Isekai: Princess Marquess Becomes Entrepreneur of Tempe

Chapters 17. The Eckart Warriors

"Mr Stefan, there's a letter from Armelin."

Stefan was with his wife, Iris, in his study when a servant brought him a letter coming from Locke's territory.

"What's up with Armelin?" Iris asked curiously, as soon as the letter reached Stefan's hand. Her husband did not answer. He quickly unsealed the letter and read it.

"It's from Ryndall," Stefan said. "In the meantime, umm.here it is said that Elona managed to find the cause of why the harvest always fails in the former mine excavation land."

Stefan concluded, greeted with a big smile from Iris. "really? Elona is great!"

"Here also says that..." Stefan continued reading, "Elona needs 45 tons of crushed limestone...?"

"For what?" Iris asked.

"To raise the pH level of the soil by 1.5 it takes 3 tons of fine limestone lime per hectare. And Elona plans to work on 15 of the 100 acres." Stefan read the letter slowly. Afterwards, Iris and her husband thought hard.

"But, baby, our finances are..."

"Yes, I know." Stefan answered briefly, reading repeatedly the contents of a letter from Ryndall, his secretary.

Since the ability of the citizens of Armelin to pay taxes decreased, then also decreased the financial condition of the Locke family. With the workers and soldiers to be paid, coupled with the costs Elona incurred to pay the workers on the Armelin land, Stefan had to rack his brain so that everything was fulfilled.

"Please get a promissory note on top of that cupboard," Stefan asked his wife as he pointed at the cupboard on the right. His wife got up from her seat and looked for a promissory note.

Iris handed the letter to her husband. "Are you sure we'll be able to pay for everything?"

"For now, yes" said Stefan, then began writing a statement of pay on the paper. Stefan also did not forget to write the purpose of the letter, which is a smart store building to redeem 45 tons of limestone limestone from them.

"What matters now, let Elona finish her work in peace. Don't stress him out. For a while, don't let him know that actually our finances have also been thinned." continued Stefan. Iris nodded.

"Alright, husband. After all, who knows Elona succeeded and the harvest can be used to return the capital."

*****

"Uncle-Uncle and Sister-Sister all, we'll start plowing the land first huh. The land that will be worked on covering an area of 15 hectares, has been given a benchmark barrier by Kak Ryndall; about 387 meters in that direction, and 387 meters in this direction."

Two days have passed since Elona persuaded residents to help her in the town hall. Currently, Elona was giving instructions to the citizens, soldiers and servants he had brought from the Locke residence.

Elona went with them to the former quarry early in the morning, even before sunrise. In addition to carrying the entourage, Elona also brought equipment such as hoes and rakes to be used by workers plowing the fields.

A total of 31 residents, 6 Locke soldiers and 9 Locke servants have been present in the land. In total, they were 46 people. Elona estimated that about half an acre could be plowed and pummeled in a day. The girl gathered the workers to be given direction for a moment so that they do not get confused while working.

"For those who have never farmed before, plowing the soil is a process for cleaning, softening and flipping the soil as deep as 20 cm, or about as deep as the length of the arm from finger to elbow."

Elona explained at length. The girl then went towards the pile of equipment next to her and took out a hoe. Then Elona exemplifies the movement of hoeing and turning the ground in front of the workers.

The workers also pay close attention, although there is actually a sense of wonder also stung in the heart. All they knew, especially the servants, was that this young lady of theirs had never once gone to the estate, let alone held a hoe.

Out of nowhere the master knew how to hold the hoe and model it correctly, it became a big question for all of them.

"Later after spewing the soil like this, given chalk. Then stirred with the ground. The lime is made of mashed limestone.1 hectare sprinkled with 3 tons of lime, and will come soon."

The workers began to divide the groups and areas of their respective plows according to the instructions. Bran and Mai also helped supervise the work, while Ryndall was going to the building's smart shop to direct the ox-train carrying limestone towards the land.

Before long, Ryndall came with his horse, accompanying 9 ox trains carrying 5 tons of chalk in each of his carts. Total lime is 45 tons, which is divided into many sack pockets each weighing 5 kg.

