Chapter 30
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Monster Extermination and Field Kitchen (1)
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"What is this? It doesn't look like a letter."
"I'm planning to open a few restaurants. I made some promo flyers since I figured I'd need them. What do you think?"
Ian couldn't wrap his head around Dominic, who had only just opened the resort and was already gearing up for a new venture.
"I never knew you were someone who lived life so diligently."
"Don't mock me. There's a reason behind all this."
"Isn't the resort making plenty of money on its own?"
"For now, sure."
"For now?"
Ian tilted his head, clearly puzzled.
"Right now, the facilities and activities inside the resort are more than enough to keep guests satisfied. No one can deny that finding a beach this beautiful is no easy feat."
"And?"
"But everything else besides the natural scenery—the facilities, the services—those are things later entrants can copy without much trouble if they throw money and time at it."
"...That could happen."
Ian wasn't particularly interested in business, but it did ring true.
"Opening restaurants seems like something they could copy just as easily, no?"
"You're right, Sir Knight. They could rip off the restaurants anytime they wanted."
"So when that happens, you'll just come up with something else? That way, it'll never end."
"Nope. Look: we've got a resort, unique restaurants, a stunning beach, a shopping district selling all sorts of oddities, sightseeing spots—it's a little village where everything's organically linked together! Easy to copy that?"
"...What do you...?"
"In other words, sustainable tourism management or something like that."
"Sustainable management? Tourism business?"
This was the very point Dominic had agonized over from the start when dreaming up the resort and postpartum care center.
'Too easy to copy.'
Of course, as the pioneer, plenty of people would give points to the 'original' and side with Evergreen.
But banking solely on that without any preparation wasn't Dominic's style.
"Sure, someone might truly grasp tourism and execute it well. But fewer people see the forest for the trees than you'd think. They're all fixated on the individual trees because that's the easy part."
Dominic trailed off cautiously, gauging the reaction, but Ian waited patiently without chiding him.
He was curious, after all.
"See, from now on, I'm turning our village into a symbol of relaxation and leisure—stuff like that."
"A symbol?"
"Yeah. They can copy the surface, but not the underlying value. Evergreen: the beautiful beach village brimming with leisure and peace! Paradise for ladies, sanctuary for thinkers! Laughter never stops, new things always popping up! How's that sound?"
"If it goes as you say, it might just be a place worth visiting at least once."
"Ugh—finally, we're getting somewhere. Soon our village will be overflowing with money, even the stray dogs trotting around with silver coins in their mouths—a true earthly paradise. People will praise me, idolize me, revere me, deify me, build temples in my name..."
"Boring. Cut it out."
"Just play along for once. You always have to ruin it."
"That's because you don't know moderation."
"Tch. Anyway, back to the restaurants. I need tasters, so go grab a few random folks from outside. More opinions, the better. Oh! Half men, half women."
"...Got it."
Ian had somehow slipped into the role of Dominic's secretary without realizing it.
Creeeak—
As he stepped out to round up people, Ian's expression grew serious.
'What is this guy...'
He didn't show it, but Dominic's words had quite the impact on him.
What he'd described was a form of regional revitalization Ian had never once considered.
Typically, developing a village or area meant bringing in artisans to set up workshops, drawing merchants, or relocating barracks or ports to boost trade flow.
Yet here was the chief of a tiny fishing village, building a place packed solely with consumer facilities—no production in sight—luring outsiders to come spend money willingly.
'Pretty convincing.'
His confident tone left no room for doubt about failure.
And it didn't feel like arrogance because a fully fleshed-out plan already filled his head.
'If this guy's plan succeeds... if it really happens...'
Ian's mind grew complicated.
Maybe this rude opportunist could solve his own dilemmas.
'No, expectations only breed disappointment.'
But Ian's harsh life had taught him not to pin hopes on faint glimmers.
The training tower at Sinclair Count's castle.
For months now, the entrance had been sealed, with only three deliveries a day at set times—meals and basic necessities.
At a glance, it resembled a dungeon for a grave offender, but the knights guarding it maintained utmost courtesy even without onlookers, hinting at the tower's occupant.
"Hahaha! The stuff this kid pulls off is downright outlandish!"
