novelzi Chapter 14: Demera, Goddess of the Earth
Chapter 14: Demera, Goddess of the Earth
Chapter 14: Demera, Goddess of the Earth
“Contaminated Naju Plain, what is the mysterious rice field?”Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com
“A cleanup that even the experts said was impossible? A new reagent from the Tower?”
“Is there a Guild of Farmers in Naju Plain?”
For a while after the purification of the Naju Plains, the internet was full of news about the purified land.
Leon had already cleaned up land contaminated with miasma in the Hunan Plain, but it wasn’t widely known since the Firebird Guild had pressured the media.
However, the Naju Plain was a different story since it had been contaminated for five years.
South Korea’s self-sufficiency in food was greatly reduced, forcing the country to import expensive rice from China and Japan.
No matter what farming methods were applied, no matter what reagents were used, the cleanup of the Naju Plain, which was thought to be impossible, happened overnight.
The farmers of the Naju Plain were moved to tears, but the reaction of the Internet and celebrities was more rational.
-Has the Tower developed a new reagent? The Tower technological advances have been extraordinary lately.
-How do we eat crops that grow so fast? Aren’t they inedible because of the toxins?
-Humanity’s technological prowess in magic engineering is increasing every day. At this rate, the world’s grain fields will soon be restored.
That was the general reaction.
When faced with an improbable phenomenon, most people try to interpret it according to their common sense.
For the people of a scientific civilization, miracles and the descent of the divine are alien, irrational ideas.
“Your Majesty, the internet is reacting. Perhaps an official announcement from the Association is in order?”
The Hunter’s Association had not yet made an announcement about the Gods.
The disturbance caused by the country’s largest religious faction is one thing, but the appearance of a government organization promoting a religion is another.
“Even if you announce it now, the foolish people won’t believe it. They need more proof.”
Leon spent the next three days touring the Naju Plains and as he purified the land he found that a higher quality of faith than he had expected permeated the temple.
The faith that flowed to the God of Life and Fertility was immediately converted into holy power, and Leon was able to harness it to cleanse the Naju Plains.
A crested effigy replaced the image of the goddess Demera on the Naju Plains, and the people bowed and worshiped at its altar.
“I give you the right to cultivate this land,” said the king, “and you shall raise up the flesh of Demera to continue its fertility.”
The new believers were grateful for the cleansing of the land, but hesitant, and rightly so.
“But, Your Majesty... isn’t a ten percent tax a bit much, to say the least?”
Yes, this was the problem.
Leon briefly explained the tax structure of the Lionheart Kingdom. You pay 90% of your total output. This was the same for nobles and freemen alike.
How does a country run when 90% of its income is collected in taxes?
Isn’t everyone starving to death?
This was a common criticism of the kingdom from the empire, but it was a misunderstanding of the structure of Lionheart’s kingdom.
The Kingdom of Lionheart, under his rule, is a divinely-centered, unified nation and the gods of light and justice governed the ruling class and the common people alike,
Fishermen who followed the gods of the sea and its waves caught the allowed amount of fish and the land tilled by farmers who followed the goddess of life and fertility was always bountiful.
Even the king was carefully chosen from among the Holy Knights, by the goddess, so that over the millennia of succession, the kingdom was always at peace.
It was a perfect social structure with a divine connection and only invasions from the outside disturbed the peaceful kingdom.
Greedy northern barbarians, crude orcs, and filthy vampires who refuse to die have invaded the bountiful kingdom but there are honorable men who are willing to give their lives against these invaders: knights.
They follow the gods of light and justice, armed with iron armors and warhorses, and bravely slay their enemies.
The free people praised the knights for their bravery and honor and supported them. And so the Ten Commandments were born.
It was a system that the freemen willingly agreed to in order to support the honorable knights as they rode endlessly to their deaths.
Of course, this was only possible because society was inherently just.
