Chapter 171

Chapter 171:  Master of the Trade Route (8)

Officer Tesla had lost to me in our first engagement.

However, unlike other opponents, he didn’t express any displeasure.

Rather, as if planning for the future, he simply turned around with a blank expression and returned to his side.

After he left, I immediately focused solely on the city construction plans.

I prepared the foundational work before Echina arrived and secured resting spaces for the support personnel.

It wasn’t difficult, since I had handled such tasks on behalf of my lord back when I was Chief Secretary.

Thanks to that, I was able to warmly welcome Echina when she arrived with the Black Knight troops not long after.

“Welcome, Your Grace.”

“I told you not to call me that, Roger.”

Echina, mounted on a black horse, leapt down effortlessly.

As her military boots pressed into the thin layer of snow, a crisp crunch echoed in the air.

“My apologies, it's a habit.”

“And how long were you even a cadet for you to pick up that kind of habit?”

‘Only a few months in this life, but over ten years if you count my previous one.’

“Then what should I call you?”

I looked down fondly at the Northern Grand Duke’s daughter, who was about a head shorter than me.

Then, wearing her black uniform for the first time in a while, she scratched her pale cheek lightly.

“Well, you have plenty of options…”

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t have any women in my family or even close female friends.”

Hearing my honest answer, Echina seemed pleased and crossed her arms casually.

Then, with a sideways glance from her golden eyes, she spoke quietly.

“If the age difference is just one year, we just use first names at the academy.”

“Echina. Like that?”

When I said her name, just the three syllables, she paused for a moment.

“…Yes, that’s nice.”

“But even so, how could I address a noble lady of a ducal house like that?”

Letting out a deep sigh, Echina looked a bit frustrated.

Then, she gently placed her hand on my shoulder and said...

“Then I’ll command you as the daughter of House Luton. From now on, call me Echina.”

She lightly pulled me toward her face as she spoke.

Just like she had declared a few months ago — that she would be the one to approach me from now on.

“And stop bowing to me when you greet me…”

Our noses were now so close, barely enough room for a fist between us.

Now that we were face to face, she swallowed hard and murmured in a low voice.

“It’s only natural for a commoner to bow to a noble.”

“I don’t like it. Besides, you’ll be rising even higher soon.”

“Even so, still lower than a ducal house…”

As I stated this obvious fact, the Grand Duke’s daughter sighed even more deeply than before.

And then—

Right in front of everyone, she reached out both hands and gently grabbed my slightly crooked necktie.

She smoothed it with a soft touch.

“You never know.”

She wrapped her hands around my tie.

Looking at her like this… I felt something strangely unfamiliar.

‘Have I ever felt this way about Echina before…?’

In the past, I’d only thought of her as a benefactor — like family.

But now, something felt different.

“So don’t say things like that so easily.”

“I’ll try.”

Perhaps she hadn’t realized what she was doing. Echina awkwardly let go of my tie.

Then, after clearing her throat, she got down to business and revealed what she had brought with her.

“That’s enough small talk. I brought the thing you asked for.”

What she handed me was a luxurious cream-colored document.

The moment I saw the document sealed with red wax, I immediately recognized what it was.

“You got the Commander’s approval!”

I had expected her to get it eventually, but to succeed this quickly—

That was truly an unexpected result.

“Remarkable…”

I reflexively lowered my head slightly to express my thanks, like a habit.

But then I suddenly remembered her request not to treat her so formally anymore.

‘What would be a more familiar gesture?’

Like I was delving into some important research, I paused for a deep, contemplative moment.

Then I recalled the only instance I had ever seen of a close interaction between a man and a woman.

In my previous life, while walking around the Luton manor, I had seen a maid and a secretary in the back garden.

At the time, the maid had smiled shyly, saying she had been praised by the young lady.

In response, the secretary patted her gently on the head and told her she’d done well.

The maid looked genuinely delighted.

Of course, when they saw me, they had both jumped in shock, bowed deeply, and apologized repeatedly.

‘Right, even the maid was happy, so this must be the correct approach.’

“You did very well.”

I couldn’t quite bring myself to speak informally.

Instead, I reached out to her crown—her hair gleaming with a soft sheen in the sunlight—

and stroked it gently, like petting a large cat.

