Fun Territory Defense Chapter 201 (Patreon)

Population Increase Plan

Now, I would like to try to increase the population and get people who can manage, but it is not easy. I could go around to nearby towns and villages and recommend Seat Village, but I would be bitterly resented by the nobles who govern each territory.

So what to do?

"Shall we ask the Bellrango Chamber of Commerce?"

I muttered, and Espada nodded.

"That would be a good fit."

It was a pass, apparently. Inwardly relieved, I replied.

"Hmmm. First, let's have him go to the royal capital or a large city in each region and recruit people who want to work there! We'll prepare several kinds of jobs and set the salaries higher than the royal capital's standards! At the same time, send out requests to the Adventurers' Guild for escorts and dungeon research. That way, Seat Village will be a wealthy place, right? Then we can send out big requests to mercenaries. If a famous mercenary group that costs a lot of money gets involved, that alone would be a great publicity stunt!"

I present my idea with excitement. Come on, Espada. Give them all the credit they deserve!

I look at Espada with that thought. But Espada looked at me with a very calm expression.

"...The Bellrango Chamber of Commerce has already advertised the Seat Village and recruited artisans in the royal capital and the Marquisate of Fertio. We have also sent out requests to the Adventurers' Guild. Please see the report..."

"Ah! I saw it! I know that one! I know!"

I interrupt Espada's line and do my best to pretend I know. If I don't act natural and avoid being caught, what awaits me is double the study time, which I dread. I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead in a brilliant manner and gave a nihilistic smile.

"I know all about that! What I mean is, let's promote it in other big towns! And maybe we can get the Bellrango Chamber of Commerce to buy slaves again! If you're a serious person, there's plenty of work in my territory!"

Espada narrowed his eyes at me for a moment as he replied, but eventually exhaled shallowly and looked away.

"...Well, that's fine. Then, let's make arrangements for that as well. By the way, what's your budget?"

Here comes the killer pass, Espada's long-established Espada radar reacting to Espada's question. This is something I would have been able to answer, like how many platinum coins if I had seen the report, but now I honestly don't remember any of Seat Village's finances. Because there was a lot going on, participating in wars, repairing and remodeling the citadel, and so on.

But that's not enough to convince Espada, the demon of learning.

"...Yes, you're right. When I bought it before, you said it would cost about three white gold coins for about 150 young and healthy slaves. If that's the case, I'll have you buy them for ten platinum coins this time."

He blurted out a clear figure, a little. At this, Espada raised one eyebrow and stopped moving for a moment. He is silent for a few seconds before finally replying.

"I see...I would be willing to pay three times that amount for Seat Village's assets, but why ten platinum coins?"

"Well, it's not easy to educate and house too many people at the same time. Besides, the slave market would probably look at me strangely if I were to make such purchases in the slave market, and the slave market would most likely be troubled. I think it's better to just buy a little bit there regularly."

I answered with a look that said I had given it a lot of thought. Then Espada's expression relaxed slightly and he nodded.

"I see. So you were deep in thought. If that's the case, I won't say anything. By the way, regarding the replenishment of equipment for the Knights..."

After a good two hours, I was finally released and was able to escape from the Lord's mansion as if to run away.

"...I'm so tired."

I rolled my back and let out a sigh as I walked. Seeing this, Tyll and Arte chuckled and opened their mouths.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"But I think it's great that you are doing your job as a Lord so well. I only understood about half of what you and Espada-sama were talking about."

I laugh vaguely back at them as they say this, and I think that at Arte's age, knowing only half is enough, but it would be sarcastic if I, a younger man, said that. With this thought in mind, I took another look around the Seat Village.

At Espada's suggestion, a fairly large area of land is surrounded by a wall. Therefore, there is a lot of land left over now, but it appears that the area will be barely enough for future use. This is Espada, with a keen eye.

"I'd like to see this street still lined with stores for food and drink, clothing and sundries, and I'd also like to see some kind of market or street of food stalls. I'll gather the blacksmith shops around the dwarves' furnaces, maybe some carpenters' and merchants' warehouses, and then a fashionable residential area and a park. Anything else?"

I imagine and utter the completed Seat Village in my head as I walk. It is to the point where I might get complaints if I call it a village anymore, but after all this time, I want Seat Village to remain Seat Village until the end.

Arte, who was listening to my muttering, raised one hand.

"Do we need a treatment center?"

"Oh, that's necessary. I forgot."

I agreed with a laugh, and Tyll raised one hand this time.

"Yes! I want a library!"

"I see. What about education? After all, we need an educational facility. Let's teach them just letters and four arithmetic operations. Otherwise, they won't be able to read books."

"What? Even ordinary residents?

"What? All the villagers.

I answered Tyll's question with a straight face. Arte tilted his head and Tyll and Camsin looked at each other. Seeing this, I suddenly remembered a common practice in this country.

In this country, nobles hired tutors, and the children of knights, merchants, and other quasi-nobles were able to receive education in a form similar to a cram school. However, since those who could afford such education were inevitably of privileged birth, the cost was high due to differences in financial sense.

As a result, it was common for the poor to be unable to receive an education.

Well, some of them did get a chance to get an education by becoming an apprentice merchant, but it was rare.

"...Even on Earth, there are countries with low literacy rates, so maybe it's something like that."

Rather than bemoaning the country's educational system, we should consider that we are all too fortunate to have access to education. I think that is especially true in this world.

Nevertheless, the higher the educational index of the population, the easier it should be to develop.

"We need to find people who can be teachers. However, both Seat Village and Espa Town are so understaffed. I guess we'll have to choose from the newcomers."

Mumbling, they proceeded to build the minimum required housing for families and housing complexes for singles.

Then I heard a strange voice from Arte.

"...Um, Van-sama?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

Arte pointed to a newly built house and tilted his head.

"Well, isn't it because there's been a lot of building recently that it's happening so fast?"

"Hmm?"

Hearing Arte's words, I lightly check my surroundings. Come to think of it, several houses were built within an hour or so.

It appears that the production time for building, as well as weapons, has also been shortened.

While briefly analyzing his own magic, he looked at Tyll and Camsin, who looked as curious as Arte.

"When I can imagine a blueprint in my mind and imagine every detail, I can make things faster and faster," said Tyll. That's why lately, I've become good at building as well as weapons. When I made the fortified city of Murcia, it took me a long time to make the walls, so I guess I don't have a good imagination for that yet."

The three nodded their heads in agreement, although there were many ambiguous parts as they were analyzing the statement.

"Normally, it takes years to build a town or castle."

"Van-sama, if you get too ambitious, His Majesty will give you unreasonable demands again..."

"You're doing an impressive job, Van-sama!"

Three different reactions. Camsin was the only one who praised me without hesitation. But Tyll is right, it's probably not a good idea to stand out too much.

"...but I feel like it's important to have a complete blueprint in my head, and if I don't make something for a while, it's going to get slower and slower. I think it would be better for the future if I made as many different things as possible."

I mutter this quietly in my mouth, pondering the future of village building.

Now, how much can we increase the population from here? That will determine how fast we can conquer Jiernetta Kingdom.