When I opened the [Shop], countless grid squares assaulted my eyes.
"Even looking at it again, there's way too much......."
Having a wide range of possibilities is a strength.
The problem was that it was far too much.
The options were so vast that I hesitated over what to buy first.
"It'd be a different story if I had enough money to buy everything."
Right now, when we were busy just scraping by, it was a real headache.
Scrolling down, I murmured.
"Hmm....... Can you show me the recommended items?"
[No main story is currently in progress.]
I'd thought maybe, but it was impossible after all.
"I have no idea what on earth 'story' is supposed to mean."
It's not like this world is a game or a novel.
There was a time when I suspected I might be the protagonist of a transmigration story.
But I soon dismissed that thought.
This was because the memories of my previous life were far too vivid.
There was no Albion Empire in any of the webtoons or web novels I had read.
'Or did I transmigrate into a story I never even came across?'
Damn it all, then what's the point?
The whole foundation of a transmigration story is using knowledge of the original work to rise from triumph to triumph.
Forget it. Let's drop the weird thoughts and just go shopping.
"The 'Territory' category. And show me just the facilities in it."
The item list rearranged itself in perfect order.
"Focusing on food, clothing, and shelter....... Let's sort out housing first."
[Basic Residential District (E) × 9]
[Balance: 7,300G]
A fifth of the money I'd gotten from Justitia evaporated.
"The gold is melting away like snow....... No, wait."
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen snow melt once since coming to the North.
I'll have to change the expression.
Let's call it gold that melts faster than snow.
......How sad.
[10 'Basic Residential District (E)' have come together to form an E-Grade village!]
[The morale and loyalty of the territory residents rise!]
[Dominion rises!]
Was it to soothe my sadness?
Golden text popped up one after another.
An unfamiliar word caught my eye.
[Tip: 'Dominion' refers to influence over the land to which 'Abel Draco Whitelion' belongs. As its grade rises, special functions of the [Map] are unlocked.]
[Dominion: F]
"Another new function?"
The exact measuring standard was vague, but I had the feeling it was a stat that would rise naturally as I poured in capital.
"Let's aim for E-Grade first."
Having added one more goal, I kept moving my finger.
[Knight Order Frontline Barracks (E) × 4]
[Balance: 6,500G]
I felt a little sorry for the knights, but it couldn't be helped.
This was because they were fewer in number compared to the territory residents, and being trained, they could endure the murderous cold to some degree.
Of course, I wouldn't forget how they were being treated now.
I planned to give the knights a reward befitting their sacrifice someday.
"With only 5 of them, there's no special effect? ......That's a bit disappointing."
Smacking my lips, I swallowed back my personal greed.
"Housing is more or less sorted, so next would be food, right?"
At present, the North was living on tree bark, grass roots, mud, and the like as staple foods.
If not for the physical abilities left behind by Barbarian genes, they would have long since starved to death or died of stomach trouble.
'And if not for Justitia's donations, the situation would've been even worse.'
But the North's food situation couldn't be left to that goodwill forever.
"Justitia's going to be off on trade runs anyway, and then the support will probably be cut off too."
The North had to lay the foundation to be self-sufficient in food.
The problem was its cursed environment of frigid mountainous terrain.
Food that could be harvested even in land like this.
===[Famine-Crop Greenhouse (E)]===
- Installs a greenhouse in which famine crops can be cultivated.
- When the temperature inside the greenhouse is kept at the proper level, the crops' growth speed and quality rise by 200%.
- Price: 1,000G
======
It had to be famine crops, after all.
Since they were crops grown to prepare for lean years, they had the trait of growing well even in barren soil.
Of course, someone might say that if I installed a greenhouse with the [Shop], I could grow other crops too, though.
'Famine crops also have the trait of a short growing period.'
It would be no exaggeration to say they were the food best suited to the current North.
"......I'll need at least two, right?"
[Balance: 4,500G]
[First greenhouse purchased!]
[As a bonus, seeds of the famine crops 'turnip' and 'potato,' optimized for the Northern climate, are presented!]
Just what I wanted!
Right, if it gobbled up 2,000 Gold, it ought to at least throw in some freebies.
[Facility installed!]
[Assign territory residents to maximize efficiency!]
What's this now?
Tilting my head, I checked the [Map].
The greenhouses that had just been completed were blinking.
When I clicked on that area, a roster appeared.
===[Resident Roster]===
Blaon(E)
Ivanka(E)
Scrooge(E)
.......
======
It seemed to be a collection of the Northerners' names.
There was text floating beneath it too.
[Assignable personnel: 2]
"I get the gist."
Then again, there was no way crops would grow on their own just from scattering seeds.
So farmers to manage the greenhouses were needed.
"Judging by how it says to maximize efficiency, it seems like I could leave the spots empty, though."
It was a chance to raise productivity without spending money.
No reason to pass it up.
I skimmed the roster.
Perhaps because they had lived lives far removed from farming, most of them boasted E-Grade aptitude.
"Still, it's not like there are none at all."
I barely found 2 D-Grade people and assigned them.
"But do people even know they've been assigned when I do it here?"
