Chapter 207
Chapter 207: Starting Development of New Techniques (2)
While the dwarves dedicated themselves to research, Ghislaine reviewed her plans and assessed the situation of the territory.
Thanks to the many smelters built so far, iron bars were being produced in massive quantities. However, the mass production of equipment and tools had yet to begin.
The plan was to create them after successfully developing a new alloy.
‘Once we succeed, there will be a significant change.’
The strength was like steel, yet the weight was less than half.
If everything made with iron could be replaced with it, the military strength and people’s lives would be drastically different from now.
‘There’s enough iron ore. Once mass production starts, arming all the territory residents within a year shouldn’t be difficult. But we’re still lacking in other areas.’
Building smelters and blacksmiths in large numbers alone won’t cut it. The territory had expanded too rapidly, and the population had increased.
Raising it to the level Ghislaine envisioned without issues was impossible.
‘Even if we seize land, it’ll just be a mess…’
At least minimal self-sufficient farmland and residences were needed to be built in the Cabaldy territory.
Facilities were a problem, but the supply of other resources was also an issue. It couldn’t all be resolved with just food and iron.
‘It’s time to lift the territorial blockade and focus on trade. We need to look into other kingdoms as well.’
In the end, the lacking resources must be obtained through transactions. It was necessary to somewhat balance the distorted economic growth of the territory.
Just as she was busy checking her plans and moving for territorial development, Claude came rushing in.
Upon seeing Claude, Ghislaine grimaced and took a step back.
“What? What’s the problem now?”
“I haven’t even said anything yet.”
“Things go wrong whenever you show up. It’s like you bring accidents with you!”
Claude looked dumbfounded.
“I come because there’s a problem, not because I create them. Most problems arise because of your unreasonable plans, Lord.”
“Let’s say that’s true. So what is the problem this time?”
“It’s not that there’s a problem… finally, the elf slaves you were waiting for have arrived.”
“Oh! They’ve arrived?”
At that statement, Ghislaine perked up and jumped out of her seat. In truth, she had been so busy stabilizing and developing the territory that she had completely forgotten about it.
Ghislaine quickly ran to meet the slave trader.
As soon as the slave trader saw Ghislaine, he placed a hand on his heart, bent forward, and began to shower her with praise unlike before.
“Oh! The noble son of Duke Zvalter Perdium from the North, the rightful heir of the glorious Perdium, the ruler and protector of Penris, the undefeated victor, the one who fulfills the Will of the Goddess, a great leader respected by all for his lofty virtues and wise judgments, I present to you the only Baron Penris of the North.”
“……”
The surroundings fell silent. This was an excessively grand salute compared to before.
It was obvious he was trying to flatter her with every fiber of his being.
Ghislaine, looking at the slave trader with a steady gaze, quietly asked, “……Are you having a hard time lately?”
“……Yes.”
“If you’re making money, what’s so hard?”
“Is it possible to receive the payment in food instead of gold coins?”
Ghislaine smirked. She could understand.
The slave trader now was the representative of the slave traders introduced by Marquis Branford.
It would not be an exaggeration to say he owned the largest slave merchant group in the kingdom. With that comes a large family and many slaves.
Business must be tough lately, and having to feed all those slaves must be quite the struggle.
Ghislaine wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip. She was extremely frugal when it came to saving.
“Alright, I’ll give you food. But only at half price.”
“Huh?”
“I said I’d give you half the promised payment in food. If you don’t like it, just take the payment as promised. I was considering giving you only 30%, but I thought about your starving slaves and decided to cut you some slack. I have a soft heart like this.”
“Ugh……”
The slave trader looked like he was on the verge of tears from the unfairness.
Elf slaves carried an enormous price tag. Just for this batch, there were over 200 of them.
Handling them at half price was a massive loss.
But there was no way around it. These days, finding food was like grabbing stars from the sky.
“Alright… I understand. I’ll do it that way.”
With tears brimming in his eyes, the slave trader accepted. Even receiving half of the payment would be enough to get through the year.
Ghislaine patted the slave trader’s shoulder and said, “That was a good decision. I told you I would bring astonishing news soon, didn’t I?”
“Yes… When I heard about the war, I really thought we were done for, but I was shocked to hear we came out victorious. The knights didn’t seem so good before…”
“So make sure to remember what I’m saying from now on. So, where are the elves?”
“Yes, they’re waiting at a temporary tent outside the castle. The transfer has been completed with the territory’s administrator.”
Claude handed Ghislaine a document right away. It was a detailed list of the elves’ prices and personal information.
After quickly skimming through it, Ghislaine nodded.
“Alright, then Claude, you go ahead and guide the elves to their quarters first and take care of the essentials. I’ll finish up the transaction before heading over.”
“Understood.”
The slave trader and laborers moved the wagons loaded with food to the food storage.
Given the price of the elves, even half the amount meant giving away a staggering quantity of food.
Ghislaine meticulously checked the amount of food. For the most part, she would let things go, but given the large sum, it needed to be precise.
The slave trader, upon seeing this, broke out in a cold sweat.
‘What kind of lord checks on things like this? He goes to all lengths to avoid being scammed.’
Just as he attempted to subtly load a bit more food, he quickly gave up. With those two eyes glaring at him, there was no chance for that.
Watching that, Ghislaine suddenly felt another worry arise.
“Excuse me… Lord, have you ever bought elf slaves before?”
At that, Ghislaine tilted her head slightly and replied, “No, this is my first time.”
“Then… you’ve never spent time with or seen them for a long time, right?”
“Well… I’ve seen them briefly.”
