novelraw Chapter 108
Chapter 108
Chapter 108
10,872 residents of the Hawrun Territory.
When gathered in one place, it was truly an enormous crowd.
‘That’s a hell of a lot. Seriously.’
Back in high school, there were about 500 students per grade, I think?
When everyone gathered on the field, it already felt crowded enough.
But here, there were more than twenty times that number.
Even more than the total population of our entire territory.
This was a number we simply couldn’t handle.
If we swallowed too much at once, we’d definitely choke on it.
‘Still, their condition isn’t that bad.’
– It was just a march, wasn’t it?
‘That’s not an easy thing either. It must’ve been tougher than a field march.’
– Comparing them to modern people is an insult.
‘Is that so? Well, fair enough…….’
Under the Empire’s rule, their sudden escape, and the grueling march that followed—
Even after fleeing all the way here from Hawrun, they didn’t seem in such bad shape.
I had worried a little, thinking these frail central-region people might collapse at any moment, but apparently not to that extent.
Well, it’s not like I could compare these people to modern humans anyway.
The people of this world just felt inherently stronger.
‘Maybe it’s because all the weak ones already died.’
While glancing over the residents, I spotted some familiar faces approaching from the other side.
Lion Tribe warriors and the Johnson Knights who had been mobilized for this operation.
At their head were Leisha, Limond, and Rudick.
They looked absurdly proud, as if they had just achieved something incredible.
‘Ah, those idiots.’
The only one who looked remotely sane was Leon.
His expression wasn’t good.
He probably realized something was off once he brought everyone here.
Well, he was at least capable of thinking.
It was strange that those other morons felt nothing even after seeing this crowd.
Not that I expected much from them anyway.
‘Well, never mind them. The important part is this side.’
On the other end, the knights of the Hawrun Territory stood waiting along with Albio Hawrun.
There were around fifty of them—about half of the entire knight order.
And most of the soldiers who had been forcibly retired by the Empire’s tyranny had also crossed over to this side.
If we had enough supplies, I thought defense would be quite possible.
That was a huge relief.
“Sir Albio. Let’s talk for a moment.”
“Yes, Lord. I also have something to say.”
Albio Hawrun, the representative of the Hawrun Territory.
He looked somewhat haggard—no surprise after what he’d been through.
He had suddenly lost his territory, his family had been executed, and his father had met a glorious end along with the land itself.
If he were fine after all that, he wouldn’t be human.
– Still, not bad, considering.
I’d heard that in Hawrun, he was a respected figure.
The youngest son of the lord, yet a knight who never spared himself and always led by example.
About one-third of the residents had followed Albio on the evacuation to Johnson,
and considering the infamy of this region, the fact that so many followed him was a miracle.
For any reasonable person, heading south would have been the obvious choice.
Moving south was just as dangerous, but once they arrived safely, it would’ve been far safer than here.
– He reminds me of that female human obsessed with mounts.
‘Right, he’s like Sir Irene of Hawrun.’
It was precisely because he had that kind of respect that I could even consider accepting him into the territory.
Unlike Irene, he hadn’t joined us out of any fondness for our territory to begin with—so, even more reason for caution.
‘Of course, he must be thinking the same thing. He’s probably been through a lot too.’
And as I expected, once we were alone, Albio lowered his head and began with an apology.
“I’m truly sorry. I’m grateful for all the support you’ve given us, but pledging myself to the Johnson Territory… I’m afraid that will be difficult.”
When he had first met our knights in prison, Albio had genuinely intended to devote himself to the Johnson Territory.
He was filled with thoughts of vengeance against the Empire—but only that.
He hadn’t thought of anything beyond rescuing his father and escaping to the Johnson Territory.
But when his father perished in the explosion that consumed the territory, he had left a final message:
He must rebuild the Hawrun Territory.
In that situation, Albio couldn’t bring himself to bury his bones in the Johnson Territory.
‘He feels terribly guilty.’
And honestly, he had reason to.
He’d received all kinds of support under the promise of joining our territory, only to go back on his word now.
And considering he’d still need much more help going forward, it must’ve felt like a huge mess from the start.
But well—
It didn’t really bother me much.
‘It was never realistic from the start.’
From the moment I heard there were over ten thousand migrants, I had never even considered absorbing them all.
The instant the Hawrun Territory exploded and Albio dragged all the residents who followed him along, independence was practically a foregone conclusion.
We had said we would accept refugees, yes—but anyone could see this was excessive.
It was an outcome anyone could have predicted.
– Seems the commanders of the territory couldn’t even handle something that simple.
‘Well, whatever. Their brains are made of muscle anyway.’
Honestly, it was easier for me to deal with it this way.
If they pretended to join our territory while scheming behind the scenes, that would’ve been far more annoying.
Now, we just had to give what we should give and take what we should take.
They wouldn’t have the luxury to think otherwise, not after receiving so much from us.
“Then let me make you an offer.”
“Yes, I’m listening, Lord.”
My proposal to Albio was simple.
