A Reunion
The unified Farrow Territory.
With Jeron's recent annexation of the Rebion Viscounty, the territory's landmass had nearly doubled.
The population had grown even faster, now numbering around one hundred and fifty thousand. It was a scale that could no longer be considered a typical viscounty.
While it did not yet match the vast lands of a great lord like Count Hanes, it was still the greatest achievement one could possibly hope to accomplish in a single generation.
The territory was developing at a breakneck pace.
This was not just a subjective feeling. Even to the eyes of Park Dae-sung, who was visiting the Farrow Territory for the first time, the progress was undeniable.
"Not bad. Better than I expected," the old man remarked.
"We have put a great deal of effort into this," Jeron replied.
"Given the historical context, I can see just how much care you and your vassals have poured into this place. Is that crane a version built without Kang's direct involvement?"
"Your eyes are sharp. Initially, we used a single pulley system, but after Kang arrived in the territory, we upgraded it to a triple pulley system."
"It is a pity. If we installed motors, the territory would develop much faster."
"Motors... you say?"
"It is entirely possible, provided we lay the underground electrical cables."
"Haha... Underground cabling? Even with Kang's skills, that is an impossible task."
"Hoho, leave that to me. It is not as difficult as you think."
Using electricity in the territory?
It was something Jeron had never even dared to dream of.
He had thought about bringing over solar panels to power simple electronic devices, but the process was so complicated that he had not dared to attempt it.
Even Kang only used solar power within his workshop; he had never brought up the idea of laying underground cables across the territory.
"Is that really possible?" Jeron asked.
"We would need to install at least one transformer. We do not need to run electricity across the entire territory just yet."
"At this rate, I feel like we might have to redesign the city from scratch."
"Hahaha! Just keep bringing in solar panels. The more you bring, the more electricity we can generate."
Park Dae-sung estimated that a 100 kW system would be enough to generate power for the most critical areas for now.
A typical household solar setup was about 3 kW, and occasionally 5 to 6 kW.
To set up a 100 kW system, they would have to completely strip down a government building back on Earth, making this another long-term project.
Still, it was an incredibly alluring proposal that made Jeron's heart race.
If they could eventually lay underground cables throughout the entire territory, a whole new world would open up.
"If you have the city development plans, bring them to me. I will look them over," the old man offered.
"Thank you, elder."
"No need. I am the one who should be grateful. This territory is where my granddaughter will live her life. I will do everything in my power for this place until the day I die."
Park Dae-sung had only one goal.
To build a city where Park Ji-eun could live happily.
Having survived for so long on a ruined Earth, Park Ji-eun was clearly not in a normal state of mind.
Since the environment was crucial for overcoming such trauma and living a normal life, the old man was determined to put in the effort.
Whatever his motivation, it works out well for us.
Jeron imagined what the territory would look like in ten years.
Right now, they were barely escaping the medieval era, but in ten years, could they perhaps reach the level of an 18th-century European city?
By the next generation, they might even progress to the 19th century.
Just by having Park Dae-sung join them, the territory could dream of far greater possibilities.
Upon arriving at the castle, Jeron dismissed the army and assigned his vassals to their respective duties.
"My Lord, thank you for your hard work!"
"You all worked hard as well."
"We will see you at the meeting, then!"
The vassals dispersed to attend to their tasks.
The administration would be busy in its own right, and the military would be moving quickly to subjugate the red orcs.
Jeron, who had to oversee all of these operations, was not idle either, but he had to take care of first things first.
"Elder, let us head to the workshop," Jeron said.
"Very well."
The group hurried their steps.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The workshop district of the territory.
Although it could not yet compare to Count Hanes's domain, modern workshops were springing up throughout the Farrow Territory.
Blacksmithing, manufacturing, and handicrafts were all integrated here, with Kang serving as the general manager.
The existing artisans and Kang Yu-jung were appointed as Kang's assistants, and all of them were incredibly busy.
At the armaments factory, iron products were constantly being cast from molds.
This was only possible because a massive amount of iron ore was coming in through trade with the barbarians.
The iron ore contained a small amount of mithril, allowing them to churn out weapons with a simple process. They poured the molten metal into molds, producing dozens of blades at a time.
Afterward, the artisans would polish and finish them.
It was tremendous progress, but the workshop district was still under construction.
Since the territory required countless facilities, a large-scale civil engineering project was underway under Kang's direction.
The group passed the hot, steaming blacksmith shops and arrived at a construction site where workers were struggling to build a cotton production factory.
There, Kang and his daughter were looking over blueprints and directing the construction.
"Move faster over there!"
"On it!"
"How do you expect to get anything done moving that slowly? Hurry up, hurry up!"
"Yes, sir!"
The hurry-up culture of Korea was taking over the territory.
While it was true that this often led to accidents, they had implemented strict safety training, and the accident rate was currently on the decline.
Kang, who was supervising the site, spotted Jeron.
"Oh? You're back?"
"I brought an acquaintance of yours."
"An acquaintance of mine...? I shouldn't have anyone like that here."
From behind Jeron, Park Dae-sung and his granddaughter stepped forward.
Flutter.
Startled, Kang dropped his blueprints. He did not even realize he had dropped them.
He looked like a man whose brain had temporarily short-circuited.
Kang had always talked about Park Dae-sung.
