Chapter 243
Chapter 243
"Your Majesty!"
"Master!"
Clayton, whose face showed signs of exhaustion, and Hamar, whose cheeks had grown hollow, stiffened slightly upon seeing Logan.
Their faces clearly showed the toll of their hard work, and the tension in their expressions made Logan feel a pang of guilt. But he knew this was unavoidable, so he forced a bitter smile and patted their shoulders.
"You've all worked hard."
"It's for the kingdom—how could we refuse...?"
"If you knew, maybe you'd let us rest a little...?"
The two leaders gave completely opposite answers and exchanged awkward smiles. Meanwhile, Logan surveyed the surroundings.
"As expected..."
Thanks to their experience from several large-scale projects, the construction seemed to be progressing smoothly.
The dam was being built in the most suitable location for reclaiming the wastelands west of the capital. The nearly completed floodgates and the distance to the Tenon River beyond the mountain range looked flawless.
However, as anticipated, one issue had inevitably arisen.
"Is the reservoir really big enough? It looks smaller than the MacLaine Dam. Did you forget that the farmland we need to reclaim is twice as large?"
"Considering the continuous inflow of river water, our calculations suggest this size is sufficient, Master. We do have some experience now..."
"No, dig deeper. It needs to hold at least twice the capacity."
Hamar's face twisted at Logan's firm response.
"You said we had to finish quickly! If we do that, the completion time will be pushed back significantly!"
"Your Majesty, my calculations align with Lord Hamar's. I believe this size is adequate."
Despite Clayton's defense, Logan shook his head.
"It needs to be large enough to irrigate the entire wasteland at once. We'll be using Majeong Water farming here as well. Dissolving Majeong Stones in standing water is far more cost-effective than in flowing water."
At Logan's words, Hamar and Clayton's eyes widened.
"Majeong Water... Didn't you say the finances were tight, Master?"
"Are you sure about this? Really?"
"I'll handle the finances somehow. Just do as I say."
"Ah..."
Their surprise was fleeting. Hamar's face twisted in despair as he realized the scale of his work had just doubled.
"Ugh... Twice as much..."
Clayton also sighed deeply, but Logan remained unmoved.
'This is necessary. It has to be done. If we want to save even a little time and money...'
A slight headache nagged at him—perhaps from exhaustion—but he saw no need to show it here.
"Hamar, with this change, when can we expect completion?"
Haa.
Hamar shook his head repeatedly, clearly displeased, but answered promptly.
"It'll take another two months, Master."
"...Try to shorten it to one."
"What—how can you say that now?!"
"Ahahaha. Lord Hamar, let's just give it a try. Your Majesty, we'll do our best."
Logan felt guilty toward Hamar, whose mouth was clamped shut in frustration, and Clayton, who was shaking his head with an awkward smile.
Clayton's reaction was understandable—he knew the finances were already stretched thin.
"Very well. Then I'll leave the final touches to you, Lord Clayton."
"You can count on me, Your Majesty."
Both the one giving orders and those receiving them were worn out.
But those who understood the tight schedule had no room for complaints.
"How are we supposed to cut it down to one month—?!"
"Lord Hamar. Shh!"
Except, of course, for the dwarf whose workload had just skyrocketed.
[The implementation of Majeong Water farming in the Esperanza territory has been completed.]
"That was faster than expected. I thought it wouldn't be done until the dam was finished."
[Establishing the precise ratio of Majeong Stones made a big difference. I'll submit a separate report on the details.]
"Good. Well done, Ria."
Logan smiled faintly at Victoria's report.
The plan had deviated, but in a good way—so he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Return to the capital for now. Once the dam is completed, we'll need to prepare the Majeong Stones for it."
[I've already prepared them.]
"...Good. You've worked hard."
Victoria's unexpectedly efficient report brought a rare smile to Logan's face.
"Since you've successfully completed your mission, you deserve a reward... Ria, is there anything you'd like?"
