Volume 4 Chapter 24 Negotiation
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Four months have passed since the development of Estfort began, and aside from the original garrison, walls have risen in what was once a meadow, streets have been paved, and the sounds of hammers building shops and homes for the residents echo throughout.
In the development rush of Estfort, the initial population of just under a thousand has swelled to over 5 thousand due to soldiers, their families, and construction workers, making the barracks insufficient, prompting the mobilization of the army to rapidly construct new multi-story apartment buildings.
Furthermore, the Estfort army has been upgraded from my private force to a regular army of a thousand under the kingdom, with the decision made to provide salaries from the state.
Moreover, it seems they will generously cover the entire salary I had been paying.
According to my mother-in-law and Kondrad, the salaries I provided to the soldiers and officers were about 20 percent higher than the average salary in the royal capital, and since there was no skimming on my part, those transferred from the dispatched army expressed opinions like, “The amount is wrong,” and “There’s no way it’s this much,” to Kondrad and the others.
For my part, I paid the soldiers slightly more than the average salary of ten silver coins for workers at Abyss Vena, giving them 12 silver coins.
For the officers, I provided 2 large silver coins for squad leaders, 3 for company commanders, and 5 for battalion commanders, but I never felt I was paying excessively.
In particular, I wanted to give bonuses to the battalion commanders like Kondrad, Fristoph, Akebus, and Ane, who were entrusted with military duties, and I was considering rewards for the soldiers and officers who performed well during the crack battle.
When I consulted my mother-in-law and the bureaucrats about this, the majority opinion was to redirect funds towards acquiring talent rather than rewards, so it was decided to limit the bonuses to the team that succeeded in defeating the ‘another world monster.’
This time, the regularization of the Estfort army seems to be a reward sought by my father-in-law in exchange for Gertroud’s custody and the western garrison, reflecting the need to cover up the kingdom’s army’s 2 failures in the south.
So, my father-in-law said, “Don”t be shy, take as many as a thousand,” and I decided to go for the full allocation of a thousand in funding.
However, in reality, there are only about 5 hundred, so I registered the families of the soldiers to fill in the remaining 5 hundred.
When I asked my father-in-law, I was told that for General-class officers in the military, it is common practice to account for fictitious personnel costs and pool the fictitious amount as their own assets.
But, I’m not interested in asset building, so I plan to use the pooled funds this time for military equipment expansion and construction funds for the military base.
Furthermore, it seems I will be conferred the title of General in recognition of my achievements this time.
I have transitioned from ‘Southern General’ to ‘Southern Pacification General,’ obtaining the role of second-in-command in the southern army.
Although my father-in-law is the overall commander of the military in the south, it seems he intends to hand over the southern forces to me.
Currently, the southern military should have 5 thousand stationed troops, destroyed by Karvai, but on paper, my father-in-law’s army is one thousand 5 hundred, my army is one thousand, and Felward Fortress holds 5 hundred, totaling 3 thousand.
The southern deployment force led by Gertroud at the western garrison, while under the chain of command of the central army, has its command authority recognized by my father-in-law, the supreme commander of the southern army.
This is why the drastic measure of transfer could be employed as a recruitment strategy.
It seems that Gertroud, after the arrival of the second deployment team, has returned from my father-in-law’s residence to the western garrison and has begun to take control of the military.
Gertroud appears to have learned from the recent failure, but the troops dispatched this time are inexperienced, and many of the officers are from races other than the Asura Clan, causing difficulties in his control efforts, as I heard from my father-in-law.
And I, along with mother-in-law and military leaders, Milly, Giuliana, Kerstin, and others from each Hunting Group, are scrutinizing the military personnel roster of the second deployment team received from my father-in-law while devising plans for talent acquisition.
”This time, there are few with Combat Jobs among the troops. It’s as if it’s a gathering of amateurs.”
Looking at the military roster, I thought most of the soldiers have general jobs like Cooking, Stone Mason, Farmer, Lumberjack, traders, and Sailors.
”This… they might have gathered the unemployed from the royal capital and sent them here… The capital is experiencing economic troubles due to His Majesty Shifa’s preferential policies for the Asura Clan, resulting in many unemployed… Perhaps they were sent to the south as troublemakers.”
My mother-in-law sighed as she looked at the military roster.
She seems stunned by the foolishness of her ex-husband’s actions.
”But it’s good, isn’t it? Estfort is looking for labor, and the situation is such that they’d want to borrow anyone’s help.”
Kerstin suggested that the novice soldiers could be utilized for the development of Estfort.
Indeed, with the construction boom and the jobs starting for logistics, Estfort is experiencing a wage increase due to the competition for workers.
The workforce shortage is also becoming more pronounced in Abyss Vena, making it hard to gather people.
There were many traders who wanted to hire inexperienced novices.
