Oldman Ganze replied curtly. Although this is a terrible attitude for a noble, I can’t be picky about everything. And even with the difference in status, there’s the matter of men refusing to be ordered around by a woman. The fact that he is willing to listen to me at all is already good.
“Look at this map first. The road through the Shirirai Valley leads to this cove. I want Oldman Ganze to build a port here.”
“I see. What is the terrain like where the harbor will be built?”
“It is here. Even though the area is full of rocky mountains, only this one place is open, with a bay connected to the ocean. In front of the bay is a mountainous rock that acts as a barricade, with rocks jutting out in a staggered pattern.”
I explained as I drew a diagram. It looks like two upright palm prints arranged one in front of the other.
“Because of the rocky mountains, the bay can’t be seen from the outside, right? How deep is the bay? And how far apart are the rocky mountains?”
Oldman Ganze first inquired about the necessary details.
“The bay is shallow, and the distance between the mountains is not very large.
I remembered the scenery of the bay I had seen before. Although it looks beautiful with a nice landscape, it doesn’t meet the requirements for a harbor.
“Large ships won’t be able to enter. They would have to anchor off the coast and transfer to smaller unloading boats.”
Just as Oldman Ganze says, this method would have to be used first.
“Yes. That is why I want Master to reclaim land and build a big port.”
After I told Master my plans, his rock-like wrinkles stretched out in surprise.
“Huh? What are you saying? Are you talking about reclaiming land? That’s impossible. If you want a port, just build a pier, right?”
Oldman Ganze was very shocked, even though that’s my line.
“What are you saying? If it was just this level of work, I wouldn’t have called you here.
If it was just driving piles and building a pier, the soldiers could handle it.
“But to reclaim so much, who knows how many years it would take!”
As Oldman Ganze said, if the land was to be reclaimed, a corresponding amount of time would be needed.
“There’s no time for that. I want it to be up and running within a year.
If it were a time of peace, it would be fine to go slowly, but this is an age of chaos. Powerful armies are needed. It takes money to build armies. Massive amounts of money. But there is no such money anywhere. If there isn’t any, we’ll just have to create it.
“Build a port, develop Carulus, and provide the military with its benefits. That is the only way to save the kingdom.”
“One year! That’s too short!”
I set a deadline of one year, and Master Ganze slammed the table in disagreement. Despite his intimidating demeanor, which frightened Mia beside me, I stood my ground.
“No, it’s possible. Transporting a large amount of earth and rocks would indeed take time and manpower, but in this case we don’t need to transport it. It’s already here.”
I pointed to the drawing I had made.
“These rocky mountains that cover the bay, all we have to do is cut them down, throw them into the bay, and fill it up.”
I proposed a method of moving the mountains and filling the sea. By drilling holes in the rocky mountains and burying explosive magical stones that would explode from the inside, we could cause the mountains to collapse.
“That way, the entire bay could be used as a port. Fortunately, there is deep water on the other side of the rocky mountain, suitable for large ships to dock. If we manage to cut it to the right height, unloading goods would be effortless.”
“But…”
“What about it? Can’t it be done?”
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Master Ganze swallowed his words. I pressed further, and Master Ganze admitted.
“I can’t be sure without seeing it on the ground, but it might not be impossible.”
His words were met with a nod from me.
If all went well, this port could handle half of the kingdom’s logistics. Due to the need for a significant amount of resources, small boats weren’t practical. A massive port was needed.
“Even though it might work in theory, it might not be feasible. To cut down so many mountains, we would need a large supply of explosive magic stones. It takes time to collect them. The supply I have here isn’t nearly enough.”
Master Ganze mentioned the insufficiency of explosive magic stones. They were valuable weapons. Their power was considerable, so there were restrictions on their production and use. They were also provided to construction companies for industrial purposes, but the amount was meager. It would hardly be enough for mining.
“In that case, I’ll take care of the preparations. Fortunately, there will be a large supply of magic stones here.”
“Why? Did the Carulus Defense Unit stockpile so many explosive magic stones?”
