NOVPUBThere was simply too much going on. The workload was overwhelming, yet there were far too few people to manage it.
They were essentially pouring money and manpower into the operations just to keep things barely running, resulting in countless tangled administrative processes along the way. Eventually, this would lead to bigger issues if left unchecked.
Billy finally realized why he had been called to this domain.
“So, I’m here to deal with things before they spiral out of control, huh?”
Claude’s talk about friendship and mentorship had been pure nonsense. He simply didn’t want to die alone and dragged Billy along to bear the burden.
Billy’s face turned pale at the realization. While the students were bound by a 20-year contract, he and his friends were locked into a 30-year one.
“Oh, no. My whole family’s here now, too. They even gave me a house and money. There’s no escape.”
Though he was tempted to curse, there was no other choice but to grind through the work. In an effort to stabilize the domain as quickly as possible, Billy worked tirelessly, barely sleeping.
But no matter how much he cleared off his desk, the workload seemed endless. There’s only so much a person’s stamina can handle. After several sleepless nights, Billy finally collapsed from exhaustion.
“I give up... I can’t do this anymore... Just kill me or whatever...”
At that moment, someone approached him, looking quite worn out.
“Hello, I’m Piote. I’m here for the domain’s rotational healing session.”
“...?”
Billy was too drained to respond, only managing a puzzled expression. Piote reached out his hand toward Billy.
With a radiant glow, Billy’s body instantly recovered, and he sat up, staring at Piote in astonishment.
With dark circles under his eyes, Piote gave a slight bow and said, “It’s time to get back to work.”
With those words, he staggered away, leaving Billy in shock.
“What the...?”
Billy could only laugh bitterly. Even collapsing from overwork wasn’t enough to free him from the relentless demands.
He realized he might not even be able to die until the work was done. He had heard rumors about this place, but nothing could have prepared him for its reality.
Overwhelmed with fury, he thought of the person who had dragged him here.
“Claude, you bastard!”
Similar scenes were unfolding all across the Fenris domain.
Meanwhile, Claude was in his office, elegantly sipping tea, looking the most relaxed he had been in a while.
“Hm... I should have brought them here sooner. What a waste, struggling all this time. I lost a few years off my life doing everything myself.”
The younger recruits were still learning, stumbling and making mistakes as they went, but his friends and older comrades were different.
They had some administrative experience, even if it was just from small domains, so they handled problems much faster.
While the existing management of Fenris, including Claude himself, still had a heavy workload, things were undeniably better than before.
The fact that he could enjoy a moment of tea time was proof enough.
“Ah, this brief respite was nice. Time to get back to work...”
Crash!
“What on earth!”
Something crashed through the window of his office, startling Claude. Wendy immediately stepped in front of him.
A small stone rolled across the floor before coming to a stop.
“What’s this? An assassination attempt? Were they aiming at me? How dare someone attack the head of this domain!”
While Claude was causing a fuss, Wendy approached the stone and inspected it carefully. She noticed a piece of paper tied to it.
“Sir, it appears to be a complaint letter.”
“A complaint letter? Is someone airing grievances, or is it one of the new managers engaging in corruption? Well, we aren’t fully stabilized yet.”
Issues were bound to arise among the people, especially in a war-ravaged domain like theirs.
While they were doing their best to maintain order, perfection was out of reach. Crime had been on the rise, with more food being distributed, attracting potential wrongdoers.
If a new official was already guilty of misconduct, it would be a significant problem.
“Bring it here. I’ll check if it’s a grievance or a report of corruption and handle it immediately. I won’t tolerate such behavior in a domain under my care.”
Wendy handed over the letter, and Claude, looking quite self-assured, opened it. However, he blinked in surprise as he read its contents.
**[You bastard.]**
It wasn’t a plea for justice, nor a report of corruption. Just pure, directed profanity.
“....”
After a moment of silence, Claude crumpled the letter and tossed it behind him. This wasn’t something he could fix.
---
In the two months since Claude had left, the domain had undergone many changes.
Construction had advanced at a breakneck pace, with new facilities springing up everywhere.
Hundreds of new officials had joined, pouring their efforts into the work, which was gradually bringing stability to the domain.
The officials’ families had also moved in, increasing the number of craftsmen, so even the dwarves had a slightly lighter workload than before.
