Chapter 100. Revival (1)
The County had been filled with excitement over Seraphia’s recovery. The people’s cheers and the children’s laughter had filled it with joy.
However, even those sounds had been buried beneath the silence of dawn.
Rumble!
Another heavy impact echoed through the County.
Bernard straightened his clothes and hurried outside.
The bitter winter was passing from the County. Nevertheless, the air at dawn remained cold.
Without even taking the time to fasten his collar, Bernard quickened his pace.
The first people he discovered were—
The soldiers of the Count’s castle who had been standing the night watch. They stood motionlessly with torches in their hands.
“U-Ugh....!”
“Gasp....!”
The torchlight illuminated the soldiers’ utterly astonished expressions. Bernard’s gaze naturally followed the direction in which they were staring.
“......!!!”
Bernard’s eyes also widened.
He could not suppress his astonishment at the scene before him.
And there—
Enormous wooden crates, grain sacks covered with cloth—
Baskets filled with luxurious fabrics—
Mountains of supplies piled high—
Without the slightest exaggeration, the overwhelming sight—
“I-Impossible....!!”
Resembled the entire marketplace of Freche transported into the County.
* * *
Connor was the Master of the Golden Fields Merchant Company.
As a member of the Freche Merchants’ Guild, Connor primarily sold and distributed grain.
His goods included barley, wheat, rye, oats, buckwheat, and corn, as well as valuable rice imported from the south.
Recently, however, Violess, the Lawless City, had fallen.
Until its fall, Violess had controlled several trade routes and frequently plundered supplies through force.
Naturally, merchants had never even considered traveling to Violess. Moreover, the major trade routes surrounding it had effectively been blocked.
Therefore, the fall of Violess—
Meant that the continent’s trade routes had expanded.
With new trade routes opening, commercial activity in the Trade City Caravana became more vigorous, and vast quantities of grain were imported from other regions.
This resulted in an oversupply.
However, demand remained unchanged, turning Connor’s grain into dead stock that merely accumulated in a corner of his warehouse.
Just as Connor was becoming overwhelmed with concern for the future—
“A-Are you saying you want all of it....?!”
A black-haired man stood before him.
He was Adrian White Wolf, the Master of the Predator Merchant Company.
Thud—!
The chest of gold coins he presented instantly swept away every one of Connor’s concerns.
Then Adrian extended his hand.
Swoosh!
All the grain that had accumulated like dead stock within the warehouse disappeared in an instant.
“Whaaaaaat?!?”
Connor sprang into the air.
“Please send the remaining quantities of any items currently in short supply to the White Wolf County.”
Connor finally lost consciousness upon receiving Adrian’s additional order.
And Connor was not the only one.
Grain was not the only commodity affected by the oversupply caused by Violess’ downfall.
Perhaps that was why—
“Wahahaha! Wahahahahahaha!!”
Bereld, the fabric merchant next door, could not stop smiling broadly.
All the high-quality silk that had been rotting endlessly in his warehouse had been sold to Adrian.
Similar events continued occurring throughout the streets of Freche.
“Here are one hundred stacks of firewood!”
“We’ll bring two hundred rolls of parchment shortly!”
The merchants shouted as sweat poured down their faces, while Adrian nodded and drew up contracts.
Bakeries and taverns worked frantically to replenish their sold-out goods.
Orders flooded continuously into the forges, causing their flames to blaze high.
The savory aroma of food—
The sound of hammers striking iron—
The sounds of transactions being completed—
The night in Freche shone more brightly than an ordinary day.
Beneath the streetlights—
Adrian bought up Freche’s primary goods, including daily necessities such as grain, fabric, medicinal herbs, and firewood, along with all kinds of weapons and equipment.
“Three months’ worth of sales in a single day....?”
“M-My goodness....!!”
“Is this really happening?!”
Adrian’s tremendous purchasing power—
Went beyond mere consumption and shook the entire economy of Freche.
“Hire the finest mercenaries from the Mercenary Guild immediately! We need them to protect the supplies being sent to the White Wolf County!”
“We don’t have enough ore to refine? Then pressure the Miners’ Guild!!”
“Inform the Gatherers’ Guild immediately! Tell them to collect medicinal herbs in bulk!”
It was an unprecedented economic boom.
The economy displayed a vitality that no one had ever witnessed before.
Five days later—
To the people, Adrian was no longer merely the Master of the Predator Merchant Company.
He had become a new symbol leading Freche toward prosperity.
The Merchants’ Guild was no exception.
“Have a safe journey, Lord Adrian!!”
By now, everyone in Freche was bowing at a perfect 180-degree angle.
* * *
Bernard’s eyes swept over the long rows of supplies.
