Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Demera, Goddess of the Earth

“Contaminated Naju Plain, what is the mysterious rice field?”

“A cleanup that even the experts said was impossible? A new reagent from the Tower?”

“Is there a Guild of Farmers in Naju Plain?”

For a while after the purification of the Naju Plains, the internet was full of news about the purified land.

Leon had already cleaned up land contaminated with miasma in the Hunan Plain, but it wasn’t widely known since the Firebird Guild had pressured the media.

However, the Naju Plain was a different story since it had been contaminated for five years.

South Korea’s self-sufficiency in food was greatly reduced, forcing the country to import expensive rice from China and Japan.

No matter what farming methods were applied, no matter what reagents were used, the cleanup of the Naju Plain, which was thought to be impossible, happened overnight.

The farmers of the Naju Plain were moved to tears, but the reaction of the Internet and celebrities was more rational.

-Has the Tower developed a new reagent? The Tower technological advances have been extraordinary lately.

-How do we eat crops that grow so fast? Aren’t they inedible because of the toxins?

-Humanity’s technological prowess in magic engineering is increasing every day. At this rate, the world’s grain fields will soon be restored.

That was the general reaction.

When faced with an improbable phenomenon, most people try to interpret it according to their common sense.

For the people of a scientific civilization, miracles and the descent of the divine are alien, irrational ideas.

“Your Majesty, the internet is reacting. Perhaps an official announcement from the Association is in order?”

The Hunter’s Association had not yet made an announcement about the Gods.

The disturbance caused by the country’s largest religious faction is one thing, but the appearance of a government organization promoting a religion is another.

“Even if you announce it now, the foolish people won’t believe it. They need more proof.”

Leon spent the next three days touring the Naju Plains and as he purified the land he found that a higher quality of faith than he had expected permeated the temple.

The faith that flowed to the God of Life and Fertility was immediately converted into holy power, and Leon was able to harness it to cleanse the Naju Plains.

A crested effigy replaced the image of the goddess Demera on the Naju Plains, and the people bowed and worshiped at its altar.

“I give you the right to cultivate this land,” said the king, “and you shall raise up the flesh of Demera to continue its fertility.”

The new believers were grateful for the cleansing of the land, but hesitant, and rightly so.

“But, Your Majesty… isn’t a ten percent tax a bit much, to say the least?”

Yes, this was the problem.

Leon briefly explained the tax structure of the Lionheart Kingdom. You pay 90% of your total output. This was the same for nobles and freemen alike.

How does a country run when 90% of its income is collected in taxes?

Isn’t everyone starving to death?

This was a common criticism of the kingdom from the empire, but it was a misunderstanding of the structure of Lionheart’s kingdom.

The Kingdom of Lionheart, under his rule, is a divinely-centered, unified nation and the gods of light and justice governed the ruling class and the common people alike,

Fishermen who followed the gods of the sea and its waves caught the allowed amount of fish and the land tilled by farmers who followed the goddess of life and fertility was always bountiful.

Even the king was carefully chosen from among the Holy Knights, by the goddess, so that over the millennia of succession, the kingdom was always at peace.

It was a perfect social structure with a divine connection and only invasions from the outside disturbed the peaceful kingdom.

Greedy northern barbarians, crude orcs, and filthy vampires who refuse to die have invaded the bountiful kingdom but there are honorable men who are willing to give their lives against these invaders: knights.

They follow the gods of light and justice, armed with iron armors and warhorses, and bravely slay their enemies.

The free people praised the knights for their bravery and honor and supported them. And so the Ten Commandments were born.

It was a system that the freemen willingly agreed to in order to support the honorable knights as they rode endlessly to their deaths.

Of course, this was only possible because society was inherently just.

Unlike empires and miscellaneous kingdoms that are often torn apart by judicial corruption and greed, the Lionheart Kingdom was chosen by the Goddess because it was just and honorable.

The slightest misappropriation of the overflowing taxes would result in the withdrawal of the Goddess’ favor, and the family would not be given the opportunity to train to become an honorable Holy Knight.

That’s why the taxes of the Lionheart Kingdom have always been used for the common good.

They were used to build bridges, build walls, improve facilities, and care for the families of those who died honorably in battle.

All of this is done under the watchful eye of the Goddess’s perfect king, King Lionheart, so no matter how much you pay in taxes, you can’t complain.

It was with this background that the country became the last bastion against the invasion of the demons.

“But this is Earth, and Korea….”

Even the peasants who had witnessed the divine and vowed to become believers agreed.

They understood that he was the king of a medieval civilization and that the culture of the survivors was different from Earth.

But this is Earth and the land was technically owned by the farmers, and they had to pay a separate tax to the government.

“Your Majesty…but ninety percent is too much. They have to pay taxes to the government, and they have to pay for their living expenses and fertilizer…”

“What do you mean, why should they worry about paying taxes to the government, living expenses, and fertilizer?”

“What?”

Ha-ri and the other farmers, who had been listening intently, looked puzzled at Leon’s unexpected statement.

“As a follower of the goddess, how can you worry about going hungry? The food you pay as taxes will be distributed, leaving a minimum amount to cover all expenses.”

What he was saying was simple.

No taxes, no paperwork, not even living expenses or anything else.

“I will select a pious man from among you to be a priest. The rest of the harvest will be purely yours, and you may sell it for dignity and luxury.”