Master Ganze looked at me skeptically. It was implausible for a border defense unit to stockpile a significant amount of magic stones.
“No, it’s not like that. But do you know what I’m going to do next?”
Upon hearing my question, Master Ganze’s gaze shifted slightly. He seemed to realize something as he opened his eyes wider.
“Is that so? Are you planning to use the explosive magic stones to develop the gold mine?”
The monster extermination was progressing, and the gold mine development was making progress. The royal family and my father both reached out their hands, lured by the power of gold.
“But can you do it? The development of the gold mine might be delayed.”
“It’s okay. I’m not that dependent on the gold mine.”
Upon hearing this, Mia, who had been listening nearby, showed a surprised expression. Maybe she found it contradictory to what I had said earlier. I would explain it to Mia later; for now, I had to concentrate on Master Ganze.
“I will prepare the necessary amount of explosive magic stones for you. Can you help me?”
I asked Master Ganze.
Misusing magic stones could have dire consequences if discovered. Even if I adjusted the amount later to deceive others, the situation would still be precarious. However, I had no choice but to take the risk, as dangerous as it was.
“Alright, I’ll go to the construction site tomorrow and take a look.”
“Thank you. I’ll send guards with you.”
Master Ganze agreed. The area was relatively free of monsters, so the journey should be safe, but getting injured would be troublesome. To be on the safe side, I would send soldiers from Team Rome as well.
“Seems like the young lady is quite creative.”
Master Ganze’s attitude had completely changed from the beginning, and he now wore a cheerful smile.
“Although she’s bold, she’s also quite reasonable. I feel that I can work well with the young lady.”
With Master Ganze’s approval, I felt reassured.
I shook Master Ganze’s hand. After that, he walked leisurely out of the tent.
As he left, Mia discreetly asked me, “Miss Romelia, is it okay not to have gold?”
Mia probably didn’t understand the context of our previous conversation.
“It’s definitely problematic if we can’t produce any gold at all, but it’s okay if it’s not a massive amount. By comparison, the port is more critical.”
The gold mine was a temporary measure to attract workers to build the city here. As a stepping stone to building the port, it would be inconvenient if we couldn’t extract some gold, but once the port was underway, it wouldn’t matter.
“Why is the port more important than the gold mine?”
Mia seemed confused. Her expression was adorable and made me want to imitate a teacher.
“Pay attention, Miss Mia, it’s time to learn.”
I waved an imaginary stick.
Seeing Miss Quinns, my stern teacher, swing a rod filled me with admiration. The very thought of emulating her filled me with pride.
“The more we dig for gold, the less we find, and when it’s gone, the people disappear.”
There were many examples of once-bustling mines and nearby outpost towns becoming desolate ruins as the veins of ore were exhausted.
“For the continued prosperity of Carulus, there must be sustainable development. Do you know what that is?”
“Well, I don’t.”
Faced with my question, Mia raised a white flag. The gesture was cute.
“It’s circulation.”
“Circulation?”
When I gave her the answer, Mia’s expression turned to disbelief.
“Yes. The exchange of goods, the infrastructure that supports it-such as bridges, roads, and ports-has more value than gold. Roads, bridges, and ports won’t dry up like gold mines. They can create a source of lasting value and utility. If we can build a harbor in Killie Ravine, it will continue to produce profits for hundreds of years, right?”
“Is that so?”
Mia nodded. I guessed she probably didn’t fully understand, but that was okay. If I talked to Miss Quinns and the others, I could talk all night, but there was no way around it.
“Anyway, we need to develop this place properly. If we can produce a reasonable amount of gold and the port construction goes smoothly, our funds will increase. With that, we can further strengthen our military.”
“Aren’t there enough soldiers?”
My words surprised Mia.
“Well, we’ll need more. The number of wounded will also increase, so you will have to work hard as well.”
“Sure, leave the treatment of the wounded to me.”
Mia replied nervously.
Time was running out. I thought about the western capital and the main force of the Demon Army.
Both the Kingdom Army and the Demon Army should be ready for action soon.
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