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We’ve hitched a ride on a military vessel from Bregantz and are currently enjoying an elegant cruise down the Reinga River.
…Naturally, that’s a lie.
There was no way this journey was going to be elegant. Regardless of how Clara-sama is treated, we attendants were assigned chores as a matter of course. Since we’re amateurs, they don’t let us handle ship maneuvers or scouting duties, but our main tasks consist of cleaning, helping with the cooking, laundry, and running errands.
Right now, in the spirit of putting the right person in the right place, Yoshioka is in the galley peeling a hundred potatoes, while I’m on deck cleaning. Thanks to my “Gecko’s Hand” skill, I can climb the masts without a care in the world, so I gave every nook and cranny a thorough mopping.
I was genuinely touched when the sailors, seeing my work ethic, told me I should quit the idea of joining the Royal Capital Guard and volunteer for the Navy instead. But sorry, guys—I already belong to Clara-sama. I’m the loyal type; no cheating for me.
Ah… wait. For the first time in a long while, I remembered Emi, and I felt a bit depressed.
I spotted a small tower on a sandbar in the middle of the river, which turned out to be yet another checkpoint. Every time the territory changed, buildings for collecting transit tolls appeared one after another along the riverbanks or on the islands. These are like toll booths built by nobles to grant permission to pass through their lands.
Since we’re on a military vessel, we aren’t charged, but they strictly collect from merchant ships and fishing boats. If tolls are taken this frequently, I don’t think much economic growth can be expected.
If they abolished the checkpoints, the circulation of people and goods would flourish. Commerce would thrive, and the territories would develop, yet everyone is trapped by short-term profits.
In ancient Japan, for example, Oda Nobunaga abolished checkpoints ahead of other warring lords. It’s a famous story that this was one of the reasons the commerce of Owari prospered. If Clara-sama ever handles domestic affairs, I’ll definitely advise her to abolish the checkpoints.
…But then again, Ebba-berg is out in the middle of nowhere. I don’t think there were any checkpoints there to begin with. Actually, I’ve never even seen a traveler from outside the region there. Location really is everything. In a mountainous area like Ebba-berg, abolishing checkpoints wouldn’t mean a thing.
“Senpai, why the long face?”
Yoshioka, now on break, came up to the deck.
“Good work. I was just wondering how we could develop Ebba-berg.”
Yoshioka immediately waved his hand at my comment.
“No way. Impossible. You know that too, don’t you, Senpai?”
He was right. Ebba-berg just has too many geographical disadvantages.
“It’s far from the main highways, it doesn’t produce any resources… the only saving grace is the Labyrinth of Lagas, but the scale is just too small.”
If we poured in a massive amount of capital, we might manage something, but the debt wouldn’t clear for over a hundred years. You can’t really compare running a company to managing a territory, but no matter how well you wrote that proposal, it’s a project no board of directors would ever approve.
“I doubt any bank would even lend us the money.”
Unless a miracle happens—like the capital moving to the relatively nearby Bremen or a massive new mine being discovered—there isn’t much to be done.
“That’s why it’s faster for us to work hard and rack up achievements so Clara-sama can be granted a more profitable territory,” Yoshioka pointed out.
He probably had a point.
“What are you two discussing?”
A voice spoke up from behind us, giving us such a start we nearly tumbled into the river.
“Clara-sama…”
“It sounded like you were talking about Ebba-berg. What is the matter?”
Since I can’t lie to her anyway, I told her everything Yoshioka and I had been discussing without hiding a thing. She listened calmly throughout, and at the end, she let out a small chuckle.
“It gladdens me to know that Kota and Akito are racking their brains for my sake. However, while I wish for my people to have a better life as their lord, if you ask me if I want to move to another land, the answer is no. Though we are a ‘new’ house of lords, my family’s ties to that land run deep.”
Come to think of it, Clara-sama’s maternal line is of Gylir descent, the people who originally inhabited that region. The reason the newly established House Ansbach was able to rule without friction was because the blood of a former tribal chief’s daughter had entered the family line.
“I have no intention of leaving that place. If my territory is ever increased, I’ll simply hire a bailiff to manage the new lands.”
Is that so? In that case, I might as well enjoy the challenge of developing the village.
“Understood. If that is your intention, Clara-sama, then I shall devote my humble efforts to the development of Ebba-berg as well.”
