Hall Of Exchange

Abandoning my plan to return to the domain manor once every half month and focusing solely on the construction for exactly ten days, I finally saw a massive fortress wall in the distance. As we approached, building strange structures, many soldiers came out from the fortress to confront us cautiously.

“What is the meaning of all this!”

A knight and soldiers, their faces filled with tension, spotted me leading thousands of beastkin and cautiously came forward, raising their voices. From the insignia on the one speaking to me, I judged he must be a Commander of a Thousand.

I recalled that while a Commander of a Hundred often held the title of a junior baron, a Commander of a Thousand was frequently equal to or above a full baron, and so I answered his question.

“I am developing my domain. Is there a problem with that?”

“…There is a problem. If you don’t notify us beforehand, confusion is inevitable, is it not?”

“You mean I should seek permission to manage my own domain as I see fit? Since when is that Imperial law?”

“….”

The Commander of a Thousand simply stared at me without a word, so I pressed him with another question.

“I ask you plainly: is there any problem with me developing my own domain as I please?”

I knew that if I spoke softly in times like this, the other side would look down on me, so I repeated the question in a strong tone.

Honestly, the answer was already determined. The right to manage one’s own domain was the lord’s exclusive authority. One did not need to seek cooperation from neighboring lords for such things.

And if anyone tried to meddle over such matters?

It became a dispute between nobles, and regardless of connections or power, the one standing on legal ground always won. And here, the law was on my side. Even if they claimed to see suspicious signs…

“You lead an army into my domain and confront me, the lord—how else can I interpret this but as an ‘invasion’ and an attempt to ‘intimidate’ me? What do you think of that?”

“…W-We were instructed to prepare for any threats arising within Ingrad Domain, and this situation is simply the result of such…”

“Enough excuses. Let me ask you—how long do you plan to block my way?”

“…Just what… are you building here?”

“A road. A safety road. Isn’t it obvious?”

He still looked doubtful, but I ignored his expression and continued.

“I plan to open this road and begin exchanges through it.”

“I-I have heard the stories. That you have the passionate support of the beastkin… but with the Demon God’s Moon so near, to open a road…”

“Which is why I plan to extend it only up to near the fortress gate. I’m not saying I’ll breach the wall. Only up to here.”

Though I could have pushed further, I considered stopping, since the fortress wall was already nearby.

And as the Commander of a Thousand before me said, beastkin were still regarded as threats by humans. Besides, I was tired.

“And… what do you plan to do next?”

“I will leave through the fortress gate.”

“With beastkin… leading them?”

“They are my private soldiers who obey my orders. For my safety, they will move with me. Do you intend to stop us?”

Paling, he looked around, straightened his posture, and spoke respectfully.

“This is too sudden. The domain you are heading to may feel uneasy or consider it a threat. So, at least in this instance, would you not minimize your numbers when moving…?”

Seeing him falter cautiously, I replied.

“Then let’s do this. I have something to deliver to the lord of the domain I am heading toward.”

I gestured behind me, and the Ogre Lord’s hide was brought forth. Placing it on the ground, I spoke.

“This is a gift for our first exchange. There are many such materials within my domain, and I intend to trade herbs and medicinal ingredients as well. Please deliver this message: whether the baron comes himself with troops or brings merchants, he should come to meet me.”

“…This hide… may I ask what creature it is from?”

“Must I spell everything out for you?”

Speaking a little forcefully, he flinched and glanced behind me. Clearly, he had been intimidated by the piercing gazes of Debik and Wijel. The other soldiers, too, froze up nervously at the sight of the beastkin.

For indeed, beastkin were beings capable of tearing humans apart. And in about a month and a half, the Demon God’s Moon would rise—who knew how their violent instincts would surface?

I understood his unease, and thought this a fine chance. Handing him the hide and a letter, I led the beastkin across the bridge and began constructing a tollgate that would also serve as a rest stop.

‘It’s a privately built road—surely I can charge fees? Safety is guaranteed, the road is wide and smooth, proper fences are installed, and there are even rest stops along the way.’

I was busy justifying it to myself.

Soon after, I saw the Commander of a Thousand vanish with his soldiers, carrying the hide. We began work on the tollgate atop the bridge.

In truth, it was only me, but anyway, I intended to make it rather splendid to leave a good impression. First, I began constructing large statues of the only goddess I knew—Artemisia—on both sides of the bridge’s entrance.

They were about thirty meters tall, and I carefully shaped them so the statues held hands and looked down kindly upon visitors, creating a welcoming atmosphere.

