Chapter 405. The proclamation ceremony... but...? (4)
Having a fear of insects was a fairly common characteristic anywhere.
Even Alon didn't like insects very much.
In his previous world, just seeing a cockroach, the first thing that came to his mind was “I'm screwed.”
So it wasn't strange for a person to have a phobia of insects, but seeing Kylus react like that was extremely fresh and curious.
Basically, this is a fantasy world.
If it wasn't an extremely clean and well-maintained place, insects could appear anywhere.
That is to say, it was harder to find people who were afraid of insects here than in the modern world where Alon had originally lived.
Even nobles traveled in carriages, making travel by road something habitual; so even if they found insects annoying, they usually didn't fear them.
Anyway, when Blackie changed into spider form and Kylus fainted instantly, Alon observed him from above: it seemed tremendously curious and also a bit funny to him.
It was funny, but…
“...Was it necessary to go that far?”
Alon, petting Blackie who was curled up in cat form, looked up.
In front of them was a gigantic Spirit Dragon.
Even comparing it to the Spirit Dragon with whom he always trained, this one was so colossal it was breathtaking.
Alon raised his gaze towards the sky.
When he tilted his head more than 70 degrees…
At the very top of the Spirit Dragon's enormous head was Kylus.
Kylus was saying something.
Obviously, Alon couldn't hear anything.
Too far.
He could only guess by the slight movement of his lips.
“Hey, I can't hear anything. Could you come down a little?”
Fortunately, it seemed his voice did reach the other side, because the Spirit Dragon —which had grown to absurd heights— slightly reduced its size.
…Very slightly.
Thanks to that, instead of tilting his head 70 degrees, he could see him at 69 degrees.
Kylus was saying something again.
“Come down a little more, I can't hear anything.”
When Alon spoke again, Kylus reduced the dragon's size again. Maybe now it was necessary to raise the head 60 degrees.
…In any case, Alon still had to look up.
“Hey, I'm not going to be able to—”
Alon looked at Kylus as if he couldn't believe it.
“Blackie, go inside for a moment.”
[Kyu—]
Alon put Blackie away inside.
Only then did the Spirit Dragon created by Kylus begin to shrink, until it reached a size where they could actually talk.
“...Aren't you going to come down?”
“We can talk like this too.”
As if the previous episode, where he fainted foaming at the mouth, had never happened.
Kylus returned to showing a cold and calm expression.
But as soon as Alon put his hand on his chest where Blackie was, the Spirit Dragon's body rose again instantly.
That was, without a doubt, that "inferior man" that was talked about so much, Alon thought for a moment.
“…Let's talk.”
Alon dropped the jokes and started the conversation.
“...I'm telling you right now, my knowledge might not be that useful to you.”
“Why?”
“Because what I handle are Spirit Dragons, not Shadow Dragons.”
Kylus —still maintaining a certain distance from the top of the dragon— continued.
“But even so, let's talk. First: Spirit Dragons can change their form freely. But, as you said before… absorbing something and using its power, that is impossible.”
“...Then, would this be a characteristic of Shadow Dragons?”
“Most likely yes… or so I would like to answer…”
“Is there a problem?”
At Alon's question, Kylus murmured a “hm” and thought for a while before continuing.
“Shadow Dragons grow by eating constantly.”
Alon nodded.
He had already heard that from Kylus when Blackie ate the creature Rukrukamur.
“But I have never heard of a Shadow Dragon that can use the abilities of what it devoured.”
“So Blackie is special?”
“...If we make a guess, I would say it must be an ability obtained during its growth.”
“An ability obtained when growing?”
“Basically, as a Spirit Dragon matures, it obtains a unique power, besides getting stronger. I would assume a Shadow Dragon does too.”
Kylus continued explaining.
“And that unique ability adjusts to the partner's affinity.”
“...Does that apply to Shadow Dragons too?”
“I assume so. Based on that…”
“...Is Blackie's ability related to me?”
“It is just a theory. But it would explain why that little one not only turns into a Divine Blood, but also can use their abilities.”
Alon nodded briefly, but…
“But tell me something.”
“What is it?”
“...Could you come down a little more?”
He pointed out that Kylus was still maintaining too much distance and height.
“I will come down.”
“...When?”
“When you leave.”
The answer was immediate.
Alon could only make a speechless expression.
Alon came out.
“Ah, you came out, Marquess!”
“Yes.”
“So, how was it?”
At Penia's question, Alon thought for a moment.
“...It's not cool. He acts cool.”
He left that brief impression.
The next day.
Alexion, Penia, Evan, and Silly gathered in the office to talk about what they had postponed the day before.
“…So, the first thing we must resolve right now is that shanty town, right?”
“Yes. The other problems can be handled one way or another, but that one is complicated.”
At Alexion's affirmation, Alon meditated.
‘…I need population.’
To build a kingdom, population was essential.
After all, a kingdom was sustained by taxes, and the amount of inhabitants was synonymous with prosperity.
