Chapter 199: I’ll Keep You for a Long Time (2)

True to its reputation as the largest iron ore deposit in the north, Count Cabaldi's territory had more forges and blacksmiths than most other regions.

However, for Ghislain, even that wasn't enough. He needed more forges and blacksmiths.

Spreading out a map of the Cabaldi region, Ghislain pointed to various locations and spoke decisively.

"Build forges and blacksmiths at every one of these locations. Think of it as setting up multiple large-scale industrial zones. Even if something goes wrong in one area, it shouldn't disrupt the productivity of the entire territory."

His vassals were startled by his declaration, as the sites he designated were simply too numerous.

Judging by the scale, it seemed like he intended his territory alone to handle the production for the entire north.

One of the vassals cautiously asked, "Um… isn't this too much? Is there a particular reason to go this far?"

"Because that's how we'll produce the quantity I want."

Ghislain's answer made Claude nod in agreement.

"Count Cabaldi only produced enough for his own forces. What a shortsighted fool he was."

Count Cabaldi had only manufactured equipment sufficient for his army, selling the rest of the iron ore in its raw form.

Although this approach had amassed him great wealth, it also limited the territory's development.

He had focused solely on military equipment, leaving most of the common people in the territory still using wooden tools.

Ghislain was determined to overhaul all of this.

"From now on, this place will be the primary production center for iron tools and equipment. We have an abundance of iron ore, so we'll ramp up production to ensure that not only our army but all the people in our territoriesâ€"both Fenris and Perdiumâ€"are fully equipped."

The vassals were stunned. No region on the entire continent had ever achieved a level of production where even its civilians were armed with iron equipment.

"Are you really planning to produce that much?"

"Exactly. And it's not just about weapons. Let's replace all the wooden tools with iron ones to improve the quality of life. A territory where the people thrive is a territory that grows stronger."

The vassals nodded in agreement. They understood that while this would reduce the amount of iron ore available for sale, their lord's goal wasn't personal gain.

Rather than accumulating wealth for himself, Ghislain aimed to develop the territory and enhance its production capabilities to prepare for future conflicts.

One vassal raised another question. "What about the Fenris region?"

"Build only as much as is necessary there. Convert the remaining land into farmland. We'll still construct essential facilities, but the priority is to specialize each region in producing specific goods. Later, we'll connect them efficiently for mutual development."

Hearing Ghislain's strategy, everyone nodded. As long as the territories remained secure, specializing production in each region would enable faster and higher output.

"Alright, now you know what to do, right? Let's get moving immediately to enable large-scale production."

"Understood!"

The vassals nodded with eager expressions.

In Fenris, there had always been limitations on what could be achieved due to the severe shortage of resources, except for food.

But now, with an abundant supply of iron ore, they felt emboldened.

Soon, the administrators began gathering workers from all over the territory.

"Anyone who participates in the construction of forges and blacksmiths will be paid in food! Enough to fill your stomachs, so don't hesitate and sign up!"

While the promise of food attracted a fair number of people, it wasn't nearly enough to construct such large-scale facilities quickly.

Even after days of recruitment efforts, the turnout fell short of expectations. Frustrated, Ghislain furrowed his brow and asked Claude,

"What's going on? There are plenty of idle people whose situations aren't great. Why is recruitment taking so long? How many times have I said I hate delays?"

"Well… it seems to be a matter of trust."

"What? Trust in what?"

"Trust in you, my lord."

At Claude's response, Ghislain gave a bewildered look.

"What am I, a goddess? If they need trust, they should go to a temple, not me."

"… While distributing food has calmed the people somewhat, they still don't believe you'll actually pay them fairly in these circumstances."

"Ah, so they think I look poor?"

"It's not money but food… but yes, it's something like that."

"Unbelievable."

Leaning back in his chair, Ghislain clicked his tongue.

It wasn't entirely incomprehensible. After all, the people had lived under extreme exploitation for so long that even when food was distributed, they were unlikely to trust the new regime easily.

Still, how could they possibly doubt the "Food King of the North"?

Between the profits from rune stones and cosmetics, his wealth was practically overflowing!

