Episode 181
“They’re developing a mine there?”
“Wasn’t the mineral vein dried up a long time ago?”
“But that’s what Confucius does.”
“When did you see that Confucius was wrong?”
“Uh. Sometimes…”
“It’s noisy. If I have to yell, I’ll have to. Hurry up!”
McLane Estate’s response was quick.
Everyone moved around busily without any opposition that might have occurred in other territories.
Harun’s human market, which had just been revitalized, welcomed the appearance of this huge hand.
It was only one month after Logan sent a message to the territory that exactly 152 dwarves, 5,000 workers, 3,000 soldiers, and 100 knights arrived at the abandoned mine area with a huge amount of food and construction materials.
Slowly. Slowly.
Hehehehe.
bang.
“We’re here! Everyone get down!”
The small, sturdy dwarves who were being carried on a cart with iron bars raised their heads only when they heard the sound.
Each of the dead eyes became darker as they looked at the desolate scenery around them.
Numerous dwarven compatriots disembarking from 20 carts.
It was nice to see it, but not many people talked to it.
The new owner bought over 150 dwarves at the same time and dragged them into such a bleak environment.
‘What on earth are you trying to make me do?’
It was a common thought that came to the minds of most dwarves, and they only repeated ominous thoughts.
However, their mood began to change as a small-bodied compatriot came forward among the human soldiers who greeted them.
“Welcome, compatriots. My name is Hamar, and I will be in charge of your management.”
“Dwarf?”
“…It looks like humans are acknowledging it too?”
“Are you even a blacksmith?”
Murmur.
A dwarf who moves freely without shackles, shackles, or handcuffs.
The sight of the human soldiers moving in perfect order according to the dwarf’s instructions left a strong impression on other former slave dwarves.
And the long speech that the dwarf started caused great ripples in their hearts.
“This is the territory of the McLane family in the Kingdom of Grandia, and the owner of McLane promised to send our dwarves back to the mountain in return for 20 years of labor. Of course, food, clothing, and shelter will be provided at the highest level during that period.”
“Is it really true?”
“Oh, but how can you trust humans?”
“Still, if you see that dwarf…”
Murmur.
If the other six dwarves remaining in McLane Town saw it, they would feel a familiar sense of déjà vu.
But this time, there were more than 150 people, so it quickly became noisy like a market.
Then the dwarf in front of him calmed the mood by repeatedly hitting the soldier’s shield with his hand hammer.
“Attention everyone!”
bang. bang. bang!
“I confirmed everything by writing a magic contract with the owner of this place. So you can trust it.”
At those words, all the dwarves’ eyes gathered in an instant.
“If we show sufficient results, that period may be shortened. And this newly developed place with you will become the kingdom’s largest mining city in the future, paving the way for our safety and freedom.”
“Did you say Ha Hamar? I have a question.”
“You can do whatever you want. But who is it?”
“It is said that it is the Sword Ridge that carries on the blood of the Red Mountains Clan.”
“Oh, what an unusual name. Well, the Red Mountains clan has always been like that. So, tell me.”
“Then do you think other people besides us will continue to gather here?”
“That’s right. The lord of this place has already opened a workshop on the mainland for dwarves other than me, and the treatment they have received has been nothing short of generous. And he promised me that he will continue to bring in his compatriots in the future.”
The atmosphere began to change rapidly around the red-bearded dwarf who asked the question.
“Okay, so what do we do first?”
Few now doubted what Hamar said.
Because they were dwarves who believed in honesty and sincerity, they did not tell lies to their compatriots.
Hamar, reading that atmosphere, smiled softly and welcomed his new subordinates with open arms.
“Let’s start by building the workshop and our living quarters. We have enough materials.”
“great!”
The eyes that had been dead until a moment ago came to life as if they were lying, and the dwarves began to move their short limbs actively.
Looking at that, Hamar nodded with a satisfied expression.
But unfortunately for them.
‘The owner keeps cheating because of this taste.’
A dwarf who had ‘honesty and sincerity as his beliefs’ had already been contaminated for a long time.
The once desolate abandoned mine area of Taren suddenly turned into a noisy construction site.
“Oh, there! Fly carefully! There’s someone passing next to you!”
“Build your house first! The mine is next. Do you think this will be completed in a day or two?!”
“Use enough materials! They’ll keep coming! Oh, be careful out there! Ah, I told you to be careful!”
Buzz.
Thump thump thump.
Loud noises were coming from all over Taren, from the ridge, the old mining area, and even the old castle ruins below, centered around the rare sight of dwarves giving instructions to human workers.
Logan, who was watching the scene with satisfaction, raised the crystal ball.
“How is it?”
[It looks like you are really planning to rebuild the mining city. Were there any veins left?]
The teacher, whose gray hair seemed to have increased significantly recently, looked curiously inside the communication port.
“Yes. That’s why I’m doing this. What is your Majesty’s reaction?”
[…He hasn’t contacted you again?]
“…I haven’t really contacted you lately.”
Following my teacher’s advice, I decided not to worry too much about central power.
Since I had a father-in-law or a teacher anyway, I didn’t even think that something that was significantly out of my control would happen.
However, one word in the teacher’s words caught my heart.
“But again…? What do you mean, Master?”
[Hmm, no. It’s not something you need to worry about, so I’ll sort it out on my own. Anyway, His Majesty is also thinking positively. However, McLane probably has a lot of money, but he said that due to the royal family’s circumstances, it would be difficult to provide subsidies.]
Logan’s eyes narrowed even more at those words.
‘They probably swallowed up Wolves’ money, but the royal family’s situation is difficult?’
Of course, the subsidy was requested to create the perception externally that this construction was a project that took risks that could result in losses.
Wolves may not have as much money as he thought.
But for some reason, I felt uncomfortable.