Also, for Alon —who had to gather faith— the more inhabitants, the better.
Although at the beginning, with so many people, he was left speechless for a moment.
“I have a question.”
While Alon thought, Evan intervened.
“What is it?”
“It's just an idea, but… wouldn't it be better to leave the shanty town as it is?”
“...Leave it like that?”
“Yes. Actually, you don't have any real obligation to fix their situation.”
“Hmm—”
In a sense, Evan was right.
No matter how rich Alon was…
He didn't have enough resources to provide lodging and food for everyone camping outside his lands.
The wealth he had accumulated wasn't enough for something so massive.
“That is true… but if we leave them like that, problems will arise.”
“Problems?”
“Of course. Security will worsen, and in a short time it will become a slum.”
A shanty town of that size would be a perfect refuge for the underworld. Penia added that, and Alexion agreed.
“Exactly. If that happens, merchants will stop coming here. One of the reasons they come is precisely because it is a safe territory.”
“And if we expel them just to maintain order, that would damage the Marquess's image.”
“...It is difficult to find an optimal solution.”
While Alon reflected in a low voice, Silly intervened.
“May I give an opinion?”
“Do you have a good idea?”
She thought briefly.
“We can move half of them to Divine Land.”
“...To Divine Land?”
“Yes. Although many people are arriving there, there is still a lot of space.”
“It would be a good solution to buy time… but I don't know if it will be easy to move so many people.”
Penia spoke with worry.
But Silly smiled confidently.
“Do not worry about that.”
“...Not worry?”
“Yes. In a week at most they will want to go on their own.”
Her smile made everyone fall silent for a moment.
The four looked at each other fleetingly.
In the end, Penia cleared her voice and asked:
“Well… if we send half there… what do we do with the other half?”
“Hmm. If it is reduced to half, I have a good idea.”
“A good idea?”
“Yes.”
Alexion also cleared his voice.
“Since the current territory cannot absorb them all, the best thing is to expand the territory and hire them as workers.”
“...Workers?”
“Yes. That way we ensure manpower for the expansion and at the same time give them an income.”
Meaning, use their manpower while we give them economic support so they settle.
“Exactly.”
“But if we spend resources like that, it won't be long before we run out of everything.”
At that, Alexion let out a slight laugh.
“Do not worry. There is a way to recover it.”
“Recover it?”
“Yes. During the expansion, we will build many inns. Right now, merchants fill everything and there aren't enough places to stay.”
“...And that way we recover the costs.”
“Correct. Also, if we build inns and increase hiring, we will be able to dismantle the shanty town without resistance. Other nobles would simply destroy it, but you must take care of your image. Besides—”
While Alexion explained a plan where manpower was used very efficiently and the Marquess's House recovered its wealth, Alon realized something.
‘Although he is like this now… this man in his day had the entire slum district of Laksas under his control…’
Confirming once again the competence (morally dubious?) of Alexion, Alon nodded without realizing it.
“However, there is a problem.”
“A problem?”
“Yes. To expand we need materials, but right now it is difficult to get them. You know, with everything that has happened lately…”
It was natural that currently it was difficult to obtain materials.
“So to get them we will have to collect them ourselves or find them somewhere, but prices are absurdly high now.”
“We will ask for help here and there.”
“I will also try to get as much as possible.”
“And if someone is willing to sell a large amount, it would be good to meet and negotiate directly.”
“A negotiation, I understand. I will leave that point organized.”
After adjusting some details, Alon concluded:
“Good, let's finish for today.”
And thus the meeting concluded.
“Tun”, leader of the caravan “Singing Money”, was dealing with a headache recently.
It wasn't just his problem; it affected all merchants.
The bandits had increased drastically.
A while ago, a great purge had eliminated almost all bandits in the Allied United Kingdoms, but after a while, as if it were a joke, they had reappeared.
And for merchants, bandits were a torment.
That same day, Tun almost lost his goods to bandits; exhausted, he entered a tavern.
“...Eh?”
He noticed the atmosphere was strange.
The mercenaries and other customers seemed normal.
The different ones were the merchants, gathered in a corner.
Tun approached.
“Tun, you came?”
Someone greeted him.
Tun recognized the voice immediately.
“...Malgam?”
“Long time no see.”
“You were here?”
“Yes, I come from Findel.”
Malgam, a middle-aged merchant who ran the large caravan Golden Yellow, spoke. Tun nodded and sat with him.
“What's with this atmosphere?”
“Ah, this?”
“Yes.”
Malgam cleared his throat, looked around, and said in a low voice:
“Don't be scared, but… right now we have an opportunity.”
“...An opportunity?”
“Yes. A unique opportunity to get connections with Marquess Palatio… an opportunity that only happens once in a lifetime!”
Malgam whispered.
…It was a message whose meaning had been distorted in a quite peculiar way among the merchants, very different from Alon's original intention.
