Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks-Chapter 606 - 378: The Common Folk

Looking at the fields that have already been harvested, there are people sowing lettuce and peas.

Some farmers, pushing carts and bare-chested, are swinging wooden spoons to fling manure into the fields.

The Egyptians have already recognized the benefits of using manure but don’t yet know how to compost and ferment—and actually, there’s no need for it. With the flooding of the Nile, fertile soil naturally gets deposited in the Delta.

Fertilizing here is probably because the land is at a slightly higher elevation, missing out on the benefits of flooding, and there’s no fear of the fields being submerged during the flood season, allowing for additional crops to be planted in late autumn for profit.

Alongside the road lies an orchard planted with olives and dates, and many laborers are working in the fields, many of them unclothed, casting curious glances at the approaching visitors.

They are quite far away and can’t see clearly.

But the village chief can see clearly. Losa, riding his mount Eclipse, is towering over the usual warhorses, and even camels; standing straight, he couldn’t even reach the horse’s shoulder.

He never thought that a horse so large could exist in this world.

"Do the villagers of Abais Village really can’t afford clothes?"

Losa asked casually.

The village chief smiled bitterly, "It’s not exactly that they can’t afford clothes, but the weather is so hot that wearing too much becomes cumbersome for working, so when we are in the fields, we usually wear just a linen shorts."

"That’s good to hear."

Losa paused for a moment.

A herdsman came driving oxen toward them.

"Get out of the way quickly, you dim-witted thins, the Lord has come in person, and you’re driving a herd of cattle here now?" the village chief scolded.

In a hurried rush, the herdsman redirected the oxen into the fields by the roadside.

Egyptians and farmers in the Holy Land use oxen quite a lot, which differs from Europe. Due to the different climate, oxen have better endurance and are more suitable as draft horses, while cold-blooded horses used for pulling a plow struggle to survive here.

Arab horses, being hot-blooded, are more suitable as mounts on the battlefield rather than pack animals.

Of course, the cost of using oxen is definitely lower than that of horses for plowing, as the feed requirements for oxen are significantly cheaper.

Actually, the most common method of farming in Egypt nowadays is not with oxen, but with human labor.

There are simply too many people.

Thus, labor is exceedingly cheap.

The produce from the land barely manages to keep these people fed.

For the Germanic people, exceeding the land’s carrying capacity could mean fleeing in famine, turning to banditry, or trying their luck in the Eastern world.

But where would the Coptic people run to if they left Egypt? Here, it’s almost like an island; the favorable climate means people don’t have to work too hard to obtain grain yields far surpassing those in Europe.

Losa heard that in the past, Egyptians didn’t even need to till their fields; once the flood receded, they would scatter a handful of seeds in the fertile black soil, and there’d be no need to manage them, yet still yielding more grain than they could consume come harvest time.

Of course, such legends are not to be believed.

But they do reflect certain truths.

Perhaps due to this, despite their large population, the Coptic people couldn’t expand beyond Egypt into Syria, North Africa, or even further afield. In contrast, the Saracens from the remote Arabian Peninsula have spread their footprints across Persia, Asia Minor, Egypt, North Africa, and even Iberia, and even established a vast Arab Empire at one point.

Losa walked along, deep in thought.

If he were to take over Egypt entirely, he’d definitely need to export the Coptic population’s labor, as the land here doesn’t need so many people to tend it. Marles’s blacksmith workshop could improve the existing plows, which would only increase farming efficiency.

Those unemployed could be relocated to his territories in Transjordan and the Sinai Peninsula.

Once the Tree of Life gives birth to new offspring, paving the way to continue expanding farmland, the burden of such a large population could instead become a driving force to enhance his nation’s power.

At the entrance to the village.

A crowd had already gathered to welcome him, with varied expressions of surprise and unease. The Crusaders’ reputation preceded them, and even though Losa hadn’t committed any atrocities so far, deep down, the villagers were still apprehensive.

Young men without armor, equipped with weapons and bows, stood nervously behind the checkpoints and barricades.

The village chief’s face changed slightly, sweat trickling down as he looked at Losa and explained, "Sir, these are our village militia, here for your review."

"Review?"

Losa chuckled, "You really know how to speak. Rest assured, I won’t blame them for such minor offenses; have your people bring water jugs and fruit for us. My soldiers won’t be entering the village with me."

The village chief breathed a sigh of relief, sharply ordering the village guards to disperse, while loudly urging the villagers to bring supplies forward.

Losa’s guards eyed the sweet fruits and refreshing water with interest, swallowing audibly, but they wouldn’t move without Losa’s command.

"Go ahead, take what you need,"

Losa said with a smile.

No need to taste it to know whether it’s poisoned.

His current strength rivals that of an un-elite six-star attendant; his past is behind him, and today he even came without an attendant, confidence in his own capabilities shining through.

Losa’s gaze fell on the side

"Are these all your village’s white slaves?"

The village chief cautiously explained, "I’ve already freed them, but upon hearing they’d be sent off to the Sinai Peninsula to live among the sands, they refused to leave—I had intended to report this to the patrol officer, but trivial matters delayed me."

He truly feared this Crusader leader, being the wealthiest man in the village himself, and what used to be his pride—those olive groves, vineyards, oil pressing workshops, leather workshops... they felt like his death warrant now.

Losa frowned, "Rest assured, I don’t blame you."

He called for Laine, letting him

No matter what is said, or the miracles of the Tree of Life used to attract them, these white slaves, after so many years of slavery, have lost the fervor of their original beliefs.

It’s better to simply send someone to forcibly relocate them.

Losa frowned, "Rest assured, I don’t blame you."

He called for Laine, letting him

No matter what is said, or the miracles of the Tree of Life used to attract them, these white slaves, after so many years of slavery, have lost the fervor of their original beliefs.

It’s better to simply send someone to forcibly relocate them. Losa frowned, "Rest assured, I don’t blame you."

He called for Laine, letting him

No matter what is said, or the miracles of the Tree of Life used to attract them, these white slaves, after so many years of slavery, have lost the fervor of their original beliefs.

It’s better to simply send someone to forcibly relocate them.

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