[No. As a mage, completing this task was already a great achievement. I'm just grateful for your trust.]
Not only was her work impeccable, but her responses were also gracious—making Logan want to reward her even more.
"Still, tell me. Clear rewards and punishments motivate others to work harder."
[If you insist... Well, I've heard rumors about the new Magic Military Unit. I'd like to join it.]
"What?"
There was no reason to refuse.
Logan wanted every mage in the kingdom to be part of the Magic Military Unit.
Moreover, whether for engineering or combat support, the utility shown by the Golem School had already become indispensable in MacLaine's battles.
"Why? I'm curious about your reasoning."
[Honestly, just researching in the tower doesn't suit me. I'd prefer a place where I can actively use magic and train.]
She wanted to fight.
Logan exhaled softly at the unexpected answer and looked past Victoria through the communication orb—at Victor standing behind her.
"Well, I don't mind as long as your brother is okay with it..."
[He is.]
"Hm?"
He had expected Victor to oppose his sister's desire for combat training outright.
But Victor's expression was calm as he watched Victoria's back.
The overprotectiveness from before seemed to have faded.
At first, Logan thought it might be a disconnect from seeing them through the orb, but now, Victor radiated unmistakable trust in his sister.
'These two have truly grown.'
Another positive change. Logan nodded gladly.
"Very well. Inform Lord Clayton yourself, and join the unit whenever you're ready."
[Yes. Thank you!]
"Victor. You've worked hard too. So I've prepared a separate gift for you."
[...Huh? I didn't really do much...]
"Starting today, you'll join the Royal Knight Order's training. Your bodyguard duties are suspended for now. After completing the standard training, the Sword Duke will personally oversee your further development. Learn well."
[...What?]
Victor's expression froze momentarily.
But soon, his face flushed with excitement—so much so that it was surprising he didn't cheer aloud.
At just twenty-one, this prodigy who had already reached the level of a top-tier knight would now grow even faster.
Now then...
'The dam construction is progressing smoothly, Majeong Water farming is nearly complete. All that's left is to check the military training.'
The last of the three major policies draining the treasury.
The soldiers had been training for roughly three months now.
It was time to inspect another foundation for the kingdom's future.
"I can see your feet!"
"Falling behind already?!"
"You call yourselves knights? Shame on you for having such poor stamina!"
In the royal training grounds, shouts laced with criticism erupted daily.
Knights clad in armor emblazoned with flame insignias relentlessly chased after those still wearing plain armor, barking orders.
Of course, the trainees were utterly miserable.
Thud.
Drunken warhorses, deep in slumber, were draped over their shoulders.
"Why—ugh—are we carrying—horses—while running?!"
"This is—insane."
"Is this training—or torture?!"
They likely thought they were whispering, but their voices carried clearly to the sharp-eared observers.
Logan's widened eyes took in the knights' training. The Sword Duke, interpreting his expression, cleared his throat and offered an explanation.
"Ahem. This wasn't my idea. I heard this is how MacLaine trains its knights. The intent—to forge unity between rider and steed—is commendable, so I decided to try it."
"...The results will be undeniable. MacLaine has already proven its effectiveness. Though the intensity is lower here since we're on flat ground, not mountains."
"That's insane..."
"...?"
"...Which is why MacLaine knights are so strong. Even Esperanza's knights praise them, saying their skill rivals ours."
That might be too generous.
"But didn't you agree to teach them the Iron Blood Sword Technique? Why are they only doing stamina training?"
"Some lacked even basic fundamentals. And frankly..."
The Sword Duke hesitated briefly. Logan waited silently until the old knight sighed and revealed his true thoughts.
"Half of them abandoned their lords to join the Royal Knight Order. Even if, technically, their lords serve you, I wanted to test their resolve. No—I wanted to instill it in them anew."
"...Proceed."
A faint killing intent flickered across the Sword Duke's hardened expression. Given that Logan had once made this knight betray his own lord, he couldn't bring himself to stop him.
