- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 143
This opposition was inevitable; as soon as the Eagle Trade Guild expanded, encountering resistance was bound to happen.
Unless the guild refrained from expanding into the western region, which, in fact, held the most valuable territories within the Northern Province. Without this expansion, the guild could never achieve the level of growth Thor envisioned.
Yet, with every step westward, this kind of obstruction was a certainty.
Thor hadn’t expected these nobles to resort to imposing internal toll checkpoints as a countermeasure—a tactic that was difficult to counter. Setting up tolls within their own territories was completely legal under the kingdom’s laws. Unless Thor could confront and subdue these nobles, one by one, there was no way to resolve the issue.
But taking such an aggressive approach would bring its own problems. Even if he could defeat a few, such actions could easily provoke widespread resentment, creating more trouble than they’d solve.
Thor sat deep in thought, his brow furrowed.
Steve and Raine exchanged glances, silently waiting without interruption, understanding the gravity of Thor’s contemplation.
“How about my brother?” Thor asked finally, breaking the silence. “Has he responded?”
“Lord Tono is currently reaching out to other pioneering knights within the family and plans to visit Eagle’s Reach shortly,” Raine replied respectfully.
“Contacting other family members…” Thor mused, understanding Tono’s intentions. But he wasn’t convinced it would be enough. Despite the strength of the Dresrosa family in the Northern Province, they couldn’t realistically expect to subdue every major noble in the west.
Without a decisive advantage, rallying other family members would yield limited results.
“Milord, should we consider targeting one of them?” Steve suggested, a flash of determination in his eyes. He had grown increasingly frustrated by recent reports, and with the Eagle Guild’s resources, they could easily overpower a few noble lords if necessary.
Thor looked at Steve, momentarily surprised, but then shook his head.
“No. That would be too obvious. It might push these nobles into a full alliance against us. As of now, they’re not yet united,” he explained calmly.
True, Eagle’s Reach had become strong enough to challenge a few of these nobles outright. But unless he could defeat them all, taking down one or two would only aggravate the situation, likely leading to a coalition of hostile lords. If they fully united, neither the Eagle Guild, his allies, nor even the Dresrosa family could hope to resist them.
“Understood, Milord,” Steve said, his expression somber as he absorbed Thor’s reasoning.
“For now, we wait,” Thor decided. “Once my brother arrives, or when Rachios returns, we’ll assess the situation in greater detail. Steve, make sure the new arrivals are assigned their duties.”
With that, the meeting adjourned.
That night, as Thor sat alone in his study, he continued to strategize, his thoughts often returning to the challenges ahead.
—
The next morning dawned bright and warm, with hints of the summer heat creeping into even the Northern Province. After his morning training routine, Thor delved into the affairs awaiting his attention. Given his extended absence, some matters required his personal input, though Steve, Raine, and the other administrators had handled most issues capably in his absence.
“Another 2,000 acres of farmland expansion?” Thor read with surprise from one of the reports.
“Karin!” he called, summoning his assistant.
“Yes, Milord?”
“Bring Corvett here.”
Karin promptly left, and soon after, Corvett entered the room, slightly winded.
“Milord,” Corvett greeted, bowing respectfully.
“So, tell me about this plan to expand 2,000 more acres of farmland,” Thor prompted, intrigued by Corvett’s vision.
Corvett, the youngest and most promising of the administrators Earl Engel had sent, had managed the affairs of Eagle’s Reach with skill. Thor was eager to hear his thoughts.
“Milord, may I refer to the map?” Corvett asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
“Of course.”
Thor nodded, and Karin unfurled a detailed map behind him, highlighting not only Eagle’s Reach but also the surrounding regions.
“Milord, if you’ll notice, here is the Maine River, and this is Eagle’s Reach,” Corvett explained, pointing to a specific area on the map. “This bend here creates a natural valley, and if we were to divert the river to flow through this lowland area, it would transform the entire region into fertile farmland. Not only could we easily cultivate 2,000 acres, but potentially even 10,000.”
