Episode 133 Egawa Valley - The Saga of Lioncourt

Early Summer, Middle Reaches of the Hizkud River, Near the Gorge "It's going down!" With a creaking sound, the conifer fell. This place is near the front of the Hizkud Gorge, close to the border with the mountains... A lively throng of workers is bustling here. To expand the Hizkud River, we're rapidly clearing the forest to create a settlement as a base for the construction. "How's the progress going?" I called out to Domiere, the site supervisor, who had come to inspect the significant project. "The settlement construction is progressing smoothly. We are also simultaneously investigating the gorge, but there are only two major obstacles." In response to my inquiry, Domiere spread out his handmade map and began explaining. Domiere is in charge of this massive project. He's enthusiastically overseeing the command on-site, fully committed to this appointment. "I see! Impressive, the work is fast. Is this marked area the difficult spot? There seem to be several..." "Yes, particularly problematic are two places where the gorge narrows or large rocks obstruct the flow, making it narrow and fast. Other marks are where the riverbed is shallow or driftwood accumulates and require little adjustments." Domiere answered my questions without hesitation. The investigation of the gorge is proceeding smoothly, thanks to the cooperation of the Parsolan tribe and Elwayne. Once the settlement is complete, we can commence construction. "Good, Counts Draene and Viscount Arbeau will dispatch some willing shipwrights and fishermen. Use their insights to advance the construction." "Understood," responded Domiere, as he rolled up the map. Count Draene and Viscount Arbeau are gathering interest in relocation among the shipwrights and fishermen, particularly third and fourth sons, within their territory as a support for this construction. Although many express reluctance at the prospect of moving inland, volunteers are gradually gathering. Once the settlement is complete, we'll welcome them in. They will work as laborers during the construction and will remain in the settlement once the waterways are completed, contributing to water transport, shipbuilding, and maintenance. This settlement will become the first shipyard in Lioncourt. Incidentally, the arrangement is to grant the settlement, after construction is complete, as a village to Domiere. It's essentially a carrot-and-stick approach, yet the effect is immediate. Domiere, who has always been ambitious, has his sights set on obtaining land and becoming a knight. He's so motivated that he's even providing slaves at his own expense to participate in the construction. "This project is a national affair. Don't rush things, and work together with Doron." I calmed down the slightly overenthusiastic Domiere. Being zealous is good, but if rushing leads to more accidents, it would be troubling. Incidentally, Doron is a refugee noble from the Darmont County. He resembles a worn-out middle manager, with noticeable shadows under his eyes. Skilled in calculations, I entrusted him with managing the supplies and manpower for this project. Despite having fled, he seems restless without work. Remarkable work ethic... or rather an impressive work addiction. One might worry about assigning a national project to a newcomer, but if one can read, write, and has experience in leadership, they usually belong to the knight class or higher clergy. Given that the project leader is the ambitious Domiere, choosing someone with whom conflict is unlikely proved surprisingly challenging. Using Andre or Jose as leaders and moving Domiere to a sub-leader role is an option, but there's a political aim of elevating Domiere's status. Domiere also performed valiantly in the conquest of the Darmont County... it's about time to knight him. By the way, Domiere's aptitude as a civil officer is below average. He isn't suited for tasks like managing materials. I was pondering over this, but thankfully a diligent work addict who desired employment appeared – a timely arrangement by fate. When Domiere heard it was a national project, he responded with emotion, "Yes, it's in your hands." This kind of energetic atmosphere is to his taste. "Right, I'll go inspect the site. Domiere, you should return to directing on-site. I want to see how it usually operates." "Yes, should anything come up, please call on me anytime." With a formal bow, Domiere returned to the field. Left behind were Rolo, the fellow guards, and me. "Let's tour the site. Rolo and the rest, report any dangerous work or sloppy material management. The priority at a construction site is safety first; let's aim for zero injuries." The fellow guards, following my direction, responded in unison, "Yes!"