Hell Mode: Volume 9, page 7
Haku was not hostile, but the residents who did not know any better might attack if they saw it charge at them. Such a situation would only have an unfortunate end. The best way to avoid that was by instilling a fear of Freyja into the hearts of the residents, thus ensuring that the hatchling could be kept a safe distance away from them. Once Haku grew into a full-fledged dragon and learned how to keep its distance from humans, Allen hoped the beast would become the island’s mascot.
“If possible, I would also like each and every one of you to pray to Goddess Freyja every day and night,” Allen said. At night, the flames in the east and west would glow brighter, and all four towns would be able to see them quite well.
“Of course,” the mayor replied, bowing his head. “We are moved by her benevolence and shall pray to her daily without fail.”
“Goddess Freyja’s altar will be manned by Master Habarak here, along with other artisans who can use fire,” Allen explained.
The master blacksmith and the other dwarf smiths he had brought along all bowed as part of their introduction. Each of them ran their own forge with about ten of their apprentices, and they had agreed to take turns cleaning the altar and providing offerings every day. The dwarves were all former residents of the Kingdom of Melka, and Freyja was apparently ecstatic to have them caring for her. She was in good hands.
Allen had not felt that there was any need for him to get permission from Baukis before bringing all these dwarves to the island. They followed Habarak and had requested to move to the island of their own accord, or so he would claim. Not wanting to cut corners, though, he would at least tell some of Baukis’s officials that Hardcore User Island had recently taken in several smiths.
“Next, please take a look at the diagram of the towns on this island,” Allen said. “As the map shows, we’re planning to build four towns, each with commercial and residential facilities. There’ll also be some farms and fields a short distance away.”
“I see,” the mayor said. “This is why you asked what jobs we were seeking.”
“Correct. We may rely on outside support at first, but I’d like for this island to ultimately have its own economy.”
The five thousand residents worked in a myriad of industries, with the most popular sector being agriculture. There were many farmers, butchers, and produce merchants. As there were no serfs in Elmahl, Allen planned on having this island free of serfs and slaves as well. He asked about the residents’ jobs and what they hoped to do on the island before dividing them into groups based on their wishes.
“So will more towns be built soon?” the mayor asked.
“Correct. Élan Town was the first, hence we invited you all here,” Allen replied. “Once the other towns are ready, we plan on accepting residents there. When everyone arrives on this island, I’d like to hold a Conference of Mayors. I’d like you and the deputy mayor to attend.”
The mountain with Freyja’s altar would be right in the middle of the island, and the four towns would surround it.
The Pontiff of Daemonism had erected a Church of Gushara in each of the four corners of the Galiatan Continent to spread the teachings of Daemonism. It had taken quite a bit of time for the religion to become widely known, but once it was, Freyja’s divine vessel was stolen, the four pillars of light were created, and the followers of Daemonism were transformed into daemonic incarnations that attacked people. Because of that ordeal, the followers of Daemonism, who had already been subject to persecution by the masses, had received harsher treatment from various nations. Those poor followers now had nowhere to go and were hoping to escape their desperate situation—a convenient coincidence for Allen, who was searching for people to worship Freyja.
Allen wanted the Goddess of Fire to regain her former glory. Her power had weakened considerably due to her loss of followers. The island would thus have four towns: Élan, Muha, Carl, and Crey.
General Layout of Hardcore User Island and the Number of Residents
Élan Town: 5,000 people from the Holy Land of Elmahl
Muha Town: 2,000 people from the oasis town in the Muharino Desert
Carl Town: 5,000 people from the Republic of Carlonea
Crey Town: 3,000 people from the Kingdom of Crevelle
The center of the island will have a mountain with Freyja’s altar
Haku will be raised in the middle of the mountain
Habarak and the other smiths will live at the foot of the mountain
The four towns would surround the mountain, sandwiched by Élan and Carl on one plane and Muha and Crey on the other. Muha would have buildings made with mud bricks, and Crey would have a lake. Today, people were moving to Élan from Elmahl, and Allen planned to welcome new residents every ten days. The towns would cover the bulk of the island, and three military bases were planned to be set up around them.
“So you plan on dividing the army by race and creating a base for each one,” Shia said. She had been holed up in the dungeon and thus completely uninvolved with the land development; only now did she learn of this plan.
“Yep,” Allen replied. “We’ll have some group training sessions, but the bases will divide our army based on their species.”
He had created four separate towns this time around, separating residents based on their species and their origin. The intent was to prevent any clashes that might occur, as if people with differing values were all herded into one large city, there were bound to be skirmishes here and there. He had provided the same consideration for his army.
“I heard that Mr. Pelomas is the island’s governor, but what exactly is his role?” the mayor inquired. Though he had been chosen by Allen on a whim, the man wanted to know where Pelomas stood within the organization.
“It’s a system that many republics use, but he’ll be in charge of the town mayors. He’s not a noble or a royal, which is why I decided to give him the role.”
“I see. So am I correct in assuming that he’s suitable for it?”
This guy’s really fired up.
“Correct,” Allen replied. “You may not be aware, but the Pelomas Whaling Company makes around 1.8 million gold annually.”
