Minor Crises (2)
For the first time in a while, a meeting of the vassals was convened.
Everyone had gathered in one place, with the sole exception of Lord Birken, who was busy expanding the merchant group and organizing new business operations.
The complexions of those present were dreadful.
The knights were utterly overworked from constantly worrying about barbarians and monsters, while the administrative officials had been plagued by grueling workloads due to the territory's rapid development.
They looked at the Kang father and daughter attending the meeting with curiosity, yet they did not let down their guard.
Unable to watch any longer, Jeron frowned.
"You're going to burn holes in their faces. Have you never seen a person before?"
"It's not that, my Lord," one of them replied. "It's just... they seem to be of a different race."
"Precisely. They are engineers from a fallen noble family of another continent."
"Nobles from another continent?! And engineers at that?"
Murmurs rippled through the room.
Although the territory's pending issues were piling up, they were intensely curious about Jeron's intentions.
After all, Jeron was not the type of man to invite complete strangers to a meeting of vassals without a very good reason.
It was a clear declaration of his intent to employ the father and daughter.
Since there was already so much to handle, Jeron decided to establish their status first.
"You all know well how highly I value skilled craftsmen. These two are father and daughter, and their abilities have already been thoroughly verified. Sir Su-chul Kang here possesses skills that surpass even those of the dwarves. Dame Yu-jung Kang has technical and mathematical prowess on par with dwarves, and is a talent that even the merchant groups would covet. Thanks to her, our merchant group's profits have increased by over thirty percent."
"..."
The vassals gasped in astonishment at Jeron's explanation.
Though they had been wary just moments ago, they now rubbed their eyes and stared at the newcomers' faces with renewed interest.
After just a week, Mr. Kang had put on some weight, so he no longer looked pitifully gaunt. Instead, he exuded a sharp, intellectual aura.
And what of Kang Yu-jung?
She possessed an exotic, Eastern beauty, with large, striking eyes that left a deep impression.
Despite having grown up in a ruined world from a young age without the benefits of modern medicine or cosmetics, she still radiated a mysterious charm.
Their identities had been verified by Jeron, and they were presented as individuals of extraordinary skill.
The survivors of Earth each possessed at least one specialty like this.
Though they were all deeply paranoid and suffered from severe PTSD, bringing trustworthy individuals into the territory was bound to have a massive, positive impact.
This was especially true for the elderly man who was said to be Mr. Kang's mentor.
The Kang father and daughter stood up and bowed from the waist in the Korean fashion.
"I am Kang Su-chul."
"And I'm Kang Yu-jung."
Though their family name came before their given names, it did not matter.
Once they learned the local language, they would naturally adjust it.
Besides, the people here couldn't understand Korean anyway.
"I have bestowed upon them the status of vassals," Jeron announced. "They are engineers who were highly esteemed even on their home continent, and it took considerable effort to persuade them to join us. Do not shun them just because they come from another land; treat them well. Frankly, I prefer people from other continents over those from the Central Continent. They have nowhere else to go but our territory, which means there is absolutely no risk of them being spies."
The vassals now understood why Jeron had brought in outsiders and elevated them to such high status.
If their skills were truly that exceptional, it was highly profitable to bind them to the territory, even if it meant granting them vassalage.
As long as the father and daughter were not of slave origin, the vassals were satisfied.
That was precisely why Jeron had packaged them as fallen nobility.
While it might have seemed trivial, this was a crucial step. In noble society, they played by their own strict rules.
To become a vassal of a noble house, one had to be at least of fallen noble stock.
In reality, it was incredibly difficult for a commoner to rise to nobility, and precedents for such a leap were exceedingly rare.
"Let us leave it at that and move on to the status reports," Jeron said, shifting the focus. "Sir James, I hear we had a monster incursion?"
"Yes, my Lord," James replied.
"What is the exact scale of the damage?"
"Three laborers working on the outer wall were killed, and five were injured. During the battle, nine soldiers were killed in action, five were severely wounded, and twenty-one sustained minor injuries."
