207

While the dwarves devoted themselves to their research, Giselle reviewed her plans again and checked the situation in the territory.

Thanks to the many smelters that had been built, iron ingots were being produced in great quantities. However, mass production of weapons and tools was still being restrained.

This is because they planned to make it with the new alloy they successfully developed.

'If you succeed, big changes will happen.'

It has the same strength as steel, but is less than half the weight.

If all items containing iron were replaced with it, everything from military power to people's lives would change significantly from what they are now.

'We have enough iron ore. If we can just start mass producing it, it won't be hard to arm all the people within a year. But we still lack a lot of other things.'

It doesn't end with just building a large number of smelters and blacksmiths. The territory has expanded and the population has increased too quickly.

In that state, there could not be a problem in raising it to the level that Jiselle was thinking of.

'Even if we take the land, it's all a mess… … .'

Even in the Cavaldi estates, it was necessary to build several facilities, such as farmland and residences, to ensure a minimum level of self-sufficiency.

Facilities were a problem, but so was the supply of other resources, because food and iron alone could not solve everything.

'I should slowly lift the blockade on my territory and focus on trade. I should look into other kingdoms as well as my own.'

In the end, the insufficient resources had to be obtained through trade. In that way, the economic balance of the territory, which was developing abnormally, had to be maintained to some extent.

While I was reviewing the plan again and moving busily to develop the territory, Claude came running in out of nowhere.

As soon as Giselle saw Claude, she turned away in disgust.

"Why? What's the problem again?"

"I haven't said anything yet."

"Whenever you come, strange problems keep occurring. You seem like the kind of person who brings accidents."

Claude looked dumbfounded.

"It's not that I came here because there was a problem, but I came because there was a problem. Most problems are caused by the lord's unreasonable plans."

"Let's say that's true. So what? What's the problem this time?"

"It's not that I came here because of a problem… … The elf slaves I've been waiting for have finally arrived."

"Oh! You arrived?"

At those words, Jiselle jumped up in delight. In fact, she had been so busy stabilizing and developing the territory that she had completely forgotten.

Jiselle ran quickly and met the slave trader.

As soon as the slave trader saw Jiselle, he put his hand on his chest, bowed his waist, and began to praise her, unlike before.

"Oh! I meet you, Baron Fenris, noble son of Zwalter Ferdium, Count of the North, rightful heir to glorious Ferdium, ruler and protector of Fenris, undefeated victor, doer of the will of the Goddess, a great leader of lofty virtue and wise judgment, respected by all, the one and only in the North."

"… … ."

The surroundings were filled with silence. It was because the greeting was so extravagant, unlike before.

Just by looking at him, you could tell he was flattering her with his whole body.

Jiselle, who had been looking at the slave trader with a tired expression, asked quietly.

"… … Are you having a hard time these days?"

"...yes."

"What's so hard about making good money?"

"Can't we receive the payment in food instead of gold?"

Jiselle snickered. I get it.

The slave trader who had just arrived was the representative of the slave traders introduced by the Marquis of Branford.

It is no exaggeration to say that he has the largest slave fleet in the kingdom. He must have many dependents and slaves.

It was a difficult time, so business was not going well, and it must have been very difficult to feed so many slaves.

Jisel is not one to miss an opportunity like this. He is a man who is extremely frugal when it comes to saving.

"Okay, I'll give you some as food. But take it for half price."

"yes?"

"I'll give you only half of the promised amount in food. If you don't want to, just take the promised amount. I was going to give you only 30%, but I was worried that all the slaves I had would starve to death. I'm so weak-hearted."

"Ugh… … ."

The slave trader felt like crying because of the injustice he had suffered.

Elf slaves are extremely valuable. We brought in over 200 of them this time.

If you sell it for half price, it would be a huge loss.

But there was no way. Getting food these days was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

"Okay… Okay. I will do that."

The slave trader accepted with tears in his eyes. If he could just take half the payment, he would be able to make it through the year.

Jiselle said, patting the slave trader on the shoulder.

"I thought about it carefully. You said I would hear some surprising news soon, right?"

"Yes… … . When I heard the news of the war, I thought it was really doomed, but I was surprised to hear that they had won. The knights didn't seem to be in good shape before… … ."

"So, from now on, listen carefully to what this body says. So, where are the elves?"

"Yes, we are waiting in the temporary barracks outside the castle. We have also completed the handover to the administrator of the territory."

Claude immediately handed Giselle a document. It was a personal statement containing the elves' ransoms and personal information.

Jiselle nodded after briefly looking over it.

"Okay, then Claude, go first and guide the elves to their quarters and take care of the things they need first. I'll finish the deal and then go."

"All right."

Slave traders and laborers pulled carts full of goods to the food warehouse.

The amount of food they gave was enormous, even if the price of the elves was only half the price.

Jiselle carefully checked the amount of food. She would have let most things slide, but since the price was so large, she had to be sure.

The slave merchant broke out in a cold sweat when he saw that sight.

'What kind of lord checks all these things? He must be doing all kinds of things to avoid being scammed.'

The slave trader, who was trying to sneak in a little more food, immediately gave up. It was impossible to do so when he was staring at them with his eyes wide open.

Seeing that sight, I suddenly had another worry.

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"Excuse me… My Lord. Have you ever bought elf slaves?"

At those words, Giselle tilted her head for a moment and answered.

"No, is this your first time buying it?"

"Then what… …you've never seen each other or spent a long time together?"

"Well… I saw it briefly."

There were some elves I had known for quite some time in my previous life, but they were great comrades who fought against the tribulation, not slaves.

