Episode 135 Territory Expansion Plan Part 2 - The Saga of Lioncourt

The council members had seemingly been planning the construction discussions from the start, pulling out several maps and presenting various proposals. However, despite going to the trouble of planning an expansion, the scale was disappointingly small. "None of these will do. We’re going through the effort of expanding, so there’s no need to be stingy. The construction should be extensive, anticipating future population growth. Repeating minor, piecemeal expansions over and over is wasteful." As soon as I criticized their suggestions, the council members resisted, citing "budget," "timeline," and "manpower" in unison. Since funding for the castle’s expansion comes from the city council, they were desperate. Their opposition was relentless, beginning every discussion with a "No" whenever I opened my mouth... without considering anything first. The attitude of these council members was getting on my nerves. I began to suspect they were disagreeing with me simply out of spite. "With all due respect, our young majesty might not be aware, but according to the records of previous expansions..." Even now, one of the council members smugly mentioned "precedents." ...It was upsetting me to no end. ...What are these people... Do these stubborn old men really think they can dictate to me...? The growing population, the reduced number of patients, the expansion of trade, the increase in agricultural production, new industries... "All of it was my doing, you fools!!" I snapped. I rose with a force that toppled my chair, grabbed my own shirt, and tore it apart in intimidation. Just that was enough to evoke a high-pitched scream from one of the old men. "Goooooaahhh!!" I drew my scimitar and sliced off the corner of the table where the maps lay. "Are you refusing to listen to me?! I’ll kill you!!" With that momentum, I shouted, causing the council members to scramble off their chairs, groveling and begging for mercy while repeatedly apologizing. "Wait! Varian, killing them is not a good idea!" Rodrigue desperately pretended to restrain me, whispering, "Let’s take a step back." He then pushed me out of the chamber as if escorting me away. The council members were folded over in prayer as if they had seen a savior in my uncle. ………… In a separate room, my uncle wore a sly grin, showing a mischievous expression as he said, "Don’t go overboard with the threats." "Did you understand?" "Of course… If you’re going to kill someone, you do it without voicing threats. That’s the kind of person you are." Rodrigue let out a sigh. Well, I didn’t actually intend to kill anyone, but losing my temper was a fact. It was slightly awkward. "So? Let me hear your opinion." Rodrigue spread out the map he held, encouraging me to speak. "Huh? My opinion?" "Yes. You mentioned wanting to undertake a large-scale project, didn’t you?" My uncle pressed on, asking, "What are your thoughts?" It seemed he brought me to a separate room specifically to hear my input. "Oh, well... If the population continues to increase at this pace, a half-hearted expansion will just mean more construction will be needed again." Upon expressing my opinion, Rodrigue agreed, saying, "I concur." I’d believed for a while now that the capital needed remodeling. Unlike Basin, which was built from scratch, the capital had been repeatedly expanded and renovated over daily life, resulting in a somewhat chaotic and inconvenient setup. "Therefore, I propose... Look at this spot on the map. There’s a small pond here. How about incorporating this pond into the castle grounds?" I traced my finger over the map, indicating a point to the south. "What?! That far away?!" Rodrigue exclaimed in surprise. The point I indicated was significantly south of the current city walls. "Of course, budget considerations are necessary, so the northern half of the city wall will remain... Let me sketch something here, like this." I proceeded to extend the southern part of the city wall with ink. While the existing shape of the city was somewhat irregular, my adjustments extended it into a kiwi-like, elongated oval, expanding roughly double its current southern extent. "And then, we should run a broad avenue to separate the old northern district from the new southern area like this. This is a fire prevention strategy; a wide street can help prevent fires from spreading, minimizing potential damage." I drew a road running east to west through the center of the elongated oval. Although Rodrigue appeared slightly hesitant, I continued my explanation, deliberately ignoring that. "Next to the pond in the south, we will gather fire-using artisans, like blacksmiths. This is also fire prevention." "I see, that’s the purpose of the pond then." I noted "blacksmiths" beside the pond. Fires in a fortified city are a terrifying disaster. When fire breaks out in a tightly packed wooden residential area, it can quickly escalate into a catastrophe. There is no limit to what can be done for fire prevention in a fortified city. "And here, we will construct a palace." "A palace?" Rodrigue looked surprised. Up until now, I had shown little interest in residences, and Rodrigue knew this. "Yes, actually Count Darmont has a palace... I'm not particularly interested, but..." "A royal palace is necessary for prestige, isn’t it?" I nodded in agreement with Rodrigue's words. Though I found it somewhat ridiculous, large buildings are symbols of authority. It wouldn't do for Count Darmont, who is under my command, to reside in a grander palace than I do. "Then there’s the Grand Cathedral of the Eastern Heavenly Church..." As I was about to continue, my uncle interrupted, alarmed, "Wait, wait, wait." "How much budget and time do you plan to spend on this? It's far too extensive." Rodrigue objected, his face showing a hint of pale concern. This indeed was a project that would go down in the history of Lioncourt. "For the cathedral, the church can provide the funds and manpower. If you offer them the land within the capital, they'll likely be eager to begin construction." "True, but still... There's also the Hisagawa project... It won't be feasible in five or ten years." I nodded in agreement with Rodrigue. First the Hisagawa, then the capital. These consecutive large-scale projects will strain finances and place considerable burden on the citizens. "Twenty years... no, twenty-five years." When I suggested this, Rodrigue raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. "The completion of this project is targeted at twenty-five years from now. Rushing it would lead to oppressive taxes and labor duties that would burden the populace. Let’s start in the spring the year after next, aiming for completion twenty-five years down the line." The figure of twenty-five years wasn’t based on any concrete rationale. It was just a rough estimate of “about this long.” However, having heard me state it so firmly, Rodrigue seemed to have accepted the idea. After showing a moment of surprise, he nodded repeatedly. "To think you were planning so far ahead... In that case, I won't say more. Looking back, the prosperity of today's capital was the result of seeds you planted over ten years ago... At the time, I couldn't even comprehend half of it." My uncle murmured nostalgically, "Planning for twenty-five years ahead, huh…" Perhaps my bluff had worked too well. "But, Varian, there are few in this world who can see as far ahead as you do... You should understand why the council members are resistant. People fear what they don't understand, and in their eyes, your ability to foresee 25 years ahead must make you seem like a monster. Try not to scare them too much." Rodrigue gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he offered his advice. ...Then again, they might just be terrified of a big guy like me suddenly losing his temper... I had my own thoughts about his words, but I listened quietly. I couldn't dismiss the words of my uncle, who had been supporting Lioncourt since my father's time. "You can head back now. Leave the adjustments to me. Don't catch a cold, alright?" As Rodrigue rolled up the map I'd marked, he chuckled wryly, saying, "In 25 years, I doubt I'll still be around." I bowed my head as I saw my uncle off as he left the room. Truly, I couldn't stand up to this uncle of mine. I left the estate and regrouped with my guards. "What the—Why are you shirtless!? Aren’t you cold?" Rolo gaped at me, his mouth agape in surprise. Of course it's cold. Later, when I returned home, Sumina, who had been concerned about my well-being, gave me quite the scolding. I couldn’t very well say, "Don't get so mad over a bit of nudity," so I raised my hands in surrender.