As late February arrived, the weather began shifting towards early spring. The air gradually warmed, and traffic along the highways started to pick up again.
In the midst of this seasonal transition, the Earldom of Earlkvist was undergoing significant changes—an influx of migrants.
The rumors Noein had spread the previous year about the “Earlkvist Earldom accepting refugees” seemed to have been waiting for winter to end, rapidly coming to life.
Every few days, new refugees arrived, and within just a few weeks after winter’s end, the population of Noeina, the capital of the territory, was about to exceed 70 people.
“Sorry for keeping you busy right after you moved in, Dmitry.”
“Oh, no need to apologize. In fact, I’m grateful to get so much work right away. Plus, I’m getting paid well.”
Noein exchanged these words with the carpenter Dmitry while receiving progress reports on the construction of new houses in the office at the manor.
Dmitry had quit the construction guild he was part of in Retvik and moved to Noeina at the start of spring to establish a new guild. He was already busy constructing new homes.
Anticipating the rise in immigration, Noein had previously ordered the construction of many houses, but at this rate, the number of people hoping to settle might eventually outstrip available housing.
“Still, giving every immigrant household a house and farmland—that’s a pretty generous move. You’ve even given me a fine house and workshop.”
“Thanks to the lapis lazuli vein, our territory’s budget is abundant for its size. I judged that it would be more beneficial in the long run if the immigrants could quickly settle into a stable life and start working right away, speeding up development.”
In fact, the refugees who came to the Earlkvist Earldom had already begun cultivating crops, mainly spring-planted potatoes, on the farmland provided to them just a few days after settling. As the refugees were immediately converted into a labor force, Noeina’s agricultural output was rapidly expanding.
For the time being, Noein intended to provide homes and farmland to at least the first 100 households, and for any merchants or artisans, buildings to serve as shops or workshops. This was also to spread the word that “if you come to the Earlkvist Earldom now, you can start a new life immediately.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll gladly put my all into building these houses.”
“Yes, please do.”
After finishing his discussion with Dmitry, Noein asked Anna to organize the construction expenses and then stepped outside the manor. Having spent the entire day cooped up in the office, he now planned to take a break and inspect the village.
Beside him was Mathilda. Since many of the new immigrants’ backgrounds were still unclear, she accompanied Noein not only as his deputy but also as his bodyguard whenever they left the manor.
The settlement of Noeina, which already had several empty houses for immigrants before winter, was now evolving into a more vibrant village as more residents moved in.
“Edgar, thanks for your hard work.”
“Oh, Lord Noein. Thank you.”
As Noein made his way through the central cluster of homes and toward the farmland, he encountered Edgar, the steward responsible for overseeing agricultural work.
“Looks like the planting is going well.”
“Yes, with more hands, things are moving along smoothly. We’re also planning to cultivate new land that Lord Noein had previously prepared, using it as farmland. And we can now use cattle as well.”
Hearing Edgar’s report, delivered with a smile, Noein responded with a pleased smile of his own, saying, “I’m glad to hear that.”
It wasn’t just the population that had grown in the Earlkvist Earldom. Before winter, the only livestock they had were chickens, but now they were raising pigs for meat and cattle to assist with farming.
Edgar, who came from a family of village heads, was familiar with handling cattle, and one of the new immigrants was a professional pig farmer, making it possible to start raising pigs.
At the current rate of population growth, it was inevitable that relying solely on hunting monsters around Noeina wouldn’t provide enough meat. Noein was relieved they had begun pig farming within the territory in time.
Another significant development was that the introduction of cattle had freed Noein from the work of using golems to plow the land with wheeled plows.
After chatting with Edgar, Noein continued to stroll through Noeina, engaging in what was more a leisurely walk than an official inspection. The villagers bowed respectfully as they passed him, and Noein waved back with a smile.
“It’s enjoyable, Mathilda.”
“Yes, Lord Noein. You can feel the daily progress of Noeina’s development.”
It had become customary among the stewards and villagers to refer to the place as “the capital, Noeina” when speaking about the settlement.
This practice not only helped avoid confusing the names Noein and Noeina but also carried the intent of cultivating a sense of pride in developing their new home into a city-worthy settlement.
Thus, even though it was still little more than a small village, everyone spoke of it as “the capital, Noeina.” This was a reflection of their expectations for the Earlkvist Earldom and their trust in Noein.
…
On another day, Noein received a report that a traveling merchant had arrived in the square of Noeina. He headed there himself, accompanied by Anna, who was in charge of finances, and Mathilda, his bodyguard.
“Hello, Phillip.”
“Ah, Lord Earlkvist. I’m honored to receive a greeting from you directly.”
“Oh no, since you’ve taken the trouble to come to such a rural territory, the least I can do is say hello.”
Noein approached the young merchant, Phillip, who had a small cart drawn by a donkey and was selling goods to the residents of Noeina.
Phillip was a young peddler who had started visiting Noeina periodically since winter ended. His goods ranged from needles, thread, cloth, candles, soap, knives, and alcohol to spices, combs, cosmetics, and even a few medicines—a typical assortment for a peddler.
In small villages that didn’t have proper shops, personal consumption was often supported by such peddlers. Phillip, eager to make money in the Earlkvist Earldom ahead of other peddlers, spent half a day traveling to do business here.
“Is there anything you need today?”
“I don’t keep track of the household supplies, so please discuss the details with Anna.”
“My apologies. I’ll get right to it.”
“Yes, I’ll read out what we’d like to purchase.”
Anna listed the items and quantities from the shopping list, and Phillip began preparing them.
In a noble territory where the lord held absolute authority, the finances of the land were directly tied to the lord’s household. As such, Anna, the sole person in charge of the territory’s finances, also managed and understood the income and expenses of Noein’s manor.
In other words, she controlled the household budget. Tasks like purchasing daily necessities were part of her responsibilities.
“The total is 850 Reblo.”
“Understood. Here you go.”
“…Yes, I’ve confirmed it.”
Phillip nodded as he checked the eight silver coins and five large copper coins he had received from Anna. With that, the transaction was complete.
“How’s business in our territory?”
“Thanks to you, I’ve been making a good profit. The people of Noeina seem to be living comfortably.”
“Haha, well, we do have plenty of work and farmland.”
As Noeina’s self-sufficiency in food increased, more labor, like the excavation of lapis lazuli and development work, was being rewarded in cash. As a result, the residents of the Earlkvist Earldom had more cash than the typical villagers in other regions and could afford some luxuries.
“With the ongoing conflicts between neighboring countries to the east and west starting to affect the economy, the prosperity here is quite enviable.”
“Has the conflict had that much of an impact?”
“Yes. Especially in the west, I hear the Kingdom of Lancel has resumed its offensives since winter ended… I hope it doesn’t escalate into a full-blown war.”
“Indeed. There’s nothing better than peace.”