Unlike empires and miscellaneous kingdoms that are often torn apart by judicial corruption and greed, the Lionheart Kingdom was chosen by the Goddess because it was just and honorable.
The slightest misappropriation of the overflowing taxes would result in the withdrawal of the Goddess’ favor, and the family would not be given the opportunity to train to become an honorable Holy Knight.
That’s why the taxes of the Lionheart Kingdom have always been used for the common good.
They were used to build bridges, build walls, improve facilities, and care for the families of those who died honorably in battle.
All of this is done under the watchful eye of the Goddess’s perfect king, King Lionheart, so no matter how much you pay in taxes, you can’t complain.
Make an image of the goddess from the first fruits of your harvest and offer it to her altar. Do not piss in the fields. Manure is fine. Build a scarecrow and make sure it has a hat and clothes. When you harvest, sing a song. It’s better if it’s a song of thanks to the goddess. Don’t go hungry, even if you’re in a hurry.
* * * *
After the cleansing of the Naju Plains and building the altar for the goddess Demera, the first crops were deposited in Leon’s storehouses as foretold.
“This time,” he said, “take seedlings of all but the most delicate varieties to expand agriculture. Those who need money can sell them at a reasonable price, as the Association has agreed to purchase them for research.”
Leon gave most of the crops to Mr. Choi, whom he had appointed as a temporary priest, who would distribute the necessary food to the people and plant seedlings for the next season.
The villagers were left to sell the rest, which the association had promised to buy, and which was worth well over five billion won.
“Are you sure it will be fine if you leave it to him?”
“You mean the elderly farmer?”
“Yes... You’ve handed over most of the earnings.”
As far as Ha-ri was concerned, Leon’s method was too simple.
The crops from each parcel of land were given to the lord... and when the lord was absent, the priest would take care of it and send the appropriate amount back to the Lord-Leon.
Oh, my God. It’s like they’re setting you up to steal your taxes.
“How do you catch people stealing in your kingdom?”
“We didn’t have to catch them.”
“Why, why is that?”
“Because everyone who did went to hell.”
“Ah.......”
Leon is an inhabitant of a world where God is real, not Earth where people talk about heaven and hell.
There was harmony with the divine, faith and grace...Of course, there was also punishment.
Cheating bureaucrats? Corrupt nobles? Vicious knights? How could such beings survive?
“A man who cheats the gods for a moment’s riches and glory...that’s a different kind of courage.”
“.......”
Ha-ri swallowed hard.
Faced with Demera’s divinity, she was overwhelmed by the existence of the gods and their grace... but the realization that there were also divine punishments gave her chills.
* * * *
There are two ways to become a Hunter.
Enroll in the Hunter Academy and spend three years of state-funded training and development to receive your Hunter’s Certificate.
This is the case of Han Ha-ri, a representative of the National Hunter Association.
“I graduated at the top of my class, hehe.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Eh.......”
The second way is to take the Hunter Association’s authorized Awakening Test, which assesses your “job” and “skills.
Awakeners who were past the age to enter the Academy were usually allowed in, and many Hunters traveled to the Association’s testing grounds every year to renew their ranks.
“I don’t know if Your Majesty would like to be tested as well, but it’s more convenient for the job, procedurally speaking.”
So, what kind of job does Leon have? What other skills might he have? Ha-ri wondered inwardly.
Survivors often had skills that Earthlings couldn’t acquire, and the Association was intrigued.
“What the hell is that?”
But Leon’s response was cold.
“How are you going to test this Lionheart King with a bunch of crap?”
“Uh... then why did you ask me to take you there?”
“I need to find some useful soldiers. I will test them.”
“Isn’t that, uh, the protocol.......”
“If not, make it so.”
At Leon’s insistence, Ha-ri wondered how to report this to Chief Kim.
“More than that, when will the president return home?”
“I’ll call him right away. Hello? Chief Kim?”
It would be better to allow this knight king to meet with the president.