Chapter 166
Chapter 166
Iron Emperor — Chapter 166
The construction work, which had begun in earnest the year people first started to settle at Jolbon Fortress, was now, five years later, on the verge of its initial completion.
Building a mountain fortress was a colossal project that normally exceeded ten or twenty years, but the timeline was shortened thanks to the sacrifice(?) of monsters, and the ruggedness of the terrain offered a certain advantage.
Of course, it could have been shortened even further. The reason it wasn't was that Gauri's fortification methods and the continental style of castle building were entirely different.
Naturally, this led to confusion among the people doing the work and the dwarves who had considered it their field of expertise.
First, massive boulders were hauled in to build up one or two solid foundation layers. Had it depended on human strength alone, it would have taken a very long time, but the power of the two-legged oxen—the Minotaurs—made the work simple.
On top of that solidly built foundation, they employed the Indented Stacking Technique, laying wedge-shaped stones gradually inward. For the naturally uneven rock surfaces, they used the Grawing Technique, chiseling them to fit the natural shapes and slotting them into place.
This novel method of construction held little interest for the common people, but it fascinated the dwarves who had come for this unexpected labor, making them so absorbed they even skipped meals, much to Go Jin-cheon's satisfaction.
One of the etymological origins of the name Gauri (高句麗) is a word meaning "fortress" or "walled town." From early times, the Gauri people built fortresses, and their skill in doing so was exceptionally advanced.
Furthermore, due to the topography of the Gauri homeland, mountain fortresses outnumbered walled cities built on flat plains, and the terrain of the Reganza Mountains was similar.
Naturally, the Gauri people swiftly handled the preparatory work, such as site selection, for mountain fortress construction.
To speed up the building, they constructed Mountain-top Fortress Style fortresses, making maximum use of natural features such as cliffs.
Of course, the problem here was that prioritizing natural terrain made securing a water source difficult. However, this was resolved through the tireless efforts of Risel, who had risen to the rank of Archmage, and was able to channel an underground watercourse.
The remark Go Jin-cheon made during this time, retorting to Risel and Hwi-garam when they said securing water would be hard, is quite famous.
"It's difficult because there's no water? Then Risel can pull water from the ground, or Hwi-garam can wring it out until every last hair on his head falls out."
In the end, Risel, who was outranked, cast spells that left him bedridden for over a week, achieving a remarkable feat(?) in another direction by pushing beyond magical limits.
Thus, Gauri's external defenses were perfected in total isolation from the outside world.
In Gauri, Hailon was famous for being the father of many children and one of the fastest men to climb the ladder of success. But he was even more famous for something else.
He was a man on the cutting edge of trends.
"Oh my! It's amazing how the floor gets warm? What do you call this?"
"Hehehe! I had an ondol installed."
The neighborhood women visiting Hailon's house touched the floor where they sat in wonder, as if it were something extraordinary.
Though the Gauri people fundamentally lived a seated-chair lifestyle, there was an ondol-heated section of the floor in one part of the house.
Of course, it wasn't low to the ground but raised like a chair, so they still maintained their seated-chair lifestyle, but to the people here, it was one of many novelties.
Hailon, being close to the upper ranks of Gauri, brought these cultural refinements into his home one by one, and the commoners living around him were then quick to spread them in turn.
It became a trend.
Beyond this, the Gauri people had a highly developed bathing culture, to the point that bathing two or three times a day became a way of life in the hot summers.
However, the common people of the continent viewed bathing as a luxury and were accustomed to not washing. But this too, perhaps thanks to the abundant waters of the central lake, spread quickly.
This advance in hygiene definitively reduced the frequency of illnesses.
The dizzying pace of development kept Go Jin-cheon, who once only swung a sword, confined to the great hall.
Going to sleep and waking up to a changed Gauri meant the legal system had to evolve to match, and responses to side effects were also necessary.
The Grand Council convened nearly every day, and it made Go Jin-cheon feel as if he might explode at any moment.
"...Thus, I deem it reasonable to reform the existing unit structures in this manner."
"Mm."
Jin-cheon nodded at Hwi-garam's report.
It was still the preparation stage. A state where they did not know when or against whom war might begin.
