Second Territory Development Plan (Part 2)
The massive golem revealed itself before their eyes. The being with its beautiful golden body was none other than the Earth Spirit King Oried.
A figure straight out of myth left the dwarves frozen stiff, unable to utter a word.
Oried turned to gaze at me.
"You are the summoner blessed by the gods?"
“That’s right. You’re Oried?”
"I am the Earth Spirit King Oried. It's been ages since I was summoned to this land. I, Oried, have answered your call in accordance with the primordial pact. Do you accept the contract?"
“I accept.”
Shwooo! The earth trembled as golden energy enveloped my body. Summoning the upper fire spirit had felt like scorching heat, but Oried brought an infinite warmth that seeped into my very core.
A golden pattern etched itself onto my right hand before fading away.
Now Oried turned to the dwarves.
Kelt stared at me in disbelief, having truly witnessed the Spirit King’s summoning.
“You… what are you?”
“Just a human.”
“How could a human summon a Spirit King?”
Kelt’s voice grew calmer, carrying a completely different tone from our first meeting. He seemed overwhelmed by emotions he couldn’t quite articulate. From their perspective, it was only natural. Not only had I been chosen by the gods, but I was the creator who had designed this very world. Even the gods themselves appeared unaware that this world had been built from my blueprint.
“Anyway, this should be enough, right?”
“It… it should be possible now!”
Finally, the dwarves showed some resolve. With the Spirit King’s aid, they believed they could achieve rapid development within my desired timeframe.
“Good. Then let’s hold the groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow.”
I turned to leave. A yawn was creeping up on me. Was my laziness starting to kick in again?
After lunch, I crossed the golden fields. With layers of buffs stacked on top of seeds and growth agents from the divine realm, we could harvest in just three days.
Prices varied wildly across territories in this world. Transporting goods was a life-risking endeavor, so if one territory’s crops failed, importing grain from elsewhere meant paying through the nose. Merchants risked their necks too, skimming hefty margins in the process, while lords braced for massive expenditures during poor harvests. The burden inevitably fell on the common folk.
Famines bred starvation and usury. Last year’s wheat was already pricey; this year was worse. And here we were, pulling off a miracle in three days—the farmers’ smiles wouldn’t fade.
As I passed by, they erupted in cheers.
“Hooray! Long live the lord!”
I waved back. Public sentiment was as powerful as divine will. Conquer a territory by force, but without the people’s hearts, you couldn’t rule it properly. That’s why I managed my popularity.
The fields buzzed with harvest activity. Sharel was directing the work.
“You’re here?”
“How’s the hands-on harvesting? What’s the yield looking like?”
“Around 250,000 sacks, I’d say?!”
Sharel couldn’t hide her shock. Harvesting 250,000 sacks from this area in three days meant even greater yields ahead. Once trade routes stabilized, prices in the empire’s eastern regions would settle dramatically.
My territory, in particular, would gain a reputation as a great place to live, drawing refugees from across the empire. This year’s poor harvest would worsen come autumn with locust swarms—a plot point from the novel, no doubt. Wheat would skyrocket from 5 gold to over 10.
I’d need to stock up on high-grade mana potions and farming goods from the Tower of God next time.
“Sell 200,000 sacks and keep 50,000 for the territory.”
“As wages, right?”
“Exactly. Hand out freebies, and people start thinking it’s their due.”
“Thinking of that too? You’re turning into a real lord.”
“Ahem, I’m benevolent to my people.”
“So you’ll stop killing people?”
“Can’t do that.”
I shrugged. With the gods watching, the rampage couldn’t stop. I was just pausing for this build-up phase.
“Tomorrow, sell every last grain.”
“Harvesting’ll take two days at least.”
“Anyway. Once it’s done, sell it all and import iron.”
“Not halting the rail-laying?”
“Nope.”
“Heard we’re getting a ton of war spoils this time.”
“That’s separate.”
