“Luise, are you alright already?” (Wendelin)
“Currently I’m fine, but the burden of the secret technique will affect my body…” (Luise)
“It was an amazing technique.” (Wendelin)
“It has reasonable power, however it’s not to the degree of advanced spells used by high-ranking magicians. It loses out in range and strength.” (Luise)
“It’s splendid in hindsight since it defeated that Gigantic Rock Golem.” (Wendelin)
“I wasn’t able to move much for three days though.” (Luise)
Herthania Valley, which was a nest of defending rock golems, was safely liberated thanks to the operation carried out by us.
The reinforcements of the royal army and the n.o.bles’ feudal armies, split into 10 military units, pulled most of the grounded golems by entering and leaving the boundary border. During that time me, dous.h.i.+, Burkhart-san, Katharina and Luise attacked their master, the Gigantic Rock Golem, located in the centre, from the sky.
The golems, which protected this Herthania Valley, all of them were controlled by the Gigantic Rock Golem as defence system to defend Herthania Valley, which was drawn up by the genius magic tools craftsman, Earl Ischrubak, of the Ancient Magic Civilization.
There was a great number of airborne wyvren and hawk golems, the heads of the Gigantic Rock Golem which regenerated right away even if destroyed and golems who increased the restoration speed and strengthened the offensive.
We were made to fight quite the close game, but in the end the activity of the Gigantic Rock Golem ceased after being busted by the secret technique of the magic combat style of Luise and 100.000 golems returned to being simple rocks after that.
That means it resulted in a safe liberation of Herthania Valley.
“Wend, what did you do during those three days?” (Luise)
“Work.” (Wendelin)
Since Luise had rendered distinguished service, she was allowed to rest for three days.
Since it’s not like she couldn’t move at all, she apparently went to the toilet at least, but all of the other stuff, like her daily meals, has been taken care of by Elise and the others.
“The teachings of the magic combat style are deep.” (Wendelin)
“There are many skills and secret techniques, but it’s also true that the majority of those can’t be used by anyone.” (Luise)
“What’s with that?” (Wendelin)
“This time’s 『Big Bang Attack』 isn’t something that can be used unless the user himself has a certain extent of mana. Even if it’s used by a person who doesn’t possess more than a common amount of mana, it won’t smash a slightly big rock, right?” (Luise)
That means, if one has the ability to handle that by having plenty of mana, they will be able to release powerful techniques which won’t be inferior to advanced magic by just applying the magic combat style.
“The majority of people doesn’t have that ((mana)) though, thus they have to put emphasis on the types of technique. As for the aspect of fighting by charging mana, dous.h.i.+ and you, Wend, are strong, too, right?” (Luise)
Dous.h.i.+ was peerless against thousands of golems in this time’s battle.
It’s not like he defeated all of them, but as he destroyed several hundreds without letting them get close at all, there would be another paragraph added to his legend as the strongest.
On the other hand, since such way of fighting doesn’t suit my character, I will fire spells no matter what.
Given that dous.h.i.+ is in reverse weak at emission-type spells, one might even say that he is a strengthening type while I’m the emission type.
I think there was such a type division in a manga I read in the old days.
“Earl Baumeister-dono, an investigation team from the capital has arrived.”
“Are they going to start a.n.a.lyzing in this place, I wonder?” (Wendelin)
“No, I believe they will take things back.”
“It will be great if there are some results this time.”
After the liberation of Herthania Valley, we moved our troop headquarters next to the mithril deposits located in the central area.
It was for the sake of me investigating things like deposits with magic and to protect the liberated Herthania Valley from people entering inside as ore thieves.
One part of the soldiers, who partic.i.p.ated in this time’s operation, have taken up positions at the outer edges and are guarding against the intrusion of such people.
As a matter of fact, there were reports of them having arrested some intruders already.
It seems residents of neighbouring territories attempted to intrude with the motive 『If it’s now, it might become a nice profit as it’s easy to harvest ores』.
Currently it’s at the level of being individuals, but the Browig household is the most probable for trying to do something as they are probably regretful.
“The lot from the magic tool guild has high pride.” (Achilles)
Viscount Achilles, who is managing the guarding of the troop headquarters, reports to me that magic tool craftsmen from the capital came.
They had chartered a large magic airs.h.i.+p to collect the remains of the Gigantic Rock Golem destroyed by us.
“The artificial personality crystal, the magic core production device and other devices, which I don’t understand, all of them can’t be used because they are broken.”
“You want to apply them towards advancement in technology, even if it’s just a small amount, by a.n.a.lysing it somehow, right?”
Actually I wanted to seize those without breaking them, but if we did such skimping in that situation, let alone failing the operation, there would have been victims and thus it couldn’t be helped.
