Ian checked the message and used teleportation to move to Ashlan first.
Ideally, it would have been best to go to Trishura where the Volkanov main family is located. However, it wasn’t connected via teleportation.
So, he had no choice but to travel to the estate by carriage.
As the carriage rattled along, Ian sighed deeply as he looked out the window.
‘It’s bleak…’
All he could see was white mountains. There was no spectacular view, but… he couldn’t help but wonder if people could live in such a place.
It would be a sight to behold for tourists, but for Ian, who had to develop it, it was a daunting task.
‘There must be quite a bit of work to do.’
Dealing with Ariel and the heroines’ affairs alone was already overwhelming. Now, with the territory to worry about…
Eventually, Ian turned his gaze back inside the carriage. It was maddening to look at those things.
Although he felt frustrated, looking at Eri sitting beside him eased his mind a bit.
‘I was really anxious at first…’
He couldn’t help but feel tense, thinking about when she would reveal her true self and turn her blade against him. But in situations like this, she was a reliable presence.
He almost felt like holding her hand and thanking her, despite everything.
‘Compared to the pitiful vassals of the Volkanov territory, she’s like a fairy.’
Although he was uneasy, at least one thing was certain: compared to the vassals, Eri was superior.
Even back when he played the original game, Ian never forgot the absurd things they planned.
Planting crops in the harsh northern climate? They were already barely surviving due to poverty. Wasn’t it enough that they went far away to gather seafood for Ariel?
‘These bastards can’t think for themselves. They should just work as if they have no brains at all.’
That’s why Ian knew how to manipulate them.
There was only one way: not allowing them to make their own judgments but dictating everything himself.
Of course, doing things that way would inevitably lead to resistance from some stubborn individuals…
‘That’s not my problem, is it?’
If anything, he should just manipulate them even more severely.
‘That’s why I brought Eri along.’
Her unique ability to swiftly handle tasks would surely shine.
While she dealt with the paperwork piling up, he could focus on rebuilding the future vision of the Volkanov family ruined by Killain.
But Ian’s preparations didn’t end with Eri.
He glanced at Igor, who was sitting in front of him, diligently scribbling on his papers.
“Ugh… What kind of professor assigns such tasks as homework? And why is this carriage so rickety…”
Igor, whose injuries from the Dullahan were neatly treated, also headed to the Volkanov estate with them.
Honestly, there was no reason to bring him along… but if the Squad Commander worked hard, shouldn’t the Squad members relax comfortably?
Squad Commanders and Squad members are supposed to be a united front.
‘When the servants are working roughly, just place him nearby. His demeanor is intimidating enough.’
Surveillance tower. Using him like that would be sufficient.
Lost in thought, Ian eventually spotted a massive mansion through the crack in the window.
A man with a thinning hair standing in front of the mansion.
‘We’ve arrived at Trishura.’
It was the moment Ian stepped back into the Count Volkanov home.
***
As expected, there was no warm welcome.
Despite Ian coming a long way to act as the Lord, the only one who welcomed him was Butler Shulkin.
Compared to Ariel, who would have the knights mobilized as soon as the word ‘homecoming’ was heard, it was a truly pathetic situation.
Ian decided not to care.
‘Even the butler should consider it fortunate that I bothered to come.’
After all, he was a discarded child. It would be foolish to expect a warm welcome.
From their perspective, he was just a pawn manager.
They probably thought he would spend a while in the family and then return to the Academy on weekdays.
As if to prove that fact, Shulkin also showed a surprised reaction when he saw two people beside Ian.
He probably hadn’t thought Ian would bring anyone along.
Shulkin, after looking alternately between Ian, Eri, and Igor, bowed deeply.
“You’ve had a long journey. I apologize for the abruptness of the situation.”
“It’s nothing. So, how is the state of the family currently?”
Walking towards the main house, Shulkin answered Ian’s question calmly.
“To be honest, there isn’t much for you to do, Master Ian. The vassals will handle things themselves, so you just need to give your approval in the end.”
“Just give my approval in the end…”
“Isn’t that more convenient for you, Master Ian? Since you’re usually not around the family… It might be overwhelming to dive straight into work.”
Butler Shulkin spoke with a gentle smile.
However, Ian could clearly see what was behind that smile.
‘Why bother me when you know I don’t know how to do anything properly… Just stay quiet…’
That must have been what he was trying to convey… But Shulkin overlooked something.
