"Forest of Demonic Beasts?"
Zwalter looked slightly surprised.
The Forest of Demonic Beasts was not a place that could be easily cleared. Leaving aside the dangerous monsters living within, the sheer size of the forest itself was extraordinary.
It stretched across the vast northern lands, comparable in size to a full-fledged kingdom.
Ghislain nodded.
"Yes, it will take a long time, but we'll clear it completely."
It might even take decades. That was how massive the Forest of Demonic Beasts was.
However, Ghislain wasn't planning to start the operation immediately. For now, the goal was to quickly carve a path into the forest's interior.
'There's definitely something there.'
In his past life, even Delphine Duchy had done the same. Back then, although it was officially called a development project, they had focused more on creating a path to the center rather than clearing areas connected to the kingdom.
'That black mark, is that the center of the Demon Realm? Is that where the Demon God's corpse lies...?'
Ghislain suspected as much. On the map created by Delphine Duchy, the center was marked with a large black area.
No explanation, just a vague marking. Whatever the Salvation Church was looking for must be there.
Hiding his thoughts, Ghislain spoke as if it were no big deal.
"The war is over, but we can't disband the army right away. It would create too many unemployed people. We can involve them in various construction and development projects, and it should work out fine."
"Hmm, that sounds reasonable."
Although the kingdom was stabilizing quickly, it still hadn't returned to pre-war levels.
There was an urgent need to create jobs. Having a sudden influx of discharged soldiers wouldn't help matters.
Zwalter nodded. Further developing the Forest of Demonic Beasts would yield a great deal of resources.
Since food production was still abundant, maintaining the army a little longer wouldn't be a problem.
Zwalter burst out laughing.
"Our territory has already grown tremendously, and if we develop the Forest of Demonic Beasts, it'll expand even more."
For the people of the kingdom, it was good news. A larger territory meant more resources and higher productivity.
The Forest of Demonic Beasts bordered several other kingdoms.
However, most of those borders were blocked by mountains or rugged terrain. Only one or two small kingdoms bordered the forest via plains, like Lutania.
Those kingdoms didn't even dare approach the forest, so practically speaking, the entire area would belong to Lutania.
'Who would've thought this would happen during my reign?'
Zwalter felt a sense of pride. Becoming king had been unexpected, yet now, under his rule, the kingdom's territory and power were growing at an astonishing rate.
It was an achievement worthy of history books—all thanks to his son.
While the two discussed their plans, the other guests continued to enjoy the banquet.
"Hey, so you know Marquis Rodrick, right? That bastard's completely useless, so I absolutely wrecked him with psychological warfare..."
Ascon boasted endlessly, his words riddled with profanity. The nobles, who had never heard such vulgar language, were shocked.
Yet, his crude speech somehow intrigued them, making it hard to walk away. More and more people gathered around Ascon to hear his stories.
Meanwhile, Elena stood surrounded by countless noblemen, along with Rachel.
Elena had been gaining popularity lately. She was the kingdom's only princess, and marrying her would immediately elevate one's status to the highest ranks.
Thus, noblemen from distinguished families constantly flocked to her.
'T-this is exactly what I wanted, but...'
It was the life Elena had dreamed of since childhood—a glamorous life where noblemen from prestigious families vied for her attention.
Yet now that her dream had come true, she found it incredibly boring.
'Why does this feel so dull?'
She felt no excitement. Even when handsome, well-dressed noblemen approached her, it all felt hollow. Nothing they said seemed genuine.
In contrast, the soldiers she had fought alongside on the battlefield seemed far more impressive. They had risked their lives and given everything they had.
After experiencing such intense battles, this kind of banquet held no appeal for Elena.
'Ah, this is bad.'
She hadn't expected a banquet to feel this tedious. She felt restless, almost to the point of madness.
For the first time, she began to understand why her brother had little interest in such things.
She had picked up bad habits. She should never have joined the war in the first place.
'Ugh... and now they're calling me the Princess of Destruction.'
