Episode 51

One week later.

"Town? A large-scale pioneer village? Master, what are you talking about?"

Hamar's expression was naturally sour as soon as he was summoned after the brief vacation following the floodgate inauguration ceremony.

"We're going to cultivate that vast plain and farm it. How do you expect the farmers living near the castles at either end to commute back and forth every day? Even if it's possible, it's a waste of time. We need to build a new village right in the middle of the plain."

"So you're saying... you're entrusting that to me?"

"Hmm. Not confident in architecture? Well, I've never heard that dwarves are particularly good at building..."

"What nonsense! Architecture is second only to weapon-making among our skills..."

"Ah. Really? I knew it!"

"Ah... damn that mouth of yours..."

Hamar, who had blurted out in a moment of anger, immediately realized what he'd said and slumped down.

Though Hamar put on his most pitiful expression, hoping for some last-minute mercy, his opponent had no intention of letting go of the prey he'd caught.

"The village will be laid out in a cross pattern, divided into four districts with uniformly sized houses spaced at regular intervals. The more permanent residents, the better, but for now, we're aiming for half the territory's population."

Logan smiled as he recalled the efficiency of the Empire's planned cities from his past life.

"Each district will have several communal wells and public toilets—separated by gender. We'll also dig drainage channels to direct waste outside the village through a sewage system."

Logan's instructions were meticulous, covering everything from the overall layout to specific facilities.

But Hamar could only grind his teeth as he watched Logan excitedly explain.

"Where the hell did you see something like that?!"

"Ah, Tina?"

"What kind of bastards keep filling your head with these useless ideas?! You said you've lived here your whole life!"

Of course, it was the future Empire folks, but he couldn't say that, so he had to awkwardly deflect again, just like last time.

"Well, not exactly, but anyway, I've definitely seen it..."

"Argh! Damn it! I'm going to lose my mind. The fact that it makes sense is driving me even crazier!"

"Huh? It does make sense, right? I saw it myself—it really improves sanitation and prevents epidemics..."

Logan, who had been watching Hamar's reaction as he spoke, quickly added more when he saw the dwarf's face contort further.

"Just handle the design first, and build a few wooden houses as prototypes. Once the mine work is really done, I'll give you a long vacation—as long as you want. How about it?"

"Ugh... How many times do I have to fall for this...?"

Though his fists trembled with frustration, Hamar was already half-convinced. Seeing this, Logan flashed a bright smile that made Hamar's expression twist even more.

"Ah, but the amount of lumber needed for a project of that scale won't be trivial. Have you thought about how to import that much? Even Tritan might not have enough..."

Hamar, racking his brain, launched what he thought was a decisive counterattack.

"Lumber? It's right there in the south. It's not like crossbows where we need processed materials."

"The south?"

Logan pointed toward the dense mountain range visible from MacLaine Castle's window—and the lush forests at its base.

"Don't tell me... the monster forest?!"

Logan nodded casually.

Hamar looked like he wanted to argue against such an absurd idea, but—

"For now, we'll just do the groundwork and build a few prototype houses. After that, we'll start construction slowly with whatever lumber we can procure. Once the new recruits finish training this winter, we'll have them chop down everything and secure the lumber. That way, we won't have supply issues later. You can rest until then—once the mine is done."

Seeing that Logan wouldn't listen no matter what he said, Hamar could only sigh.

"Pfft... And then I'll be dragged back into village construction?"

"Eheh, I promised you a long vacation after that, didn't I? I heard the mine development is almost done? You'll get at least a month off. How's that? A perfect plan, right?"

"Ugh..."

As much as he hated ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to admit it, even Hamar had to concede that the schedule sounded plausible.

More importantly, he was still technically a slave. Even if he were forced into labor, he had no right to complain.

"MacLaine Town. That village will become the heart of MacLaine Territory. Half the territory's population will live there—it might even become more bustling than the castle. You're shaping the future of this land."

"So why do I have to be the one—"

"The mages will help too. They will, right? Come on, do your best."

"Devil..."

Though he sighed, Hamar had no choice but to nod.

And just three weeks later—

"As expected of Hamar."

Logan nodded in satisfaction upon receiving reports that the design and prototype houses for the massive pioneer village—dubbed MacLaine Town—were complete.

At the same time, the news he had been waiting for the most also arrived.

"YOOUUUNG MAAASTER!"

BANG!

The office door burst open as Dwain came rushing in.

"What? What is it?"

"Hamar—no, Master Hamar! He sent word that the gold mine is ready for extraction!"

