Ian’s mood didn’t improve at all.
If this were a game, everything would proceed according to a set program, and he wouldn’t feel this way.
But now, in a world not made of 0s and 1s, but of living beings, he couldn’t help but feel pity for what Hugo would have to endure.
‘Of course, I don’t plan to let him die so easily.’
He would definitely cure Hugo’s illness.
That’s why he had brought Sera.
“Hubert. Until I recover, you must lead the family well as the heir. Understood?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Ian. As the older brother, you must assist your younger brother in managing affairs. Understood?”
“Yes.”
‘Originally, he wouldn’t have said anything to me.’
It seemed his efforts to bring about change were having an effect.
“And Jurdan, as my advisor, you must support both my sons well while I rest.”
“Of course, my lord.”
Jurdan readily agreed, showing no hesitation in supporting Ian as well.
[Advisor Jurdan’s Loyalty: 42]
Ian chuckled as he checked the loyalty level displayed toward him by Jurdan. The number indicated a low probability of betrayal. This loyalty had been built up through his recent achievements and diligent work. Other vassals and household members had even higher loyalty levels. Even small acts of kindness were met with great gratitude, leading to significant increases in loyalty. Originally, reaching this level of loyalty would have taken at least two years.
‘Even if I become the lord, he won’t immediately resign and return to his hometown, right?’
Was it because the “Tyrant” title had disappeared? Or had their perception of him changed over time? Ian was confident in this.
“If something happens to me, hostile families might take advantage of the situation. Hubert and Ian, keep that in mind and always keep an eye on them.”
Seeing Hugo worry more about the actions of hostile territories than his own health in such a situation, Ian thought he truly embodied the spirit of the Schrantz lord.
[You have been granted partial authority as the Lord of Schrantz. Upon the lord’s death, the heir will inherit the lord’s position.]
[You can now access detailed information about the territory.]
After checking the message window, Ian sighed, knowing this was the expected course of events.
‘I’ll have a lot more work to do.’
With Hugo’s absence, both Hubert and Ian would have to take on additional responsibilities.
—
Ian was tasked with managing military supplies.
Given his experience on the battlefield, Ian was well aware of the hardships faced by soldiers and was entrusted with resolving these issues.
As soon as he began his duties, Ian visited the blacksmith’s forge.
“What brings you to such a humble place, young master?”
The head blacksmith, who worked at the lord’s estate, was flustered by Ian’s sudden visit.
The blacksmiths, who had been working diligently, stopped and bowed to him.
Ian raised his hand toward them.
“Don’t mind me. Keep working as you were.”
The blacksmiths, who worked tirelessly day and night, stoking the forge and hammering away.
“Is everyone working hard?”
“Of course, young master. At this rate, we should be able to replenish the supplies within two months.”
“Do we need more blacksmiths?”
If they needed more, Ian was prepared to recruit as many as possible.
“No. We’re already at full capacity. Adding more won’t help.”
‘Is there a limit to how much we can produce in a day at this forge?’
The size of the forge was indeed a problem.
“We’ll need to maintain this pace for at least six months.”
“Young master, isn’t it excessive to produce so much?”
The soldiers already had enough supplies to maintain their current state, so this was about stockpiling.
But was it necessary to maintain this level of production for so long?
“No, continue as is. In fact, it might go beyond six months. Keep this up until I say otherwise.”
“Understood.”
The head blacksmith answered without objection, but he couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
He had no idea how much stockpile Ian wanted or how many supplies he intended to produce.
‘Is he preparing for war?’
There had been no signs of an impending war.
‘Ah, why should I care? I just need to do my job.’
The head blacksmith eventually gave up trying to figure it out.
And as it turned out, his assumption was correct.
‘There’s about a year and a few months left until the Schrantz Raid. We need to stockpile as much as possible during this time.’
The impending attack by the Grand Schrantz Alliance.
The monster uprising had been an unexpected disaster, but this time, Ian knew exactly when it would happen.
That’s why he was preparing so diligently.
“How is Olgrim doing?”
“As expected, dwarves are exceptional. I was worried since he hadn’t worked as a blacksmith for decades, but it seems my concerns were unfounded.”
It was a relief that Olgrim had adapted so quickly, but Ian suddenly noticed something odd.
“Why is Olgrim working alone?”
While the other blacksmiths worked in pairs, Olgrim was working alone.
Ian’s expression darkened.
“You’re not excluding him or discriminating against him because he’s a dwarf, are you?”
He glared at the head blacksmith with a menacing look.
Ian had promised to treat dwarves without discrimination and to give them equal treatment.
He had even taken Olgrim as his vassal.
Were they excluding him?
The head blacksmith panicked and waved his hands frantically.
“N-No, it’s a misunderstanding! He said working with us was slowing him down, so he chased us away!”
“Chased you away?”
“Yes. He said we were as slow as turtles and that it was frustrating, so he’s better off working alone.”