Of course—
"Still, the knights you approve of should at least master the basics of the Iron Blood Sword Technique before this year's harvest."
"Is there any doubt, Your Majesty?"
"...That's all I ask for now."
"Ah, one more thing, Your Majesty."
"Yes?"
"The MacLaine knights mentioned that you were the one who taught them the Iron Blood Sword Technique..."
"Ah, my schedule is packed today—I should get going. I leave it in your hands, Master."
Logan swiftly dodged the question and made his escape.
The Sword Duke stared blankly at his retreating figure, tilted his head briefly, then refocused on the training.
"Attention, all!!"
Thud!
The male trainees, who had been observing Kai Solon's spear demonstration, snapped to attention as Logan approached.
Not all recruits were present, but roughly five thousand stood in formation.
The fact that such a large group maintained perfect discipline was satisfying enough for Logan.
"Out of 52,000 total recruits, 38,580 male trainees have completed basic stamina and formation drills—excluding 121 dropouts. Currently, weapon training is being conducted alongside stamina exercises."
Heinkel's composed expression was, in itself, a display of confidence.
"We plan to integrate training with the female recruits soon."
"Good. The training seems solid, though the intensity seems lower than in MacLaine Territory. Any reason?"
At this, Heinkel's eyebrow twitched.
He answered in a slightly lowered voice.
"The MacLaine Knight Order was filled with loyalty to MacLaine. These recruits joined for money. Starting with MacLaine's methods from the beginning would've been..."
"Isn't that the instructors' job?"
"......"
"Ah, my apologies. If it's not possible, then..."
Grit.
"We'll retrain them properly from now on."
Heinkel's face darkened, and the recruits' screams seemed to echo in Logan's ears—but he left the training grounds with a satisfied smile.
"Forward, spears!"
"Ha!"
Following the tall female instructor's command at the front line, the trainees thrust their spears. Their movements were still rough, but the formation remained unbroken.
Only three months into training.
In the culture of the former Grandia, where women rarely exercised outside of farm work, the female recruits' eyes burned with determination—more fiercely than the male trainees Logan had seen earlier.
From a distance, Ellen, her face tanned from the sun, watched proudly and reported their progress.
"Out of 52,000 recruits who passed the final test, 13,420 were women. As you can see, almost none have dropped out, and they're training diligently. Their dropout rate is even lower than the men's—thanks in part to veteran MacLaine soldiers like Cathy serving as excellent instructors."
"I also heard rumors that the kingdom's first female knight became an inspiring role model?"
"That's absolutely true."
Ellen's confident reply made her radiant face seem far removed from Logan's earlier concerns.
He had entrusted her with training the female recruits and, using busyness as an excuse, hadn't visited in over three months...
"You look well."
"Of course!"
"...Of course?"
"I'm training under the kingdom's greatest swordsman, serving as an idol for over ten thousand female soldiers—I feel alive every day!"
"...That's a relief."
It was a relief, but a bittersweet smile tugged at Logan's lips—a strange emptiness lingering in his chest.
Then—
"Well, except for not being able to see you, who's always busy."
Ellen's offhand remark, spoken while gazing at the training grounds, sent Logan's heart pounding.
"I'm sorry. I should've—"
An apology spilled out reflexively.
"It's fine."
"Hm?"
"I know you have to focus now. I understand—so pour your energy into what needs to be done."
"But—"
"That's how we'll bring back those days of riding together in town sooner, right?"
Her unwavering blue eyes locked onto Logan's.
"Of course. Absolutely..."
That steadfast gaze strengthened Logan's resolve.
"I'll make it happen."
Their hands clasped firmly.
Reunited after so long, the lovers shared warmth—not with fleeting excitement, but with renewed determination.
One month later—
[A plague has begun spreading in the southeastern regions.]
The worst possible unforeseen variable struck Logan like a bolt of ice.