Episode 199 I have to keep you for a long time. (2)
As the largest iron ore producing region in the North, the County of Cavaldi had more smelters and blacksmiths than other fiefdoms.
But that wasn’t enough for Giselle. She needed more forges and smithies.
Giselle spread out a map of the Cavaldi region and took pictures of various places as she spoke.
“We will build a smelter and a blacksmith shop in this location without fail. We will build large-scale industrial complexes in several places. We must make sure that even if there is a problem in one place, the productivity of the entire territory will not be affected.”
The people who heard Jiselle’s words were astonished, for there were so many places he had decided on.
Just looking at the numbers, it seemed as if they were trying to take responsibility for the entire production of the North with just their territory.
One of the men asked cautiously.
“Well… isn’t that too much? Is there a reason to do it that way?”
“That way I can produce as much as I want.”
Claude nodded in agreement with Giselle’s answer.
“Count Cavaldi only produced troops to match the territory’s strength. It was stupid.”
Count Cavaldi only made enough equipment for his own consumption. The rest he sold as iron ore.
This led to a great deal of wealth, but it never went beyond that.
Since they only cared about arming the territory, most of the territory’s residents still used tools made of wood.
Jiselle was thinking of tearing it all down and fixing it.
“From now on, this place will be the main production site for iron equipment and tools. Since iron ore is now abundant, we will increase production so that all the people of our territory and Ferdium can be armed.”
The vassals were astonished. There was not a single territory in the entire continent where not only soldiers but also all the residents could wear iron weapons.
“Do you really plan on pulling it out to that extent?”
“Yes. And that’s not all. Let’s also change all the tools that can be turned into iron to raise our standard of living even a little. A territory where the people live well becomes powerful.”
The vassals all nodded. Although the amount of sales will be greatly reduced, they all know that the lord’s goal is not personal glory.
Rather than amassing personal wealth, it was necessary to develop the land and increase productivity to prepare for future wars.
One of the vassals asked something else.
“Then what should we do with the Fenris area?”
“Build only as much as is absolutely necessary. Fill the rest of the land with farmland. It’s not that we don’t build other facilities, but our priority is to produce products that are specialized for each region. After that, we organically connect each region and develop them.”
People nodded their heads at Jiselle’s idea. As long as they didn’t lose anything, they could achieve much higher productivity and speed for local specialties.
“Okay, so now you know what to do? Let’s get moving right away so that we can produce on a large scale.”
“All right!”
The attendants nodded with enthusiastic expressions.
Up until now, it was difficult to do anything in Fenris, because all resources except food were extremely limited.
But my heart grew stronger as I obtained an abundance of iron ore.
Soon the officials began to gather laborers from all over the estate.
“If you help build the smelter and blacksmith shop, we’ll give you food as compensation! We’ll give you enough to fill your stomach, so don’t worry and apply!”
A fair number of people gathered because they were given food, but it wasn’t enough to quickly build large-scale facilities.
After recruiting for several days but not getting as many workers as expected, Giselle frowned and asked Claude.
“What? There are a lot of people who are just playing around because things are not going well. Why is the recruitment so late? I’ve told you several times that I don’t like being late.”
“That’s… I think it’s because I don’t have faith.”
“What? What belief?”
“Faith in the Lord.”
At Claude’s words, Giselle asked back with a look of bewilderment.
“Am I a goddess? Why should you seek faith in me when you should seek it in the temple?”
“… … Although they released food and calmed the people’s minds a little, people do not have faith that they will be properly compensated at a time like this.”
“Oh, so it looks like I don’t have money?”
“It’s not exactly money, it’s food, but… … . Well, it’s similar.”
“This is ridiculous.”
Jiselle leaned back in her chair and clucked her tongue.
It wasn’t that I didn’t understand. They had been exploited so much that they wouldn’t open their hearts easily even if we gave them food.
But still, how can you think like that when you see this ‘food king’ of the north now!
Runestones and cosmetics are selling well there, so how much money is there!
Claude said quietly, looking at Giselle’s extremely annoyed expression.
“Should we go through forced conscription like Your Majesty originally said?”
Even if they are forcibly conscripted, they are not forced to work without pay like other lords.
If everyone receives generous compensation, discontent will quickly subside.
But Jiselle shook her head.
