The Natural Empire of the Oceanic Dragon

"How does that not count as warriors? Their employer is a powerful dragon covered in majestic spiritual light, and their colleagues are minotaurs, centaurs, snake people, and kobolds – some powerful, some evil.

"The work location is also full of dangerous wilderness and deserts, and the opponents they will face are tens of thousands of gnolls tainted by demonic power. Once defeated, their bodies will be left to rot!"

"Now do you think it's dangerous? Are halflings who can work in this environment not warriors?"

After Atilan's exaggeration, it really does sound quite dangerous.

Yago frowned and said:

"If it's so dangerous, wouldn't I be harming the halflings by recruiting them for you? How will I face the elders back home in the future?"

Oops, it seems he exaggerated a bit too much.

"Of course not. Think about it, the halflings are responsible for the safest logistics work. I will equip each halfling with mastiffs that have excellent stamina and speed."

"Ensuring that they can escape the battlefield at the first sign of trouble! And there are also safe rear positions, they only need to stay in the safe town of Earth Fort."

Atilan's words made Yago feel that he wouldn't be leading his fellow villagers into a trap. He understood that fighting gnolls could not be completely without risk.

But there's a difference between possibly dying and completely going to one's death. No one would choose the latter, except for fools or in a war that must be fought.

Taking a slight risk to eliminate the gnolls is worth it.

Not just the time when the Fang brothers were young, but every two or three years, gnolls wandering in the dark corners would attack the weakly defended halflings from the gaps in the southern mountains.

To eliminate the gnolls, the halflings even spent a lot of money hiring dwarven griffon knights to search for the gnolls and try to eliminate them.

The dwarves did kill some gnolls, but compared to the number of attacks on halflings, those killed were just a drop in the bucket.

It is said that the griffon knights even chased them into the wasteland, but the gnolls are too good at hiding, and without eliminating Yeenoghu's Fang, killing more ordinary gnolls is meaningless.

Now there is an opportunity to eliminate the gnoll kingdom that is plaguing the entire southwest region from the source. How could the halflings be unwilling?

Compared to the races in the southwest region, it is not difficult to find that the halflings' combat power is among the weakest. It is almost impossible to find a second race with weaker combat power than them.

"Alright, I'll try to ask around and see if there are any young halflings who want to gain some experience."

"Aren't you short of food? If you really dare to fight the gnolls, I think the town chief wouldn't mind calling on everyone to send you a batch of grain."

Grain! Hearing these two words, Atilan's eyes lit up instantly.

"Wheat flour is not necessary. The town chief can call on everyone to donate a batch of black beans to us. We won't take it for free. I can give everyone a batch of five-spice lizard jerky as a friendly gift."

Yago looked at Atilan in confusion and asked:

"I remember that since you learned that the halfling town grows black beans in addition to wheat, you don't seem as enthusiastic about wheat as before. Why? Wheat is so much more delicious than black beans, isn't it?"

Atilan snorted coldly and said:

"That's because you don't know how to eat it. Go back and tell the town chief to let everyone plant black beans as much as they want. I will do my best to eat them all, and guarantee that everyone can make money growing black beans."

"Tell everyone that there is no need to plant black beans in the cultivated fields. Just temporarily open up a field to plant black beans. The yield will be lower, but after planting black beans for three years, the uncultivated field will become a cultivated field, and a lower field will become a middle field."

As for how to cultivate a top-quality field, there is a lot of knowledge involved.

Atilan is still exploring the specific methods, so he won't teach Yago yet. He will teach the halflings after he has enough experience, preferably after the halflings belong to him.

Even if the halflings are not very good at fighting, their grain output will increase, and the excess grain will definitely be given priority to the Dwarf Kingdom, which has more financial resources.

The Dwarf Kingdom will also become Atilan's target in the future. Increasing the logistical support capabilities of the Dwarf Kingdom is just adding trouble to himself. The most important thing is that the increase in grain production of the halflings will make the dwarves more dependent on them.

At the same time, the dwarves will also resist the halfling town being controlled by other forces.

Although the dwarves are already quite dependent on the halflings, if a force that can sell them grain and alcohol at a low price also appears on the southern side of the Black Iron Mountains, then the halflings will not be so important to them.

