Although the settlers had arrived sooner than expected, it wasn't an entirely unforeseen situation.
After all, constructing housing for thousands of people in a month or two was impossible.
For the time being, they planned to set up temporary tents and mobilize labor to expedite construction. After all, people needed a place to live before they could be put to work.
The real issue was the shortage of wood. It was uncertain when the construction could even begin, let alone finish.
The longer it took to build housing, the more chaotic life would become for everyone.
Claude scratched his head and looked at Wendy with a desperate expression.
"What do we do?"
"…I really don't know."
"So when you truly don't know, you actually admit it?"
"…."
If Claude, the Head butler, didn't have a solution, there was no way Wendy would either.
Even as his aide, her primary responsibility was to protect him, not solve administrative problems.
After some thought, Claude sighed and brushed the issue aside.
There wasn't even time to dwell on it. He needed to finish this transaction quickly and move on to the next task.
"We'll discuss the price later. There aren't any other issues, right?"
At Claude's question, the merchant replied with a grave expression.
"There aren't major issues yet, but… if you keep purchasing on this scale, problems will arise eventually."
"What kind of problems?"
"You're flooding Fenris with too much money. Northern prices are starting to fluctuate wildly. It's good for people like me who are profiting, but others are inevitably being hurt."
The northern region was a harsh, barren area to begin with.
With Fenris buying up all the available resources, prices were naturally soaring, and supply was drying up entirely.
"Hm… Have we bought too much? But we need everything we've purchased. And we'll need to keep buying."
"Most of what you're purchasing are raw materials, right? With Fenris absorbing everything, it's only natural that other businesses are starting to complain—especially the nobles. You know how they are."
Claude fully understood what the merchant was implying.
Ghislain's extreme policies had unleashed a tidal wave of money in the north. Calling it a "flood" wasn't an exaggeration.
While merchants were ecstatic to finally have a big client, not everyone shared their enthusiasm.
The peasants of poor estates didn't care who bought or sold what, but nobles deeply involved in the economy were surely seething with resentment.
Claude nodded knowingly.
"The nobles must hate our lord. Honestly, I find him a bit… Ahem. Let's pretend I didn't say that."
"As long as they don't live in major cities, most people don't notice the price changes. The real issue is the other lords and nobles."
An upstart young lord had suddenly appeared, disrupting the northern market and buying up everything in sight.
Normally, they would have banded together to sabotage or undermine him.
But that young lord was backed by Marquis Branford. As a result, the nobles could do nothing but watch, seething in frustration.
How envious and bitter they must feel—probably itching to snatch away everything Ghislain controlled.
Understanding the situation, Claude nodded and made one final request to the merchant.
"I'll keep that in mind. Now, let's settle one last thing… Can you knock off one gold coin?"
"Pardon?"
"Just one gold coin."
The merchant looked flabbergasted.
The price had already been negotiated long ago, and the payment had already been made.
'Don't people usually ask for a discount before paying?'
The merchant couldn't understand Claude's reasoning, but this was his last act of personal indulgence.
If he kept some money before handing it over, it would be embezzlement. But if he paid first and then got some back, he could call it a personal "tip."
That's why he was pestering for this discount after the fact.
"We've done plenty of business together and will continue to. Come on, just one gold coin."
"…."
The merchant stared at Claude suspiciously.
The timing of the request was strange, and so was the amount. One gold coin? Not 100, but just one?
For an estate Head butler, asking for such a small bribe seemed suspiciously odd.
'What's his angle? Should I report this to Lady Amelia?'
No matter how much he thought about it, the merchant couldn't figure it out.
Unaware that Claude was practically a slave in the guise of a Head butler, he couldn't fathom that there was no ulterior motive—just pure, petty greed.
When the merchant remained silent, Claude awkwardly pressed him.
"What, you can't spare one gold coin? Are you really going to be like this with me? Do you want to stop doing business with us?"
"Ah… No, of course, I can manage that."
Eventually, the merchant gave up thinking, pulled a gold coin from his pouch, and handed it over.
Claude gleefully pocketed the coin, stuffing it into his coat.
"Ah, thank you! Let's meet again next time. Maybe we can share some good liquor. We don't have any good drinks in our estate."
Which was, of course, his way of asking for a gift of fine liquor.
The merchant understood the implication and nodded reluctantly.
For now, Claude was still his "customer," so he had to keep him happy.
"Sure… I'll bring something good next time. Well then, I'll be on my way."
"Safe travels. Don't go too far."
The merchant, awkwardly smiling at Claude's cheerful farewell, turned his horse around.
'I think I'm starting to understand why Lady Amelia hates these people.'
The small amount requested made no sense, but Claude's sheer audacity spoke volumes. If the Head butler was like this, how bad must their lord be?
Rumored to be one of the worst rogues in the north, Ghislain had been disowned by Amelia, so the merchant could only imagine his personality.
'I wonder if the one gold coin was some kind of coded signal to Lady Amelia?'
Mulling over whether to report this, the merchant left Fenris.
As soon as the merchant disappeared from view, Claude grinned slyly.
"Hehe, the lord said those guys are enemies, so it's fine to take at least one gold coin."
In his mind, he had just stolen from the enemy—a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.
Feeling satisfied, Claude reached into his coat pocket.
He wanted to savor the feeling of "real money" in his hands for the first time in a while.
"Huh?"
But the coin was nowhere to be found.
He searched every pocket, turned out his coat, and looked around, but it was gone.
"What the…? Where did my money go!"
He searched the ground meticulously but found nothing.
Eventually, Claude gave up, raised his head to the sky, and shouted.
