A Life-Changing Opportunity
Wintervalt Grand Duchy Castle. Lord's Office.
As their eyes met while Eleanor poured him a cup of warm tea, Kailan suddenly broached the subject.
"What if we held a proper wedding ceremony around now?"
It was something he'd brought up once right after she'd arrived in the north. Back then, the northern territories were in such dire straits that they'd agreed to wait until things stabilized somewhat. They had been on the brink of bankruptcy, after all.
But now, the territory's finances were even showing a slight surplus. Thanks to his lovely wife.
"I think the time has come."
Eleanor stood there, speechless. Her lips curved in a smile, but her eyes looked terribly troubled.
Kailan pressed on, his heart aching all the more for no reason.
"We can't just keep living together without a proper wedding. I want to formally announce it to the entire continent. That my beautiful imperial princess has become mine."
At his shameless flirting, color rose to Eleanor's pale cheeks. The room's temperature spiked along with her emotions.
She's so easy to read in moments like this.
But the warmth didn't last. Eleanor's gaze quickly reverted to that of the cold finance minister.
"Not yet, Your Highness."
"…Why not?"
"We need to start urban development right away, and we have no budget to waste on a meaningless feast and ceremony that would just vanish into thin air. To me, the moment Your Highness gave me this ring was our wedding."
It was a touching, admirable sentiment. But this wasn't something he could let slide with mere words.
"We can't skip the wedding ceremony. This time, I must insist."
In noble society, weddings were occasions to flaunt a house's wealth and power. If the Northern Duke took a wife without one? Not only the imperial family but even some northern nobles would inwardly look down on Eleanor.
"I absolutely cannot stand by and let you be disrespected."
"Your Highness…"
Eleanor's pupils trembled at Kailan's firm tone. She took his large hand carefully and spoke.
"Then… how about we hold the ceremony when the north truly has the leisure to celebrate us? Just as Your Highness desires—when Wintervalt becomes the continent's premier commercial city, we can flaunt it to the imperial court."
She wiped away a tear and smiled seductively.
"If we invite the empire's great merchants and nobles then… we can recover the feast costs with their gifts and turn a massive profit."
Kailan felt dizzy at the talk of "recovering gift money," something that might come up between modern couples. But she was right, down to every detail.
Issue VIP invitations to merchants who smelled profit, and they'd bring cartloads of tribute just to make a good impression on the ducal couple.
Understanding all that, Kailan still sighed deeply.
"…Frustrating. When the hell will Wintervalt get that prosperous?"
Eleanor beamed and held out a stack of parchment.
"It'll come soon, once Your Highness approves these territory proposals."
"Haa… You're one cunning woman."
With tears in his eyes, Kailan returned to his paperwork. Even the Northern Duke himself could no longer halt the march toward the territory's revival.
A few weeks later. Grand Duchy Castle. Conference room.
All the nobles, busy with their duties, had gathered. It was the first executive meeting for Eleanor's ambitious "Wintervalt Urban Development Plan."
First to report was Viscount Arjen, the civil engineering overseer in charge of territory facilities and Northern Wall repairs. His face was grave.
"The blueprints drafted by Her Highness the Princess… are virtually flawless. We can import any missing materials… But there is a problem."
"What is it?"
"We have no workers to build with. All the young men in the north are clamoring to join the guild."
Kailan felt like he'd been struck in the back of the head. On second thought, it made perfect sense.
"Now that men are making a fortune hunting monsters, no one wants to do grueling manual labor."
To northern locals, digging magic stones out of frail goblin chests beat hauling heavy stones all day—and paid better. Plus, they got all sorts of benefits and free training. Who'd choose hard labor?
The construction sites now only had nobles repaying embezzlement and a few criminals.
This is insane. We need buildings to charge merchants rent! That's how we fund the wedding.
Kailan racked his brain desperately. No laborers, but crowds pouring in. Streets would fill with homeless soon.
Reveal the shortage openly, and continental workers would demand double or triple pay. The north didn't have that much cash yet.
Guilds, training grounds, slaughterhouses, clinics—essentials had already cost a fortune, and seized noble assets weren't all liquidated.
Wait. Why build with our money? Pre-sell to tenants and get funds upfront?
Recalling his past-life knowledge, Kailan slammed the table.