”True, if they have no criminal record, we should actively recruit them and make them our residents. However, since there are also considerations with my father-in-law, let’s start by hiring about 5 hundred.”
”That sounds good. I think my father-in-law would want soldiers too, as he seems to want to organize a patrol team.”
Milly mentioned that my father-in-law is considering the establishment of a patrol team.
The patrol team is a public hunter that goes around the southern villages to hunt monsters.
Previously, it was handled by the southern stationed army, but after their destruction, it has not been done, leading to multiple pleas from the residents.
”A patrol team, huh? We have ‘Red Valkyrie’, ‘Black Bullet’, and ‘Crimson Bride’, so it seems unnecessary for us, but your father-in-law has it tough.”
It would be good if the village could issue quests to hunters, but the poorer villages were the ones that had been issuing quests to the patrol team.
Therefore, the demand for the patrol team seems to be high.
”Estfort is like my ‘Red Valkyrie’, a kind of patrol team. Thanks to that, I am able to gain practical experience.”
In Estfort, first, Giuliana is dispatching members of ‘Red Valkyrie’ to the location of the quest to hunt down monsters.
If it’s a strong monster, it’s my or Kerstin’s turn to step in.
”But recently, we haven’t seen many strong individuals in the vicinity. Could it be thanks to the progress in hunting?”
As Kerstin mentioned, it has become rare for strong individuals to appear nearby, and with the decrease in prey, the Advanced-level hunters of Abyss Vena have begun exploring the southern regions.
”Since Estfort was developed, it’s become harder for magic elements to accumulate. I believe it’s also due to the large invasion where many strong individuals were hunted down.”
In addition to the large invasion where many strong monsters around Abyss Vena were hunted, the forests and grasslands that used to accumulate magic elements have also decreased due to the development of towns and streets.
Milly speculated that these results are likely connected to the current situation.
While I’m happy that the number of monsters has decreased in Estfort, as a hunter, I think the distant hunting grounds will be a drawback.
”I think hunters will shift to the southern regions from now on. Therefore, I plan to operate a carriage connecting the ‘Hunters’ Nest’ guild facility under construction in Estfort to the relay points in the southern regions.”
”Relay points? Are there such places in the southern regions?”
I raised a question mark at my mother-in-law’s words.
”There are. It needs a bit of maintenance, but after the closure of the crack in space, I had Mr. Akebus and Mr. Fristoph check it out during the exploration.”
”Where?”
”In the abandoned Godard village. My lord.”
Akebus reported to me with a nostalgic expression.
Under my mother-in-law’s orders, the two who surveyed Godard village reported that with some renovations to the water trenches and facilities, it could function adequately as a relay point in the southern region.
They also mentioned that now, with the decrease in monsters due to the large invasion, it is a chance for renovations.
”Godard Village, huh… it’s also a supply route to Felward Fortress… Mother-in-law, is the material preparation ready?”
”It’s done. We’re just waiting for Mr. Kent’s instructions.”
I gave the go-ahead for the reconstruction of Godard Village to enhance the convenience for the hunters and to honor Akebus’s achievements.
However, it seems Mother-in-law has decided against sending a permanent military force and will only prepare it as an emergency refuge for the hunters.
Still, it appeared that Akebus was pleased about the revival of Godard Village and volunteered for the dispatch team for its reconstruction.
”My lord, please entrust me with the reconstruction of Godard Village. Since it’s my familiar land, I can fulfill my duties adequately.”
”Very well, Akebus. I entrust you with the reconstruction of Godard Village, the relay base for the southern region. However, do not overexert yourself. Retreat if it becomes dangerous. This I command you strictly.”
”Ha ha, I will not waste your lordship’s consideration.”
With this, I can prepare a foothold into the depths of the southern region, and I can expect the hunters to flow into Estfort.
”Now, we’ve strayed quite a bit, but shall we return to the main topic? I will withdraw 5 hundred troops. As planned, Mother-in-law, with your [Talent Discovery] Skill, competent individuals will be military personnel, and others can be assigned to different jobs, is that acceptable?”
””””No objections””””
”Then, what about the officers? Looking at the military roster, there are many young officers, but hardly any middle-aged ones…”
As I looked through the military roster, there were many officers who had just started their careers in their teens to twenties.
Moreover, the ratio of female officers had increased compared to the last time.
Footnote:
- “General-class officers”: high-ranking officers in the military.
- “Fictitious personnel costs”: common practice in the military where officers account for fake personnel costs and pool the funds as their own assets.
- “Southern Pacification General”: a title conferred upon Kent in recognition of his achievements.
- “Hunters’ Nest”: a guild facility being constructed in Estfort for hunters.
- “Felward Fortress” is a fortress located in the southern region.
- “Godard village”: an abandoned village in the southern region that will be reconstructed as a relay point for hunters.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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