Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 397

397

This Time

One thing that people in Hispaña or Nudia didn’t fully realize was that the border area was quite fertile, as productive as any other region.

It was natural, then, that the Margraviate of Klausen and the County of Basura, being situated near the border, focused on agriculture rather than trade to manage their territories.

However, the land’s fertility remained largely unknown because the area was sparsely populated.

“No, why are you doing this?

Enemies could attack at any moment, and you’re suddenly telling us to settle down at the border! How can such an absurd thing happen?”

When the order came from the Nudian side, instructing them to remain at the border instead of venturing further into Hispaña, the refugees naturally protested.

They had fled to escape the war, but being ordered to live so close to the enemy felt like a death sentence!

However, the news that followed contained a very surprising fact for the refugees.

“Don’t worry.

We inflicted enormous damage on the enemies who were advancing into western Nudia and defeated them.

The damage was so severe that the enemies retreated near the royal castle to reorganize their ranks.”

“I heard that the amazing knight who fought alone against our Nudia army in the past defeated the enemies single-handedly again.”

“Is that even possible? Fighting against the Celestials [likely referring to elite enemy soldiers or a specific unit] alone?”

Initially, everyone reacted with disbelief, but as wounded soldiers who had retreated from the front lines spread the news, the refugees finally realized it was true.

The enemy’s advance, which had seemed poised to engulf all of Nudia, had been severely checked, and they had remained stationary for almost a week.

“They will no longer be able to rush in so easily.

Therefore, His Majesty the King wants the people of the kingdom not to be surprised or afraid, but to settle in the land of Nudia and help drive out the enemies.”

Although they had won a battle, the duration of the war remained uncertain.

The Nudia royal family had no choice but to prioritize the soldiers fighting on the front lines, giving them first access to essential supplies like food.

The refugees, being lower in priority, were encouraged to become self-sufficient, which meant settling down quickly.

“No, isn’t that too much to ask? Building a house or cultivating farmland isn’t something you can do in a day or two; it takes months, even if you rush it.

If our relationship with Hispaña sours in the meantime, won’t all our efforts be wasted?”

“Hispaña shed blood alongside us in this war.

They have even promised to continue their good relationship with Nudia after this war, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Hispaña is giving us free food support right now.

We’re fighting together, and if we doubt each other and break up, we’ll only lose.”

“…That’s true.”

The fact that they no longer needed to run was probably the biggest reason why the refugees calmed down.

To be honest, living in their own country, even in an unfamiliar place, was much better than going to another country and being constantly mindful of others.

Above all, they couldn’t return to their hometowns immediately, and even if they did, they couldn’t start cultivating farmland right away.

So, the number of people who thought it wouldn’t be bad to live here for a while or settle down altogether greatly increased.

‘If the relationship between Nudia and Hispaña improves, the border area, which is said to be dangerous, could become a land of opportunity!’

Anyone with a bit of foresight could see that.

If the two nations got along better, trade would naturally follow, and if they opened the trade route wider, the lodging business for merchants would flourish at the border.

The lodging business required more than just one building; it would center around a safe place like a village or city, making it essential to gather people and form a settlement.

“However, don’t get too close to the Hispaña border.

The border hasn’t disappeared, after all.”

“That’s obvious, but if people spread out in all directions, it could be dangerous because of those with ill intentions.

We’ll need soldiers.”

Not all refugees would gather in one place to create a new village, or even a temporary living space.

It was likely they would divide into numerous groups and scatter.

Hopefully, such a thing wouldn’t happen, and Nudia people wouldn’t prey on each other, but people often resort to violence to get what they want.

Even while fleeing, there were frequent cases of refugees fighting each other, and some turned into thieves who stole or robbed other refugees’ belongings.

The chaos only subsided a little after the soldiers intervened, but if the refugees spread out in all directions as they were now, protecting them with limited soldiers would be difficult.

“Our Nudia soldiers, along with the Hispaña border guards, will protect you.

You don’t have to be surprised even if the Hispaña army appears.”

