Chapter 207: Entering New Technology Development (2)
While the dwarves dedicated themselves to research, Ghislaine reviewed the plans and assessed the territory’s situation.
Thanks to the numerous smelters built, iron ingots were being produced in massive quantities. However, the mass production of armaments and tools was still being restrained.
That was because they planned to create them after successfully developing a new alloy.
“If it succeeds, there will be a big change.”
The robber is as tough as steel, yet weighs only half as much.
If everything made of iron could be replaced with that, the power of the army and the lives of the people would be significantly different from now.
“Iron ore is sufficient. Once mass production kicks in, it won’t be difficult to arm all the territory residents within a year. But other things are still lacking.”
Building smelters and blacksmiths in bulk wasn’t the end. The territory had expanded too rapidly, and the population had grown.
Raising everything to the level Ghislaine envisioned under those circumstances was bound to come with issues.
“Even if I take land, it’s a complete mess…”
In the Cabaldy territory, at least minimal self-sufficiency had to be established with arable land and residences.
Facilities were a problem, but the supply of other resources was an issue too. They couldn’t solve everything with just food and iron.
“I guess it’s time to lift the blockade on the territory and focus on trade. I need to check out not just domestically but also other kingdoms.”
In the end, the lacking resources would have to be obtained through transactions. They had to somewhat balance the economically distorted situation of the territory.
As Ghislaine reviewed the plans and was busily moving for the territory’s development, Claude rushed in, panting.
Upon seeing Claude, Ghislaine stepped back in dismay.
“Why? What’s the problem this time?”
“I haven’t said anything yet.”
“Whenever you show up, strange problems arise. You seem to attract accidents.”
Claude looked utterly baffled.
“It’s not that problems arise because I come. Problems happen, so I come. Most issues stem from the lord’s unreasonable plans.”
“Let’s assume that’s true. So what is it this time? What’s the problem?”
“I’m not here because there’s a problem… Finally, the long-awaited elf slaves have arrived.”
“Oh! They’ve arrived?”
At those words, Ghislaine jumped to her feet in excitement. Honestly, she was so caught up in stabilizing and developing the territory that she had completely forgotten about it.
Ghislaine hurried over to meet the Slave Trader.
Upon seeing Ghislaine, the Slave Trader placed a hand over his heart and bowed deeply, showering her with praises unlike before.
He placed his hand on his waist and bowed deeply, starting with words of praise.
“Oh! The Duke of the North, the noble son of Zvalter Perdium, the glorious rightful heir of Perdium, the ruler and guardian of Penris, the undefeated victor, the one who fulfills the Will of the Goddess, a lord with great leadership respected by all for high virtues and wise judgment, I present to you the one and only Baron Penris of the North!”
“…….”
Silence enveloped the surroundings. It was an excessive greeting compared to before.
You could feel the flattery radiating from his entire being.
Ghislaine, who had been quietly observing the Slave Trader, asked softly.
“Are you really struggling that much?”
“……Yes.”
“What’s so hard when you’re making good money?”
“Is it possible to receive the payment in food instead of gold coins?”
Ghislaine chuckled softly. He understood.
The current Slave Trader was the representative of the slave traders introduced by Marquis Branford.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he owned the largest slave merchant group in the kingdom. That meant he had many family members and a lot of slaves to support.
During these hard times when trade wasn’t going well, it must have been extremely difficult to feed all those slaves.
Ghislaine wouldn’t let this chance slip by. He thrived in being extraordinarily frugal.
“Sure, I’ll give you food. But you’ll take it at half the price.”
“Pardon?”
“I said I’d give you half of what was promised in food. If you don’t like it, you can just take the promised amount. I considered giving you only 30%, but seeing how your slaves might starve, I decided to be generous. I’m kind-hearted like that.”
“Ugh….”
The Slave Trader looked like he was about to cry out of frustration.
