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Chapter 137 – There’s No Such Thing as Free

“T-The elves have come!”

“YEAAAH!”

I put the slaves in Nerman to work at once, striking while the iron was hot. 10,000 were put in the coal mines in order to prepare for winter, 10,000 were sent to mine limestone and collect sand for cement production, 30,000 for road construction, 10,000 to produce bricks, 10,000 to finish building the salt farm, and the rest were put to work repairing the castle walls or miscellaneous farming work.

‘Hoho, there’s 100 of them.’

The elves had flown over with every harpy at their disposal. They landed swiftly near me, sitting two elves to one harpy.

I exchanged greetings with a male elf who seemed to be the oldest among the elves and their leader.

“May the blessing of the green bough be upon thee.”

“May the forest’s peace be upon Brother Kyre,” the elf said smoothly in response.

‘Aww, our cutiepie has come as well.’

In human years, she was a 60-year old granny, but in elf years, Narmias was a woman in her early 20s, right in her prime. She was beaming at me.

“Chief Elder Parciano has ordered us to do our utmost to assist you. What will you have us do, Brother?”

“Allow me to extend my gratitude to the Chief Elder and you all once again for your kind consideration.”

I showed the highest level of respect to the elves, a race that put a high value on courtesy.

‘Who would have thought that elves would move just for some bread?’

Just one soft bread and a few pieces of fruit could turn the elves into faithful workers. Even the effort of 10,000 couldn’t match up to the spirit summoning power of the 100 elves here.

“First of all, I believe we should finish the road construction that was left unfinished last year. There should be a few brothers among you who have a great deal of experience with the process.”

My eyes were pretty sharp, so I could immediately tell that quite a few of the elves were people who had participated last year.

“I think 30 should be plenty for this area. If the rest would kindly follow me to a different area, I would be much obliged.”

“As your heart wills, Brother.”

These elves, who had suffered from a stress disorder year after year, had apparently received strict orders from Elder Parciano. They complied with zero complaints.

“Sir Andriave.”

“Y-Yes, my liege!” Andriave stuttered, clearly nervous from meeting the legendary elves face to face.

“You just have to connect the road according to this blueprint.”

“Understood, my liege!”

Andriave put emphasis on ‘my liege’ at the end, sending me a gaze full of respect.

“I will move to a different construction site, so if anything comes up, inform me with communication magic.”

“As you command!”

Around 20,000 construction workers were present for the road going east. Much like Andriave, they stared at the elves with shock. Elves were currently extremely rare no matter where you went on the continent, so seeing not just one, but a hundred of them at once was sure to become an unforgettable memory for the workers.

“Summon Terran!”

“Summon Gnomae!”

“Geh!”

“I-It’s a high spirit of earth!”

The elves kicked it off with a showy blast, summoning a high earth spirit from the start. Shocked exclamations came one after another from the gaping mouths of the prisoners.

‘Well, just chew on this a bit. Huhu.’

The faithful elves went straight into constructing the road just like last year without any need for further orders.

“What are you lot doing! Hurry and move! Pour sand and cement into the prepared ground!”

With just one round of handiwork from spirits, a path hundreds of meters was created.

“Gnomae, please make sturdy walls.”

The elves only needed to be taught once. They diligently went to work.

“Pour!”

Neiiiiiiigh.

War chargers from Laviter neighed, now dragging carts full of sand and cement instead of carrying knights on their backs.

‘This place is fine, so shall we mosey on over to the next construction site?’

The Kyre Road went from the fort that was being completed near the Havis Kingdom’s borders all the way to Denfors. It seemed we could finish the work in just a few days thanks to the enormous workforce many times larger than what we had last year.

“Let us be off, everyone.”

The elves swiftly divided their forces and leapt onto the harpies at my order.

“Let’s go, Bebeto!”

Guooooooooooooooooo!

Now that the number of females he ruled over reached the hundreds, Bebeto had even more strength than ever. He beat his graceful golden-striped wings as he kicked off the ground.

Shortly afterwards, I felt the pleasant sensation of lifting off into the air. A smile that refused to leave my lips was proof of my happiness.

“Those stingy elves are…”

“Hmph! Truly becoming of those destroyers of nature!”

‘Eh?’

Among the things I was planning, the most important was the construction site for my new castle. 300 dwarves had been moved with transport baskets and were waiting in front of the planned lot. When the elves appeared, their faces turned ugly as they muttered insults, which was met with hardening expressions from the elves as they harrumphed and insulted the dwarves right back.

That wasn’t in my plan.

‘I had heard this was the case, but they really are like cats and dogs.’

The previously quiet elves were giving off a frosty air, and the fiery dwarves were growling like hunting dogs that had spotted the mutt next door.

‘But I really need their help…’

I couldn’t let the great Nerman castle in my mind go aground before construction could even begin.

“Haha, let’s all get along. You will see each other often from now on.”

“Hmph, why should we bow our heads to those rude beanpoles!”

“How do you expect us to breathe the same air as people who do not understand the value of nature? It is absolutely impossible!”

‘You should reconcile while I’m still being nice.’

