Chapter 55 – Beginning the development of the Baumeister Earldom

Finishing the handling of the various uproars and incidents in relation to my family’s home, we finally started the development of the Savage Lands.
I, who was given the majority of the Savage Lands, became Earl Baumeister upon the royal family’s decree and became the successor of the head family.
Although it’s a minor detail, it would turn into a strange situation of an Earl household becoming a branch family with a Knight household, which was succeeded by Herman-nii-san, being the head family, if this wasn’t done.
Occasionally there will be an alternation between the main family and the branch family.
Although those are the ups and downs of life in the flow of time, since it has been designated this way only for the sake of telling apart fellow noble households with strong blood ties, there won’t be any particular change in anything because of that.
Since it’s substantially a different noble household, there won’t be any legal liability even if one side commits a crime.
As there are many cases of being indebted to family members and such as way to keep the household safe, you could even call it a kind of insurance for noble households.
In case that there are no children, it also often happens that son-in-laws are ushered in.
In the Savage Lands south of the mountain range I, being an Earl, am the patron of the head family.
Whereas Herman-nii-san, who’s scheduled to become a Baron in future, has inherited the former Baumeister main family and Paul-nii-san has obtained a branching Associate Baron household.
And, it is also planned for Amelie-sister-in-law-san’s children to receive Knight territories in the future.
However, my nephews won’t be called by the Baumeister surname.
It was decided that they would use the surname Mainbach, which is Amelie-sister-in-law-san’s maiden name.
They will receive retainers from the Mainbach family as well.
As their rights were gone thanks to Kurt, it has become necessary to consider such things.
Also, as for Amelie-sister-in-law-san’s treatment, she will stay in order to bring up her children.

『You are still young. Won’t you reconsider remarrying or such?』

『Something like remarrying after getting divorced and having even given birth to two children… being a second wife is a great way to retire, no? If things don’t go well, I will become at most the mistress of a merchant. I won’t marry anymore. I have to properly raise the children.』 (Amelie)

Given that she is worried about them becoming like Kurt, she is diligently teaching them writing and calculation.

『Besides, I can’t go back, can I? What shall I tell my parents…?』 (Amelie)

From the Mainbach household’s view, the recent disgrace of Kurt should have been a bolt out of the blue.
Although they would have profited with their daughter having married into the Baumeister territory, which will be enriched with the development of the Savage Lands, if it was a normal interaction between nobles, their married daughter became the ex-wife of the perpetrator of an attempted assassination now.
Of course that doesn’t mean that they want something like an under-the-table pay-off in this situation.
Even if Amelie-sister-in-law-san returns, she’s bound to feel like nothing more than a nuisance to them.

『I will move together with father-in-law-sama and mother-in-law-sama to Paul-sama’ new territory.』 (Amelie)

Father had retired, but with it being awkward for Herman-nii-san if he stayed in the Baumeister territory, it had been decided that they would transfer to the territory, where Paul-nii-san has started development.
Given that Paul-nii-san’s territory is starting completely from scratch, he should be able to make use of father’s experience as territorial lord as well.
Also, it had been arranged that the family members of those, who participated in the attack against me together with Kurt, immigrated together.
Probably they might be the biggest victims here.
They suddenly were told that their grandfathers and fathers were accomplices in an attempted assassination plot against a noble.
Because the accomplices participated in absolute secrecy, they didn’t consult about it with their families etc. at all.
Although it wasn’t something you could easily discuss with your family either, the masters of the households weren’t alive anymore at the time the families got to know about this.
Besides, it’s the same in any world that the family members of a criminal receive prejudices from their surroundings.
In order to avoid that, it was decided that they would immigrate to a new territory.
Though it’s only Paul-nii-san’s new territory next door.
According to the examinations, it has a belt of wetlands that can be turned into excellent paddy fields. I plan to finish things like reclamation as fast as possible with magic.
Buildings like houses and such would be relocated by Baron Rembrandt once again.

『Recently Earl Baumeister-han is quite in a hurry.』 (Rembrandt)

It was the same strange Kansai dialect, but it looks like Finance Minister Rückner requested him to prioritize us in his work.
If he doesn’t do at least this much, there’s the possibility of a large share of his concessions being shaved off due to the case with his younger brother.

『We will go out to play and get some souvenirs as well.』

『Please do so by all means. Regarding those children, it will be fine as Earl Baumeister-sama is a dragon-slaying hero.』

『Though there is also the revenge for the parricide.』

『About this, we will properly tell them once they become bigger.』

After making sure that father, mother and Amelie-sister-in-law-san’s group moved to Paul-nii-san’s new barony, we begin the development of the Baumeister Earldom at last.
The very first thing we had to do was to decide where to place the stronghold of the Earldom.

