Chapter 109: A Land in Bloom

It had been a long time since I had seen my father.

“I heard the news from the Royal Palace. You’ve done well,” he said.

“I simply followed the plan. Now we’ll have to see how the Royal Palace responds.”

My value at the Royal Palace had certainly risen. One could even say the status of our family had ascended.

‘If my older brother reveals his strength as well, our territory’s power will seem quite formidable.’

Even though I had only revealed a fraction of our power, we were no longer just a count’s household on the fringes; we were now a significant force. The Royal Palace would have to think carefully.

‘They can’t just leave us alone, especially with the succession to the throne to worry about.’

They had to decide how to treat our family. There were a few expected scenarios, and I had already thought of ways to respond regardless of how they acted.

But the problem lay elsewhere.

“Did anything happen in the Giseot Fief while you were on your way?” my father asked.

“There’s no reason why anything would have.”

“Is that so… Hmm. Duke Jisert has been moving quite slyly.”

“That place?”

“Yes. Quite a few people are moving into the Owen Marquisate.”

“Ho. That’s interesting.”

It seemed Duke Jisert, who was usually isolationist, had made a move while I was away. They had acted secretly while all eyes were on the Royal Capital for the Second Princess’s birthday.

‘Inscrutable as always. But they certainly have good timing.’

I heard there had been secret contact with those among Marquis Owen’s people who had connections. It was obvious what they were planning.

‘They’re trying to plant their influence in the Owen Marquisate while they have the chance.’

House Owen was in chaos. They were too busy fighting a civil war to pay attention to their surroundings. However, that didn’t mean they were weak. Each branch of the family possessed significant strength.

Duke Jisert seemed to be trying to control them. By planting his own people and lending them strength, he intended to get the results he wanted.

For someone who usually stayed still before moving all at once, it was quite an efficient tactic. However…

“Jisert is a place that is isolationist yet strong. Since they’ve moved, we must respond,” my father noted.

“It will be fine. I heard some rumors on my way here.”

“Rumors?”

“Yes. It seems the Black Mage forces have appeared in the Giseot Fief as well. Isn’t that right, Arne?”

“…That is correct,” Arne replied.

“Well, that’s turned into something interesting!”

Because of what I had done, the presence of Black Mages had been revealed to the entire world within the Duke’s household. And of all places, a Black Mage had appeared in the Holy City of Duke Jisert’s territory.

For the isolationist House Jisert, having an outside faction appear—and for it to be Black Mages, no less—was a catastrophe. Jisert never tolerated outside forces. That was their way.

By the time I left, House Jisert had been turned completely upside down. On my way back, I saw their army moving busily several times. It was to hunt down the Black Mages.

“…If you send a few people, you’ll be able to find out for sure.”

“I should do that immediately.”

My father understood my meaning right away. Looking at the glint in his eyes, it was certain he would send the Black Crows before long. Since they had learned the Stealth Technique from me, they would do well. If they couldn’t handle it, I could always have the Iron Fist help them.

“At any rate, it is good to have you back. Let’s head inside.”

“Yes, Father!”

With my father’s warm welcome, I finally stepped back into the territory.

***

‘Time really flies.’

After turning the Royal Capital upside down and returning, the harvest season was already approaching. The territory administrators were moving busily to prepare for taxes following the harvest.

“Esty. What is the expected yield?”

“It has risen slightly compared to last year. The commoners in the new pioneer lands have been doing well.”

The refugees from Marquis Owen’s House had performed their roles perfectly.

‘This is why rewards are important.’

It was crucial that they were allowed to keep a portion based on how much land they reclaimed and how much they harvested. With the addition of the New Farming Method and various other forms of assistance, the production volume was quite substantial. Thanks to them, we were seeing profits where there were none before.

“Good. Pling, how is the rest of the production?”

“The refining is going so well that the blacksmiths are having trouble keeping up with the output.”

“Didn’t we bring in new artisans?”

“Even with the new artisans deployed, the Refinery’s production volume has been significant for some time.”

“Hmm… That’s a problem.”

The iron refined from iron ore was currently piling up.

“I have set aside the high-grade goods separately as you instructed, Administrator. However, the quantity is still significant, so you should consider what to do with the rest.”

“I’ll have to come up with a plan for this. I understand.”

The territory’s warehouse was filling up with high-grade items that even the Magic Towers would covet. Even though I had ordered the high-grade items to be set aside, the amount was considerable.

-I did well, didn’t I? So, if you’re going to make a contract anyway, it’s better to do it with me.

“I’ll think about it.”

The Fire Spirit, who had been pestering me to form a contract ever since I mentioned the possibility, had put in a great deal of effort.

‘I never imagined there would be a spirit so calculating that it would actively appeal with its own abilities.’

I had thought spirits were nature itself, but this one acted like a total materialist. Still, since my benefits were substantial, I left it be.

At any rate, the large quantity of refined iron was having a major impact on the surroundings. The Mana-infused Iron began to emit Mana on its own, and the Mana concentration in the vicinity increased significantly just by standing near it. One might even think a magic circle had been installed.

‘ I need to find a use for this as well.’

These were essentially precious treasures. I needed to think of a separate way to utilize them.

‘It wouldn’t be bad to put them toward equipment production. Or perhaps it’s time to start researching in earnest.’

