Chapter 178

“This place changes every time I come.”

Garim muttered this as soon as he noticed the smooth ride of the carriage.

A well-maintained road.

The money spent on upkeep, the funds poured into paving—when you weigh the benefits, it hardly seems worth it. Yet, the lord of this village had laid roads in every direction.

Is this the welfare of a leisurely rich man?

Garim realized today for the first time that when a lord has plenty of money but little greed, such things happen to a village. Since coexistence between great wealth and minimal personal greed was practically impossible, this phenomenon was incredibly refreshing to Garim.

At least so far, there hasn’t been a noble like this.

Garim peered out the window. More bustling people than before. Rising buildings, bicycles freely moving along the roads, and the special convenience of a post office making the town stand out even more.

An ideal case of development.

This village is repeatedly showing unprecedented growth. If this growth continues annually, it might catch up with the capital’s infrastructure within about two years.

The nobles who haven’t noticed how quickly this village is growing merely think that interesting new things keep popping up in Starwind Valley. Auctions, bicycles, something fun here and there.

By the time political pressure tries to intervene…

“Perhaps it’s already reached a point where such pressure doesn’t work anymore.”

Too steep.

It wasn’t just climbing uphill—it was like walking straight up a cliff. Every visit reveals an entirely new atmosphere, proving its rapid growth.

Still, the nobles will probably continue their attempts at restraint.

That’s just how it is.

Human greed and desire cloud reason and obscure vision.

Is it the lord’s ability?

Or the passion of the villagers?

Some incomprehensible synergy creates this bizarre level of growth.

When rumors reach here, the village has evolved even further.

An interesting phenomenon occurs where rumors can’t keep up with the growth.

Garim stared at the village for a long time, enjoying the carriage ride. The carriage’s final destination was the now much larger house of the lord. A building stretching upward with an oddly disproportionate first floor. Was it under renovation, or did they simply want this shape? Either way, it didn’t matter to Garim as he slowly approached the house.

Today, the busy lord wasn’t home, or so he thought, until the baron appeared opening the door.

As always, his handsome appearance remained unchanged.

“There you are.”

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Fine, thank you.”

After some polite conversation, they shook hands. The softness of the swordsman’s hand surprised Garim’s rough one.

“We have more than enough goods for trade.”

“Good. I also came today to discuss something else.”

“Anything you wish.”

With an air of leisure, the baron led Garim somewhere. Outside, there was a small table. It was a garden-like area set up for casual conversation.

Tea was already prepared, steam rising from the pot. Garim accepted a cup and slowly savored its aroma. The unique food and tea of Starwind Valley were unforgettable no matter when he visited. This explained why some nobles kept coming back for these reasons alone.

“Excellent tea.”

“My wife made it herself.”

“An honor.”

Light pleasantries followed. As Garim drank, the subtle fragrance refreshed his whole mouth. A delicate sweetness lingered without being cloying. It was exquisite tea indeed.

“Baron.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll ask carefully. Could it be that the development of this village is part of some hidden plan?”

Garim prided himself on knowing this man better than anyone. His physical strength, his human side. Though he hadn’t dissected everything deeply, everyone has limits. Catching what’s revealed through words and actions and quickly synthesizing them was a skill Garim had honed as a royal attendant and a natural talent.

His martial prowess was excellent, chasing after the footsteps of sword masters. He preferred peaceful daily life, having a restrained nature.

However, unless you turn someone inside out, no one truly knows what schemes lie beneath.

Using this kind of growth to secretly plot a national coup wasn’t beyond a noble’s capabilities. What Garim wanted was to gently probe and confirm his true intentions.

“Just going with the flow. Making various arrangements so people live comfortably, that’s all.”

“Why do you bestow such favors upon the residents?”

“Why?”

The baron’s genuine confusion sent a slight shiver down Garim’s neck.

‘Really giving charity without any return?’

Even if someone rose from commoner to noble, following the mindset and behavior of aristocracy isn’t easy. Let alone policies like this, which aren’t easily implemented by ordinary people.

“There’s no particular reason. Just doing what we can. It’s not that hard, is it?”

“Aren’t you suffering some losses?”

“I’ve got plenty of money. We make profits from crops, metals, clothing, bicycles, and the recent successful auction of magical equipment. Why save when there’s so much money? Just spending what’s available.”

“In case of disasters, wars, or other emergencies, wouldn’t it be wise to stockpile funds?”

“More than enough. We’re using surplus funds.”

Perhaps they were earning far more than expected. Even so, handing out money like this wasn’t something an ordinary person could manage.

A magnanimous spirit.

Or perhaps a giant hiding ambition behind a facade.

Only those kinds of people could pull off such feats.

“The royal palace and nobility may start to curb this village’s growth.”

“Are you worried about that, Garim?”

“What power do I have to interfere? I’m merely informing you as a source of information, like before.”