Apparently they were all broken by Luise’s secret technique, but it’s probably the best to leave the reproduction of ancient magic technology to the magic tools guild.
While saying that, it doesn’t seem like there are recently many outstanding achievements by the magic tools guild.
Their members have great influence since the production of magic tools is monopolized to 100% by them, but at this point their technology hasn’t advanced overly much for several hundred years.
In that case, to a.n.a.lyse the excellent relics of the past, they forcibly bought the products, which were discovered in the Demon Forest, and moreover this time’s Gigantic Rock Golem by paying a large sum.
With the sorcery guild showing interest in the magic core production device, the magic tool guild, which is on bad terms with them, purchased the Gigantic Rock Golem by high-handedly issuing paper money.
The price for all of it was 500 million cents.
Even though I overcharged it as joke, I was also surprised when they put a bag filled with platinum plates in front of my eyes with a *bang*.
“Huh? How are they going to take it back?” (Wendelin)
“It looks like they will load it onto a chartered large magic airs.h.i.+p. Though it seems like it’s necessary for them to make a round trip.”
The entirety of the Gigantic Rock Golem is regular rock and such, but from their point of view, it might have some yet unknown structures even in that empty rock and thus they are going to take it back without missing even a single piece of it.
Declaring that they will carry out the loading and transporting themselves, I recalled that there were indeed many obsessed people like engineers even including my previous life.
“There were golems as well?”
“As expected it’s not all of them though.”
They have bought a considerable amount of magic cores and ma.s.ses of rocks which formed the golems that were controlled by the Gigantic Rock Golem.
This will be research material, too, but not all of it after all.
The remains of the golems, which stopped working in their entirety due to the destruction of the artificial personality crystal, is easily a share of more than 100.000 bodies.
Since it’s difficult to take all of them back, they collected only a share of samples and piled up the rest next to the troop headquarters where soldiers are currently gathering ores and usable magic cores.
“So, how do you plan to develop this place?”
“I usually entrust it to someone.”
Since my own territory is lacking manpower, it was natural for me to supplement it with personnel from outside.
Besides, if it’s people, there is plenty of them.
In case a n.o.ble discovered a mine in their territory, he will try to compensate for everything by himself as much as possible.
There were many prospectors, mining engineers, refining experts and such working away from home, but many miners are those below second son of farmers who are left over.
That means it’s a good place for employment for people who can’t inherit agricultural land.
However, depending on the situation, there are also many mines where minerals can’t be mined anymore after a few decades.
It’s fine if a new mine is discovered in the same territory or at worst in the territory of a neighbouring n.o.ble, but if nothing is discovered, they will be unemployed.
There are such circ.u.mstances, too. One can gather as many miners as one likes.
“It’s alright for them to immigrate or to work away from home. In short, it will be fine if they can get metals by digging here.”
There’s also no necessity of fussing over taking care of anything and everything by myself.
Gathering talents from other n.o.bles’ territories and the areas directly under the control of the kingdom, it will be fine if our men only check for fraud.
“That"s a very broad-minded setup.”
“It’s fine if it doesn’t take time, isn’t it?”
If we did everything by ourselves, it should take quite the time until ore can be excavated.
For that reason I decided to use people from outside.
“(Beside, it’s fine if I give the surroundings a few candies to suppress jealousy.)” (Wendelin)
Herthania Valley is the property of the Earl Baumeister household, but the majority of people working here will be outsiders.
The significant point of this is guaranteeing income and employment for people who are registered in territories of other n.o.bles or areas under the direct control of the kingdom.
That will also become a measure to stimulate employment for the residents. And that’s connected to the invigoration of the economy and and increases in the revenue.
The miners, who are working in regular mines, return to their home town and use their earned money there.
With just that it becomes an economic measure for their home town.
“Even the royal army will increase by one official position.”
As a matter of fact, I’m planning to sell most of the plots, which are located at the outer edges of Herthania Valley, to the kingdom.
There’s no ores in those plots, but they will place 1000 soldiers and a troop headquarters called 『Royal Army Herthania Valley Garrison』 there.
Their task is to defend so that n.o.bles other than the Earl Baumeister household won’t meddle with the Herthania Valley. The remuneration is a stable supply of ores to the kingdom and a fee for consigning the security to them.
“There’s that as well, but the mithril deposits in this place are bigger than expected. If the kingdom will come intervening anyway, I might as well bring them in earlier by by giving them a bait, right?” (Wendelin)
“Also, it was tied in the arbitration draft negotiated by the rules.”
“The people, who thought that it is an inferior property, ended up offering it up themselves for a slight reduction of the reconciliation money. Won’t they have sentiments of wanting to get it back?”