The head blacksmith looked genuinely wronged, while Ian stared at Olgrim in disbelief.
‘That’s right. Dwarves are incredibly fast at crafting equipment, aren’t they?’
He had forgotten because he hadn’t played the game in so long.
Dwarves’ crafting speed was unmatched.
‘If it’s custom-made equipment, it would take time to work meticulously.’
But for mass-produced items, they could churn them out like magic.
‘Even if it looks roughly made, it’s still better than most equipment made by humans. It’s almost funny.’
Seeing the machine-like speed at which Olgrim worked, it made sense that having someone else around would only slow him down.
“I see.”
As Ian’s expression softened upon realizing the misunderstanding, the head blacksmith finally let out a sigh of relief.
“So, are you getting along well with him?”
“Yes. Everyone is eager to befriend him.”
It was a relief to hear they were getting along.
‘Well, Olgrim’s charisma is top-notch, after all.’
Ian wasn’t too worried about that.
Olgrim had always been one of the most likable NPCs, someone players wanted to befriend because of how entertaining he was.
After the development of the mines near the pioneer village began, the number of people migrating to Schrantz increased.
<Shrantz County>
Lord: Hugo von Schrantz
Loyalty: 87
Population: 3,743
- Public Safety: 41/100 (Caution)
- Living Standards: 5/10 (Average)
- Cultural Level: 1/10 (Weak)
- Military Strength: 8/10 (Strong)
Happiness of the Residents: 63 (Satisfied)
Having taken on some responsibilities, Ian could now see the overall statistics of the territory. His gaze was fixed on the population numbers.
‘The population has increased significantly.’
In just a few months, the population had grown by nearly 700 people.
‘Chronic population shortage has been one of Schrantz’s major issues, so the increase is a good thing.’
However, this growth brought new problems.
“Young Master Hubert. The crime rate in the pioneer village has risen, and public safety is deteriorating. There’s also been a fire incident.”
It was chaos.
Conflicts had arisen due to the influx of people from various places. Not long ago, there was even a murder case, and now a fire incident.
“Was it arson?”
“No, it seems the fire started because someone kept a fire burning all day to keep warm.”
It was ultimately a problem caused by someone’s carelessness.
“What’s the damage?”
“Two houses were destroyed, but there were no casualties. Fortunately, the heavy snow prevented the fire from spreading.”
‘As the population grows, all sorts of problems arise.’
The territory needed more labor, but the lack of population forced them to bring in people from outside. This led to discussions about being more selective in accepting outsiders.
However, Ian knew the reality.
Even if they wanted to be selective, it was impossible to thoroughly screen everyone. This meant that criminals looking to hide their identities could slip in.
‘And it’s also a great opportunity for spies to infiltrate.’
It might have been inevitable for problems to erupt here and there. Yet, Shrantz didn’t have the capacity to handle everything on its own, so they had no choice but to deal with it.
“Increase the security forces as much as possible to catch the criminals, and remind everyone to be careful when lighting fires.”
That was all Ian could do.
“I heard over thirty criminals have already been caught. But don’t we lack the facilities to detain them?”
Jurdan took charge of this issue, saying he would handle it. Ian wasn’t too concerned since Jurden was competent, but Hubert was curious about how it was being handled. Ian also listened intently.
“Actually, I wanted to discuss this with you, young master.”
“What is it?”
Jurdan’s expression was serious as he spoke.
“I’ve been thinking about categorizing crimes and applying different punishments.”
“For example?”
“We could separate minor offenders from serious criminals and assign them to less dangerous and more dangerous areas of the mines for labor.”
“……”
Ian flinched slightly at this suggestion.
If this were South Korea, there would be an uproar about human rights.
‘But here, human rights aren’t a concern, so I guess it’s fine?’
Ian agreed with Jurdan’s idea.
“Advisor Jurdan.”
“Yes, what is it, Young Master Ian?”
Just in case, Ian decided to confirm.
“I’m just asking, but is there any chance this could cause backlash from the surrounding areas?”
“Why would there be any backlash if we decide to punish them this way within our territory? In fact, sparing their lives despite their crimes could be seen as an act of mercy.”
Sometimes, living could be more painful than dying.
As long as there was no backlash from the surrounding areas, it was fine.
Hubert also accepted the idea positively.
“Then proceed as planned. Ah, and make sure to monitor them closely.”
“Yes, young master!”
The harsh winter passed, and spring arrived as the snow melted. Hugo’s condition continued to worsen, and Ian worked diligently, assisting Hubert with his duties.
As the weather grew relatively warmer, Ian called some idle servants to the backyard of the lord’s estate.
“Why did the young master call us here?”
“I wonder.”
The servants, summoned through the head servant, were curious about why they had been gathered in the backyard.
“Is he going to discipline us or something?”
“No way.”
“If it were the old Young Master Ian, maybe, but not the current one.”
Some were slightly anxious, but most were just curious and not overly nervous.
Leave a Reply