“How big are you planning to go?”
“Import as much as you can.”
Sharel nodded lightly. Normally she’d snap at me, but seeing the territory thrive kept her quiet. If only she’d forget that fiancée-killing past.
As I turned to go, Sharel asked,
“What’re you up to, bro?”
“Me? Heading to Akaron territory.”
“Hmm… to annex it, right? You won’t cause a scene, will you?”
“No clue.”
“Sigh. Try to keep it quiet if possible. It’s an imperial grant—no issues there. Just absorb it peacefully.”
I let Sharel’s words go in one ear and out the other. With the gods wide-eyed and eager, staying low-key was impossible. Unless it was a perfectly run territory with zero problems, the emperor wouldn’t hand me a healthy one. And right now, the gods were glued to my new posting, betting I’d stir things up.
The next morning, as promised to the dwarves, the great canal groundbreaking ceremony was set.
Before summoning the Spirit King, the dwarves had been skeptical about digging a canal through the territory. My plan was a cross-shaped network, ultimately linking to the Insid River to span the empire east-west—a monumental project.
Embarking on this would cripple most territories. Even with national funds, it was grueling. Modern Korea had debated grand canals multiple times, only to scrap them over costs. Without the Spirit King, it’d be impossible here, population boom or not.
But if feasible, the profits would be immense. Logistics drove growth, yet this era’s lords overlooked mobility, fixating on agriculture, armies, and might. Not wrong, but unlocked logistics and cash flow would explode the domestic economy and tax revenue—a big-picture win.
The eastern terminus where the grand canal would begin. A bit further south lay the Insid River’s start. We’d complete all canals first, then connect.
The crowd buzzed. Dwarves and locals alike gathered to watch.
Today was the Spirit King’s test run, of sorts. Word had spread, sparking huge curiosity about his power.
Old man Kane said,
“My lord, a few words?”
“Do I have to?”
“For popularity’s sake, a speech is wise.”
“Ugh.”
That damn popularity. For a rebellion to succeed, force alone wasn’t enough—you needed the masses’ favor.
“Today, we embark on the historic groundbreaking of the grand canal. You may not grasp its value yet, but once complete, it’ll pair with locomotives for massive logistics. That means booming domestic trade. Booming trade means wealth for all.”
“……”
The locals didn’t quite get it. Even if merchants saw the potential, peasants just wanted good crops. Better to demonstrate.
“Break ground today, and the canal finishes in a year.”
I raised my left hand, summoning Earth Spirit King Oried.
Shwooo! The massive golden golem materialized from the spirit realm. Overwhelming, even on second sight.
"You called, contractor?!"
“Oried, you know my will, right?”
"Indeed. Our minds are linked."
“Oried, show them your power!”
"As you command."
Boom! Oried willed a massive pit into the ground—deep and wide enough for large ships. Then it strode forward steadily.
“……!”
“Whoa!”
“The Spirit King indeed…!”
In a word, wherever Oried passed, the canal path took shape. Fifty meters wide, fifteen deep—fit for most vessels. Wooden ships of this era didn’t need such scale, but soon we’d have mana-engine steel ships. Shallow, narrow canals would be obsolete then. My grand canal looked to the distant future.
When the empire fell to me, it would shine brightest.
Kaboom! A river of matching depth formed in Oried’s wake. Lesser spirits swarmed from all sides, shaping banks and compacting earth.
“Hahaha.”
The dwarves were dumbfounded. Truth be told, so was I. I knew the Spirit King was mighty, but this level?
No need to show my surprise, though.
“Kelt! This speed work for you?”
“O-Of course. Reinforcement’s straightforward. And the spirits are handling that too…”
The Earth Spirit King, unseen for millennia, now toiled on my territory’s growth. Light-speed progress—even modern Earth construction couldn’t match it. Hell, it defied logic.
“Ahem. While we’re at it, let’s lay the great wall’s framework too.”
“……”