Chapter 41
(Kyle Calendar
Year 504: Age 11)
Operation at
the Teigun Settlement ②
Translator : PolterGlast
"I hereby grant
permission for the long-requested inspection of the settlement."
As summer drew to a
close, permission for the inspection of the Teigun settlement was finally
granted by my parents.
"The inspection
team will be led by the steward (Raymond) as its head.
The escort will
consist of 50 iron cavalrymen led by Darek, also serving as an exercise for the
Iron Cavalry Corps.
They will be
accompanied by the Twin-Headed Falcon Mercenary Corps returning to Teigun. That
is all."
I see, so Raymond-san
would be my overseer, and Commander Weiss would be my brother's.
Well, for me, it was a
very welcome arrangement, but since the steward smiled when he looked at me, he
must have orchestrated it well. I am always truly grateful.
In addition, Anne and
the nine mages would accompany me.
And Sara, who also
served as a teacher for the earth mages, making a total of 11 people.
The purpose of the
inspection team was to conduct a local survey for the formulation of an urban
development plan for the Teigun settlement, a preliminary survey of the planned
stationing site for the magic corps, confirmation of potato growth status, and
a preliminary inspection of the planned experimental farm site.
It would be a six-day
inspection trip: one night and two days each way, with a three-night stay.
Having waited so long
for this decision, we departed shortly after the permission was granted.
All the mages were
quite accustomed to mounted travel through their weekly training.
However, there was the
possibility of bandit attacks like the one in spring, and although rare,
encounters with monsters were also possible.
Travel in this world
was never safe enough to let one's guard down, so everyone was tense.
To reach Mount Teigun,
we had to travel south from the town of Est and cross the Olgu River.
The bridge that had
been washed away by the previous year's flood had already been restored, and a
new bridge stood in its place.
After crossing the
bridge and passing through several villages, we arrived at Fran, now called the
Farthest Town.
The Farthest Town...
this name would soon be relinquished, as Teigun would take its place.
Fran was located at
the southwestern edge of the Estol territory, a mining town that had developed
as a receiving point for minerals produced there, a dispatch point for supplies
transported to the mines, and a relay base for distribution.
But that wasn't the
only characteristic of this town.
Although a small town
with a population of about 800, it was filled with rough clamor and bustle.
It showed its value as
a town where mining-related people bid farewell to the outside world and where
they could once again taste the air of the outside world. Miners and other roughnecks
came to the town at night for its entertainment and spent their money.
Because it was such a
town, the nightlife was very lively, with many bars and several brothels.
For the men working in
the mines, it was an indispensable place (an oasis).
I, of course, also
toured the nightlife as part of my social studies...
"Takuhir-sama,
Madam has forbidden you from going out at night in Fran. Please return to your
room."
The women who
accompanied me kept a close watch on me.
"No, I was just
thinking that such facilities might be necessary in Teigun in the future...
just a little investigation..."
Even Anne, usually my
ally, wouldn't budge on this.
As I reluctantly
returned to my room, someone whispered softly...
"Once you're a
little more grown up, I'll show you around."
It was a secret
whisper.
But that consideration
hurt all the more.
We were to depart from
Fran early the next morning after spending the night.
Some of the soldiers
were unsteady on their feet in the early morning.
"YOU GUYS, LAST
NIGHT WAS FUN, WASN'T IT?"
I had unconsciously
increased the pace of the march.
A little mischief like
this is forgivable, right? Surely.
After leaving Fran, we
deviated from the main road leading to the mines and followed a narrow path
winding through grasslands and small hills.
There was no road in
the direction we were heading, and we continued our march in a single column.
And as we approached
Mount Teigun, the scenery changed drastically.
From gentle green
grasslands to a rocky area, the narrow path became even thinner, with rocks
exposed everywhere.
I wondered if the
settlers who moved through here had been inconvenienced...
I was once again
plagued by a slight sense of guilt.
Entering the foothills
of Mount Teigun, the final narrow pass was even narrower, with a cliff on one
side leading down to a deep valley.
If one fell off the
path, they would probably never climb back up.
Around noon, the group
arrived at the entrance of our destination (Teigun).
＜Mount Teigun＞
Mount Teigun was
located in the southeasternmost part of the Estol territory, with its eastern
foothills bordering the neighboring territory (Hiyorimi). Its southern side was
very close to the Demon Realm, which lay at the foot of the great mountain range
that blocked the national border.
Surrounded by cliffs
on three sides, only the middle part of the western side had a flat area. Both
ends of this flat area were extremely narrow, sandwiched by cliffs and deep
canyons.
The only passable
route was a narrow, winding path called the Corridor, and it was impossible to
leave the flat area in the middle except through this narrow path.
Therefore, by securing
both ends of the Corridor, it became an impregnable natural fortress and had
long been used as a safe zone by those going in and out of the Demon Realm.
The drawbacks were its
inconvenient location in the remote frontier, the constant shortage of supplies
and difficulty in transportation, and the soil's unsuitability for cultivating
grains and other crops, making self-sufficiency impossible.
As a result, very few
people settled there, and there were no industries other than shops.
"How
nostalgic..."
"???"
Oops! I had
inadvertently muttered my thoughts aloud.
In the [previous
history], after I inherited the barony, I had visited Mount Teigun several
times.
