Chapter 110. Two Suns Risen in the South (2)
BOOM-!
Explosion sounds fully echoing in the mountain.
Startled by that sound, birds filled the sky flying up.
“Whew-.”
In the thick fog made of stone powder, Franz lifted his head and smiled beamingly.
“This should be enough for now?”
Franz was preparing the next reagent confirming the blasting point as if nothing happened, but Nicholas watching the situation from behind him ended up collapsing on the ground.
“Nicholas. Are you okay?”
“What did you say-!”
Franz asked after the well-being of the fallen man, but Nicholas couldn’t understand his words, as if he had gone deaf for a moment.
“……Then next blasting with this reagent…….”
Deep in the forest of Norington.
In front of a cliff deep in the hunting ground Rakshar managed, Franz was using his reagents to his heart’s content.
This cliff they were incessantly breaking now was the cliff Rakshar ran up carrying Blanc and Emilia on his shoulders.
And beyond that cliff was the city Blanc attempted a desperate escape. Baywood.
The closest straight line crossing Norington and Baywood.
Blanc’s plan was to pierce the mountain blocking that line and create a path to Baywood on the opposite side.
Even Franz who first heard this plan questioned if it was possible, but the plan establisher Blanc was certain.
“If this work succeeds, it will be a major construction remaining in history. And I think the only person who can accomplish this work is you, Brother.”
Blanc was certain that if it was Franz, he could accomplish the major construction no one dared to even imagine.
The reason was just one.
Because he had already seen the passage Franz pierced for the Liberation Front in the future.
Franz was mobilizing all capabilities to pierce the cliff, touched by Blanc’s certainty trusting him.
Franz researching the field others didn't go called explosion reagent.
In the Alchemy School placing great value on exploring truth, he was treated as a heretic.
In other schools, they were laughing at his reagents which didn't exert great power compared to their magic.
As Blanc said, if he completed the current construction successfully, the perspective looking at him would also change.
Blanc cleverly stimulating the desire for honor and competitive spirit mages possess to draw out Franz’s ability to the maximum.
His intention succeeded, and the depth of the cave heading to Baywood was deepening day by day.
***
BOOM-!
“Saying this now but I hate Franz.”
At the huge explosion sound echoing from early morning, Ciella whined and clung to Blanc.
“Why hate so much between siblings?”
Since it was the time when the wind became cold, Blanc covered the quilt firmly over his wife wearing nothing and asked.
“I don’t know. From a young age, Franz was a strange guy.”
Ciella, half-asleep and drowsy, burrowed into Blanc’s chest and murmured words she would never have said while fully awake.
“Madam, but I think I should get up now…….”
Blanc wanted to listen to Ciella’s grumbling if possible, but he was a person with much work to do.
“Now I hate both of you.”
“…….”
Blanc couldn't know if what Ciella was saying now was sleep-talking or sincere words disguised as sleep-talking, but.
Blanc quietly kissed Ciella’s forehead and stood up from the seat.
“I don’t know about Brother Franz, but don’t hate me too much.”
His back view, now with solid muscles attached emitting the smell of a man fully.
“…….”
Blanc didn't know that Ciella peeked at that appearance through the quilt.
***
“According to Dwarves, they can make the passage within 3 months if short, within half a year at longest.”
Nicholas, who went to the blasting site from early dawn, was reporting to Blanc in a messy appearance.
“Excellent. Half a year at latest.”
Blanc hadn't thought he could pierce a mountain this quickly even though it was work he planned.
“Even if we pierce the passage connecting to Baywood, more preparations will be needed to utilize that place as a trade route.”
As Nicholas said, it wasn't a problem solved just by piercing one road.
To turn the flow of trade passing through Baywood to Norington even a little, much effort was needed.
Roads connecting to Norington also had to be paved, and cooperation with surrounding territories would also be needed to bring the flow of logistics.
“Please take care of it.”
“…….”
Blanc, who had knights to use but lacked smart civil officials, was using Nicholas, called the Red Prime Minister in the previous life, fruitfully.
If there were no Treasurer Bonas or Scribe Jesman, the workload was such that weak-bodied Nicholas would have fallen ill long ago.
“……However, even if we make a trade route leading to Baywood, wouldn't we fail to catch up with Count Lacie gripping the center of southern logistics?”
Hansen beside Nicholas asked Blanc doubtfully.
As Hansen pointed out, even if the trade route connection construction currently underway succeeded safely, it would be greatly insufficient to check Count Lacie.
“This construction is to check Count Lacie, but above all, its significance lies in developing Norington.”
The passage piercing toward Baywood was basically to benefit from the river flowing in front of Baywood, but.
“Because there is also an advantage that it easily connects to the Gorge Where Even Tears Dried Up and the surrounding wastelands that newly became Norington’s territory through that passage.”
Simultaneously with finishing speaking, Blanc received the report on the Gorge Where Even Tears Dried Up from Nicholas.
“As expected…… The surrounding geology is very poor. Results say it is hard to use even as a field, let alone wheat farming.”
Blanc asked looking at the report.
“How is the existence of groundwater?”
Nicholas answered as if he waited at Blanc’s question.
“Since it was clearly a river stream a hundred years ago, it is certain there is groundwater, but they say bringing it out is impossible. Because it is too deep.”
