episode_0008

Among all the other things, the most important was paving the roads. I mobilized the spirit mages of the Iron Blood Legion.

“We need to pave the way on the golden plains of the western continent. Clear the path to the trading city of Dagamba! Also, pave the road from the Elond Territory to the commercial city of Porto! Hurry as much as possible!”

From the trade route of the Laco Mountain Range, connecting the western and eastern continents, to the commercial cities on both sides, the roads began to connect smoothly. With generous funding, many people volunteered for the work, and thanks to that, the roads were quickly built.

I invested ample time, manpower, and money to order durable and long-lasting luxury roads. As a result, roads were created that were no less solid and durable than the emperor’s roads in the capital. Meanwhile, Saladin Sultan and Carl Hansen were also fulfilling their roles adequately.

“Spare no expense! Build the best buildings!”

The Merchant Guild commissioned the Construction Guild and started building a large number of accommodations and commercial buildings outside the city of Porto without sparing any funds. The Merchant Guild’s substantial assets flowed into Porto through the expansion of sewers and the refurbishment of water supply facilities.

People didn’t understand why the Merchant Guild was spending money on such things. Some even said that Carl Hansen, the guildmaster of the Merchant Guild, was wasting money in unnecessary places. However, those were just rumors and whispers from shady individuals with hidden motives.

“Let them talk as much as they want! Pour money without hesitation! We must make it the best commercial district!”

Carl Hansen laughed heartily every day and continued with the expansions.

And the moment when the commercial city of Dagamba on the western continent and the commercial city of Porto on the eastern continent completed their refurbishments and prepared for full-scale trade was almost the same moment when the road connecting the two cities was completed.

As I requested, a splendid road that could accommodate ten carriages passing back and forth was completed, piercing through the golden plains of the western continent and the frigid regions of the eastern continent, connecting each commercial city.

It was the moment when a massive and long road connecting the two continents was completed for the first time. It was a remarkable achievement that happened in just one month after piercing through the Laco Mountain Range trade route. With that, I had finished all the preparations. I held the exclusive business rights granted by the emperor in my hands, and I had the merchant guild skilled in distribution under my control. Karl Hansen had already ordered and completed the production of hundreds of carriages for trade, which were stored in the commercial city of Portru. The Western and Eastern continents were ready to engage in trade, and I had no intention of obstructing that flow. “All goods from the East and West! Buy and sell them at the midpoint, the Elond Territory!” I notified the merchants of the Karamba Empire and the Aylam Empire, and with that notification, I opened the trade route. The passage that the Blood Legion’s elemental sorcerers had worked hard to open for three months was very sturdy and solid, capable of withstanding hundreds and thousands of people and carriages. And finally, the first trade between the two continents via the historic overland trade route took place in the Elond Territory. “What did you say?!” Lord Pellings slammed the table in his office, making a loud noise. It was an impulsive act, but it was evident that the solid wooden table was harder than his knuckles, and he quickly shook his hand feeling the pain, glaring at the steward who had come to deliver the news with a displeased expression. “They say the trade route has been opened. Tremendous resources from the Western continent are now flowing in through the overland trade route between the Western and Eastern continents. The Elond Territory is leading this trade.” Lord Pellings listened to those words in a daze for a while, then suddenly became furious and once again struck the desk. This time, the pain was even worse, and he angrily knocked down the documents on the desk. “Why are you reporting this now?!” “I apologize, Your Lordship.” The steward bowed his head, but deep down, he felt unjust. Didn’t the Lord himself say that what Randor was doing in the Elond Marches was a foolish endeavor bound to fail, and that there was no need to monitor it further, only to report on any casualties?

Following those words, all the spies who had been dispatched to Lord Elond’s command were summoned, and it was only later that they found out because they hadn’t made any effort to investigate. Now, they are blaming themselves for all the mistakes, but what can be done? Viscount Pellings was originally such a petty human being.

“Damn it! What is being imported?”

“A tremendous amount of spices, silk, perfumes… Most of the goods from the western continent that couldn’t be transported through the sea route are coming in. Especially, pepper is in high demand.”

Pepper had been a commodity with limited transportation capacity as it required complex and meticulous packaging to avoid moisture from the sea. Therefore, it used to be a luxury item that only well-off noble households could afford. But now, with a large influx, the price had dropped to the point where even commoners could afford it.

Naturally, there was a significant difference in taste between dishes with and without pepper.

The merchant guild of Landoor, which held a monopoly on trade with the west, was making a fortune through the pepper trade, thanks to the overflowing demand nationwide.

“Damn bastard. I never thought he would succeed. No, how did he know so quickly which part of the labyrinthine Rako Mountains to break through?”

Viscount Pellings didn’t doubt that Landoor would fail. There was no other option. The densely packed mountains, like a maze, covered with ice harder than steel due to centuries of snow melting and freezing repeatedly.

Beneath them lay the hardest rock formations known throughout the continent.

To break through such areas, they needed unimaginable amounts of money, time, and countless explorers who would risk their lives.

That’s why everyone had given up until now on the construction of the Rako Mountains tunnel.

“However, how did they succeed in just six months?! That damn bastard!”

Duke Fellings shouts in frustration.

Golden Adran, who firmly holds the key positions of the empire with unwavering sense of justice and exceptional administrative skills.

Silvera, the embodiment of grace, possessing outstanding beauty, remarkable observation skills, and intelligence, tightly grasping the empire’s technology and magic fields.

