In the mornings, meetings with Arnold and the Retainers continued daily, and in the evenings, there were endless discussions with the three administrators.
And today, at last, Deckard and Kane had finished the population survey and returned.
“There are a total of 200 households existing in the Garrison. Of these, 30 are made up only of the elderly, so the number of households actually capable of doing anything is about 170.”
That was Deckard’s report.
“Among them, there are 20 households that wish to remain as fishermen. Of course, each has at least one small boat, and these are also the ones running eateries.”
That was Kane’s report.
“At present, we have about 500 acre, and out of the 200 households, 90 are currently working the existing farmland as before. If we distribute land near the Fishing Village, 60 more households have expressed their intent to farm, making a total of 150 households willing to do so.”
Kaishu finished his report as well.
“If we include the new farmland to be secured this time, how much do you expect the total to be?”
“In that case, I expect we’ll reach about 1000 acre.”
That meant we could use twice as much farmland.
But that figure was if we converted the entire Garrison into nothing but farmland.
That was something I could never allow.
We couldn’t leave the Garrison as a mere countryside backwater forever.
For the Garrison’s development, not only facilities but also Roads must be secured, so it was impossible to devote all the land to farming.
“Hmm.”
As I was pondering, Kaishu took out a large sheet of paper.
“This is a rough sketch of the Garrison I drew.”
It was a Map.
A Map drawn of the Garrison.
“Oh, Kaishu. Well done.”
It wasn’t detailed, but it was at least clear enough to distinguish the shape and general features of the Garrison.
Truly, Kaishu was so utterly lovable.
Looking at the Map, I could see everything clearly.
First, my Mansion was located along the coast, as shown on the Map.
It was originally built as a Marquess’s villa, so naturally, it was situated in a spot with an ocean view.
Taking that into account, I began to draw on the Map.
“Now, using my Mansion as the base, this area here will be for my own use.”
Including the White Sand Beach in front of the Mansion and the flatland behind it, I planned to secure them as my private zone.
As a noble, I needed to be prepared for unexpected guests by building additional buildings. I’d also need to provide a Barracks for the Retainers to train, and establish my own Private Workshop, so I excluded a certain portion of land for these.
“And from here to here will be the Development District.”
The Development District I mentioned referred to the land connecting the two Villages along the shore.
“The Development District?”
At Kaishu’s questioning look, I explained.
“I’ll construct buildings here and lease them to people. Those who rent can run businesses or live there.”
“That’s…”
I explained how the Fishing Village had managed to survive so far.
It was thanks to occasional tourists, like the Marquess, who visited the sea.
If that’s the case, it would be best to develop this place into an even greater Tourist Attraction.
Naturally, visitors would increase, and with merchants coming in as well, the Garrison would expand.
When the time came, I could release the Magic Artifacts I’d created to attract even nobles.
“Now, assuming this as our plan, let’s draw the Roads.”
We used wooden sticks to lay out the Roads on the Map.
The Road heading west would be the main thoroughfare to the Marquisate, so I planned to make it the largest boulevard.
That would make it easier for me to use and more convenient for guests to visit.
“We should build the Fortress Wall starting from here.”
I nodded and mapped out the remaining Roads.
“This should do.”
Looking at the Map, the four of us smiled with satisfaction.
Once we finished building the Fortress Wall to protect what we’d drawn on the Map, the Garrison would finally become a true territory.
“All that’s left now is for Wilson and Jenny to return, right?”
It had already been over two weeks since they’d gone to fetch those said to be skilled in construction.
They were expected to arrive soon, as long as there were no issues.
“Hurry back.”
All I could do was wait eagerly for their return.
***
It had been fifteen days since the Retainers began fighting the Wolf.
Whimper!
Unlike the previous days, which had been filled with tense, drawn-out battles, for the first time, a Wolf let out a terrible scream and collapsed.
“Oh! At last?”
“So they finally killed one.”
Arnold and I were surprised.
The Retainer I was watching had, astonishingly, killed a Wolf with a precise thrust of his sword to its forehead.
There were other Wolves around, but a fellow Retainer kept them at bay with timely attacks, allowing the first to land the fatal blow.
It was a cooperative attack, in its own way.
Whether intentional or not, it was worth celebrating.
“What? That guy?”
The Retainer who killed the Wolf was the one who always came in last during group runs.
As far as I remembered, he’d never even had a bowl of meat stew until now.
“You rascal, impressive.”
Though he lagged behind in stamina compared to the others, his swordsmanship was above theirs.
I brought up his status window.
-Name: Slave Number 58
- Race: Human (Retainer)
- Level: 264
- Stats: Strength 1, Stamina 3, Intelligence 1, Mana 1
- Loyalty: 100
- Skill: Darkrai Swordsmanship (Lv. 4)
“Oh, you’ve really trained hard, haven’t you?”
Amazingly, his swordsmanship was already at level 4. That was two levels higher than the other Retainers.