『Will you establish it at the coast?』

『No, I will pass on that because it will be divided into parts by the Demon Forest.』

There were many opinions favoring the coast like Ina said, but with the nature of the Demon Forest, it would be a situation, where it would be difficult to secure a spacious plot of land.
If you consider the future, the coast will be troublesome.
Accordingly I have decided to create it at the central plain making immigration by magic airships possible.
As it is an empty grassland with a firm ground and foreseeing a time when the population will grow larger than Breitburg, we will create a city organized in blocks.
And next to it we will also build a harbor capable of handling several large and small magic airships.
Building one along the coast as well, it will become convenient to move within the territory by building small ports in the inland areas.
Luckily there were magic airships.
Given that several ships were available due to the underground ruins exploration, there isn’t any kind of problem to create new courses either.
The Capital~Breitburg~Baulburg course takes one week per flight.
Furthermore, this Baulburg is the name of the central city established as base in the Baumeister Earldom.
The name is in a vague, fake German style. I believe it to be the naming sense of the important people in the central government.
Also, although it is small-sized, it was decided that there would be 3 regular flights per week with relatively big ships from Breitburg.
Currently they are hurrying the expansion of the harbor in Breitburg.
Even within the Baumeister Earldom the first act is to build ports dedicated to small ships at around 10 places, where relatively large cities will be built. It has been arranged that small magic airships will start operation as quickly as possible.
They will be used to transport the necessary materials for the development.
The ships and personnel will be provided by the kingdom. With the ships being purchased, it has been arranged that rookies hired by me will be trained by veteran soldiers of the air force as personnel.
In the future they want them to be independently operated by the Earl Baumeister household with the exception of large ships.
Also, due to the construction of normal roads, marine ports will be necessary as well.
Once we establish those, freight will be transported via ferry services from other feudal domains in the south.
Even the nobles, possessing territory at the western and eastern coasts, are largely hoping for an increase in commerce.
They would immediately send out workers and such to help in the construction work.
Moreover, that construction work is also necessary for things like big rivers within the territory, which has places that get easily flooded, if there’s a heavy rain fall.
It’s also indispensable to maintain the roads leading from Baulburg to the Baumeister Barony, which became the new territory of Herman-nii-san, and to the Barony, being developed by Paul-nii-san, as well as the other roads leading to other sites, where there are plans to establish a city.

『Just looking at the projects, it will take a very long time.』

『If you consider it normally, that’s probably true.』

Roderich, who is to become my head retainer as governor, shifts through the development plans, which were piled up in large quantities on top of my desk. Next to those there was a pile of documents, which was around three times as tall as the previous one, related to financial and human affairs.
It was an amount of documents at a level I didn’t see even at the time when I worked at the trading company in my previous life.
My self-defense instinct is quick. The words I spin from my mouth are 『Do your best, Roderich!』

『The development will start once the assistance and referred personnel arrives.』

First I plan to build a huge residence made of stone, which will also function as government office, on the ground, where we intend to establish Baulburg.
Also, in addition, the port for the magic airships will be constructed in the established city, which allowed extensions into the surroundings.

『Anyway, if this isn’t finished, we won’t be able to start either.』

Roderich tightly grasped my shoulders hindering me, who tried to go hunting in the Demon Forest.

『There are compulsory requests for master to shorten the construction time.』 (Roderich)

『Wait! I’m a member of the adventurer’s guild!』 (Wendelin)

『Haven’t you also registered at the engineering guild at the time of developing the Knight Baumeister territory, master?』 (Roderich)

Although the launching of all kinds of guild branches was still a matter in the future, the formalities and such will become lax afterwards.

『Of course, you will be paid a request fee.』 (Roderich)

『Roderich, you know…』 (Wendelin)

In the end, without being able to refuse, I immersed myself in the work of soil preparation at the site, where the construction of Baulburg is planned.
With the instructions of Roderich and the newly hired retainer, who’s well-informed in architecture, I level a vast plain with magic. I mark things like the main roads, the blocks and the plot of the mansion, which would also serve as government office.
Moreover, determining the location of the harbor for magic airships close-by, I transferred with teleportation to a certain place and took stones continuously.

『I see, it seems you have collected a nice amount of stones.』

In a certain place in the Savage Lands there is a rocky area, which has no minerals and where you can gather good stones. I led Roderich’s group there.