Seeing Ghislain's annoyed expression, Claude cautiously suggested,

"Should we enforce recruitment, as you've done before?"

Although forced, recruitment in Ghislain's territories didn't involve unpaid labor. Once workers saw how generously they were compensated, any initial resentment would quickly dissipate.

However, Ghislain shook his head.

"No. We need far more workers than before, and the projects are on a much larger scale. If people harbor resentment while working, it'll end up costing us more in the long run. Forced labor is for wartime, not now."

"Then what's your plan? Forced recruitment is the fastest method."

"Forced labor reduces efficiency. I'm a pacifist, remember? Work is most productive when people are motivated."

"Pacifist? That's rich." Claude bit back a sarcastic retort. If the other administrators overheard this, they might die of frustration.

After some thought, Ghislain smugly crossed his legs and declared, "Pay them in advance."

"What?"

"Let's start big. Give them two months' worth of food as an advance payment. Let them feel good about starting work with full stomachs."

"Some might take the food and slack off or run away."

"Then we deal with them. The word will spread quickly enough."

"You're serious? You really want to distribute it all upfront?"

"Yes. Our food stocks are overflowing, aren't they? Spend when it's needed. Just make sure the warning is clear."

"I suppose, with how much food we have, it's feasible. Alright, I'll do it."

Claude nodded. While no other lord would dare try this approach, it seemed like the fastest way to gather workers.

'He's stingy most of the time, but when it matters, he spends big. No one can match that.'

Food was more valuable than gold in these times, and yet Ghislain casually proposed distributing it upfront. It was impressive… or maybe not?

'No, wait. That expression… Is he doing this out of spite? He just wants to show off, doesn't he?'

Ghislain's face was a peculiar mix of irritation and arrogance. Claude had a strong feeling that any comment would only worsen his mood, so he quietly excused himself.

Soon, following Ghislain's orders, food was distributed on a massive scaleâ€"not as charity but as an upfront payment for work.

Lowell, the spymaster, also spread rumors to manipulate public opinion.

"In times like this, they're actually paying us in food? Is this for real? They must have an incredible surplus!"

"The new lord is called the 'Food King' of the North. They say even the stray dogs in his old territory ate better than us."

"If they're giving out this much, we have to trust them! This lord is nothing like Count Cabaldi!"

Hope began to bloom among the people, albeit cautiously.

It wouldn't change everything overnight, but it was a good start.

With crowds flocking in, gathering workers was no longer an issue. Construction began not only on the forges and blacksmiths but also on urgently needed facilities and housing.

"Come on, get moving! Time is always short!"

Claude, brimming with enthusiasm, mimicked Ghislain's usual phrase to rally the workers.

Construction wasn't just about erecting buildings. It required securing resources, transporting materials, and coordinating countless moving parts.

Soon, the forests and mountains of the Cabaldi territory were bustling with activity as resources poured in from all directions.

And at the center of every major project were the dwarves and mages, essential for their expertise.

Galbarik muttered with a weary look, "That vacation was so nice… I wish I could've rested even more intensely."

Alpoi wasn't faring any better.

"The fire in me has burned out… I've got no spirit left…"

Though they had enjoyed a brief, sweet respite, it was over now. To meet Ghislain's high standards for the forges and blacksmiths, the dwarves had to take the lead, and the mages were indispensable for speeding up construction.

Fortunately, their growing familiarity with large-scale projects made the current pace far faster than before.

However, there was one major problem: while there was no shortage of laborers, there was a severe lack of supervisors.

Naturally, the mages and dwarves ended up taking on the burden of overseeing the construction as well.

"Damn it! My arms are shakingâ€"I can't do this anymore! Let me sleep! I'm about to collapse, no, I'm already dead!"

The physically weaker mages were the first to drop. Constantly engraving magic circles and casting spells was too much for their bodies.

Even Vanessa, who had been brimming with energy, fell asleep mid-engraving.

Although they tried to sustain each other with healing spells, as fire mages, their proficiency in recovery magic was minimal.

"W-we need to rest too! I'm so exhausted my muscles won't move."