... a reassuring reaction indeed. No one enjoys getting injured, yet injuries are inevitable on construction sites. However, neglecting them because they are "inevitable" is unacceptable. We must strive to minimize them. In Lioncourt, we cannot afford the luxury of exploiting slaves and the poor through dangerous work—our population is not large enough to replenish numbers easily. Ideally, I'd like to provide helmets, work clothes, and gloves, but unfortunately, budgetary constraints made that impossible. We took our time inspecting the site, pointing out loosely tied lumber and advising the use of lifelines for hazardous high-altitude work. This doesn't seem like a king's task, but it's a demonstration of my commitment to the project. Once the river expansion project is complete, it will stimulate the flow of goods between the upstream Lioncourt and the downstream Darmont County, generating money and employment. It's a simple notion, yet in Amoros, few understand—or rather, refuse to understand it. The reason they refuse is simply "because it's not how it was done yesterday." The pervasive stubborn precedent system in Amoros holds that "what was done yesterday will be done tomorrow," and shuns change. The people of Lioncourt, under my influence, have slowly begun to accept change, but many still oppose "new policies." Hence, I demonstrate how committed I am to suppress opposition. "Do you have a problem with what I'm doing?" That's it. In the end, silencing opposition through strength is the only option. The victories in numerous battlefields find their purpose here... no one in Lioncourt can oppose my military record. "Hey! Don't work on the roof when there're people below!" "Fix logs with multiple people! You'll get crushed!" "Don't leave axes laying around!" I briskly pointed out dangerous actions, repeating warnings to engrain "hazard awareness" into the workers' minds. If workers get injured, morale plummets, and efficiency drops. It seems like the long way around, but this is indeed the quickest path. I went around writing slogans like "Watch Your Step," "Tidiness," and "Safe Practices" in ink on the door of the already completed workers' quarters. Well, more than 90% of the workers are illiterate... but it's about setting the atmosphere. My desire to reduce accidents and injuries as much as possible is genuine. ... After inspecting the worksite, we moved to the entrance of the Hizkud River Gorge. The gorge is near the worksite, so we arrived quickly. "Wow, it's truly magnificent up close." The gorge, flanked by towering cliffs on both sides, offered a breathtaking view of nature's grandeur. The sight of the cliff faces rising through the dense forest and the flow of the Hiz River was indescribably majestic. We wouldn't venture inside this time, but we came to catch the atmosphere of the site. "It must be tough to carve into these cliff faces." "Yes, we should be gathering stonecutters, but we'll also need to recruit from outside the domain..." We held our breath at the beauty of nature and the harshness that rejected human endeavor. It's understandable that Rolo felt daunted by the thought of manually breaking down the boulders and cliff faces that blocked the flow in this grand gorge, removing rocks and driftwood using a sheer force of numbers. "...Somehow, you can feel the presence of a god that created this landscape so closely here, both harsh and beautiful." When I murmured this, everyone nodded in agreement. In an era lacking advanced scientific civilization, everyone is deeply devout. "Once the route is completed, this settlement will likely thrive as a hub... Oh, what's happening over there?" I spotted something peculiar in the shallows of the river. There, knee-deep in water, was a man standing silently. Face painted, he appeared to be an Elwayne, poised with a spear-like rod split at the end forming a V. While watching for a while, the man, who stood as still as a statue, struck with lightning speed, catching a large fish—it seemed he was aiming for river fish. The words "well done" escaped my lips; it was a fishing method I'd never seen before. The man waded ashore through the flow. Drawn by curiosity, I approached him, saying, "That's impressive, quite a catch." He was an elder Elwayne. His demeanor was quite akin to a "mountain grandfather." When I addressed him, the Elwayne man showed a hint of caution... perhaps he thought we might take his fish by force given our numbers. It seemed language wasn't understood here. I smiled to ease his caution and praised his fishing with gestures. The man then grinned and offered me the spear... it seemed he was willing to lend it to me. I'm adept at this form of communication. After all, I managed to have children with one of my wives through gestures alone. I eyed the spear closely. It appeared to be crafted entirely from one piece of wood. The tip was sharpened wood, yet it had barbs. ...Well, it's not much—just a long branch or trunk carved into a fork at the tip... Upon receiving the spear, I stripped off my clothes and entered the Hiz River. "Whoa! It's cold. And the current is swift." The flow, sourced from melted snow, is faster and colder than it appears. ...With this, work in winter, and even summer for extended periods, would be impossible... There are many things you can't understand