Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest
Chapter 129 - 1: Pirate Carnival

Chapter 129: Chapter 1: Pirate Carnival

Several months had passed since Morry last visited the docks of Sige Town.

The expansion had brought additional berthing spaces.

Hos, accustomed to being rude and disagreeable, sometimes made valid points.

Without the renovated and stabilized dock, his merchant ships would likely have to queue behind those currently unloading, due to the lack of docking spots.

And it wasn’t just the docks that had been transformed.

The brick town he’d left unfinished had now been completed.

It lay in silence, like a low castle, its array of red brick and glazed tile buildings orderly and square, even grander and more spacious than the humble dwellings and streets of the Free City, particularly clean and wide.

Even the worldly merchants had to admit, living in such an environment was a pleasure; he didn’t even catch a whiff of any foul smells.

The concept of public restrooms had a long history, but the implementation was costly, especially for towns of thousands, dealing with disorderly and irregular civilian architecture, which made management exponentially more challenging.

But no one cared.

If asked to pay for cleanliness, they’d rather spend their days in a stench-filled mess.

And if paid, they wouldn’t mind a bit more dirt.

Roman took this issue seriously; Morry didn’t encounter any filth since stepping onto this land, aside from livestock droppings at most.

But that wasn’t humans’ fault; the beasts simply hadn’t learned to use the public restrooms.

Arriving at Origin Manor, Roman’s maids warmly welcomed him.

The table was set with blueberry jam, cream cakes, and fruit and vegetable salad.

It wasn’t until he’d nearly finished eating that his host made a leisurely appearance.

Roman entered the hall, donning a wide-brimmed, high-topped cowboy hat, a brown shirt and vest, black buckskin pants, and tall leather boots.

His style was simple, and he looked fit and remarkably fresh, exuding a sense of robust vigor.

Morry hastily got up to pay his respects.

Roman was happy to see Morry, chuckling, "I thought you might again have pirates deliver slaves to me."

It had been about one hundred days since Morry left.

"The long operational cycle of merchant convoys forced the compromise."

He had contemplated it—without slaves, he could free up space on his ship.

The goods he’d taken were digested in the market, and recently he’d contacted a wool merchant, intending to bring over 20,000 pounds of wool to Sige Town.

He knew Roman welcomed all kinds of living supplies.

But when his men found Scarhead, they learned the slave trader was too preoccupied to spare any attention.

Pirates were throwing a grand feast, with seafarers from across the world invited. Consequently, the coastal lines were unusually quiet.

Scarhead, once a North Ice Pirate, still entangled with such affairs, naturally had to attend the banquet, leaving no time for inland business.

Hearing this, Morry broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly bought a batch of slaves from Scarhead to send to Sige Town.

"A pirate feast?" Roman plopped down into a spacious chair.

He appeared relaxed and casual, listening to Morry’s account.

Pirates raiding coasts in droves were hardly united, often waging wars against one another.

Their independence was strong, and they fought separately, with numerous renowned pirate leaders and countless smaller groups, yet they lacked a qualified King.

The pirate feast was to appoint a Pirate King all could acknowledge.

The conclusion of this banquet would serve as the overture for pirates to launch comprehensive invasions.

Over one hundred years ago, the pirates also had such a feast.

Back then, they chose a Pirate King named Rolo who led many pirate legions; there were tens of thousands of competent warriors, a sizable force that surged inland, causing untold devastation and leaving the civilians in dire straits.

Then, the Conqueror stepped forward.

He first delivered two powerful punches to the pirate armies at the Golden Willow River, beginning his legendary life, fighting through the south and the north, stepping on the Church, striking the five nations, and later made his way to the Igo Land, the homeland of North Ice.

In classical language, this word is related to the Dragon Clan and the Heavenly God.

That Pirate King named Rolo and his multitude of pirate legions clashed with the Conqueror, with both armies battling each other on this land, each having their victories and defeats.

This war lasted an entire year.

In a comprehensive confrontation of logistics, national power, and organization, Rolo and his pirates gradually fell into defeat and had to flee to Ice Island.

The Conqueror did not pursue further, nor did he take Rolo’s life.

After the meeting of the two kings, the Conqueror conferred upon Rolo the title of the first King of Ice Island.

His territory encompassed the entire Ice Island, the whole Igo Land, and the Thorny Peninsula, hence he was also called the North Ice Guardian.

Rolo submitted to the Conqueror’s conquest, he would manage all the pirates, but the Igo Land did not submit to the Conqueror’s rule, considering Rolo a traitor, hence they declared both the Conqueror and Rolo as enemies.

Three Grand Dukes followed, two Kings joined forces, invaded Igo in one fell swoop, and silenced all opposing voices, conquering that frigid land.

However, what the Conqueror perhaps did not anticipate was that, merely a few decades later, Ice Island had rapidly declined, losing its authority.

The North Ice Pirates, who once submitted to Ice Island, began to grow restless again.

After Rolo’s passing, the descendants of the King of Ice Island lost the power to control the pirates.

The Ice Island army, once part of the pirates, now lost their ancestors’ bravery, unable to combat the emerging pirates.

Even the merchant caravans of the King of Ice Island often fell prey to pirate raids.

Those arrogant and brutal pirates didn’t regard the King with any respect.

Many pirates believed that Rolo, as a Yige person, betrayed the Igo Land.

As the Pirate King, he betrayed the North Ice Pirates.

But that didn’t mean the Pirate King was useless.

Now, calling for the second feast, erecting a new King, the implication behind it goes without saying.

Just wait for the King to take his seat, and the drama will commence!

Without a doubt.

Next, it’s the pirates’ time to revel!

...

This feast might last for months, half a year.

Countless pirates gather together, either to display their bravery, vie for the throne, or simply to partake in this once-in-a-century feast, to witness history.

Roman didn’t care when the Pirate King would be born.

He was located inland, in an extremely remote location, where hardly any pirates would come.

Even if a pirate did come, Roman would just punch the hell out of him!

Blind fools!

To dare rob your ancestors!

...

Morry’s arrival was perfectly timed.

After all, it had been half a month since the last conscription.

During construction, every hand was busy, no matter the wind or rain, they had to work hard.

In return, the first two breeding farms were completed at an astonishing Speed, and the construction of the last pig farm would be finished within the next ten days.

Building one pig farm didn’t require everyone.

So Roman redeployed most of the workforce, sending them to harvest the forage.