After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 144
Episode 144: Development Proceeds Smoothly
Even during the winter, colonization efforts did not cease. To expand cultivation over a wider area next year, it was necessary to clear out as much of the monster territory as possible. Besides, there was another objective: to establish a road all the way to that demon silver mine Clara had found for me.
During our stay in the capital around the time of the wedding, agreements were generally reached with Her Majesty the Queen and Beato regarding the management of the mine. Engineers for excavation and refining will be dispatched from the capital, while manual laborers will be supplied from the Baden domain. After all, there’s no shortage of men to sell.
The demon silver produced will be entirely supplied to the royal family. Despite importing from the Kingdom of Poznan, it will be at a 30% discount. I thought there might be more resistance, but Her Majesty was lenient on this matter. Certainly, this should significantly enhance Berzenbrück, which despite being called a magic kingdom, couldn’t equip enough tools due to the shortage of demon silver.
Construction of the refining facility has already begun, and skilled magic users specializing in metal properties have been selected. Among our war slaves, about seven thousand are magic users. Though their levels aren’t expected to be high, their numbers are quickly being gathered. With tunnel designers eagerly on standby, the main remaining task is to secure a safe route to the mine.
Gretel, our strongest force, continues to wield her demon silver axe at an incredible speed, clearing the forest. She seems to still have lingering doubts about the women around me becoming pregnant one after another, but at least she doesn’t show those concerns while working.
“Lutz, your wife is amazing. At this rate, the road will be open in another week.”
“Yeah, Gretel is amazing, not me. If Max appreciates her that much, he should praise her directly.”
“True, let’s do that.”
Recently in Baden, Gretel has been revered as the “Hero of Light.” Originally given the subtle nickname “Reincarnation of a Hero,” her bold actions swinging the demon silver axe draped in a light aura have greatly inspired poets to create. Though the nickname might sound a bit melodramatic, it’s probably for the best that she isn’t called the “Lumberjack Queen” for her honor.
“By the way, how are the prisoners? Any complaints or signs of unrest?”
Indeed, our thirty thousand war slaves, including thousands of magic users, are like ticking bombs in some perspectives. Of course, now that Berzenbrück’s magical might is overwhelming, we could suppress any rebellion. However, if such a situation were to arise, it would likely intensify pressure on Beato, who decided on their handling, to resign as Crown Princess. Controlling and keeping the slaves contentedly working is incredibly crucial.
“Yeah, their treatment has been quite good, so no suspicious movements so far. We have a solid monitoring system in place, so Lutz, you can rest assured.”
The monitoring system was Max’s idea. He grouped slaves into teams of six, where if one commits a crime, all are collectively responsible. And whoever reports suspicious behavior among their peers receives a reward—basically encouraging mutual surveillance among slaves. It’s reminiscent of the “five-person groups” from the Edo period. Similar systems apparently operated in the Empire, proving highly effective in deterring crime.
“It may seem harsh to the royal family of kind-hearted Berzenbrück… but this isn’t a bad system. As long as the ruling class doesn’t think up anything strange, that is.”
Max’s advice makes sense. Such mechanisms were disliked in the former world where they couldn’t oppose national policies, but in this world where a small noble class rules over many people, such measures seem necessary. And in Baden, where most of the people are from enemy nations, there’s no other way but to implement his proposals.
So, leaving that kind of work entirely to Max has been surprisingly effective. Initially, there was talk of dispatching administrative officials from the capital, but we decided against it, judging that Max and his young aides could handle it adequately.
Of course, it’s risky to trust them completely, so I’ve loosely stationed members of the underground clan around to keep an eye on things, but nothing suspicious has come up.
“Sometimes I wonder if I’m really just a slave, being made to do all sorts of things.”
“Uh…”
“No, I’m not complaining. I’m grateful. Despite being a prisoner of war, I not only have enough food and clothing but also the chance to be with women. And now, even though it’s just temporary, I’ve been appointed as the governor of such a large territory. I’m truly impressed by Lutz’s generosity.”
Well, being praised like that makes me blush. Actually, I have my own selfish plans for the future.
As long as I’m stuck developing the Baden domain, I can’t live with Beato in the capital. So, once things settle down a bit, I’ll leave the management of the domain to Max and return to the capital. To achieve my ambitions, I’ll need to give him more responsible tasks and proper status and rewards, rather than just representing the slaves.
“Yeah, well, good luck with that…”
Hehe, the corporate slave development plan is in full swing.