"We took quite a few casualties."
"They were highly aggressive red orcs, my Lord. It was only thanks to the walls that we managed to keep the losses this low."
Monster raids were hardly a novelty.
They occurred almost like clockwork, once every year or two, and the root cause was always a shortage of food.
When rainfall was plentiful enough to yield a bountiful harvest, herbivores multiplied in the mountains and fields, meaning well-fed orcs had no reason to raid.
But even a minor famine changed everything.
The creatures grew rapidly, reaching adulthood just two years after birth, and their food supply depleted just as quickly. Lacking the intelligence to farm, they resorted to plundering human villages and towns.
This pattern was remarkably similar to that of the barbarians.
"What of the barbarians' movements?"
"According to our scouts, several tribes are forming a coalition and gathering their forces. If we are not careful, we could be facing an invasion in the thousands, rather than the hundreds."
"That is indeed serious."
"To be frank, the barbarian threat is far more concerning than the monster raids," Jenald added.
A heavy gloom settled over Sir Jenald's face as he spoke.
In its current state, the territory would struggle to repel an invasion of thousands.
The territory's elite forces numbered only around six hundred.
Although they were training recruits with the goal of reaching a thousand, it was too risky to deploy raw, inexperienced soldiers directly into battle.
"Let us address the barbarian issue first," Jeron said. "Ultimately, the reason they contemplate invading us is because our territory has historically maintained a hardline stance. There was a time when we appeased them through trade, but our current position has been one of zero compromise. From now on, we change our policy."
The vassals nodded in agreement.
They, too, knew what pretext Jeron had used when demanding trade rights from the kingdom.
He had claimed that a massive barbarian invasion was feared ahead of the war, and that he needed to appease them.
"We will reopen the border markets. This has already been approved by the kingdom's central government. We will use imported grain to trade with them, acquiring high-quality iron, monster hides, and potion ingredients at low prices. We will act as the middlemen, reaping the profits of intermediary trade."
"It is only possible because we hold the trade rights."
"That was my intention from the very beginning."
This would solve everything.
The fundamental reason the barbarians invaded was food.
Agriculture was impossible in their homeland, the Great Snowfield. Their desperate attempts to force their way into warmer lands and their rampant raiding were entirely driven by starvation.
If Jeron supplied them with food, they would have no reason to shed blood in an invasion.
"From now on, we will approach them with a friendly hand. If there are tribes that wish to submit to our territory, we will send engineers to help them establish proper villages."
"Do you mean to absorb their population, my Lord?"
"Why not? They are outstanding warriors."
"That is an excellent idea."
Naturally, the barbarians' status would not be identical to that of the regular citizens.
They would be granted semi-citizen status—higher than slaves, but lower than full citizens.
Though many among the populace would harbor grudges against the barbarians, time would heal those wounds.
Jeron chose to handle the matter politically rather than emotionally.
What an immense benefit it would be if they could utilize them as mercenaries.
If given the opportunity to plunder foreign nations, they could easily be enticed to raise a massive army and join the war.
The vassals also recognized the immense potential of this strategy.
"In any case, we have no choice but to trade with them. Since we obtained the trade rights under that pretext, failing to execute it would amount to the crime of deceiving the crown."
"I will dispatch an envoy to arrange a meeting with them," Jenald offered.
"We shall leave the barbarian issue at that," Jeron decided. "As for the monsters, we must conduct an uncompromising subjugation campaign."
Jeron made his decisions swiftly.
If they delayed, the orcs would only multiply.
Since the recent battle had reportedly reduced their numbers from five hundred to around three hundred, mobilizing their entire force to wipe them out now would ensure safety until next year.
Everyone seemed to agree, but Lord Cain raised his head.
"My Lord! It is a splendid plan, but a military expedition requires funds..."
"I have brought back two hundred thousand gold coins this time."
"Pardon?!"
