Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest-Chapter 54 - 23 Wandong and Plateau

54: Chapter 23: Wandong and Plateau

54 -23: Wandong and Plateau

Today marked Roman’s 52nd day in Sige Town.

Roman hadn’t expected that constructing the livestock shed alone would consume nearly half a month of his time.

Even after the roads were repaired and the road repair team provided labor support, the project still hadn’t been completed ahead of schedule.

Only today was the final thatching of the roof taking place.

Yet regardless, it ultimately took shape.

The farmers of Sige Town had witnessed the construction of such a massive structure.

With their limited experience, they couldn’t offer any appraisal, only feeling a certain shock.

Because it was too grand, more than ten times grander than Lord Moor’s residence.

But in Roman’s eyes, it was merely a simple livestock shed.

He planned to expand it later, turning the area into a large breeding farm hosting thousands of animals.

By that time, it would be even more magnificent.

It was also on this day.

Roman received news that another merchant had arrived in Sige Town.

The Bro River was long and branched due to the terrain.

One of its branches flowed through Silver Dragon Canyon, passed through Sige Town, and continued northward.

However, most merchants wouldn’t risk coming to Sige Town.

They would choose the second route, bypassing Silver Dragon Canyon, entering Pearl Harbor from above Kant Territory, where trade flourished.

Roman had been in Sige Town for nearly two months, encountering only occasional, small-scale merchants passing through.

Their trade scale was very limited, possessing only a small merchant ship laden with goods like linen, beer, and cheese, making significant trade impossible.

But today’s merchant was different; he was Daken, whom Roman had previously commissioned to purchase slaves.

Roman did not treat Daken like he did Morry at the docks; instead, he had him come directly to see him.

Soon, Roman met Daken in front of the livestock shed, leading a large group of people. freeweɓnøvel.com

These individuals were disheveled, ragged, and filthy, trembling as they walked and unable to stand firm, much like a scene of the Beggar Gang setting out.

Daken, feeling somewhat uncertain, approached Roman and said,

“Honorable Lord, do you remember our agreement from a month ago?

I have brought the slaves you required.”

Roman cocked his head, observing the group of Beggar Gang members, and puzzledly said, “Slaves?

Refugees?”

Refugees are just slaves too… Daken really wanted to say this.

But he knew Roman’s implication.

The young noble lord was somewhat dissatisfied with the quality of the slaves.

Generally, before selling them, slave traders would give the slaves a bath, feed them well, and preferably give them some beer.

Thus, the slaves would appear healthier, at least making them more presentable.

A slave originally worth one silver coin could, due to these small details, be sold for 1.2 or 1.5 silver coins.

But this was human commodity wholesale!

Getting all the slaves cleaned up was somewhat impractical, as there wasn’t enough time or energy.

This process also expended the slaves’ energy, and it was normal for a few to die from catching a cold.

So Daken tried to explain, “This is the best and most abundant stock I could find.

Although they may look weak, if they are well nourished, they will be second to no one, including many strong and healthy men…”

Daken hoped to convince Roman to accept this batch of slaves.

It influenced how much money he would specifically receive.

Roman merely treated those words as background noise.

He squinted his eyes, looking towards the slaves behind Daken.

Everyone was unkempt and disheveled, only distinguishable by their height and build.

One-fifth of them were adult male slaves.

This group walked the fastest, so they stood relatively at the front.

The females and other groups behind them were more complex, with nearly half of them having white hair, exuding an exotic charm.

There was a large, crowded group, and though they all were thin and feeble, making it hard to discern their gender or age, they indeed were short; Roman even saw a white-haired woman holding a baby, her legs trembling—either from weakness or hunger—but she dared not sit down to rest, fearful of being discarded as defective goods.

Roman frowned, “Why are there even babies?”

Could this guy have bought the slaves from mercenaries or pirates?

Though called mercenaries, they were actually bandits, pillaging and plundering; it was common for them to torch a village and sell all the survivors to a slave trader they had previously contacted.

For those thugs, this was just a way to make a quick buck, the cost simply being a few less lives taken.

Roman looked at Daken and asked, “Where did they come from?”

Seeing Roman’s neutral tone but serious gaze, Daken reluctantly answered, “I bought them from a slave trader.”

“How many people in total?”

Daken listed precisely, “There were 197 when I bought them, but now there are only 188 left.”

Nine people had died during transport.

These slaves had poor constitutions and couldn’t withstand the severe jolting.

Daken had originally planned to select only the stronger male slaves to earn a hard coin, but he couldn’t resist being persuaded by the slave trader.

He had previously spoken to Roman and discerned that this young Lord seemed in desperate need of slaves, so he bought them all on a trial basis.

Nearly two hundred slaves were not expensive, costing less than 10 gold coins.

On average, each slave cost only about four or five copper coins.

But the more he traveled, the more he regretted it; if Roman did not accept these subpar goods, he might not receive the additional 10 gold coins.

From his perspective, less than half of these slaves were of acceptable quality; the rest were the old, weak, women, and some female slaves looked like they were burdened with families, holding babies.

Even if Roman furiously chopped down those babies and kicked their bodies into the river, it would be quite normal.

Yet, Daken saw no joy or anger on the young Lord’s face.

Roman lifted his chin slightly, asking indifferently, “Where do they all come from?”

“Some are from Wandong, some from the Highland…”

Daken had inquired this from the slave trader.

The Wandong Kingdom was located to the north of the Black Iron Kingdom, covering most of the Northern Land with a vast area.

The land there had cold, long winters and warm but brief summers, with spring and autumn fleeting.

The harsh cold bore the resilient and tenacious white-haired Wandong people.

These Wandong people were refugees, with nowhere to go, voluntarily enslaving themselves, depending on the slave traders to find a place to belong.

Even though they were so cheap that a few copper coins could buy one, still no one showed interest.

The Highland Kingdom was situated on the Eastern Plateau.

Most of the adult male slaves among them were Highlanders, whose homeland had been invaded by barbarians, and they themselves were sold to slave traders, who eventually brought them to the Black Iron Kingdom.

These Highland men were originally able to sell for 1 silver coin each.

Yet the slave trader had bundled them together and sold them all to Daken.

Some good rice was mixed in with the bad, ultimately fetching a price both parties begrudgingly accepted.