The moment Dwain shouted, Logan was already out of the office like the wind.

The foundation of the family's leap forward—the source of their funds—was finally complete.

'Now all my plans can gain momentum.'

His heart pounded as his sprinting legs moved faster and faster. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Y-Young Master! Wait for me...!"

He couldn't even spare a thought for the pitiful voice calling out behind him.

"This is a rare gold nugget from the mine. Normally, gold is distributed in small amounts between ores and requires extraction, but we're already finding pieces like this."

Dwain's mouth hung open as Hamar held out a gold nugget the size of a fingernail.

Logan, too, patted Hamar's shoulder with pride, though the dwarf's face was full of exhaustion.

"You've worked hard! Really hard! Thanks to you, Hamar, this territory is coming back to life!"

Though the praise was sincere, Hamar remained expressionless.

"I've set up the extraction process properly. Now, I rest?"

"Ah... Hahaha. But how much can we extract from now on?"

Hamar eyed Logan suspiciously as he avoided the question, but he answered anyway.

"As predicted, we should be able to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mine about 1 ton of gold per month. The total reserves are still unclear, but my estimate is that it'll last at least ten years. So now, I rest?"

"1 ton... So that would be..."

But Logan awkwardly dodged the question again.

"Hey, Master? Hey, you bastard! What about my vacation?! Stop avoiding the question!"

"Ahem. Well, the town construction is just starting, we need more crossbows, and the knights' weapons..."

"...Just kill me! Kill me! A person should have a conscience! I won't! I refuse! Just kill me!"

Hamar, his face red with fury, flopped onto the ground and began throwing a tantrum.

'I feel like I've seen this before...'

Logan clutched his head, struck by an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.

'Ugh. There's still so much to do...'

Though only Logan knew it, with war preparations in full swing, the tasks requiring Hamar's dwarven skills were endless.

But now, he really had no excuse left.

'Maybe I should try rescuing more dwarves later...'

Hamar had already done dozens of times more work than initially expected.

At this point, he really had to be allowed to rest.

Besides, if this continued, another "unfortunate accident" like last time might happen.

"Fine. As promised, you get a vacation. One month—"

"WAAAH! Master! Don't look for me! I'm sleeping for a month!"

Before Logan could even finish, Hamar let out an unhinged scream.

'I was going to say two weeks since a month is too long...'

But seeing Hamar's bloodshot eyes and the dark circles under them, Logan figured he might actually pull out a knife if he tried to shorten it.

'Well, I have other things to handle anyway. I'll set things up and let Hamar clean up the mess when he returns in a month.'

As Logan swallowed his words, contemplating something that would horrify Hamar if he knew, the dwarf vanished down the mountain with lightning speed, his short legs moving faster than the eye could follow.

His movement radiated a will harder than steel—Iwillrest.

Logan chuckled dryly at the sight—

"WAAAH!"

—when another scream suddenly erupted right behind him.

"What the—?!"

"100 million gold!!"

"Huh?"

"That unbelievable claim was true after all! If we mine 1 ton of gold per month, we can easily reach 100 million gold in a year!"

It was Dwain, who had crouched down to calculate before letting out a cheer.

"Our territory is saved! We don't have to worry about anyone's scrutiny anymore!"

Dwain grabbed Logan and shook him violently, his eyes gleaming with madness.

"You're... that happy?"

"Of course! Equipment, food—whatever the problem is, we don't have to worry about anything now! Puhahahaha!"

Considering how ecstatic Dwain had been at the mere news of the gold mine before, his current overreaction was understandable—but he needed to be cooled down before he got even more worked up.

"There's still a lot to do. Money alone doesn't solve everything—"

"What nonsense! There's nothing money can't solve! If it can't, it's just because there wasn't enough!"

"......"

Dwain seemed to have completely lost his mind.

Convincing the frenzied administrator with normal reasoning appeared impossible.

Logan had no choice but to play his final card.

"You know this gold mine isn't family property, right? It's mine."

"...Huh?"

"The gold mine. It's mine. Not the family's."

"What? Wh-what do you...? Ah, Young Master, jokes like that..."

As ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠expected, he had never even considered it.

'No, he's probably pretending not to know.'

So now was the time to remind him—clearly.

"It's private land I received as compensation, remember? Forgot already?"

"...Did you receive such compensation? Ah, I don't recall. Why make such unfunny jokes on such a happy day?"

Judging by his expression, Dwain might genuinely not remember. Logan was starting to feel uneasy.

So he presented irrefutable evidence.

"It's true. Here's the document."

