Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Terra Village
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Clop, clop.
Clop, clop.
Sitting in the regularly jolting carriage, I read through the documents.
'The number of registered mercenaries in West River is 1,300.'
'The Innocent Mercenary Group's size is 210.'
During the two months of constructing Terra Village,
Inno had rapidly expanded the mercenary group.
Word was that Kaiman and Aine had actively helped out.
'Definitely overwhelming, right?'
15% of the island's mercenaries belonged to the Innocent Mercenary Group.
This should be more than enough for the plan—no issues there.
The carriage gradually slowed,
and soon came to a complete stop.
"Heir, we've arrived at the Mercenary Guild."
An open square in the mercenary district.
Over a hundred mercenaries had gathered there.
I slowly ascended the platform.
The noisy street fell silent,
and all eyes turned to me.
Kaiman, who had been at the center of the platform, greeted me and stepped aside.
I took his place.
From the platform, the mercenaries seemed even more numerous than I'd thought.
Far more than a hundred, for sure.
Among them, those in unified armor stood out.
'The Innocent Mercenary Group.'
Even with Kaiman and Aine's help, gathering 210 would have been tough.
It was thanks to the indirect funding I'd provided.
That's why the Innocent Mercenary Group wore better weapons and armor than the others.
"Thank you all for gathering on such short notice."
"Woooah!!"
"Woooah!!"
As soon as I spoke the first words, the mercenaries erupted in cheers.
Not just the Innocent Mercenary Group, but everyone gathered here.
After all, I was essentially their client.
The subjugation subsidies they received came from my pocket.
"Woooah!!"
"Woooah!!"
Amid the cheers, I mentally organized what I needed to say today.
The goal was clear.
'Seize control of the troll territory.'
To achieve that, I'd hired 'mercenaries.'
Built a mercenary district,
provided subsidies through commissions,
and offered additional subsidies via referrals.
Yet the results hadn't met expectations.
Specifically, not enough top-tier mercenaries were coming in.
Even though we needed them for the troll territory goal...
The problems didn't end there.
I also had to worry about 'controlling the mercenaries.'
Entrusting that to Kaiman and Aine was too risky for something this big.
So I needed my own method of control.
If the mercenaries were farming, I could use system abilities, but that was impossible.
That's why I'd kept pondering.
Searching for this very method.
"Woooah!"
"Woo..."
The cheers filling the mercenary district gradually died down.
It was time to speak again.
"I know full well the hard work you mercenaries have put in. That's why I've decided to offer additional rewards."
"Woooah!!!"
"Uwoooah!!!"
I hadn't even said what the rewards were,
yet the mercenary district shook with cheers once more.
"The additional reward is the city of Terra."
I referred to it as "city of Terra" instead of Terra Village.
To make the same reward feel even grander.
This time, the mercenaries' reaction was muted.
They all looked puzzled about what I meant.
"I've been commissioning subjugations through the guild and paying the fees to those who actually carry them out."
All the mercenaries were watching me.
Focusing intently on my next words.
For a moment, the situation felt burdensome.
'Standing before so many people... I just can't get used to it. If only Lady Alensia were here right now...'
Whenever our eyes met, my heart would ease...
"Ahem. The reason I commission and pay those fees is for the territory's safety. With that in mind, I'm offering the position of lord of Terra to the individual or group that completes the most of my commissions."
Lord of the castle.
I hesitated at first over which term to choose.
Village chief? Village administrator? Mayor?
Many words came to mind, but I settled on 'castle lord.'
Because of the intense power the word carried.
The master of the castle.
For people living in medieval times, the impact of that word was beyond imagination.
"Uwooooaaah!!!"
"Woooaaah!!!"
The mercenaries cheered at the words "castle lord."
But not everyone did.
As the cheers faded, one mercenary shot his hand up.
And shouted loudly.
"Does that mean we're becoming nobles' underlings!?"
The basic governing principle of this world.
In other words, the foundation of the empire: 'Emperor – Nobles – Knights – Commoners.'
The emperor grants fiefs to nobles.
In return, nobles pledge loyalty to the emperor.
Not just empty words, but taxes and responding to military drafts.
The same applied to nobles and knights.
Nobles grant knights rights to collect taxes from certain areas.
In exchange, knights swear loyalty to the nobles.
Fight and die for them.
When I mentioned "castle lord," some mercenaries must have thought of that system.
A situation where a noble (me, Elwin) grants a fief to a knight (mercenary).
"That's not it."
"Then what do you mean!?"
"It's not a 'loyalty' relationship like nobles and knights. Between me and the castle lord, it's a 'contract' relationship. Which means..."
I explained the system I'd agonized over in the simplest terms possible.
Points awarded based on subjugation commissions.
Of course, points vary by goblin, orc, troll, or ogre.
The top scorer—individual or group—gains the right to contract.
Upon contracting and becoming lord of Terra Village, they get 30% of the taxes collected there.
In exchange, they must respond to mobilization orders for village defense and security.
