The Matter of How Only a Political Rival Duke, Not My Own Family, Recognized My Worth After I Was Disowned ~When I Turned a Remote Frontier Territory Into the World’s Greatest City, the Noble Lady Assigned to Supervise Me Became the Best Fiancée~ - Episode 23: Coexistence, Development, and the Northern Winter

Episode 23: Coexistence, Development, and the Northern Winter

The morning after the Earth Drakes departed,

The atmosphere in the base camp had transformed completely.

The tension that hung over everyone yesterday was gone. It was replaced by electrified excitement.

The way the men now looked at me—it was no longer the gaze given to a superior or a lord.

It was reverence.

Or perhaps the awe one gives to something beyond human comprehension.

“Count, you actually made peace with those Sub-Dragons…”

“What a terrifying man…”

To snap them out of that reverent mood, I addressed them during the morning assembly.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. This is only a temporary truce. It lasts only as long as they continue to recognize us as harmless and beneficial neighbors who do not trespass on their territory. Do not let your guard down.”

Then, I gave an even more outrageous order.

“Master Gran. Take a few skilled dwarves and reinforce the Earth Drakes’ den.”

“…Huh!? Milord, what kind of madness is that!?”

It wasn’t just Gran—everyone around me froze in shock.

“My skill’s analysis shows that the entrance to their den has unstable ground and risks collapse. It could cave in at any time.”

“That’s all well and good, but why the hell should we fix the enemy’s home!?”

“They’re not enemies,” 

I said with a grin. 

“They’re neighbors.”

I smiled.

“Besides, they’ll become the best guards this wasteland could ask for. If their lair is stable and they patrol their territory in good spirits, no other monsters will dare to come near. Making their home safe will, in the end, make our lives safer.”

Gran scratched his head. He was half amazed, half exasperated.

“Heh! I can’t keep up with that big brain of yours, Milord! Fine, I’ll do it! Never thought I’d get to work on a Dragon’s den—this’ll go down in dwarven history!”

This bizarre “coexistence policy” worked better than anyone expected.

When the dwarves began reinforcing the Earth Drakes’ lair, the creatures watched from a distance. They were wary at first.

But as they saw their dens grow stronger and safer, they stopped showing hostility and merely observed in silence.

◇

With the Earth Drakes—the greatest threat of the wasteland—now acting as “reliable neighbors (?)”,

Our development project advanced at an explosive pace.

Gilbert’s caravans established a safe trade route that skirted the Drakes’ territory. They secured stable transport of goods between the capital and Grindle.

Gran’s construction teams pressed forward with building a full-scale steelworks powered by coal furnaces.

And I discovered that Earth Drake droppings were rich in minerals from the ores they consumed. They would make excellent fertilizer for the barren frozen soil.

We immediately began soil improvement trials in experimental farms.

Everything was going smoothly.

◇

One day,

Gilbert returned from the capital with a letter addressed to me.

The sender was Isabella.

Written in elegant script, it detailed the situation in the royal capital.

‘—To Lord Noah,

Since your departure to the Alma Wasteland, rumors about you have grown to near-mythical proportions. The weapons and tools made of ‘Grindl Steel’ from Master Gran’s workshop have become the envy of every craftsman in the capital. And their value only continues to rise. All of this, of course, proceeds exactly as you foresaw.’

I couldn’t help but smile as I read.

‘ The Silford family remains outwardly silent. However, there are troubling whispers that your elder brother, Lord Alphonse, has been secretly contacting the barbarian tribes of the north who refuse allegiance to the crown. It seems likely he’s scheming his next interference with your efforts in the Alma Wasteland.

But fear not.On my end, preparations are steadily underway to launch your next product into the market with grand success.’

A dependable commander indeed.

With her managing the capital, I had nothing to worry about.

Yet the letter ended with a chilling postscript.

‘P.S.

I’ve heard from northern traders that the winter in the Alma Wasteland is far harsher than anyone in the capital can imagine.

Please, do not let your guard down.

They say a true blizzard can erase every road, every trace of human life, in a single night…’

I lifted my gaze from the letter.

The sky above was clear and high. The air was crisp and cold.

But the wind that swept through the camp was already sharper, colder than just a few weeks before.

Far in the distance, I looked toward the snow-capped mountains of the far north.

The real battle for this land—was only about to begin.