“...!”

A dark shadow fell over her face.

Echina visibly flinched and hunched her shoulders in surprise.

Color rushed into her usually pale face, turning the bridge of her nose a soft pink.

Her normally sharp eyes were wide and round as she looked up at me in a daze.

‘Was this... not right?’

I’d done the exact same thing, yet her reaction was the complete opposite of the maid’s.

‘Don’t tell me this was a kind of test?’

Back in my academy cadet days, I’d heard stories of seniors pranking juniors to test their loyalty.

Would you really do it just because they told you to?

You’ve gotten a little full of yourself lately, haven’t you?

Maybe Echina had been following that same tradition.

“I apologize. Since you said we were equals, I thought I’d give it a try...”

“...”

Echina lowered her head quietly.

Thinking I had upset her, I quickly tried to withdraw my hand.

“No, you got it exactly right.”

She answered in a soft voice, head still bowed.

“That’s just like you. Since it’s the right answer, keep going a bit longer.”

“I do tend to be observant.”

Thankfully, it seemed my instincts hadn’t failed me.

Since I had guessed correctly, I took the rare opportunity to enjoy stroking the Grand Duke’s daughter’s hair.

‘Still… how long am I supposed to keep doing this?’

As I struggled to figure out the right moment to stop,

Echina, deciding she’d had enough, raised her hand and gently guided mine away.

“By the way, how on earth did you manage to win over the Commander of the Northern Knights?”

Also known as the Black Knights’ commander, he was a man as cold as the eternal snowcaps of the Nord Mountains.

There’s no way he would’ve easily approved such a massive plan to form a brigade-sized unit.

“He was already familiar with my father’s trade route projects. So I persuaded him by pointing out the inevitable increase in trade volume and the shortage of escort forces.”

That all made perfect sense.

Even so, the fact that he approved this plan likely came down to one thing—his trust in Echina.

Just like how the arm bends inward, the commander must have trusted the second daughter he’d watched closely over the others.

So aside from Baron Obi, she had yet another powerful backer.

“You’ve done an excellent job. Thanks to you, we’ll be able to push ahead with the foundational work even faster.”

With the document in hand, I immediately reviewed its contents with a serious gaze.

Echina stood quietly with her hands behind her back, simply watching me.

Now and then, she glanced at me and placed a hand on the top of her head.

Then, whenever our eyes met, she casually smoothed out her hair.

“The building materials are currently being escorted by our knights during transport.”

“The preparations for the foundation are complete, so we’ll begin construction immediately.”

Her words about starting construction right away made my eyebrows rise slightly.

“Already? You’re still short on materials, aren’t you?”

Echina looked out toward the carts slowly making their way up from the plains.

They were filled with alchemy-reinforced stone and newly introduced reinforced steel.

“The second batch of materials won’t arrive for another three weeks. And those reinforced ones take time to process anyway.”

In a rugged region like this, ordinary stone or wood wouldn’t be enough to construct buildings.

Even though this was a flatland, one had to prepare for the heavy snowfall pouring from the eternal snowcaps.

“I’ve heard you get bonus points for faster completion.”

“That’s right. If we finish early, we can secure contracts ahead of time with the trade groups using this route.”

If you’re going to fight for influence in the same region, being the first to stake a claim is crucial.

I’m sure the other lords understand this well and are hauling in materials just as hard.

“But even so, with this much material, it’ll be hard to start on the foundation. Eric and Edward are probably still just waiting right now.”

“That’s true. But if we move while they’re resting, we’ll have the upper hand.”

I looked toward the workers already tamping down the soil and the artisans holding blueprints who had arrived ahead of time.

“And those people…?”

“They’re architects sent from the Western Grand Duke’s house. They’ve built magic towers on the weak foundations of the western marshlands—you can trust them.”

At the mention of the Western Grand Duke’s house, the smile on Echina’s lips faded.

That meant Helena would be coming here as well.

“We’ll begin construction immediately with the materials we have on hand. That puts us three weeks ahead of everyone else.”

“Are you sure…? Even if they’re master builders, if you use too few materials…”

The Grand Duke’s daughter expressed her concern with a worried look.

