After the intelligence briefing, itâs time to handle government affairs. All the officials, led by Victor, gather for the meeting.
First up is agriculture.
Henwell warns them that the very first thing they must focus on every morning is figuring out how to feed Peace Havenâs population of over two million.
Without that, everything else in Peace Haven is just an illusion.
Only when these two million people are well-fed can Peace Haven truly function.
Henwellâs emphasis on agriculture far exceeds what others imagine.
Because the westward journey missed the spring planting season, Henwell even asks Duke Jansen to personally till a few acres at Blood Hill estate.
Though Jansen is already a Battle Knight, he still spends several busy days working the land.
Afterward, Jansen remarks that farming is no easier than combat training.
Henwell had planned to write to his fiancée to come and perform the spring planting ceremony on his behalf.
But Jansen harshly scolds him, warning that if Duke Marcus finds out, he might come and smash things up.
Jansen specifically reminds Henwell that the demonstration fields near Blood Hill estate were planted by himself and will be harvested before the Midsummer Festival.
At his age, Jansen has never eaten grain he personally grew.
The harvest season is about to begin, and with favorable weather this year, the grain yield will be abundant.
Peace Havenâs limited farmland produces enough grain not only for self-sufficiency but also a considerable surplus.
Next, the Supervisory Bureau reports that the main structures of the new city are fully completed, with over 300,000 residents moved in.
Thanks to Henwellâs advanced planning, the cityâs buildings and road layouts are very reasonable.
Itâs not just a comfortable, convenient place to live but also a capable war fortress.
The new city walls are missing just one gap to close, and everyone agrees this should be overseen personally by Henwell.
The people of Peace Haven eagerly await that day.
This event carries great significance. It marks that Henwellâs Peace Haven now has a solid city as a strategic support point.
Though Henwell believes his network of fortresses plays a far greater role in war than the new cityâs defenses, only Peace Havenâs top leaders understand this.
Most citizensâand even some soldiers, still habitually think a city is more reliable.
They simply know that during war, hiding inside city walls greatly increases chances of survival.
They donât understand military terrain maps or realize that as long as scattered fortresses remain unconquered, enemies wonât dare to venture deep alone.
Nor do they know that if Peace Havenâs fortresses fall, the new city alone canât hold out long.
The people stubbornly feel that towering walls provide the greatest sense of security.
The new cityâs role isnât just to reassure the peopleâit also massively boosts Peace Havenâs trade development.
The economic impact of a single city far surpasses that of numerous small towns.
More people will flood into the city, making commerce and trade flourish.
At the same time, more workshops will open, and more people will seek jobs.
This greatly supports Henwellâs push for farm-based agriculture by indirectly driving rural villagers to settle in the city.
Does farm-based agriculture breed laziness and corruption?
Of course it does!
But Henwellâs wrath isnât expressed through criticism.
If you contribute to Peace Haven, youâll feel Henwellâs mercy.
If you drag your feet or try to exploit Henwell, you better be smartâand lucky enough to avoid his notice.
Otherwise, youâll soon learn exactly where the blood of the Lord of Blood Hill comes from.
The upcoming breakthrough with the body-strengthening potion requires many sacrifices for testing.
Peace Havenâs prison population will soon be cleared out, urgently needing new inmates to fill the cells.
Since the war ended over a year ago, Peace Haven has purchased more than 100,000 serfs.
Plus, under the postwar prisoner exchange agreement with the Ika Kingdom, over 150,000 people have migrated into Peace Haven.
With the war over, everyone realizes a precious period of peace has arrived.
Onlookers from surrounding regions flock to Peace Haven, hoping to profit from its growth or secure a decent livelihood.
This influx adds tens of thousands more people!
Including the population from the western territories Henwell seized for Peace Haven and two parcels taken from the Vorry Kingdom in the north,
Peace Havenâs population finally breaks past two million, and itâs still growing rapidly.
With increasingly abundant food and the implementation of birth subsidies, the number of newborns will rise as well.
If no new wars erupt, reaching three million people could take just two years.
Of course, a large portion of this growth comes from incoming migrants.
The new city is about to be completed, marking the end of Peace Havenâs largest construction project.
Many workers involved now feel uneasy, unsure of what lies ahead.
Henwell certainly wonât let such a large labor force go unemployed. Two paths lie ahead:
Either continue building more cities or focus on other major infrastructure projects.
Peace Havenâs eastern and western districts each deserve their own city.
But these territories were only recently acquired by Henwell.
One is officially a buffer zone, the other a leased area.
Though Henwell effectively controls them, appearances matter more to the great powers.
If Henwell dares to build cities there, both sides will grow wary and hostile, possibly sparking new border clashes.
That would directly contradict Henwellâs five-year peace plan, a poor choice for Peace Haven.
So, the only viable option is major infrastructure development.
After discussion, they decide to launch two large-scale projects.
The first is digging a canal. Thatâs a massive undertaking.
The plan is to carve a canal from the southern Ouse River northward into Peace Havenâs central region.
This will ease overland trade traffic and improve agricultural irrigation.
The second project is road construction.
Both the eastern and western districts will each build two standard first-class highways.
Twenty meters wide, with separated lanes for incoming and outgoing traffic, and separate paths for horses and carriages. This is Peace Havenâs standard for first-class roads.
Another requirement is load-bearing capacity, able to support six-wheeled Grand Carriages and even experimental eight-wheeled heavy horse-drawn wagons.
Such roads greatly benefit both military logistics and commercial trade.
These two projects require vast manpower and resources, ensuring Peace Havenâs construction teams stay fully employed.