without experiencing them. Without feeling the Hiz River's current like this, my unrealistic orders might have caused deaths. Grateful for the encounter, I assumed the position the man had taken earlier, spear in hand. ...Ah, there're quite a few... Surprisingly, there were many fish shadows. I felt I could catch one at any moment. In Lioncourt, eating river fish isn't unheard of, but they aren't widely circulated. Catching fish is a first for me too. ...Alright, that one... I approached from downstream, careful not to make any noise, spear ready. Sensing something, the fish darted away. "Damn it, don't run!" In my haste, I swung the spear, but my blow merely splashed against the water's surface. As if mocking me, the fish paused about five meters ahead. "Damn! You little..." I kept aiming, but the results remained unchanged. On the riverbank, the Elwayne elder and Rolo were laughing uproariously. "Don't laugh! You try it! It's hard!" Annoyed, I shouted, which only seemed to amuse them more, their laughter growing. Sulking, I climbed ashore, handing the spear to Rolo. "You try it." "Heh, with the elder's guidance and observing Valrian-sama's movements, I figured it out," Rolo claimed, using gestures to learn. I thought it a bit unfair. Rolo stripped down and waded into the river. Once knee-deep, he stopped dead still. "Hmm? Elder, is that the trick?" I asked, and the Elwayne's grin revealed yellowed teeth. Rolo's stillness was almost like a dead tree. His scarred yet sturdy body seemed to forget even breathing, integrating with the scenery. The spear moved. With a swift thrust, Rolo skewered a whiskered fish resembling a catfish. "It's the shadow on the water. The fish were escaping the moving shadow." Climbing ashore with a triumphant smile, Rolo offered the catfish to the Elwayne elder. The mountain man grinned back, handing over his caught fish to Rolo. It seemed a barter of sorts, an exchange of mutual respect. "I see. The fish must avoid moving shadows to escape birds." "That's probably it. The Elwayne must have learned through experience." Rolo and I were impressed by the wisdom of the Elwayne. Indeed, they should manage the affairs related to the mountains. ...Yes, they are indispensable for the gorge construction... I decided to increase the number of Elwayne employed. From an outsider's perspective, it might look like we were merely playing in the river, but we discovered much... There's so much you don't understand until you see it in person. We parted from the mountain man with smiles and returned to the settlement. I wanted to find Doron immediately and issue new instructions. Strike while the iron is hot—or rather, I might forget given time. Fortunately, Doron was easily found. He seemed to be calculating something in the warehouse. "Here you are. Doron, I have some instructions." "Ah, give me a moment." Doron began carefully putting away the 'abacus,' a calculating device similar to an abacus. Even Amoros has calculating tools. They're not widespread, but scholars, officials, merchants, and others engaged in calculation-heavy tasks seem to use them. I didn't rush Doron, instead reflecting on the recent events in my mind. Without telephones in Amoros, forgotten communications necessitate sending a courier, an inefficiency I'd rather avoid. I explained, with reasoning, several points: increasing the employment of stonecutters, employing more Elwayne, ensuring safety ropes due to the swift current, and organizing workers into rotating shifts; concluding that river construction would be challenging in the cold season due to the low water temperature. Doron seemed surprised when he heard I entered the water myself but ultimately understood. "Use the Elwayne not as mere workers but as guides. Their knowledge should prove invaluable within the gorge." Listening to my directive, Doron nodded while jotting notes with ink on a wooden slab. It seemed to serve as his memo. "Understood. I'll inform Lord Domiere to gradually commence the river work. The settlement can be expanded even during winter," Doron replied with an admirable humility, showing respect even to Domiere, a self-made noble. His demeanor was so gentle that it seemed more fitting for a clerk at a merchant house than a knight. ...Hmm, have I stumbled across an unexpected treasure? He's quite an anomaly in Lioncourt... In Lioncourt, where martial prowess is prized, even the civil officials are often rugged warriors when called to battle. I had a feeling that the combination of Domiere and Doron would work well. There was no particular reason—just a hunch. "I'd like to entrust Doron with even more significant responsibilities. I'm counting on you," I encouraged him. "Thank you," Doron responded, though his reply bore a certain lack of vigor. And so, the expansion of the Hizkud River began. Once completed, it would further extend Lioncourt's economic sphere. We would export sugar and iron from Lioncourt and import wheat from the Darmont County. It was a delightful prospect. I felt my dream drawing nearer.