It was Nicholas' report like passing a death sentence on the wasteland area, but Blanc nodded as if it was trivial.
“Good work.”
Blanc looked at Nicholas and Hansen and said.
“To confront Count Lacie who has much and whose roots are solid, we must not use temporary solutions like trickery or short-term decisive battle.”
Blanc was a Regressor who returned to block humanity’s disaster.
Since Blanc’s goal was only blocking the Void certain to approach in the future, his gaze was all focused on preparing for the huge threat far away rather than the immediate threat now.
The Regressor’s attitude of preparing for the future looking at a distant place rather than a near place resembled the basic attitude to become an excellent monarch a lot.
“Pushing out Count Lacie is only the beginning, not the end, so we must constantly grow strength to achieve a bigger purpose.”
Blanc intended to possess a solid foundation by developing Norington.
The solid foundation built like that would become a great strength for the Regressor to resist the Void.
Nicholas fell into thought looking at Blanc preparing for the future looking at that distant place despite his young age.
Looking at Blanc’s deep eyes, he recalled the conversation shared that night.
***
“Count Lacie will not stay still.”
Inside the carriage escaping from the mansion in Bigrove.
Inside, Blanc and his staff Nicholas were conversing.
“It was bound to happen anyway.”
Blanc answered looking at the scenery outside through the carriage window with indifferent eyes.
Like Blanc’s words, the confrontation between Count Lacie and Blanc was inevitable.
Count Lacie, the existing Ruler of the South, and Blanc trying to push him out and create a new southern order.
Since it was a situation like two suns floating in one sky, the confrontation between the two was inevitable eventually.
“……Was handing over the head of the Southern Union the Baron’s intention?”
Blanc made a slightly surprised expression and turned his gaze looking outside to look at Nicholas.
“Yes, correct. I opened an exit for him to escape.”
Blanc smiling fully on his lips looking at Nicholas.
The shadow of moonlight covered by clouds covered his smiling lips.
Thus, what was visible was only Blanc’s two eyes gleaming.
The Black Wolf was laughing with blue eyes shining.
“Count Lacie who hid behind southern lords and manipulated them until now will have no choice but to step forward proudly now.”
No one in the banquet hall would have known that Blanc cleverly pushed Count Lacie to take the position of the head of the Southern Union.
Even the person himself, Count Lacie.
“Doing so, what is the benefit we gain?”
Only Blanc, the executor of that plan, and Nicholas who just barely understood him a little noticed.
“From the moment he steps forward through the position of the head of the Southern Union, Count Lacie will gain many rights and justifications, but.”
Blanc’s eyes shone chillingly.
“Also, he has to pay that much responsibility.”
Count Lacie who took benefits cleverly manipulating them from behind southern lords until now.
However, from now on becoming the head of the Southern Union, he will have to hold the shield for southern lords even nominally.
Burning his gold coins and soldiers.
“He will have to pay quite a lot.”
Count Lacie would have taken the head of the Southern Union with the calculation that he just needs to resolve anxieties starting from Gartaria.
But Blanc, the only Regressor in this world, was a person who knew well what threat would come to humanity in the future.
“In the meantime, we can just rest in the comfortable shade Count Lacie provides.”
Blanc was trying to preserve his forces while buying time by putting Count Lacie in the forefront against the threat approaching in the future.
“But Count…….”
Nicholas said to Blanc with a worried expression.
“Count Lacie is not such an easy person. He is a person standing at the center of southern logistics flow, and above all, a wealthy person possessing fertile farmland.”
As Nicholas said, Count Lacie was a lord with potential.
By making Count Lacie the head of the Southern Union, they could deplete the wealth and soldiers he possessed, but they could not cut off his solid roots coming from the blessed territory called Bigrove.
“Right…… Count Lacie has those.”
Logistics flow and formidable grain production.
Solid 2 foundations allowing Count Lacie to stand up.
“We also have to equip those.”
Inside the carriage became dark as even the moon was covered by clouds.
Only Blanc’s two blue eyes were shining.
***
Nicholas was nervous seeing Blanc checking documents through blue pupils.
It was to the extent that no retainer was not nervous in front of Blanc possessing excellent administrative ability.
Even Hansen next to him was swallowing dry saliva waiting for Blanc’s signature.
“Baron.”
Billy opened the office door and approached Blanc receiving reports from Hansen and Nicholas.
“There are soldiers who visited.”
“……Seems they are arriving slowly. Escort them politely.”
While Blanc was striving for Norington’s development, there were soldiers visiting his territory.
Blanc ordered to punish the three families excommunicated by the Book of Oracle.
Southern lords were sending soldiers to the honorable vanguard of the Holy War.
Although not a large number of soldiers, even that amount was a big help to Blanc lacking troops.
“Are there more troops to come?”
“Except for the soldiers of a few lords, almost all arrived.”
Blanc looked at the flag emitting blue light standing in his office.
“Then I should move slowly.”
Norington alone was insufficient.
To head to a higher position escaping the position of Baron.
For the Regressor who has to fight for the approaching Void.
Blanc was a person who had to have more and go up higher.
To block humanity’s destruction.
“Prepare the soldiers. Sir Hansen.”
“Yes. Baron.”
Blanc signed the last document and stood up from the seat.
“Before this winter goes, I will take over Langketa and Kamora’s territories.”
Now was the time to finish the three families.