Farming

A gentle breeze swept across the fields.

Vivian stood at the edge of the experimental plots outside Evernight City, a detailed record book in hand, carefully observing the crops.

“Your Majesty, following your three-field rotation system, we have completed the first round of planting plans,” reported Bato, the demon in charge of agriculture, with deep respect.

“This spring we planted grains; in summer the fields will switch to legumes; in autumn they will lie fallow and be sown with green manure.”

Vivian nodded, satisfied.

The Evernight Territory had enjoyed rare calm of late.

Basic reconstruction was finished; most residents and refugees now had simple homes.

Everything was steadily advancing according to Vivian’s plans.

Her current task was to oversee the second phase of development across all sectors.

That meant implementing her ideas and spreading the knowledge she possessed.

The three-field rotation system was something she had carried over from her previous world’s agricultural science.

Demon farming here remained primitive and extensive—year after year the same crop was planted in the same soil, rapidly depleting fertility and driving yields ever lower.

Rotation, by contrast, restored soil nutrients through careful crop sequencing and reduced pests and diseases.

“Excellent. Legumes fix nitrogen through their root nodules, enriching the soil. Turning green manure under adds organic matter,” Vivian explained, aware that terms like “root nodules” and “nitrogen fixation” might sail over Bato’s head.

“In short, this will make the land more fertile over time. Plant only one crop forever and the soil will eventually turn barren.”

“So that’s why so many fields stopped producing!” Bato’s eyes widened in sudden understanding.

“No wonder you said the land must be nourished, not just exploited. Truly worthy of Your Majesty!”

Vivian smiled without comment, though inwardly she couldn’t help a wry thought.

‘It’s just second-hand knowledge—high-school biology basics.’

In this world, however, such “common sense” was revolutionary.

Still, as long as the fields were planted and people could live in peace, that was worth more than anything to her.

“By the way, how is the seed-selection plot doing?”

After finishing the inspection, Vivian asked Bato.

“You’ll see for yourself if you come with me.”

Bato led her deeper into the experimental fields.

Behind a fenced-off area grew rows of carefully selected crops—this was the special “breeding trial plot” Vivian had established to develop higher-yielding, hardier varieties.

“Look here. These were grown from the largest, plumpest grains we picked from thousands of stalks, exactly as you instructed.”

He pointed proudly at a thriving patch of wheat.

“Compared to ordinary fields, the heads are clearly bigger and heavier!”

Vivian stepped among the stalks for a closer look.

Indeed, even after only preliminary selection, these plants surpassed common varieties in height, ear length, and grain fullness.

Selective breeding—another technique borrowed from the scientists she had admired in her previous life.

“Very good,” Vivian praised.

“Keep this up and within three to five years we’ll have varieties that double the yield.”

“Double?!” Bato’s eyes nearly popped out.

“You’re not joking, Your Majesty?”

“In theory, yes,” Vivian confirmed with a nod.

“And it’s not just yield—we’ll also select for drought resistance, cold tolerance, and pest resistance. That way, no matter how harsh the weather, we’ll still have a harvest.”

She paused, then added, “I also want to experiment with crossbreeding—manual pollination between different strains. We might produce even better offspring.”

Bato looked utterly lost at the mention of crossbreeding, yet he nodded vigorously.

“Your Majesty, I may not understand this ‘crossbreeding,’ but I trust you completely. Whatever you tell us to do, we’ll do!”

Vivian laughed.

“Don’t worry. I’ll teach you the exact methods.”

Demons were far from stupid; no one had simply bothered to systematize knowledge before.

She would share everything she knew.

The druids among the demons would master these techniques, steadily improving seed quality and boosting production.

Though, truth be told, Bai An back on Earth had been a liberal-arts student.

She had only picked up this much from videos and books in her spare time.

It made Vivian sigh inwardly—never had she imagined a humanities major would end up farming after transmigrating.

Still, watching crops flourish under her guidance gave a real sense of accomplishment.

It felt like playing a city-building sim and seeing your territory grow little by little—an irreplaceable satisfaction.

“Oh, Your Majesty,” Bato suddenly remembered something.

“There’s one odd thing I wanted to mention.”

“What is it?”

“That small plot in the corner over there.”

He pointed toward a distant patch.

“It’s planted with ordinary wheat, same as everywhere else—same fertilizer, same watering schedule.

Yet for some reason, the plants there grow much faster and better.”

Vivian froze.

“How much faster?”

“At least thirty percent faster,” Bato answered honestly.

“The heads are especially full and the color is a deeper gold.

At first I thought the soil there was special, but we dug it up and compared—it’s no different from the rest.”

Vivian’s brows furrowed.

She strode quickly toward the plot.

The moment she drew near, she sensed it—a faint but unmistakable pulse of energy rising from deep underground.

Evernight Crystal mana!

And it wasn’t coming from surface leyline nodes.

It was seeping up from far below.

“This location…”

Vivian mentally overlaid the territory’s geography and felt a chill.

It lay directly above an extension of the main crystal vein!

“Mana radiation accelerating plant growth… but these are Evernight Crystals. Shouldn’t they be harmful rather than nourishing?”

She muttered to herself, lost in thought.

It wasn’t impossible.

In this magical world, mana itself seemed to be a form of life energy.

A moderate dose of radiation might indeed hasten growth.

The problem was that the mine core’s power was steadily growing stronger.

If this influence spread, what unpredictable consequences might it bring to the entire territory?

“Bato, keep close watch on this plot but do not spread word of it,” Vivian ordered.

“Record the growth data in detail every day. Report any abnormality to me at once.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Vivian cast one last glance at the field before turning away.

Back in her tent, she immediately convened the core staff.

“According to the latest agricultural plans, this year’s grain output is projected to rise forty percent,” she announced at the meeting.

“If all goes smoothly, next year we can achieve full food self-sufficiency and end reliance on external supplies.

Of course, that’s the most optimistic scenario.

If more refugees and citizens return, our current production still won’t be enough.”

“That’s wonderful!” Luna Te exclaimed excitedly.

“Even so, no one will be able to choke us with food shortages anymore.”

“And once we’re self-sufficient,” Lucia added, “surplus grain can be traded for other necessities.

Evernight’s economy will grow far more stable.

As for population growth, I don’t think it’s a serious issue.

The city is running efficiently now; we can cover any food shortfall.

All in all, the hardest phase is behind us.”

“Indeed,” Vivian agreed.

“But before we celebrate, there’s one more problem.”

She informed them about the mana influence on crop growth.

“Mana accelerating growth?” Aria frowned.

“That doesn’t sound entirely good—if the mana goes out of control, the crops could mutate.”

“…And there’s nothing we can really do about it right now, is there?” Lucia mused.

“For the moment, we observe and wait,” Vivian nodded.

“There’s no better option.”

She surveyed the room.

“We have passed the most difficult stage, and every project is progressing steadily.

But we must not let our guard down.

Everyone—there is still much work ahead.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”