Chapter 245: City Construction Plan
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 245: City Construction Plan
Distinguished guests had arrived at the Merchants of Death.
They were dwarves from Doomheim, here to discuss a city construction plan.
“It’s been a while, Slave Reaper.”
One of the Seven Meisters.
Turntu, the Guardian of Steel, offered his greeting.
“It’s good to see you, Mr. Turntu. Have you been well?”
“Of course.”
“Has anything of note happened?”
“More dwarves have begun to travel. All thanks to you for opening up the sky.”
The cowardly dwarves who had hidden away in their underground city to avoid the dragon’s gaze. Now that the dragon was defeated and the sky was open, it was only natural that more of them would venture to the surface.
Still, it’s not like what they do will be any different from what they did in Doomheim.
They’ll probably set up a workshop in some city, hammering away at steel while waiting for someone to use their wares.
Turntu, who had been glancing around, broke into a wide, gummy smile the moment he saw Azyeth. He knelt before her.
“Ooh, Princess. I knew you would be here. I have missed you dearly.”
“Tutu…”
“It is Turntu, Princess.”
Though she’d gotten his name wrong, Turntu didn’t seem to mind. He appeared to consider himself lucky that Azyeth remembered him at all.
“You must be tired from your long journey. Please, come in. I’ve had a meal prepared for you.”
*
The hall, usually filled with idle chatter, was now bustling with noise.
Large barrels of ale were stacked in one corner of the hall. The tables groaned under the weight of a feast filled with dwarven favorites.
The dwarves ravenously tore into bread and meat, gulping down ale from mugs as large as their faces.
“Kuh! This is cool and delicious! And all this food is exactly what dwarves love!”
“When I heard you were coming, my slave here took special care in preparing it.”
“What a pleasant woman. Not as lovely as our princess, of course, but with her beauty, she’ll make a fine wife.”
“You’re too kind.”
Narsha lowered her head shyly.
My Narsha really is competent. Aside from her foul mouth when she gets angry, she’s flawless.
The dwarves emptied their plates in the blink of an eye. Watching them, the elves began to mutter with displeased expressions.
“Uncultured brutes.”
“To eat so messily without any decorum in front of the Master. How vulgar.”
“This is why you can’t trust moles.”
Hearing such blatant criticism, the dwarves didn’t stay quiet.
“Slave Reaper, the ale and food are to my liking, but the presence of these elves is ruining my appetite. Can’t you get rid of them?”
“We are watching to ensure you lot don’t try anything foolish toward our Master.”
“Hmph! You think we don’t know how you elves think? You look down on humans as an inferior race, so you must be looking down on your own master as well!”
“Watch your tongue! He is our Master. He is on a different level from common humans!”
The two races growled at each other, neither backing down an inch. Honestly, it seems neither of them learned any table manners.
“The dwarves are here today as my guests. To be rude to my guests is the same as insulting me.”
“W-We didn’t mean to…”
“I will not tolerate any more raised voices. You may leave.”
“We’re sorry…”
The elves bowed their heads and left the hall with sullen expressions.
“Khuhuhu. Seeing those long faces on the pointy-ears makes the ale taste even sweeter!”
“The same goes for you. Do not speak carelessly to my slaves.”
“Are you scolding us, your guests, Slave Reaper?”
“The more you act this way, the more you will harm Miss Azyeth’s standing here.”
At my words, the dwarves glanced at one another.
“We can’t cause trouble for the princess…”
“Kngh, we’ll be more careful.”
Only then did things quiet down.
“Now, everyone. Don’t be shy, have some more. There’s still plenty of ale and meat.”
*
The small-scale war between the races was over.
I had the dwarves who came with Turntu appropriately confined to the guest rooms and led Turntu alone to the VIP room.
“I’ve heard the gist of it. You’re planning to build a city?”
“That’s right. I plan to acquire many slaves from all over the world, and this place is getting too cramped.”
“I can see that. Besides, each race requires a different living environment, so you’ll need a place suited for them.”
“I need a city where my slaves can live comfortably.”
I would build a district for the elves on one side of the city, and in other areas, create a place where all races—beastkin, dwarves, and so on—could live. All my beautiful slaves, living together in a city I created. Just imagining it was exciting.
“But building a city won’t be easy. Capital and manpower aside, you’ll need permission from the human king.”
I was so excited about playing tycoon that I hadn’t thought that far ahead.
Do I have to go to the king, get a title, and receive land? I’m a slave trader. Would he even give it to me if I asked?
“Rin is against it. Why does Master have to get permission from some guy like that?”
“For once, I agree with Rin. The Master bowing his head to someone is out of the question.”
My slaves stepped forward, vehemently protesting.
Just then, Narsha offered an opinion.
“Why not establish a neutral nation instead?”
“A neutral nation?”
“Yes. You would establish a country where only the Master’s slaves are permitted to live. With all the different races gathered in one place, you’d have a just cause.”
“Isn’t that even more difficult? It would require permission not just from the Traul Kingdom, but from other nations as well.”
“That’s what makes it easier. A minority opinion is easily dismissed in the face of a majority.”