For the sake of preventing that, we employed more guards than the Browig household.
“In addition, with such large-scaled mining area, won’t it become necessary to run a refining establishment in the future? As people will gather, a city administration will be indispensable, too. We need manpower.”
It’s necessary to employ the young people of appointed n.o.bles, who are secluding themselves in the capital, as future personnel so that they can carry out the checks for fraud over here.
They, their relatives and parents will guarantee the possession of Herthania Valley for the Earl Baumeister household in order for their children to have a steady livelihood.
“That’s why it will become busy immediately.”
As there’s an insufficiency of mithril anyway, a lot workshops, located in the capital, are saying that they will buy it even in the state of being an ore.
Given that they want to send airs.h.i.+ps as fast as possible, they told us to please prepare a port where it’s possible for magic airs.h.i.+ps to land and take off as well as to mine, even if it’s only a bit, until then. It once again reached the point that I will be pressed to provide roads and a plot of land, where a city will be built, as public works adventurer.
“That stone-paved road is magnificent.”
“That’s because there’s plenty of materials.”
Since there are as many rocks, which aren’t ores, as one likes, I create stone plates with those as material by magic and complete a paved road by just pus.h.i.+ng them into a dug-out path.
“Will you promote your rule in both, name and reality? Since the post of commanding officer of the Herthania Valley Garrison is encouraging for me, I will pay attention to stuff like meddling by the Browig household. However, will they come rus.h.i.+ng in at once?” (Achilles)
“Although the arbitration negotiations haven’t finished yet, it’s an urgent situation…” (Wendelin)
The arbitration negotiations between Margrave Breithilde and the Browig household aren’t progressing at all thanks to the Browig household persisting in a reduction of the reconciliation money.
What effect will our liberation of Herthania Valley bring about in the middle of that? There was no reason for me to know that yet.
“Even if something is said, this place is the Earl Baumeister household’s possession. It’s not something I will concile to the Browig household.”
“That’s true, I guess. The Browig household itself is still remaining at this point in time because of His Majesty’s kindliness.”
If this was during war times, they likely would have lost their peerage long ago.
In case of war times, it will reach a conclusion if it’s possible to abate the confusion, which accompanies the change of peerage and the inauguration of a new feudal lord, with strength.
Even the soldiers won’t hesitate since it will become deeds of arms if they remove the disturbing elements which are resisting.
The Browig household care-freely continuing the quarrel between brothers itself was proof of this country being peaceful.
“First we will put priority on the preparations for being able to excavate the mithril deposits.”
Since it’s fortunately possible to open-air mine the mithril deposits, it’s probably possible to excavate the ores without spending too much time.
Around one week after that I received reinforcements from Roderich after creating the foundation of a port, where it’s possible for magic airs.h.i.+ps used for s.h.i.+pping to land and take off, and the infrastructure with magic.
『It’s an enclave, but it’s impossible to do local agriculture or stock-farming. For a while it will only be digging out of ores. After several years you plan to optimize it by building large-scale workshops where it’s possible to refine to some degree. That’s about it…?』 (Roderich)
Roderich’s voice is audible through the magic hand-held communication device.
For the sake of this Herthania Valley being controlled completely by the Earl Baumeister household, he dispatched additional personnel.
Guards, mining engineers and personnel from government and financial affairs to manage the new city that will be built.
In addition to this, we have decided to employ a large amount of people in this place.
Immigrating and working away from home applicants gathered in this place.
『Is it impossible to be self-reliant in regards to food?』
It’s not impossible, but it won’t work if we don’t carry out work to establish soil on top of the bedrock quality-like ground and begin from afforestation for that reason.
However, there isn’t even a river or swamp in this Herthania Valley.
Since it’s hopeless if we don’t draw water through water wells from below by digging through the thick bedrock, it will likely require time in the range of several decades at the least.
There’s also the problem of mine pollution appearing from the ore deposits and mines.
If it’s me, it will finish with 『Extraction』 of the metals which can be used with magic, but there’s a low possibility that the next generation and afterwards will be able to do that.
While pondering over countermeasures against mine pollution, when it comes to improving the soil so that it’s possible to do stuff like agriculture, this will be postponed no matter what.
The first priority is the situation of the Savage Lands development after all.
『The self-support for food is fine for a while. Make the surrounding n.o.bles into allies and buy it from them.』
This is also for the sake of preventing interference by the Browig household.
In order to not lose their precious client, they will probably be gladly cautious of the Browig household.
『That’s alright, but won’t the prices be raised?』
『That’s possible, however it’s likely difficult if they don’t consult with all the n.o.bles selling food.』
Besides, if it gets too expensive, it’s fine to import it from the Baumeister Earldom and the Breithilde Margraviate.