Unlike when they had intervened in the upheaval of South Roselin, they now had something to protect. The previous troop levels were simply insufficient.
Fortunately, the addition of the Northern Mercenaries had given them powerful military strength, but the efficient training and deployment of those forces was all the more critical.
"How go external affairs?"
This was even more important than the discussions of Gauri's development. Mong Ryu-hwa rose from his seat and began his report.
"First, I shall relay the report from the Veron Trading Company. The word is that the war in the current Roselin region is increasingly tilting toward a Northern Roselin victory. As the Holy Empire has begun its overt support, the front lines that had held out have collapsed, and they are retreating repeatedly."
"How long do you think they can hold?"
"Regarding that matter, I have separately selected and deployed soldiers. A somewhat organized report should arrive by next month. For now, I can only say the outlook is pessimistic."
At Ryu-hwa's report, Jin-cheon's expression hardened slightly.
If the war in South Roselin ended, the post-war investigation would reveal traces of the Gauri army in detail. They had always prepared for that moment, but from Gauri's perspective, war was a gate they had to pass through.
Ryu-hwa's report continued.
"As for the naval forces under Daesaja Gerard, it is said they have maintained complete silence ever since the great migration five years ago. Thanks to this, a few outside pirates have resurfaced, but our fleet reportedly concentrates its efforts on increasing the number of warships without any major issues."
"Good."
"The Federal Empire's movements are somewhat active. It seems they likely hold deep suspicions about the Northerners' migration route. In fact, besides the large number Daesaja Gerard transported at that time, it appears they have detected the small, sequential relocations of the Northern Mercenaries scattered across the continent."
"That is to be expected."
This was also a situation they had foreseen.
No matter how dangerous the Reganza Mountains were and how much the emergence of dragons had allowed them to escape the surveillance net of other nations, that could not serve as an eternal shield.
"It has been detected that they are continuously applying pressure to the Haian Kingdom. A large-scale search might be launched as soon as this year, though..."
Jin-cheon stroked his chin with one hand, nodded, and spoke.
"We anticipated this anyway. Up until now, we've had a fair share of luck, allowing us a certain degree of preparation. But now, it is merely a question of which comes first—the complete annihilation of South Roselin, or the Haian Kingdom initiating its search."
"Indeed."
At Jin-cheon's words, the vassals in the hall all bowed their heads in agreement.
Jin-cheon called for Hwi-garam.
"Taedaehyeong Yeon, draw up plans to further intensify military training. And you two Eulji Taedaesajas, focus on honing practical combat sense through monster subjugation."
"At once!"
"And Joui-du Daehyeong Gye, remain here and receive my orders."
"Understood!"
Having issued his military directives, Jin-cheon dismissed everyone except Gye Ung-sam from the hall.
Once only Ung-sam remained, Jin-cheon began issuing several orders in a low voice.
"You will lead some swift swordsmen and join up with the reconnaissance troops already sent to South Roselin."
"Understood."
"After that, thoroughly investigate the movements of the South Roselin royal house. If their location is confirmed, provide protection."
"At once!"
"Mm."
Only when Ung-sam prostrated himself, bowing his head in a military salute, did Jin-cheon lean back against his chair and relax.
After sending Gye Ung-sam away, Jin-cheon, feeling stifled, left the great hall and walked toward the horse farm.
To them at present, horses held a crucial place in their military strength. A horse's average lifespan is twenty-five to thirty-five years. The prime age for a war horse to serve in combat was even shorter.
The war horses that had crossed over here could still run on the front lines, but no one could guarantee how long that would last.
With an overwhelming number of stallions brought over, they had taken the drastic measure of isolating the mares. As a result of those efforts, the pure Gauri war horse bloodline was beginning to continue.
But one or two horses could not fight a battle. And it was difficult to properly execute their tactics with the horses of the continent. However, a new hope had borne fruit.
"Mm, how many Pumas are there now?"
"Seven hundred and twenty-eight in total, Your Majesty."
The name Go Jin-cheon had given them: Puma!
It was a new breed born from the successful crossbreeding of Pukel and Gauri war horses.