The procession continued without end, extending past the warehouses of the Count’s castle.
“G-Gasp....!”
A breathless exclamation of astonishment escaped Bernard. Just as he found himself completely unable to close his mouth—
“Your timing is perfect.”
A voice suddenly reached him.
“Lord Adrian....?”
It was none other than Adrian.
Adrian slowly walked between the piles of supplies.
As though he had already known Bernard was there, Adrian remained perfectly composed.
Bernard barely managed to move his gaping mouth.
“Wh-What are all these things....?”
“Supplies for the restoration and revival of the County.”
“....Pardon?”
“That’s all you need to know. It would take too long to explain.”
Adrian gestured with his chin before continuing.
“In that regard, Bernard, gather all the villagers in the County tomorrow morning.”
“When you say villagers....?”
“I mean those who are not currently engaged in any productive activity.”
Bernard could not answer readily.
“....Forgive me, but may I ask why?”
Gathering everyone in the County would not be easy.
If they were summoned without a reason, complaints would naturally erupt.
Fortunately, Adrian appeared to understand that and offered an explanation this time.
“Bernard, as you know, the White Wolf County’s environment makes crop cultivation impossible.”
The White Wolf County remained cold throughout the year.
It was a Survival Limit Region where people could barely live.
“Productive activities such as hunting, gathering, and livestock farming are likewise impossible.”
The frozen soil could sustain neither crops nor animals.
Monster hunting was the only productive activity available within the County.
“That is why women constitute such a large proportion of the villagers, isn’t it?”
In other words, it was an environment unsuitable for women to participate in productive activities.
As Adrian had said, women constituted the overwhelming majority of the villagers.
“Let me see....”
Adrian briefly swept his gaze through empty space before continuing.
“The County has 1,148 villagers. Of those, 410 are women between the ages of fifteen and thirty-nine, while approximately 149 are women between forty and fifty-nine.”
“H-How do you know that....?”
Bernard’s eyes widened.
The information Adrian had just stated could not be known without an exact understanding of the County’s administrative system.
Determining the population was essential to territorial administration.
The population represented the measure of a Territory’s workforce, economic power, and military strength.
That information made it possible to implement various policies, including tax collection, military mobilization, resource management, and the stabilization of public sentiment.
There was a reason the census was called the foundation of territorial administration.
However, it was also one of the most difficult administrative matters to determine accurately.
Without a standardized system, errors were frequent.
False reports were also common because people feared taxation and conscription.
Naturally, there were not enough investigators to confirm the information.
Even Bernard did not possess figures that precise.
In other words, it was not information that a delinquent could possibly have known.
Of course, Adrian was no longer a delinquent.
However, that transformation had occurred only recently. Adrian had lived like a delinquent for over ten years.
He had spent his life immersed in gambling and debauchery instead of learning territorial administration.
How could he possibly know this?
“That makes 559 women in total. After excluding those unable to work and those responsible for caring for children....”
Adrian once again swept his gaze through empty space before continuing.
“Approximately 391 remain.”
Bernard was left speechless.
The figure was not significantly different from the one Bernard knew.
In other words, Adrian was not simply inventing numbers.
Adrian possessed an accurate understanding of the County’s administrative system.
“I intend to provide them with jobs.”
“....Pardon?”
Why so suddenly?
More importantly—
“What kind of jobs....?”
“Weaving, handicrafts, pottery, dyeing, textile production, ornament production, and the manufacture of household goods.”
They were all productive activities that women could perform without difficulty.
However, every one of them required some degree of specialized skill.
“I have prepared all the necessary equipment and materials here.”
Adrian indicated the endless procession of supplies with his gaze.
“I will provide them with complete support so each person can discover and learn work suited to her aptitude and abilities.”
“......”
“I will also pay them for their labor. However, I will collect the appropriate taxes in return.”
Only then did Bernard understand Adrian’s intentions.
He intended to establish the County’s own economic system rather than continue relying upon outside assistance.
Bernard finally understood what Adrian had meant by “supplies for the restoration and revival of the County”.
“I’ll establish the overall framework and system, Bernard.”
“Yes, Lord Adrian.”
“You will handle the detailed implementation.”
“....Me?”
“Are you not confident?”
“That isn’t the problem, but....”
Bernard thought briefly before answering.
“Since they are women, I am concerned that I may overlook certain details.”
There were subtle differences in perception arising from the differences between the sexes.
That was an unavoidable limitation.
Bernard appeared worried that those differences might significantly affect the outcome.
After all, this was an important undertaking directly connected to the County’s “revival”.
“Hmm....”
Adrian appeared to acknowledge that concern and sank into thought.
