Chapter 87

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When I was ennobled as a viscount, it was decided that the island of Bruto would officially become my territory. However, since the population is zero, the topic of promoting colonization is still being discussed between His Majesty and my father. Of course, I am refusing it. Formally, I am declining by saying that the only means of transportation is my spatial transfer, and thus it is impossible to move a large number of people. Well, it's true that the only means of transportation is spatial transfer, but saying that it's impossible to move a large number of people is a lie. I am mixing facts and lies to make it sound more credible. Additionally, I am emphasizing that as a viscount and lord, I cannot transfer every time my subordinates or subjects move.

I intend to use the island of Bruto to artificially breed various monsters under my protection, so I have no intention of letting in more people than necessary. I want to protect rare monsters and ensure a stable supply of rare items, even if the numbers are small. Therefore, I am gently but firmly declining His Majesty's proposal. Even if forced colonization were to proceed, the island is a natural fortress, making it difficult to land.

The mansion and surrounding farmland on the island of Bruto have been completed. There are a total of 40 golems guarding the area to prevent monsters from entering, consisting of 20 defensive and 20 offensive golems. The defensive golems have bodies made of orichalcum, which can withstand even the attacks of rank A monsters, leaving only minor scratches. The 20 offensive golems are made of an alloy of mithril and a small amount of divine silver, designed to be lightweight and highly mobile.

There are 20 golems for agricultural work, all made of steel, tending to the fields daily. There are also 20 golems for underground resource extraction, with bodies made of adamantite to withstand harsh working conditions.

The underground resources of the island of Bruto are abundant, including rare minerals such as mithril, adamantite, and orichalcum. Not only that, but there are also many rare monsters and plants that are not found on the central continent, making it a treasure trove.

"What is this place...?"

"This is... surprising..."

"I was trying to stop being surprised by Christophe..."

"Such a place..."

These are the reactions of Carla, Peron, Clara, and Pritz, in that order, after seeing the mansion, farmland, and the golems operating around the mansion on the island of Bruto.

"Feira, can you assign rooms for the four of them? And then could you make some tea?"

"Understood."

Feira led the four of them upstairs to the second floor, explained the rooms, and assigned them. There are 10 rooms on the second floor of the mansion, with 5 rooms on each side of the entrance. It seems that Carla and the others will use the 4 rooms on the left side, and they came back down after about 10 minutes. I plan to build individual mansions for the four of them, so for now, having rooms where they can live is sufficient.

"Christophe... No, it's fine... I won't be surprised anymore."

I was sitting on a single sofa, and Carla and Peron sat on the sofa to the right, while Clara and Pritz sat on the sofa to the left. Carla opened her mouth to say something but stopped.

Feira brought in the tea and some snacks and sat across from me. I started speaking.

"Currently, except for those working at the Bruto Chamber of Commerce in the capital, all those who serve me are gathered here. I think you all know each other well, as there are no new faces. In the future, some will transfer from the Bruto-Zels family, but I don't think they will enter this island."

Here, I took a sip of tea and paused.

"Does that mean you're prohibiting entry to this island for anyone other than us?"

I nodded in response to Carla's question.

"Is there a reason to prohibit entry to this island for anyone other than us?"

"Exactly as Peron said. You'll see, but this island is full of treasures."

"Are you saying that you're making us the only ones who can enter to monopolize these treasures?"

"Though it sounds harsh, that's exactly what Clara said. I intend to accumulate wealth with these treasures."

"But you're already making money with the Bruto Chamber of Commerce. Do you need to make more?"

"Clara, as always, is tough. But for now, I'm the only one who can enter this island, and I'm the one who has found the rare minerals, plants, and monsters. I think it's fair to sell the treasures through the Bruto Chamber of Commerce and accumulate wealth."

"Wouldn't it be immediately clear that these treasures come from the island of Bruto if you sell them through the Bruto Chamber of Commerce?"

"Pritz is right. The source being the island of Bruto would be clear."

"But no one can enter this island, right?"

"That's right, Peron. The island is surrounded by cliffs, making it impossible to land from the sea. The cliffs are home to tens of thousands of seabirds, which would drive away anyone approaching from the air."

"Seabirds are rank D monsters, right?"

"Individually, they are rank D, but when other species invade their territory, they attack in large numbers, making them as powerful as rank B or A monsters."

"Exactly as Carla and Peron said. These monsters protect the island from outsiders, and I have also set up a barrier around the island. Even if someone gets past the seabirds, they cannot land without my permission."

"That's harsh."

"Don't say that, Clara."

I rubbed my cheek with my fingertips, indicating that I agree.

"So, what will our jobs be?"

"Don't worry, there's no need to rush. First, let's take a look around, and then I'll assign roles."

I led everyone to the underground second floor, which is a warehouse and workshop.

"This is a warehouse and workshop. As you can see, it's 1,000 meters by 1,000 meters, and there are four such spaces."

I opened the nearest door and went in.

"The golems are eliminating monsters that appear around the mansion, and this is where the monsters are skinned and stored. I plan to purchase a few slaves to handle the skinning."

"Are you bringing in more people besides us?"

"Only we can enter freely. However, we can't manage the mansion and the warehouse alone, so I plan to have slaves live here. Otherwise, Pritz and the others would have to clean the rooms."

"That's true. We can't manage everything alone."

*Knock knock*

I showed and explained the other three rooms. The four of them were surprised to see the rare minerals and monster parts stored there, but Feira, who has visited many times, was operating normally.

"I plan to make Pritz the manager of the warehouse. The number of monsters and minerals increases daily, so I count on you."

There is a large elevator connecting the underground second floor to the ground, and the golems use it to transport monsters and minerals, which increase daily if not used.

"Will I manage it alone?"

"As I said earlier, I will hire slaves. Please think about how many are needed for the dissection and management of the warehouse."

Next, I showed them the farmland around the mansion.

"This is about 20 hectares. Currently, we are growing wheat on half of it, 10 hectares, but the harvest is still a long way off. In the spring, we plan to grow vegetables, and in early summer, rice."

"20 hectares? Why do you need so much farmland? A few of us and some slaves can be fed with just 1 hectare."

"We can sell the surplus grain."

Next, we entered the forest to introduce the plants growing there.

"The forest can be left to nature, but many of the plants growing here are rare, so we need to manage and harvest them. In short, we need to manage them to avoid over-harvesting. I will ask Peron to handle this along with the farmland."

"The area is large, but I'll do my best."

"Carla will be responsible for maintaining the security of the mansion and its surroundings."

"My job seems easy. Will I have subordinates?"

"Of course. Please think about how many you need. Also, this applies to everyone, but when we purchase slaves, please train them."

"Training... Understood. I'll think about my subordinates by tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure. I plan to gather slaves in the capital and major cities after tomorrow, so please think about it. Also, at first, there will be many things you don't know, but if you fail, just improve and keep at it. If more slaves are needed, please let me know without hesitation."

"Hey, what about my job?"

"Clara, you will work at the mansion in the capital for a while. You'll be a jack-of-all-trades, so please do your best."

"Understood. I'll have subordinates, right?"

"Of course. In the end, I plan to entrust the island of Bruto to the slaves and those freed from slavery, so please train them with that in mind."

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This is the end of the special New Year update. From now on, updates will be irregular and infrequent, so I apologize in advance.

Peco m(_ _)m Rinco