Chapter 107: Chapter 107
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 107
After recruiting Dario, Wendigo immediately threw him into practical work.
Honestly, he wasn’t a trustworthy guy, but there was no choice since things were so busy right now.
Of course, Dario was just as bewildered.
Dragged to Geron’s office by Wendigo, Dario asked Wendigo with a dumbfounded expression:
“Until just recently you were suspicious of me, but is it okay to put me right into such important work?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? Geron, what do you think?”
At Wendigo’s question, Geron lifted his head. He was still reading documents with one eye while waving his arm as if to say look around.
“If the spirit really couldn’t trust him, would he be alive? I don’t care who it is as long as they can reduce the workload.”
Geron’s office was already no different from an administrative office.
The servants and outsiders who had their abilities recognized and became forest bureaucrats were all reviewing documents with dark circles under their eyes while sipping tea.
While noting corrections on documents, Geron asked the bureaucrats:
“If anyone here objects to a new slave, I mean bureaucrat, joining us, speak up.”
“How could we dare object when the spirit has forgiven him with great generosity?”
“We’re truly delighted that a new bureaucrat, I mean slave, is joining us.”
Burning with the will to not die alone, they expressed their approval like a machine gun.
Dario turned pale at that horrifying sight and looked up at Wendigo.
As if to prove he could grovel at any time, he rubbed his palms together with an awkward smile and tried to persuade Wendigo:
“Your Majesty, wasn’t I chosen as a talented individual with skills in social maneuvering and rhetoric? For someone like me, paperwork isn’t really suitable…”
“Don’t worry.”
Geron answered on behalf of Wendigo as he listened to Dario’s words.
Dario slowly turned his head back as if he had a sore throat.
A bureaucrat held out a cart full of documents to Dario with a bright smile.
‘Until now I thought only the Kapustin family guys had such unpleasant smiling faces. Damn it.’
“The wise spirit said it’s inefficient for me to handle all the paperwork. So you just need to take that and go find Walton.”
Right, what does it matter who it is as long as they can reduce the workload?
Realizing he couldn’t escape, Dario grabbed the cart with a miserable expression.
Wendigo looked at Dario in disbelief.
“Did you think you’d be able to relax at such a busy time?”
“… But I didn’t expect to be thrown into such a big job right away.”
Dario grumbled at Wendigo’s rebuke.
He really hadn’t expected to be immediately put into such an important task as university establishment.
Surely it was strange for someone unplanned like himself to insert into what must be a huge project prepared over years under the king’s leadership by merchants, intellectuals, and chieftains…
“Did you hear some strange rumors somewhere? What nonsense is that?”
Wendigo asked Dario directly in disbelief.
Since when had university establishment become something prepared over years?
“Huh? Isn’t it?”
Dario was just as bewildered.
Logically, such an important project couldn’t be planned without any preparation.
‘Hmm, that would be the normal reaction.’
However, there are no absolutes in this world.
Wendigo told Dario the behind-the-scenes story of the university establishment.
Of course, Dario’s expression became grotesque as he listened to the story.
It was natural, since what he had judged to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was actually the result of a few people going overboard.
Thud.
Learning the truth, Dario muttered with a dejected expression:
“I must be crazy. To think I came here to open a new chapter in my life in a place where things are run in such a ridiculous way.”
“Don’t think about running away. You’re already in the same boat as us. And stop pretending your legs are weak.”
“……”
A superior who could discern one’s true intentions was a more terrifying existence than expected.
Dario dusted himself off and got up, pulling the cart like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse.
Shortly after, Wendigo and Dario stopped in front of a door.
“Go in.”
“Yes…”
Dario, having resigned himself, opened the door weakly.
Inside, Walton was reviewing documents while smoking a wooden pipe.
Of course, he wasn’t using the large room alone. Like those seen in Geron’s office, people with dark circles under their eyes were reviewing documents.
When Dario entered pulling a cart full of documents, they screamed.
