Chapter 93

"Lord Ars, are you not going to build a castle here?"

"Build a castle? Here?"

"That's right. Now that you've built a castle near the southern river, you're almost always here in Balca. If that's the case, wouldn't it be good to build a castle here too?"

Seeing the cold storage warehouse I built, Gran seemed to have caught the building bug and suggested this.

Indeed, the castle built on the north side of the river was constructed at the border with the town of Fontana, but its significance has diminished due to the ceasefire agreement with Carlos. This is because Carlos originally didn't want me to have that castle. However, I didn't want to hand over a castle I had just built, so I didn't want to give it up easily. As a result of negotiations, I was allowed to own the castle, but with the condition that I limit the number of troops stationed there to the bare minimum. Consequently, it has now become more like a checkpoint and a lodging town between the city and Balca village.

"But, aren't you just saying that because you want to build a castle?"

"That's not it. Building a castle has various meanings. One of them is to demonstrate power."

"Power? Wouldn't people think I'm getting too cocky if I show off something like that?"

"That's not the case. On the contrary, it's absolutely necessary. Everyone who was on the battlefield knows Lord Ars's strength. However, it also means that those who weren't there don't know. Some might even be reluctant to pay taxes to a young Lord Ars."

"…I see. So, in order to collect taxes smoothly, you're suggesting we create a visible symbol of power?"

"Exactly. Therefore, it would be better to pay attention to the decoration of the castle in Balca, not just its defensive capabilities, like the one on the north side of the river."

Hmm.

That makes sense.

However, I still think Gran's desire to build a castle is a big part of this. After all, there probably aren't many who would refuse to pay taxes to someone who holds a 4 km walled area and has defeated the Fontana army in direct combat. Building a castle isn't an urgent matter. But, things can't stay as they are. Other tasks have also reached a certain stage, and I started to think about making some changes to this land.

***

First, let's review the current situation. Balca village, where I was born, is located in the north, surrounded by a vast forest. I aggressively developed this forest and enclosed the land with walls. The area is a square with each side measuring 4 km. However, the northeastern part of the developed area is designated as a forestry management zone for the loggers. In short, the area north of the village has been under my management since before the establishment of the Balca Knight's Domain.

If you go straight south from Balca village, you'll reach the town of Fontana. There is a river in the middle, and I built a castle on the north side of the river. To the southwest of Balca village, there is the neighboring village where the Bargus family lived. The road connecting these three places, when viewed from above, forms an isosceles triangle. This is the land I currently govern as the Balca Knight's Domain.

However, if you think about it, the most prominent building in the Balca Knight's Domain is the castle on the north side of the river. Although my land has a long castle wall, a completed castle would have a greater impact. Perhaps even merchants from other places might think that the lord who governs the land lives in the castle.

Considering this, building a new castle to show that the top of the Balca Knight's Domain is here might be a good idea. However, if that's the case, why not take it a step further?

Create a central area for the Balca Knight's Domain.

The lack of a core area in the Balca Knight's Domain is concerning. Even though we have an open market, not many merchants have gathered there yet, which might be related to this issue. Indeed, if I am called to the battlefield by the Fontana family and used until I am worn out, just governing the land diligently will only increase the probability of death. To increase our forces, it would be better to attract people from other places to settle here. If so, let's create a city that people will want to come to.

Thus, I decided to undertake a new land redevelopment project. Thank you for reading. I would appreciate it if you could bookmark and rate this.