That makes sense.
Hilde, the regent of Vestia, and the Elf Queen are my slaves. The same goes for Elize, the Saint. Only Doomheim lacks a slave of mine. They may revere Azyeth as a princess, but she’s strictly an outsider.
“You don’t have to worry about Doomheim. We dwarves do not forget our benefactors.”
I even had the word of Turntu, a Meister.
Vestia, the Great Forest, the Holy Kingdom, Doomheim. They were all on my side. There was no reason to walk on eggshells for anyone.
“Excellent. Then let’s establish a nation of the slaves, by the slaves, for the slaves.”
*
From then on, the agenda was led by Narsha in my stead.
The general city design actively incorporated the slaves’ opinions. The residential environment necessary for elves to live. Homes and workshops for the dwarf slaves who, though not yet present, would soon arrive. The beastkin, who differed from individual to individual, required particular attention.
After establishing the basic framework, they each stated what they wanted.
Elize wanted a large cathedral and an orphanage, while Mirabelle wanted a research facility where mages could study. Narsha wanted a library, and Rin and Alfia didn’t have any particular requests.
“Miss Azyeth, is there anything you’d like?”
“…Pretty. Like a fairy tale.”
“Hahaha. Don’t you worry, Princess. We will gift you the most beautiful kingdom in the world.”
Finally, it was my turn.
“First, we need a public bathhouse for the slaves to recover from their fatigue. And since it’ll be boring otherwise, we need a casino, a swimming pool, a maid café, a racetrack, and also…”
I rattled off the bucket list of things I’d always wanted to do if I ever got the chance to play a tycoon game.
“Darling, you have so many things you want to do. I’m surprised you’ve managed to hold back all this time.”
Of course.
Before, liberating the slaves was my priority, so even if there were things I wanted to do, I had to swallow my tears and give them up.
But not anymore.
It’s time to reap the rewards of my hard work.
I continued to list my wishes.
“That’s everything I want.”
“…My apologies. I lost track halfway through. Could you say that again?”
“I will organize it into a document and deliver it to you later.”
“Oh, thank you, Narsha. You’re always so thoughtful.”
Turntu, who had been jotting down the details on paper, let out a heavy groan.
“The remaining problems are money and manpower. Where and how will you obtain the materials to build the city, and do you have the funds to procure them? Even with materials, labor is an issue. We dwarves will help, but that alone will take a long time.”
“Hmm…”
“Um… we could just make it with magic…”
The one who timidly offered her opinion was Mirabelle.
“I can create the materials with magic, and the construction can be done with magic, too. Of course, it would be better to build the finer details by hand.”
There it is.
The ‘magic-can-solve-anything’ argument.
Then again, what can’t these kids do when they can create their own worlds with magic?
“But won’t that cause problems for the world economy?”
“If we were to create and sell the materials, it would cause great harm to those in related industries, but since we’ll be consuming them ourselves, the impact won’t be that significant. However…”
“However?”
“The problem is what happens after the slave city is built. The scale is so vast that it’s difficult for even me to predict, but the center of the world economy might shift. The repercussions would be immense.”
“Mmm… I’d rather not have people ending up on the streets.”
I can’t imagine how it will turn out. Normally, this is the point where you decide not to do it, but…
“Is this something you need to worry about, Master?”
“We can’t have people losing their jobs en masse or the world being thrown into chaos.”
“All the more reason it’s a good thing for us.”
It was a devilish remark from Elize.
“We’ll need slaves to live in the city anyway, so can’t we just make slaves of the unemployed?”
“Huh?”
“The Master can take in those who need care. They’ll be happy to become slaves, and we’ll be happy to have residents for our city. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Are you a genius?
How could a person even come up with such an idea?
‘She’s not wrong, though.’
Cause the problem, then offer the solution.
If a problem arises, I just have to take responsibility for it.
“Alright, Mr. Turntu. Let’s proceed as planned.”
*
“You said you had something to discuss with just the two of us. What is it?”
After the meeting, Turntu had secretly approached me. He checked to make sure no one else was around before speaking quietly.
“It seems you have many other slaves by your side…”
“That’s right. They are all my precious slaves.”
His expression isn’t great. What’s bothering him?
“That’s why I’m asking… could you pay a little more attention to our princess? As you know, she is a very introverted person…”
I can’t believe it. A bribe, right here and now.
Despite appearances, I’m a man who dreams of being a good slave trader, and my motto is to live with integrity.
“I’m sorry, but I cherish all my slaves equally.”
“Here. It’s not much, but it’s a small token of my sincerity.”
Turntu handed me a pouch.
It had a pleasant weight to it.
Inside were all sorts of gems.
“They’re magic gems crafted by Thorvar. An item touched by the hands of a Meister is priceless.”
“Sigh, I don’t normally accept things like this…”
I made a show of looking around, and after confirming no one was watching, I tucked the pouch into my coat.
“It wouldn’t be right to ignore someone who is pleading so earnestly.”
“The earth itself would be angered.”
“You can count on me.”
“Thank you.”
But it was too much money to refuse.