Many refugees had witnessed the Hispaña army entering Nudia and joining forces with Nudia soldiers to fight.

They might have doubts, but far more people simply nodded, seemingly without unnecessary worries.

In that way, refugees began to spread out little by little in the border area, which was a relatively wide expanse.

There was no need to worry about water because there was a river that originated in Nudia and flowed towards the Margraviate of Klausen, and the land was fertile enough to grow crops because it had been untouched.

Most of them had lived by cultivating farmland in their hometowns, and they used to live in noble territories, but those nobles had either been bought out by the enemies, killed, or had abandoned them and run away.

They no longer needed to be bound by those nobles.

Instead, many thought it wouldn’t be bad to try to gain more benefits here.

But a few days after they spread out, a strange rumor began to circulate.

It was better to settle near the Hispaña Margraviate than to settle relatively close to the County of Basura in Nudia.

If the Nudia side heard this news, they would be horrified and want to dissuade them, but there were many unavoidable reasons.

First of all, the information that those from Hispaña gave to the refugees played a key role.

In a situation where they had to settle down considering the geographical conditions, the Hispaña border guards, responsible for the refugees’ safety, advised them on which areas were suitable and which lands were easier to cultivate.

‘When did Young Master prepare this again?’

The Margraviate of Klausen primarily managed the Hispaña border guards.

Naturally, Zion’s influence was at play, and they remembered the contents of a letter Zion had sent and were using it now.

―Investigation of land in the border area―

Margrave Lichten had wondered about this when he first received the letter.

His son, who was supposed to go to Nudia and fight, suddenly sent a letter about surveying the lands in the border area.

However, Margrave Lichten believed there must be a reason why Zion had conducted such an investigation and informed the border guards.

He said that Zion seemed to be planning something for his return, and those familiar with the border geography should know about it.

‘Thanks to you, I unintentionally provided geographical information to the people of Nudia.’

Because they could find out where to build a village and cultivate farmland without wandering aimlessly, the people of Nudia naturally wanted to contact the Hispaña border guards.

And to contact them, it was more advantageous to be closer to Hispaña than to Nudia, so they gradually flocked to Hispaña.

“Woah woah woah!”

“A wagon!”

“Calm down and come slowly.

There are many, many.”

Did they simply provide information?

Of course not.

Zion wouldn’t have been thinking of swallowing the border area with just that.

As the refugees began to prepare for settlement, dozens of cargo wagons headed there from the Margraviate of Klausen as if they had anticipated it.

They were loaded with food, clothes, temporary tents, and tools for building houses and cultivating farmland.

Even though each wagon carried a huge amount, they were quickly emptied because the goods were being given away without any conditions.

Zion’s intentional actions were evident here, with measures taken to prevent the wagons from entering places too far from the Hispaña border.

In other words, they were creating an environment where the closer they were to the Margraviate of Klausen, the better the benefits.

The members of the Haines Merchant Guild, residing in the Margraviate of Klausen, were the ones who brought these wagons.

They had wondered why Zion had been paying huge sums to buy food and tools for months, but now they understood.

As if he had foreseen this situation, he had made all the preparations to keep the people of Nudia close to Hispaña.

―If Young Master Zion Klausen wants something, act first.

Hold your questions for later.―

There was a time when I questioned the strict order of Helen Haines, the head of the merchant guild.

The owner of that huge merchant guild, who didn’t waver even before nobles, showed a soft and gentle appearance only to Zion Klausen.

So, I wondered if there was something romantic between them, but if he was a man who could foresee the future beyond being a war hero and prepare for it, I couldn’t help but think that he was someone their employer would naturally follow.

‘Is that all? You’re giving away the items you’ve purchased at a really huge price to the refugees of Nudia, not even the people of Hispaña.

He’s doing things that even ordinary nobles can’t do so casually.’

They weren’t even their own people, but refugees from a country that had been fighting against them until recently.

In a situation where even minimal care would have been appreciated, they were helping them with a literally huge amount of money, so the merchant guild members couldn’t help but admire them.

