Episode 24 — The Current State of Felsen
The construction of the garrison started that same day, and by the next morning, it was already finished.
Apparently the craftsmen and mages reinforced it together.
(...They really built it in one day.)
“Hey, Gustav. What kind of place is Felsen anyway?”
I asked while sitting on the sofa as Gustav came to report the completion.
He straightened his back like he was about to give a royal briefing.
“Y‑yes! Then allow me to explain, Master Zect!”
(You don’t have to be that formal… but fine.)
According to Gustav, Felsen sat at the northernmost edge of the Almeria continent, in the northern frontier of the Valmeria Kingdom.
Valmeria faced the sea to the south and east, and the capital was located far to the south.
Felsen lay at the end of the northern highway, and beyond it—past the Black Forest—was the demon territory of Darglea.
To the east was the misty Forest of Ern, and to the west the Blackiron Mountains.
Basically, the place was a natural fortress.
I thought it was just countryside, but apparently Felsen had long‑running mines and a strong blacksmithing tradition.
Descendants of dwarves who settled here ages ago still lived in the region, and their weapons and tools were said to be better than those made in the capital.
They had resources and skill—but couldn’t fully utilize them.
On top of that, the only trade route connecting the capital and the demon lands—the Northern Trade Road—ran right through Felsen.
It used to be a major trading hub.
(...So the location is insanely good. That’s convenient.)
The economy centered on agriculture and trade.
Agriculture was decent, the mines were rich, but manpower shortages kept production low.
Three years ago, during the “Gray Winter,” a massive demon invasion cut off trade and froze the economy.
(A trade city, huh… That’s nothing but improvement potential.)
Politically, the kingdom treated Felsen as “the frontier.”
Despite its military importance, its budget was tiny.
The nobles in the capital disliked Gustav, so support rarely reached him.
(Ah… classic. The competent guy on the ground gets sabotaged by the higher‑ups.)
I asked something that had been on my mind.
“Gustav, does Felsen even have a budget?”
Gustav lowered his brows apologetically.
“…We do. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say the funds remain unused.
Support from the capital rarely arrives, but the mines and blacksmiths generate steady revenue.
So if we decide on how to use it, we actually have plenty of money.”
(So they have money, but no system or breathing room to use it.)
Gustav continued.
“The knight order is technically part of the kingdom’s army, but in practice, we operate entirely on Felsen’s own budget.
Equipment, training costs—everything is paid from here.”
Bartos bowed his head deeply.
“Master Zect, we possess only the bare minimum of equipment, but our resolve to protect this land has never wavered!”
(Why does he look so serious…? That makes it harder to respond.)
Gustav spoke quietly.
“So it is not that we lack funds. Rather, we lacked the direction to use them.
If we had a clear path, we could push reforms forward quickly.
But… I lacked the ability to show that path.”
(...No, you have plenty of ways to use it. Especially for my points.)
I thought for a moment, then said what came to mind.
“…Let’s rebuild the town.”
Gustav blinked.
“…Rebuild… the entire town?”
Bartos froze with his mouth open.
“M‑Master Zect… the whole town…?”
(Why are they that shocked? Old towns are inconvenient. Starting fresh is faster.)
I shrugged.
“You’ve got plenty of land, right? Then you don’t need to destroy the current town.
Just build a new one somewhere else and move people later.
If you can build a garrison in one day, you might as well start from scratch.”
Gustav inhaled sharply.
“…Construct a new city first, then relocate gradually…
It is… possible. However…”
“Manpower?”
“Yes. Urban development requires a large workforce.
If we could use golems powered by the mages’ magic, it would be easy, but…”
Gustav made a bitter face.
“…We lack magic stones. High‑purity stones are required to power golems, but Felsen has almost none left.
And with trade halted, acquiring more is difficult…”
I stretched lightly.
“Alright. Take this back and think about the budget.
I’ll work on the city plan. After the garrison settles down, we’ll start.”
Gustav bowed deeply.
“…Understood. I will make your vision a reality, Master Zect.”
Bartos placed a hand on his chest and bowed as well.
“The knight order will give its full support!”
(You don’t have to make it sound that dramatic…)
Tama tapped my knee with her tail.
“Mew. (Magic stones… what even are those?)”
NEXT→