Chapter 239

Chapter 239 Future Plans

As the first light of dawn began to spread, many people had yet to rise. Nia and Lolan sat on either side of the table, looking at the map laid out before them, which outlined the surrounding terrain and the distribution of other tribes.

“East is the Black Wolf Clan, north is the White Wolf Clan, the two clans face each other across the Sheamu River, which is about twenty miles away from where we live. The west is relatively barren with no nearby tribes, and fifty miles south is the Hartebeest Clan.”

“In that case, the west would be suitable for expanding farmland,” Lolan mused thoughtfully. Her pale blue hair was tied into two long pigtails that hung down her sides, a hairstyle somewhat reminiscent of Ye Ling, though more serene.

Since they were not at school, she didn’t need to worry too much about maintaining her appearance, making it easier to use the power of the Nature Sequence.

Nia couldn’t help but pinch a strand of the blue hair scattered on the map, feeling it closely. Just as Lolan was about to speak, she quickly interjected.

“But the soil in the west is rather poor, I doubt much can be grown there.”

“I have an idea about this; I’ll come up with a solution soon enough,” Lolan gently swayed her body, retrieving the strand of hair from Nia’s hand. She planned to cultivate a suitable crop recently, which was why she needed to advance to a higher level in the Nature Sequence.

“Poor soil isn’t an insurmountable problem; it mainly comes down to water. You need a lot of water for planting crops and daily life. We need to see if there are underground rivers or other groundwater beneath the soil. If we can dig wells, that would be ideal. But if not, we’d have to divert water from the Sheamu River, which would inevitably lead to conflicts with other tribes.”

“It seems we need to put some serious thought into this,” Nia nodded. Suddenly, cheers echoed outside the tent; it turned out that the food and meat brought yesterday were being distributed among the families.

In the Goat Horn Clan’s settlement, a festival-like atmosphere prevailed. There weren’t usually so many abundant foods, and many children wore joyful expressions, as if celebrating. The Lion Mane Clan, who had come to the Goat Horn Clan, were warmly welcomed as they carried various goods.

“How nice,” Lolan sighed as she stepped out of the tent, watching everyone happily. Her pigtails extended all the way to her waist.

“Mm, thank you, Lolan.” Nia’s voice came from behind, standing beside Lolan Hill, their heights nearly matching.

Nia looked at this peerless young lady by her side, filled with emotion. This friend was always so mysterious, exuding a peculiar charm that captivated her.

“Why does Lolan help me so much?”

“Clearly, it’s nothing but trouble, not something particularly enjoyable,” Nia said to her friend, expressing her confusion.

Sigh. Does helping a friend require a reason? Lolan tilted her head, a bit puzzled. In her eyes, these were merely minor tasks.

Actually, this was also a kind of misperception on Lolan Hill’s part. Because she was accustomed to her own abilities and knowledge, she didn’t realize how many things she possessed were rare miracles in the outside world and among the general public.

Knowledge and ideas that could change a nation, new plants with altered effects, and extraordinary potions that could change personal talents—all of these were rare treasures seen only once every few centuries.

“There’s nothing to it; I just made a small contribution,” Lolan brought her index finger and thumb together, forming a gesture, then continued.

“If you’re worried about my help, then after graduation, work hard for me, hehe.”

“In fact, I’ve set up a merchant guild and still need more people and resources,” Lolan said amusingly to Nia, winking.

“You can help me for a while after graduation. Will that make you feel more at ease?”

“Sure, no problem,” Nia nodded. To her, if it really helped her tribe overcome poverty and weakness, working for Lolan wasn’t a big deal. On the contrary, Lolan might need to invest a lot, whether she could truly pay off her debts remained uncertain.

“Sigh, actually, there’s no need to take it so seriously. I’m just helping improve crops and teach farming knowledge.”

Seeing Nia’s seriousness, Lolan hurriedly explained, but Nia still felt she should repay Lolan’s efforts. From childhood, she had been taught that way, and nomadic tribes indeed relied heavily on human caravans to exchange wool, leather, and other materials for food and daily necessities.

“Alright, alright. But you can’t tell anyone at school, otherwise, they’ll say I’m a heartless merchant exploiting classmates,” perhaps influenced by the Nature Sequence, Lolan Hill had become more lively and natural after her transformation.

“Yes, Miss Lolan,” Nia laughed, imitating Kafra’s usual way of addressing her.

“Forget it, forget it.” Seeing Nia’s rare smile these days, Lolan Hill no longer dwelled on it and asked about other matters.

She had originally come to the grasslands to complete a school task, but now she suddenly saw another opportunity.

Clancia had just ended its civil war, with everything in dire need of reconstruction. Whether it was cultivating farmland, expanding roads, or building and repairing cities, a large amount of manpower was required. Meanwhile, there were numerous strong-bodied beasts on the grasslands, considered high-quality labor.

Previously, she knew little about them, but after spending some time here and using the experience of the Rabbit-Eared Clan as a reference, she believed Clancia could gradually absorb some of these beastmen.

During her time at school, she had learned quite a bit about the situation in Cuiwei from some classmates. Now, internal contradictions within the Empire were becoming increasingly evident, leading to class rigidity, conflict, and hidden unrest. Some of the High Nobility were beginning to slowly push for a second comprehensive war to alleviate internal pressures and surplus population.

Clancia had been established not long ago, and the Snow Flower Seven Nations were also fragmented. If they wanted to resist Cuiwei’s invasion, these beastmen were essential forces. Rather than dealing with them hastily later, it would be better to gradually engage, communicate, and familiarize themselves now. Ideally, these beastmen could be integrated into Clancia like the Rabbit-Eared Clan, becoming part of it, thus enabling them to fight together.

After all, time was running short. Recently, Frost Rose had begun participating in the internal political struggles of Black Rock and Falcon, planning to bring these two countries under its influence. Clancia couldn’t afford to remain idle. Using the Rabbit-Eared Clan as a role model, it should reassure the other beastmen on the grasslands. Through more communication, breaking barriers, not only would the beastmen no longer be confined to this desolate land, but Clancia could also greatly enrich itself, resulting in a win-win situation.

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PS: I am very sorry, I haven’t been in good form recently and have disappointed everyone.

Tomorrow I will take a day off to reflect and summarize. In the future, I will try to write each chapter to at least 3000 words, as 2000 words can be a bit difficult to read, and many readers have mentioned this.

Feel free to share your thoughts, I will read them all.

Lastly, thank you for everyone’s continuous support.

(End of Chapter)