Since I had a few ideas, I could execute them one by one.

“By the way, are we still accepting refugees?”

“Yes! I thought the numbers would dwindle, but they haven’t. People are actually coming out of the Giseot Fief in small groups.”

“That’s good. Accept them for now. Don’t forget to check if there are any spies among them.”

“We are taking precautions in advance.”

A significant number of refugees were arriving. The surprising part was the Jisert side. It seemed they were suffering quite a bit due to the emergence of the Black Mages.

‘It’s likely proof that the Black Mage forces have infiltrated their territory even more than ours.’

Duke Jisert had ordered his subordinates to subjugate the Black Mages, but it wasn’t ending easily. Even across the continent, Black Mages were a symbol of terror. Stories about them were popping up everywhere, and as the damage grew, more refugees were created.

Like the refugees from the Owen Marquisate, we were accepting those who appeared as our own territory residents. Thanks to that, the territory’s population was increasing once again.

“It would be great if things could just keep going like this.”

“Indeed. Haha. Besides, the new recruits are doing quite well. Thanks to them, we’ve been able to catch our breath for a moment!”

The talented individuals I had brought back were being stationed in various places. In our current situation where we were short-handed, these talents were like rain during a drought. They adapted well as soon as they were assigned, allowing us to breathe easier compared to last year.

‘Good.’

The territory was flourishing and moving in the right direction. According to the rumors, the treatment of my older brother in the Royal Capital was changing. Additionally, rumors frequently reached us that the Malexia Magic Tower and the Enchant Magic Tower were showing increased interest in our territory.

It was because the magic items I had released at the auction house were made using a completely new method in their eyes. Even my Master, who contacted me via communication magic, said…

‘It felt as though a new realm was coming into view.’

He said he was seeing a new path after escaping a period of stagnation. Everything was unfolding exactly as I wanted. Part of me wished time would just continue to flow like this. But then, Arne, who hadn’t visited in a while, came to see me.

“Young Master. We need to talk.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“It’s information that you’ll find useful. And the sooner you hear it, the better.”

“…I suppose I have no choice but to buy it then.”

She had come to me with information that would bring about a change.

‘This is no small matter.’

The information Arne handed over contained several things at once. Among them, the one that troubled me most was one specific thing. It concerned the monsters that periodically approached before winter arrived.

“They say the scale is unprecedented.”

“Is that so? Hmm… Something similar happened before, but this is indeed strange.”

I took the information and went to see my father. As he said, the situation was indeed odd. It had happened two years ago, and now the scale of the monsters was large again. Last year, my father had personally stepped out to handle them, yet the scale this year was expected to be even larger.

‘I wonder if there really is something in the North, like my older brother said.’

Beyond the mountain range that blocked us lay the Empire. It was called a mountain range, but its actual size was so vast that a whole country could stretch across it.

In name, they claimed the mountain range as their own land. The Empire called the northern mountains Itun, and we called it the Zeon Mountain Range.

However, the mountain range had no owner. If one were to argue for a true owner, it would be the monsters. There were so many monsters that even an empire larger than our kingdom wouldn’t dare to conquer it.

As a result, the northern mountain range served as a kind of border. Because of that, it was our territory’s duty to block the northern monsters. It was the same for the neighboring House Jisert. We were essentially guarding the border.

“Rayrn. You might not have experienced it yet, but even monsters have their own balance. To put it another way, they have their own territories. Therefore, they always moved within an expected range.”

“But it’s been different since two years ago.”

The current changes were occurring too rapidly.

“Yes. That is what’s strange. We thought it was the work of the Black Mages… but the scale is much larger than expected.”

“I think so too. No matter how incredible a Black Mage might be, this method is a bit different.”

“Indeed.”

My father nodded at my words. A Black Mage might step in once to move monsters. If they used Demonic Mana well, it was even possible to control them. But this was different.

Even when Black Mages used monsters, they didn’t use them like this. This meant there was some kind of change within the monster territories themselves.

‘What could it be?’

It was clear that there was a change in the monster territories that had been maintained for a long time. Rumors from the Royal Capital said that Orcs who could use swords had appeared, so they might be evolving in some way.

If the monsters changed, our territory’s situation could only worsen. If all the monsters in the mountain range were to band together and attack, it would be impossible to stop them unless the entire strength of the kingdom was mobilized.

‘I have to find a way.’

I needed to think of a way to block the monsters. Not something that would just deplete our resources, but a plan that could be maintained continuously.

“I’ll have to look into the situation. If possible, I should prevent the outbreak itself.”

“It’s not an easy task. Part of the reason we only blocked them when they attacked was because it’s difficult to defend.”

“Even so, I will try.”

Driven by an unsettling feeling, I stepped forward proactively. After a brief pause, my father spoke.

“…Very well. I will leave this Winter Subjugation to you.”

He finally gave his permission. A short while after receiving his approval, I met with my team.

“We have almost everything packed. This subjugation will be on quite a large scale.”

“I don’t intend for it to end with just a subjugation.”

“By that, you mean…”

“Just as we overhauled the territory, we must overhaul the North. So, prepare properly.”

“Yes, sir!”

I began preparations for the northern subjugation, mobilizing all the resources of the territory.

‘My intuition is bad.’

There was definitely something there. Therefore, I had to prepare thoroughly.