“Wow. What on earth is this order volume?”
I stared at the reservation ticket I was handed, my mouth agape.
The estimated cost he had roughly calculated was around ten million Lark per order.
They seemed to be endlessly piling up one after another.
With this amount, it looked like reservations for an entire year were already full, right?
Listening to the sounds around, it seemed word had spread since the first order was placed.
In families that had produced knights, it had become a trend to gift Jacob’s sword to their sons.
‘It looks busy today, so I should revise the contract to a 70-30 split tomorrow.’
My share from this was a whopping 40 percent.
That was almost like highway robbery. I had awakened a guy who was on the verge of dying from alcohol, helped him become a person, set up all the latest forge equipment, bought out the entire neighboring forge to hire as staff, sourced hard-to-find materials, and promoted him to spread the word…
‘What the heck? I did everything, didn’t I?’
Thinking it over again, I began to question if there was really a need to adjust the ratio.
I could go with a 60-40 split for the current reservations, and when things eased up, I’d raise it to 70-30 then.
“Jacob won’t be in any danger, right?”
“Yes. We have stationed skilled trainees at the forge.”
At this rate, it was only a matter of time before Jacob became a master craftsman.
There was absolutely no way I could allow him to be kidnapped or assassinated.
After all, Vermont Security was created because of Jacob, wasn’t it?
If we couldn’t protect Jacob, it would all be for nothing.
But seeing the bodyguards in suits and sunglasses who were always following Jacob around made me feel reassured.
“Vermont Security seems busy lately, right?”
“Yes. Since the escort mission in Ester, orders have been continuously coming in. We still have many insufficient personnel to take on real combat missions, so we couldn’t form many teams, but currently, three teams are on missions.”
Had the rumor that we escorted the notoriously difficult lady-in-waiting spread like wildfire?
Finally, Vermont Security was beginning to receive a flood of orders.
Most of these were indeed requests from high-ranking nobles. However, there were also occasional urgent requests to stop monster rampages.
Being able to switch between bodyguard duties and mercenary work flexibly was a significant strength of Vermont Security.
“We’ve arrived, my Lord.”
“Alright. Let’s do a surprise inspection.”
For the first time in Vermont Security’s history, a system was implemented that operated solely with employees. I wondered if there was anyone slacking off. Quietly, along with Sylvia, I entered the training ground discreetly.
What was revealed inside was.
“I’ll learn a technique, senior!”
“Crack!”
“Whoa!!!”
“…?”
It was an utterly unexpected sight.
A skeleton soldier held a sword in an awkward stance. In front of it stood a staff member who bowed politely, then charged with a raised sword.
The skeleton soldier reacted with the speed of light, elegantly blocking the staff member’s downward strike with a clean parry.
“Wait!?”
“Crack!”
In an instant, it restricted the movement of the staff member’s sword and, slipping under his legs, threw him face-first into the dirt.
“Crack! Crack! Crack!”
“Senior, I’m really sorry, but… I don’t understand what you’re saying at all…”
“Crack! Crack! Crack!”
While they clashed enthusiastically, the skeleton soldier soon showed frustration and began scribbling on a wooden plank with a pen.
‘Your reaction is slow! If the first attack is blocked, you should immediately follow up with a second strike! Standing there dumbfounded just gives the opponent the upper hand!’.
“Oh! I understand! Can I ask for another spar, senior?”
“Crack!”
With a bright face, he kept nodding.
Once again, the staff member and the skeleton soldier stepped back, assuming their stances.
I watched the entire scene, momentarily at a loss for words.
“Is this what you meant when you said you entrusted the instructor role to a veteran?”
“Yes. They all seemed quite experienced. They have rich practical experience in both human and monster battles, and they can spar without getting tired, so I thought they would be perfect for the instructor role.”
“…”
Indeed.
Upon hearing it, there couldn’t be a better instructor than these skeleton soldiers.
In normal sparring sessions, you have to hold back to avoid injuring your opponent.
However, in sparring against skeleton soldiers, the staff could train at full strength.
Moreover, their opponents didn’t tire out?
That was that.
Aside from the slight communication barrier, they were perfect.
‘They turned out to be much more useful than I expected…’
Back when the undead army had just arrived, I had been deeply troubled about how to utilize them.