In response, I narrowed my already long eyes and slowly scanned the surroundings.

No one nearby seemed to be spying on us.

But from experience, I knew.

The other lords were definitely keeping an eye on our construction status.

“It’s fine. It’s all part of the plan.”

This time, I reached out again to Echina’s hair.

Then, like smoothing the fur of a cat, I gently brushed away a few strands that had sprung up earlier.

Just like friends on equal footing.

“Soon, merchant groups traveling between the United Northern Sea and the Empire will begin to arrive. They’ll be watching each heir’s construction progress, gauging who to align with.”

The city where they build their headquarters will become the new commercial center.

Naturally, they’ll want to sign contracts with whoever has the brightest prospects.

“With the Northern Knights stationed here and our construction starting first, they’ll have no choice but to side with us.”

Even considering the reputations of Eric and Edward, we needed to be ahead by at least this much.

“Alright. You’ve never been wrong before.”

The Grand Duke’s daughter agreed quickly and gave her approval.

In fact, upon seeing my confidence, it seemed she felt reassured as well. Her golden eyes sparkled as she said,

“Do as your heart tells you.”

After saying that, Echina quietly turned around on her own.

Then, in a calm and composed tone befitting a knight, she made a promise.

“I’ll stay by your side, always.”

The sound of the Grand Duke’s daughter’s military boots gradually faded into the distance.

Meanwhile, I closed my eyes softly and silently gave thanks for her trust.

But—

The footsteps of the female knight soon approached once more.

When I opened my eyes—

“…!”

Echina had returned to me.

Even closer than before.

She stood on her tiptoes.

Then, stretching her arm as far as it would go, she gently patted my head this time.

“Because we’re equals…”

The Grand Duke’s daughter, running her fingers through my black hair, quickly turned back toward the carts.

And with a slightly awkward voice, she called out to the knights.

“Pick up the pace! Construction starts now!!”

“…”

This time, it was my turn to fidget with my bangs.

――――――

Construction on the Ande Plains began immediately.

Bricks began to rise, one by one, atop the well-compacted ground.

The building site was filled with workers preparing to pour concrete and erect steel frames.

Most of them were from the western region, and they were suffering greatly from the cold.

To help them, mages from Echina’s knight order cast warming spells.

The noise from the massive construction site could be heard all the way outside the village.

But I enjoyed the sound like a classical melody, leisurely riding out beyond the plains.

Mounted on the northern black horse Echina had gifted me, I made my way toward the next closest construction site.

Edward’s site—called “Fern.”

As expected, that place wasn’t even close to construction. They hadn’t even properly begun compacting the land.

Still, befitting a Grand Duke’s son, it seemed he had done a good job of coaxing the local residents.

The townspeople were moving about the streets with bright expressions.

When I arrived, Edward’s private soldiers guarding the outskirts of the village reacted immediately.

“What brings you here?”

“Oh, just sightseeing.”

At my obvious joke, their expressions instantly soured.

They quickly informed their master of my arrival, and the second son himself, Edward, appeared in person.

Though he was from Nord and known for enduring the cold, he wore a thick fur coat.

“Roger? You must be busy—what brings you here?”

“I got bored. Just curious how other construction sites are doing.”

Edward eyed me with suspicion at my relaxed demeanor.

His mustache twitched unevenly in opposite directions.

“You should focus on your own work. Why bother sticking your nose into someone else’s?”

I looked at him with the fond gaze one might give a younger brother.

Then, pretending to glance around casually with my hands behind my back, I threw out a line.

“We’ve nearly finished our foundational work. So I just dropped by to see if others were keeping up.”

“…You’ve already finished the foundational phase?”

Edward furrowed his brows, clearly surprised by the pace.

“That’s right. I brought in master builders from the Western Grand Duke’s house for this project.”

“Even if they’re masters, you can’t conjure up materials you don’t have…”

As expected, he too was waiting on materials that hadn’t arrived yet.

“We used a western construction method that conserves materials. If you’d like, I can share it with your team too.”

“…”

Even after catching him off guard, I came back offering kindness.

Edward stared at me with an even more hostile expression.

Meanwhile, I gave him the most harmless smile in the world.

“Shouldn’t second and third place help each other out?”