Chapter 104. The City of Bread and Steel (1)
The hall was bright.
White sunlight poured in from the windows, and clouds drifted in the blue sky beyond the open ceiling.
Soone entering for the first ti would never imagine it.
That this hall was a tomb built deep underground, and that the sky, the sunlight, and even the faintly audible birdsong were all products of technology created with luminescent stones and magical tools.
“…For you are worthy of that glory.”
The 4th Legion Commander, who had been organizing his thoughts for a mont while looking at the open ceiling, muttered to himself without realizing it.
And he reminded himself.
That the eternal monarch of Lur, who would forever receive the sun's grace, was worthy of such treatnt even in his tomb.
The Legion Commander prostrated himself in the middle of the hall.
“Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
There was no answer.
The Legion Commander waited quietly.
It was after quite so ti that the sound of a presence was heard from the back of the hall.
“4th Legion Commander, what is it?”
Unlike the giant body of the Legion Commander, which was made entirely of tal, the appearance of the being called the Emperor was shabby.
Yellowed or blackened bones.
A few pieces of flesh barely clinging on.
A single, half-rotted eyeball embedded in a cracked skull.
The skeleton, with almost no skin let alone internal organs, staggered to the throne, clad in dazzling clothes.
The Legion Commander said, with his head bowed.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty. You have regained your eyes.”
“Even so, it's just a skeleton with a few muscles grown. Still a long way to go. Isn't it funny? I preserved all sorts of delicacies, but I've lost the tongue to properly taste those delicious things?”
“I believe you will regain it soon.”
“Yes. I must. Anyway, what was it? My eardrums are still growing, so it's hard to hear. Please lift your head and speak.”
The Legion Commander lifted his head while still prostrated.
“The tomb of the 19th Legion Commander, Fabius, has awakened, but has fallen back into eternal sleep.”
“Is that so? Doesn't the 19th Legion Commander have a Sacred Relic? Who defeated him?”
“From what I heard two centuries ago, the ruler of that land has been replaced by a human necromancer from the human country, who has inherited our vision.”
“The ones called vampires or sothing?”
“That is correct.”
The Emperor rubbed under his nose with his finger.
But his bony fingers only fumbled at the hole in his skull.
“Those things, they're the bloodline of the traitor, aren't they?”
“That is correct.”
The Emperor's voice grew heavy.
“You said your legion is already complete?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Go yourself. Go and conquer that land in my na, and reclaim the forces of the 19th Legion and the Sacred Relic of the Outer God.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Then what should I do with those who stand in our way?”
“Is there a need for rcy? Burn them and kill them.”
The Emperor stood up.
He staggered into his room, muttering.
“The ill-mannered bastards must be taught a lesson.”
Thud.
The door closed.
Only then did the 4th Legion Commander rise.
He bowed his head towards the direction where the Emperor had disappeared, then turned his giant tal body and walked out of the hall.
Thud.
Thud….
As he walked, he paused for a mont and looked up.
The sky was darkening.
To be precise, the luminescent stone ceiling installed dozens of ters high instead of a sky was turning gray.
Raindrops began to fall.
It was a fake rain falling underground, created by connecting the nearby groundwater to Lur's proud water supply system.
The 4th Legion Commander headed towards his own tomb.
Soon, he would be able to feel the real raindrops of the surface.
***
Drip.
A raindrop fell on his knee.
Kambad Darwin, the owner of the Kambad rchant Guild, looked up at the sky.
The sky, which had cleared for a while in the afternoon, was now covered with clouds again.
Perhaps because the cloud layer was thin, sunlight peeked through here and there, but from its dark color, it was clearly a rain cloud.
“It's going to rain again.”
Darwin muttered.
“The Magic Tower clearly said it would be sunny for a fortnight.”
Darwin clicked his tongue softly.
He had set out thinking the weather would be good, but if it rained for a fortnight straight, the costs would be considerable.
At that mont, the young rchant Tommy, who was holding the reins at the driver's seat, tilted his head.
“Guild Master, did you really believe that forecast?”
“Hmm?”
“I told you to trust my knees rather than those desk-warming bookworms.”
“Your knees don't give a three-week forecast, do they?”
“But they guarantee accuracy! Over 80 percent, no less!”
Slap! Slap!
Tommy exclaid in a confident voice, slapping his leg as if striking a ripe waterlon.
The guild master let out a hollow laugh, as if dumbfounded.
Did he notice my foul mood?
Knowing the quick-witted Tommy, it was possible.
“It's raining, so tell them to check the covers on the cargo.”
“Yes, sir! I'll be right back!”
After giving a military-style salute, Tommy jumped down from the driver's seat.
Darwin chuckled and took the reins.
In truth, Tommy was his nephew.
Blood doesn't lie; despite his young age, he was sharp and had a good head for business, so he was being raised as a successor.
His tendency to prioritize money excessively was a slight flaw, though.
Darwin's creed was that a rchant should live on dreams, not money.
“Let's see. Where are we….”