Their true identity was that of the former royal family and the knight order that followed them.
But because of their visual appearance, it was awkward to take them around.
It felt a waste to hide the undead army in a place where people wouldn’t see them.
Just when I thought they would become a troublesome burden, I never imagined I’d be able to utilize them so well.
I couldn’t be more pleased.
“There used to be quite a distance from the training ground to the city center, making it inconvenient, but thanks to the skeleton soldiers, it has become much more comfortable.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Would you like to see for yourself? It’s just in time for lunch preparation.”
“…?”
What could that possibly mean?
Following Sylvia’s guidance, we headed toward the city center of the Ariente territory.
Before long, we arrived at the market.
“Crack! Crack!”
“Oh! You want apples? How many?”
“Crack!”
“Two hundred? Let me see. Three boxes should be a bit more than two hundred. Just take them for the price of two hundred.”
“Crack!”
There was a strange sight unfolding where skeleton soldiers were each shopping.
How were they understanding the merchants so well?
The merchants seemed to comprehend the meaning behind just the sound of bones clacking and were quickly bringing out cooking ingredients.
And not only that, but none of the people walking around seemed surprised or scared of the skeleton soldiers.
…It seemed that the people in this place had already accepted the skeleton soldiers as residents.
“It’s peaceful. Very nice.”
“Is it really peaceful…?”
I was quite pleased with the state of the city. Vermont, which had been a nearly bankrupt family only recently, just managing to pay off its debts and owning nothing but a mansion, was now generating money at an incredible rate.
With highway tolls, tourism income, Vermont Security’s operating profits, and the forge’s earnings combined, it was literally like money was multiplying.
Of course, it was best not to leave money sitting idle and to keep it rolling.
But the reason I couldn’t touch the treasury right now was simple.
‘I have no idea how much money will be spent in negotiations with Irene…’
The owner of the Neomium.
I couldn’t predict how negotiations with Irene Vermont would go.
She was one of the few people who understood the true value of Neomium, making it impossible to lowball her.
Even if I presented an absurd amount as the price for Neomium, it wouldn’t be surprising.
No, perhaps her hatred for me would overshadow any greed for money, and she might refuse to sell altogether.
‘What does Irene want, anyway?’
It was strange when I thought about it.
From the very first day I possessed this body, Irene had been pressuring me to produce results in black magic research.
Yet, she had kept the essential Neomium hidden from me while holding onto it herself.
What on earth was she trying to accomplish? Her attitude was anything but consistent.
Something I didn’t know seemed to be influencing Irene’s behavior.
It was a situation that could only be interpreted that way.
‘If worse comes to worst, I can lead the undead army and resolve this by force.’
Of course, there were countless ways to protect the treasury.
We had plenty of available power on this side.
I could immediately charge in and seize the Neomium by force if necessary.
…But I preferred not to resort to that.
“Let’s head back.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
The state of the territory was stable, and the neighboring territory, Ariente, was peaceful as well.
Now I could truly focus on strategizing against Irene while also spending time with Charlotte and Julia.
“Mister, Mister! Something big has happened! Another letter has come!”
The moment I returned to the mansion with Sylvia, Charlotte came running from afar, her arms full of mail.
Several pieces of mail fell from her grasp as she ran, leaving a trail behind her.
“There are so many this time…!”
“Indeed. What could this be about now?”
I took a letter from Charlotte’s arms and opened the seal right there.
This was… the same address as the letter that arrived yesterday?
– Silence usually means agreement. Since there’s no response, I’ll take it as an indication that you wish to meet my daughter. Therefore, I’ll be sending my daughter to the Count’s territory, so please…
– Isn’t compatibility between men and women the most important factor in marriage? I’ll send my daughter to you first. Without any lengthy discussions, let’s meet my daughter before having a detailed conversation…
What on earth is this?
The letter just arrived yesterday, and now they’re acting as if there’s no response and taking action right away?
I was at a loss for words in disbelief.
“My Lord. The carriage procession over there…”
“Oh.”
From a distance, I could see a multitude of carriages approaching in a large group.
Each one gleamed magnificently, clearly marking them as noble carriages.
Was all that a procession of noble ladies coming to propose marriage to me…?
A sudden wave of fatigue hit me, and my head started to throb.
I truly had no interest at all…