『So, how many are necessary?』 (Wendelin)

『As many as possible!』 (Roderich)

『…』 (Wendelin)

Because of Roderich’s unreasonable demand, I begin to collect stones.
The large stones are cut up by Wind Cutter, which is a spell of the wind magic attribute.
The small stones have their shape adjusted with Water Cutter, which is an original spell of the water magic attribute.
I invented this Water Cutter spell with the hint of having seen a machine cutting material with water pressure in my previous life.
And, once I collected a certain amount of processed and completed stones, I place them in the magic bag and unload them at the stone storehouse, located at the planned Baulburg construction place.

After around three days of doing soil preparation and area assignment at the same time, the construction work of Baulburg has slowly begun.
Even without a harbor, magic airships can at least lower cargo and people, if the area is flat, as long as it isn’t a large ship.
Without delay, the first group began the foundation works of the Baumeister residence while building provisional houses for the workers at the same time.
Even if you call it a residence, since it’s scheduled to become something close to a castle, also serving as defense base in emergencies, they started the construction of the foundation after digging a moat in the ground.

『Master, the construction of the foundation will take too much time. It’s a compulsory request.』 (Roderich) (T/N: Lol; E: I’d teleport him somewhere isolated and take a day-vacation!)

『You…』 (Wendelin)

According to Roderich it has been decided to dig a hole that will be filled with a huge, solid foundation.
However, Roderich became bold as well.
At the time he learned about being arbitrarily recognized by the former Baron Rückner, he bluntly declared 『The me has not a single drop of blood of that man flowing in my veins.』
It was to the degree of him stating 『No thanks to the peerage and assets.』
In the end the Baron Rückner household was discontinued and his worries were pointless because the assets were confiscated as well.

『Though, wouldn’t it have been better if you had accepted Baron Rückner’s assets?』 (Wendelin)

『By no means. I don’t want a single cent of the money touched by that man.』 (Roderich)

With his mother being the daughter of a merchant, he was a man with a superior sense of economy, but in only that case he won’t yield.
However, he likely considered that it might be bad for Minister Rückner in the future, too.
Paying with his own money, he apparently handed over cash he had gathered to some extent.

『Also, there’s the creation of the central road which will become the main street of the city.』 (Roderich)

『You know…』 (Wendelin)

Since it’s work no matter what, I prepare a road with engineering magic and dig a drainage gutter for rain water on both sides.
Afterwards the hired workers spread out stones and fill the gaps with concrete.
To put it simply, I’m only doing the rough parts. The remaining, detailed work ends up being done with human-wave tactics.

『Having master is a large benefit.』 (Roderich)

『Is that so?』 (Wendelin)

Speaking of the financial part, I have entrusted the majority of the money to Roderich, but it’s still my assets.
Therefore, if I do engineering work, Roderich will pay the request fee from my assets, which will become my asset.
Probably there shouldn’t be any nobles, who experience such odd situation.
I think it’s all well if I simply split the assets of the Earl Baumeister household and my personal assets, but nobles don’t seem to have such way of thinking.
There are integer nobles, who determine their own spending money, however the majority of it gradually dissipated by itself through spending the money in their territory’s administration.

『The construction work is progressing quickly. I don’t mean that we won’t employ other people. Although the expenses decrease, it means that it will be fine, if we accelerate the second stage of the project accordingly. But, isn’t something strange?』 (Wendelin)

『Master. Tomorrow it will be the construction work for the rivers streaming nearby.』 (Roderich)

Saying this, Roderich gives me the blueprints. Naturally the concept of flood control exits in this world as well.
Altering the flow of a river, dredging the riverbed, creating anti-flood ponds and constructing an embankment.
It shouldn’t be too different from those done by countries and areas in the past and present earth.
Also, since we would spread irrigation channels in Baulburg, it was necessary to build the foundations for that too.

『Is it fine if I do it like this?』 (Wendelin)

『Yes. People will be dispatched in future for the detailed maintenance work and such.』 (Roderich)

Even here there’s no change to the basic modus of me doing the rough parts and the rest being handled with human-wave tactics.

『As we will do that tomorrow, the first thing is the road construction and soil preparation in Baulburg.』

As result of my earnest efforts, Baulburg’s soil preparation finished after around three days.
However, at the current point in time there wasn’t anything but a simple, vast plain with roads, that aren’t paved, stretching and intersecting.
The only exceptions are the stone-made residence, which is under construction, the temporary housings, where those concerned with the construction work are staying at, and a small amount of buildings, which were relocated by Baron Rembrandt.
Although merchants on small magic airships immediately appeared aiming at the construction staff, they were selling their merchandise by placing it on top of mats.

