Chapter 92

For now, since I wanted to hear a bit more about the surrounding area, I asked about the forest on the eastern side of the territory.

The distance is about a two-hour walk from the location planned to be the center of the town.

The forest is much larger than the northern forest of the current village. It might even cover the entire Kanto region. The phrase "expansion of the human survival zone" truly makes sense.

"Due to the intervention of the god of plants, the vegetation is rich. The prey is also abundant. However, there are also many monsters."

While pondering, Norwe answered.

"Besides goblins, there are also orcs and ogres, which are powerful races."

Regarding orcs and ogres, I had heard about them before.

Orcs are humanoid monsters with faces similar to pigs, as is typical in fantasy. They are more intelligent than goblins and have developed wooden armor, making them formidable opponents. They have also been observed to use magic on a small scale, such as creating gusts of wind to disrupt balance or throwing stones. A bad hit can cause serious injuries, so head protection should be considered. The required level to deal with them is 8 or higher. Individual groups are not that large, and the proof of slaying is the nose.

Ogres are like goblins but more muscular and with horns, similar to the oni in Japanese folklore. When a leader grows horns, it looks the part. However, they can grow to nearly 2 meters tall, and their horns can exceed 30 cm. Their intelligence is similar to that of goblins, but their strength and durability are different. They also have some regenerative abilities due to their skills. The required level to deal with them is 7 or higher. They rarely form groups and usually act alone. The proof of slaying is the horn.

"Monsters tend to prefer areas deep in the forest where there is a high concentration of magical elements. It is suitable for hunting and gathering plants. And..."

Here, he looked slightly perplexed.

"There are elf settlements scattered throughout the forest."

The elves, a staple of fantasy, have arrived. Do they have pointed ears? This is the first time I've encountered a fantasy race, excluding monsters.

"Is there any interaction with them?"

"Yeah. They live in the town as well. They originally lived in the forest as a hunting tribe. As fellow inhabitants of the same continent, they interact as good neighbors."

In this world, there seems to be no discrimination or prejudice against other races. If they can communicate, they are considered human. They treat each other as good friends and allies in the fight against monsters.

If they marry, the children inherit the traits of one of the parents. If a human and an elf marry, the child will be either human or elf. It's a mystery whether this is due to properties, but it seems like a challenge to Mendel's laws.

I also asked if there were dwarves, and indeed there were. Both males and females are short. Males are muscular and skilled in mining and blacksmithing. This is not a game mechanic but a legacy of their ancestors living in caves. As a result, they have inherited a low stature. Due to continuous cave expansion, they became muscular and skilled in digging and finding minerals. Blacksmithing developed as a way to utilize these minerals. There are a few dwarves in the town's blacksmith shops, but I hadn't noticed because I hadn't thoroughly explored the town.

For now, these two races are the ones I see most often in the area. My interest has been piqued.

"Are there any points to be careful about when it comes to elves in the village?"

"There's no particular caution, but they might request to move in. Whether to accept them or not is up to you."

It seems that while they are a hunting tribe, they don't necessarily want to live only by hunting. If they are near human settlements, they might move in and engage in agriculture. They are just regular people. I hadn't seen any before because the village I lived in was far from the forest. Since the town is prosperous, the elves have moved to the town after coming to the village.

"I haven't decided on a specific policy, so I will accept them."

"In that case, I will ask you to handle the registration."

The kingdom has a primitive but existing household registration system. It is essential for tax collection, so the lord has jurisdiction over the movement of people. Household registration needs to be updated to determine the next year's tax revenue when taxes are paid. The tax amount is calculated based on the estimated harvest per unit area, and the payment target is the landowner registered in the household registration.

"Do the elves understand these concepts?"

"There's no need to worry. They are in the same language group, and I have explained it to them. They all understand."

Hmm. I had imagined the fantasy elves as something special, but they seem like regular people. Well, their skill with bows is probably due to their hunting background. However, it's helpful that the adventuring grounds are closer than I expected. At least adventurers up to level 7 are likely to visit.