“Then assist Seraphia while allowing her to take the lead.”
“Lady Seraphia?”
“....Ah, come to think of it.”
Only then did Adrian appear to remember something.
“What happened to Seraphia?”
“Thanks to you, Lord Adrian, she recovered safely.”
Bernard lowered his head slightly as he answered.
For some reason, however, Adrian’s expression became exceedingly serious.
“Did you notice anything strange?”
“What do you mean by strange....?”
“Did Seraphia appear mentally unstable? Was she different after awakening? Did she display any manner of speaking or behavior that she had never shown before? Was she unable to remember anything....?”
Adrian’s concerns continued without end.
‘Was he worried about her?’
Apparently, Adrian had been worried about her inwardly.
Even if he outwardly treated Seraphia as though he intended to kill her—
Even if he claimed to hate and despise her—
Adrian’s true feelings were different.
No matter what anyone said, Seraphia was Adrian’s one and only younger sister.
“Although her body has not yet recovered completely, she displayed none of the abnormal symptoms you described.”
“....Thank goodness.”
Adrian released a deep sigh of relief.
His sigh was so profound that the white breath escaping his mouth resembled smoke rising from a chimney.
No matter how anyone looked at him—
He was an older brother worried about his only younger sister.
“She is currently sleeping, but perhaps you could quietly look at her face—”
“No. I have no intention of wasting time on something so pointless.”
Adrian’s face twisted into a scowl.
He looked as though he were facing a revolting insect, but—
‘Is he embarrassed?’
Bernard now understood that it was not Adrian’s true feeling.
“In any case, there should be no problem if you handle it together with Seraphia, correct?”
“Of course not.”
Bernard nodded confidently.
Seraphia possessed outstanding abilities as a lord.
That was evident from the fact that the previous Count had entrusted everything belonging to the family to her.
Although—
“As I said, I’ll establish the overall framework and system. You only need to handle the detailed implementation.”
Their positions had now been reversed.
“Lady Seraphia will also be extremely pleased.”
The County was uniting under the leadership of Adrian, who had finally come to his senses.
The County was gradually changing and beginning to prosper.
All those things would provide Seraphia with tremendous comfort and pride.
Bernard could already imagine how delighted Seraphia would be after waking.
Imagining the moment when she awakened with a bright smile filled Bernard with an even greater sense of responsibility.
Adrian, meanwhile—
“Did the recruits cause any trouble while I was away?”
Perhaps embarrassed, he subtly changed the subject.
“Since there were so many of them, I also expected them to be difficult to control. However, not a single incident occurred.”
“Really?”
Adrian nodded once, apparently finding that unexpected.
“What about Kai?”
“He is staying with the recruits while conducting military ranger training.”
“....Ranger training? And what do you mean by staying with them?”
“I was informed that you personally ordered it, Lord Adrian.”
“I did?”
“Was that not the case?”
“I only told him to handle their basic training.”
Apparently, it had been Kai’s independent decision.
A brief silence followed.
“The recruits haven’t died, have they?”
“......”
Bernard could not answer Adrian’s question.
* * *
The training grounds stood upon a snowfield where the bitter winter was beginning to pass.
However, the air remained frozen beneath the cold that persisted throughout the year.
“Uuugh....!”
“Hyaaaah....!”
The Visters were climbing a snow-covered hill. The breath they exhaled turned white and appeared to freeze in the air.
To make matters worse, the swirling snow struck their faces and bodies.
At that moment—
“All personnel, maintain your concealed positions!”
Kai, the blond knight leading them, shouted.
His voice, amplified with Aura, reached the Visters’ ears clearly.
Every Vister buried himself in the freezing snow.
The faint sound of their frozen breathing spread through the air.
Their fingers and toes gradually lost sensation, and the pain became unbearable.
However—
“Snow is not merely an obstacle. It provides an environment that can offer both cover and concealment. If you wish to survive here, you must become thoroughly accustomed to the snow.”
Every Vister remained completely motionless, becoming one with the snow.
“Resume movement.”
Kai issued another command.
The Visters rose in perfect order and began running once again. They repeatedly ran up and down the slopes of the snow-covered hill.
“Gasp....! Gasp....!”
“Haaagh....! Haaagh....!”
Their legs trembled beneath them, while blisters already covered the soles of their feet.
“A-Ark Master....! How much longer....?!”
“How much longer do we....?!”
“Have to endure this fucking nightmare....?!”
Complaints finally erupted among the Visters.
“I-I also.... Gasp....!”
Sarpedon, the former Ark Master of Black Grasp—
“I don’t know either....you fucking bastards....”
Could only whimper through a face covered in snow and ice.
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