“Damn, were there this many intellectuals in the north?”
“It must be because capable warriors are flocking here too. Can’t they just go raid the Empire like usual?”
“I hope there’s someone useful this time. At this rate, we’ll die first…”
Realizing those people were his future, Dario stepped back, but it was useless.
Wendigo blocked his back and said to Walton:
“Walton, try raising this guy under you. He should be quite useful.”
“I came here wanting to become a university educator… But I suppose we need to establish the foundation first, so it can’t be helped.”
As Walton gestured while exhaling smoke, Dario stepped inside. Then the door closed with a thud as if there was nowhere left to escape.
At the words “new colleague”, the bureaucrats looked at Dario with glinting eyes.
Dario swallowed dryly at their gaze, like wolves spotting prey.
Establishing the foundation for a university was an extremely tedious task.
With only rumors and stories written in history books to reference, they literally had to build everything from the ground up.
Thanks to many capable people being ground down en masse, they were able to establish a foundation that could be called a university, but…
“I’m not sure where to decide on the site…”
Based on that completed foundation, they couldn’t easily decide where to build the university.
Choosing the outskirts of the forest as the site would be a waste of fertile land, but placing it inside the forest would make transportation difficult.
“This is truly perplexing. To think it’s hard to find suitable land in this vast forest.”
“We can’t build near the palace as it might negatively affect the spirit.”
Groans kept coming from inside the meeting room.
Who would have thought the forest, which had only given good things so far, would be an obstacle at a time like this?
“How about building near the palace?”
“But to secure the university site we’ve envisioned, quite a lot of trees would need to be cut down.”
“It’s no exaggeration to say that the forest’s order is maintained thanks to Wendigo. So to do something that might negatively affect Wendigo for the sake of building a university…”
Skadi shook her head, not wanting to push for university establishment if it meant enduring such things.
What was the reason for having a vast forest around the palace in the first place?
Wasn’t a large area of land left as forest because it might affect Wendigo?
So building a university at the cost of Wendigo’s well-being could be seen as disregarding his authority.
Even if Wendigo himself didn’t think so, the forest people wouldn’t like it.
“We might end up having to abandon university establishment.”
“Surely it won’t come to that? University establishment is something both northerners and forest people want.”
Wendigo grimaced at Geron’s assertion, but Geron shook his head firmly.
The university was great, but not to the extent of putting everything else aside to establish it.
In the end, people were able to prepare for the big project of university establishment thanks to the food starting to flow out from Wendigo’s territory.
But what if it negatively affected Wendigo, who was responsible for that food?
“Many farmers are grateful that their land has become fertile thanks to the spirit’s grace. Naturally, there’s a lot of concern for the spirit’s well-being too.”
“If the king shows even slightly strange symptoms, the farmers will surely feel great anxiety.”
In the end, what’s most important to people is the food they can put in their mouths right now.
Having finally been liberated from hunger and living each day grateful for being full, how could they want to take risks?
‘Strictly speaking, that’s not my ability though.’
The problem was that he couldn’t reveal to everyone that Gikas’ heart was the reason.
“Then how about building the university outside the forest?”
“Uh… wouldn’t that be difficult?”
Dario cautiously objected to someone’s suggestion while reading the room.
Fortunately, none of Wendigo’s close associates bullied newcomers for voicing opinions.
When Wendigo nodded to allow him to speak, Dario carefully opened his mouth:
“Of course, building outside is quite a good choice. Honestly, most of the northern land is hard, so there aren’t many places good for farming.”
“There are quite a lot of unused lands too.”
Walton nodded in agreement with Dario’s words. Indeed, the north was so barren it was hard to find proper cities.
So there was an abundance of unused land, but…
“The problem is that if we declare we’re building the university outside, the tribes will obviously go crazy. Honestly, who would want to miss out on such a juicy morsel?”
“Ah…”
How much investment had been received just to establish the university’s foundation, and how much wealth would be consumed for future operations?
