The Composting Task

The Hunter's Spear Valley had never been so bustling.

Two mixed forces had set out several days ago, and upon returning to the valley, they brought back over a thousand slaves from different tribes, dozens of fully loaded wagons, and nearly a hundred warhorses.

It was no surprise—the slave camps had been completely raided again.

When the first raid on the Blood Hammer camp brought back foreign slaves and cave-dwellers, the indigenous people of Hunter's Spear Valley were on edge for several days. However, now, with the massive influx of these foreign tribes, Old Greybeard, who was in charge of the registration and temporary shelters, had only one thought: the community kitchen needed to be expanded.

With the food stores looted from the slave camps and the continuous hunts by the valley's hunting teams, Kent had barely managed to keep the community kitchen running. But relying solely on raids and hunting wouldn't be enough to meet the needs of the growing settlement. It was time to start focusing on food trade and, with spring approaching, to begin implementing crop farming.

The settlement had already built public toilets and large compost pits. Changing the locals' habit of relieving themselves anywhere was difficult at first, but after the implementation of a policy that deducted points from the residents for doing so, they quickly started to correct their behavior.

Composting was a completely new concept for the valley. On the Red Soil Continent, there was no real concept of agricultural fertilizers; people simply scattered seeds and hoped for the best, relying on nature for their harvests. However, to implement large-scale agriculture, fertilizers had to be part of the plan.

Kent had his own thoughts on fertilizers.

Modern agriculture relies on chemicals like herbicides and pesticides, focusing on short-term yield increases while neglecting long-term soil degradation and ecological damage. However, on the Red Soil Continent, where the population density was much lower than in other worlds, natural farming methods could still work. By using composting, they could enhance soil fertility and promote ecological diversity, which would ensure stable future crop yields.

The large composting pits were carefully constructed. The bottom of the pits was lined with hard plant stalks to ensure good airflow. On top of that, layers of manure, weeds, wood chips, plant stems, ash from trees, and mud from the riverbed were stacked, with lime water and soil added occasionally. After each cycle, the compost would be turned, and by spring, fully decomposed fertilizer would be ready. This process could be repeated continuously, providing enough fertilizer for the cultivation of thousands of acres of land.

The composting task was given to the cave-dwellers.

In just a few months, Kent had become the supreme deity in the eyes of thousands of cave-dwellers. This was thanks to Haka Chak, who led the cave-dwellers in daily prayers, thanking Kent for bringing peace and protection to their people. Additionally, Kent had taught them many skills, such as construction, mining, and even equipped the cave-dwellers with quick-repeating crossbows, establishing a specialized cave-dweller crossbowmen unit.

Now, the cave-dwellers had earned the trust of the other tribes in the settlement. Even the towering and fierce barbarians, who would never have given the cave-dwellers a second glance before, had become their friends. Of course, this friendship was built on Haka Chak's frequent massages and leg rubs for the barbarian chieftains, but a friend was a friend, no matter the reason.

After all, even the barbarians were servants of the divine!

The cave-dwellers and the barbarians were now equals!

"I've heard the divine task from Lord Kent himself!" Haka Chak shouted to the thousands of his people, who had gathered on the southern slope of Hunter's Spear Mountain. "This is a magic that makes the earth grow more food. It turns all the waste and garbage into powerful compost!"

"Wow!" The cave-dwellers erupted into awe.

"You must understand, the secret of this magic should not be known to too many people…" Haka Chak put his hands on his hips.

"Of course, of course." The crowd nodded eagerly.

"Lord Kent thought for many days, and I saw him writing on the star-patterned paper, his brow furrowed…" Haka Chak continued with a concerned look, "So, as his most loyal servant, should we help him… um… help him with what now?"

"Help him solve his troubles!" Lukak whispered from the side.

"Yes! Solve his troubles!" Luqik corrected, bumping Lukak's elbow.

"Alright, never mind the details…" Haka Chak waved his hand dismissively, enjoying the spotlight, "The point is, when Lord Kent had a problem, I stepped forward."

The crowd gasped in admiration.

"That's when Lord Kent looked at me, and his eyes lit up," Haka Chak said dramatically, puffing out his chest.

"Wow!" The praises echoed.

"So, he told me the secret of composting…" Haka Chak said with a smug grin, "And do you know what? At that moment, in the entire room…"

"It was just Lord Kent and me!"

"That's a blessing!"

"Haka Chak is Lord Kent's divine servant!"

"We are all Lord Kent's servants!"

"Yes, divine servants!"

"Lord Kent said…" Haka Chak basked in the respectful looks of his people, pressing his hands down to calm the chatter, then continued, "This task is a little dirty. He asked me if I was willing to do it."

"Lord Kent was asking for my opinion!" Haka Chak shouted, excited.

"Wow—what a blessing!"

"I was puzzled," Haka Chak put on a confused expression, "Dirty, what does that mean?"

"Hahahaha…"

"Such a humorous Haka Chak!"

"My stomach is hurting from laughing!"

"Hahaha…"

"You see, we cave-dwellers, do we know what dirty means?" Haka Chak gestured grandly.

"No! We don't!" Thousands of thin arms shot into the air.

"Exactly," Haka Chak shrugged, "So when I answered like that, Lord Kent laughed."

"Hahaha…"

"What a wise Haka Chak!"

"So, the composting task is ours!" Haka Chak proclaimed.

"Yay—!"

"But as for how to divide the work, I took it upon myself!"

"Why is Haka Chak making pigs do it?" someone asked in confusion.

"Idiot! Stop interrupting!" Another slapped the confused person on the head.

"I took it upon myself to decide!" Haka Chak smiled benevolently, now with a position of power. The friendly banter from his people only made him feel more pleased. "Each tribe will take turns, and every tribe will receive divine grace!"

"That's fair!"

"Long live!"

"Long live!"

The cheers from the entire valley rang out in waves.