In her past life, she had indeed known some elves for quite a while. However, those were outstanding comrades who fought against calamities, not slaves.
The closest she had come to seeing elf slaves was when she was treated as a mercenary king, witnessing dancers. Even then, she had no interest, and they had no significant interaction.
She had been too weary and troubled in her life to care about such things.
Seeing Ghislaine’s reaction, the slave trader cautiously said, “Then… since I’ve received all the payments, I’ll be taking my leave.”
“Why? You must be tired, so why not rest for a day?”
“No, I’m too busy. I’ll be able to come a bit faster next time.”
The additional slaves Ghislaine requested were mostly for filling out the population or technicians.
These other race slaves were certainly easier to transport, so finding them wouldn’t be difficult.
The suddenly panicked appearance of the slave trader made Ghislaine nod reluctantly.
“Well, if you’re busy, I can’t help it. Just don’t go too far.”
“Ah, you know elves are just as hard to handle as dwarves, right? Since they live longer than humans, they have many ages, plus they’re expensive, so they’ve only been treated well.”
“The elves will have their own pride, so just treat them well. The dwarves are warming up to us in our territory now.”
Weren’t those words something that would drive the dwarves crazy if they heard it? Still, hearing such a response, the slave trader looked a bit relieved.
“Yes, then I’ve explained everything. I really have to go now. C’mon, let’s hurry!”
The slave trader hurried his laborers along, racing off with the food wagons.
As Ghislaine quietly watched, she stroked her chin and narrowed her eyes.
“Ah, that guy… something feels off. Did he bring any sick elves?”
There was nothing in the list mentioning that. But just as she was about to turn around for a check because something felt wrong, Claude rushed over.
“Where did that slave trader run off to? Did he already escape?”
“He left.”
Claude, with a frown on his face, took a deep breath and looked at Ghislaine.
“There’s a problem.”
“Oh, what now?”
“You need to see it for yourself.”
With a serious tone, Ghislaine and the others moved with confusion.
When they arrived at the open space in front of the quarters, they soon found themselves enveloped in an indescribable feeling.
‘Is this… really what elves look like?’
Elf slaves were something you wouldn’t even get a glimpse of unless you were rich and high-born. They were always kept hidden away in mansions.
Many people lived their entire lives without ever seeing one.
So in people’s minds, the images of the mystical elves they heard in books or stories were all that filled their heads.
Beautiful, ageless, and a gentle noble race that loved nature.
However, the elves before them were nothing like that.
“Hey, bring more alcohol! Let’s celebrate today’s arrival with a blast!”
“Doom-chit! Doom-chit! Ugh, am I getting old? My joints hurt and I can’t dance like I used to.”
“Is there no more alcohol? I want to drink to my heart’s content and sleep well tonight. Tomorrow, it’s time to get wild!”
It was utter chaos. It felt like a bunch of lazy punks were out on a day trip.
As rumors suggested, both men and women were indeed beautiful. But the feel was just completely different.
Since Ghislaine hadn’t specified a particular gender, there was a mix of both men and women.
The problem was that they all looked weird, regardless of gender.
“Phew! I’m a heavy smoker, so you need to provide me with the finest tobacco every day.”
“Oh, I’m getting drunk. I already finished it all. When’s dinner? I only eat high-end liquor and veal.”
“I can’t sleep without a luxury bed. This place looks a bit poor.”
Some were sucking on tobacco, puffing out smoke, while others seemed tipsy, staggering around.
Some were sprawled out, snoring, while others danced joyfully.
Even the ones just sitting still weren’t alright. Instead, they exuded more lethargy and ennui. They looked utterly worn out from life.
Even Ghislaine, who wouldn’t blink at most things, found herself speechless at this moment.
“W-What is this? Are these really elves? Did someone just put pointy ears on some idiots?”
When Ghislaine looked at Claude with a bewildered expression, he replied with an equally astonished face.
“I thought so too, and when I checked, they are indeed elves! Have you been pretending to know everything without really knowing anything, and then purchased this?”
“How the heck am I supposed to know about those things! The elves I know never acted like that!”
“Why are you taking it out on me? You’re the one who fell for the scam!”
“A scam? Are you telling me I was scammed?”
Looking around in disbelief, she saw her close associates nodding cautiously. Kaor was holding his stomach, laughing uncontrollably.
“Ha ha ha! Even the great lord can get scammed sometimes! What kind of elves are those? They’re just orcs wearing elf masks! Hahaha! Ugh! What the…!”
In an instant, Ghislaine’s flying kick landed squarely on Kaor.
“Hey! You think it’s funny? You think you can laugh right now? Do you know how much money was spent for this situation?”
Kaor, despite being kicked, couldn’t keep himself from laughing.
It was the first time seeing the lord so flustered. This was absolutely intolerable.
“Hahaha! You’re getting scammed like an idiot! Huh? Ouch! Stop it! Hahaha! What’s with your foot?”
At some point, Belinda also joined in, delivering a kick of her own. Claude and Wendy rushed over to join in the fun, enthusiastically kicking away.
Alfoy, who just happened to be watching, saw the opportunity and snuck in a hard kick to Kaor. Piote hesitated for a bit before jumping into the fray.
‘Oh Goddess, forgive my sins. I’ve been so stressed lately.’
Once even the meek Piote joined the kicking, nobody held back. Soon, everyone around began to charge in to stomp on Kaor.
“Ugh! What’s going on! Why are there so many feet? I remember all your shoes… Agh! Wait! Stop stepping on me! Ugh! What the hell! What is this!”
Everyone was seizing the chance to relieve their stress, kicking with all their might.
Kaor ultimately began rolling on the ground, screaming.