As soon as things started like this, Hispaña’s support poured in, so naturally, the refugees forgot the warnings not to get too close to Hispaña and headed there.

To be honest, it’s fair to say that Nudia had done almost nothing for them.

They lost the east and south and were pushed to the western end, and they would have given up even that if it hadn’t been for Hispaña’s reinforcements.

They waged an absurd war and wasted unnecessary power in the fight against Hispaña, and they couldn’t even stop those who invaded Nudia.

The former king was chased away, and the current king fled to the west.

In that situation, Hispaña, which had even fought a war with Nudia, sent troops, and the Margraviate of Klausen was taking care of them by supplying not only people but also food and various supplies.

Of course, it’s not that Nudia didn’t want to take care of its own people, but it couldn’t because it lacked the capacity to do so.

It was natural for them to be drawn to Hispaña, which was offering them sweet honey when they were tired and exhausted.

Moreover, the Margraviate of Klausen had abandoned its hostile attitude towards Nudia and was preparing the materials needed to build houses and supporting the refugees.

You might be suspicious of excessive goodwill, but it was beneficial for Hispaña and Klausen if the influx of refugees decreased, so it was easy to overlook.

“How are you doing today?”

“Thanks to you, I’ve had less trouble.

I only have one body, and there are mountains of things to do, but I didn’t know that the Margraviate of Klausen would provide so much support.”

“The uncomfortable relationship is in the past.

Now, aren’t we allies who have to help each other?”

They help each other, but only Hispaña was helping.

The people of Nudia knew very well that Nudia was in a position to continue receiving help.

It was clear that they admitted their situation was dire, but it was never pleasant to be on the side that had to keep bowing down.

Above all, for those who had lost their hometowns and homes due to the war, their pride and affection for Nudia, which had fallen to the ground, were very difficult to recover.

If Zion was here, he might have chuckled, ‘I was aiming for this all along!’

As if to drive a wedge even further, other faces that Zion had prepared soon began to appear near the border.

“What is this?”

“What is this suddenly near the border?”

“There are so many humans.”

Those who arrived at the border earlier than the main force as advance troops were the Beastmen and the Fairies.

These people, whom both the people of Hispaña and Nudia found fascinating, appeared almost simultaneously.

Originally, they would have moved while avoiding the eyes of humans.

However, as they began to improve relations with Hispaña, they realized that hiding wasn’t always necessary and changed their approach.

―Get along with humans!

Don’t hide unnecessarily!―

In particular, Leah conveyed this message to her people according to Zion’s instructions, so the Myo-eun tribe members who had reached the border as advance troops saw the people of Nudia struggling and, exclaiming, ‘Humans are weak, nyaang!’ helped them little by little while nagging.

The fairies, feeling a strangely competitive spirit, clicked their tongues and said they shouldn’t do that, but started helping the refugees as well.

In addition to their sense of superiority, they acted on the judgment that showing a friendly face to humans would be beneficial in building relationships with Hispaña.

However, it was simply mysterious for the people of Nudia, who couldn’t know their inner thoughts.

Suddenly, strangers appeared and helped them?

And they showed a friendly face with the people of Hispaña?

Was Hispaña that great?

Had it become such a great place that it could treat those great non-human races without hesitation?

Were other people going into that wonderful country and living well, while they were the only ones suffering here?

The people of Nudia had all sorts of thoughts.

Nudia, which had no other way to tell them to live at the border, and Hispaña, which supported and cared for the people of a completely different country—if they had to choose one place now…

Maybe more than half of them would answer like this, if not all.

It would be better to live in Hispaña, in the Margraviate of Klausen, rather than in Nudia.

―There is nothing more foolish than buying people with money.

But if you’re going to buy people with money, give them a lot.

So much that they can’t think of anything else.―

The Klausen expansion project was proceeding step by step according to Zion’s iron rule.

―――――――Afterword―――――――

Giving it ambiguously only makes you feel worse.

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