As Logan pulled out and waved a slip of paper from his pocket, Dwain's pupils gradually regained focus.

"Aah... Ugh..."

Like waking from a pleasant dream, clarity returned to his eyes—followed by moisture.

"U-uh... Y-Young Master, y-you're not planning to spend all that money by yourself, are you? Surely not..."

"Ah, I wouldn't do that. I'll use it for the family."

He had considered joking, but the thought of the burly man bursting into tears stopped him.

"R-really? You're sure?!"

"Yeah. But I'll decide how to use it."

Dwain's expression, which had begun to brighten, twisted again.

"Still, the family gets 30% in taxes..."

Before the loyal financial administrator could descend into mood swings, Logan tried to placate him—

"Haa... Well, if it's you, Young Master, I'm sure you'll handle it well."

Dwain suddenly nodded with an expression of complete acceptance.

"...Huh?"

"That dam project or whatever turned out well... Everything you've pushed through so far has worked out. I'll trust you."

Logan couldn't just rejoice at his words.

After Clayton, Dwain's excessively positive reaction toward him was unsettling.

Things going smoothly was good, but the sense that they held unrealistic expectations of him left Logan slightly uneasy.

'Well, good things are good.'

So, riding the positive momentum, he decided to push forward with his plans.

"Good. With the mine construction successfully completed, we'll accelerate the pioneer village project. Once Hamar's vacation ends, we'll pick up the pace."

"Yes. I'll prepare."

He scheduled backbreaking labor for the winter, even before MacLaine Territory's top talent had finished resting.

"We'll give priority settlement rights to those who want to live there. The announcement is ready, right?"

"Yes. I'll handle it immediately."

He pushed through land reclamation policies—decided without consulting his father or retainers.

"We'll also start recruiting soldiers to begin training around winter."

He even laid out plans to replenish regular troops—not just the main forces—but...

"Yes. Of course, I understand."

"...Ah. Seriously."

Dwain, who had been answering instantly to everything Logan said, suddenly stopped.

Noticing Logan's sharp gaze, he tilted his head in confusion.

"Why the sudden change?"

"I should be asking you that."

"About what?"

"Why are you suddenly so compliant?"

"Because it's worth doing."

Dwain's eyes sparkled with sincerity.

As if he had never once opposed Logan's plans before.

'Why is he like this? It's unsettling...'

Though it nagged at him, Dwain was responding positively, so there was no need to question it further.

Logan decided to take it as a good sign and continued.

"Ah, and of course, we have to keep this as secret as possible, right?"

"Naturally. If Vifros, Calria, or the border lords find out, all hell will break loose."

"Right. Rumors will spread eventually, but the later, the better."

Once gold extraction began in earnest, even the laborers who had been mindlessly digging ore would realize it was a gold mine.

With the kingdom's gold mines increasing from four to five, it was impossible to silence thousands of mouths.

"Yes. That goes without saying. I'll take care of it."

'I really can't get used to this...'

Logan smiled awkwardly at Dwain's unnaturally smooth demeanor.

"Alright. Let's charge ahead and deal with the consequences later."

Even if his father finished his training and opposed it, what could he do once everything was already in motion?

The audacity of the acting lord, which had been growing unchecked for three months, knew no limits.

But...

One week later.

"Father is out?"

Just as he was finalizing plans and drafting announcements, he had to relinquish his acting position sooner than expected.

Logan couldn't help but frown.

"Yes. He's freshening up and will head to the office. He said he wants to hear your report directly."

"Tch. Couldn't he have waited one more week?"

"...What are you worried about?"

"I wish he'd come out after announcing the soldier recruitment, pioneer village settlement rights, and tax cuts—then he couldn't reverse it."

"Hmm. Are you afraid the family head will oppose you?"

"Obviously. He'll definitely call it unnecessary."

"Hah..."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing. Well, you'll see soon enough."

Dwain's strange reactions since the dam and mine projects had become familiar enough to ignore.

The real concern was his father's response.

'I'll just push through. The territory's people are happy with things as they are.'

For the past three months, the fact that Logan had been acting as lord in the family head's absence had remained unknown outside the family.

It wasn't deliberately hidden, but the fact that it had gone unnoticed for so long meant there had been no major issues.

Though he had conscripted laborers in exchange for food rather than by force, it had become a topic of discussion among the territory's people—not criticism.

Above all, he was the hero who had brought water to the wasteland, earning him the absolute support of the people in both castle territories.

So he had no reason to hesitate in standing his ground.

'Fine, let's clash head-on!'

Logan steeled his resolve.