Darwin took a map from his bosom and looked at it.
The guild was on its way to Wolfskrig.
A city that had been the land of the dead for three hundred years.
The Empire's southernmost territory, recaptured several years ago.
And they were heading towards the city that was currently the hottest topic in the south.
“We're almost there.”
Exactly one year had passed since the new lord took office.
The city, which had been in ruins, had revived to an unbelievable extent in just one year.
It had grown so much that even rumors that defied common sense were circulating.
In Wolfskrig, bread is half price.
There's an abundance of work, day and night.
Steel and weapons gush out like spring water.
The city streets are brightly lit until midnight without torches, and so on.
Honestly, he didn't believe all of it.
In the first place, one had to consider that more than half of public rumors were nonsense.
Besides, Darwin had been to Wolfskrig himself before.
Although it was before the civil war broke out, do places where people live change so quickly?
Of course, the fact that such rumors were circulating was undeniable proof that the city had grown.
At the very least, it was certain that high-quality steel was being exported from Wolfskrig at a very low price.
“The thing that's beco half price is probably steel rather than bread. Though it's still expensive.”
“Are you saying it's expensive compared to the northern Empire? I heard the prices there are half of what they are in the south right now.”
“You know well. Yes, are the covers all on?”
“Yes! I've checked them all.”
Tommy, who had climbed back into the driver's seat, took the reins.
In any case, due to the revival of Wolfskrig, many new rchant guilds had amassed wealth, and many existing ones had walked the path of decline.
The Kambad rchant Guild, which primarily made and sold weapons, was on the side that benefited.
This trip was a journey to maximize that profit.
By visiting the city directly, he would be able to obtain higher quality steel at a cheaper price.
The journey itself had been relatively smooth.
He had been quite nervous since there were over ten cargo carts, but the rcenaries he had hired just in case didn't even have to draw their swords.
This was despite the fact that it was a not-so-short journey of about a month from Gunterburk to Wolfskrig.
‘Just a few years ago, this road was full of Beastn marauders.’
The Beastn in this area were notorious.
It was said that Beastn pushed out of the Black Forest had settled here.
He had heard that they were attacked three tis out of ten, but after a major incident in Gunterburk, the area had beco strangely clean.
However, the weather was not on his side.
Even for the rainy season, who would have thought it would rain for three weeks straight.
Just when the clouds seed to clear for a day, raindrops were falling again.
This was a real headache for him, as the goods he brought this ti were weapons, oil, dry food, and herbs.
Being based in Gunterburk, he had experienced the fickle southern weather a lot, but at tis like this, he just couldn't get used to it.
“I should move the guild to another city or sothing….”
“Is it because of the weather? That's why I told you to trust my knees.”
“Stop it. You want to ruin the guild? And it's not just because of the weather.”
Rumble-
Thunder rolled.
The rain started to get heavier.
The canvas covering the driver's seat rippled gently in ti with the pattering sound.
The sky grew dark faster than expected.
Darwin, who was considering whether to stop the convoy and rest, soon shook his head.
They were almost there anyway.
Once over the hill, it was flat plains.
It would be better to rest after crossing into the plains, at a place where Burken Fortress was visible.
“By the way, about Viscount Wolfskrig.”
“Hmm?”
“Didn't you say you've seen him in person?”
Tommy asked, fiddling with the reins.
“I've done business with him once or twice. Though it's been over a year already.”
“He was a rcenary captain back then, right? What was he like? I was in the Theocracy at the ti, so I didn't get to et him….”
“He was a remarkable man.”
Lightning flashed.
The horses neighed in surprise and reared up.
Tommy pulled on the reins to calm the startled packhorses.
“That day, he single-handedly defeated hundreds of Beastn with lightning that fell from the sky. Leading only a handful of soldiers, he defended the Cathedral.”
“Was that true? I thought it was an exaggerated rumor all this ti….”
“It's true, you brat. There's also a story that he defeated the Beastn Warchief. It's thanks to him that our guild building is still standing, and that there are no Beastn raids on this trip. You should be grateful.”
Tommy had a dubious expression.
Darwin, who had watched his nephew since he was a child, knew.
The boy wouldn't believe anything unless he saw it with his own eyes.
Although that trait was also what made him an excellent rchant at his young age.
“So the rumors about Wolfskrig that you consider to be nonsense could also be true.”
“Co on, that's an exaggeration. A city illuminated by undying lamps? Who would believe that?”
“There's more. Mines where silver steel and black iron gush out. A city where bread is half price.”
“Exactly.”
Tommy frowned.
With his still-beardless, youthful face, it was just cute and funny to watch from the side.
Darwin laughed heartily and patted his back.
“Tommy. You have a good head for business and you handle people well, but you're still lacking one thing. A rchant should….”
“A rchant should live on dreams, not money, right? I know.”
“Right. I don't think all the rumors are true either. But there's no need to think negatively before you've even seen it.”
Tommy slowly nodded his head.
The cart rattled.