He would go and inspect the location I designated, and if he liked it, he could build his new territory there.
If he did, I would help with everything—from constructing the castle to supplying food and daily necessities.
For Albio Hawrun and the people of Hawrun Territory, who had escaped with nothing but their lives, it was a generous offer.
“Would you really do that for us?”
“Of course. We’re neighbors with a common enemy, aren’t we? When we face the Empire bastards, you’ll stand as our allies.”
“That, I can swear.”
“Good. Then that’s settled.”
Together with Albio, I headed toward the place I had in mind.
It was to the southeast of the Johnson Territory, at the northeastern edge of the Forest of Illusions.
Somewhere between the path from Johnson to Henil Territory, and the road leading south toward the Rubina Territory.
It was an important crossroads linking Johnson, Henil, and Rubina.
When I decided that the people of Hawrun should be made independent and form their own land, I had been troubled about where to settle them.
Several sites had been considered.
The first that came to mind was west of our territory—about halfway between Levelium and the Johnson Territory.
It was the first line of conflict should war break out with the Empire, and since the Hawrun people loathed the Empire bastards, they’d have found it acceptable.
‘But they couldn’t survive there on their own.’
Using them as a shield to protect the territory was one thing—but that only worked if they could sustain themselves.
If they couldn’t, we’d have to keep supporting them indefinitely, and that would be a loss for us.
And honestly, we couldn’t even be sure how well the Hawrun people would fight against the Empire.
‘Determination and combat power aren’t the same thing. Passion alone doesn’t make you stronger.’
So I thought it wiser to use them differently—and the place I chose was this region.
“If it’s here, farming is possible to some extent, and it’s good for merchant activity. In fact, merchants will probably come on their own without any effort.”
“Indeed……”
Before the Great Cataclysm, there had been a territory here.
Its location had been favorable, and it had flourished quite well.
When the Cataclysm struck, the lord perished, and the residents scattered in all directions, leaving the land desolate.
Some of the people in our territory were descendants of the refugees who had fled from here back then.
“It’s truly a fine place.”
And it wasn’t flattery—it really was.
The remnants of the old domain still existed, making it easy to rebuild a castle, and a wide plain stretched out to the east.
Heading southwest, one would immediately reach the Forest of Illusions, where resources could be harvested.
But the best part was that it connected to Henil Territory, Johnson Territory, and Rubina Territory, making it a major hub of transportation.
If the grand plan I envisioned succeeded, this place would become bustling with merchants, and as people gathered, so would capital.
“The only problem would be the monsters. But……”
“Yes, I know. There isn’t a single place free of monsters in the northeastern peninsula. It’s fine—good even. We’ll gain plenty of real combat experience.”
“That’s the spirit.”
To survive in this land, they’d have to get used to monsters.
If they didn’t, they’d die.
Of course, we’d help them—but everyone must ultimately protect themselves.
Through such real battles, they’d also gain experience that would help them face the Empire bastards later.
Since it was impossible for both sides to share the same sky, it was better to endure some hardship and gain real experience than to grow complacent.
And the knights of Hawrun would probably prefer it that way.
– But is this really fine?
‘What do you mean?’
– It feels like you’re giving them everything.
‘Ah, that. Maybe. But during the Great Cataclysm, this was the norm.’
Building a castle and supplying resources to new settlers—
It might seem like I was being a fool.
But during the Cataclysm, this was the average and the standard.
When people wanted to settle nearby, you did whatever you could to keep them there.
‘We can always gather more resources later, but people—people aren’t replaceable. Even if they aren’t our own residents, the more people, the better.’
The more neighbors we had to fight monsters together, the better.
The more people there were, the fewer monsters.
Whenever people abandoned a place, monsters filled the void.
Those southern bastards might say the Cataclysm was fading, but here, monsters still overflowed.
‘Maybe everyone’s gotten too comfortable now, but back then, even the Great Lords weren’t like that. They all went through similar processes to expand their power.’
With a new territory here, we stood to gain much as well.
It would filter out monsters coming from the Forest of Illusions and the south, and also serve as a resting point for those traveling between Henil and Rubina.
And when the Johnson Territory grew more prosperous, it could even become an external outpost for visiting merchants.
Much like how Haken Territory used Rubina as its marketplace.
‘They’ll also be allies when fighting the Empire bastards. It’s an investment worth making—and the sooner they settle, the better for us.’
– Perhaps. But didn’t that male say he would rebuild his territory someday? Once the Empire retreats, won’t they return?
‘That’s what they’re doing right now—rebuilding their territory.’
– …Huh?
Who could say when we’d ever drive out the Empire?
And even if we did, Hawrun Territory was already in ruins.
If they succeeded in settling here, would they really want to go back?
This place would become quite livable too.
‘The order was to rebuild the territory, not to reclaim the old one.’
Once they grew attached to this land, it would be their home.
If they built a new domain and called it Hawrun, then that would be Hawrun Territory.
In time, Albio and the people of Hawrun would come to accept that truth.