Chapter 57: The Giants' Arrival and the Miracle of Abundance
Eight weeks had passed since absorbing Ricardo Territory—two full months now. Summer had truly arrived, bringing with it tremendous progress that no one could have imagined. Without the aid of the Four Great Spirit Kings, such a monumental buildup would have been impossible. They'd harvested three times already.
Gazing out from the ramparts at the newly pioneered plains, waves of golden grain rippled in the breeze. The territory's people called it the Miracle of Abundance, and they weren't wrong. It was all thanks to Demeter's blessing that they'd cultivated fields this bountiful.
Raena, the fallen angel with her jet-black wings, descended from the sky. When she first appeared, the territory had erupted in chaos. But two months later, the residents had grown somewhat accustomed to her.
"Master! The Giant God tribe is on the move—coming this way in a massive migration!"
"Oh ho, about time."
Leading 1.5 million Giant God tribesmen with just two thousand soldiers couldn't have been easy. From supply lines to internal squabbles, problems must have plagued them nonstop. Still, they'd made it.
"Whoa! That's impressive!"
"An entire nation on the march."
Even the retainers couldn't tear their eyes away. These days, beyond Sharel and Kane, the number of retainers had grown considerably—though they were all mid-to-low-level administrators, not high officials. With the territory expanding and new cities rising, it was time to bolster the administrative backbone. Modeling it after the imperial civil service exams, they'd held tests and appointed dozens of mid-level officials. A few standouts even got promoted to higher posts.
A sizable crowd of retainers trailed behind me now. At the forefront, the weary-looking Kainus led the knights and the Giant God horde.
Including Kainus, Rommel, and Honus, the group knelt on one knee.
"My lord! We've completed our mission and returned safely!"
"Good work. Just keeping them fed must've been a nightmare."
"Aigoo, don't even get me started. The way those guys pack it away—you wouldn't believe it. I was half-tempted to go raiding myself."
Rommel summed up their ordeal perfectly. The Giant God tribesmen knew full well how much they ate; that was probably why they'd pillaged the empire so ruthlessly.
"Now that you're back in the territory, food worries are a thing of the past!"
"You mean that for real?"
Their leader, Giant God chieftain Carlton, stood at the front. His eyes lit up at the mention of food, as did those of the tribesmen around him.
"Didn't you see on the way? This is peak harvest season."
"Not at all, my lord! The crops are growing fine, but it's nowhere near harvest time yet."
"The territory's already harvested three times in two months—and look how it's grown back."
"No way! Is that even possible?"
"The gods made it so."
"Ah!"
Carlton nodded in understanding. To them, I was blessed by Jupiter, watched over by multiple gods—miracles like this were only natural. And they weren't wrong; we'd scattered divine seeds and growth agents from the Tower of Gods to achieve this.
"Latis!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Latis was one of the new Grade 2 administrators. Officials were ranked from 9 to 1, with core figures like Kane and Kainus at Grade 1. Grade 2—vice-minister level—was rare.
"Sort the Giant God tribesmen and assign them to the cities."
"At once!"
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say we'd appointed these administrators just for today. Each city already had its own officials managing affairs.
Kainus spoke up, his face darkening.
"They're a troublesome bunch, my lord. Taming them fully will require drastic measures."
"Drastic measures? If they cause trouble, I'll handle it."
"That's reassuring, then."
The Giant God folk must've rebelled plenty. Getting 1.5 million here was a miracle in itself. Their stamina was insane, though—few stragglers.
"Alright, get moving! Kainus, you're with me—we're heading out."
"Heh heh, my thanks."
They'd come far and needed rest, but Kainus had no time for that.
Vreeee!
A mana-engine plane, optimized for energy efficiency, soared into the sky. Kainus took the back seat, eyes wide with shock.
"What is this thing?"
"Can't you tell? A flying machine."
"Heh heh, you've built an aircraft? This changes everything..."
"Warfare's paradigm shifts. Aerial bombings now exist."
"Aerial bombings..."
Kainus struggled to process it. But the real shocks were just beginning. From above, the territory looked nothing like the backwater it once was. Reinforced concrete towers pierced the sky; sturdy homes dotted the landscape, built to withstand anything. Ten new cities dotted the old Forbidden Zone—vast enough to fill it entirely. Beyond the barrier walls stretched endless black forests, perfect for monster farming as an industry.
And the grand canal linking to the Insid River—a masterpiece.
"Th-that's a canal, isn't it?"
"Dug it for logistics."
"Incredible prosperity."
"Merchants are still under tight control—no open policy. Limited caravans in, domestic economy booming fast."
"Indeed. Closing borders for security, I presume."
"Exactly. No need to alert the empire prematurely."
"None at all."
"We'll stay closed until we swallow the eastern empire and declare independence."
"Hm. And when's that?"
"This year, probably?"
"...!"
Kainus was stunned, but it was obvious to me. I wanted this over quick so I could slack off. Conquering a continent wasn't for the lazy like me. Gods' tasks were my sole focus.
"Whoa, those are barrier walls? A hundred meters high at least."
"No one's getting through."
"Impossible architecture for humans—in this timeframe..."
"Ah, summoned the Four Great Spirit Kings."
"......"
The shock hit Kainus hard. My pace rivaled a dragon's direct intervention.
"Those are rails. Some cities link up for steam locomotives, but labor's short."
"Giant Gods solve that."
"Yeah. Public works, or they'll be jobless."
"Still, using them won't be simple."
"Don't obey? Beat 'em. What else?"
I was itching for an excuse anyway. Buildup phase meant no real incidents; I hoped they'd stir some trouble for a pretext.
We flew the territory's expanse before landing.
"Impressions?"
"We could challenge for hegemony now."
"Good. Prep by year's end, swallow the east, bulk up, then hit the empire."
"We'll give our all."
That evening, the retainer council convened. Soon it'd be a national cabinet. After devouring the east, we'd proclaim a kingdom—then march on the empire. Time to build the framework now.
Today's topic: the Giant Gods.
Latis looked deeply troubled by their temperament.
"Unlike imperials, the Giant Gods are savage. Placating them was a chore."
"Placating? Why bother? Let the law handle it."
"B-but that could spark rebellion."
"Hmph, fresh administrator—guts the size of a pea."
Sharel scolded him. More pressing: allocation.
"How'd you distribute them?"
"1.5 million across seven cities—high density. Each has 5-10 villages; those shunning city life chose farming and went there."
"Impressive numbers. Recruitment talks?"
"Er, placements aren't done—takes days."
The administrators looked drained. Dozens hired, but 1.5 million giants overwhelmed control. Total forces: 5,000—barely enough for peace. Fail to rein them in, and the territory crumbles. We'd invited them for rapid expansion; countermeasures were essential.
"Issue recruitment notices tomorrow, finish city projects. Massive public works for development—that's the goal."
Latis's face darkened further.
"What's now?"
"...They eat too much. We need measures."
"Tsk tsk. Worried about that? Think I stockpiled a million sacks of wheat for fun?"
"A million sacks?!"
The retainers fresh from expedition gaped in shock.