The two races were putting on airs over something so insignificant. Their bad relationship was said to have existed for many years, but in my eyes, it was just because of useless pride. The dwarves were said to destroy nature, but that was a racial trait coming from their artisan mentality. The elves on the other hand were supposed to be rude, but that was because of their inherent prickly personalities that made it hard for them to fit in. Also, at one point, both races had joined forces to fight with humans. Reconciliation was definitely possible.

“Come with me a bit,” I said, dragging the white-bearded elder leading the dwarves to one side. “Cooperate with them, will you?”

“No way.”

“We absolutely need the help of the elves.”

“Even so, no. When we say no, we mean it,” the dwarf grandpa insisted, being stubborn as a mule.

“Alright then. I won’t force you to continue the construction then.”

“……?”

With that strong statement, the dwarf blinked his large eyes.

“I was going to put a huge beer warehouse in the castle once it was done and call beer craftsmen from all over the continent, but… Well, I guess it’s fine if you don’t want to drink that much beer.”

“……!”

The dwarf’s eyes had grown as wide as saucers at the mention of beer from all over the continent.

“From what I heard, the dark beer from the Indesse Kingdom is made with guavis leaves and tastes remarkable, but… Ah, that’s a dream of the past now. Grilled pork belly with beer… sausages made with plenty of lamb, farewell.”

I bid the beer and sausages adieu with a melancholy voice.

“Gulp.”

For the dwarves, crafting things and drinking beer were the only enjoyments they had in life. A new kind of beer was an irresistible temptation for them.

“Sigh, that really takes the wind out of my sails. I even recently emptied out all the beer in the storehouse in preparation for the brewery in the new castle… I’ve got no motivation to make more beer. I can live without beer, so… should I just take this opportunity to prohibit it altogether?”

If this were the 21st century on Earth, even an elementary school student wouldn’t be tricked by a threat like this. However, on this continent, innocence was still well and alive.

“Ha-Haha. Why say such things? I’m not saying we won’t make the castle, am I? Kyre, we’re brothers, are we not? We dwarves will never turn a cold shoulder to the difficulties of our brother.”

The dwarven grandpa that had been stubbornly refusing just moments ago did a complete about face, stroking my hand with his thick palms as he said this and that about brotherhood.

“You would have to see the elves every day, so can you endure it? If you’re just saying this now but are planning on changing your mind tomorrow and refusing to work together, please just stop now.”

“No! Are you belittling the faithfulness of us dwarves?! I give you my word, on my name as Charvaina, the Second Elder of the Luhalumeres! Until the day your castle is completed, we will never pick a fight with those rude beanpoles.”

‘Huhu, you should have said so from the start.’

With this oath from Elder Charvaina, the highest ranking dwarf here, the dwarven side of things was settled in such a simple manner.

“Then please go tell the others that they must be on very friendly terms with the elves for the time being.”

“Got it. If there are any dwarves that defy my order, I’ll split their heads open with this axe myself!”

Elder Charvaina sure had a fiery temperament. He panted as he confidently headed to the dwarves with his short legs.

“The elf brother over there, please come here for a moment.”

And now, it was time to appease the elves. I called over the elder leading the elves with a displeased expression.

“What is it,” the elf intoned flatly.

“The dwarves have agreed to help. Please cooperate with them to build the castle.”

“Impossible. How could we possibly work while breathing the same air as a race that knows no courtesy.”

“Do you not fear the coming winter?”

“……”

“From what I heard, the elves are inflicted with an illness that causes you to waste away for an entire month, but it seems to be bearable.”

I didn’t want to do this, but I started threatening them by exposing their desperate situation.

“You just have to close your eyes once and tolerate it, but do you dislike it that much? Didn’t Elder Parciano say that the clan would soon walk the path of extinction?”

“T-That is…”

The elf panicked at the mention of Elder Parciano. In elven society, the position of the chief elder was one of absolute authority. That was the elves’ respect and courtesy to the elder who had lived the longest.

“There’s a saying like this: patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. If you would be willing to work just this one time with the dwarves, the elves will have much to gain. The elves who worship and love nature would be a magnanimous race that can even tolerate the wicked dwarves.”

If the dwarves heard what I was saying, they would have frothed at the mouth, but this steeltrap-mouthed elf would never repeat my words.

“I get it… After hearing your words, I can see your point.”

After placing them on a pedestal, the unnamed elf’s stiff face loosened as he nodded.

‘I’m telling you, it’s not easy to make a living,’ I thought tiredly. I might be called the Lord of Nerman, but I had to bow my head to these immortal phoenixes.

“Please be understanding, even if the dwarves do wicked things. They are, by nature, a race that loves to eat and make merry, are they not? Please tolerate such flawed beings with a heart as expansive as nature herself.”

“Worry not. As an elder of the Green Tree Clan, I’ll inform the other elves as well.”

“Thank you very much.”

‘Just where are those years going?’

If they were elders, these hermit grandpas had to be at least 300 years old. I shook my head inwardly at the words of the elf, who looked to be just barely in his early thirties.

‘Huhuhu… This is the start. My house will be built on this continent at last!’