『n.o.bles aren’t a monolith either.』
『That’s how it is.』
『It was the personnel selection of a governor, but were you pleased with the person I chose?』 (Roderich)
『I leave such things to you.』 (Wendelin)
After that talk the governor and other parties have arrived with a magic airs.h.i.+p from the Baumeister Earldom.
“Although I was appointed as governor for the time being, I’m uneasy.”
The one who Roderich designated as governor was the third son of Earl Armstrong, Felix.
Though he has no experience in domestic and financial affairs, it will be fine if we compensate for that with other people. The reason he was appointed is because he is in good control of Viscount Achilles who will be the commanding officer of the Herthania Valley Garrison.
Even if he plots something bad, it will become difficult for him to realize it if the governor of this place is the third son of Earl Armstrong who is an authority in the royal army.
Even the capital’s Earl Armstrong household won’t be frugal with supporting their third son who has become a chief retainer of the Earl Baumeister household.
Although it costs money accordingly, me and Roderich will die from overwork if we try to take care of everything with a developing household.
The way of increasing allies by giving them a certain extent of concessions will be a gain, if you look at the long term.
In addition, it’s easier.
“For the first generation of this place being military officers is also for the sake of preventing meddling by others. Since there’s also plenty of budget, I’d like you to make sure that the ores are excavated well by hiring people skilfully.” (Wendelin)
“At your command!” (Felix)
Being appointed as first governor, Felix will start the governing of Herthania Valley by also borrowing help from his home.
Even though I continue the public works, I get back the time to drink refined tea in my free time.
“My elder brothers will likely be in a great panic.” (Karla)
“Even if they panic, there’s nothing they can do anymore.” (Wendelin)
“You are much more like a n.o.ble than my elder brothers, Earl Baumeister-sama.” (Karla)
Me and Karla talked while drinking tea in my free time.
It’s not really just the two of us as Elise is the area as well, but it’s something irregular.
Speaking of the action benefiting her household the most for now, it’s her, who is a daughter of the Browig household, seducing me.
“That’s true. Herthania Valley is already possession of the Earl Baumeister household in due form. At the beginning they were delighted to get a reduction of the reconciliation money with this inferior property, but…” (Karla)
Having liberated it completely, it’s now starting to be developed as promising mining area.
Unable to tell me to return it this late in the game, they should be worrying endlessly.
“Karla-san, might you be thinking that it’s fine if you are pushed onto me.” (Wendelin)
“I do. From the viewpoint of my elder brothers, they are believing that I will become happy with that if it happens. A social outcast daughter becomes the wife of the dragon slaying hero. You can even say that it’s a huge success in life.” (Karla)
If you consider it from the position of a n.o.ble, that wasn’t a mistake recognition.
“What are you thinking about it, Karla-san?” (Wendelin)
“I don’t really want to have something like the Browig family name. Why can’t I receive treatment as daughter of the Bänker household…?” (Karla)
She is pitiable, but those two won’t let go of Karla in the first place even if the person herself desires it.
If we a.s.sume that the Browig household accepts the current arbitration draft, she will be next married of to some place for the sake of recovering the household.
“If you are indebted from your childhood and in addition to that accepted as daughter of a n.o.ble…” (Karla)
Even though she has been left alone until now, she has been called at this point just to be used.
Karla is indifferent towards the future of the Browig family because there are such circ.u.mstances.
“Being treated as daughter of the Bänker household, huh…”
Karla is the daughter of Margrave Browig, but you can say that she was treated as daughter of the Bänker household until now.
It’s unusual because she willingly wants to be lowered to that treatment, but she won’t be used politically if she is the daughter of a poor Knight household with no posts in the capital. That’s also a way of thinking that will grant her freedom and let her marry whoever she wants.
Since she is saying that she wants to be independent together with her mother, I didn’t know whether she might not have even considered marriage.
“Can’t it be done somehow?” (Erwin)
Erw, who is serving as my guard, interjects which is unusual for him, but it could be called natural as any obstacle to marry her will be gone if Karla ends up becoming the daughter of the Bänker household.
“The one who decides Karla’s position is the family head of the Browig household…” (Wendelin)
In this world the position of a household’s head is powerful.
That’s why Karla couldn’t go against being summoned by Margrave Browig. She won’t voluntarily say no even in the matter of both successor candidates trying to push her into becoming my wife.
“That’s right… Klaus.” (Wendelin)
At this point I request the opinion of Klaus, who is a genius at coming up with plans hated by people.
It’s Klaus who thoroughly did things I hate until now.
If it’s that guy, he should be able to come up with a nasty plan for the Browig household.
——————————————————— End of Part 1 ———————————————————–