"Why can't I ever be happy!"
'Sigh.'
Wendy, watching his outburst, shook her head.
Quietly, she approached the estate's treasury box and hesitated. Glancing at the still-fuming Claude, she sighed again and called out.
"Head butler, there's a gold coin over here."
"Huh? Really? You found it? How did it get there? Did the coin grow legs? Haha, I found it!"
Ecstatic, Claude ran to Wendy and took the coin from her.
His face, as he carefully pocketed it again, was the happiest he had ever looked.
***
The people of Fenris, watching the wave of settlers pouring into the estate, all thought the same thing.
"Are they beggars?"
From their shabby appearances and gloomy expressions, they looked more like refugees than settlers.
Emaciated, poorly fed, and even sickly, they were clearly in dire straits.
The vassals clicked their tongues at the sight of the newcomers.
"Judging by their condition, they won't be able to work anytime soon. This is just going to drain money."
"More people are good, but… surely there were better options. Did the lord get swindled?"
Even the commoners already living in Fenris looked concerned as they watched the influx of settlers.
It wasn't out of prejudice but instinct—having struggled to survive themselves, they worried about security and food supplies.
Only Ghislain remained unfazed, showing no particular emotion as he observed the settlers.
He had expected this outcome.
'There's no way they'd send able-bodied people so easily.'
Even with agreements to support Ghislain, population was the foundation of estate management and a noble's greatest asset.
No noble, driven by greed, would willingly give up valuable laborers or skilled workers.
Instead, they had sent the impoverished and struggling, using the opportunity to clean out their slums.
Along with them came tax delinquents, itinerant farmers, and even petty criminals.
They didn't care what happened after sending them.
Bribant Estate, which had agreed to support Ghislain, had plenty of wealth despite its low population and boasted the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower. They assumed he could handle it.
Watching the settlers, Ghislain spoke to Lowell beside him.
"Lowell, start a population survey immediately. Sort out who can work and who can't. Inform Belinda to begin treating the sick, and send the healthy ones to Gillian. We'll need manpower for maintaining order."
"Yes, my lord."
"And as for spies… never mind. We won't find them in that group anyway. Just keep them under surveillance."
There were undoubtedly spies from other estates among the settlers, but identifying them amidst the influx of people from across the kingdom would be nearly impossible.
Besides, completely preventing spies was impossible. The best solution was to limit what they could report.
"Where's Claude?"
"He went to handle a transaction with the merchants. He should be back soon."
"When he returns, have him ensure the settlers are properly fed. They're probably starving."
"Yes, my lord. For now, I'll lead them to temporary housing."
Since housing wasn't yet complete, everyone would have to live in tents for the time being.
To prevent unrest, even the mercenaries were deployed to maintain order.
Surprisingly, there was no significant commotion.
Perhaps because they were in an unfamiliar place, the settlers obeyed instructions relatively well.
In Claude's absence, Lowell led the settlers to the temporary housing.
"This is where you'll stay for now. It might not be to your liking, but please be patient. We'll prepare proper housing as soon as possible. Food will be distributed daily, so don't worry."
The settlers looked at the rows of tents before them.
Lowell felt a bit embarrassed.
These people had been forcibly relocated at Ghislain's request, likely hoping for a better life.
But Fenris, which had summoned them, couldn't even provide proper housing, forcing them into tents. The situation was humiliating.
Contrary to Lowell's expectations, the settlers' reactions weren't bad.
"Wow, the tents are clean! Better than where we used to live."
"As long as it keeps the rain out, who needs a house? Food's more important."
"They said they'll give us food every day. Does that mean we won't starve anymore? Can we trust them?"
Hearing the murmurs, Lowell nodded to himself.
'So they really did send nothing but beggars.'
Not long ago, Fenris itself had been a place where people starved to death in droves. It was easy to forget.
Remembering those times, he began to understand the settlers' mindset.
'For now, just having food will be enough for them.'
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Lowell began sorting the settlers and assigning tents.
Meanwhile, Ghislain returned to his office, only to be met by Claude, rushing in frantically.
"My lord, we have a problem!"
Ghislain frowned. Already overwhelmed with work, this was the last thing she needed.
"What now? Everything's always a problem with you."
"This time, it's serious."
"What is it?"
"We're out of wood. At this rate, not only the housing construction but all our plans will be delayed."
Hearing this, Ghislain's expression turned grave.
He had already anticipated the shortage and secured supplies through merchants. Yet the problem had arrived much sooner than expected.
"Ugh, this estate is so wretched. No matter how much money I pour into it, the problems never go away."
"With construction happening across the estate, materials are being consumed too quickly. Both local production and external purchases have limits. It's not just the money; it's the time that's the issue."
Money wasn't a concern—if needed, he could squeeze more funds out of Rozalin under the guise of cosmetics.
But time was another matter. Delays could cost lives.
After a brief moment of thought, Ghislain suddenly exclaimed as if he'd found the solution.
"There's a way to get a large supply of wood immediately! And it won't cost us anything!"
"Huh? Where? How can we get that much wood without spending money?"
"We'll go to Perdium."
"Perdium… Do you mean the Forest of Demonic Beasts? Even logging the outskirts would provoke monsters and predators!"
Ghislain clicked his tongue at Claude's panicked reaction.
"Of course not. When do we have time to subjugate the Forest of Demonic Beasts? That's for later."
"Then how… Wait, no, you don't mean…"
Ghislain grinned mischievously.
"If we're short, we'll just raid their forests and mountains. Perdium and our estate are tied together by fate, aren't they?"
[T/L: Read five extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/s/721eee3895 ]
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