So everything is taken care of for you, your food, your welfare, your life, except for 10% of your output.

-What. Does that sound appealing to you?

-No. Still, 90% is too much, don’t you think?

At that point, Ha-ri gave Leon a sly look.

“I… come to think of it, this blessed rice is worth a fortune.”

The performance of 160 grams of rice per kernel is comparable to that of most fortifiers, and the duration is overwhelmingly long.

However, because its yield is so much higher than that of potions, the price of potions related to health and mana recovery will drop massively.

Using a very conservative estimate of the market oversupply and the resulting price drop, the Hunter Association’s appraiser concluded that──

“The conclusion… was that the price of an 80-kilogram sack of rice would be 150 million won.”

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

The farmers rolled their eyes and doubted their ears.

A hundred and fifty thousand? A sack of rice? What was the rice harvest five years ago?

“Long live the gods.”

“Long live the goddess!”

Leon listened with satisfaction to the praise of the divine that was well-deserved, and taught them the Tenets of Demera, the goddess of life and fertility.

Make an image of the goddess from the first fruits of your harvest and offer it to her altar.

Do not piss in the fields. Manure is fine.

Build a scarecrow and make sure it has a hat and clothes.

When you harvest, sing a song. It’s better if it’s a song of thanks to the goddess.

Don’t go hungry, even if you’re in a hurry.

…………

…………

…………

“Is that…is that all right, Your Majesty?”

“What do you mean?”

“I just feel like there are too many material conditions attached to your faith…….”

Of course, religion basically promises a take-two deal: you die and you’re saved but Leon didn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d want to believe that.

“Hmm. How can I expect the nobility of a knight and the dignity of a nobleman from a bunch of ignorant commoners? But if they get drunk on divine grace and lose their proper faith, it doesn’t matter, because that grace can always be taken away.”

Leon had no intention of being greedy from the start, for in the end, only those with true faith would be chosen by the divine. And it’s not just farmers he’s preaching to.

When the crops grown there are released to the world, people will witness a second miracle: crops that are healthy to eat.

The people of this planet, terrified of disease and forced to rely on the barbaric practice of medicine, will eventually admit.

“Will the crops that grow be used as seedlings?”

“Some will be purchased by the Hunter’s Association.”

It was only a matter of time before a world with divinity would come.

* * * *

After the cleansing of the Naju Plains and building the altar for the goddess Demera, the first crops were deposited in Leon’s storehouses as foretold.

“This time,” he said, “take seedlings of all but the most delicate varieties to expand agriculture. Those who need money can sell them at a reasonable price, as the Association has agreed to purchase them for research.”

Leon gave most of the crops to Mr. Choi, whom he had appointed as a temporary priest, who would distribute the necessary food to the people and plant seedlings for the next season.

The villagers were left to sell the rest, which the association had promised to buy, and which was worth well over five billion won.

“Are you sure it will be fine if you leave it to him?”

“You mean the elderly farmer?”

“Yes… You’ve handed over most of the earnings.”

As far as Ha-ri was concerned, Leon’s method was too simple.

The crops from each parcel of land were given to the lord… and when the lord was absent, the priest would take care of it and send the appropriate amount back to the Lord-Leon.

Oh, my God. It’s like they’re setting you up to steal your taxes.

“How do you catch people stealing in your kingdom?”

“We didn’t have to catch them.”

“Why, why is that?”

“Because everyone who did went to hell.”

“Ah…….”

Leon is an inhabitant of a world where God is real, not Earth where people talk about heaven and hell.

There was harmony with the divine, faith and grace…Of course, there was also punishment.

Cheating bureaucrats? Corrupt nobles? Vicious knights? How could such beings survive?

“A man who cheats the gods for a moment’s riches and glory…that’s a different kind of courage.”

“…….”

Ha-ri swallowed hard.

Faced with Demera’s divinity, she was overwhelmed by the existence of the gods and their grace… but the realization that there were also divine punishments gave her chills.

* * * *

There are two ways to become a Hunter.

Enroll in the Hunter Academy and spend three years of state-funded training and development to receive your Hunter’s Certificate.

This is the case of Han Ha-ri, a representative of the National Hunter Association.

“I graduated at the top of my class, hehe.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“Eh…….”

The second way is to take the Hunter Association’s authorized Awakening Test, which assesses your “job” and “skills.

Awakeners who were past the age to enter the Academy were usually allowed in, and many Hunters traveled to the Association’s testing grounds every year to renew their ranks.

“I don’t know if Your Majesty would like to be tested as well, but it’s more convenient for the job, procedurally speaking.”

So, what kind of job does Leon have? What other skills might he have? Ha-ri wondered inwardly.

Survivors often had skills that Earthlings couldn’t acquire, and the Association was intrigued.

“What the hell is that?”

But Leon’s response was cold.

“How are you going to test this Lionheart King with a bunch of crap?”

“Uh… then why did you ask me to take you there?”

“I need to find some useful soldiers. I will test them.”

“Isn’t that, uh, the protocol…….”

“If not, make it so.”

At Leon’s insistence, Ha-ri wondered how to report this to Chief Kim.

“More than that, when will the president return home?”

“I’ll call him right away. Hello? Chief Kim?”

It would be better to allow this knight king to meet with the president.