“I appreciate it. Like during the last ceremony.”

“I’m just offering whatever help I can.”

“But now, it’s fine.”

The softly spoken words carried a strong sense of confidence. Garim blinked slowly.

‘What does “it’s fine” mean?’

“Huh?”

That’s why his dumbfounded question slipped out. Not knowing the intent behind it, and mixed with a bit of unease.

“No matter what the royal family plans or how the nobility tries to restrain us…”

Saying this, Baron Melone (Minho) sipped his tea leisurely.

The brief silence stretched Garim’s lips dry, waiting for what felt like an eternity.

“This will likely become a non-issue.”

“Why is that?”

“There’s so much fun stuff around now.”

Minho’s lips curled into a playful smile as he spoke.

“By ‘fun stuff,’ do you mean dragons?”

Garim couldn’t help but tread carefully with his tone. The dragon, currently a hot topic causing quite a stir, roamed freely through the village, enjoying its freedom. Watching it gave glimpses into the village’s underlying strength.

Garim saw this action as both a declaration of confidence and a statement.

“Take our dragon if you can.”

Which obviously wouldn’t be easy.

Proof of this: the dragon still roams freely in the village. No one has secretly taken it away yet, meaning the village’s power must be unimaginably immense.

“There’s plenty more besides that. If you’re curious, experiencing it firsthand wouldn’t be bad.”

Minho exuded a certain grace as he spoke. The calm demeanor wasn’t something a mere noble could possess.

Unable to ponder further, Garim shook his head to clear his thoughts.

“By the way, did you see Bell on your way here? She’s one of our adorable mascots.”

“Bell… Is that the dragon’s name?”

“Yes, her name.”

“Yes, I saw your daughter riding Bell.”

“As you can see, it’s a peaceful village. As long as no one bothers us, we have no intention of causing trouble.”

The baron’s expression remained relaxed.

Realizing this unwavering calm never once faltered from Minho, Garim concluded it wasn’t feigned.

Truly relaxed, hence the gentle and warm demeanor.

“Garim.”

“Yes?”

“In my hometown, there’s a saying about weak dogs barking.”

“Uh…?”

“When weak puppies bark loudly, make noise, fabricate stories, and pretend to do something big—they’re usually the loudest barkers.”

Despite the gentle tone,

For some reason, Garim felt a chill run down his spine.

This was a warning.

“On the other hand, do you know what silent dogs do?”

“…?”

“That’s right. They bite. Hard.”

The baron placed his empty teacup on the table.

“And if they’re left alone, they won’t bite.”

Though his speech remained serene, why did it feel so unsettling?

Garim cautiously lifted his tea, letting its warmth ease his tense body.

“To think, the quietest puppy.”

“Isn’t that right?”

“I don’t know about the rest. But…”

Garim carefully chose his words, thinking deeply.

Words aimed at fostering friendship.

Finding a balance between not bowing too low while showing respect.

“As long as I oversee Starwind Valley, you needn’t worry about friction with the royal palace.”

“Good news. So, we remain on good terms?”

“Naturally.”

“Let’s continue to get along well, Baron Garim.”

There was a need to gather deeper and more detailed information about the village.

No armed soldiers resembling an army were visible, but what might be hidden?

Even without such forces, the dragon roams freely, acting as if the village is absolutely secure.

The baron’s personal strength is acknowledged.

Yet individual strength has limits.

To display such confidence meant there must be solid backing.

Exactly what was it?

Garim’s furrowed brows deepened slightly.

“Would you like me to send you some tea?”

“Oh, I was just about to ask. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Please go safely.”

“Thank you… And Baron Melone.”

As Garim spoke, Minho paused mid-rise.

Quietly waiting for Garim to speak.

“One last question. Do you have any plans to train an army?”

Minho merely smiled at this.

Then quietly replied,

“If peace prevails, there’s no need, right?”

“I understand.”

“How fortunate you understand quickly.”

They don’t bark.

They just bite.

If provoked, it implies a plan to train an army.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of nobles around creating such excuses.

When it grows this large, it inevitably draws scrutiny from everywhere.

Overcoming it means either crushing the restraints with overwhelming growth or gaining favor from many nobles—but given Minho’s gentle but unyielding nature, the latter seems unlikely.

Garim evaluated this as he completed the crop transaction and slowly drove his carriage out of the village, heading home.

He knew that contact from foreign countries was subtly creeping in. To prevent losing talent to other nations, he began slowly crafting a report and pitch for the princess.

One genius can sustain a nation, they say.

“Stealing a genius is unacceptable…”

The royal stance was clear.

Rather than suppression and restraint, seek mutual benefit and alliances. If the village and baron’s influence grow too large, perhaps granting a position akin to a Sword Master.

While Garim made his assessment, what strategy the royal palace would choose remained to be seen.

Hoping for no foolish decisions, Garim slowly filled out his report inside the swaying carriage.

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