The beastkin cried out, “Ooooh, O Goddess!” upon seeing them, but I ignored their shouts and continued preparing the next step.

‘First, I’ll keep the incline gentle for carriages, then build guard posts near the entrance where people can both rest and respond to monsters.’

Though I couldn’t station anyone yet, in time I planned to assign guards there against monsters approaching the road.

The facilities themselves were designed to be large, enough for at least a hundred people to live in. And since even monsters found beastkin difficult to approach, I built them right at the start of the incline, complete with storage to function as a toll station.

“How much should the toll be…?”

At my words, Wijel and Debik, who had been admiring the statues, turned their attention to me. When I explained, they were astonished.

“You mean to take money from humans?”

“Exactly. If the road is safe, people will be desperate to use it. I thought this would be a good chance to generate steady profit.”

“Amazing. You call this a shift in perspective?”

Wijel recalled my joking words about changing perspectives and asked.

“That’s one way to put it.”

What was familiar to me was utterly foreign to them. To their world, my actions must all seem extraordinary—enough to be called a shift in perspective.

After that, I took recovery potions and mana-restoring liquor, then began constructing new spaces behind the goddess statues.

My aim was to form a kind of rest area and market.

I also hoped to attract human inflow and settlement through this place. In other words, I planned to found a small town here. Whether it would succeed was uncertain.

But as the saying went, well begun was half done, and this time I intended to invest heavily. I only hoped the baron would come before it was all complete.

The following days were hectic.

“It should be about time, but they’re taking quite a while, aren’t they?”

So said the Commander of a Thousand, his eyes curiously scanning the area.

“Though it is a barony, it is both frontier land and quite vast. Even rushing to prepare upon receiving word, they will likely arrive today or tomorrow. Still… this place is truly wondrous.”

His eyes sparkled brightly. Perhaps it wasn’t so strange. For those who had only ever seen Ingrad Domain as endless forest, monsters, and more forest, this must indeed seem wondrous.

Though beastkin sometimes rampaged under the Demon God’s Moon, it had become rare for them to cross near the fortress walls.

But who could say what would happen next year?

I only hoped the medicines would prove effective, as I surveyed the first rest stop—looking like a massive ghost town—when it happened.

“Ooh, someone is coming.”

The Commander of a Thousand suddenly turned his head toward the fortress gate. Indeed, dozens of carriages in long lines were entering Ingrad Domain.

Moreover, each carriage bore a different banner, some trains extending beyond ten carriages.

Then the Commander of a Thousand pointed toward the largest procession.

“Oh, the family banner—it seems Rubin Hamereun himself is coming.”

“He should, since I personally invited him. With the gift I sent, he couldn’t ignore it. But isn’t that an awful lot of carriages?”

To my words, the Commander of a Thousand—who introduced himself as Ruso—nodded in agreement.

“It must be because news spread of potential exchange. Likely every merchant in the domain has rushed here. Ingrad is famous as a domain where successful trade means making a fortune. How enviable.”

Perhaps rumors had already spread? Well, it was true that simply selling herbs from the Forest of the Demon Dragon could bring great wealth. Until now, I had consumed most of those herbs myself or handed them to the Imperial Household, but with this elevated road, I could guarantee the threshold for exchange would drop dramatically.

After waiting a while, the carriages halted at the start of the elevated road. Then, one by one, people began climbing out.

I hadn’t intended to collect tolls yet, so the booths were empty, but for some reason they waited, forcing us to descend the bridge at a slow pace.

As I drew nearer, something struck me as odd.

“Tell me, is Baron Hamereun a woman?”

“No. The woman you see is the sister of the current family head, Rubin Hamereun.”

“Then who’s that beside her… a child?”

“He was conscripted into the war against the demons, and… didn’t return.”

Ruso drew a finger across his throat. I thought nobles with domains weren’t subject to conscription? Was there some special circumstance?

Lost in thought, I found myself close enough to meet Rubin Hamereun—a striking youth with red hair and crimson eyes.

“I greet Viscount of Ingrad. I am Rubin Hamereun, lord of the Hamereun Barony.”

I had heard that baronies rarely remained hereditary. Yet Rubin himself declared his inheritance to me.

“I am Jin-woo, of Ingrad. A pleasure to meet you.”

Though I had another name, in this land I bore the surname Ingrad, so I introduced myself accordingly. Rubin tilted his head slightly, but when the woman beside him nudged his side, he straightened at once.

‘So Rubin is the figurehead, and the real authority lies with the woman beside him…?’

I supposed I’d find out through conversation.