True to her nickname, Elena was already bored with palace life.
While reluctantly engaging with the noblemen, Elena sneaked over to Ghislain and asked:
"When are we leaving?"
"For what?"
"Isn't there anything more exciting? Another war maybe... Or should I join the pursuit squad?"
"Pfft!"
Ghislain barely held back his laughter. She had hated fighting at first, yet now it seemed she was itching for action.
He understood. He had felt the same way once.
It would take some time for her to balance daily life and combat.
Zwalter, however, immediately intervened.
"Princess, where do you think you're going again? Stay in the palace. You need to catch up on your studies after being away for so long."
Clenching her fists, Elena replied:
"Father, I learned a lot from this war."
"Like what?"
"Great power comes with great responsibility! As a member of the royal family, I must lead by example!"
"Your brother's already doing that. You just want to keep fighting, don't you?"
"No, I don't!"
"You just don't want to study, right?"
"No, that's not it!"
Zwalter sighed, rubbing his forehead. Both his son and daughter seemed obsessed with combat and couldn't sit still.
'Honey, I think I was away from home too much.'
Having spent most of his younger years guarding the northern frontier, he felt like he was now paying the price.
Ghislain grinned.
"Don't worry, just wait a little. Once I handle a few urgent matters, we'll head out."
"Where to?"
"The Forest of Demonic Beasts. This time, we're pushing all the way to the center."
"Great, I've heard so many rumors about that place. I'm leading the charge."
"Of course, the Princess of Destruction should take the lead."
"Hmph."
With that, Elena left the banquet hall. Conversations with pretentious noblemen had become unbearable.
She would rather attend a soldier's gathering and join an arm-wrestling match.
After the banquet, Ghislain and his closest aides immediately began preparations for their next move.
***
The Kingdom of Lutania developed rapidly, becoming the continent's de facto center.
While other kingdoms were still struggling with post-war recovery, Lutania leveraged its abundant resources to launch various projects.
Many people had lost their homes due to the disasters. The royal family initiated massive construction projects to create jobs and provide resources.
The roads built during this period even extended to other nations, boosting economic growth.
Lutania was bustling with energy—something no other kingdom could match.
At the heart of this economic revival was the trade city of Limhal.
While Ghislain absorbed most western territories into the royal territory, a few northern regions remained under the Fenris Duchy.
Among them, Limhal became the premier trade hub, attracting merchants from every kingdom.
"These are artworks from the former Kingdom of Byron!"
"This silk is of the highest quality..."
"This spice is exquisite... I can't even describe it."
Limhal was always crowded with people, and money flowed through it like water.
Fenris offered fair prices for foreign goods while supplying food and herbs at affordable rates.
The more merchants flocked to Limhal, the more it seemed like all the wealth of the continent was flowing into the city.
Ghislain made sure to keep Limhal under his direct control. The taxes collected here were enormous.
This city continuously provided Ghislain with funds for his personal ventures, separate from the royal treasury.
Lowell, who managed Fenris as the acting head butler, was also in Limhal for an inspection.
"Hmm, this is great."
Lowell sipped tea in the luxurious government office. Although he hadn't directly participated in the war, he had been incredibly busy.
The Kingdom of Lutania had been left in chaos under Berhem's tyranny, and the royal finances were completely drained.
Fenris had shouldered the burden of supplying the large Lutania army during their expedition, and Lowell had been responsible for managing Fenris.
With the kingdom stabilizing after the war, Lowell finally had some breathing room. He even had the time to visit Limhal, which was thriving.
"The best part is not having to see the head butler."
Although it was nice to have fewer responsibilities now that the war was over, Claude would soon return to Fenris. Once he did, Lowell would undoubtedly be dragged into endless work again.
To avoid that fate, Lowell used the inspection of Limhal, an important city, as an excuse to leave the territory.
"Ahem, let's see what's going on today."
With so many merchants gathered here, he had to ensure that criminal organizations and shady traders weren't causing trouble.
