Chapter 356 - 348: Bountiful Harvest

Chapter 356: Chapter 348: Bountiful Harvest

Mia licked her lips, the sweet taste of Moonlight Sugar still lingering on the tip of her tongue.

She let out a contented burp, rubbing her flat stomach as she climbed up from a pile of fur cushions. These were spoils she had scrounged up, now all heaped in a commandeered mansion in Peace Bay, which had become her own private nest.

After a moment’s thought, the little succubus, now full and satisfied, got up to get dressed.

She tiptoed over to the wardrobe, her toes, as round and smooth as pearls, curling up at the slight chill from the floor.

’I should go check on my little treasury,’ Mia mused.

That old bastard Barbossa had plenty of treasures on the Sea Serpent. Although Velin had confiscated the ship, he had promised that she, as the top contributor to the victory, could pick any three items. She had to go see for herself, to make sure those guys didn’t snatch up all the good stuff.

She changed into a white dress with a hem that barely reached her knees and slipped on a pair of straw sandals before heading out.

The girl was in a wonderful mood, walking with a skip in her step. A light breeze blew past, lifting her skirt to reveal a glimpse of her firm, fair calves, almost dazzling in the sunlight.

The patrolling soldiers and working islanders along the road couldn’t help but steal a glance, only to quickly look away as if they’d been scalded, an unnatural blush creeping onto their faces.

They couldn’t really be blamed. The girl’s innocent and carefree demeanor, combined with her unintentional allure, created a strange sort of magnetism that was truly hard to resist.

The once chaotic streets were now spotlessly clean. Lines of dejected pirates, roped together, were being escorted to the docks by the Grey Marsh Territory police.

They would be loaded onto ships and transported to the mines in the Grey Marsh Territory to atone for their sins with the rest of their lives.

The islanders stood on either side of the street. No one cheered, and no one cursed.

They simply watched in silence, witnessing the end of a disaster. The joy of victory had come and gone in a flash. When the fervor subsided, all that remained was uncertainty about the future.

"Miss Mia."

A somewhat reserved voice called out.

Mia turned to see the young Namiya Priest, Elias, standing not far away.

"Is something wrong, Priest?" Mia asked, tilting her head. She didn’t much care for this perpetually stern-faced young man, finding him duller than bitter medicine.

"Lord Velin is looking for you," Elias replied, his gaze not lingering on Mia but fixed on the pirates being marched away.

"Oh," Mia responded. She had no choice but to temporarily abandon her plan to inspect her "little treasury" and turned to walk toward the temporary administrative center.

That place had once been Barbossa’s den, the "Song of the Sea Siren." Now, the flag of the thorn flower hung on its walls.

As she pushed open the main doors, the rich smell of ink and papyrus washed over her.

In the main hall, a dozen clerks in gray uniforms were scribbling and calculating furiously. They were the administrative staff Velin had brought over from the Grey Marsh Territory, and they were currently taking inventory of the spoils of war.

Velin stood in the center of the hall with Gideon at his side, who was pointing at a newly drawn map and giving a report.

"...According to preliminary statistics, on the three main islands of Peace Bay, Turtle Island, and Wind Language Island, we have a workforce of about nine thousand people who can be put to work immediately. However, most are fishermen and lack other skills. The Pirate Fleet suffered heavy losses in this battle. Nearly half of their twelve capital ships were sunk, and the remaining six are in dire need of major repairs. Only the flagship, the Sea Serpent, remains relatively intact, as you specifically ordered its complete capture. We’ve seized one hundred and twenty-seven alchemical cannons, with over seventy percent of them in working order."

Gideon’s voice was steady and powerful. After the war, Velin had appointed him the provisional civil administrator of the islands, responsible for maintaining order and restoring production. The traditional Knight was deeply grateful for his lord’s trust, and he strove to be meticulous in carrying out his orders.

"Very good. And what of our supplies?"

"The first shipment of grain and tools has arrived from Minas Tirith Port. It should last us for two months. But to fully restore production, we’ll need more iron goods, seeds, and fabric."

Velin didn’t answer right away. He walked over to a massive table, upon which a brand-new parchment was spread—a complete nautical chart of the Southern Islands.

He picked up a charcoal pencil and drew a circle around Peace Bay.

"This," he declared, "will be the Grey Marsh Territory’s outpost facing the North Sea. A transoceanic hub connecting the Empire, the sea-states, the Evergreen Council, and other coastal nations."

A hint of surprise appeared on Gideon’s face. "My lord, Peace Bay’s harbor is decent, but it’s not nearly large enough to accommodate a major oceangoing fleet. Besides, its beacon tower was destroyed in the war."

"We can build a new one," Velin said. He glanced at Elias, who was standing in the corner. "Bring those seeds over."

Elias came forward, holding a wooden box. Inside were a dozen or so gray seeds, each the size of a walnut and covered in peculiar patterns.

