23 – Credit
＜Chapter 23 – Credit＞
“You’re going to be engaged to Clan Kent, Princess Alencia.”
Russell said.
He believed that the best way to calm down those who were jealous was to show them even more jealousy.
“Princess Alencia, you chose Clan instead of me.”
I clenched my fist in tension.
If Russell’s words were wrong, my relationship with Alencia could be jeopardized.
Right now, Alencia and Venia, the two noble ladies, were in a precarious situation, with one foot in danger.
The tension that had been pulled taut suddenly loosened.
Because a third party had intervened.
“Oh my…”
Alencia’s personal maid, Mari, covered her mouth with her hand and looked back and forth between Alencia and me.
With eyes full of laughter.
“Oh my, is this… Is it that?”
“Enough, Marie.”
Alencia rebuked the maid with a low tone, maintaining tension.
However,
“Elwin, this is subpar…”
“Marie, I told you to stop!”
“hahahahaha, my apologies, Milady.”
The tension completely dissipated with Marie’s laughter.
Alencia, as if resigned, eased her annoyed expression.
“So, it’s not because of me but Clan Kent, right?”
“Yes.”
“In that case, it doesn’t matter. Also, create farmland for Viscount Kent. I’m… still in the process of engagement with Clan Kent.”
“hahahahaha. We tried within the faction, but Milady halted it.”
Marie interjected again.
Unable to endure any longer, Alencia expelled Marie.
Silence returned to the room with only the two of them.
Alencia was the first to break it.
“So, shall we proceed with the contract? How much did you agree with Venia?”
“I agreed to a 10-year contract, receiving 30% of the profits. It’s a lump sum once the magical removal is completed.”
“In that case, I’ll give you 40% over 10 years. The money, right away.”
It was a much better deal than Venia.
As a negotiating partner, Allensia was more demanding.
But after dealing with Venia first, Allensia came up with a better offer.
Russell’s words seemed to hit the mark.
“Thank you for the good deal, Lady Allensia.”
“If there’s anything like this next time, bring it to me first.”
“Understood. Then.”
.
.
After the negotiation, I returned to the inn.
The tension in my body, which had been high from meeting the two noblewomen, relaxed.
“Master, how did it go?”
Russell asked with a tense expression.
I raised one hand and raised my thumb.
“It went well! Can you tell me the details of the negotiation?”
“I decided to accept it immediately from Lady Allensia, and after eliminating the magic, I will accept it from Lady Venia.”
“I see. Are you going to increase the number of slaves with that money?”
“Yes, that’s right. Use the money you received from Lady Allensia to buy slaves. Use them to cultivate more land. Before sowing winter wheat.”
Russell parted ways with the Vampire’s Duchy.
Carrying the money he received from Alencia, Russell headed to the continent.
To purchase slaves.
I moved to the Aquano Duchy, one of the three viscounties.
“Elwin, you’ve come.”
Lady owner Unter Aquano welcomed me.
“Unter.”
Perhaps it was because of the long-standing hostility.
The atmosphere was awkward.
When we looked at each other, we were always behind the two noble ladies.
Unter silently guided me.
“The land you see now is cultivated land. You can stay on the side.”
After explaining, she glanced at me briefly.
Then she spoke again.
“If you want, even now, I can let you stay at the lord’s mansion. You don’t need to stay in a place like this, no matter how hostile we’ve been.”
She said that, but staying here wasn’t a bad place.
Of course, it was lacking for a noble, but…
“It’s okay. It’s better this way. It’s more comfortable for praying.”
“Hmph, do as you please. If you need anything, just let me know.”
The counter finished its guidance and left.
And I immediately started working.
I knelt at the edge of the cultivation field.
To others, I would appear as a faithful clergyman.
Of course, that wasn’t the truth.
I continuously used the land recovery skill.
“I have to finish quickly.”
I will remove the magic from the land of the three viscounts.
Afterwards, I will go straight to the Seliver and remove the magic from the newly created cultivation field.
All of this must be completed before winter wheat sowing.
So that I can harvest and sell the wheat next spring.
With that money, I will be able to expand again.
As I used the skill, it gradually became dark.
It didn’t stop even when it became night.
It even continued into the early morning.
“You must wake me up at the time I specified.”
“Of course.”
To not waste any mana. I even adjusted my sleeping time.
I have to wake up and use the skill before my mana is depleted.