“D-Did you say 1.8 million?!”
He sounds surprised by that number. I’ve heard it’s difficult to reach a million gold coins in annual sales. I think Pelomas’s annual sales are around 180 billion yen in my previous world. Using his knowledge of his time as Kenichi, Allen had valued one gold coin at a hundred thousand yen. Obviously, though, that was only by his own estimation.
“Not to sound conceited, but it’s true,” Pelomas said.
He proceeded to discuss his work experience and education. During the summer of his first year at a commercial school, he had founded the Pelomas Whaling Company in the Kingdom of Ratash. Allen provided ideas and products to the company through his memories of his previous life, as well as investing in it through money earned in dungeons. Pelomas had also been blessed by Elmea with an Extra Skill: Libra. This allowed him to compare and appraise goods. With it, he could instantly find the value of items on the market without the need to scope them out.
Pelomas had learned to use his Extra Skill as he pleased, and in a few years, the Pelomas Whaling Company had grown exponentially. The merchant had followed Allen’s advice and decided to enter the trading industry as well. And with Sophie’s help, Pelomas had become the middleman for trade between her nation of Rohzenheim and Ratash. It was then that he had discovered that his Extra Skill could be used for trade as well.
Pelomas was able to instantly know just how much money was needed to import certain items and how much he could sell them for when they were exported. He could determine what items would not sell well and focused on handling only a select few that turned a high profit. The only problem he had was that he could not accurately gauge demand. If he bought too much of one product, his stock would end up collecting dust in his warehouse.
However, that issue was easily resolved by the knowledge he had accumulated from his school along with two years of experience and hard work that had allowed him to gain a keen eye for such matters. He had continued to keep losses at a minimum while maximizing his profits. His efforts were rewarded, and in the year following his acquisition of middleman duties with Rohzenheim, he had managed to form solid relationships with the Empires of Baukis and Giamut. Thanks to his diligence, Ratash had become a central figure in trade with ties to Rohzenheim, Baukis, and Giamut.
The influence of the Pelomas Whaling Company greatly chagrined Baukisian and Giamutan merchants, and petitions protesting its oligopoly began making the rounds. Pelomas had grown too strong.
In any case, the Pelomas Whaling Company was the second-largest firm in Ratash, boasting annual sales of 1.8 million gold coins. The largest firm was a nationally owned one run by Ratashian royalty. Pelomas had also ranked eighty-seventh in terms of sales within the Five Continent Alliance; the first thirty spots had been taken by dwarves headquartered in Baukis.
Pelomas actually had a reason for having developed an interest in trade. That reason was that he was hopelessly in love with Fiona, the daughter of the wealthy Chester, who owned the largest inn within Granvelle City. Pelomas had desperately begged for the hand of Chester’s daughter and received the response, “If you show me your worth as a merchant, I’ll consider allowing you to date my daughter.”
Pelomas had received three years to prove himself, but as he had been unsure of how to show his worth, he had rushed to Allen for help.
“Why don’t you, as a merchant, purchase Chester’s inn?” the Summoner had suggested.
And so, Pelomas had taken that piece of advice to heart and begun to dip his toes into the lodging industry alongside his trade business. Just last year, he had finally secured enough funds to purchase an existing lodge and take it under his wing, and since then, he had purchased several lodgings that had once belonged to Chester. When only the expensive inn within Granvelle City had remained, Chester had finally given Pelomas his blessing.
“Please marry Fiona,” Chester had said. “My eyes as a merchant were not wrong.”
However, Pelomas had ultimately been rejected by Fiona, leaving only Chester’s former inns to show for his efforts.
And so, the Pelomas Whaling Company now controlled both the flow of the market within the nation and international trade. It had also become a big name within the lodging industry that constantly employed over a thousand people, making it one of the largest businesses in Granvelle City.
The ones protecting the trade routes while also helping Pelomas control his empire were Raven and his comrades. The adventurers had once been monster hunters who operated within Granvelle, but they had lost their jobs when Allen had hunted the fief dry. The Summoner had introduced the jobless adventurers to Pelomas, and the rest was history.
“Right. In any case, here I am,” Pelomas said. “I plan on moving the Pelomas Whaling Company’s headquarters to this island while I serve as the island’s governor. I’ll run my business with this island as its central hub.”
Pelomas hid the story about Fiona as he explained his work experience and what his company did to the mayor, deputy mayor, and everyone else who had gathered. As for his true reason for being here, he had actually gone back to Allen in hopes of receiving more advice. Pelomas had not given up; he was going to tell Fiona how he felt once more.
Allen also wanted Pelomas’s help to develop this island. Their goals might have differed, but the two wanted to maintain their friendly relationships and work together. So, Fiona likes strong men, huh? Pelomas seems interested in the class promotion dungeon, so why don’t I have him get stronger through a promotion? As Allen heard his friend out, he thought of ways he could help.
“I see. So this island will become a base for trade. An excellent idea,” Shia said. “Pelomas, was it? If you ever decide you want to do business with Albahal, we’ll gladly oblige. Of course, I ask that you don’t create a monopoly on our trade.”
