initial efforts to gain control over the country during the dream world.

Agriculture was at the heart of Shirou's grand plan. It wasn't just a nod to the traditions of past empires – it was deeply personal. When he first ascended to the throne, he had experienced crippling hunger. He vowed never to let himself or his people suffer like that again. That's why agriculture became the cornerstone of his rule.

Before Shirou, the Britons relied on a primitive two-field system to farm their land. They would plant on one field while leaving the other fallow. With only wooden tools at their disposal, they had no advanced techniques for taking care of their crops, and their farming methods relied heavily on manual labor.

Unfortunately, this meant they were at the mercy of the unpredictable weather, and their productivity was abysmally low. In short, their survival hinged on the whims of nature, and they were barely eking out a living.

Under his leadership, the kingdom underwent a farming revolution. By adopting modern scientific planting techniques and overhauling the farming tools, they were able to increase the yield of a single plot of land several times over. The introduction of the four-field system, along with methods like crop rotation and no-till farming, enabled them to plant crops year-round and make the most of their land.

With these innovations, they were able to develop new farmland and cultivate previously barren areas. As a result, all the cultivable land in Cornwall and the surrounding territories had been brought into production.

His agricultural reforms were so successful that they created an unexpected challenge: there were now more fields than there were people to tend them. However, he was quick to adapt to the situation. He abandoned his plans to build a cavalry force and instead used all the horses obtained through trade for farming purposes.

By repurposing the horses, he was able to increase the efficiency of the farming process and make up for the shortage of labor. The horses were put to work plowing fields, transporting crops, and performing other essential tasks.

While horses were not as adept as oxen at tilling the land, they had the advantage of speed and efficiency.

Despite not having precise measurements of the kingdom's increased production efficiency, Shirou knew that his agricultural reforms had been a resounding success. Since the first harvest, he had never gone hungry again or had to worry about food shortages.

Shirou also recognized the importance of preserving grain. He sold off the old grain at a reduced price to grain merchants in exchange for goods to be distributed in poorer regions. This allowed him to help those in need while also ensuring that the grain didn't go to waste.

As a result, he had no qualms about selling discounted grain to other kingdoms, or even providing them with full supplies. He was confident in the quality of his kingdom's harvest and knew that it could sustain itself and others in times of need.