Galbaric and the dwarves whispered carefully in the workshop.
“We still feel like we’re working ourselves to death, but it’s better than before, right? Let’s keep things manageable at this level.”
“Right. With time, things should ease up even more. Just don’t let anyone notice.”
“Let’s keep pretending it’s killing us.”
Even the workaholic dwarves were beginning to grasp the art of pacing themselves.
Initially, they truly felt on the verge of death, but now they were able to take short breaks while pretending to be overwhelmed.
In other words, they’d learned the ropes.
Galbaric, their leader, grinned as he looked at the other dwarves.
“If we keep this up, we’ll have a lot more free time in a few months. Let’s make sure the lord doesn’t catch on! He works us to the bone.”
“Exactly! We’re the ones managing things on-site! Hahaha!”
“There’s so much going on here; there’s no way the lord can keep track of it all! He doesn’t have a clue!”
The dwarves laughed heartily, but their laughter suddenly ceased.
Galbaric looked around, noticing their expressions.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”
The dwarves remained silent.
Galbaric, feeling a bad premonition, turned his head, and there, standing right next to him, was Ghislain.
“Let’s get started on something new, my friend.”
“Whoa!” Galbaric jumped back, startled.
Looking at Giselle, who stood there with an unimpressed expression, he thought, *Guess he heard our little plan to slack off.*
Galbaric figured it wouldn’t have made a difference even if he hadn’t said anything. Someone like Ghislain, who had to personally oversee every task, wouldn’t be unaware of the progress on the work.
“Thanks for all your hard work. The domain is finally stabilizing, so let’s start on the next project.”
“What now? We still have more residences and workshops to build! Can’t we wait until that’s done?”
“Those can be handled by the others. Just check in now and then to ensure there are no issues.”
With the influx of skilled laborers from the region of Cabaldi and the additional administrative support, work was progressing smoothly.
The continuous supply of food kept the workers motivated, pushing them to accomplish more.
Of course, having the dwarves involved would speed things up even further, but the initial efficiency was no longer as high.
Ghislain was now preparing to initiate an even more crucial project.
Galbaric and the dwarves slumped their shoulders, expressions turning gloomy.
“So, what’s next?”
“We’re going to develop a new technology.”
“A new technology? What kind?”
At the mention of a new technology, the dwarves’ eyes sparkled.
They had been busy with numerous tasks, but the repetitive labor was becoming tiresome. Busy as they were, it was beginning to feel like monotonous work.
With a sly grin, Ghislain said, “We’re going to create an alloy. Something as strong as steel but much lighter.”
“Did I hear that right? An alloy? Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. We couldn’t attempt it before due to the scarcity of iron, but now that we have enough, it’s time to give it a shot. I know a thing or two.”
“Whoa!”
The dwarves gasped, practically shouting in excitement.
Creating an alloy was no small feat.
Many blacksmiths, alchemists, and wizards had attempted it over the years, but humanity had yet to progress beyond the use of steel.
The lack of advanced refining and processing techniques, as well as the unknown mixture ratios, were significant obstacles.
Such research would require extensive time and immense funding, making it hard to find noble sponsors willing to invest in something with uncertain outcomes.
The dwarves felt their hearts pound with excitement.
An alloy was the pinnacle of metallurgy.
It was said that dwarves were the first to create bronze and steel. If the lord led them toward a new path, it could lead to a historic accomplishment.
Galbaric, in particular, was the most thrilled of all.
His childhood dream had been to create a new alloy. Over the years, as he had grown older and compromised with reality, he had almost forgotten that dream, but now it was reawakening within him.
“Do you truly know how to create a new alloy?” he asked, his tone now humble. His thirst for knowledge was palpable.
Ghislain chuckled and began writing something down for the dwarves.
On the paper were various mineral names: iron, graphite, tin, alum, and other components, along with a sequence for refining.
However, the dwarves, reviewing the paper, still looked puzzled. Some details seemed to be missing.
“Excuse me... How exactly should we separate these materials and adjust the ratios? And what temperature are we supposed to use...?”
One of the dwarves cautiously asked, glancing at Ghislain, who clicked his tongue in mild irritation.
“You’re expecting me to spoon-feed you everything? It’s not a fully developed technique yet; that’s why it requires research. But isn’t this much already a significant help?”
