Thud, thud! Thud, thud! "Whoa, whoa, whoa!"
Quickly arriving at the scene using haste and teleportation magic, Jared was soon followed by Rakis and the Aggressio Royal Guard a little later. They came to a halt one after another behind Jared, turning their gazes in the same direction he was looking.
"And this is..."
“The situation the Lord has repeatedly mentioned is happening right now! But this is far too many people for a mere evacuation of a fallen kingdom, isn’t it?"
"Indeed. I find it hard to believe what my own eyes are seeing."
Jared bit his lip. He had anticipated some refugees, but the scale was far beyond his estimates. Looking at the clothing of the refugees, it was clear that none of them were from the Kingdom of Sinders. Those people were currently at the scene, led by King Izuel and Princess Maira, working hard to restore what had been damaged.
With the king and princess personally directing the recovery efforts, it was hard to believe that there would be any citizens trying to flee.
“They all seem to be refugees from the Kingdom of Bonus and the Kingdom of Malus.” Rakis, observing from the side, made an astute prediction.
Jared quietly set down Derry, who had been perched on his shoulder, and whispered, “Derry, please sense any dark energy among that crowd. You don’t need to identify who they are, just how many there might be.”
- Fine. You owe me some Chur once you come back, remember.
“Pay later? Just give it as an advance.”
- Oh, good!
The Chur he promised Derry had been prepared after a month of crafting Master's Potions together. Jared felt confident that he had stocked enough Chur for more than a year, so training Derry was not a concern.
Jared was certain that there would be followers of the Umbra Cult among the refugees. Knowing one's enemy and oneself leads to victory in every battle. He recalled his simulations from Paradiso with Kluzé, mentally considering what he would have done if he were in Kluzé's shoes. The conclusion seemed obvious.
Rakis then asked, “Lord, are you planning to stick with the original Plan A?”
“For now, we will officially name this entire area as the Sanare District and declare it a refugee settlement.”
“You plan to cultivate the vast wasteland and develop the nearby mountainous areas,” Rakis concluded.
“Up until now, this area has been incorporated into our Crevia territory, but it lacked the momentum for development. Now, I shall invest all the resources of the territory into developing the Sanare District.”
“Ah... So, was the sale of the Master’s Potion a strategy considering today’s events?”
In response to Rakis’s impressed question, Jared simply smiled, not providing a direct answer. While the number of refugees was indeed larger than he had expected, it was still part of what he anticipated.
However, an increase in the population of the territory wasn't necessarily all good. Such a sudden spike in population could lead to two major problems. First, public order could quickly deteriorate. Jared knew that from the moment he officially accepted the refugees, the security rating in the territory would plummet.
It was a number they had painstakingly built up, but it could drop in an instant. Therefore, to prevent any gaps in security, he brought Rakis and the entire Aggressio Royal Guard with him. Just their presence would ensure that initial order could be maintained.
Furthermore, he planned to immediately mobilize some of the Crevia military for today’s task. Hungry refugees could easily turn into criminals under certain circumstances. To deal with such individuals, having an armed force that could act with authority was essential.
Second, promoting the settlement of refugees would consume an enormous budget. However, Jared felt secured in this area, as he had gained astronomical profits from the Master’s Potion. Moreover, thinking ahead to future contracts involving the Master’s Potion with other nations or races, financial worries were not something he had to concern himself with.
‘After all, these people came seeking hope in our territory. They cannot be accepted as citizens right away, but we can help them settle in first and then gradually integrate them.’
Jared gathered his thoughts. The three most important aspects for refugee settlement were: land, financial support, and maintaining order. These three conditions were more than adequately prepared.
A larger population signified greater strength. As the population grew, so too did the scale of the territory, and with that, there would be more potential young soldiers available for conscription or recruitment. If they could settle in securely, it would also lead to increased tax revenues in the long run.
‘The real challenge now is deciding how to develop the Sanare District...’
He had yet to reach a clear conclusion on this matter, as he continued to ponder. Turning the wasteland into farmland would take immense effort, and it would be a long way off. For now, the priority was to plow the land and plant Reltria, a staple crop, on it.
It was unrealistic to expect it would serve as a granary for the territory just by establishing stable rice farming there. ‘This area doesn’t even have dungeons like the Nightmare Forest or the Demon King’s Refuge, nor does it contain mines with special resources like Keldia…’
From both a commercial and resource development standpoint, the prospects were bleak. For this reason, the previous lords who governed this area must have left it untouched.
‘There’s only one way to go about this. We must turn this land into a holy ground.’
A sacred land, a sanctuary. Jared’s most certain cheat key was that idea. A holy land, a place all believers of the Radius sect would feel compelled to visit.
