Chapter 243 - BowWomen

Gaster Kingdom has lost a lot of Soldiers as well at the battle of Pameres Kingdom! At that moment, they only had 80 Guards as the remaining 20 were at a task of bringing 10,000 Kilograms of wheat Grain back to their home domain.

At that brutal Battlefield, 50 Guards from Gaster Kingdom's platoon meet with eternal slumber, never to return. It was quite hard going there with 80 Guards and returning with 30! Sure they still have 50 Guards remaining here in the Kingdom, but the wound of such loss still remains fresh. A lot of these Guards befriended each other, had a bond.

Gaster Kingdom can fare quite well with just 50 Guards, it isn't neccesarily a big problem with a Grand Master of Fire Controlling inhabiting the place. Furthermore, Gaster Kingdom wasn't a target by any Domain ever since its mines depleted and the word that the port of Gaster Kingdom continues to earn gold likely didn't get through any ruler's ears.

Although paying 100 Guards is quite hard, now with so many sources of profit coming from the 2 friendly domains, paying 50 Guards isn't neccesarily a problem! But how much can the Kingdom actually afford to pay without blasting what's left of the town's budget?

King Michael gave it a long careful thought, and after hearing his financial advisor/assistant's word about it, he decided that 50 Gold Coins is the best option of pay at the moment. He can't give out more than that, especially since a raise of 20 Gold Coins is promised in the near future for all of the Gaster Kingdom staff! This raise will of course include the Guards as well. Furthermore this is just a little effort of motivation, he can't have Guards quitting their jobs.

Paying 120 Gold Coins to 50 Guards will indeed get Gaster Kingdom in a lot of debt if nothing more, plus this is just a slow approach to one day give these people the capability to purchase food and warmth on their own. It wouldn't be advisable to give out free food once most earn 150 gold coins a month, with the population low it inevitably means that 1-3 or possibly 4 people in a house are bringing home a salary. They wouldn't have to eat anything cheap actually, plus it would further give Gaster Kingdom financial independence.

There are quite enough Fishermen and Spearfishermen here in the Kingdom, but what about people carrying other crafts? There aren't lumberjacks here nor Construction workers! Not to mention Blacksmiths, no there is nothing to be spoken off. Sure 30 Farmers are hired which will leave a great contribute but they don't handle Iron.

The Kingdom looks like it did when King Michael first struck the Black Marlin deal, normal. There is nothing out of the ordinary taking place here, although by some it is considered a blessing it could be a sign of an economy slowly dying. They can't depend on the two neighbouring Kingdoms for everything, including profit.

Gaster Kingdom needs a stable income of lumber! Sure they had enough to survive the winter thanks to a few men giving in some contribute, but they can't depend of several to supply the entire Kingdom when the cold season hits.

It would be advisable for any ruler to hire Lumber jacks who work all year around. Although cutting trees down in the warm seasons isn't advisable, there isn't anything stopping them but the thought of having to put in harder work. Yet again the thought of a pay that will rise thanks to any Lumberjack's contribute to the Kingdom.

This is just an effort to put more people into work! Sure it would be an option to put everyone in the fishing spots and fish out tons, but the beaches have to be replenished as well. Fish doesn't just jump out of the ocean and asks to be speared down, they would deplete the fishing areas which would just ruin the main source of living here.

There are 150 jobless people, 50 of which are women! He planned to mix women with men as lumberjacks, but when taking a look at the Kingdom's recent history, he didn't think it to be a good idea. I mean, the first time Alama arrived in Gaster Kingdom, she was almost eaten by crazed lunatics who yes, wanted to **** her first.

King Michael is afraid that some old habits aren't yet kicked out of everyone's systems, especially out of those who don't yet work! What do they do with all of their time? Nothing holy you can assume! Sending women along with men all the way to the forest where they could be r.a.p.ed and claimed as lost or attacked by a wild animal, it is definitely something that would kill the morale of work for many women here.

So at a final decision, 10 men will be hired to cut down wood year around! But that is not all! Although there are many abandoned houses here, those houses who are in use can require to be tampered sometimes. Wood can root after all and there aren't any stone foundations here apart from the one in the Castle.

These Lumberjacks will be paid 50 Gold Coins a month and they too will be included in the soon to come 20 Gold Coin raise! Why exactly did he want to hire Lumberjacks? Well warmth and construction are very specified reasons, but furthermore? He noticed the consumption of wood in Pameres Kingdom!

Wagons, housing and in Blacksmithery as well no doubt! Wood is a highly required material and although the Lumberjacks there have it fairly under control, the time will come when they won't! King Zar is just bursting with businesses and new sources of income, the lumber here can be used as a quick profit or an ongoing one too! If not, it can be used here for future constructions.

When it comes to hiring new people, the process here has become a bit different compared to Pameres Kingdom. Although a bit unfair, King Michael makes them work! He always goes by one phrase, "What would they need to sit on their asses for all day!" Although he doesn't prefer to use such language especially in front of Alama, sometimes he doesn't have a choice.

He is trying his best to raise this Kingdom from the dirt and grant financial freedom, last thing the Kingdom requires is people who refuse to work. There are 250 people in this domain who are perfectly capable of working, nearly a hundred are already hired the the rest of the 150 will share the same fate sooner or later. The Farmers are now permanent residents, so we can consider it that 280 can work. As for the rest of the 150 who can't work, they are either elderly or children, they aren't cut out for work.

There are a few axes in town, but a lot more have to be ordered from Pameres Kingdom in aims of granting a better income of wood. Construction tools such as Hammers, Nails and saws are also a good requirement. All together they would barely cost 3,000 Gold Coins, it is nothing but a small investment and gold that can be replenished in a month or less depending on the order.

Furthermore, the domain needs another source of food. This is where hunting comes in as a great option, if they manage to attain a stable hunting team, food will never be a problem since they will have 3 sources, 4 if someone actually wants to buy Chicken Eggs.

This move would kill 2 birds with one stone, because apart from meat, fur and leather will also be provided by hunters which will inevitably aid to pass winters. They likely can't provide 380 people with clothing in a month, but in 6 months or maybe a year it is much more doable.

But here is one issue, women can't be mixed with men here too thanks to the reasons of which I specified before! But luckily this time it has a proper solution thanks to the sole fact that women are known to be fast and agile. Therefore they will do hunting without nets!

With nets being the most used hunting tool, what buffonery am I talking about? I'm talking about using bows, to hunt small game or even bigger games if one meets the qualifications! Rabbits can be hunted and one women only can carry 5-10 at a time with ease for a long distance, if one manages to hunt that much in a day that is.

But they can also hunt game which isn't neccesarily dangerous, such as Deer. They are agile and can disappear in a blink but they can be hunted down. If so, their 200 Kilograms of meat will prove more than useful. To drag such big game, the hunter would require a nice dependable rope to drag it to the clear lands where transportation can be a lot easier, one good option is to carry a 4 wheeled cart all the way near the forest.

King Michael hired 30 of these Hunters, equipped them well and is paying them 90 Gold Coins a month just because hunting can be very dangerous especially if not done with nets, plus this is a good way to promote females working in tasks they are not quite seen doing before.