A huge amount of space was set aside for the lot. I could already imagine the completed castle, the great castle and home of me, Kyre, a place that wouldn’t lose to any royal or imperial castle on the continent.

* * *

“W-What are you saying, sir?!”

“I’m ordering you to arm all of the prisoners who have finished their work.”

“My liege, how could you give such an order…”

At my warning and threats, the elves and dwarves silently went to work on the castle site. Dozens of earth spirits were summoned, making the large lot nice and flat in mere moments. The dwarves began building up the castle with red bricks specially produced for the castle’s construction. It was normal for other royal castles to be constructed over several decades by carving and fitting boulders, but I lacked both the time and mental leisure for that.

‘It only takes a few months to put up a 15-floor apartment, so how long would it take to build one measly castle?’

I wouldn’t have made this plan to begin with if spirits and magic didn’t exist. I wasn’t so idiotic as to pour all of the territory’s strength into building one castle.

“Do as I ordered.”

“What would you do if we armed them and the prisoners raised a large-scale uprising? An armed force over 100,000 men strong is enough to instantly bring danger to Nerman.”

‘Derval, like I said, just believe in me.’

I absolutely had to make use of this god-given opportunity. Plans for Nerman’s safety had never left my mind last winter, even as I was busy preparing for the empire’s army. From our agricultural independence, the acquisition of a specialty product that could move the continent, and subjugations to secure the territory, I came up with many plans, and I was planning on putting all those together and settling them all in one go. We had 180,000 young, strapping Laviter imperial soldiers vigorous enough to chew through metal, and I received the wholehearted support of the elves and dwarves on top of that.

“We’ll push back the monsters to here, the northern area of the Kovilan Mountains, and here, near the Rual Mountains,” I stated, pointing at locations on the map.

“Haah,” Derval exhaled. “If you intend on clearing all the monsters, we can indeed use this opportunity to do it all at once, but what is your intent behind the sudden purging?”

He must have made up his mind to follow my commands regarding the arming of the prisoners, because his line of questioning turned to the monster expulsion.

“Food warehouses.”

“What?”

“These are food warehouses for the wyverns.”

“Ah…”

“An area of this size should be able to sustain several thousand orcs and other monsters. We will build a wall over the area where they have been expelled to protect the people.”

“So that’s why you intend on using the prisoner soldiers to herd the monsters,” said Derval with a look of understanding.

“In any case, the prisoners cannot flee or cause an uprising. The knights and mages that can be called their superiors are all held in isolation, and right now, we’ve technically hired their lieutenants. However, the ones giving the commands will all be Nerman knights. Since the Laviter prisoners are well acquainted with military discipline, they should move according to our wishes.”

“I see…”

“In addition, their safety has been guaranteed, and they have personally witnessed and experienced that they are being treated exactly like soldiers of Nerman. No one would recklessly abandon their lives and flee or resist in such a situation. If it were you, would you put your life on the line to remain loyal to the empire, even while receiving a wage? If you were a regular footsoldier, not a knight, I mean.”

“Remarkable, my liege! I finally understand your deep thoughts.”

‘Overreacting over nothing.’

“This humble one misunderstood for a moment. I could not fathom your words when you said that we would be going so far as to give a wage to the prisoners. But after listening to your wisdom today, I understand everything now. As expected of my liege, you are a mighty person this one cannot possibly match.”

As he spoke, Derval bowed his head as he showed a look of utter admiration.

‘Derval, there’s no such thing as free in the world.’

To be honest, it also pained me to spend my hard-earned money on this. But this was a necessary investment to earn the strength of the Laviter empire’s soldiers. 1 Gold a month might sound like a lot, but it was only 180,000 Gold, and we could make that much many times over with the additional profits from monster clearing. Moreover, I didn’t have to put Nerman soldiers into harm’s way, and the land we reclaimed from the monsters would become stable Nerman territory that we could cultivate crops on starting this year.

‘There’s nothing I’m really spending money on. Huhuhu.’

The goods currently being consumed by the Laviter soldiers were entirely the supplies they had brought from the empire. They had brought an incredible quantity of supplies, as if they had decided in advance to make Nerman their own territory. From good quality mobile tents to house the prisoners, one month’s worth of food, and even farming implements, there was nothing they didn’t have. Therefore, I couldn’t just waste the prisoners to spare a few cents. Letting them eat and play despite having perfectly fit bodies for work would be like kicking away a boon granted by the heavens. They might be enemies, but acknowledging and rewarding their sacred labor was perfectly in line with the thoughts I pursued.

“There’s no time. We have to make as much use of the prisoners as possible before the special envoy comes from the Laviter Empire for their release. That is the best investment we can make for Nerman’s safe future.”

“I understand, my liege. This one will do their utmost to realize your will.”

‘I’m hella busy, but I’m happier than ever.’

Just like the words ‘Opportunity follows crisis,’ a splendid chance followed the invasion of the Laviter army. The cogs in my brain were turning rapidly in order to extract the maximum possible profit.

After all, I knew better than anyone that Lady Luck was a fickle patron who would not come again for a long time after her departure…