Kays Translations

Chapter 143: When in Trouble, Consult Your Father-in-law

There’s no time like the present.

Rest decided to tackle a job he would rather not do… the development of the Sabnock Plains.

Ideally, this should be led by the central government, but the current royal family is overwhelmed with cleaning up after the civil war and dealing with diplomatic issues.

If they hesitate, a new “Lord of the Monster Territory” might emerge to replace Sabnock, so Rest decided to start ahead of time.

Rest had already been granted land as a reward for his various achievements.

Even if he developed his own land, the royal family wouldn’t blame him.

The land given to Rest was the entire northern part of the Sabnock Plains. In terms of size alone, it rivaled that of a marquis, not just a count.

Since the Rosemary Marquis family and their subordinate nobles held land in the northern part of the kingdom, if the development was successful, they could connect it with a highway from the north.

(It seems the royal family considered this location carefully…)

“Rest, my boy. There are several things you need to develop uncharted territory.”

In the study of Marquis Rosemary, Rest’s father-in-law, Albert Rosemary, clasped his hands on the desk and spoke.

Albert’s eyes, busy with the aftermath of the civil war, were dark with heavy bags. 

He must have been extremely busy. Rest felt guilty for bringing extra trouble to him.

“First is ‘money.’ You’ll need capital for development. You’ve already cleared this hurdle.”

“Yes… the royal family provided me with an enormous sum.”

The subjugation of the monster Sabnock, his valor in the civil war, and the inheritance from Rodel had brought an unprecedented amount of money to Rest.

He was so restless about it that he wanted to spend it quickly, a luxurious dilemma indeed.

“Next is ‘people.’ You’ll need soldiers to protect the territory from monsters, officials to handle administrative work, farmers to cultivate fields, craftsmen to build structures and walls, and laborers to transport materials… Developing a plain is different from creating a village. It will require a lot of manpower.”

“Yes, indeed… I can’t manage that on my own.”

“Well, if you don’t mind spending some money, gathering manpower won’t be difficult. If you give me some funds, I’ll order Dibble to recruit people.”

“Thank you very much, please do!”

Rest was sincerely grateful.

He could trust his father-in-law, Albert, and his mentor, Dibble.

If allowed, he even felt like handing over all the money he received from the royal family.

“The issue will be the officials… but the royal family should be able to spare some people. Despite the civil war, there are still some idle hands in the castle.”

“Are there really idle people at a time like this?”

“Yes… people from the Dowager Queen’s faction.”

“Huh…?”

Rest was puzzled. He thought the Dowager Queen’s faction had been wiped out.

“The family is large… even the farthest members had nothing to do with the civil war. Most of them declared their neutrality and left the family, becoming commoners. However, they were still stripped of important positions because they belonged to the family of rebels.”

They were also victims.

Third and fourth sons who couldn’t inherit the family estate came to the capital to make a name for themselves, worked hard to get a job at the royal palace, only to have their family or relatives rebel and become members of a traitorous clan.

“Some of my subordinates… court magicians, are among them. They resent their families, saying things like, ‘They never supported me when I tried to be independent, so why do I have to bear the stigma?'”

“That’s rough…”

“Their resentment is directed at their foolish families, not at you, Rest. If you hire them as officials, the royal family would probably be pleased.”

“…Well, I’ll leave the personnel selection to you. I don’t understand the palace’s inner workings.”

However… if Albert and Dibble are gathering the manpower, what should Rest do?

It would be uncomfortable to leave everything to others and do nothing himself.

“But you have important tasks, Rest… Monster hunting and securing outposts.”

“Monster hunting and securing outposts…”

“Even though the Lord of the Monster territory has been defeated, the Sabnock Plains remain a monster territory. You need to exterminate the monsters and secure the initial outposts for the development… that’s your job.”

Albert said this while rubbing his dark-circled eyes with his fingers.

“I can lend you some magicians from the Rosemary Marquis family, and you might also recruit some personnel from the academy. As long as you’re alive, even if you fail, you can try again. Do as you see fit.”

“Understood. I’ll take on the challenge.”

Rest nodded deeply at Albert’s words.

Securing outposts aside, monster hunting was his specialty.

Of course, defeating the monsters over such a vast territory and ensuring enough safety wouldn’t be easy.

(That means I can’t do it alone. I need collaborators. If I go to the academy, I might gather some candidates…)

To take the first step in the development and gather collaborators, Rest decided to return to the academy.

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