Wait. Why did she look so surprised?
“Clara-sama?”
“N-no… it is just… I thought Kota and the others were only staying until our military duties in the Capital were finished…”
Oh? Were we getting the boot after the mission?
“T-that is not it! Of course, nothing would be more reassuring than having you by my side. You are attendants far beyond my station. B-but… I felt I was binding you to me without being able to pay a proper wage…”
So she was actually worried about that.
“It’ll be fine. We’re going to develop Ebba-berg bit by bit and make sure you can give us a proper raise. Right, Senpai?”
“Exactly as Yoshioka says. Our policy for now is… we can’t do anything huge!”
“But we’ll do the small things diligently!” Yoshioka chimed in. We really are in sync.
The three of us spent the afternoon discussing the future of Ebba-berg.
“If we want to make the villagers’ lives easier, should we buy some farming tools? I think I can carry small tillers or motorized brush cutters.”
“That sounds great. If we do it over several trips, we could probably even bring over materials for a greenhouse, right?”
“Oh! It would be fun to start growing crops earlier in the season as a trial.”
We explained the things we were planning to buy and calculated the costs. It felt just like playing a kingdom management sim.
“Also, how about placing some 100-yen shop goods in treasure chests inside the Labyrinth of Lagas?”
“Would that really increase the number of visitors?”
“I don’t think it would be a dramatic increase. It’s a small labyrinth, so we’d be in trouble if too many people showed up anyway. Think of them as ‘promotional items’ to increase the number of entrants and magic stone yield.”
Entrance fees for the dungeon are a vital source of income, so every little bit helps. Maybe I’ll try selling some 100-yen shop items in different towns, claiming they were found in the Labyrinth of Lagas, just for publicity. I should probably avoid the high-end tea sets, though; if people thought they could find stuff like that, the labyrinth would be swamped.
“Hehe, the dreams are expanding. Thanks to you two, I feel like I want to head back to Ebba-berg right now.”
Me too. Ria and the others would be floored if they saw a chainsaw or an impact driver. Zotto might actually lose his mind with excitement. Sharing our visions and shaping the future of Ebba-berg together was incredibly fun.
By evening, we arrived at a city called Lonhausen. We covered 162 kilometers today alone. Boat travel really is fast. We’ll reach the Capital in just two more days of river travel. Perhaps because we’re getting closer to the heart of the country, the city is larger and the crowds are denser.
And here, at the Lonhausen military port, I encountered Beastmen for the first time since coming to this world.
“Senior, it’s finally happened. Real Beastmen.”
“Yeah. I knew we’d meet them eventually, but seeing them in person is moving.”
They had been brought over—semi-forcibly—as rowers for military ships from the continent of Ameria (commonly known as the West Continent), far across the ocean from Eurasea. They were treated almost like slaves, though they were paid a pittance and were supposedly allowed to live as regular citizens after their four-year term. They were a diverse bunch: lizard-like people, cat-like people, even squirrel-like people.
At dusk, I spotted a pair of cat-like siblings staring intently at the river’s surface. Their expressions were so serious I thought something was wrong, but it turned out they were just watching the fish. A large trout, about 40 centimeters long, was swimming by.
“I’m hungry.”
“Yeah…”
I’d heard that Beastmen are often targets of discrimination or bullying within the military. It was possible their rations had been taken from them.
“I want to eat fish…”
“If we could catch it, we could roast it over a fire.”
A trout that big would be a decent meal for two. I turned my palm toward the water and activated my skill: “Attraction.”
As expected, I could pull the fish too. I didn’t catch it cleanly in my hand, but the trout flew out of the water and landed flopping on the bank.
“Here, you can have this.”
The cat-people stood there, stunned. Slowly, they processed the situation.
“Can we… really have it?”
“Yeah. I bet it’ll taste great roasted over a fire.”
With that, the one who seemed to be the younger sister whacked the trout on the head, knocking it out instantly. Wow, wild!
“Thank you, Mr. Dog-person.”
…Wait, I’m not a dog-person.
“Brother, this person isn’t a Beastman.”
Exactly.
“Hm? Oh, a half-breed then?”
Still wrong. I’m a “half” between someone from Kyoto and someone from Shinshu.
The siblings grabbed the fish and left happily. Do I really look that much like a dog? Maybe it was just too dark and they misidentified me…
The sunset burned a deep, searing red.
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