Whether he was drinking, working in the workshop, or even developing new products, he always said that he could never have shown off such skills without the old man's help.
To Kang, Park Dae-sung was more than just a teacher.
"M-Master!"
"Hahaha, master? Don't be ridiculous. Just call me comfortably."
"You were alive!"
The teacher and student were reunited.
They embraced each other, busy checking on one another's well-being. Tears welled up in the eyes of both men, showing just how overjoyed they were.
Neither Kang nor Park Dae-sung were men of many words, but seeing them talk non-stop proved that their bond was truly special.
"You finally rescued your granddaughter!"
"It would have been impossible without Jeron here."
"Haha, what an amazing coincidence. To think such a thing could happen."
"Looking back at how things unfolded, I suppose it was fate."
From a distance, Kang Yu-jung also spotted the group and ran over.
A bright smile graced her face.
Kang Yu-jung had now completely overcome her trauma from Earth.
"You're back!"
"Yu-jung, come greet him. This is your father's master."
"Are you the benefactor my father always talked about?!"
"Benefactor? Not at all. We just happened to cross paths, and I helped him out."
"No, it's true. How many people on Earth would show that kind of kindness? I have always respected you."
"Hahaha! What a polite young lady."
The atmosphere was incredibly warm.
Everyone gathered here had barely escaped from hell.
Since their connections from their past lives had carried over to produce this result, perhaps fate really did exist.
"Are you the one in charge of this workshop district?" Park Dae-sung asked.
"I am merely acting as a temporary manager. I would like you to take over as the head, Master."
"What would an old man who might die tomorrow do as the head?"
"I cannot hold a higher position when my master is right here."
It was a friendly argument.
Jeron understood both of their positions.
Kang was essentially the senior worker who had established himself in the territory first. However, since his master had arrived, he naturally felt that Park Dae-sung should take the lead.
Kang's reasoning made sense, but Park Dae-sung was too old.
Although he was currently healthy and active enough to rival any young man, considering his age, he would only be able to work energetically for another three to four years at most.
Jeron organized his thoughts and made a proposal to Park Dae-sung.
"How about you take on the role of an advisor?"
"An advisor, you say."
"Yes, a consultant. If you become the head of the workshop, you will inevitably be overworked. Kang here works overtime as if it is second nature. Even Kang, who is only in his early fifties, finds it exhausting. If you take that position, elder, it will lead to trouble. So please, act as our advisor."
"If that is the Lord's wish, then so be it."
With this, the matter of their positions was settled.
Whether he wanted to prove his worth or it was simply his nature, Park Dae-sung immediately turned his attention to the machinery.
"Are these a thresher and a grinder?"
"Yes. Since the harvest is about to begin, I made some simple ones."
"It is a brilliant design, but if you change the way power is transmitted, you can use them effectively with even a small amount of electricity."
"Please, teach me."
"Well, you see, you do it like this..."
The engineers quickly fell into their own world.
It was a highly positive synergy.
There was a limit to what Kang could develop and build on his own.
But now that Park Dae-sung, who possessed even greater technical skills, had joined them, their productivity would easily triple.
Jeron looked at Park Ji-eun, who was standing awkwardly, and made a request to Kang Yu-jung.
"She is a child with severe trauma. Can you look after her?"
"Leave it to me!"
Jeron had not yet told Kang Yu-jung the details of what Park Ji-eun had gone through, but Kang Yu-jung seemed to have guessed.
She knew all too well from experience how difficult it was to survive as a woman on a ruined Earth.
"You must be Ji-eun, right?"
"...Yes."
"Shall we go hang out together?"
"I-Is it okay?"
"It's perfectly safe here. The soldiers are guarding us."
This was enough.
Kang Yu-jung, who had completely recovered from her own trauma, would surely be able to heal Park Ji-eun's heart.
***
Upon returning to the castle of the Farrow Territory, Jeron was incredibly busy.
The administrators compiled and submitted current issues, and he reviewed the documents one by one.
With large-scale construction projects underway and a massive amount of capital circulating through the territory, everyone was dizzy with work.
The harvest season was fast approaching.
A statement regarding the territory's taxes was also submitted.
Pressing his temples to relieve the fatigue building up around his eyes, Jeron carefully examined the administrator's report.
"So... we expect to produce about 1.5 million sacks of wheat this year?"
"Yes, My Lord. Under the current tax rate of forty percent, we estimate that six hundred thousand sacks will be collected."
"Won't it cause problems if we collect six hundred thousand sacks?"
"Even before this, we were barely self-sufficient. It is only because the water shortage was resolved and we annexed the Rebion Viscounty that we have reached this amount. Compared to last year, when countless people starved to death, we are in a much better position."
This was the case even though water was no longer scarce.
The Farrow Territory's land had expanded, but the lack of cultivated farmland was the issue.
Just because their territory had grown did not mean their arable land had increased instantly.
"It cannot be helped. Let us get through this year by importing food. Next year, the crop yields will definitely improve."
"Shall I proceed with food imports?"
"Food is cheapest during the harvest season, so get on it immediately. If possible, buy up surplus food domestically. If not, import it from abroad."
"Yes, My Lord."
"Also, set aside about ten thousand sacks of the harvested wheat."
"Pardon? Do you have a specific use for it?"
"The threshers and grinders are finished, so we should test them out, shouldn't we?"