“No. Don’t we need to hire a lot more people now than before? The territory has expanded and the scale of the construction has increased, so if we work while dissatisfied, we’ll only end up losing more. It might be possible during wartime, but right now is not the time to use the whip.”
“Then what are you going to do? The fastest way is to gather them by force.”
“If you force yourself to do something, it will be less efficient. I’m a pacifist, so I don’t like that kind of thing. If you do it with motivation, efficiency will go up a lot.”
‘What a pacifist, I’m the one who’s at a loss.’
Claude cursed inwardly. If the managers who forced him to do the work heard him, he would die of resentment.
After thinking for a moment, Giselle crossed her legs arrogantly and said.
“Give me a deposit.”
“yes?”
“Let’s start off hot. Give them two months’ worth of food as a down payment as soon as they arrive. Tell them to take it in a good mood and then get to work.”
“There might be some who just receive food and do the work or run away.”
“You can just kill that guy. Anyway, if you do that, word will spread quickly.”
“Really? Do you really solve everything like that?”
“Oh, that’s what I said. We have a lot of food left over, right? Use it sparingly when you have to. But give us a clear warning.”
“Well, just looking at it makes me feel like vomiting. I’ll do that.”
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Claude nodded. It’s a method that other estates wouldn’t even dare to think of, but this way, they’ll definitely be able to gather workers quickly.
‘He’s usually stingy, but when it comes to being generous when needed, I can’t help but be picky.’
Even if there is a lot of surplus, food is a more valuable resource than gold at this time.
Judging from the fact that he handed it out first without any hesitation, he is definitely an extraordinary person… … .
‘Isn’t that right? That expression looks like it’s angry and aggrieved, and it looks like he wants to show off.’
Jiselle’s expression is very subtle. She seems to be upset, but also very arrogant.
I had a feeling that if I spoke to him for no reason, only his outfit would burst. Claude shook his head several times and pretended not to know and left.
Soon, food was released on a large scale under Giselle’s orders. This time, it was not for the sake of calming the people’s hearts or for show, but as a real reward.
There, Lowell, the spy, spread rumors and manipulated public opinion at the same time.
“They really give you food as compensation at a time like this? Is that possible? It seems like there really is a lot of food like the rumors say!”
“The new lord is the ‘food king’ of the north. Where he used to live, even the village dogs ate better than us.”
“If you give me this much, I have to trust and follow you unconditionally! He’s a completely different person from Count Cavaldi!”
A sense of anticipation began to grow among people that things would be different from before.
It wouldn’t change overnight, but it was still a good sign.
As people gathered from all over the place like clouds, it was not difficult to find laborers. Work began simultaneously on not only the blacksmith shop and the smelter, but also on the urgently needed facilities and residences.
“Come on, let’s get started! There’s never enough time!”
The enthusiastic Claude encouraged the workers, using Giselle’s speaking habits as they were.
Construction is not just about building a building. It requires a variety of tasks, including securing resources and transporting materials.
Soon the forests and mountains of the Cavaldi domain were cleared and materials poured in from all directions.
And there were always people who were always involved in those many construction projects: dwarves and wizards.
Galvarik muttered with a gloomy look in his eyes.
“I had a really happy vacation… … . I rested, but I want to rest more intensely.”
Alpoy was no different.
“The fire inside me has died down… … . I have no motivation anymore… … .”
We had a sweet little break, but now it’s over.
If Giselle were to build a forge and smithy to the standards she wanted, the dwarves would have to take the lead. To speed up construction, the wizards would also have to participate.
Thanks to the familiarity with construction, the construction speed was incomparably faster than before.
Because there were so many laborers, work could continue without interruption.
But there was just one problem. Although there were an abundance of laborers, there was a serious shortage of people to manage and direct them.
Naturally, wizards and dwarves had no choice but to take on the task of supervising the construction.
“Damn it! My arms are shaking, I can’t do this anymore! Get some sleep! I feel like I’m going to collapse! No, I’m already dead!”
The weakest ones, Alfoy and the magicians, eventually fell to the ground. Their bodies couldn’t endure the constant engraving of magic circles and the use of magic.
Vanessa, who had been holding on with overflowing passion and motivation, even fell asleep while carving the magic circle.
They tried to hold out by using recovery magic on each other, but since they were fire-related magicians, the effect of the recovery magic was minimal.