He also needed to check that the administrative officers were doing their jobs properly and that taxes were being collected without issue.
Lowell stepped out with his knights and soldiers.
The streets were bustling with people. The territory had implemented various policies and promotional campaigns to attract merchants.
[Support for Building Merchant Lodging Facilities!]
[Free Guards for Merchants in the Commercial Zone!]
[Tax Benefits! No Taxes for the First Month! Half-Price Taxes for the First Year!]
[The Lord is Honest, Prices Are Cheap, and Service Is Friendly!]
…There were occasional typos in the promotional slogans, but considering how busy everyone was, it was understandable.
Lowell spent several days inspecting the city, fixing administrative errors, and identifying any issues.
Since Limhal collected the most taxes in the kingdom, it required careful attention.
While Lowell was conducting his inspections, a group of soldiers suddenly stormed into the city.
"W-what's going on?"
Lowell was startled. This was not a place where anyone could just march in with an army. Even if they tried, they would've been stopped by Fenris's elite guards stationed around the city.
It didn't take long for Lowell to realize why the guards hadn't stopped the army. Leading the soldiers was none other than Claude.
Looking like a beggar after enduring hardships, Claude called out to Lowell the moment he saw him.
"Lowell! What the hell! Why are you here?"
"Head Butler? Why are you here?"
Claude was supposed to be inspecting the newly acquired territories. What was he doing here?
Claude clutched Lowell desperately, his eyes almost tearing up.
"Do you... do you have any money?"
"What? I don't have any money!"
"Right? Of course, you don't. Makes sense."
"Then, what are you doing here?"
"I need to borrow some money."
"...What?"
"This place has the most cash in the kingdom, doesn't it? I just need to borrow a tiny bit, that's all. I'm kind of short on funds right now."
Claude had failed to secure enough military funds.
Most of the wealth had already been taken by the fleeing nobles and soldiers who had ruled the region before. Even the bandits were starving because there was nothing left to steal.
While conducting operations to restore order, Claude himself ended up lacking resources.
After racking his brain, Claude came up with a groundbreaking and revolutionary idea.
"I can just shuffle the funds around!"
He would borrow money from one source to pay off urgent debts, then take money from another source before anyone noticed the shortage.
It was financial magic—creating something out of nothing.
Claude also had another bold plan ready.
"I'll just take a little from here. Limhal makes so much money, no one will even notice a small amount missing. I'll pay it back later."
Lowell stammered.
"Y-you're crazy! You're going to touch the treasury?"
"You'll pretend you didn't see anything, right? We're friends, aren't we? I'll pay it back quickly."
"What friends? We're not friends!"
"Why did you have to be here of all people? Go back! Hurry up and leave before I arrest you!"
Claude grew frustrated. Even he couldn't openly take money in front of Lowell. Lowell was sharp with numbers and quick to spread gossip.
"I can't leave! I'm here for an inspection! Don't mess with me!"
When Lowell refused to budge, Claude started trying to persuade him.
"Listen, I've got a plan. I've thought it through, and there won't be any problems. I'm going to create a new currency."
"Wh-what are you talking about?"
"We'll issue certificates exchangeable for gold—light, convenient, and trustworthy. Once people start using them, we'll print more and use that to cover the shortfall."
Lowell, being sharp, immediately spotted the flaws. Losing his composure, he dropped all formalities.
"You... you lunatic! If you print more to cover your debt, there won't be enough gold to back it! What then?"
Claude answered nonchalantly.
"Then we just won't exchange it."
"What?"
"If gold runs out, we'll give them food instead and keep them happy. Eventually, they'll just use the currency without even thinking about exchanging it. As long as the Kingdom of Lutania guarantees its value, it'll work out."
"And what if we can't even back it with food later? Prices will skyrocket!"
"Then we print more money and keep it circulating! Problem solved!"
Lowell stood there, dumbfounded.
This lunatic was about to create an entirely new economic system just to pay off his gambling debts.