266 – Time to Prepare for War Again? (1)
The one who brought the supplies was Lowell. He came with a hundred knights and a thousand soldiers.
The amount of food was enormous, so he had to bring a considerable force to protect it.
With a weary look, Lowell addressed Ghislaine.
“How have you been? The troops have enough food to last a few months. I’ll bring more on time next time.”
“What the heck? Why are you here? What happens if a spy comes all the way here? Aren’t you working?”
At Ghislaine’s question, Lowell’s expression darkened.
“There’s so much food that the Chief Officer told me to come. He said it would be dangerous if someone else came. He also wanted me to personally check the situation in the territories along the way. Now I’m supposed to be in charge of diplomacy too.”
While spies and diplomats might seem quite different at first glance, there were many connections between their duties upon closer inspection.
Taking on diplomatic tasks allows for direct interactions with key figures and makes it easier to excuse visits to other territories under the guise of official business.
Of course, it also meant being exposed to danger, but that was a risk worth taking for the advantages it offered.
“Oh, that’s actually pretty good. No matter how much info you gather, nothing beats seeing it in person.”
As Ghislaine nodded, Lowell gritted his teeth.
Now he had to personally roam around collecting information. When he returned to the territory, he would have to analyze and categorize the information brought back by other spies.
‘Ah, I just want to run away so badly.’
Since he was a former war prisoner, running away would mean death. He had no choice but to just accept his fate and keep working.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Penris Soldiers unloaded massive sacks of wheat from the wagon and began taking out frozen meat in abundance. People gasped in astonishment at the sight.
“Whoa, whoaaa!”
Even seeing it with their own eyes, they couldn’t believe the reality. They had never seen this much food and meat in their lives.
‘Wow, I heard the famine is severe, and the entire continent is facing a food crisis. How did they bring back that much?’
‘Look at all that meat, it sure looks delicious.’
‘Even if there’s a lot, is it too much? Are they planning to sell it? How much will it cost?’
‘I heard they’re nobles. Are they also running a merchant group?’
People swallowed their saliva but hesitated to approach.
This place was where Ghislaine, a monster that wiped out the monsters, and Kaor, who could take down a Twin Head Ogre by himself, were.
Kaor was lying on a sickbed, but Ghislaine and the other knights were fine. It was clear that no one here could win if they all rushed at them.
Watching the crowd dazed by the absurd amount of food, Ghislaine spoke.
“Aren’t you tired of eating monster meat every day?”
Nods of agreement.
“Aren’t you annoyed that bread and meat are too expensive?”
More nods.
“I’ll sell meat and wheat at pre-famine prices, want some?”
“Ooh!”
People’s eyes widened in disbelief.
They were well aware that food prices had skyrocketed outside the fortress. Selling food at pre-famine prices in such a situation was truly unimaginable.
Seeing the astonished crowd, Ghislaine continued.
Watching the people, Ghislaine continued speaking.
“However, I will only accept the payment in monster hides and tendons. The prices for those two will also be set according to pre-famine market rates, so keep that in mind.”
The people nodded readily.
While the price of hides had risen significantly lately, it was nothing compared to food prices.
The most traded items here were monster byproducts. Naturally, there was an abundance of hides and tendons, making them cheaper than elsewhere.
‘Exchanging for food right now is definitely a win.’
‘Besides hides and tendons, there are plenty of other byproducts to sell.’
‘Let’s stop eating monster meat for a while!’
Soon, the hunters rushed to the workshop’s storage and returned with the hides they owned.
They were loud, clamoring to make exchanges first.
“I’ll trade right now! Give me the meat, meat!”
“I’ve got wheat! I have several high-quality hides!”
“I have hides too! They’re not high-quality, but there’s a lot of them!”
As people gathered, the front of the inn turned chaotic once again. While knights and soldiers stepped in to restore order, Ghislaine spoke to Lowell.
“Come on, let’s start the trading quickly.”
“…Me?”
“You’re the only one who knows the exact quantities right now, right? Plus, you’re really fast at calculations.”
“…That’s true.”
When it came to calculations, Lowell was recognized by everyone in the territory for his speed. Though he made a few minor errors, didn’t that save their lives in the end?
Lowell began handling the trades immediately without even resting from the fatigue he had accumulated on the way. As a result, the hides and tendons stacked up like crazy.
Ghislaine nodded at the sight.
‘If we keep hunting while trading for food, we won’t have any issues with the supply of hides and tendons.’
The rumor that a merchant group had brought a lot of food and meat spread quickly within the fortress.