『It’s the first group of recruited guards, but they are more elite than expected.』

That’s probably only natural since it’s only personnel recommended by Minister Edgar, who went as far as marrying off his adopted daughter, Wilma.
On top of being properly drilled in a military family, they have been continuing until they retired from the army or being a guard.
Since it’s the first group, it also included the aspect of them being candidates for the upper echelons of the Baumeister feudal army, which will be established in the future. They would patrol for the sake of keeping the public order, actively hunt for the sake of protecting the construction workers from wild animals and even help with the construction under the pretext of training military engineering.

『Wild animals, huh? There are many ferocious ones as well.』 (Wendelin)

『Accordingly, I have a request.』 (Roderich)

『Are you serious….?』 (Wendelin)

In the end the requests increase to make a temporary mud wall to avoid wild animals as part of the outer wall planned to be built-in order to protect Baulburg. I end up being unable to return to the mansion on this day because of running out of mana.
These earth walls will be later replaced by stone walls.
The cutting and carrying of the stone will likely become my work.

『There are temporary housings.』 (Roderich)

『You are a demon (T/N: oni), Roderich.』 (Wendelin)

Given that it can’t be helped that I can’t go home, I decide to stay at the temporary housings today.
The nights in the Savage Lands don’t get cold. Even if you call them temporary housings, it was only tents made out of fur-lined up for the share of people, but I didn’t mind since I’m an adventurer.
Even the bathing was at the level of wiping the body with water drawn from a river by the guards.
Only I cleaned my body using purification magic with the scarce mana remaining, however this much of privilege should be permitted. The meal was prepared by the hired cooks with the help of guards skilled in cooking.
They bake large amounts of bread and cook large amounts of rice.
As soup they prepare miso with lots of vegetables and they prepare meat and fish, which was stuffed in the general-purpose magic bag I lent to Roderich. The guards dismantle the game they hunted in order to exterminate the wild animals around here and it’s served roasted after seasoning it with salt and miso.
Afterwards there’s also a dessert made out of only fruits. Those of the guard members, who don’t have night patrol, took out sake as well.
However, the amount per person was decreased due to how much could be transported here.

『Even so, you are popular because they can drink sake.』

Night of that day I had a talk with Roderich and the main officers of the guards while eating our meal.
As it was such circumstances, all of us had the same menu, but they ate without being particularly bothered by it.

『It’s a feast, if you compare it to our usual meals.』

『Eeh! Is that so?』 (Wendelin)

『Quantity is more important than quality in the army and guard troops.』

Come to think of it, previously, at the time I received favors at the garrison of the army for the subjugation of Grade Grande, only the amount was large. I recall them providing meals with a questionable taste.

『It’s because buying miso and salt in the capital is expensive. Up until this day, the army and guard troops don’t season their meals with anything but salt.』

The officer candidates all left the army or guard troops and had their fair share of troubles with disgusting meals.

『The family of Tristan has it good in that aspect. His family’s home is wealthy.』

『Something like splendid dishes appearing, like everyone’s believing, isn’t happening. It’s different though when the family puts on airs for stuff like parties etc.』 (Tristan)

Actually, this Tristan is a young man in the first half of his twenties. I hear that he’s the fourth son of Minister Edgar.
Moreover, with his mother being a concubine, he would have wasted away in the army.
Following his father’s recommendation, he applied at the recent recruitment.
Given that Minister Edgar wrote a letter of introduction ahead of time, there was no worry that he would fail in the first place.

『Noble households of the military affairs group usually don’t eat too luxurious feasts. You guys should know that as well.』 (Tristan)

The nobles related with military affairs forge their bodies and thus don’t indulge in overly luxurious meals, with the exception of parties.
It was also to save money, but the nobles of military affairs and their youths won’t receive excessively nice impressions from outside, if they become fat.
Especially those people, who have successful careers, will impact their own promotions if their appearance isn’t proper at things like ceremonial parades, that happen periodically.
I think there’s no relation between the build and ability of a soldier, but such people will advance to courses for staff officers and supply units.
It was also possible to be successful there, however a soldier has to swing their sword at the front while young. It seemed there was a pattern of them becoming commanders once they grew old to some extent.
Just that in those 200 years there weren’t very many opportunities for commanders to shine, except at maneuvers.

『Tristan, your family is a Marquis household. I thought they would be an exception.』

『That old man won’t do such wasteful things.』 (Tristan)

『Certainly, that’s just like Minister Edgar.』

『Master, I’m not cunning like my father.』 (Tristan)

The craftiness, Tristan talks about, is likely about the case of Minister Edgar, who is his father, pushing his own adopted daughter, Wilma, onto me as concubine.