Before moving forward with the ‘Sanare District Holy Land Project,’ I took careful preliminary steps. First, I summoned all the veteran officials in our grand estate, excluding Chief Administrator Julian, to this place. This was to quickly stabilize the internal affairs alongside the refugee settlement.
I also called in a large contingent of the territory’s military, ensuring that they could manage the entirety of the Sanare District without any leaks. I entrusted full authority to Rakis, emphasizing just two keywords to him: carrot and stick.
Those trying their best to settle into their new lives on this new land would be aided with the carrot approach. Meanwhile, the stick would be used against those who took advantage of the chaos to commit crimes.
If necessary, I made it clear that immediate punishment could be meted out at his discretion. I could not allow violence and territorial disputes to arise from these refugees in their new homes.
I also outlined the official support policies to the refugees.
First, the full amount needed for building residences in the Sanare District would be lent with a repayment period of twenty years. Second, the taxes on the produce obtained from the wasteland cultivation would be completely exempt for the next four years, followed by a fifty percent exemption for two years after that. Third, if they participated in large-scale civil engineering projects in the Sanare District, they would be treated as paid workers rather than conscripts.
These three main policies aimed to facilitate the refugees' transition. Since the residences weren’t intended to be large houses, the costs wouldn’t be considerable. The cultivation of the wasteland carried significant meaning by turning it into arable land.
While I could have extended the tax exemption further, I shortened it to avoid excessive generosity. The civil engineering projects would serve as a stepping stone to help the refugees settle in quickly with the 'Holy Land Project' in mind.
If they were being drafted as conscripts without pay, there would be considerable resentment; however, who would refuse to work as a paid laborer?
Thus, the foundations for refugee settlement and support were set in place. Rakis, the Aggressio Royal Guard, and the territory's troops scoured the Sanare District, striving to maintain order among the refugees.
Afterward, an endless stream of refugees continued to pour in from the Kingdoms of Bonus and Malus. By official estimates, the number of refugees matched the entire population of the Crevia territory. Thus, the population of the grand estate had suddenly doubled.
It was a precarious situation. If the refugees could successfully settle as citizens of the territory, the Crevia territory would gain enough power to become a significant threat to the surrounding kingdoms. But what if they failed? That would likely lead to the start of a hellish ordeal.
‘The Kingdoms of Bonus and Malus will surely... pay for this in due time.’
I despised the kings of those two kingdoms who had exiled their precious people under the pretext of floods and plagues. Such men had no right to wear a crown. They had merely inherited a throne through a fortunate birth; their actions were far beneath any standard.
In that moment, while I was lost in thought, Derry came to me. I had instructed Derry to continue searching for and monitoring the followers of the dark cult.
Some of those followers had already been caught by the Aggressio Royal Guard and were undergoing intense interrogation in the underground prison.
- Jared, I’ve seen suspicious movement from the one you’ve been keeping an eye on, and I rushed over.
“Really? What’s happened?”
- He’s crossing the mountain, heading towards his hideout. He said, ‘Jared, you’ve done well!’
“A man with white hair and a blindfold red mask, right?”
- Exactly. He slipped away with his subordinates.
“A slippery one. I wanted him to come deeper into the territory but he just keeps dabbling around the borders!”
I stood up abruptly. From the moment I decided to intervene in the civil war of the Kingdom of Sinders, I had already anticipated being in conflict with the Umbra Cult. Likewise, it was natural to expect a meeting with Kluzé, who was most active in the Umbra Cult.
I had hoped he would venture deeper into the territory where his tail would eventually be caught. Instead, he prudently lingered near the border, observing before slipping away.
- Should I guide you there?
Derry’s question made me nod.
At the time when the Holy War broke out, Kluzé was a powerful name that was unmatched. The desolate Wall of Wailing, known for its notorious strength, supposedly seemed like a simple meal compared to Kluzé.
That meant he could still be strong, but certainly less so than nine years ago. Meanwhile, I had recently gained confidence after acquiring Transcendence magic.
‘A mere scouting mission, I can manage that!’
I decided to pursue Kluzé. I wanted to gauge his current level. Knowing my enemy, and knowing myself would ensure my victory.
My enmity with Kluzé had already begun. It had turned into a grudge that would not fade until one of us had perished.
Thirty minutes later, I succeeded in reaching the underground cave that was Kluzé’s temporary hideout along with Derry. But...
“...”
The location was empty. However, clear signs showed that someone had just recently occupied the space. Specifically, my portrait was prominently displayed on the inner wall of the cave, with a dagger embedded in the middle of my forehead.
There was even fresh blood smeared on the dagger, indicating that it had belonged to someone not too long ago.
“Ha... I detest male stalkers, seriously.”
I sighed, gazing into the empty dark cave. For now, it was just a thought, but it seemed I had gained a particularly bothersome stalker who would persistently shadow me in the future.
End of Chapter 86