They were at the top of the hill.
From here on, it was Burken territory.
“Still, we arrived as scheduled. It's hard to see because of the rain, but by tomorrow… huh?”
Tommy, who was about to change the subject, stopped talking.
In the distance, sothing was shining through the mist.
“Could that be…?”
Although the sky was filled with dark clouds and it was raining, it wasn't hard to recognize that the halo of light was outlining the silhouette of a village.
“That's Burken Village.”
Darwin smiled.
“A city where the light never goes out… Maybe the rumors are true.”
***
‘The city where the light never goes out.’
It was a nickna that had recently been attached to Wolfskrig.
It was the result of the research on the luminescent stones I had painstakingly brought from the Berenburg underground ruins, which was completed about two months ago.
Although I fell into another world, as a civilized person who still loves modern civilization, I imdiately mass-produced luminescent stones and installed streetlights on all major roads.
Thanks to this, the public security problems that naturally arise as the population grows were sowhat alleviated.
“Viscount, I love you! Thanks to you, the tavern doesn't close! And it's packed with people!”
“…….”
I didn't expect that the person around who would like it the most would be old man Brol.
Anyway, it wasn't just the taverns that were busy late into the night.
A significant number of workplaces, centered on the forges and construction sites, operated late into the night.
As the night streets beca safer, people began to volunteer for night shifts.
[Night shift workers shall be paid at least 1.5 tis the regular wage.]
I issued an edict without delay.
This, too, could be called the experience of a modern person.
Although the concepts of overti and shift work are not yet fully established, it will only be a matter of ti at this rate.
No matter how rampant the class system is and how little there is of what could be called human rights in this world, in the end, to attract people, you have to make a place reasonably good to live in.
In addition, the second harvest was also a bumper crop.
On the land that the priests had purified and even blessed, the yield was nearly three tis that of other domains on average.
On top of that, we expanded the farmland by clearing new land, so the total harvest was twice as large as the previous one.
As the food problem was solved and the mining industry developed, the city began to grow in real ti.
The number of monthly immigrants increased to the triple digits, and at so point, it exploded, surpassing five hundred last month.
Considering that this is a border region on the southern tip, facing an enemy country's territory, it's nothing short of a miracle.
Naturally, the number of guests coming to see also increased.
They are mostly guild masters or rchant guild owners from other cities, or nobles from nearby domains.
Today, a guest arrived as well.
A guest who is a bit more special than on other days.
“Viscount, the guards say the head of the Kambad rchant Guild has entered the city. Isn't he the one you were waiting for?”
Kambad Darwin.
The owner of the Kambad rchant Guild, based in Gunterburk.
It's a guild that mainly makes and sells weapons, and also deals in rare herbs and supplies like hardtack, but what's noteworthy is his connections.
He has a relative in the Theocracy.
The one who becos the trigger for the event to steal the Theocracy's armor-making technology.
“Where is he?”
“He's in the blacksmith district in the west of the city. You said to guide the Kambad guild master there first when he arrives….”
“Well done.”
Even excluding the Theocracy's armor-making technology, his guild will soon beco the one that supplies the best quality arms and rare herbs in the south.
This is because the young blacksmiths and herbalists who work with him are all holders of outstanding potential.
It's proof that the guild master has a good eye for people.
He's a talent that is absolutely necessary for Wolfskrig, where the mining industry is developing.
The problem, as expected, is his connections.
The relative in the Theocracy is a trigger for stealing the armor technology, but at the sa ti, it's also the reason for his defection.
In fact, in the mid-to-late ga, the Kambad guild master has a very high probability of leaving the Empire for the Theocracy.
Even I rarely succeeded in keeping him.
This problem is the task I must solve.
Clang!
Clang!
I have a plan in mind.
I headed towards the blacksmith street where the sound of hamrs echoed.
I found the Kambad guild master in front of a newly built foundry.
He had his back to and was staring intently at the scene inside the foundry.
“Guild Master Kambad, it's been a while.”
“……Viscount.”
He turned around.
“I apologize. My appearance….”
A single tear was flowing down his cheek.
“It's alright. The air here is a bit thick, isn't it?”
“No, it's not. I'm not crying because of the smoke or dust.”
I'll be honest.
I'm going to use him.
He is one of the best rchants I know.
At the sa ti, he is the only person who can create a union of rchants and artisans.
In every playthrough as a human faction, be it the Empire, the Theocracy, or the City-State Alliance, I strived to recruit him.
Therefore, I know him well.
And what his aspirations are.
“I'm crying because of a dream.”
“A dream?”
“…I think I saw a small part of the ideal picture I dread of, in the Viscount's city.”
Yes.
An ideal, it must be.
The reason he later goes over to the Theocracy, and the ideal he dies without achieving even then.
They say a good beginning is half the battle.
The first button has been perfectly fastened.
[[Lord’s Unyielding Mind] is deployed.]
“Shall we go to a quieter place to talk?”
Maybe I'll fasten the rest over a cup of tea.
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