The dwarves nodded, understanding. After all, identifying the materials was the hardest part; figuring out the specifics of the process could be managed through a few rounds of trial and error. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
As the dwarves nodded in agreement, Ghislain sighed in relief.
The truth was, he didn’t actually know the full process and had only provided what he remembered.
“How could I possibly know every step?”
Claude had been insistent in his past life that this technique was essential, and that’s why Ghislain had remembered as much as he did.
Meanwhile, Galbaric was scrutinizing the notes, his face gradually turning red with excitement as his hands began to tremble.
“How... How does the lord know all of this?”
Galbaric often spent his free time mixing materials, trying to envision new alloys.
It was the only way to escape the monotony of his daily life.
But on Ghislain’s list, almost all the materials he had previously considered were there, filling in the gaps that had been holding him back. Now all he needed was to experiment.
The uncanny accuracy of the list made Galbaric seize Ghislain by the arms, shaking him.
“Did you come up with this yourself, my lord? Is it really possible to create a new alloy this way?”
It’s actually your discovery, Ghislain thought, amused.
In his past life, Galbaric had been the one to develop a revolutionary alloy.
This was the very reason Ghislain had insisted on bringing him to the domain, even at great expense.
After disaster had struck the continent, humanity’s technological advancements accelerated out of necessity to fend off the ensuing chaos.
In that turbulent world, Galbaric had achieved his life’s ambition.
However, there was no way for Ghislain to tell Galbaric that this alloy would be his own future accomplishment, so he averted his eyes and gave a nonchalant answer.
“Uh, well... I heard about a legendary blacksmith...”
“Oh! Who is he? I’ve never heard of such a prestigious title in my life!”
It’s you. You’re the legendary blacksmith, Ghislain thought.
“Please, let me meet him just once!”
Just look in the mirror...
Galbaric’s grip on Ghislain’s arms was tight as he pleaded, but no matter how much he asked, there was no way Ghislain could make him meet the “legendary blacksmith.” So, he made up an excuse as usual.
“Oh, he calls himself the ‘legendary blacksmith,’ but I only read about him in a book when I was young. I lost the book a long time ago.”
Galbaric’s face fell, a bit disappointed.
“Then... we don’t really know if this is possible, do we?”
“It is possible. Start the research right away. Only you and your team can accomplish this.”
Encouraged by Ghislain’s confidence, another dwarf asked cautiously, “Why is it only possible for us, and why did the lord wait until now to attempt this?”
“Because refining and processing this alloy are incredibly difficult. Only dwarves have the skill to do it. And even if we could produce it, there’s something about its... heat conductivity, I think? In any case, it’s too low for most blacksmiths to work with easily.”
The dwarves exchanged doubtful glances at Ghislain.
He hadn’t even made the alloy before, and yet he somehow knew about issues that might arise post-production?
And he brought the dwarves along specifically to address those issues?
It was a paradox, to say the least.
But Ghislain continued speaking with a confident expression, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“The legendary blacksmith almost completed it, you know? Since we have the materials, it’s worth researching. If you succeed, you’ll be the first on the continent. It’s worth the challenge.”
The dwarves wanted to object to the logic gaps but couldn’t deny the intrigue.
Ghislain sighed inwardly.
They’d probably believe me if I said I came up with it myself.
But he didn’t want to take credit for someone else’s work.
Taking credit for a historic breakthrough when the real creator stood before him didn’t sit well with him.
Ghislain pointed to Galbaric.
“I’m appointing Galbaric as the project lead. And if this alloy is successfully created... it will be named ‘Galvanium’ after him.”
“Ohhh!”
Galbaric clenched his fists, feeling a surge of pride and determination.
This was his lifelong dream coming true, and Ghislain had given him both the push and inspiration to make it happen.
The invention itself would be historic, and Ghislain was even offering to name it after him. Refusing would mean he didn’t deserve the title of a dwarf.
“My lord! I will achieve this, even if it costs me my life!”
Brimming with emotion, Galbaric nearly made a pledge of loyalty.
In a regal manner befitting a lord, Ghislain patted Galbaric’s shoulder and said, “Good, now get on with it. We don’t have all day.”
“...Yes, sir.”
The dwarves promptly mobilized, eager to begin their research.