『Despite that girl still not being of age, father did such high-handed thing.』 (Tristan)

『That means that Tristan-san will become my brother-in-law?』 (Wendelin)

『Master, you don’t have to call me here with honorifics. Pretty much it will turn out like that though. That girl is an adopted daughter. I think it would be better to not worry too much about it.』 (Tristan)

Although our relation would have become a little deeper, if he had pushed his real daughter onto me, they can also keep a delicate distance, if it is a daughter-in-law.
That might be their calculation here.
Likely there might also be considerations towards Cardinal Hohenheim.
He is a muscled daruma, you shouldn’t underestimate too much.

『Even if he had his real daughter marry you, this and at least the next generation are connected by family ties.』

Noble households with a long history are repeatedly marrying with other noble households.
Therefore, given that it would be endless, if they worried about something like the relatives from an elder generation, they seem to have the perception of being unrelated with them.

『Having said that, nobles will also drag out old stories, if there’s something to negotiate.』 (Roderich)

Certainly it is as Roderich says, there will probably be such cases as well.

『Each time the number of wives increases, the troubles increase too… by the way, what happened to my marriage ceremony?』 (Wendelin)

『Postponed.』 (Roderich)

I already became an adult. Though I believe that the central government’s nobles won’t get impatient, the matter about postponing the ceremony for a while unexpectedly also came out from Roderich’s mouth.

『Why?』 (Wendelin)

『Since you took hold of a territory at great pains, it’s a matter of performing it after the mansion has been completed.』 (Roderich)

『Mansion, you say…』 (Wendelin)

Since the foundation is still under construction, I feel like it will be quite in the future, if I calculate the time needed for completion.

『Going by the plans, it will be performed at the time you approach your 16th birthday, master.』 (Roderich)

Around that time Wilma should be becoming 14 years.
It will be better than 13 years, is what Minister Edgar, etc. might have thought.

『Also, I believe the spare time will give the other nobles a chance to promote their own concubines.』 (Roderich)

That’s an extremely bothersome story.
I, who has the experience to find even one girlfriend unmanageable in my previous life, currently possess four fiancées.
If those increase even further, it will be once again far too much for me, who isn’t a riajuu.

『I have no doubt, it was Minister Rückner, who suggested that postponement.』

『Good grief, that person is…』

In the end they decided to pretend that the recognition of Roderich by Baron Rückner never happened.
The reason is the person himself obstinately refusing for the sake of not unnecessarily increasing his workload as person serving as governor for the development of the Savage Lands.
Therefore, for Roderich even his uncle, Minister Rückner, is of no concern.
To begin with, there’s also the matter of Roderich thinking of him as complete stranger. You could even say that he had quite the indifferent attitude towards his uncle.
Given that his uncle didn’t help him at the time of suffering, this might only be natural.

『In this time’s case he has made large mistakes. According to rumors, he is considering to present his granddaughter as concubine to you, master.』 (Tristan)

This is information obtained from Minister Edgar by Tristan, who was in the capital until just recently.

『Won’t that enrage Cardinal Hohenheim?』 (Wendelin)

The case of the massacre at the mansion of Baron Rückner had a tragic end, but if those grudges had also been active outside the mansion, there would have been many victims. There would have been arguments about Minister Rückner’s responsibility in that as well.
Therefore, what the heck is he thinking by offending Cardinal Hohenheim, who prevented that?

『Deliberately pushing for a rival for Elise-sama? That will probably anger him. Father also said that it’s very likely for that plan to fail.』 (Tristan)

Also, that granddaughter is still 8 years old, I hear.
As expected, no matter how much one is a noble, it would be impossible to hold a ceremony with a girl having an age in the single digits.

『I will decline it. What will be accomplished by a noble ojou-sama coming to such remote region, which is still in the middle of development?』 (Wendelin)

Apart from the superwoman Elise, who’s perfect in all regards, Ina and Luise aren’t overly different in their birthplaces from me either. Wilma has a strong character at the level of earning the money for her own food by herself.

It was also a convenient way for nobles to think 『If my daughter doesn’t at least accompany Earl Baumeister, who rose to the position of founder, as adventurer, she won’t become his wife』.

『At any rate, about the matter of the mansion not being finished…』

If we progress with the construction of the city a little bit more, it will become possible to move the mansion, which is currently located in the Knight Baumeister territory, over here. Anyway, now it was necessary to advance the construction of Baulburg as fast as possible.

『For that reason you have to put in even more effort, master.』 (Roderich)

『Roderich, I think you are an oni after all.』 (Wendelin)

After drinking up the distributed sake, I went to rest in the temporary housing assigned to me.

 

---

<– Previous Chapter | Glossary | Next Chapter –>