Even for Fellings, who planned to overthrow the incompetent emperor, take the throne, and had to restrain these two forces, it was an infuriating situation that couldn’t be avoided.

“Gather the members of the Vineyard Party. We need to hold a meeting.”

In the end, he had no choice but to summon his faction members.

The seven nobles who occupy the prime western singing region of the Ayram Empire.

They were called the members of the Vineyard Party, along with Duke Fellings, and they were planning to drive out the inept and foolish emperor and his children, taking control of the empire.

To discuss how to counter the growing power of Princess Karia and Lord Randor like monsters, the wisdom of all party members was needed. He hurriedly planned to ask the steward to send a summons letter to the party members.

“Duke Fellings! Something big has happened!!”

However, he realized that he didn’t need to bother sending a letter to one of the Vineyard Party members, Viscount Halloran. It was because Viscount Halloran rushed into his office in a hurry.

“Halloran. I was about to send you a letter to meet, what’s the matter?…”

“The peasants!! The peasants and nobles are flocking to Lord Elond’s estate!”

“What are you talking about? Why suddenly there?”

And the answer he received was completely unexpected.

“Looking for jobs!! And they say they want to go to a place called the amusement park!”

Lord Elond’s estate was a ruin just a few months ago. A desolate city where only crumbling buildings stood, emitting creaking screams in the chilly wind of the Laco Mountain Range.

But now.

Elond County had prospered to the extent that Elond Marquis was grieving over what Elond Marquis had handed over to me. The well-built accommodations, capable of housing thousands of nobles who had mocked such foolishness, were filled to the brim with merchants flocking from the east and west. Those who could interpret between the languages of both countries were busy shuttling back and forth, and the Merchant Guild was receiving a substantial amount of money on a daily basis, equivalent to a year’s worth of earnings in the capital.

This was all thanks to the enormous amount of spices, perfumes, silk, and other goods traded in Elond. Even the massively prepared market couldn’t accommodate the overwhelming number of merchants pouring in, leading to street vendors conducting trade. As a result, I had to expand the market by about three times its current size.

Naturally, where money gathered, people flocked. “We won’t go back. Can we become residents of Elond County?” The 20,000 peasants, who had intended to escape from the oppressive lords and help with construction or find side jobs, now wanted to settle here. No one wanted to return to their territories. In principle, I should have responded that I couldn’t fulfill their demands.

The county residents were strictly the lord’s assets, and if another lord were to take them away without permission, it would be illegal. However, I possessed the ultimate backing that allowed me to disregard all laws. “Ha! Such trivial matters! If you need power, you must possess it! Those 20,000 individuals shall be recognized as your county residents.”

I rushed to the Emperor and, within a day, those 20,000 individuals transformed into my county residents. I didn’t miss this opportunity and swiftly completed all the paperwork in a clean manner within a week, submitting it to the imperial court. And just like that, the 20,000 individuals who had temporarily come to work for me became my county residents.

“This, this cannot be! Your Majesty! How can you suddenly move our county residents to Elond County? Who will cultivate our lands if they are gone?”

Naturally, the nobles of the Beanyard Party, mainly from the Pelling’s ducal faction, who were humiliated as “Ginbapi” in Marine Corps terminology, vehemently petitioned the emperor. However, the emperor naturally paid no attention to their pleas.

“Are you questioning my authority over matters I have approved?! The jurisdiction of Yeongjimin is strictly under the emperor’s power! Moreover, those 20,000 peasants. I heard they went all the way to the distant and cold Elond territory for the sake of pillaging and exploitation just to make money!! You people! Are you executing taxes according to the law? Do you want to undergo a tax investigation?”

The emperor struck at the most sensitive point of all the nobles in an instant. When the foolish and ignorant emperor strangely supports me, my eyes become bright and sharp. Normally, if the emperor had supported me, it would not have been beneficial for the empire, but this time was different.

“W-Well…”

“Don’t speak any further about this matter!! To think that Yeongjimin has fled and come to me to report it!! Eing, tsk tsk! It’s obvious how you’ve managed Yeongjimin!! Did you come here to boast about being a worthless lord?”

The nobles of the Beanyard Party had no choice but to be stripped of their manpower and sell their assets separately and return.

And the story of them selling their assets was a very satisfying topic for the commoners. The peasants easily spread the story that the lords who plundered them with high taxes had sold their assets, along with a strange rumor that started to circulate.

“I heard that if you escape to the Elond territory, the original lord can’t catch you.”

As the rumor spread from mouth to mouth and a few more details were added, it became a complete story. However, for the peasants who had been suffering from plundering, it was a piece of news that opened their eyes.

And two more pieces of news were added to that.

“It seems like there’s an abundance of job opportunities in the Elond territory!!”

“And there’s even something called an amusement park there?”

“Amusement park? What’s that?”

“They say it’s a place with fun things… Apparently, skiing and skating are possible!”

Lord Landoor, the true lord who doesn’t engage in plundering.

A land overflowing with high-paying jobs.

And even in this medieval setting, there were special places created solely for entertainment.

Lord Elond’s territory quickly became known to the imperial peasants as a land of dreams and opportunities.

As rumors spread that escaping to Lord Elond’s domain would prevent the original lord from capturing them, one outcome ensued.

A massive exodus of oppressed peasants began, echoing the cries of plunder.