And five years from
now, a plague would break out, a disaster that would spread from Teigun to the
entire Estol territory.
A place that had
become uninhabited for a time due to the ferocity of the epidemic.
After that, when I was
18, a promising mine was discovered at the foot of Mount Teigun on the Fran
side, to the northwest.
It then rapidly
developed as a collection point for minerals and a resting place for miners,
with a maximum of about 200 people moving in.
And when I was 20, it
was unexpectedly invaded from the Demon Realm side by the Gryphonia Empire army
(Weiss-san), who defeated us and occupied it, making it their base.
"Ah, no, it's
just that even though this is my first time here, it's a mysterious place that
makes me feel strangely 'nostalgic'."
"Yes, perhaps
this desolate scenery makes you feel that way."
...I somehow managed
to smooth things over.
Raymond-san's
interjection saved me.
We passed through the
winding, narrow path of the Corridor and quickened our pace towards the
settlement.
"Oh!"
When we arrived at the
settlement in the middle of Mount Teigun, I couldn't help but exclaim.
It was so different
from the townscape and scenery I had seen in the [previous history].
My memory was of a
haphazard townscape with irregularly standing buildings, a rundown town, to put
it bluntly.
The scene before my
eyes was neatly divided into blocks (although most of it was vacant land for
future construction...), and the buildings already standing were orderly and
well-planned.
We were planning to
formulate an urban development plan and rebuild the town anew, but even the
temporary townscape was built with the convenience of the residents in mind,
with a sense of planning.
I could tell just by
looking that this was the result of the town's development being directed by
Raymond-san and Miseri-san on the ground, fully demonstrating their abilities.
"Darek-sama,
Takuhir-sama, Raymond-sama, everyone, welcome. We have been eagerly awaiting
your visit."
The woman standing at
the entrance of the town, waiting for our group, was Miseri-san, whom I had met
a few months ago in [this world].
"Miseri-san,
please take care of us for the next three days. And thank you for coming this
far despite not having been able to present concrete development plans until
now. We will concretize everything during this inspection, so please work with
us."
"Well then,
Brother, Commander, we will take our leave here."
"Yeah, I'll tell
you stories about the Demon Realm when we return."
"I will accompany
Darek-sama, so please excuse me."
We parted ways with my
brother's group, who were heading to the Demon Realm for exercises, together
with Commander Weiss's escort group, and we headed to the town's administrative
office.
Once we had settled
down, we all received a report on the current situation from Miseri-san.
First, everyone would
share information, and then we would divide into our respective
responsibilities.
At the beginning, I
shared the concept that I had previously explained to Miseri-san with Sara and
the mages as well.
Well, everyone
initially stared blankly with their mouths open at the grand scale of it all.
"I want to make
this town the ideal town for us to live in.
A town where mages
live. A town where the citizens can live safely and with peace of mind. For
that, I ask for everyone's cooperation."
As the conversation
progressed, the sparkle in everyone's eyes changed.
Those who were
particularly enthusiastic were Elan, Mary, and Sasha, who were studying urban
planning and construction knowledge, and Claire and Carleen, who were studying
domestic affairs.
Next, Miseri-san's
report on the current situation continued.
"First, regarding
securing water, there is a spring at a high point in the flat area that could
be a water source, but if the population size increases, we will need to secure
additional wells. However, there are many challenges."
・The spring and wells do not provide enough water for
agricultural use or sewage.
・It is necessary to set up several reservoirs to secure
snowmelt water and rainwater.
・We are currently struggling to explore and secure
wells for drinking water.
・Utilizing the slopes of the flat area, it is possible
to install sewage systems down to the canyon.
・In the future, it will be necessary to consider
large-scale sewage work and wastewater treatment measures.
"Regarding crops,
potatoes are under trial cultivation, and several varieties are growing well.
Among the seed potatoes we received, some did not take root or have poor growth,
but if the soil and water problems are solved, I think we can secure a large
area of farmland."
・Without a stable harvest, it will be difficult to
sustain a settlement of 500 people.
・The mountains have a rich variety of flowers and many
bees, making beekeeping possible.
"Regarding
defense, I think it would be possible to turn it into a defensive base by
setting up strong checkpoints at both narrow passes. If we make good use of the
narrow passes, it can become an impregnable fortress. However, since it is
close to the Demon Realm, it will absolutely be necessary to surround the town
with walls in the future. I believe that fortifying the town is essential for
stabilizing the people's morale."
・Considerable costs and securing personnel will be necessary
for the planned scale of construction.
・The assistance of multiple earth mages and water mages
will be indispensable for the construction.
"The biggest
current challenge is the timeframe for the town planning project, the costs and
personnel, especially securing mages."
The report concluded
with these words.
Compared to
Miseri-san's serious expression, Raymond-san was grinning. Could it be that he
led her to say that? I couldn't help but think so.
Here, should I calmly
say, "It's within expectations," like the former president of an IT
company I saw on TV a long time ago?
Well, no one here
would understand that joke.
Miseri-san's accurate
analysis and proposals for addressing the challenges made our task clear.
Looking at the
prepared topographical map, I was once again impressed by Miseri-san's
abilities.
The rest was how to
secure money and personnel...
I thought it would
probably work out somehow.
After that, each
person in charge collected information while looking at the actual sites, and it
was decided that after returning to the town of Est with the gathered
information, everyone would create a proposal.
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