"The rest was spent on importing wheat. Once Lady Celia, who is currently in the capital, sells the famous paintings through the auction house, I expect we will secure enough funds to run the territory for over a year."
"Ooh!"
The faces of the financial officials instantly brightened.
While Lord Cain and his subordinates agreed that the expedition was necessary, they had harbored deep concerns because the territory's coffers were far from abundant.
With the three-year territorial development plan underway, every spare copper was being reinvested.
But if a new source of revenue had appeared, the situation was entirely different.
"Begin preparations for the subjugation immediately. The damage will only worsen once the harvest season arrives, so prepare a force of three hundred soldiers within a week. While the expeditionary force is away, the security and defense of the territory will be handled by the recruits."
"Yes, my Lord!"
The most pressing matters were settled.
Afterward, Jeron swiftly processed the pending issues regarding the territorial development plan.
With a massive infusion of capital into the territory, the stalled infrastructure projects were set back in motion.
Following the conclusion of the meeting, the vassals returned to their respective posts.
The knights headed to the front lines, while the administrators dispersed to prepare for the upcoming campaign.
Jeron took the Kang father and daughter to visit the territory's sole smithy.
Midsummer in the north was still far more bearable than in the south.
While Hanes County sweltered at around thirty-five degrees Celsius, the Farrow Territory lingered at a milder thirty degrees.
Even so, the heat was undeniable.
The smithy was thick with stifling heat.
Lacking even a rudimentary ventilation fan, the air was choked with acrid smoke, where two blacksmiths worked as if burning away their very lifespans.
Inside the shabby workshop, tools and scraps of iron lay scattered in a state that was frankly embarrassing to look at.
They were still melting iron over charcoal fires, and the operation was so pitifully small that calling it a smithy felt like a stretch.
Spotting Jeron, the blacksmiths rushed over and dropped to their knees.
"We greet the Lord!"
"You are working hard today as well."
"Oh, my Lord! Your words are far too kind for the likes of us."
In truth, their social standing was lower than even that of the farmers.
Under such conditions, forging technology could never hope to advance.
The blacksmiths' clothes were incredibly ragged, riddled with holes burned by flying sparks.
Burn scars marred their skin in various places.
Lacking any protective gear, such injuries were simply the inevitable fate of a blacksmith.
Watching this, Mr. Kang clicked his tongue.
"Good grief, this is the height of barbarism. Is this a pigsty or a workshop?"
"As you know, this is a medieval world," Jeron replied. "It is by no means a society that treats engineers with respect."
"Even so, this is a bit much, don't you think?"
"You'll understand as you live here. Artisans and engineers are looked down upon even more than peasants. Since I come from the modern era, I recognize the value of technology and have tried to curb such attitudes, but it used to be far worse than this."
A blacksmith's status was only a single step above a slave.
Although classified as citizens of the territory, in the eyes of the public, they were practically untouchables.
It was quite similar to the Joseon Dynasty on Earth.
Mr. Kang sighed deeply.
"Their social standing explains everything. When a society despises technology, it is bound to stagnate."
"I agree entirely."
As an expert in mechanical engineering, Mr. Kang felt a profound anger toward a world that treated its technical minds with such disdain.
This was exactly the reaction Jeron had hoped for.
By elevating Mr. Kang—who practically worshipped technology—to the rank of vassal, he would reshape the very perception of the territory's citizens.
Only then would people be motivated to learn technical skills, allowing the territory to truly modernize.
"So, what do you think, Mr. Kang? Can you build and run a proper smithy and workshop here? As you can see, there is plenty of space. Land is the one thing we have in abundance."
A spark ignited in Mr. Kang's eyes.
A fierce passion welled up from deep within him.
"We need to tear this whole place down and build it anew! Can you bring all my equipment over from Earth? I'll show you what a truly advanced workshop looks like!"
"Of course. I'll bring whatever you need."
"I'll oversee the construction myself! We can't produce a damn thing in this current state. For the monster subjugation, make sure to use the equipment I manufactured back on Earth!"