Chapter 143: When in Trouble, Consult My Father-in-Law
A thought struck him, and it was a fortuitous day. Rest decided to tackle the task he had been reluctant to undertake—the development of the Subnock Plain.
Ideally, this should have been a project led by the central authority. However, the current royal family was overwhelmed with the aftermath of the civil war and diplomatic issues. If they continued to sit idly by, a new “Master of the Demon Realm” could emerge to take the place of Subnock, so Rest resolved to take the initiative.
Rest had already been granted several territories as rewards for his accomplishments. Even if he were to develop his own land, he would not face any reproach from the royal family.
The territory he received encompassed the northern region of the Subnock Plain. In terms of size, it rivaled that of a Marquis, if not exceeding it. With the Rosemary Marquis House and the lower nobles holding lands in the northern kingdom, if he succeeded in development, he could potentially connect the roads from the north.
(Perhaps the royal family considered the location when they assigned it to me…)
“Rest-kun, to develop an uncharted land, there are several necessities,” Albert Rosemary, his father-in-law, said as he clasped his hands on the desk in his office.
The dark circles under Albert’s eyes were stark against his pale complexion, a testament to the hectic pace he had been keeping while managing the aftermath of the civil war. Rest felt a pang of guilt for bringing up an additional topic.
“First, we need ‘money.’ Development funds are essential. You’ve already cleared this hurdle, haven’t you?”
“Yes… I received an astonishing amount from the royal family.”
The subjugation of the Magical Beast Sabnock, his contributions during the civil war, and the inheritance from Rodel Aiwood had all resulted in a sum of money Rest had never seen before. He felt restless with such wealth and wished to spend it quickly, a rather extravagant dilemma.
“Next, we need ‘people.’ Soldiers to protect the territory from monsters, officials to handle administrative tasks, farmers to cultivate the fields, engineers to construct buildings and walls, and laborers to transport stones and timber… Developing the plain is a different matter than merely establishing a village. We will require a significant workforce.”
“Indeed… I can’t manage this alone.”
“Well, if money is no object, gathering manpower shouldn’t be too difficult. If you can spare some funds, I can instruct Dibble to start recruiting.”
“Thank you very much! I would greatly appreciate that!”
Rest expressed his heartfelt gratitude. He could trust Albert and his mentor, Dibble, to handle this matter. If permitted, he would even consider handing over the entirety of the funds he received from the royal family.
“The challenge lies with the officials… The royal family will likely provide some personnel. Although most of the castle’s clerks are busy due to the civil war, there are some who are currently unoccupied.”
“Are there really people with free time at a time like this?”
“Yes… from the Queen Dowager Faction.”
“Eh…?”
Rest’s eyes widened in surprise. Hadn’t the members of the Queen Dowager Faction been purged?
“Even within a faction, it’s vast… Among the lower ranks, there are many who had no involvement in the civil war. The majority of them declared, ‘I have no connection to this. I do not intend to oppose the royal family,’ and chose to become commoners when the rebellion broke out. However, since they hail from a family that instigated a rebellion, they have been removed from important positions.”
They too were victims of circumstance. The third and fourth sons, unable to inherit the family estate, had come to the royal capital to make their mark, only to find themselves branded as rebels due to their family’s actions.
“There are a few among my subordinates… the court magicians who feel the same way. They express resentment towards their foolish families, saying, ‘They never supported me when I sought independence, so why must I bear the stigma?’”
“Ah… that sounds quite difficult…”
“Their grievances are directed at their foolish families, and they hold no ill will towards you, Rest-kun. If you were to appoint them as officials, the royal family would likely welcome it.”
“…Well, I’ll leave the selection of personnel to you. I don’t understand the palace’s circumstances.”
But… if Albert and Dibble were gathering the workforce, what should Rest do? He felt uneasy about leaving everything to others without contributing himself.
“Rest-kun, you have an important task as well… monster hunting and securing a base.”
“Monster hunting, and securing a base…”
“Even though the Master of the Demon Realm has been defeated, the Subnock Plain remains a demon realm. Your task is to hunt the monsters and secure the first base for development.”
As Albert rubbed his tired eyes, he spoke with conviction.
“I can lend you several magicians from the Rosemary Marquis House, and it might be beneficial to recruit talent from the academy as well. As long as they are alive, they can always try again after a failure, so do as you see fit.”
“…Understood. I will take on the challenge.”
Rest nodded deeply at Albert’s words. While securing a base was one thing, monster hunting was his area of expertise. Of course, ensuring safety across such a vast territory would not be a simple task.
(That said, it will be tough to do it alone. I’ll need allies to assist me. Perhaps I can gather those wishing to serve at the academy…?)
Determined to take the first step toward development, Rest decided to return to the academy to gather collaborators.