The Beast Princess had listened quietly, wondering if Pelomas would be useful to them, but upon hearing his story, she had come to view him in a more positive light. This was a small island that was going to start with a population of over ten thousand people. The land was still being developed and Allen hoped for the place to become self-sufficient one day, but this was a floating island that belonged to no country. In other words, it had no ties or relations. In its current state, it was nigh impossible to have a fully functioning economy. With an excellent merchant on the island, however, the residents’ goods could be sold to other countries.
Naturally, a trading firm that could help develop an economy on this island would have its use once she returned to Albahal. Shia hoped to receive his cooperation when the time came.
“S-Sure. I’ll be in your care,” Pelomas stammered with fear. He had not expected to be spoken to by an Albahal royal.
“I see,” the mayor said, finally understanding why Pelomas had been selected for such an important post. “So we shall make a living by trading with other nations.”
I chose him based on looks, but it seems like he really is fit to be the mayor.
“I’m sure my Libra powers were bestowed upon me by Lord Elmea so I could help you all,” Pelomas said politely. “But I’m still young, and I certainly have much to learn. I ask the mayor, deputy mayor, and everyone gathered here to please lend me your support.”
The mayor smiled back warmly. “We’re counting on you as well.”
He stood up and approached Pelomas to exchange a handshake amid the applause. Only when the mayor returned to his seat did Pelomas speak once more.
“There is one more thing we must tell everyone. Raven, if you would do the honors, please.”
Raven nodded and stood up. “Hello, everyone. As you heard earlier, I’m Raven, and I’ve been in charge of the mercenaries hired by the Pelomas Whaling Company. I’ll be the captain of the Pelomas Whaling Company Guards, and these are the vice-captains, Rita and Milci.”
“Nice to meet you,” Rita and Milci said.
“Ah, a municipal police of sorts,” the mayor remarked.
“Exactly,” Raven replied. “Until now, we’ve mostly been in charge of the transport of goods for the Pelomas Whaling Company, but on this island, we’ll be maintaining peace and order. The army will protect you from outside invaders, and we’ll handle any issues that occur on the inside. The members of this force will mostly be selected from the Pelomas Whaling Company mercenaries, so you can be sure we have experience dealing with these matters.”
Though Allen had done his best to ensure that residents would not fight one another, that would not make the island completely free of crime. It might have been a tough pill to swallow, but there were likely a few criminals among the immigrants. Knowing that, to help maintain the peace, Raven and his comrades would be joining the Pelomas Whaling Company headquarters in moving to the island. In fact, a prison that could house a hundred criminals had already been built.
Allen thought back to a scene he had seen in a game before—would Pelomas one day be thrown into prison following a riot from the town’s residents? I’m sure some employees of the municipal police might want to enter the Allen Army, and more people will start to mingle in the future.
“But instead of mayors, perhaps we should have a king,” Shia remarked.
Hardcore User Island had land, an army, residents, and could trade with other nations. It was a nation in its own right, which was why the Beast Princess had suggested that it have a monarch.
“Well, calling this place a kingdom would cause other nations to react,” Allen replied.
Publicly declaring the founding of a nation would make others wary of it. Above all, Allen had no intention of creating a kingdom, and he did not expect this place to last forever. Bearing such a regal title would only shackle his movements.
“But—”
“Th-This is an emergency!” a resident cried as they burst into the room, interrupting Shia. “Monsters have appeared in the town!”
“Monsters? From where?” Allen asked.
“Th-The stable!” the resident managed to eke out between breaths. “An unknown monster was just there!”
The man had been in charge of a ranch back in his hometown and continued to look after livestock even now that he had moved to the island. He had been given a ranch to continue his work, and when he had visited the stable to check up on it, a monster had been waiting for him. At first, he had thought it was a large horse, but he had soon realized that it was a monster he had never seen before and rushed to the meeting hall for help. Allen had been holding this meeting a good distance away from the stable, but the island was small.
“Please tell me the exact location,” Allen urged. “On this map, could you tell me which stable it is?”
“Ummm, here!” the resident said, pointing to the map on the wall. “It’s this stable!”
Allen had planted Gold Beans, which created a barrier that kept out monsters of Rank A and below, but perhaps a resident had accidentally plucked one. And then a monster just wandered into the town through the gaps. I should think of a plan to prevent the beans from being harvested, but I gotta deal with this monster first. And if no one removed the bean, it means the monster is Rank S.
“Let’s go,” Allen said. “If it ripped through the Gold Bean’s barrier, it must be powerful.”
The No-life Gamers rushed out of the mayor’s manor and flew to their destination atop Bird Bs.
“Are we in the right place?” Cecil asked. “The stable looks fine.”
As she had said, there was no destruction in sight.
“Yeah, we’re here,” Allen replied. “We can’t get a good look from where we’re at. Be careful, guys.”
He stood before the stable front and cautiously peered inside. In doing so, he indeed locked eyes with an entity that resembled a horse, but the truth of the matter was completely outside the realm of Allen’s understanding. How in the world was he supposed to process this?