"These are...?" Gideon asked, looking at the seeds in confusion.

"Stone Skin Soft Vine," Velin said, picking one up. "A plant I’ve modified."

He didn’t elaborate, instead leading the group to a small hill not far from the harbor. He personally buried one of the seeds in the soil, then motioned for a soldier to bring over several buckets of seawater to pour on it.

As everyone watched in amazement, the seed burst from the earth. A vine as thick as a finger began to grow, climb, and weave together at a visible pace. It constantly branched out and intertwined, forming the skeleton of a tower more than ten meters wide and thirty meters tall in just a matter of minutes.

The vine’s surface, originally soft and green, quickly faded to a grayish-white, its texture shifting from a leathery suppleness to the hardness of stone.

Gideon stepped forward and rapped it with the pommel of his sword. It produced a dull THUD, just like striking granite!

"A miracle..." Elias murmured. He tried to comprehend the scene before him through the doctrines of the True Origin Sect, only to find his knowledge woefully inadequate.

"It’s not a miracle, it’s biotechnology," Velin corrected him. "With enough water and nutrients, we can build several fifty-meter-high lighthouses within three days, enough to guide ships from leagues away."

「Over the next fortnight,」 the Southern Islands rapidly regained their vitality.

A steady stream of ships from the Grey Marsh Territory arrived, carrying clerks, artisans, and supplies. They brought with them advanced farming techniques, new accounting methods, and the strict but efficient legal system of the Grey Marsh Territory.

Under Velin’s direction, the reconstruction of Peace Bay began in earnest.

The giant lighthouse, constructed from Stone Skin Soft Vine, shot up from the ground three days later, becoming the new landmark of the archipelago. When night fell, the Magic Crystal Stone at its peak was lit, and a brilliant beam of light pierced the darkness, proclaiming the area’s newfound safety and order.

Soon, a few daring merchant ships began to tentatively stop for supplies. They were delighted to discover that this was no longer a pirate-infested den but a well-ordered, well-supplied, and safe harbor.

Word traveled fast.

Meanwhile, Velin received the final report submitted by his clerks.

"Sea Wheat, Rock Potatoes, Dragon Blood Trees, Moonlight Vines, Sea Fire Stones, high-quality pearls..." Velin read from the list of local specialties. "These are all excellent goods. Pass the order: the Lord’s Mansion will handle unified shipping to Mi Port for processing."

"My lord, won’t... won’t this cause discontent among the islanders?" one of the clerks asked cautiously. "They’re accustomed to free trade."

"Free trade brought them raids from pirates and price-gouging from unscrupulous merchants," Velin said, his voice calm. "Now, I’m offering them stable orders and fair prices. As for those who are unwilling to accept..."

He paused.

"Then let them continue enjoying their so-called ’freedom.’ Provided, of course, they can find merchants willing to risk coming here to buy their scattered goods."

To ignite the islanders’ enthusiasm for production, Velin introduced a "merit point system" that had already been successfully implemented in the Grey Marsh Territory.

Every completed task—whether fishing, farming, or participating in harbor construction—earned a corresponding number of merit points.

The children of top performers were even given the chance to study in the Grey Marsh Territory.

The system quantified everyone’s worth in numbers, converting the pressure to survive into motivation to work. The Namiya people’s simple philosophy of symbiosis began to crumble and reform in the face of these hard figures.

In just half a month, the face of the Southern Islands was transformed.

Crops were replanted on the terraces of Turtle Island, the logging yards of Wind Language Island began systematic harvesting, and the port at Peace Bay bustled day and night.

Velin’s reputation throughout the islands reached an unprecedented peak.

People no longer called him "Lord Baron." Instead, with a mixture of awe and gratitude, they called him "the Liberator."

Mia leaned against a second-floor window of the administrative center, watching Elias teach a group of Namiya children the continental common tongue down in the square below. The sunlight fell on the young Priest’s face, softening his normally stern features.

It all felt a little surreal to her.

Just a short while ago, this had been Barbossa’s paradise. Now, everything had changed.

She was lost in thought when a hand suddenly reached out from behind, bringing a small, glistening object to her lips.

It was Moonlight Sugar.

Mia instinctively opened her mouth to take it.

"What are you thinking about?"

Velin’s voice sounded from behind her.

"Nothing," Mia mumbled, feeling the sweet melt on her tongue. "Just thinking that you’ve really turned this place into your own territory."

"That’s a foregone conclusion," Velin said, coming to stand beside her and looking out the window. "I’m merely accelerating the process."

He handed Mia a small leather pouch.

Mia opened it. Inside was a pouch full of Moonlight Sugar.

"But you already gave me a pouch..." she said, surprised.

"You’ve earned it," Velin said. "And now, I have a new assignment for you."

"How would you like to pay a visit to your old employer?"

Mia’s body went rigid, and the smile that had just graced her lips instantly vanished.