Translator: Cinder Translations
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Alden's decision to escalate support for the royal family wasn't just about retaliating against Giles.
While Hansel Abbott was returning north overland, a fleet departed from Westport carrying various breeds of horses reared by the Aldor royal family.
The royal family operated several large stud farms in their directly controlled territories, producing horses that continuously bolstered their military power.
Now that the Northwest Bay was directly facing the threat of the orc army, Paul couldn't forget the deep impression left by the flexibility and mobility of orc cavalry during the last invasion.
Although Alden's forces relied on superior discipline and weapons to firmly block the invaders outside the Northwest Bay, they were still in a passive defensive position overall.
Orc cavalry continued to rampage across Aldor's northern territories beyond the Northwest Bay, while Alden's troops, lacking long-range offensive capabilities, could only watch helplessly as atrocities unfolded before their eyes.
Thus, building a robust horse breeding program and a strong cavalry force became a top priority.
King Rodney XVIII strongly supported the Northwest Bay's plan. When Hansel conveyed Paul's wishes to him, the king thought for a moment before assigning someone to accompany Hansel to the royal stud farms to select horses.
Initially, Rodney XVIII had some concerns—not about the Northwest Bay becoming too powerful to threaten him, but because he was also forming a new army that required a significant number of horses.
However, the quantity Hansel requested dispelled the king's worries. The first batch of horses for the Northwest Bay numbered only about a thousand, which was insignificant for the royal family.
To the point that the king even expressed concern for Paul: "Such a small number of cavalry won't be enough to match the orcs!"
"Your Majesty, the Marquis understands your current demand for horses due to your army-building efforts, which is why he kept his request modest. More importantly, this initial batch is meant for breeding rather than immediate use in cavalry units."
"Breeding?" Rodney XVIII's interest was piqued. "I've heard of that before—similar to how farmers cultivate crops?"
"Exactly," Hansel nodded. "The Northwest Bay has a priest, Father Anderson, who has made significant discoveries in genetics. Unlike the chaotic, luck-dependent methods of traditional 'breeding,' he has identified patterns that allow desired traits in plants or animals to be systematically cultivated."
Hansel introduced the king to Father Anderson's famous pea experiments, along with the laws of segregation and independent assortment derived from them. These discoveries had become well-known in the Northwest Bay, with their content and conclusions swiftly added to biology textbooks in schools at Paul's behest. Hansel was particularly familiar with them, as the agricultural sector he oversaw was already leveraging Anderson's insights to cultivate high-yield crops.
If it worked for plants, it could certainly work for animals.
Rodney XVIII recalled a letter from Paul some time ago mentioning similar ideas. Paul had strongly urged him, as king, to issue an order banning close-relative marriages. At the time, the king had been too busy and delegated the matter to his ministers.
"You're saying it's possible to combine beneficial traits through hybridization, so these genetic factors merge in the next generation?" The king was astonished.
"Precisely, Your Majesty. Imagine a horse that is tall, strong, obedient, enduring, and resilient against hunger and harsh conditions—a perfect specimen that even the Lord of Light Himself didn't create!"
TL/N: Blasphemy!
Hansel painted an alluring picture. "With such horses, our warriors could trample the orcs like mere strawmen!"
The king excitedly slammed the table. "Have Father Anderson work hard on this! If he succeeds, I'll grant him… no, I'll elevate him to nobility!"
Thus, a large number of horses were transported to the newly established stud farms in the Northwest Bay.
Previously, the Northwest Bay lacked large-scale stud farms. Horses owned by nobles and knights were expensive imports from other regions. However, with both agriculture and commerce flourishing, the demand for livestock surged. Merchants weren't just sailing ships—they also traded increasingly popular agricultural machinery, which required significant numbers of oxen and horses. As a result, large quantities of livestock were imported annually, creating lucrative opportunities for many.
Still, most of the horses acquired by private individuals were riding horses for travel, draft horses for pulling carts, or pack horses for carrying loads. True warhorses were rare, existing only in small numbers among local lords' armed forces.
In response, Alden's administrative council established a specialized Livestock Division to centralize the management of animal resources and created a long-term development plan. The first phase was personally named by Paul as the "Divine Equine Dominion" initiative.
The plan's primary goal was to establish large-scale stud farms and breed various types of horses, including warhorses, to meet the Northwest Bay's growing demand for livestock power and to support the construction of a sizable cavalry force.
Beyond quantity, quality improvement was also critical, achieved through genetic refinement guided by Anderson's laws.
However, improving horse breeds was a long-term endeavor requiring significant time. Paul, eager to deliver a decisive blow to the orcs, was growing impatient.
Then, a miracle happened.
The "Divine Equine Dominion" initiative encouraged public participation, and soon a mage from Horn Bay met Paul through Lady Ladia Setia. The mage had been among the refugees fleeing to the Northwest Bay with Sevya Asitini.
Using his magical abilities, the mage demonstrated to Paul the entire life cycle of a plant, from sprouting to wilting, within six hours.
In simple terms, this mage could accelerate biological growth or shorten life cycles.
"Lord Grayman, I must be honest. It's much more challenging to work on animals than plants, especially large ones like horses," the mage admitted candidly.
"Success rates are also an issue. Right now, I'm only confident with grass."
"However, if you support my research, I am confident I can improve it."
The mage's honesty about the challenges impressed Paul, who was overjoyed.
Finally, Paul felt that the risks of sheltering these refugee mages had paid off.
(End of the Chapter)
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