The tower's master, recipient of the Sinclair knights' boundless loyalty: Theodore Sinclair, the Old Lord.
His hair and beard were snow-white, but his bulging muscles could intimidate even vigorous knights in their twenties.
He was rolling on the floor, laughing at a letter delivered with his meal.
"Heave-ho. Guess I should head out soon if only to see this kid's village."
Rising from his seated position, he gripped his beloved sword in one hand and swung it lightly. Light began emanating from the blade.
"Never thought I'd break through the wall at my age. Heh. Time for a gift. What should it be?"
With another casual flick of the wrist, the sword fell silent as if it had never glowed, tossed aside carelessly.
Just two weeks after declaring seclusion for meditation, he'd shattered decades of stagnation to reach a new realm.
Yet he hadn't emerged immediately—not because he was a politician, but a warrior.
'Spreading rumors would just attract nuisances. I hate scrapping with nobodies in my twilight years.'
Thus, despite an achievement that would rock the Empire, he'd focused on stabilizing his newfound power inside the tower.
But curiosity about Evergreen's village chief and his resort had finally worn him down.
"First off, let's go see my grandson's face."
Boom—
The tower doors swung open at last, and the Empire gained another swordmaster.
"Sir Knight."
"Speak."
"Okay, I've got a serious proposal."
"Skip the nonsense."
"This is important, so listen up."
"...What is it?"
"Ever thought about moving to our village as an enemy?"
It was as he'd half-expected.
Dominic, riding in the cart, was spouting nonsense again. Bored, no doubt.
"I'm not kidding! Look, you move to our village as an enemy, and I'll hand over the chief position right away!"
"......"
"Our village isn't some backwater anymore. You've seen it. Tempted?"
"I'd prefer silence."
"Hear me out—it's not a bad deal for you either. You can be chief and knight. No law against it. Chiefs aren't bound by, uh, what was it? Right! No moonlighting ban! No ban at all!"
"Tch."
Dominic's empty prattle marked yet another such day.
"Damn village chief meetings. All useless talk, dragging on forever."
"Watch that irreverent mouth!"
"No, really. Once every quarter would suffice."
"Can a village chief talk about chief meetings like that?"
"We send detailed letters on changes and news every time. Why meet in person? The talks are always pointless anyway."
"Sometimes you seem to grasp the big picture—hundreds, even—but miss the smallest details."
"Hey, why the insult?"
"You've got good instincts."
The heavy mood lightened briefly.
Letting Ian segue smoothly.
"We do send all needed info by letter, as you say. But letters are easy to forge—by sender or receiver."
"...Ah."
"So we meet face-to-face regularly to confirm everything's transmitted correctly, no mishaps."
It was a simple matter.
No post office tracking or email here.
'Gets ahead, then forgets the basics.'
Ian added as Dominic smacked his lips.
"Plus, the lord occasionally issues direct orders to chiefs."
To Dominic—who'd only ever been kidnapped in broad daylight by high-and-mighties or dragged off by soldiers—this was baffling.
"They've got polite methods like that, so why me..."
"Ahem."
Ian had no reply to Dominic's mutter.
Only the occasional jingle from the bell around the donkey's neck pierced the silence.
The village chiefs gathered at the lord's castle now paid Dominic keen attention, cozying up without prompting.
"Never knew you had such business savvy. If there's anything linking our villages, let's talk freely. How about dinner on me tonight?"
"Hey now! Business with us makes sense—our village has top-grade iron mines, money flows plenty! We've got hefty community funds saved. Fancy a drink, friend?"
"Why corner poor Evergreen's chief like this! ...That said, any chance for resort bookings? My daughter-in-law's due soon."
Business pitches, resort favors, networking—chaos as they bombarded him.
Dominic couldn't zone out anymore.
'This is more exhausting.'
Knock knock—
An official poked his head into the meeting room.
"Chiefs. One more agenda item added."
"Now?"
"Warn us ahead! We're almost done."
"Apologies. Lord's council with retainers just wrapped."
"Hrm. Fine... What's the added item?"
A grumbling chief straightened at mention of the retainers' decision.
"Monster extermination before autumn. Prepare your villages."
The first real agenda hit the table.