Of course, it was natural that some crumbs would fall to the land where the university was located.
From other tribes’ perspectives, they had invested but it would end up growing someone else’s tribe, so they were bound to feel deprived.
“The forest where the king resides is fine. After all, the king is both the main actor in university establishment and the most powerful person in the north.”
“So you’re saying there’s no choice but to build the university in the forest…”
“That’s why I have a suggestion.”
“?”
Dario didn’t stop at raising objections.
Rather, he looked straight at Wendigo with a confident smile, as if he had raised objections for this purpose.
Wendigo gestured for him to continue speaking.
“Recently, elves have been spotted in the north.”
“Elves? Elves… Ah!”
“Skadi, do you have any good ideas?”
As Skadi clapped her hands with a bright expression and her eyes sparkled, people’s attention focused on her.
At Wendigo’s question, Skadi looked at Dario. After all, this was Dario’s idea, so it was right for him to speak.
However, Dario smiled and politely gestured towards Skadi. He was passing the right to speak to Skadi.
Wendigo inwardly clicked his tongue in admiration.
‘He must know Skadi is one of the real powers in the forest and is acting accordingly.’
Though his slipperiness was somewhat unsatisfying, he was still skilled in social maneuvering.
Skadi didn’t reject Dario’s proposal and continued speaking:
“The World Tree worshipped by elves is considered a divine tree and regarded as very sacred. Because of that, trees aren’t carelessly cut down near the World Tree.”
However, elves needed homes too, and the World Tree, while being cared for by elves, bestowed a grace upon its appendages.
“Elves can cast magic to transform trees using the World Tree’s sap as a medium. They use it to make houses, weapons… even armor and tools.”
“That’s right. If we get help from the elves, we might be able to establish the university without cutting down trees.”
Finally, a fairly good breakthrough was presented, and people’s faces brightened.
However, Walton pointed out a problem while chewing on his wooden pipe:
“The problem is that elves rarely leave the Great Forest. Moreover, it’s across the sea.”
“Hehehe. Of course, I’m saying this knowing that… Aargh!? Elder Walton!”
“You rascal. Didn’t I tell you not to laugh so suspiciously?”
Walton, who was in charge of correcting Dario, threw his pipe and hit Dario’s head when he laughed sinisterly.
Of course, Dario, whose dignity was hurt, grumbled while rubbing his aching head.
After a moment of laughter, Dario glared at Walton and revealed the reason for his confidence.
“Just before the king received an invitation, elves visited our family’s land. We showed great hospitality to these rare guests.”
“And?”
“They said they might live in the north in the future, and promised to help if fate brought us together. That contract is… here.”
Dario took out a personal ledger from his breast pocket and handed it to a servant.
The servant received the ledger and headed towards Geron.
“The contract should be on the 23rd page. The rest is personal information, so I’d appreciate if you skip it.”
“It seems you’re right. The tribe name is unique… Elhemina of the Blue Leaf tribe?”
“Yes. She is definitely in the north. So if we have people search for her, we should be able to get help.”
It was quite a good suggestion.
Elves are visually distinctive, making them easy to find, and above all, since most of the north was involved in university establishment, there was plenty of manpower available to mobilize.
“Then if we can get cooperation from the elves, let’s decide on the area near the palace as the site.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll surely find them nearby.”
When Wendigo gave permission, Dario beat his chest confidently.
In the end, Dario’s assurance that they would find them quickly wasn’t wrong.
Messages were sent throughout the north to search for elves, and after a few weeks, news of elves being discovered was delivered to Wendigo.
However, their location was quite strange…
“According to reports that came in this morning, elves were discovered inside the forest… and close to the western sea at that. They’ve even set up a village and are refusing contact.”
Wendigo, who was listening to Geron’s report on the throne, stared down at Dario who had been dragged into the audience hall.
Restrained by the strong hands of warriors, Dario explained with a pale face:
“I really, really didn’t know. I can swear on my father’s life.”
“…..”
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