"Walter. You said central adventurers were overwhelming us?"
"No, my lord. I mentioned the training grounds couldn't accommodate them, but it's fine now. Few endure the harsh training."
It was good news, really. Even central continent rejects were getting outclassed by average northern locals and wandering off.
"That number's probably in the hundreds now. Viscount Arjen. Recruit those southern and central adventurers as construction laborers, somehow. If budget's short, pre-sell buildings to cover it."
"Pardon…? How do we sell buildings that aren't built?"
"Sell the right to occupy them. What's the problem?"
Kailan began expounding on real estate pre-sales to Eleanor and the retainers.
"Collect deposits before construction starts. Use that to buy materials or hire workers. Minimize our capital input."
"But Your Highness! Who'd pay a fortune for empty dirt?"
"They will. It's a venture I'm leading—who'd doubt it?"
Rumors were already swirling that northerners had gotten filthy rich selling magic stones. Who did people think was the richest? The duke who swept up stones during monster waves and taxed locals.
No one would suspect a building project he spearheaded.
Kailan grinned.
"And create a system where laborers get first dibs on good buildings. Tell needy adventurers to work sites. No point letting noble mansions sit empty—house adventurers there. Oh, add a clause: damage the mansion, lose occupancy rights immediately."
The retainers' jaws dropped. Sell unbuilt buildings and use future tenants as free labor? No con artist did it better.
But Eleanor's eyes, versed in imperial tax law, saw it differently.
"Genius…!"
She gazed at her husband with awe.
"It perfectly grasps consumer psychology and capital flow…! Your Highness! We'll draft and distribute the notice today!"
The retainers, still baffled, glanced between the ducal couple. But orders from the pair who'd fixed the deficits? No reason not to obey.
Wintervalt territory.
Adventurers who'd crawled north from the warm south shivered miserably, huddling together.
"B-Bro… It's so cold my toes might snap off…"
"That's why I said stay for 1 gold… They said hot baths too…"
"Fuck, 1 gold a night? Shut up and bundle under the blankets…!"
Veteran adventurer Gail from the south and his party trembled by a small campfire, teeth chattering.
Recent rumors of northern riches had drawn merchants and mercenaries from across the empire. Shoddy inns and stables were full.
No room, even for pay.
"Bro… We made over 2 gold today…"
"Yeah… But nowhere to spend it."
"Heh. Still happy. Never earned like this."
True. After ages adventuring, they were happy. Pockets jingling despite weary bodies.
Miserable, sharing body heat by the fire to avoid freezing—but grinning.
"Bro. My dream's a room with a warm fireplace. With a girl."
"…Tomorrow, find a cheap stable at least."
After a hellish, sleepless night, morning came. Gail's party dragged to the guild.
The bulletin board was chaos, adventurers swarming.
"Some fun quest up? Rick."
"Aigoo. Yeah, bro."
Rick wormed through the crowd expertly. Moments later, he emerged flushed, forgetting the cold.
"B-Bro! Jackpot!"
"What!? That good?"
"Nah. I can't read it."
"Dumbass."
Gail flicked Rick's forehead and read the parchment slowly.
[Wintervalt New City Development: Laborer Recruitment]
Pay: Adventurer-exclusive, 16 silver (double standard daily wage)
Noble mansions available first-come, first-served to participating adventurer laborers.
[Wintervalt New City Pre-Sale Guide]
Pre-pay deposit on completed new buildings for occupancy rights!
Discounts proportional to days worked as site laborer.
"Pre-sale… Occupancy rights…? What language is this?"
Gail took time to parse, then explained simply to his dim brothers. Reactions were predictable.
"16 silver a day… Meh? Better goblin hunting."
"Yeah, bro. Would've in the south, but here…"
Gail shook his head.
"Can't math? Yesterday's cheap inn was how much?"
"Uh… Whatever they ask, up to 1 gold a room… Gasp!"
Gail's hand shook. Rick and the idiots fixated on tonight's stay, but that wasn't it.
Wintervalt would be a great city. Good land… buildings… Labor now meant claiming prime spots.
"C'mon, boys. No luxuries till we own a house."
"Bro, what's sudden? Did freezing last night fry your—"
"Shut up and follow me. Wanna drift stables forever? Or snag a new home here?"
Gail thought: This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change his and his fool brothers' lives.