A contract was immediately drawn up.
The terms were reasonable by anyone’s standards, of course, of this world.
“Party B, the forty-eight bandits, cannot change their residence without Party A’s permission. Party B, the forty-eight bandits, cannot leave the designated administrative district without Party A’s permission. Party B shall faithfully perform the following duties… Is this not a complete sl*ve contract!?”
“If you don’t like it, you can quit. Now, shall we head to court as is?”
“Y-Yes! I will sign!”
The bandits responded loudly, tears streaming down their faces.
Were they that grateful?
What a bunch of fools.
Seeing this heartwarming scene almost made me tear up.
They had looked shocked when they heard I was Count Vermont.
It seems good rumors about Vermont had spread rapidly.
Their expressions were full of overwhelming gratitude.
After finishing the contract, I disbanded the bandits for the time being.
I already had their identities, so there was no risk of them fleeing.
If they ran away, their families would also be wanted.
Holding the contract signed by all the bandits, I decided to head towards the Ariente territory.
“Mister! Mister! Show us how you draw the sword from your mouth again!”
“Aslan… Are you okay? Does your throat hurt…?”
The carriage was lively as we headed to the Ariente territory.
I had tried to separate the kids from each other, thinking they might see Yuri’s true face.
But Charlotte and Julia ended up joining us, leaving Yuri and Merilda alone together.
Merilda looked really excited.
At this point, I thought Yuri might as well get engaged to a princess and rise in status.
If I received Charlotte and Julia as a reward for facilitating their relationship, it would be a win-win.
“I can’t pull it out by myself, only Sylvia can. My throat… doesn’t hurt too much. But every time I draw it, there’s this strange discomfort that’s quite unpleasant.”
“Ah! So it doesn’t hurt? That’s a relief… I-I wasn’t really worried or anything! I was just thinking that if you died from an injury, there would be no one to free us slaves! So I was just concerned! Don’t get the wrong idea! …Okay?”
“…”
Julia, who hadn’t said a word, suddenly blurted out an explanation, getting flustered.
Whatever the reason, it was true that she was worried about me.
It seemed she was still clumsy at hiding her true feelings.
“Wow! That sword looked super strong! Knight Sister, Knight Sister! Have you decided on a name for the sword?”
“Oh, I haven’t decided on that yet. The sword is… hmm… since it gets really fast when you grab it, let’s call it ‘Swoosh’…”
“I’ll name the sword.”
“What!?”
Just before the worst name was born from the disastrous collaboration of Charlotte and Sylvia, I barely managed to stop it.
If it were Sylvia’s personal sword, I wouldn’t care what it was called.
But this sword was currently absorbed into my body.
Just thinking about having a sword named ‘Swoosh’ inside me made me feel nauseous.
“What will the name be? What will the name be? You’ll give it a super cool name, right?”
“Since it’s a sword bestowed by the lord, I’ll leave the naming to him. I’ll accept whatever he gives.”
“…”
Charlotte’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Sylvia, though not showing it outwardly, was clearly excited too.
It was maddening. Did I really have to give the sword a name? Can’t I just use it without a name?
“Alright. I’ll prepare an amazing name, so wait for it.”
“Waaaah!”
I hadn’t thought of anything in particular, so I decided to stall for time.
At least until I could extract this sword from my body.
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is wary of the sword that has settled inside you.]
It felt like I could hear Kali growling in my mind.
You’re wary of this sword. Why?
They say the only weapon that can harm an Evil God is the Holy Sword, so is this the Holy Sword?
‘But it doesn’t seem to be wary of the Super Super Strong Sword.’
So why isn’t it cautious of the Super Super Strong Sword?
Is it because it trusts Charlotte?
Who knows. It’s completely unproductive to try to figure out Kali’s whims, so I gave up.
“Sylvia, you should quit being an instructor.”
“What!?”
“First, pass the instructor position to Yuri, and train two or three more people to fill the instructor roles.” “W-What…? Am I being fired from the position of manager of Vermont Security…?”
Her voice trembled suddenly.
Sylvia grabbed my sleeve with desperate eyes.
Am I crazy?
Why would I fire someone who does their job well?
“I said to step down from the instructor role; it’s not about being fired. Isn’t it strange for a CEO to act as an instructor in the first place?”
“Ah, you weren’t trying to fire me…?”
“Fire? What are you talking about? You can’t even hold a weapon without me by your side. So stay close to me and focus on your escort duties. You can still perform management tasks from the mansion.”
“Indeed…! I suppose I’ll have to stay by the lord’s side from now on. Hmm. Yes. For the lord’s safety, it’s unavoidable…”
Finally, Sylvia seemed to understand as she nodded her head.
Until now, I hadn’t had any qualms about letting her act independently.
It was clear she would survive whatever crisis arose.
But now that she can’t touch any other weapons, Sylvia’s only option is magic.
And even that becomes a weakness if she runs out of mana, as she can’t recharge herself.
So it’s better for her to focus on her escort duties by my side.
That was my judgment.
“Ah. The knight always hangs around Aslan anyway. I think that’s a bit unfair…”
“Exactly! It’s unfair for just the knight to be the one doing the escort! I want to escort Mister too…!”
“If you two can beat Sylvia, then I’ll switch the escort role immediately.”
“…!”
Upon my firm refusal, both Charlotte and Julia puffed up their cheeks in disappointment.
They really seemed to be sulking.
If they took on the escort role, they could travel freely to various places with me.
It seemed they were sad about missing out on that.
“I’ve got to get really strong! Knight Sister! Now that you’re quitting your instructor job, can you help me train a bit more? Right?”
“Uh? Uh, sure.”
“Then let’s train all day tomorrow! I’ll get super strong and surpass you, Knight Sister!”