If the products of the halfling town were not important, how could the dwarven griffon knights, such an important unit, come to the wasteland to search for gnolls who dare not provoke them for a little grain.

This is a tactic that Atilan learned from the story of the sage Guan Zhong. Selling grain at a low price and buying ironware from the dwarves at a high price will gradually make the dwarves lose the ability to produce grain on their own.

When I need it, Atilan only needs to cut off the dwarves' grain supply, and the dwarves will become softies.

As for the problem of the neighbor hoarding grain and I hoarding guns, the neighbor is my granary, which is unsolvable for the halflings, but for the races under his command, such as minotaurs, centaurs, and snake people, who are all shouting and killing.

Can the dwarves treat him as a granary?

The most amazing thing is that the dwarves, because of the low-price sale of grain, will definitely regard Atilan as their friend, and his dependents must have already used all the iron weapons and armor from the dwarves.

How can the dwarves break the situation?

This plan can only stay in Atilan's mind. Once it is known by others, it may be noticed by the dwarves. It was not easy to come up with such a perfect plan, so it cannot be cracked.

"So how should black beans be eaten?"

Atilan didn't expect that after saying so much, Yago was only concerned about how to eat black beans most deliciously.

"Grind them with a stone mill, adding water in the process to get black bean milk. It can be drunk after boiling, but of course it still doesn't have much taste. You can add some fragrant flowers and herbs, and honey to get delicious floral and sweet soy milk."

"Or add some salt, some people might like salty soy milk. Remember to grind the bean dregs a few more times, and of course, don't throw away the remaining bean dregs, they can still be eaten."

"Mix it with flour, add some salt, and bake it in the oven, it's very fragrant!"

Why does Atilan value black beans more? Because the nutrients provided by black beans surpass wheat in terms of calories, protein, and fat, even if wheat provides twice as many carbohydrates as black beans.

Not to mention that eating black beans provides more nutrients than eating wheat, the problem is that planting wheat consumes soil nutrients, while planting black beans can help the soil fix nitrogen.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Attilan will give up on wheat. Judging from the yield per acre in the wasteland, black beans might only produce 100 catties, while wheat can yield 200 catties.

The profit from growing wheat is definitely higher.

Black beans can provide soy milk, but fried dough sticks require wheat flour. Of course, the oil for frying dough sticks also needs black beans to extract the oil.

Here, Attilan would like to specifically praise the Minotaurs and Centaurs; they are truly amazing!

Grinding soybeans and extracting soybean oil, these strenuous tasks are all done by the Centaurs and Minotaurs.

A thousand-catty millstone, pulled by the Centaurs, spins round and round.

Extracting soybean oil, wooden mallets weighing hundreds of catties are held in the hands of the Minotaurs as lightly as goose feathers. The mallets strike the wrapped bean cakes with a 'thump, thump' sound, and the golden-yellow black bean oil is squeezed out.

The remaining bean dregs from oil extraction are mixed with flour, a little minced meat, and fried with the freshly squeezed soybean oil, making it incredibly fragrant!

This becomes the ration for the oil-extracting Minotaurs and the mill-pulling Centaurs.

The millstone is mainly used for grinding wheat flour, not for making soy milk.

Because buying wheat directly is much cheaper than buying wheat flour. Previously, they didn't even have a millstone, so even if Attilan wanted to buy flour and process it themselves, they had no way to do so.

It was in the Thunder Mutual Aid Society that Attilan found a Druid skilled in earth element shaping to help create this thousand-catty millstone in Big Horn Town for grinding flour.

Although they don't have the traditional donkey for pulling the mill, Attilan has Centaurs who are much more useful than donkeys.

Why does Attilan praise the Minotaurs and Centaurs?

It's because although their intelligence is a little lower than that of normal humans, they are much smarter and more agile than ordinary cows and horses.

Things like extracting oil cannot be entrusted to cows because cows have no hands and cannot hold the wooden mallet to strike the bean cakes and extract oil.

The same goes for Centaurs; they can pull the millstone while adding wheat to it. There's nothing better than that.

There's also something else; you'd never guess what animals the Halflings use to pull the mill.