Ryndall and the driver of the train lowered the sack one by one. Seeing her sister's secretary working hard, Elona swiftly approached her and helped lower the chalk sack.

"Miss! It's not okay, let me!" Ryndall half-collared to see his employer helping. But Elona refused his words.

"It's okay, Ryndall. We're short of people, no one can help but me."

"But, Miss-"

"Let's just say I'm on a diet! Okay?" Elona. A moment later, Ryndall laughed.

"Origin don't tell this to Mr. Stefan yes, Miss, I can be hanged later!"

"No will! Ahaha!"

Lifting the sack was not as easy as Elona imagined. While still alive as Tara, she often held up boxes of books while she worked part-time at a bookstore. But it turned out that the chalk sack was heavier than a book cardboard. Elona ferried each chalk out of the wagon carefully so that his hands would not sprain.

But ill-fated, his slippery palms due to sweating caused his grip on the sack to miss.

"Hey!!"

A sack almost fell from Elona's hand and fell on her leg, when suddenly her hand was held by someone.

"Be careful."

Elona raised her head, and looked a handsome face with golden hair that had been her friend lately.

"Ma?!"

"Hello. I'm coming." Art then took the sack from Elona's hand and placed it on the ground, where the other sacks were.

Then Art looked back. There was a group of people with the same stout body and gallant had just come down from their horses and approached.

"Help carry these sacks, and put them there" said Arthur, pointing at the still sacks on the cart. Everyone obeyed his orders in silence. Quickly, everything was in order for not five minutes.

"Art, are you really coming?!" Elona seemed to be in disbelief. Art just smiles.

"Yep, as I promised. I brought about 10 people to help. How's it?" ask the young man.

Elona immediately smiled, because it meant that there were a total of 56 workers at the moment. The girl said cheerfully, "Thank you very much!"

Elona immediately approached the people that Art had brought and greeted them all. But strangely, they just smiled and gave a gesture of salute, saying nothing.

"Just tell them anything, won't be rejected!" art said casually.

Elona scrunched her forehead, "Certainly?"

"Yes, let's just say they're your personal servants."

Those in question could only look towards Art with a glaring gaze, which Elona was unaware of.

*****

It was so hot during the rainy season. Land workers were seen removing sweat many times on their foreheads and necks. But they must not give up, for they saw her master Miss Elona herself also doing what they were doing; hoeing the ground, turning it over, and giving chalk.

The same scorching heat was also felt by a group of people brought by Art, aka Arthur Eckart the duke's son. They were actually the Eckart warriors that Arthur had brought from his residence in Rudiyart City. Ten people were willing to take part, with some orders given by Arthur.

First, wear a simple tunic. Weapons are hidden behind clothes or behind the saddle of the horse. Second, shut up and don't argue with what you're told. Third, call the master by the name of Art only and do not reveal that they are all from the Eckart residence.

Therefore, the soldiers could only fall silent and look for forgiveness from their master, Arthur Eckart, when the young man casually said that Elona could tell them whatever they wanted.

Fortunately, Elona was not that cruel. The girl gave them the same workload as everyone else, and the Eckart soldiers were grateful for it. In fact, the young lady also joined in on such menial labor as hoeing the ground, just like them.

"That Armelin isn't Locke's family territory?" ask one of the soldiers to the other, while Arthur is not paying attention. The golden-haired young man was busy helping Elona hoe the land not far from where the girl was.

"Yes right."

"We went here to farm? Helping the Locke family, is that it? Why ya?"

"You still ask? Look at that there! Have you seen, Young Master behaving like that to women?"

One of Eckart's soldiers points to where Arthur and Elona are. Seen from a distance the young man was working while throwing jokes and laughing at each other.

"Young Master... is in love??" ask the others.

"That's impossible!"

"But when else could Sir Arthur get that close to women?! What's-her-name... Elona Locke?"

"Elona Locke.. doesn't she already have a fiancee?"

"With Louis Vandyke, right? I heard that too."

"Don't... Sir Arthur doesn't know that? Then, he'll be heartbroken, will he?"

Once again, the soldiers stared at his master, Arthur Eckart, from a distance with pushy eyes. The person who was stared at just sneezing did not know that he was used as a conversation material by his own troops.

*****