“Uh, maybe we should rest a bit too? We’re so tired, our muscles won’t listen to us.”
The dwarves eventually put down their hammers. There was just too much work to do.
Jiselle, who had come to see the wizards who had been swarmed, nodded in understanding when even the dwarves fell.
“Hmm, I guess there’s nothing I can do. Now I have no choice but to use my secret weapon.”
“Secret… … weapon? What is that… …?”
As Alpoy frowned and asked, Giselle turned around and gestured.
A person who had been hesitating a few steps behind walked out, sighing deeply.
Alfoy tilted his head at the sight of him.
“New priest? What secret weapon is that?”
After being captured by Giselle, Fiote spent his time treating the wounded and sick in the territory.
Because there was a shortage of doctors, they had no choice but to take care of that many people.
Although it was really hard, he, as a faithful priest, worked hard with the single-minded determination to bestow the goddess’s grace.
But as soon as he became somewhat accustomed to the patients, Giselle brought him straight to the construction site.
Alfoy, who was staring at the priest’s pink hair, asked in a trembling voice.
“S, really… … You’re using divine power to… … .”
Giselle nodded with a kind smile without answering. Alfoy waved his hand in shock.
“Ha, don’t do that! Just let me rest! Don’t force me to recover!”
“Let’s get started, buddy.”
At Giselle’s words, Piote approached the wizards with a sallow face.
I’ve been using up so much divine power lately that I wanted to take a break. But whenever I got tired, I would get called here and there, and it was really killing me.
Fiote, who was gentle and timid by nature, could not refuse Giselle’s words and was dragged here and there.
Paaaaak!
Soon a bright light spread from Piote’s hands.
The true effect of divine power is the increase of regenerative power and vitality, which gives the power to heal trauma and overcome illness.
And the increase in regenerative power and vitality was most effective in relieving fatigue.
Alpoy, who had received the divine treatment, jumped up and shouted.
“Eww! Resurrection like a dog! What is this! Don’t use divine power for things like this!”
It was no different from a warlock raising a corpse.
The power that the priest uses is divine power, and there is a small difference in that the target is not a corpse, but a slave who is about to become a corpse.
Such things happened all over the territory.
The dwarves also stood up again, gnashing their teeth, and the other major officials and technicians were no different.
By acquiring Fiote, Giselle was able to handle more administrative tasks with only existing manpower and significantly reduce construction time.
Oh, what can I do if I fall down and get up?
Of course, all that backlash had to fall on one person.
“My Lord… … . If this continues, I’ll die… … .”
As he suffered from Giselle and used his divine power excessively, Piote would often faint and have nosebleeds.
Because as a low-ranking priest, there is bound to be a limit to the divine power he can use.
“Oh my, our precious little priest can’t die! Hurry up and take him to the recovery room!”
At Giselle’s fuss, the servants took Piote to the best recovery room.
This is a room that Vanessa and the wizards have painstakingly created for one person: Piote.
All the magic that was rumored to be good, such as recovery magic that had a similar effect, although much less effective than divine power, magic that maintained optimal temperature, and magic that stabilized the mind and heart, were cast.
The food there is also prepared with the finest ingredients for every meal, and the finest medicinal herbs are mixed in.
In this territory, the one who received more luxurious treatment than the lord was none other than Piote.
At first, the vassals were against it because it cost a huge amount of money and runestones. However, Giselle dismissed it with one word.
– This saves more time and money. This priest will become very important in the future.
You can’t afford to make something like this for every manager and technician in the estate, but one person can.
And that one person endlessly restores others.
“Unlimited labor? Wow, this is really amazing.”
Is there such a thing as a miracle? This is the miracle of the goddess.
This was something Giselle had been planning since she first got Fiote.
No matter how much money you have, you can’t treat priests like this. In the first place, the religious order is run independently from the territory, so it can’t hire full-time priests.
But then, a very innocent low-level priest luckily walked in on his own two feet.
“Hmm, I guess I’ll have to send a gift to the church soon. I’ll have to come up with a good reason to keep them around.”
Giselle had no intention of letting him go so easily. Piote was now the most important growth engine of this territory.
If he were there, the development pace would have been maintained at its current level.
“I have to keep it for as long as possible.”
Jiselle smiled with satisfaction.