‘But what’s the point of arguing with a teacher who isn’t even a king?’
Did he feel his expression hardening?
The teacher immediately added more words.
[Ah, instead, he said he would not impose taxes for the next 10 years only on the mineral deposits developed there. Is that enough?]
Logan’s expression almost collapsed at those words.
Suddenly, my fists gained strength.
“10 years?”
[…Okay.]
It’s true that I was expecting it.
‘Puhahaha. Thank you, Your Majesty.’
The uncomfortable feeling disappeared.
Magic crystal mines are exempted from taxes for 10 years.
At most, I would have thought it was an iron or copper mine.
Even after it was decided to close the gold mine, the royal family inspected it several times and found it to be unprofitable.
Logan, who could barely control the corners of his mouth that were rising, answered with an expressionless expression.
“Hmm. It’s a pity, but I’ll be satisfied with that much. Could you please leave your Majesty’s promise in writing?”
[okay. I’m glad you thought well of me. I hope the development goes well. Oh, and when you can get your hands on it, come up to the capital. [There is something important to discuss.]
“Are you saying we can’t do it via communication?”
[Yes.]
The teacher nodded with a stern expression at the words I just threw out.
What’s going on in the capital?
‘Well, if it was really urgent, he would have told me to come up to the mine or something right away.’
Logan thought so and answered calmly.
“Yes, I understand. The work that I have to direct will be completed in at least a month or two.”
[okay. I’ll see you then.]
As soon as the communication with the teacher was completed and the communication was cut off, Logan repeatedly punched the air with joy.
“Wow! 10 years!”
It feels like everything is starting to work out again.
I couldn’t keep my body still from that exhilarating feeling.
When Logan was glowing in the air like that.
“I guess something good has happened, Confucius.”
“Of course… Ah haha. Clayton must be busy, so why are you here…?”
Clayton laughed at Logan’s words and pointed to the bottom of the mountain.
“The golems are doing a good job. I just want to tell you something.”
The 40 battle golems that Clayton created were busy moving around, carrying materials that could barely be lifted by dozens of people, driving pillars, and digging the ground.
In a wide area encompassing the old castle ruins and the vicinity of the ridge.
That too automatically.
‘As expected, a magician…’
No matter how simple a skill it is to only execute commands, when it is used for simple labor, it becomes an incredibly efficient magic.
I understand that Clayton’s new attribute gained after becoming a superhuman is ‘wind’, but within that concept, there is a detailed attribute called ‘connection’ and the explanation of how to utilize that… well, I couldn’t understand it as Logan.
Just because he feels like it.
‘I think the correct name would be golem construction team, not golem unit.’
Logan nodded, thinking it was rude to Clayton.
“Please tell me. Seeing a scene like that makes me want to do whatever I can to help.”
“That’s an overstatement. But it’s nothing different… If the mine starts operating in earnest and goes according to our plan, I came to ask if it would be possible to utilize part of it in the Magic Tower.”
Clayton, who spoke with difficulty, looked at Logan cautiously, unlike his confident expression from before.
But a completely unexpected answer came back.
“Of course. We will carefully sell only the remaining quantity consumed in the workshop and magic tower to external parties through other routes.”
“…yes?”
Clayton was confused, but Logan had no intention of openly advertising that he had a magicite mine, so it was a natural answer.
Even if a royal inspector came to visit me because I had not received the promise of tax exemption, I planned to deceive or bribe him.
The idea was to hide the production location of the quantity sold externally through multiple channels if possible.
Hamar, who had discussed this plan in advance, asked if he thought it would work… but he said,
‘It’s quite possible.’
In his territory now, there was a genius in information control and manipulation who, in his previous life, had managed to keep the organization safe while avoiding the eyes of the imperial family for over 20 years.
‘If you entrust Damian with building an intelligence organization and have him work with you, he will be able to do it.’
All because they want to reduce unnecessary attention from the empire as much as possible.
‘Even if Damian doesn’t fully demonstrate his talent at the time, even if a little rumor spreads, that alone won’t move the empire.’
And in the meantime, McLine will achieve overwhelming growth with the power created by the magic stone.
To hold and shake the kingdom in one hand and to have the force to oppose the empire in the other.
‘Now about 6 years…. We should also consider situations where things might go a little faster or slower here.’
It’s definitely not a lot of time, but I no longer feel like it’s not enough.
That’s how well everything was going…
“…Confucius?”
I guess I had too many distracting thoughts.
“Ah, anyway, we plan to supply enough supplies to the Magic Tower in advance, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Thank you!”
As Clayton, he couldn’t help but be moved.
Magic stones are special minerals that contain mana themselves.
Even if it wasn’t an experiment involving all the rare metals that were blown up earlier, a low-level experiment could be done with just magic stones.
‘We’ve already obtained the main information, so all we have to do is perform low-level experiments with magic stones…’
Clayton is gleeful at the thought.
Logan smiled brightly and added.
“Thank you. Aren’t you, Clayton, the Golem Magic Top, and McLane partners who will continue to grow together in the future?”
He embellished the expression that he would never let go even if he didn’t like it and even made another suggestion.
“How about moving the magic tower here? I assure you that this place will now be the safest and most important strategic point in the kingdom. Wouldn’t it be much better if you could use the magic stone in the magic tower immediately after producing it?”
The reason magic stones are expensive is because they are so rare.
The magicite production areas were so small that they could be counted on one hand even in the vast empire, so they were worthy of the highest level of protection.
That too was a very attractive offer for Clayton.
“I will try to think as positively as possible. Thank you for your consideration!”
“No. It’s all for each other. Please continue to work hard.”
So, make sure to complete the research left behind by the massacre mage.
‘ASAP.’
Logan held Clayton’s hand and shook it, hiding the greed in his heart.