Elf slaves boasted exorbitant prices. Just the ones he brought this time numbered over 200.
Dealing with them at half price would lead to a tremendous loss.
Yet, there was no other way. Right now, finding food was like picking stars from the sky.
“Understood… I’ll do it that way.”
With tears welling up, the Slave Trader accepted. Even receiving half the payment would be enough to get through the year.
Ghislaine patted the Slave Trader’s shoulder and said.
“You made a good choice. Didn’t I say you’d hear some shocking news soon?”
“Yes… When I heard about the war, I really thought it was going to be disastrous, but I was surprised to hear we won. The knights didn’t look too good before…”
“That’s why you should hang on to every word I say. Now, where are the elves?”
“Yes, they are waiting outside the castle in temporary barracks. I’ve already handed them over to the administrator of the territory.”
Claude handed Ghislaine a document. It contained the price and personal information of the elves.
Ghislaine glanced over it and nodded.
“Good, then Claude should go first to guide the elves to their lodging and take care of the essentials. I’ll wrap up the deal and join you.”
“Understood.”
The Slave Trader and laborers moved a wagon loaded with supplies towards the Food Storage.
Given the elves’ price, even half the amount would result in a huge quantity of food.
Ghislaine meticulously checked the amount of food. He would usually let minor details slide, but the stakes were high this time.
Seeing this, the Slave Trader broke out in a cold sweat.
‘What kind of lord checks all this? He’s doing everything possible to avoid being cheated.’
The Slave Trader, who had considered sneaking in a bit more food, quickly gave up. With those sharp eyes watching him, there was no way that would work.
There was no way that was possible.
Seeing such a scene, other worries suddenly surfaced.
“Excuse me… Lord, have you ever bought Elf slaves before?”
At this, Ghislaine tilted his head slightly and replied.
“No, this is my first time buying.”
“Then, well… you haven’t spent a long time with them or seen them before?”
“Well… I’ve seen them briefly.”
In his past life, there were indeed Elves he had known for a long time. But those were excellent companions who fought against calamity, not slaves.
The only Elf slave he had seen was a dancer he encountered when being treated like a king as a mercenary. Even then, he had no real connection or interest.
His life was too arduous and exhausting to worry about such things.
Seeing Ghislaine’s reaction, the Slave Trader cautiously spoke up.
“Then… I’ve received the payment, so I’ll be on my way now.”
“Why? You must be tired. Take a day to rest.”
“No, I’m too busy for that. I’ll be able to come sooner next time.”
The additional slaves Ghislaine requested were only a few technicians or some to fill the population.
They were much easier to acquire than other race slaves.
Ghislaine nodded reluctantly at the suddenly hurried Slave Trader.
“Well, if you’re busy, then it can’t be helped. Just don’t go too far.”
“Oh, you know that Elves can be as troublesome as Dwarves, right? Since they live longer than humans, they tend to be older, and their prices are high, so they’ve been living lavishly.”
“The Elves must have their own pride, so we can treat them well. The Dwarves are opening up and living well in our territory now.”
What he said would make the Dwarves go nuts, but hearing such a reply, the Slave Trader looked somewhat relieved.
“Yes, then I’ve explained everything. I really have to go now. Hey, let’s hurry!”
The Slave Trader urged the laborers and quickly disappeared with the food wagons.
Ghislaine watched the scene closely, stroking his chin and squinting his eyes.
“Ah, that guy seems a bit suspicious. Is he bringing in sick Elves or something?”
Such details weren’t noted on the list. Just as he turned to confirm, Claude rushed over in a panic.
“Where did that Slave Trader go? Did he already run off?”
“He left already.”
Frowning fiercely, Claude took a deep breath and looked at Ghislaine.
“We have a problem.”
“Oh, what’s the problem now?”
“You need to see it for yourself.”
With a serious tone, Ghislaine and the others walked, puzzled.