The only elf slaves he had seen were dancers he had seen when he was treated as a mercenary king. He had no interest in them, so he had no major contact with them.

His life was too hard and tiring to care about such things.

The slave trader, seeing Jiselle's reaction, said with a slight glance.

"Well then… … I've already received all the payment, so I'll be going now."

"Why? You must be tired. Why don't you rest for a day or so?"

"No, I'm just really busy. I'll be able to come a little earlier next time."

Additionally, the slaves that Giselle requested were only some technicians or slaves to fill the population.

They were much easier to move than slaves from other races, so they weren't hard to obtain.

Jiselle nodded her head hesitantly at the slave trader's suddenly urgent appearance.

"Well, I guess I can't help it since I'm busy. I won't go far."

"Oh, you know that elves are just as difficult to handle as dwarves, right? They live longer than humans and are also older, but they are expensive, so they are treated well and live well."

"The elves have their own pride, so you should treat them well. The dwarves have also opened their hearts now and are doing well in our territory."

He says things that would make the dwarves go crazy if they heard them, but he doesn't care. Still, the slave trader responded with a slightly relieved expression after hearing such an answer.

"Okay, then I've explained everything. Let's really go. Hey, let's go quickly!"

The slave trader hurried away, dragging the food carts and urging the laborers on.

Jiselle, who had been quietly watching the scene, stroked her chin and narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, that kid, there's something fishy about that. Did he bring some sick elves with him?"

There was no such thing written on the list. But something seemed strange, so I turned around to check right away, and Claude came running out of breath.

"Where is that slave trader? Did he run away already?"

"Did you go?"

Claude, who had a frown on his face, took a deep breath for a moment and then looked at Giselle and said.

"There is a problem."

"Oh, what's the problem again?"

"You have to see it for yourself."

At the serious tone, Jiselle and the others walked away in puzzlement.

Those who arrived at the empty lot in front of the accommodation were soon overcome by an indescribable feeling.

'This is… an elf?'

In the first place, elf slaves were something that only those with a lot of money and high status could see. This is because they were kept hidden away in their mansions and cherished.

There are many people who live their entire lives and die without ever seeing someone.

So people's minds were filled only with images of mysterious elves that they had heard in books and stories.

A gentle and noble race that is beautiful, rarely ages, and loves nature.

But the elves in front of me were not like that at all.

"Hey, bring me more alcohol! Let's have a blast celebrating our arrival today!"

"Doom! Doom! Oh, have I gotten too old? My joints hurt and I can't dance like I used to."

"No more alcohol? I want to drink a lot and sleep well today. Let's have some fun starting tomorrow."

There was no chaos like this. It seemed like some thugs had come out of a party somewhere.

As rumored, it is true that both men and women are beautiful. However, the feeling was so different.

There was a half-and-half mix of women and men, as Giselle did not request a specific gender.

The problem is that they all look weird, regardless of gender.

"Phew! I'm a heavy smoker, so you have to give me the best quality cigarettes every day."

"Oh, I'm drunk. I've already finished drinking. When are we going to eat? I only eat high-quality liquor and veal."

"I can't sleep unless I have a fancy bed. Your neighborhood looks a little poor."

Some people were smoking cigarettes and puffing smoke, and some were already staggering around, probably drunk.

Some elves were lying down and snoring, while others were dancing in excitement.

Those who just sat there weren't okay. In fact, their condition was more serious.

They all ooze lethargy and weariness. They have really tired faces, worn down by life.

Even Jiselle, who usually doesn't blink an eye, couldn't say anything at this moment.

"What, what is this? Are these elves? Aren't they just pointy ears?"

When Giselle looked at Claude with a bewildered face, Claude responded with a look of bewilderment.

"I thought so too, so I checked and it turns out it was an elf. You always pretend to know everything, but you bought it without even knowing this?"

"How could I know something like that! The elves I know didn't act like that!"

"Oh, why are you mad at me! You were the one who got scammed!"

"Fraud? You're saying I was scammed?"

As he looked around in absurdity, his aides all nodded cautiously. Kaor held his stomach and laughed until he could hardly breathe.

"Hahahahaha! Even the great lord gets scammed sometimes? What kind of elves are those? They're just orc kids wearing elf masks! Puhahahaha! Eww! What the!"

Jiselle's flying kick, which got heated up in an instant, hit Kaor right away.

"Hey! Are you laughing? Are you laughing right now? How much money did you spend on this and you're showing your teeth in this situation?"

Kaor couldn't help but laugh even as he was being stepped on.

This is the first time I've seen that lord look so flustered. I absolutely can't stand this.

"Poohahaha! B, like an idiot, I got scammed… … . Ugh! Ah, it hurts! Puhahaha! Stop hitting me… … Heheheehick! What the heck? Why are my feet stretching?"

At some point, Belinda also stepped in and kicked. Claude and Wendy, who saw this, also approached and kicked hard.

Alpoy, who had been watching, noticed this and then sneaked in to kick Kaor hard. Fiote thought about it for a moment before stepping in.

'Goddess, please forgive my sins. I've been really stressed out lately.'

When even the gentle Fiote kicked, no one was rough around the edges. Soon, everyone around them rushed in and started stomping on Kaor.

"Ugh! What the! Why are there so many feet! You little shi*s, I remember all the shoes… … Aah! Wait! Stop stepping on me! Ah, shit! What the! What the heck!"

Everyone kicked with all their passion and enthusiasm, as if they didn't want to miss the opportunity to relieve stress.

Kaor eventually started rolling on the ground screaming.