24. Farming with the Undead

Indeed.

It was Elian’s deliberate arrangement to have the undead pass specifically through the vicinity of the villages. Every measure and policy from this ancient era would be amplified by the butterfly effect across the scales of time and space, shaping the "common sense" of human civilization for countless centuries to come.

In this ancient age, where human civilization had only just dawned, there were none of the messy, tangled rules of later generations. Humanity had yet to develop any taboos regarding necromancy or the undead. Many of the deities who would eventually grow to despise necromancy and the undead had not even been born yet.

If this were ten thousand years later, in an age where humanity had spread across the entire continent, necromantic magic would be considered a taboo in most kingdoms. The resistance one would face in trying to make people of that era accept necromancy and the use of undead for production would be unimaginably vast.

As a technocrat, Elian did not care for such tedious rules. Although creating the undead would be judged as an "evil act" by the Will of the Universe—causing one’s alignment to shift toward evil and appearing as such when subjected to spells like "Detect Evil"—Elian had never cared for the judgment standards of the Universe’s Will.

Humans were far more qualified than the universe itself to determine right from wrong. In Elian’s ten-thousand-year grand plan, both necromantic magic and undead creatures were vital resources to be utilized.

"The 'Undead into the Villages' plan can now officially begin."

"We must let the humans of Eldoren truly reap the benefits of necromancy."

...

"Master Mage, are you saying that these... these undead can help us farm?"

The old village chief of Rolling Stone Village looked with astonishment at the mage standing before him, and the large troop of sturdy skeletons and zombies standing behind him.

The necromancer in charge of the handover briefly explained:

"That is exactly the case. This is a policy recently introduced by His Majesty Elian to benefit the surface villages."

"Surface villages are permitted to lease zombies and skeletons at a very affordable price. They can help with farming, engage in other heavy labor, or perform various dangerous tasks."

"If any undead sustains damage, we are also responsible for free repairs and replacements."

"His Majesty Elian said at the meeting: leaving these undead idle during non-wartime is a waste; we must make the best use of everything and assist with production!"

"Mr. Village Chief, why don't you discuss this with the folks in the village? You can try out the functions of these two types of undead first."

Then, the necromancer pointed at the row of undead behind him and emphasized pointedly:

"Let me be clear, this is a preferential policy for public convenience. This batch of orc undead is important imperial property; you cannot just lease as many as you want."

"According to your village's population ratio, the maximum you can lease is ten. Other villages need them too!"

"Rest assured, if the promotional results are good, the leasing cap can be increased in the future..."

The village chief immediately summoned the villagers to discuss the leasing of the undead. Curious villagers surrounded the heap of undead, peering and poking, filled with wonder as they chattered away:

"Can these undead really be used by us? I thought they were all the personal servants of the Mages!"

"Are these all dead orcs?"

"To think that one day, these terrifying orcs would have to obey us? How times have changed."

"No, how do you even use this undead? Someone who’s literate, come demonstrate!"

"..."

Who was the most literate person in the village now? Naturally, it was the Mage from the sky, Teacher Joseph from the magic school.

Feeling the fervent gazes of the crowd, Teacher Joseph enjoyed the attention immensely. He stepped out from the crowd, adjusted his glasses, and said with a rather flamboyant expression:

"Wow, these undead are truly wonderful things!"

"Let me demonstrate their functions and how to set their commands for everyone."

Joseph had received orders from above just two days ago: promoting the use of the undead for production was an important initiative concerning the destiny and livelihood of the Empire. It was hoped that the village-stationed teachers of the Eldoren floating city would actively cooperate with the "Undead into the Villages" work.

This was one of the reasons Elian insisted on sending teachers to the surface. These teachers from the Sky City were not merely transmitters of knowledge, but also envoys of the floating city to the surface, acting as bridges between the two worlds.

Once the teachers lived with the surface villagers for a long time and became integrated into their lives, they could naturally become promoters of the Empire’s new policies. This was a means to increase the cohesion of the human empire!

Joseph coordinated with the necromancer who had brought the undead, exchanged a few quick words to clarify the various precautions, and began leading the villagers in commanding the undead.

"First, let me show everyone the functions of the zombies!"

As he spoke, an orc zombie walked into a squire’s field, removed the farming tools from the ox, secured the harness, and began to plow the field in the ox's place.

(In the real world, Europe primarily used horses for plowing, with fewer oxen. But since this is a fictional world, it matters little. Eldoren, as the first nation of human civilization, is clearly not equivalent to ancient Europe.)

The farm tool, which originally required three oxen to pull, seemed exceptionally easy for the orc zombie to handle. This monster, standing over two meters tall, displayed supernatural strength, dragging the heavy plow with such force that it whistled through the air.

In just a few moments, it had tilled a large patch of soil, completing work that would have taken half a day.

"This zombie is so strong, much stronger than the average livestock!"

"Well, it is an orc. You all know how terrifying the strength of an orc monster can be."

"And it doesn't even pant after finishing the work. It's much better than my son."

"Nonsense, how could a dead person pant!"

The necromancer responsible for giving commands to the zombie smiled and introduced it according to the pre-prepared sales script:

"This is a zombie, known for its strength and physique."

"Orcs themselves possess great strength; after becoming zombies, that strength grows even further, making them more powerful than typical large livestock."

"Furthermore, the undead never tire; they can work 24 hours a day without rest. They also do not require fodder."

"The drawback of a zombie is that it is relatively dull, its movements are slow, its agility is low, and it lacks flexibility. It is difficult for them to use precision tools or follow complex instructions."

"I will introduce the skeletons to you in a moment..."

The villagers looked curiously at the orc zombie, and someone asked:

"Will this guy rot? Will it pollute the environment?"

"It will not rot, nor will it pollute," the necromancer said.

"When we create the undead, we strictly follow the operating procedures given by His Majesty. There is no risk of negative energy leaking from the undead. Moreover, we have pre-cleaned them; they are absolutely clean and pollution-free."