There was no time like the present.
Rest decided to finally begin the task he would have preferred to avoid if at all possible: the development of the Subnock Plain.
Under normal circumstances, this was a project the central government should have spearheaded. However, the current Royal Family was completely occupied with the aftermath of the rebellion and various diplomatic crises.
If he simply stood by and did nothing, there was a risk that a new "Master of the Magical Wilds" might rise to fill the vacuum left by Subnock. Thus, he chose to take the initiative.
Rest had already been granted territory as a reward for his various achievements. Developing his own land was hardly something the Royal Family could fault him for.
The area granted to him encompassed the entire northern region of the Subnock Plain. In terms of pure scale, it was a domain rivaling that of a Marquis, far exceeding his current rank of Count.
Since the Marquis Rosemary House and its affiliated vassal nobles held lands in the Northern Kingdom, a successful development project could allow them to build a highway connecting his territory to theirs.
(The Royal Family likely took that geography into account when they chose this land for me...)
"Rest, there are several things required to develop an untamed frontier."
In the Marquis Rosemary’s office, his father-in-law, Albert Rosemary, sat with his fingers interlaced atop his desk.
Heavy dark circles were etched beneath the eyes of the man who had been running himself ragged to settle the post-war affairs. He looked exhausted. Rest felt a pang of guilt for bothering such a busy man with his own requests.
"First, you need funds. Development capital. Though, you have already cleared that hurdle."
"Yes... the Royal Family paid me a preposterous sum."
The subjugation of the magical beast Subnock. His contributions during the rebellion. The inheritance from Rodel Aiwood.
Thanks to these, Rest now possessed a fortune greater than anything he had ever seen. In fact, it was such an unsettling amount of money that he found himself wishing he could spend it quickly just to be rid of the stress—a truly extravagant problem to have.
"Next is the matter of people. Soldiers to protect the land from monsters, officials for administrative work, farmers to clear the fields, architects for the buildings and walls, and laborers for the heavy lifting... Developing a plain is a different beast entirely from building a simple village. You will need a massive amount of manpower."
"Right... That’s something I certainly can't manage on my own."
"Well, as long as money is no object, gathering labor shouldn't be difficult. If you leave some of those funds with me, I will instruct Dieble to begin the recruitment process."
"Thank you! I would be truly grateful if you did."
Rest thanked him from the bottom of his heart. Between his father-in-law, Albert, and his mentor, Dieble, he knew the task was in safe hands. If he could have gotten away with it, he felt like dumping the entire mountain of royal gold on them right then and there.
"The real issue will be the administrative officials... though the Royal Family might provide some help. While most of the palace’s civil officials are swamped with post-war work, there is a certain group that currently has nothing to do."
"There are people with free time even now?"
"Indeed. The families associated with the Queen Dowager Faction."
"Huh...?"
Rest’s eyes widened in surprise. He had assumed the Queen Dowager Faction had been purged entirely.
"Even within a single clan, the branches are vast. Many of those on the furthest fringes had absolutely nothing to do with the rebellion. The moment the uprising began, the majority of them renounced their status and became commoners to prove they had no intention of defying the crown. However, even so, they have been removed from all important positions simply because they share a name with traitors."
In a way, they were victims as well. These were the third and fourth sons who couldn't inherit their family estates, men who had come to the Royal Capital to make names for themselves and worked tirelessly to earn positions in the Royal Palace. Now, their families had staged a rebellion, branding them as traitors by association.
"Several of my own subordinates—Court Mages—are in that position. They spend their time cursing their families. They say things like, 'They never gave me a copper of support when I went independent, so why am I the one stuck with their disgrace?'"
"Wow... that sounds rough."
"Their hatred is aimed squarely at their foolish relatives; they won't hold any grudge against you, Rest. In fact, the Royal Family would be happy if you gave them work as clerks."
"...Well, I'll leave the selection to you. I don't know enough about palace politics to choose myself."
But if Albert and Dieble were handling the recruitment, what exactly was left for Rest to do? It felt wrong to leave everything to others while he sat idle.
"You have a vital role of your own, Rest. Monster extermination and the establishment of a base."
"Extermination... and a base."
"Even if the Master of the Magical Wilds is gone, the Subnock Plain remains a dangerous frontier. Clearing out the monsters and securing a location to serve as your initial base of operations—that is your responsibility."
Albert rubbed his weary eyes as he spoke.
"I will lend you some mages from the Marquis Rosemary House, but it might also be wise to recruit talent at the Academy. As long as you stay alive, you can start over if you fail. Try doing it your way."
"...I understand. I'll give it my all."
Rest nodded firmly. Establishing a base was one thing, but monster extermination was right in his wheelhouse. Of course, ensuring the safety of such a vast territory would be no small feat.
(It’ll be impossible on my own, though. I need people to help me. I wonder if there are any students at the Academy looking for a career in service...?)
To take his first step toward development, Rest decided to return to the Academy to find some collaborators.