I woke up several times in the middle of sleep to use the skill.
Two months passed like that.
The three viscounts were able to remove the curse from the farmland.
**
Returning to River Town after two months.
“Have you arrived, Lady Soyoung?”
“Have you arrived, Master?”
“Have you arrived, Master?”
After greeting Grandfather and crossing over to the smithy, Hans, Russell, and Isaac came.
“How’s the situation?”
“With the funds received from the two noble ladies, we’ve purchased 4,000 slaves. Currently, 4,000 are in the smithy, and 2,000 are in the eastern smithy.”
With the funds spent, the scale tripled in an instant.
“Additionally, we’ve bought blacksmith slaves.”
“Blacksmiths?”
“Yes. With the increased manpower, there’s a growing demand for agricultural tools and weapons. Initially, we plan to focus on repairs, gaining experience, and then move on to direct production.”
It was a good decision to buy Russell in a hurry.
He didn’t just do what was ordered; he thought for himself and carried out necessary tasks.
“Well done. Isaac, how’s the farmland situation?”
“We’ve deployed a large number of people and added two cultivation areas in the eastern smithy and five in the smithy.”
“Already? You’ve made seven?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“We’ve selected the sites first, and for now, we’ve only cleared the areas where we’ll plant wheat.”
Norfolk-style, a 4-yun field is divided into four sections.
Among them, only the area for planting wheat was cultivated first.
Autumn would soon come, and winter wheat needed to be sown.
“You’ve worked hard, Isak.”
“Thank you, master.”
Finally, I turned my head to Hans.
“How is the situation with the militia?”
“Total force of 1,200. 500 Palangx soldiers. 200 shield bearers. 500 crossbowmen.”
“Shield bearers?”
“After operating the Palangx unit, we found a lack in situational response. So, we plan to deploy 100 shield bearers on each flank.”
I nodded and acknowledged Hans after hearing all the explanations.
After listening to everything, I voiced my thoughts.
“As everyone knows, I have been given two years.”
“…”
“…”
“I must prove my capabilities as the lord of Soyoung within these two years.”
“…”
“…”
It’s a short time compared to what needs to be done.
The atmosphere in the room became heavy.
“Everyone knows, I have no talent for magic. That’s why they doubt. Whether I have the ability to defend the Frontier Territory.”
“…”
“…”
“So, I’m going to show them.”
I took out the prepared map.
On the map was drawn the southern coastal area of Monster Island.
Starting from the Frost River, I drew a rectangle along the southern coast.
“I will reclaim this place within a year. The expansion will begin in late autumn. Everyone should prepare accordingly.”
Even in the urgent situation, there was a reason for setting it for autumn.
Namely, to harvest barley in the fall and plant winter wheat.
The plan was to start the actual battle only after completing the important farming schedule.
As we were about to finish the meeting, Hans spoke up.
“Lady Soyoung.”
“Do you have something to say?”
“The total number of slaves has reached 6,000. With this number, we can train professional soldiers.”
Hans’s opinion was not to mobilize peasants as soldiers but to select some individuals and make them professional soldiers.
“May I also share my thoughts?”
This time, Russell stepped forward.
“What is it?”
“I’ve calculated the profits considering Hans’s suggestion. If we train professional forces, more people can focus on farming. This is expected to increase the total income.”
Russell advocated Hans’s opinion.
Isaac also seemed to agree.
However.
I have three means to control many slaves.
System. Hope. Hostages.
If we follow Hans’s words, we must give up one means, the system.
Respected Landowner (Lv 2)
Raises the loyalty of affiliated peasants.
The target of the Respected Landowner skill is ‘peasants’ under affiliation.
Not slaves or subordinates.
That’s why farming must be done.
Especially, for soldiers who handle weapons.
“It’s a good suggestion, but fundamentally, it’s farming. We can’t give up farming.”
The three immediately agreed with my words.
Ironically, it was embarrassing for me, who was contemplating the basis, to be easily acknowledged.
“Then, let’s prepare thoroughly until late autumn.”
“Understood.”
“Understood.”
The three moved to their respective workplaces.
I went to the newly created farmland.
This time, I added a total of 7 farmlands.
“First, let’s remove the weeds from the wheat area and work on the rest.”
When I arrived at the farmland, I kneeled down.
Now, the praying position wasn’t uncomfortable anymore.
Perhaps because I did it frequently, it felt comfortable.
“Land restoration.”
