Chapter 60

Chapter 60 Proper rest my foot. People must be wrung out to be productive. What? Why such frightening words all of a sudden? Dwain, who had been organizing approved documents, asked with a startled expression. Ah, no. Just absurd occurrences. As Logan ruminated over his feelings of betrayal, the daily life of a certain dwarf in the workshop became increasingly arduous. Although minor variables arose in the crossbow production, overall, there were no significant issues. In fact, the progress had quickened. Hamar, with dark circles under his eyes that had spread across his eyelids, managed to produce crossbows for all soldiers in just a few weeks. As a result, the soldiers training began to gain momentum. Most importantly, the achievement of settling residents from two territories into the newly completed 10,000-household facilities of Maclaine Town, as planned, was the greatest success. Wow! Mom! Is this our house?! Wow! Its huge! Are we really going to live here? Ye-yes, that seems to be the case. How did they? A woman, carrying a baby on her front and back, burst into tears at her childrens words. A wooden two-story house. The awkward layout, being very close to neighboring houses and barely the size of 20 pyeong per floor, was irrelevant. Compared to the leaky straw-roofed houses they had lived in all their lives, it might as well have been a palace. I was worried about how wed survive this winter. This is truly a relief. The tears streaming down her face were those of someone pushed to the brink, now relieved by a ray of hope. But Mom Hmm? What is it, child? Will Dad be able to find our new house? Yes. If our Anna listens to Mom well, eats and grows well, your father will also return safely. Really? For real? Yes. A conversation between a four-year-old sister and her mother. The 12-year-old firstborn, now slightly aware of death, frivolously covered his eyes as he looked to the sky. His mother, seeing this, clutched at her aching heart again. Until a few months ago, she had only thought about dying following her deceased husband. Were given food, a place like this to live, and even land to cultivate Now, she had newfound hope. Thank you. Thank you so much. She bowed again and again, grateful to the nobles far away whom she could neither see nor hear. The resentment toward the nobles who had caused needless wars began to fade a little. The relocated residents, mostly those who had been struggling in the two previous territories, were all satisfied with the new settlement and cheered enthusiastically. Each voice did not carry far, but together, their cheers filled the town, creating an overall bright atmosphere. The very person they were so grateful for could distinctly feel this uplifting mood. Having lots of people around seems to liven things up. Its nice to see. Clayton remarked, and Logan nodded in agreement. But it still needs to grow. I can see more space suitable for houses. Maclaine Town was set to become the central hub for the growing territory. From the top of the Mage Tower, Logan looked down at the town with a bright smile. * * * Now that the village construction is complete, the crossbows will be finished by the end of the month as promised. Good work. Whats wrong, why arent you leaving? Its just that Ah, right. I have to give this to you. Thud. Before the hesitating Hamar, Logan placed down a huge ingot of silver metal. What is this all about? What do you mean? Its mithril. Make some weapons for the knights. They could reclaim that land? I was curious, so I checked. They dug into the mountain to divert water from the Luter River. They dug through a mountain? Madmen, truly. Theyve reclaimed wasteland with that insanity? Yes. Scouts confirm its true. Haha. How did they even think of such a task, let alone afford it? Did Maclaine have the money? Theres a rumor that Thesron had surplus funds, or that the Dukes son made some profitable business deal. There are also rumors of a gold mine strike and even divine money falling from the sky Max Ferretta waved off his subordinates continuation. Whatever outlandish rumors there may be, lets focus on the tangible facts. Reclamation is confirmed, right? Yes, thats correct. And how does this reclaimed land compare to ours? At least three times larger than ours, sir. Hm. Even if yields are less because it was once wasteland, its twice ours. Thats right. Overnight, their neighbor had become rich. To sit back and cheer would be unbecoming of true nobility. At least by the standards he knew. Hm. We cant just leave it Do we have any pretext? Theres no need to create one. Some serfs escaped to their pioneering village. With the excuse of apprehending them, we could enter their territory. At the Marquis question, his subordinate Rihalt hurriedly responded. Oh, serfs of ours, my property? That gives us a legitimate reason. What shall we demand in return? As you wish, either that land or the plains adjacent to Thesron. The only problem is Rihalts voice trailed off, but the Marquis understood him perfectly. Tsk. Alone, it could be risky, could it not? Max Ferretta clicked his tongue, although he didnt seem too worried. Ferrettas forces were incomparable to the trampled Thesron, numbering over 120 knights and nearly 2000 regular soldiers. On top of that, they had two towns with nearly 40,000 permanent residents. He proudly believed his position to be stronger in every aspect than the plains adjacent to Thesron Castle. But. Soto Sylvan. Thats the problem. Thats right. It would be painful to get stabbed in the back. A pain would be a best-case scenario. Max Ferretta chuckled dryly, remembering his northern rival. Although his peer only held one castle, the military force there was not far off from those garrisoned across his two castles. Moreover, that castle now bordered the territory of Maclaine, which once belonged to Thesron. An eternal thorn in his side. Damn, its become troublesome. As much as I became an upper-class knight, Padric would be too much to handle, right? Uh! Subdued by the Marquiss sudden burst of energy, Rihalt paled but nodded. Yes. Padric Maclaine became an upper-class knight 20 years ago. To confront him personally would be problematic. If you act alone against Maclaine, it will cost blood. Then, if Sylvan strikes from behind Yes, I share the sentiment. Good insight, you have. Im honored. While others might have construed this as contempt for a ruler, Max Ferretta was not only ambitious but cautious. Though he believed Maclaine could not have recovered so quickly from its injuries, nor become stronger in just one year, he wanted to be prepared for any slim chance. Contact Sylvan. They charge as high taxes as us. Surely, many have fled from there, too, no? Of course. Its obvious what those rabble think. Ferretta and Sylvan were among the territories in the kingdom with the highest tax rates at 70%. If they lured them in, they could swallow Maclaine with ease. A coalition of two lords. Whether Maclaine gets seized entirely or mostly isnt for them to decide anymore. Max Ferretta felt like the fruitful land was already within his grasp. Going there just because the tax rate is lower How naive. Anyhow, theyre sure to raise the taxes substantially after the land is cultivated. Tsk, tsk, short-sighted fools. Isnt that the limit of commoners? Yes, thats why were the rulers. Well, proceed. Yes! As much as I hate to share the spoils, it cant be helped. A wise choice. Even if Maclaine was intact or had grown stronger, an alliance between the two lords would be impossible to stop. The sudden prosperity of Maclaine was nothing more than a feast laid out before them. At least, thats what everyone in the room believed.