“All day might be a bit tough…”
“Um, um, do you know any great spirits?”
[Kyah! Why are you asking that!?]
“No, I only know you, great spirit. Just uprooting the ground has its limits. I think I need to know more great spirits to become stronger and useful in different situations…”
[Kyah! Are you saying I’m useless!? How rude!]
“That’s not what I meant…”
As Charlotte and Julia began whispering to each other, their enthusiasm suddenly ignited.
Sure. Work hard.
No matter what their motivation is, getting stronger is a win.
***
“Oh dear, brother! It’s been a while! You must have had a tough journey; how about resting here for a bit?”
“No, that’s not necessary. I brought a gift for the Count, so please accept this.”
“A g-gift…?”
Count Ariente’s face turned pale as he swallowed hard at my mention of a ‘gift’.
Was he really that excited?
He took the contract with trembling hands, and his eyes widened.
“Forty-eight people? Feeding and housing this many… and a salary too? Brother! Did I do something wrong? Just tell me!”
“Just read it to the end. They are experts at maintaining roads. You know the road heading north, right?”
“You mean that filthy road where carriages frequently get stuck?”
“It’s now clean. They managed it while claiming to be bandits. I’m transferring this high-quality labor to you.”
“I-Is that true? Two hundred people are currently maintaining the Vermont Highway! Because of that, there have been so few workers that even my sons and their servants have been working day and night! Thank you! I’m really grateful! This will really relieve some pressure!”
Only then did Count Ariente start tearing up and kneel down.
He really misinterpreted my intentions.
I patted the shoulders of Count Ariente, who showed no signs of getting up, and walked out.
Since they managed that rough and long road, the short Vermont Highway should be a breeze for them.
I wouldn’t have to worry about major issues with the road anymore.
After briefly stopping in Ariente territory, I headed straight to the capital.
My escort duties weren’t over yet.
My mission would end once I dropped Merilda off at the Archduke’s villa in the capital.
After arriving at the villa without any major incidents since the bandit episode, I got off the carriage and saw that Yuri was politely holding Merilda’s hand and escorting her.
Seeing this, Julia offered me her hand with an expectant look.
“Ah!? What are you doing with a lady…!”
“Stop showing off here after coming this far.”
“Who’s showing off …!?”
And with that, I swept Julia off her feet and lifted her effortlessly, placing her gently back down on the ground.
Julia, who I thought had been sulking earlier, now had her cheeks puffed out even more, looking incredibly upset.
Sylvia watched with a stunned expression, as if in shock.
“Ah… did I do that…?”
She seemed to recall her own behavior when she had been asking for my hand.
Now that she realized how embarrassing it was, her face turned beet red.
Good. It’s about time for some self-reflection.
“Me too! Please lift me up like you did Julia!”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
“Kyahh…!”
Finally, I set Charlotte down with a flourish.
If only these troublemakers would behave like Charlotte, how wonderful that would be.
Charlotte’s genuine personality and innocence made her worry-free, to the point that I worried about her.
“We’ve arrived. I’ll conclude the escort duties now, Princess.”
“Hehe. You did well, Count. As you said, I should study hard while I’m in the capital.”
Now it was time to say goodbye to Merilda.
Behind me stood Charlotte and Julia, fidgeting as if they had something to say.
Upon noticing their expressions, Merilda spoke up first.
“You escorts did a great job. Since the capital and Vermont territory are close, how about we meet often in the future?”
“Great! I want to get closer to the princess…!”
“I thought all noble girls were rude, but Merilda is different, so that’s a relief! Let’s meet again!”
“Ch-Charlotte…!”
“Hehehe. Yes, I find it easier to talk to you than to the arrogant noble girls.”
Merilda smiled brightly, easily brushing off what could be considered rude remarks.
For her, peers could be divided into two distinct groups.
One group comes from a backwater village stuck at the northern edge, looking down on others.
The other group consists of those who hover around, hoping to gain favor like they might catch crumbs from the table.
It seems Merilda is genuinely happy to have made real friends, not just the kind of people she’s tired of seeing.
“Yuria, let’s meet personally later. You haven’t forgotten about the tour of the Magic Academy, right?”
“Y-Yes, Princess. Of course…”
Merilda turned away with a bright smile I had never seen before, directed at Yuri.
Yuri’s shoulders slumped at that moment.
They looked incredibly tired.
“Aslan, Aslan.”
“…?”
“Is Yuri… Is Yuria attending the Imperial Magic Academy …?”
“Yeah. She just enrolled this year.”
“Wow!”
Charlotte and Julia looked at Yuri with a hint of envy.
It suddenly occurred to me that it might be time to send Charlotte and Julia to school.
In the past, I was worried about whether they would catch Yuri’s attention, but that’s no longer a concern.
Yuri had also taken on a nurturing role at Vermont and had been working to clear up misunderstandings.
Should I send them directly to the Imperial Magic Academy where Yuri studies?
I managed to get Yuri a special admission because I pushed for it, but getting two more in there would be impossible.
That means they would need to pass the regular entrance exam. Julia should be able to pass with just a bit of studying.
As for Charlotte… well…
‘There are special admissions, so they should manage somehow.’
She’s an unprecedented talent who can wield the power of a Sword Master at such a young age.
I know the Combat Magic Department has special admissions.
It seems like getting both of them into school shouldn’t be too difficult.
“You two, how about attending school starting next year?”
“Huh? Why …?”
“Because you’ll be able to learn a lot more.”
“I’m already studying enough with the books in the library. We’re also studying together…”
“Are you trying to separate us, Mister…?”
Charlotte and Julia looked at me with trembling eyes, cautiously parting their lips.
They looked utterly terrified.
Why are they reacting like this?
Just trying to send them to school suddenly changed the atmosphere.
