Chapter 88

Before opening the free market, I had to undertake one task.

That task was to build a new road.

This new road would extend from the river north of Balca Village to Fontana City, connecting the two. The reason for building a road outside my territory was due to an agreement. One of the conditions of the ceasefire agreement with the Fontana family was to construct a road connecting the castle and the city.

To me, a road is simply a convenient means to speed up travel. However, from the perspective of the nobles who govern the land, it has a different meaning. It serves as an invasion route for armies. Well-maintained wide roads facilitate the movement of troops, but conversely, they can also accelerate the advance of enemy armies. Therefore, many nobles often do not build roads at the borders with other families, even if they improve the roads within their own territories. Without roads, the speed at which enemy troops can invade is slowed, which has significant defensive implications.

The Fontana family ordered me to build the road to ensure that if anything were to happen, I could use it to invade in an emergency. This is especially true given that the ceasefire agreement stipulated that I should keep the number of troops stationed at River North Castle to a minimum. It seems they are wary of me. In fact, the issue of River North Castle was the most contentious with Carlos. After much discussion, I managed to secure ownership by stating, "If I have a few days, I can build a new castle anytime."

However, I do not want to deliberately worsen my relationship with Carlos. I believe that River North Castle will serve as a checkpoint and a lodging town between Balca and the city.

But this road also has benefits for me. It will make travel much easier compared to the narrow paths that currently exist. If the Balca Knight Territory is to engage in trade, it is essential to secure a route to the city. The road construction was meaningful for both the Fontana family and me.

Currently, the Balca Knight Territory has many people who can use magic. I instructed those who own farmland to return and immediately begin the land preparation and soil improvement. The rest, who do not own farmland, were to be involved in the road construction. I used part of the money I collected from the villagers as payment for daily labor. Since these people had experience in road construction, the work proceeded smoothly without much confusion. I had those with less magic power widen the narrow paths and perform land preparation, while I set markers and the rest carried out the road construction.

Thus, a road that significantly reduced the travel time from Balca Village to Fontana City, which previously took about three days, was completed.

***

"Kid, are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, it's fine. We need to give those without farmland a way to earn a living."

This happened immediately after the road connecting the Balca Knight Territory and Fontana City was completed. After much deliberation, I made a decision. Among those I had granted magic, some owned farmland, but the majority did not. This was because I had only granted magic to those who participated in battles.

When I first gathered people in Balca Village, there were some who owned farmland, like my father. However, those who joined after I recruited Bargas from the neighboring village and those who gathered after our victory in the field were mostly without farmland. These were people who, like second or third sons in farming families, had no choice but to be in the shadows and were drawn to the light of the fire like moths.

I had to find a way to feed these people. Those who suddenly gained the power of magic but had no means to earn a living would likely resort to violence to solve their problems. While I had prepared some people to maintain order, I did not think they could control the situation. However, if they were given work and a way to earn a living, the crime rate might be more manageable. I needed to create jobs to maintain order in my territory.

I had expanded the land in the northern forest and created a 4 km square area with walls. However, the land outside the walls was also well-prepared, as it was part of the land I had previously developed.

I built several inn-like structures on some of this land outside the walls. I gave the right to live in these buildings to those who wished and provided them with jobs. The jobs were mainly two: brick-making and magic mushroom cultivation.

Brick-making is a business that requires no initial investment. Since everyone can use the magic I granted, they can produce bricks daily by consuming magic power. However, the situation is different from when I made bricks. At that time, there was a special demand for bricks due to the construction of the outer walls in Fontana City. But now, that demand has ended.

Therefore, I specified the type of bricks to be made. I instructed them to produce hardened bricks, which are impossible to obtain elsewhere. To make these bricks, materials like the tusks of a large boar and the horns of a valkyrie, which are related to magic, are required. These materials are not available elsewhere and can only be obtained in the Balca territory. I believe there is a demand for them.

The cultivation of magic mushrooms, which I reluctantly allowed, is undoubtedly profitable. I had kept the cultivation method secret and cultivated them on my own. However, I later found out that the most important part of cultivating magic mushrooms is to inject magic into the logs. Without magic injection, the yield is low, and once harvested, no more mushrooms will grow. But with proper magic injection, many magic mushrooms can grow from the same log, and it is possible to harvest from the log for several years.

Therefore, I decided to teach the cultivation method to the people in my territory. Those I named can perform magic injection and will likely succeed in cultivation. I also considered the possibility that I might be summoned by the Fontana family in the future. By cultivating many magic mushrooms and harvesting them, I can stockpile magic recovery potions. The more magic recovery potions I have, the more I can build structures without worrying about my remaining magic power. This increases the chances of survival. While there is a disadvantage in reducing my direct income, I believe the long-term benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Thus, the Balca Knight Territory quickly transformed into a land producing new specialty products.

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