Not just the hunters, but the merchant groups that had been trading within the fortress also flocked in. It was a profit for them to acquire food here and sell it elsewhere.
Naturally, the fortress commander Grant also slipped in.
“We have many byproducts to send to the royal family as well. We would like to exchange them for food.”
Having a good supply greatly impacts soldier morale. He didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
Ghislaine nodded and proposed a new business idea.
“I want to trade with all the fortresses near the Shadow Mountain Range. Can you help me?”
“All fortresses, you say?”
“Yeah, it would take too long for me to travel around myself.”
“There are around fifty fortresses blocking the Shadow Mountain. Are you saying you want to trade with all of them?”
“I’m the guy known as the Food King of Northern Ruthania. Haven’t you heard of me?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“…Well, anyway, just help me get connected quickly. I want to issue a permit in the name of the kingdom so that others can’t bother us. I don’t want to waste time.”
“Understood. I’ll deliver the news as quickly as possible. This achievement will be reported along with your name, and the royal family will accept it.”
Grant immediately dispatched messengers. He emphasized the current situation, along with Ghislaine’s skills and wealth, to the commanders of each fortress and the royal family multiple times.
He even added a bit of spice that this was a prime opportunity to have the support of a noble from the great kingdom of Ruthania.
The Turian Kingdom was extremely supportive regarding fortresses. Especially since the commanders of each fortress were chosen carefully, they showed a considerable amount of trust in the reports they received.
In just a few days, an official permit was issued by royal decree.
[The Turian Royal Family grants formal trade permission with Count Penris of the Ruthania Kingdom.
– The credit of the Penris Merchant Group is guaranteed by the Turian Royal Family.
– Personnel belonging to the Penris Merchant Group can move freely within all regions of the kingdom without special procedures.
– For the sale of food, the Penris Merchant Group is exempt from taxes.
– All commanders and lords of the kingdom will protect the Penris Merchant Group.]
This was an incredible privilege. No merchant group had ever received such benefits before.
There was hardly any platform.
These people decided to actively support the Penris Merchant Group, as their top priority was to maintain the fortress.
Of course, Grant’s strong recommendation and Ghislaine being a noble from the powerful Ruthania played significant roles.
Ghislaine smiled satisfactorily.
“I knew Grant would be able to negotiate this much.”
Though they had no close friendship in their past lives, they were familiar enough from frequent visits to the fortress.
Grant was quite capable and had served at the fortress for a long time. He was also the eldest son of a powerful marquis family in the Turian Kingdom.
Not only his abilities but also his background made it hard for anyone to disregard his words.
“Great, I can make even more money now.”
Acquiring money and resources through trade with other kingdoms was one of Ghislaine’s plans.
Currently, the items being traded were only food, but if he could establish a foothold through this opportunity, he could sell cosmetics and iron ore too, making a significant profit.
“Kaor and the knights will have a bit more comfort now.”
Even if he returned, Grant and the Turian Kingdom would protect them.
Though the fortress laws didn’t recognize the authority of nobles, they couldn’t leave the merchant group—who was officially trading with the kingdom—completely unattended.
Leaving behind those troublemakers felt a bit uneasy, but he couldn’t pave a better road than this.
“Hey, are you feeling any better now?”
Kaor, wrapped in bandages from head to toe, pouted at Ghislaine’s words.
“Tell me who the bastard was that hit me.”
“I didn’t see.”
“Damn… I guess I’ll just have to beat them all up.”
Kaor fumed in frustration. He should’ve made a magnificent exit, but instead, he ended up surrounded and beaten. He was about ready to explode.
Ghislaine stayed for a few more days, hunting monsters and training the knights. Of course, Kaor was dragged along to suffer despite his injuries.
The hunters who decided to join Ghislaine were dragged into the hunt and fell into serious contemplation.
“This is bad… I made a 30-year contract…”
“I shouldn’t have taken the advance… When am I going to pay it back?”
“Who knew the kingdom would protect these guys…?”
They were also forced into hunting and ended up working alongside the knights. They played the roles of porters and dismantlers. They wanted to run away, but it was too late.
“Damn! I was given the advance for this reason! There’s no way I can pay it back now!”
They had squandered the hefty advance they received on drinking and partying.
Even if they wanted to overcome them through strength, they had no confidence against the knights. Especially Kaor, who was now the strongest in the fortress.
Even if they managed to outnumber him, it would still be a problem. Grant and his troops were there to protect them, so they couldn’t kill him or escape.