Even when Attilan first heard about it, he was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He finally understood why the Halflings raised so many mastiffs.

Clearly, so many mastiffs aren't needed for guarding the house or even serving as mounts for the Halflings. Yet, they use mastiffs to pull the mill!

Two side by side, two rows in front and behind, four mastiffs pulling the millstone, panting 'heh-ha, heh-ha' with their tongues out.

Although he can't see that scene with his own eyes, just imagining it makes Long burst into laughter.

"Another millstone? The consumption of raising a mastiff is not small. Are you sure soy milk is really as good as you say?"

"It's definitely better than eating black beans directly. Soy milk with bread will ensure that the next generation of Halfling knights are stronger and taller."

Although they are called Halflings, the height of Halflings is generally above one meter.

The height of ordinary human farmers is about 1.6 to 1.7 meters. If it is a human from a malnourished area, the height may not even reach 1.6 meters. Halflings are still quite tall.

At least more than half.

Some Halflings with strong physiques can even grow to 1.3 to 1.4 meters. Legend has it that a gifted Halfling grew to 1.6 meters and became a legendary Halfling who was not inferior to humans after going out to adventure.

Of course, his descendants gradually returned to the standard height of Halflings.

Attilan doesn't know if the legend is true, and neither do the Halflings in the west. That is a legend belonging to the Halflings in the east. The Halflings in the west have always lived such a stable life.

No legends, and no disasters.

"If drinking soy milk can make you taller, then I think some Halfling families will add soy milk to their daily menu. Anyway, they also need to grind wheat flour, so grinding a little more soy milk won't hurt."

Attilan said with a smile:

"Actually, besides soy milk, dried black beans can also be ground into flour to make bread. There is also a kind of delicacy that I found in my inherited memories: tofu!"

There are many things that can be made with tofu. Tofu, tofu pudding, dried tofu, can be developed into a series of delicacies.

"If you can't eat meat, black beans are also a good substitute for meat. Compared to wheat, the yield of black beans is indeed a bit lower, but your Halfling population is not large."

"In the past, a delicious way to make black beans had not been developed. Now that you know, can you not expand the planting area of black beans?"

Just the sentence 'Drinking soy milk powder can help children grow taller' has already made Halfling parents eager to try. Yag is not yet married, but how could he not know what other Halflings are thinking?

Everyone has always believed that height is an important factor affecting their Halflings. That's right, but Yag believes that increased height will also affect the speed that Halflings are proud of.

Compared with the increase in strength brought about by height, Yag believes that agility is the capital on which Halflings rely for survival.

Of course, he thinks it's worth a try to increase strength without affecting agility.

"Let's put the black bean matter aside for now. Since Attilan is here, then help us zap us with your lightning breath. Didn't you say that the best learning is to learn to take a beating first?"

"Since you're here, naturally you have to help us learn to summon lightning."

Looking at the restless Taishan, Attilan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Alright, alright, alright."

He knew that Taishan felt ashamed that he couldn't master summoning lightning.

Alternately using lightning breath on the three of them, Attilan was a little overwhelmed.

"What has Taishan been eating lately? He could only withstand three lightning breaths before, but today he can withstand four! Not bad!"

Taishan, with his head of smoking hair, said happily,

"President, don't underestimate me. Although learning magic is not my forte, I am only a little behind Master Gai'ogai in the entire forest when it comes to tempering the body!"

Yag said with a smile:

"The way you say it, it's clear that you are the only one of the younger generation who tempers the body. All the body-tempering techniques of Master Gai'ogai have been given to you."

Taishan said proudly:

"But can you endure the pain brought about by the method of tempering the body? You can't, right? So, I am still the most powerful physique expert!"

Taishan is a typical thick-skinned person. Pain will only make him more excited. Of course, you can't regard Taishan as a pervert because of this. What he likes is the powerful feeling brought about by adrenaline rushing through his body when he is in pain.

"Big Horn, your strength is not bad either. Why don't you compete with Taishan?"

Big Horn shook his head.

"No, compared to increasing strength, I value the vitality of deer more. My strength is the strength brought about by vitality, which is different from Taishan's training. It's a bit similar to the president's."