When they arrived in the open space in front of the lodging, they were soon engulfed by a feeling they couldn’t quite describe.
‘Is this… an Elf?’
To begin with, Elf slaves were something that only the rich and highborn could even get a glimpse of. They tend to hide them away in their mansions.
Many people lived their lives without ever seeing one.
Therefore, people only had the mysterious image of Elves they had heard about in books or stories stuck in their heads.
Beautiful, ageless, gentle and noble beings who love nature.
But the Elves before their eyes were nothing like that.
“Hey, bring more drinks! Let’s have an epic celebration for today’s arrival!”
“Thump! Thump! Ah, have I gotten too old? My joints hurt, and I can’t dance like I used to.”
“Is there no more alcohol? I want to drink to my heart’s content tonight and get a good night’s sleep. Starting tomorrow, let’s party hard!”
“Hey? Today I just want to drink my fill and sleep well. Let’s party hard starting tomorrow!”
I’ve never seen chaos like this. It felt like a bunch of unemployed gangsters had come out for a picnic.
The rumors were true; they were all beautiful, regardless of gender. But the vibe was just completely off.
Ghislaine hadn’t specified a gender, so there were equal parts men and women.
The problem was, they all looked weird regardless of their gender.
“Phew! Since I’m a heavy smoker, you have to provide me with top-shelf tobacco every day.”
“Ugh, I’m getting drunk. I’ve already finished everything. When are we having a meal? I won’t eat unless it’s high-end liquor and veal.”
“I can’t sleep without a luxury bed. This town looks a bit poor.”
A few were puffing away on cigarettes, while others were already stumbling around, probably tipsy.
Some were sprawled out, snoring, while elves were joyfully dancing.
Even those sitting still didn’t look normal. In fact, their state was more serious.
Everyone was oozing laziness and boredom. They had tired faces that were definitely worn out by life.
Even Ghislaine, who usually doesn’t blink an eye at anything, couldn’t say a single word at this moment.
“What, what is this? Is this what elves are like? Did someone just stick pointy ears on them?”
When Ghislaine looked at Claude with a shocked expression, Claude, equally dumbfounded, replied.
“I thought so too, but they turned out to be elves when I checked. You always act like you know everything; didn’t you even know this before buying them?”
“How was I supposed to know about that? The elves I know don’t look like that!”
“Ah, why are you taking it out on me! The Lord is the one who got scammed!”
“Scammed? You think I got scammed?”
Looking around in disbelief, all the close associates cautiously nodded their heads. Kaor was laughing so hard he was holding his stomach.
“Ha ha ha! Even the Lord gets scammed sometimes! What kind of elves are those! They’re just orc bastards in elf costumes! Ha ha ha! Ugh! What?!”
In that moment, Ghislaine, furious, shot a kick straight at Kaor.
“Hey! You think this is funny? What are you laughing for? Do you have any idea how much money this cost in this situation?!”
Despite getting stepped on, Kaor couldn’t contain his laughter.
It was the first time seeing the Lord this flustered. This was absolutely intolerable.
“Ha ha! You dumbass, you got scammed… urgh, it hurts! Ha ha ha! Stop hitting me… Hehe! What’s happening? Why are my feet growing?”
At some point, Belinda jumped in and started kicking. Seeing that, Claude and Wendy rushed over to join in the fun.
Alfoy, who had come to watch, also sneaked in and gave Kaor a strong kick. After some hesitation, Piote joined in too.
“Oh goddess, forgive my sins. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”
Once even the pure-hearted Piote started kicking, there was no holding anyone back. Soon, everyone around jumped in to stomp on Kaor.
“Ugh! What’s this?! Why are there so many feet?! I remember all your shoes… Aah! Wait! Stop stepping on me! Are you freaking kidding me?! What is this?!”
It was like everyone had made up their minds not to miss the chance to relieve their stress, kicking with all their might.
Kaor eventually started rolling on the ground, screaming.
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