They were completely trapped.
“Everyone, hunt hard and gather leather and tendons. Whenever the merchant group comes, send those over. Got it? I’m heading back now. Kaor, make sure to train hard.”
“Yes….”
At Ghislaine’s words, the knights and hunters nodded glumly.
In fact, the knights were also trying to find a way to escape from there. They clung to other knights who had come with Lowell.
“Please let us switch!”
“This place is really fun! Once the lord goes back, it’s freedom, freedom!”
“You can quickly improve your skills too!”
But the knights, roughly sensing the atmosphere, harshly shook off their hands.
“Who are you? Do I know you?”
“Are you crazy? I don’t want to be in this shabby place!”
“I’m doing well. Let’s meet again alive.”
The knights, having trained hard during this time, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If they had slacked off, they would have been dragged here and endured a hellish experience.
Left to cry alone, Ghislaine returned to the territory with Lowell.
Only one person, Kaor, shouted with a cheerful smile.
“Hey! You know I’m the strongest here now, right? If you don’t listen to me, I’ll beat you all up! Got it?”
There were hundreds of hunters following him, and the Turian Kingdom was openly protecting him.
There are hundreds of hunters roaming around. Moreover, the Turian Kingdom is openly providing protection.
Now, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Kaor is a powerful figure with the strongest influence in the fortress.
“Hahaha! I am now the king of Ironcliff! A king!”
He truly liked this place.
*
Even without Ghislaine, the territory was bustling with activity. Even those without much responsibility worked hard. It was due to the fear of future consequences.
Thanks to this, the territory was rapidly developing even in Ghislaine’s absence.
Upon her arrival, Ghislaine received a report on what has happened during her time away. Having been gone for quite a while, a summary was necessary.
The first report covered the road construction project being undertaken with the House of Marquis.
“The road construction is progressing smoothly. We are already connected with the surrounding territories.”
“Thanks to that, the number of users for Arrow Delivery has increased. However, we are still at a loss….”
“Instead, we are gradually receiving road usage fees from the neighboring territories. The North is less dynamic due to a smaller float of merchant groups and population, but we expect more fees from the capital area managed by Young Lady Branford.”
The road and delivery business was proceeding without major issues. Indeed, when the House of Marquis Branford gets involved, things run quite smoothly.
Now, as long as they continue this way, they will be making more and more money.
After that, the reports mostly concerned the development of the territory.
“Galbarium is being produced in greater quantities than expected. The blacksmiths are working so hard they’ve practically camped out in the workshop.”
“The Penris region is mostly filled with farmlands now. We are continuously purchasing necessary resources and daily necessities with the money earned from selling food.”
“Other regions have been filled with large hatcheries and various workshops. The production capacity of the territory is rapidly increasing.”
“The construction of residences is almost complete. It’s becoming hard to find anyone among the territory residents without a home. However, the process of relocating the village has been somewhat delayed.”
They were working on relocating residents from small villages, distant from key establishments, into nearby fortresses and cities.
However, they were exceedingly busy with other tasks, and the process of eliminating villages proved to be more challenging than expected.
People were reluctant to leave the homes they had lived in, which slowed things down a bit, and the very preparation for relocation required considerable manpower.
Because of this, the integration of the villages was progressing slowly; however, once the immigrants settled down, there was almost no discontent.
As the number of facilities necessary for the territory increased, the living standards of the people improved significantly. The loyalty and satisfaction of the territory residents were incomparable to before.
It was nothing short of a miracle for a poor Northern territory to have developed this much. All thanks to Ghislaine’s knowledge and insane work ethic.
“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say there’s no place in the North that lives better than here. The surplus production is steadily increasing.”
“As the economic activities have become more vibrant, taxes are also on the rise. Although expenditures still exceed our income…”
“The territory residents all praise the Lord.”
Desmond and Raybold were so prosperous that they could be considered the best in the North.
However, even those territories were only strong due to their lord’s power, and not every resident was living well. Just like other territories, they also faced severe wealth disparities.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that there’s no other place in this continent where all residents can eat their fill and live without major worries, like in Penris Territory.
Having received abundant praise, Ghislaine nodded in satisfaction.
“Alright, we’re in a much better position than before. So, I’m sure everyone knows what I plan to do next, right?”
“……”
The retainers didn’t respond. They had a feeling they knew but didn’t want to say it. So Ghislaine spoke first.
“Now, we need to prepare for war again, right?”
With the expected answer, the retainers wore gloomy expressions.
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