The dwarves finally laid down their hammers. The workload was simply overwhelming.

Hearing that the mages had collapsed, Ghislain came to check on the situation. When even the dwarves gave out, he nodded in understanding.

"Hmm, I guess there's no other choice. It's time to deploy our secret weapon."

"Secret… weapon? What's that?"

Alpoi squinted in confusion as Ghislain gestured to someone standing a few paces away.

The person hesitated, letting out heavy sighs before stepping forward.

Alpoi tilted his head, puzzled.

"The new priest? How is he a secret weapon?"

Since being captured by Ghislain, Piote had spent his days treating the injured and sick in the territory.

With a severe shortage of doctors, the young priest had to care for many people.

Although it was grueling work, his faith as a devout priest of the goddess drove him to serve tirelessly.

But just as Piote was growing accustomed to treating patients, Ghislain suddenly dragged him to the construction sites.

As Alpoi stared at the pink-haired priest with a puzzled expression, he asked in a trembling voice,

"D-don't tell me… You're going to use holy power on us…?"

Without a word, Ghislain gave a benevolent smile and nodded. Alpoi waved his hands in panic.

"Don't do it! Just let us rest! Don't force us to recover!"

"Let's get started, my friend."

At Ghislain's words, Piote approached the mages with a grim expression, sighing deeply.

He was already exhausted from overusing his holy power. All he wanted was some rest, but he kept being dragged from place to place.

Naturally timid and gentle, Piote couldn't refuse Ghislain's orders and ended up going wherever he was told.

Fwoooosh!

Bright light radiated from Piote's hands.

The true effects of holy power lay in boosting regeneration and vitality, which allowed it to heal wounds and enhance the body's ability to recover from fatigue.

Receiving the divine treatment, Alpoi shot up and screamed,

"Aaaargh! Back to life! Stop using holy power for things like this!"

It was no different from necromancy, except that a priest used holy power instead of dark magic, and the subjects were overworked laborers instead of corpses.

This scene played out across the territory.

Dwarves, too, grit their teeth and got back to work, while other key administrators and specialists followed suit.

By gaining Piote, Ghislain was able to handle a far greater workload with the same personnel, drastically reducing construction time.

If anyone collapsed, he simply had them revived.

Of course, there was a price for this efficiency, and it was one person who bore the brunt of it all.

"My lord… I'm going to die at this rate…"

Overusing his holy power under Ghislain's relentless demands, Piote frequently fainted with nosebleeds.

As a low-ranking priest, the amount of holy power he could wield was naturally limited.

"Oh no, our precious little priest mustn't die! Escort him to the recovery chamber immediately!"

At Ghislain's exaggerated concern, the attendants carried Piote to the deluxe recovery room.

The chamber had been meticulously crafted by Vanessa and the mages. It was made entirely for Piote.

While not as effective as holy power, the room was equipped with healing spells, temperature control magic, and enchantments to calm the mind and spiritâ€"essentially a sanctuary of restorative magic.

Additionally, every meal prepared for Piote used the finest ingredients and herbs.

In this territory, no one lived more lavishly than Pioteâ€"not even Ghislain himself.

Although the lavish treatment initially drew opposition from the vassals, Ghislain dismissed their concerns with a single statement:

"This saves us time and earns us more money. This priest will become extremely important to us."

While providing such accommodations for all administrators and laborers was impossible, dedicating them to one key individual was manageable.

And that one individual kept reviving everyone else.

"Unlimited labor… Truly extraordinary."

What is a miracle if not this? This was surely the goddess's blessing.

From the moment Ghislain acquired Piote, this had been his plan.

No matter how much money one had, priests couldn't be treated like this in most circumstances. As the church operated independently from territories, having a priest on vassal was unheard of.

But now, a naïve, low-ranking priest had walked right into his grasp.

"Hmm, I should send the church a gift soon. I'll need a good excuse to keep him here longer."

Ghislain had no intention of letting Piote go. The priest was now the most critical driver of growth for the territory.

With him, development could continue at its current pace.

"I'll keep him for as long as I can."

Ghislain smiled with satisfaction.

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