Interestingly, the Pumas produced through steady crossbreeding had only a single horn, unlike the three-horned Pukel. The first time the slash-and-burn farmers saw this, they exclaimed in amazement, calling them Unicorns, but with a single decree from Jin-cheon, they became Pumas.
In external appearance, they were nearly identical to Gauri war horses, and they had also inherited only the strongest traits of both the Pukel and Gauri steeds in strength and endurance, yielding a supreme breed.
What was amusing, however—perhaps due to the Pukel influence—was that they were omnivorous. Because of this, the Pumas, which had ferocious temperaments, took a great deal of time and effort to tame.
But the Black Armored Ghost Cavalry actually liked the Pumas' aggressive nature. They felt it made them perfect companions for battle.
"Hee-hee-heeng!"
"Kyu-heeng!"
Gangsoe and Gangnyeo, the leader of the Pukel herd, approached Jin-cheon and acted cute. Jin-cheon smiled contentedly at the sight and then looked at the five Pumas following behind the two of them.
Every single one of them resembled Gangsoe and Gangnyeo, their tough appearances bringing Jin-cheon great satisfaction.
"Horses are national power. Do not neglect them."
"At once!"
The junior commander managing the horse farm prostrated himself and shouted in response to Jin-cheon's order.
The Gauri war horses had dwindled to one hundred and eighty, but their foals had increased to seventeen, ensuring the line would continue. The two hundred or so Pukel had increased by fourteen, and the overwhelming number of the new Puma breed had swelled to nearly seven hundred twenty-eight.
Of those, about five hundred were immediately deployable for combat. Though short of that, crossbreeds of local horses and Gauri horses were approaching roughly four hundred, so if this trend continued, they could be somewhat relieved of their concerns.
That didn't mean the local horses were completely useless. Their instantaneous speed was actually faster, making them more suitable for swift raids by mounted archers.
The horses captured in the last war numbered over two thousand.
Leaving the horse farm behind, Jin-cheon walked toward the workshop where Elder Jang resided.
"Your Majesty, Supreme One of All Heavens, I offer my respects."
"You have worked hard."
Go Jin-cheon followed Elder Jang inside the workshop.
Within that place, suffused with a sweltering heat, over two hundred dwarves were working diligently.
Every dwarf working here had come voluntarily. And of course, their labor was paid accordingly.
In truth, dwarves had previously felt no need for money, but once they settled in Gauri, they came to think they needed to possess a certain amount of it.
The special privileges the dwarves had previously demanded were all completely rescinded.
They were only granted the same standards as any other commoner.
But a blacksmith's blood ultimately draws them to seek the fire on their own, and the results naturally showed.
Elder Jang's skill at handling fire and his forging techniques sparked the dwarves' curiosity, and just like the Stone Trio, they flocked to become his apprentices.
The human blacksmiths under Elder Jang also welcomed the atmosphere.
The combination of different cultures produces results beyond imagination. The union of dwarves, masters of continental weaponry, with Elder Jang, called the quintessence of Gauri blacksmithing, was creating new equipment and new weapons.
In particular, now that the dwarves had no reason to keep fleeing, they were always vigorously making something. It was their way of life, but the resulting outcome was the absurd situation of an oversupply.
Because of this, there was even a joke circulating among the common people: "Even the dog bowl is Dwarven-made."
If one intends to make something, materials are naturally necessary.
True to their nature as children of the earth, the dwarves' mining skills were superb. Moreover, they discovered unexpected metals, and the shortages of iron and other metals were smoothly resupplied.
Unlike the previous practice of taxing individuals, the state now took a fixed percentage of the mine's output as tax. It collected two-tenths of the yield.
But both the dwarves and the human workers actually welcomed the tax rate.
The reason was that mining requires digging into dangerous areas, and the state directly provided thorough perimeter security and other support for that.
Leaving Elder Jang's workshop, Jin-cheon looked up at the sky above the central lake.
This sky was now his sky.
Even as the nation developed, new worries constantly appeared, forever weighing heavily on Jin-cheon's shoulders.
'So this is the seat of the Yeolje.'
For the first time in a long while, Go Jin-cheon found himself longing for the smell of blood on the battlefield.