“And there’s an added benefit,” Corvett continued, growing more animated. “By rerouting part of the Maine River, we could relieve some of the flood pressure during the rainy season. As you know, the reservoir reached capacity a few months ago. It’s effective, but without an outlet, it risks overflowing when flooding intensifies. A second channel could prevent this, sparing the downstream areas from the damage they experienced previously.”
Thor’s eyes lit up at Corvett’s plan. The fertile land he referenced was indeed rich but lacked an adequate water supply for farming. Diverting the river could make this region a true breadbasket for Eagle’s Reach.
“You’ve done well, Corvett. This plan has potential,” Thor remarked, nodding approvingly.
Corvett’s logic made sense, and Thor knew that during the previous flood season, the reservoir had been pushed to its limits. The relief outlet had prevented a catastrophe, but several downstream areas had still experienced minor flooding. Fortunately, those regions were largely uninhabited, sparing Eagle’s Reach from greater losses.
The prospect of using the river’s flow to improve the region’s agriculture was an ambitious but promising step forward.
The fertile lands downstream of the Maine River Valley had remained undeveloped for too long, a waste that was increasingly frustrating for Thor.
A spark of enthusiasm glinted in Thor’s eyes.
“Excellent!” he praised. “Corvett, I’ll leave this project to you. I’ll assign the fledgling knights to assist you, along with three full-fledged knights and five thousand goblins for manpower.”
Pausing thoughtfully, Thor added, “With these resources, what’s the longest timeframe you’ll need to complete this river diversion?”
Corvett’s eyes widened in delight. He hadn’t expected such extensive support from his lord.
“Two years—no, one year should be sufficient to complete the project,” Corvett replied, his voice trembling with excitement, his gaze burning with both determination and anticipation.
“Good, I look forward to your success,” Thor said, nodding. He quickly jotted down a directive and handed it to Corvett. “Present this to Peros; he’ll arrange the personnel.”
“Understood, Milord! I won’t let you down,” Corvett said fervently, bowing before he exited.
As Corvett departed, Thor couldn’t help but smile. He hadn’t anticipated that one of the administrators his father had sent would display such aptitude. Even in this world where extraordinary abilities held utmost importance, someone with Corvett’s strategic skills could be invaluable.
Opening more farmland meant producing more food, which would bring in more gold. And more gold allowed for further strengthening of his territory’s fighting force. As a former outsider to this world, Thor understood all too well the importance of a solid foundation.
“A year… it should be completed before the next kingdom war.”
He murmured to himself, content with the decision. Refocusing, he returned to the remaining matters awaiting his attention.
—
As dusk settled and the sun cast its final rays over Eagle’s Reach, workers headed home. Thor finally looked up from the piles of documents.
“Finally finished,” he muttered, stretching. “Looks like it’s time to think about hiring a steward.”
His thoughts drifted to his father’s steward, Charlie, who had managed much of the day-to-day operations, filtering and organizing the numerous affairs of the household. Perhaps it was time for him to appoint someone with similar abilities.
Eagle’s Reach was no longer a small, scattered settlement; it was a burgeoning territory with over ten thousand residents, plus the extensive operations of the Eagle Trade Guild. Handling everything personally was becoming exhausting.
Corvett came to mind, but Thor dismissed the idea quickly. Corvett’s skills would be wasted as a mere steward.
“Hopefully, some of the ten new arrivals will show promise,” he mused. Engle had recently sent him ten more administrative assistants, and he could afford to take his time evaluating their capabilities.
Feeling the need to unwind, Thor rose, stretched, and decided to tour the settlement to check on the new arrivals—particularly the three apothecaries and Marshall.
Just as he was about to leave, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” he called.
The door opened, and his maid, Karin, entered.
“Karin, what’s the matter?”
“Milord, Lord Tono has just arrived,” she said with a respectful bow.
“Oh, my brother’s here already!” Thor’s eyes lit up with surprise.
“Let’s go meet him,” he said, immediately heading for the door.