CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 58: TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS

With the arrival of April, the air had warmed noticeably. Ryan had even stored away his cloak.

In the camp’s training square, he now wore nothing more than a thin, tight-fitting shirt, brandishing a softwood staff as he sparred fiercely with Brand.

"What the hell are you doing!"

Ryan roared, smashing his staff onto Brand’s shoulder.

"Where’s that ruthless strength you used to kill the Frost Python? What, after all this time, you haven’t improved at all?"

He leapt back, staff still in hand, then lunged again just as leaves fell through the air—they collided once more.

Bang!

As expected, Ryan was sent flying by Brand’s brute strength. His physical endurance and power had already surpassed some bronze knights, even shocking Harrington and the others. But against Brand, this "hero unit," he still had a long way to go.

"Lord Ryan, your progress has been remarkable," Brand said.

"Aside from Harrington, none of those four can best you anymore."

Ryan glanced at the five bronze knights observing from a distance and let out a cold snort.

"If this is the standard of the Flame Dragon Knight Regiment of the Rimehart family, I sincerely doubt whether that count truly led an expedition deep into the Northern Frontier—to the mammoth orc tribes, no less."

Brand shook his head and said:

"Your progress, especially in technique and reaction speed, has reached the limits of a full knight. But from here on, further improvement is extremely difficult. Even if you succeed, the gains will be marginal."

"However, if you can break through to become a bronze knight, your strength will surpass mine."

Ryan understood. As a full knight, he was inherently disadvantaged in attributes compared to a bronze knight. Trying to match them with technique alone was less effective than just pushing for a breakthrough. Once he did, his strength, speed, and physique would easily surpass his current self.

As for whether he could defeat Brand after that, Ryan remained skeptical—because Brand was the one making even greater strides lately.

Since the deer spirit had vanished, Brand—already a favored one—had been improving at a frightening pace. So much so that Harrington and the others were now too afraid to spar with him, even five-on-one.

When Brand wasn’t holding back, he had nearly seriously injured someone more than once. Even so, several knights had been bedridden for half a month.

But in that despair, their strength had also grown—along with the two hundred soldiers of the Frozen Wastes.

After all, when even the lord trained so hard, how could the soldiers dare slack off?

Ryan even believed that his two hundred men could now easily defeat the five hundred soldiers borrowed from Viscount Randa in a head-on battle.

"That’s enough for today,"

he muttered as he left the camp, a bit worn down. Lately, he’d been dealing with too many matters, and his personal training had inevitably slowed.

Standing atop Rhinoceros Horn Mountain, Ryan looked out across his territory.

The once uneven, forested hills were now replaced with tiered fields. Tiny black dots of people moved through the terraces.

To the south, a winding, fragmented road was beginning to take shape.

Though it would take at least another year to fully construct a proper route through the forests and marshes, its current state was just barely passable by ox carts and wagons.

The most striking change was in the residential zones of the domain. When Ryan had first arrived, scattered huts had dotted the land like clumps of dirt. But now, a grid of wooden and stone houses lined neat roads. His people walked the streets with smiles on their faces.

The towering taverns and large buildings had become landmarks of each district. While they still lacked many amenities beyond food, the town had begun to look like a real settlement.

If things went according to plan, in two or three months, the entire area would form a town divided by a central crossroads into four major districts, each serving a unique function.

And when that time came, Ryan would be free to happily begin reaping profits.

Azel and the others had reminded him, though: all types of workshops needed to be established soon. With a growing population came growing needs.

Right now, only two things were holding back the development of the Frozen Wastes: population and food. The more people, the faster the growth. And in the Northern Frontier, where farmland was scarce, you could never have too much grain.

According to the old steward’s report, the territory now had more than 6,000 mu (~1,000 acres) of terraced farmland. Though still far from enough, it had somewhat eased the food pressure.

However, expansion would slow from here. These 6,000 mu had mostly been created from the soil and stone excavated during road construction—a method difficult and expensive to replicate.

Who knew how much those orc slaves could eat? Even after repeatedly cutting their rations, Ryan still had to urgently petition the Imperial Guild to deliver more grain.

Lately, he’d even begun selling dreams to his people.

He knew the expansion of farmland would take time. Some new fields needed time to recover. And if next winter was especially harsh, much of the soil might freeze solid.

As for population, he could still import people from the continent of Eksnel—a vital resource for the Frozen Wastes’ growth.

By late April, gentle sunlight brought comfort to the northern people. At the same time, a joint declaration from the Church and southern nobility finally arrived in the Northwind Province.

The major noble houses and the Church had agreed: they would establish the baronial system, sending a clear message to both the noble class and capable commoners.

"On the day of this year’s Divine Grace Festival, the baronial system will be officially established."

"Which means, if all goes smoothly, by New Year’s Day, some of you may be addressed as Baron Lords."

Ryan passed the news to Azel and his group, who were immediately thrilled. One after another, they swore they would be the top contributor in land-clearing by year’s end.

Ryan had no idea how many would actually persevere.

Clearing land wasn’t just talk. The wilderness had more than wild beasts—it was a brutal challenge.

But if they were willing to spend money to buy slaves from him, Ryan wouldn’t stop them.