Chapter 350
Right now, I'm in the best mood ever!!
"Alright! Alright! Everyone, the troublesome stuff is gone! The time for action is finally here!!"
Having overcome the hardship of Aži Dahāka, seen off Clarice, Kon, and Barbatos, and finally feeling unburdened, Liberta is full of energy!!
"I feel like I haven't seen such a lively Liberta in a while.""He's been busy lately.""As someone from the noble side who caused him trouble, that smile is a bit... hard to look directly at.""There's no need for concern. Liberta-sama has said he bears no ill will toward you, Lady Esmeralda.""His ability to be clear-cut is one of his strengths."
Hands on hips, standing tall like a guardian deity, with a hearty laugh.Adding a beaming smile, because I'm in a great mood!! Having secured time to dedicate to what I want to do, I'm invincible!!
"Now, everyone! Behold! The city blueprint I painstakingly created, finding spare time and working diligently—my masterpiece!!"
Even if I receive gentle gazes from the ladies, I have no intention of lowering this energy.I can do what I want to do.Why should I hold back?
Unveiling the city blueprint I had pinned on the wall, covered with a cloth.
"Whoa~""An excellent blueprint.""Yes, he worked diligently on it until late at night.""I knew he was talented, but he can even design a city?"
The typical flow from here would be for my terrible drawing skills to earn me gentle looks from the ladies, leading to recruiting more comrades to find an actual designer.
But unfortunately for that expectation, I've built towns in FBO before.Furthermore, I learned how to draw town plans from other simulation games! I have no blind spots!
Nell and Amina's admiring voices, Lady Esmeralda's praise, Ingrid acknowledging the effort, Claudia's impressed words.
Even this alone makes drawing this blueprint worthwhile.
"To fully utilize all the land we received from His Majesty the King! We will work on this blueprint!"
The land obtained as a reward for subjugating the monster Aži Dahāka is roughly the size of Yamaguchi Prefecture.
When I indicated the land I wanted, it ended up being about that size.
"But the land from the King is huge, isn't it?""Are we going to develop that all by ourselves?""Even for you, Liberta-kun, that's impossible, right?"
Developing an entire prefecture with just six people—by normal standards, it goes beyond impossible, reckless, and foolish. It's just plain stupid.
It's no wonder Nell and Amina exchange looks.No matter how meticulously the blueprint is drawn, it's just a pipe dream without the technicians and workers to realize it.
"Will you ask the spirits for help?""I thought about that. Actually, they said they'd help because it sounds fun."
The first that comes to mind are our beloved Amina Fan Club members, the spirits.They have the numbers, and above all, they are trustworthy.They are wonderful personnel, second to none.
"However, relying on the spirits forever isn't good either. With Genjirou, Judes, and the entertainer folks gathering, I want to form a human-side clan. Eventually, I want to gather personnel for production aspects other than combat, like agriculture, civil engineering, and blacksmithing."
We can't rely on the spirits forever.And while the spirits are excellent, there are many things only humans can do.
"Thinking about the future, if we seriously expand to other continents, we need to consider defense too. It's difficult to have spirits protect our base.""If word gets out it's a land where spirits gather, people will come. Not just from this continent, but from others as well. We can't endanger the land we must protect with unnecessary trouble."
Spirits are extremely rare beings in this world.Even someone like Dark-san, whom we meet frequently, is normally a being you'd be lucky to see once in a human lifetime.
If we create a land where you can absolutely meet such beings, it's not hard to foresee future troubles.
"Just 'a city built by spirits' could lead to complaints from those stubborn old folks in the West, saying 'That land should be under our control!'"
The prime example of that is the hardcore spirit worship faction in the West.Some extremists in the Western Continent worship spirits as gods or beings even superior.
"I've settled on not seeking the spirits' cooperation this time to avoid trouble from such people."
I heard from Clarice that there was actually talk of dispatching a task force regarding that, and I was genuinely shocked.That the news of summoning spirits to the royal capital for a live concert had reached even the West... If they actually invaded the royal capital, it would mean war without a doubt, so it seems the other heavyweights stopped them.
If it were an undeveloped area instead of the royal capital, they'd probably come without hesitation.
"I understand your reason for doing it just by ourselves. Then it's about manpower. Should we try recruiting through the Edelgard family?""No, actually, regarding manpower, I have a pretty solid lead in mind."
Removing such risk factors and working freely is easier if we stick with close associates for now.
"??"
When I said 'lead' and looked at Nell and Amina, they tilted their heads.
"The people from our starting place, the shopping district—we'll recruit the entire group."
Yes, the lead is Jinx-san and Teresa-san, Nell's parents, whom we're still connected to.Also, the blacksmith Ganj-san and his wife.The butcher shop owner who supplies dungeon meat, the old lady at the pharmacy.Through that connection, we have links to the shopping district folks via Jinx-san and Teresa-san.