It was late at night, so there was no way to check right now.
I'll go to the residential district as soon as it's light.
I wanted to see the village that had supposedly formed, too.
"Haaah......."
A yawn came out.
Then again, after arguing with Justitia for so long, it'd be strange if I weren't tired.
"Before I go to sleep...... let me finish paying to win......."
[Frontline Mess Hall (E)]
Since we couldn't feed people the harvested crops raw, I built a mess hall.
After eating things like tree-bark soup, eating a proper meal would raise morale too.
[Training Ground (E)]
I also built a training ground to raise the skill of the knights, who were lacking compared to their heyday.
[Armory (E)]
[Smithy (E)]
Of course, even if their skill rose, it'd all be for naught without decent arms.
I also added the essential facilities.
And finally.
[Scout Post (E)]
I even bought a place for the search party that would bring back information about the Ancient Legacy.
As a result.
[Balance: 0G]
I was flat broke again!
Goddammit, there's still a mountain of infrastructure left to build!
"......Which way did Justitia go again?"
***
"......Why am I suddenly getting goosebumps?"
"It's because you've been outside this whole time."
"It can't be helped. I'm dying of a headache racking my brains because of a certain someone, so I should at least cool off in the cold wind."
Justitia was mulling over how to run the trading company. Her head had overheated to the point of bursting because of it.
To someone like her, the North's cold was an excellent coolant.
"I can't sleep anyway...... so I might as well keep thinking."
"Isn't this a good opportunity?"
"What?"
"You've said it often. That you want to make a trading company you can operate separately from the Violet Trading Company, the way Adikia Violet has set up several independent trading companies."
"I meant to, but who knew I'd be making one in such a rush?"
Justitia brought her hands together and held them to her mouth.
Pale white breath flowed out between her fingers.
"Cattleya."
"Yes, Lady Justitia."
"What do you think of His Highness's proposal?"
It wasn't a question she asked with high expectations.
After all, Cattleya was a guard who only ever rattled off useless answers no matter what she was asked.
She had simply asked out of her usual habit.
"I think it is good."
See.
As expected, an affirmative answer—.
"His Highness is a person well worth placing a bet on."
The hollow laugh that had been about to leave Justitia's mouth sank back below her vocal cords.
"When I stood in front of the drawing room door, I felt an immense pressure. ......It was an energy of a whole different caliber, on another level from when I faced Her Grace the Grand Duke Freyja. It felt as if, the instant I let my guard down, I would be swallowed whole and lose myself."
A single bead of cold sweat ran down Cattleya's cheek.
"But when the door actually opened, there was the warm scent of tea. His Highness was smiling. It felt completely different from the pressure flowing out of him."
Cattleya raised her head.
There was the blue moon.
Somehow, its brilliance seemed diminished compared to the last time she had seen it.
"I think that those who hold power inevitably become arrogant. Whether it's martial might, political power, or wealth. They become addicted to something worse than what junkies get hooked on."
Cattleya gazed at Justitia with her characteristic glare.
"But I never imagined I would get to see three such strange exceptions."
Justitia Violet.
Freyja Berg.
And Abel Draco Whitelion.
Ironically, those holding some of the greatest power on the continent showed the humblest sides.
"I think it would be fine to invest."
"......I'm surprised. I think it's the first time I've seen you go that far."
"Ah, and there is one more reason."
Justitia's eyes widened in surprise.
This was because she had never seen anyone Cattleya rated this highly.
No, it was the first time Cattleya had evaluated another person at all.
"It's the first time I've seen Anna smile for real."
"Anna? ......Ah, that girl missing her front teeth?"
The village Graive had been in charge of was located at the entrance to the North.
Because of that, they had visited it several times on the way to the North.
In the meantime, Cattleya had gotten acquainted with Anna.
"But wasn't that kid always smiling?"
"She was pretending to smile."
"......Why?"
"Who knows. Only Anna would know the reason. What matters is that the smile Anna showed today was different from before."
Justitia tilted her head.
Children were difficult, after all.
"Anna told me. His Highness promised that he would surely make flowers bloom in the North."
"......Flowers, of all things?"
For no reason, Justitia's temples began to ache.
"He really is impossible to figure out."
Making flowers bloom on such barren frozen ground.
It was an even less realistic story than putting up buildings in the blink of an eye.
It was an empty promise.
'......And yet.'
Why did the thought cross her mind that it might not be impossible?
Justitia shook her head.
"Is that what they call romance? Then again, it's because he's the kind of person who says things like that that he talks about building a city-state free from the Imperial Household's interference."
"Since he's that kind of person, go ahead and place a bet too, Lady Justitia, with nothing to lose."
"What?"
"It's a forced move anyway. Since that's how it is, go all in. If it works, it's a jackpot, and if it doesn't, it's a bust."
"Easy for you to say. My life is on the line here."
"After all, even if it's a bust, I will protect you, Lady Justitia."
"......I really can't get used to you today."
Merchants were beings who began their trade by distrusting others.
Those who hid a knife under their tongues could trust only themselves and their capital.
Those who broke that cardinal rule were weeded out.
That was the world of commerce.