"The city of Terra's groundwork will finish in two months. Your achievements so far are recorded in the Mercenary Guild. I'll select the Terra castle lord contractor based on those records plus points from the next two months."
Many mercenaries looked disappointed.
They glanced at the Innocent Mercenary Group and sighed.
The mercenary who'd first raised his hand did so again and shouted loudly.
"You said it's a contract! So is there a term limit!?"
"Good question. The first contract in two months will be for one year. After that, I'll extend it to three years."
A few mercenaries' faces brightened.
They figured effort from now could land them the next contract.
Meanwhile, many others shook their heads.
"The city of Terra is just the beginning. I'll build more cities in frontier areas and offer them as contract targets. So please, everyone, do your utmost to subjugate monsters."
Mentioning not just Terra but future cities sparked massive cheers from the mercenaries again.
"Woooaaah!!!"
"Woooaaah!!"
Leaving the cheers behind, I descended the platform.
.
.
West River Mercenary Guild branch manager's office.
I sat in the office chairs with Kaiman and Aine.
Kaiman spoke first.
"You used a complicated method."
It was complicated, sure.
But the reason I'd gone this route was...
Before I could explain, Aine answered.
"It's probably because there's not enough money."
"Money?"
I closed my mouth and watched the father-daughter exchange.
"Even if Lord Elwin owns the large farm and makes a fortune selling grain, he can't subjugate field monsters himself."
"Hmm... so?"
"That's why he made them compete. Right?"
Aine turned to me at the end.
Her expression expectant of praise.
"You're right. Good grasp."
Aine's lips twitched up briefly before returning to normal.
If I had the money, I could build my own mercenary group for subjugations.
But I didn't, which was why I hadn't.
Instead, I built a village and pitted the mercenaries against each other.
In that process, they'd focus on monster subjugations.
'And with such sweet rewards, top mercenaries from the continent will come here too.'
"And it'll be easier to control the mercenaries that way too. Right?"
"Exactly."
The group with the most subjugations is the strongest.
In other words, if the island's strongest mercenary group signs a long-term contract with me—one including defense mobilization?
"As Lord Elwin says, if second and third cities are built, the top groups will side with you. Then no mercenary on the island would dare oppose you."
Aine had grasped the core of it.
Monster subjugations via competition, and mercenary control through contracts with top groups.
Two birds with one stone, even if the method was a bit complex.
"But what about the tax issue?"
"Got Father's permission."
"Good. Then it's time for Dad to get moving."
"Huh? Me?"
"Yes! We need to promote it. So mercenaries across the continent hear about this."
I stood from my chair.
Aine had read my intentions perfectly.
Even understood exactly what I wanted from them.
Then I could safely leave things here to her.
"Do as Aine says. I'll head out then."
Frontier Viscounty.
The northwesternmost front line.
The Frontier Viscount sat alone in the command tent.
[... Terra Village construction ... Mercenary contracts ...]
"So that's how he's moving."
After telling Elwin to seize the troll territory, he'd been checking periodically.
He'd been surprised at first by the use of mercenaries, but it made sense—Elwin's options were limited.
"With this method, can he handle both troll subjugations and mercenary control? Will he pull it off?"
The viscount focused entirely on the letter.
To the point he didn't notice someone entering the tent.
"My lord."
"... What is it?"
"An ogre pack has been spotted. Twenty minutes away."
"Understood. We move in ten minutes. Prepare."
"Yes! Uh... You've been smiling a lot lately."
"Me? Smiling?"
The knight snapped to attention.
"N-no! I'll prepare for departure right away!"
The viscount touched his face.
It felt like unfamiliar muscles were strangely tense.
'Was I smiling? Because of Elwin's news?'
The viscount donned his armor with familiar motions.
A daily routine with no margin for error.
But his mind was different.
Filled with thoughts other than battle.
'Did Father ever smile at me like that?'
His father had no interest in him.
Or rather, he did.
But he was too busy fighting monsters every day.
After Father passed and he became lord,
he acted just like him.
No time to care for children.
Not even time for a single glance.
The territory's people respected him.
Obeyed him as their lord.
But,
'Am I really their lord?'
They were all misunderstanding.
The Frontier lord was a machine.
A machine devoting its entire life to protecting the territory from monsters.
A machine that forgoes personal happiness, hobbies, love, life—everything.
Without conscious thought, his body moved on autopilot.
Before he knew it, he was armored up and at the tent entrance.
The Frontier lord had no leeway for thoughts beyond battle.
No time to look after children.
Literally, he couldn't.
Crunch.
The viscount clenched his fist tight.
And began erasing the thoughts from his mind one by one.
'It's not that I can't. It's that I don't.'
All focus must go to battle.
To save even one more life.
To make the territory safer.
After clenching and unclenching his fist a couple times,
the stray thoughts vanished.
He opened the tent flap and stepped out.
Knights and soldiers stood in formation.
Their armor stained with monster blood from endless battles.
The viscount's mind filled with battle.
His head ran combat simulations repeatedly.
How to save even one more life.