Next, we went over the detailed specifications for the initial village. There is no concept of sewage, so I suggested installing it in part of the lord's mansion, which was met with a puzzled look. The toilet can be managed with a collection system for reusing feces and urine. For the bath, a sewage system is needed to drain the water.

In the design of the lord's mansion, I explained the specifications of the bath, but it wasn't understood. Well, I guess I'm the only one using water magic for such a trivial purpose.

For the management of feces and urine, I decided to set up separate collection areas to promote composting, separating human and livestock waste. The livestock includes cows, chickens, and horses.

Why horses? Because a squad of knights will be assigned for security. I need to expand this core group into a larger knight order. The initial knights will be treated as veterans, and they are highly motivated, expecting promotions in military roles.

"Is it possible to have a few scouts assigned?"

"That's fine, but the king will have direct oversight. Is that okay?"

"Rather than the issue of surveillance, the benefit of detecting problems in advance is more important."

"Hmm. I have a spy unit that I and my father have raised. I can send personnel from there. I'll cover their salaries initially and integrate them as peasants."

"Thank you, that would be a great help."

Honestly, the initial response to any issues is crucial. It makes a big difference whether you have eyes on the ground or not. Better safe than sorry.

The location for the lord's mansion is on a hill, which will be inconvenient for access but will eventually be surrounded by walls to serve as a defense point for the village. Even the flat area has some undulations, and there are several rocky hills with good quality stone nearby. Having a nearby quarry is a big help.

The more I hear, the more I realize this is a promising location. I understand why Norwe wanted to build a new village here.

"There is a river near the village. Is it safe from flooding?"

"The mountains to the north are the source. The river is wide but calm. We conducted surveys during the rainy season, and there were no signs of flooding. You can rest assured."

Flood control is a major expense in infrastructure, so it's a relief not to have to worry about it.

For the village design, I planned for a large-scale town, considering future growth.

"This... might be a bit inconvenient, right? The spacing is quite wide..."

"Considering future development, it's better to have some room. It will fill up quickly."

The initial planning of the town is crucial. Buildings can't be easily moved, so it's necessary to design with the future in mind, for the future residents.

The size of the fields can be arranged in squares based on the closest length standard, such as ares and hectares. I asked to mark the fields with ridges for future rice cultivation, but I got a puzzled look. Well, for the future, for the future.

"Hmm... It's a bit different from the previous village, so there are some challenging aspects, but if you need it, I'll prepare it."

"Thank you, Lord Norwe."

After that, we continued to point out and correct the finer details.

I consider this to be a forward-thinking village design for this world.

I'm grateful to the past salesperson who secured a contract for urban development systems.

This is the initial draft. The scale of the budget will determine the adjustments. The size of the coastal village will also depend on the budget.

"Wow, but this is your first time managing a territory, right? It's impressive that you can think of such detailed issues... This can be applied to this town as well."

Norwe said this with a slightly tired but pleased expression.

"Because the town I used to live in was old, many problems arose. I've incorporated solutions to those issues. Especially for fire prevention, it's essential to start at the design stage."

Concentrating food stalls in one area and separating them with wide roads. Separating the manufacturing and sales areas of blacksmiths and concentrating the manufacturing areas in fire-resistant zones. Considering the movement patterns of day and night and arranging roads and zones accordingly. I continuously incorporated the basics of urban planning. I felt satisfied, reminiscing about a game I used to play.

The next step is for Norwe's bureaucrats to evaluate this draft and propose revisions. Once those are addressed, we can start.

"Alright, let's call it a day here. Good work. It was a fun time."

I shook hands with Norwe, who extended his hand.

"Yes, it was fun. I look forward to meeting you again after the evaluation."

I bid farewell and walked down the corridor of the lord's mansion. At the time, I was only thinking about what to do when I became a baron, but today I was thinking about the details of the territory.

I've made some progress. I praised myself in my heart.