'......When you think about it, I'm already someone who's been weeded out.'
She already trusted another person named Cattleya.
And she had donated capital she should have kept in hand to the North because her conscience pricked her.
Having the information about her target, the Ancient Legacy, claimed by someone else first was a bonus.
Abel had even boasted that he knew its location.
'And yet...... it's thanks to being weeded out as a merchant that the Prince chose me.'
What kind of irony was this?
"I don't know. Even if you tell me to believe, do you think it's as easy as it sounds?"
"Well, I suppose not. You don't trust anyone besides me."
"You're even more annoying today, you know that?"
"It's because I take after you, Lady Justitia."
"Argh, you really......!"
The anger that had been surging up sank right back down.
Was it because of the blizzard?
"Sigh, forget it. Let's go get some sleep."
"You said you weren't sleepy."
"I have to sleep even if I force myself."
"Are you going to sleep in the carriage?"
"I should. ......Somehow, I feel like I shouldn't go to the Grand Duke's manor."
"?"
"It's just a feeling. A merchant's instinct."
To be precise, it was an ominous feeling that even the little money she had left would be shaken out of her.
It was just as the two of them were about to head for the carriage.
Boom-bang, boom-bang!?!
Suddenly, a massive tremor and a roar slammed into their eardrums.
The blood drained from Justitia's face in an instant.
The terror of the Monster Wave she had witnessed just earlier came vividly back to life.
Don't tell me...... again!?
"Huh?"
But the sight unfolding before her eyes far surpassed her terror.
"C-Cattleya, that......."
"Tools. Giant...... tools."
Golden tools embroidered the air.
Their number was beyond counting.
The reason, naturally, was that Abel had poured in every last bit of the 10,000 Gold.
Rumble rumble!!!
A sound even greater than when the 216 Blue Moon monsters had advanced shook the North.
Every time the golden grid swept over the earth, sophisticated-looking buildings rose up on the barren land.
"Uh, uh-buh-buh......!"
The merchant's brain, which pursued reason, screamed at a reality it simply could not accept.
The overloaded brain finally chose to shut down.
Justitia's eyes rolled back and she toppled over.
Catch.
Even as she caught her mistress, Cattleya took in the spectacle of the North being reshaped in real time without missing a single moment.
"Lady Justitia....... It may be a rope you were forced to grab."
But that rope was by no means a rotten one.
Justitia Violet, who had been on the verge of sinking into a mire filled to the brim.
A golden rope that would haul her up to the pinnacle of merchants in one go.
The name of the one holding that rope was Abel Draco Whitelion.
***
In the end, I had to go to bed without finding Justitia.
She had incredible instincts, that woman.
"Ugh....... My body feels heavy."
It had been around 2 AM yesterday when I collapsed into bed.
And now it was 4 AM.
Right, I'd woken up after a mere 2 hours of sleep.
The fatigue from negotiating with Justitia was still squeezing my body.
And yet it had still gotten me out of bed.
How fearsome, the Spartan curriculum of an Ancient Spirit.
"......Let me finish the routine first."
Of course, I had no intention of putting off my work.
I planned to finish today's training and then visit the residential district as scheduled.
After a quick wash of my face, I headed out to the back garden, where the cold dawn air lingered.
"......Hm."
Someone had gotten there first again.
But it wasn't Freyja.
Dark clouds were especially thick today, so the early riser's outline was hazy.
When I came closer, the deep shadow lifted.
A man with a sharp, sinister look reminiscent of a snake.
He was in a neatly arranged uniform.
......At this hour of dawn?
"Allow me to pay my respects, Your Highness the First Prince."
A coy voice that came out as if tickling my ears.
I had a hunch right away.
'Is this Germain Ulandur?'
One of the three elite knights left in the North at present.
And...... a person of interest whom both Freyja and Johannes had warned me about.
"Right, nice to meet you. Germain, was it?"
"That you would remember my lowly name is an honor beyond my station."
His skill at flattery was out of the ordinary.
But it was strange.
Nothing about his tone or his voice rubbed me the wrong way.
Yet every time Germain's lips moved, I saw the image of a forked snake's tongue flickering slyly superimposed over them.
Is this what they call a preconception?
Well, I didn't think so.
'Still, should I at least hear what he has to say?'
I had decided to give people a fair chance, in my own way, when recruiting talent.
After all, I believed that even with someone who had bad rumors, I needed to weigh their usefulness for myself.
Wasn't I one of those with bad rumors myself?
'As long as he proves he has abilities that'll help the North from now on, I can turn a blind eye to a little ambition.'
But what if the direction of that ambition crossed the line and got in the way of the North I was about to change?
Then it would be a different story.
"By any chance, could you spare me a moment? I have an interesting proposal befitting Your Highness, though."
Germain Ulandur.
Are you someone worth trusting?
Or do you have a talent that's needed even if it means taking a risk?
If you prove neither and have only been flapping your snout for nothing.
"Sure. A precious elite knight is asking to offer me advice, so how could I ignore it?"
I'll cut you out of this North immediately.
......Hm, to think I'd have thoughts like this.
It seemed I really had inherited the Emperor's blood.