It would’ve been impossible to reach that without considerable effort, yet he’d managed to do it, and now he’d even killed a Wolf.
The only pity was his stats. Compared to the average Retainer’s stats window, his stamina was clearly lower.
Ordinarily, Retainers started with basic stats: Strength 1, Stamina 5, Intelligence 1, Mana 1.
It was clear his stamina was below average.
“Stamina isn’t everything. You need talent too.”
Slave Number 58 pulled the sword from the Wolf’s forehead and moved on to attack the next one.
Thanks to this event, he’d left a clear impression in my mind.
Awooooo!
This time, before I could end things, a signal came from the other side—they wanted to end the battle first.
The Wolves moved instantly and fled.
When Wolves run, they scatter in all directions and quickly disappear into the forest, making it impossible for the Retainers to give chase.
“Waaaaah!”
But for them, this was a moment of pure joy.
They’d killed a Wolf for the first time.
Everyone praised the Retainer, giving him thumbs up and congratulating him.
Some gathered to examine the dead Wolf, while others shared in the group’s excitement and happiness.
“Hahaha. Thank you.”
The Retainer at the center of all this glory bowed his head and thanked them, his face bashful.
I approached them.
“Well done.”
“Thank you, Lord.”
The Retainer, moved by my praise, started to tear up.
“You are the owner of this Wolf. As your Lord, the only thing I’ll ask for is a Magic Stone. The rest is yours to do with as you please.”
“Huh… Lord?”
The Retainer was slightly shocked. My indifference to anything except the Magic Stone surprised him.
Wolves produced more byproducts than one might expect. For instance, their fur was perfect for clothes or as rugs. Then there were tendons, fangs, and many other materials.
Even from a single Wolf, a Retainer could now earn money—something none of them had done before.
“The rest of you, listen up!”
At my words, the Retainers responded.
“I have no intention of being greedy over what you hunt. But when it comes to Magic Stones, since those feed you and help develop the Garrison, I’ll have to take them. Everything else, though, is yours. Whether you make items, sell them for cash, or use them however you like, I won’t interfere. That goes not just for Wolves, but for all monsters!”
“Waaaaah! Long live the Lord!”
The Retainers were moved by my words.
Not only that, but a fiery determination burned in their eyes.
They were human, after all.
Though they’d become Retainers against their will, I’d told them that I could someday free them, and for that future, they’d need money.
Now that I’d shown them a way to earn it, naturally, they were overjoyed.
I took care of dismantling the Wolf myself.
It was no different from a demonstration, so I explained the process slowly and carefully.
“Alright, let’s continue working.”
It was still only midday.
The work continued smoothly.
***
By afternoon, the ones I’d been waiting for finally arrived.
“We’ve returned, Lord.”
At first, Jenny ran toward me, clearly intent on throwing herself into my arms, but seeing the Retainers and Arnold following behind, she quickly adjusted her posture and gave a formal report.
“Well done. Go and rest for now.”
I welcomed Jenny warmly.
There’d be time for a full conversation later that night.
Right now, I needed to greet the people she’d brought with her.
“Lowly commoner Heatherwee greets the Lord.”
“Lowly commoner Hadid greets the Lord.”
Hmm.
I had thought only one person would come, but two had shown up.
For now, I accepted their greetings.
“Nice to meet you. Which one is Smith’s friend?”
“That would be Heatherwee, Lord.”
I looked at the one called Heatherwee.
Unlike the burly Smith, he had a slender build and a hawkish nose.
Hadid had a similar build, though his beard gave him the look of a bandit.
“You must be tired from your journey. Rest in the nearby Village and we’ll meet tomorrow.”
“Yes, Lord.”
At my words, they both bowed.
Not long after leaving them behind, I saw Smith running over in a hurry.
“Friends… I envy that.”
I don’t have friends anymore.
I was a bit envious of them.
***
After being pestered all night by Jenny, I summoned the two said to be skilled in construction, Smith, and the three administrators the next morning.
I got straight to the point.
“I heard you have some expertise in construction, which is why I called you here.”
“No, Lord. The knowledge I have is just a bit of trivial know-how.”
“Still, it’s better than someone like me who knows nothing.”
“No, Lord! How could we…!”
They took my joke far too seriously, making me feel a little sorry, so I quickly moved on.
“This is the reason I called you.”
I unfolded the Map that I’d drawn together with the three administrators the other day.
At the Map I showed, Heatherwee, Hadid, and Smith all began to think hard.
“Wouldn’t it be better to do it like this here?”
“This part would be better done this way.”
“The Fortress Wall should be built from here to here, then turned in this direction.”
They excitedly bounced ideas off each other, huddled together and spitting out suggestions.
The three administrators, standing beside them, wrote down everything, filling in the separate Map with each idea.
From time to time, Heatherwee and Hadid would double-check to make sure it was being drawn properly, and little by little, the Map filled with beautiful plans.
When they finally finished, the result looked exactly like a proper Garrison.