"Eh!!?"
Having no clue about such a plan, hearing it for the first time, the two of course were surprised.At first, I thought about looking for named NPCs, but that would take time, and there's no guarantee they'd reliably become comrades.
"After that, I'd like to poach Dent-san from the Adventurer's Guild too."
I plan to reach out to all the acquaintances who seem like they wouldn't be problematic.I definitely won't call the Golem Weirdo Quintet, but I intend to fully rely on my connections in this world.
"Wait, wait. Everyone has their lives here. We can't be sure they'll come.""I've prepared thorough presentation materials for that, and I don't plan to drag them forcibly. They're just the initial candidates."
At the very least, I think Jinx-san and Teresa-san will cooperate.As for Amina's family, I think they might come if we properly guarantee salary and living conditions.For Ganj-san and his wife, I've invested in them in various ways, so I plan to be assertive here.Dent-san... well, I have a feeling he'd go with the flow and be flexible.
The presentation materials prepared beside the desk.You could call it a roadmap to the completion of this town.
Placing them on the desk, Nell gasps at their thickness.
I believe my experience from numerous games, earning favor and recruiting allies, will be useful. But I don't think that alone will suffice.
"For initial candidates, you're putting in quite the effort.""Liberta-sama diligently worked on those materials late into the night too.""Not neglecting preparation to persuade people. I think that's good."
Moving people means, naturally, also taking responsibility for their future lives.As Nell says, they'd be abandoning their current stable lives to live in a new environment.
Some people might have attachment to this land; others might feel aversion to an undeveloped frontier land.
Considering all that, attempting persuasion with words alone is the height of folly.The people here aren't game characters.They are people living in reality.
"And those materials are my best effort too!!"
I wouldn't skimp on the effort to persuade those living people.
"By the way, what kind of people do you want, Liberta? I think just grabbing anyone would be inefficient.""First and foremost, I need development personnel. We can't even prepare a living environment there without clearing the land. The development work itself isn't that heavy labor, and with us and Genjirou's group as guards, work can proceed safely.""Do they need specialized knowledge?""Nah? My methods are far removed from conventional ones, but I'll teach them carefully, hand-in-hand, and nurture them properly."
And I'll treat those who come carefully, of course.I want them to approach their work with a sense of purpose rather than reluctance, so I'll pay proper wages!I'll aim to avoid overtime as much as possible.
"And well, they did say something about wanting to earn a bit more last time I went."
I was helped in various ways by Jinx-san and Teresa-san when I first came to this world.They let me stay in the stable, provided meals.
I heard later they had talked to the shopping district folks to ensure I wasn't mistaken for a street child.
So, I want those people who treated me normally to have a good life, even if just a little.I want to repay their kindness by paying generous salaries.
"Anyway, for a while, I'll be focusing on scouting the shopping district folks."
Though I might have an ulterior motive, hoping they'll move since I'll definitely make it a comfortable town to live in.
"First is probably Jinx-san and Teresa-san's place. If I can persuade those two, it seems like various people might respond to the scouting like a chain reaction.""I wonder if we can persuade Dad... He said he worked hard to open that shop.""If it's impossible, then it can't be helped. In that case, we'll have the merchants in the town I build trade with them."
I don't intend to bring them here while ignoring their attachment.But a stance of 'I'd be happy if you came' is just right.
Well, I'll go all out with genuine enthusiasm in the scouting.
"...Liberta, I just realized something.""Yes, what is it, Claudia-san?""This town seems like it will become quite large, but by your estimate, how long do you plan for its construction?"
Right after deciding on the scouting, Claudia, who was looking at the town blueprint, asked with a serious face.
Huh? Why is she asking that?
"...Indeed, I forgot because it's Liberta. Normally, building a town of this scale would require mobilizing thousands, no, over ten thousand people, taking ten years, no, given that frontier land, it would be a project taking twenty years."
Ah— she's concerned about the construction period.Well, with normal methods, this town plan would require a life-gambling level of resolve to complete.I understand being worried about that.
"Liberta. Even we, who have recently been somewhat assimilated to your common sense, are like that, but the shopping district folks are not. No matter how detailed a plan you show them, it will only seem absurd to them."
I was about to answer that, but Claudia's words, which came out first, made me unintentionally utter, "Ah." Indeed, Claudia is right.No matter how passionately I speak, it's ultimately just a pipe dream.
If they laugh it off, that would be the better outcome.
"Then, seeing is believing?"
In that case, showing them firsthand is quicker.
"Hmm, how many work golems did we ask Dark-san and the others to make again?"
Let's amaze Jinx-san and the others and get their cooperation that way.