Monarch of Solitude: Daily Quest System

Chapter 156 - Labour Clutch

Rino was reflecting. He did not mean to get involved directly. However, when those trolls came a little too quickly at sunrise to collect their dead comrades, Rino was still in the middle of waiting for the last troll to die.

He couldn't let such a good body count go to waste, so Rino made his appearance and tried to negotiate with the trolls. However, he forgot that they were monsters with little intelligence. Reasoning with them was a failure from the start. 

Most of them were starved and lacked any real threat. However, Rino was in such a desperate situation with the labour crunch he was facing that he didn't think. He only reacted and killed those who attacked, which happened to be everyone on site.

Thinking back, he should have left one or two, so they could repopulate or something. Were there even enough healthy trolls in the mountains to repopulate their village? Rino probably killed too many because he was currently looking at over fifty shadow trolls. The body count under his name was a little foggy by now. Rino did not remember who he killed in self-defence and who he slaughtered in cold blood, even if he knew Zerg was someone he killed in the name of mercy. Alas, the child was not here.

With so many shadow trolls, Rino wasn't in any shortage of labour. Aiden was nearly in tears from joy when the trolls lifted heavy wooden beams easily. Unlike the shadow spectres who had to use many shadow tendrils just to lift one beam, these trolls could manage just fine without help.

A wise ruler would know how to use his people's strengths and talents. Hence, Rino reassigned the duties for everyone in Town Zera.

The genesis fairies will continue with his mana web array laying plans and rune crafting for the field irrigation system. The shadow spectres who had nothing to tan at the moment will assist in crop preparation with the farming fairy in charge. At the same time, they were tasked to take care and feed his livestock. Rino wanted to breed the goat too. So they needed to harvest a new batch of breeding grass.

The newly recruited trolls were split into two teams. The first team consisting of male trolls will help with his very important barn constructions. The second team consisting of weaker female trolls will help him to plough the fields. He had ten acres of fields to plough, and they would not rest until it was finished.

Yes, it might not be the trolls' fault that Rino had to kill so many. However, it did not make him less mad that he had to be involved in such a matter. Thankfully for the dumb trolls, enough 'trainers' and 'mentors' from Noir Province arrived during the night that Rino spent on a stakeout. Fronzo came personally, and two other gnomes from Cypress County accompanied the small entourage of farming hobgoblin ladies. Several ladies who were good at sewing also arrived. Erika was very thoughtful and packed enough fabric when she discovered there was still enough space to carry more things over in the sky palanquin.

Really, he couldn't have asked for a better secretary. Rino almost teared up when he saw the few reliable personnel. With these groomed talents here to manage on his behalf, Rino could focus more on the important things. He had less than a week to plough ten acres of farmland.

"Leave it to me, my lord!" Fronzo assured him.

Rino took a look at the lesser ghoul who was currently residing in his stone cottage. He looked a little more built than Rino recalled. Fronzo was probably the slowest to grow in progress physically of all his named summons. However, he had to be Rino's favourite. 

Beside Fronzo, Erika was starting to look a little less pale and more human-like. His secretary took on a student from one of the fairies who contracted with the world tree. She was a very good assistant from Erika's explanation, who often helped her manage Cypress County in Erika's absence when she had to tend to other areas. To acknowledge the hardworking fairy assistant who was also his junior because Kragami took on the role as her mentor, Rino named her Rina.

Unsurprisingly, Fronzo took a liking to Zerg and accepted the kid as his direct apprentice. Rino felt that this should be fated. He couldn't save that poor stubborn child who clung to life, but in death, he could provide the child who had the same fire in his eyes just before he died with an opportunity cruel life did not give him.

The tanned vampire looked a little taller and more muscular than Rino remembered him as someone who was all skin and bones. Living in Noir Province for a while did him good, and Rino only hoped the villagers were coping better and learning just as well.

Rino spent a good part of the afternoon simply talking to the gnomes, Erika, Fronzo and their respective apprentices about his town's plan. He also had a lot of questions about Nori Province's progress and current projects.

As it turned out, bringing the newly foraged crops for agricultural research to Spudville was a good idea. Fronzo informed Rino about their discoveries, and already, the ladies were trying to find new ways to cook the dishes. The crossbreeding process between a regular potato and a purple potato was still in progress, and Fronzo sounded frustrated by the lack of findings from what they did.

"Don't worry about it," Rino patted the lesser ghoul on the shoulder. "Take your time. Research is all about patience. If you need, I'm sure Kragami could assist in your research. My teacher is just about the only research crazy person I know apart from me."

Blinking, Fronzo looked over to Zerg and smiled. "I think there are more research crazy people now, my lord. The curiosity is spreading."

Rino looked at Fronzo, who grinned at the blushing tanned vampire while Rina tried to disappear from the room, hiding behind Erika's hair.

Rino paused for a while before laughing. Of course! He should have known from the stories that they've been sharing with him for a while now about how Zerg couldn't stop talking and asking questions the moment he arrived at Spudville. The farmers had their share of headaches when Zerg insisted on taking apart some runes to examine how they worked, disrupting the entire sprinkler circuit.

Thanks to the curious vampire, the farm fairy managers discovered a need for a better mana web array that would minimise crop watering damage if some part of the array was disrupted. The elemental sylphs spent a while fixing and testing the new irrigation system.

In a way, Rino did not think this was bad. Zerg might be disruptive and destructive, but his curiosity and hunger to conquer the unknown were endearing. He reminded Rino of his younger self in the previous world. Back then, Rino caused a lot of migraines for the old wizards in the tower. However, they were able to discover many new magical advancements thanks to his new views and ideas. The unconventional thinking provided many breakthroughs that the wizards have been stuck on for decades.

Even in a kingdom full of undead, Rino thought that new blood was sometimes needed for a fresh look at life.

Rina was slightly saner and tried to be a good student, containing her curiosity to a safe learning environment. Then again, that was because of Kragami. His teacher kept the fairy intellectually entertained with new findings, stories, books and tasks. Erika told him how Rina was acting as the mayor's research assistant during her off hours, and Rino was jealous. He wanted to be part of researching too! It was unfair how Kragami and Rina could play around finding out if water bell flower seeds could be crossbred with other herbs to produce magical plants. It was an area of research in the previous world that Rino did not complete.

"However, we're slightly worried about the other villagers you sent to Noir Province," Erika reported seriously. "They don't seem ready to learn more than what they were told."

At that, even Aiden and his gnomes had to agree. They were unusually obedient and did not have opinions of their own. They had to be taught everything from how to hold a hoe instead of observing and trying it for themselves. They did not complain, did not have desires, did not seem to be capable of thinking.

Hearing this, Rino was puzzled. "They were your village adults. Were they like this when they were alive?"

Zerg bit his lip and looked down at his hands. "My king, the adults in my village believe that ignorance is bliss. If you are not asked or told to do something, it is best to not know or be aware of it. Most of them were happier working inefficiently for everything the way taught by ancestors. They do not look for ways to do better and do not yearn to move outside the village. Questions are frowned upon."

Hearing that, Rino frowned. That had to change.