Firstly, Ian wasn’t accustomed to such consideration.
And secondly, Ian was better at handling tasks than anyone else in the family.
‘You’re blabbering.’
‘… Young Master?’
At Ian’s sudden rough cursing, Shulkin’s shoulders flinched.
He stopped in his tracks and turned to face Ian.
Only then did he realize.
“You should watch your language… I’ll give you two hours. Bring everything.”
“Umm… Excuse me, but… What exactly do you want us to bring?”
“The tasks you were working on. And the plans Father was making… Turn them all into reports and bring them within two hours.”
Ian Volkanov. The invisible man had returned as a tyrant.
***
When Ian ordered to make reports within two hours, Shulkin thought he was joking.
After all, how much work could there be in the Volkanov County?
Management of the territory. Food issues and Volkanov’s main job. Even keeping the demons and barbarians in check.
Turning such tasks into reports was by no means an easy job.
Furthermore, the volume was considerable, roughly reaching 400 pages. How could he possibly expect them to bring it all?
So, Shulkin asked again.
“Did what I say sound like a joke?”
Faced with Ian’s cold gaze, he had no choice but to make the reports.
Shulkin recalled the stack of documents he handed Ian and shivered.
It wasn’t just him who reacted like that.
“Ah… How can he give orders so haphazardly…”
“Is it alright to leave Ian like this? He doesn’t even know how to properly read a document, yet he’s demanding reports?”
“If things continue like this… I’m deeply worried that this brat will ruin what the family head has achieved.”
Even the vassals working with Shulkin were shaken by Ian’s orders.
Shulkin remembered Ian, who was silently checking the reports.
‘What is he thinking…’
He usually didn’t have a particularly negative opinion about Ian, but this time he couldn’t help but think otherwise.
Honestly… it was to the point where he thought Ian had gone too far.
With 400 pages of documents… Even competent vassals would have to stay up all night to handle such a volume. How could he expect them to check all of it?
‘He has to return to the capital after the weekend…’
There were only two days left. Just checking those reports one by one within that time frame would be difficult enough.
After pondering for a while, Shulkin reached a conclusion.
No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one reason why Ian would go to such lengths.
‘He wants to be recognized.’
Before he knew it, his hair had turned gray. Still, when he closed his eyes, memories of Ian Volkanov from his childhood remained.
A child who followed the lord around… Although he usually had cloudy eyes. He was a child who cherished his parents very much.
In Shulkin’s memories, Ian was always a child who was neglected by his parents. He was a child who tried to be accepted by his parents despite experiencing such pain.
It was heartbreaking to see him like that, but unfortunately, Shulkin couldn’t help Ian.
He was the butler of the Volkanovs, practically the right-hand man of the family head. It was impossible for him to take Ian’s side in such a situation.
‘Hah…’
Thinking of Ian, Shulkin snapped back to reality.
It’s probably the only reason he would risk his life for his job like that.
To lead the Volkanovs well until the family head recovered, to earn recognition once again.
But Shulkin thought it was impossible.
‘Excessive determination is nothing but arrogance…’
Although there was a saying that willpower makes everything possible, excessive willpower only leads to arrogance.
As someone who understood that, Shulkin felt sorry for Ian.
***
“Squad Commander, it seems that the backlog of reports will be cleared by the end of today.”
“Already done?”
All of those documents?
Surprised by Eri’s words, Ian looked at her with widened eyes.
He knew she was fast at handling tasks, but he never expected her to finish the work this quickly.
He thought it would take at least a day… Yet, Eri managed to process around 350 documents in just four hours.
Ian couldn’t help but marvel at the speed beyond imagination.
“Amazing… I made the right decision to bring her here.”
“You flatter me. It was possible only with the help of the spirits. And it wasn’t just me alone.”
Kind-hearted Eri attributed all credit to everyone.
“Mister Igor also contributed a lot.”
As her gaze followed her fingertips, Ian saw Igor, diligently scribbling with a pen.
“E-er… Ian… Volkan…ov…”
Eri’s method was simple.
Once she and the spirits verified that the documents were problem-free, she handed them to Igor, who then copied Ian’s signature onto the documents she had reviewed.
Of course, signing wasn’t a difficult task.
But when the volume exceeded 400 pages… and when he had to mimic Ian’s handwriting exactly… it was no easy feat.
Watching Igor sweat profusely as he wrote, Ian felt sorry for him.
‘He’s going through all this trouble for me. I should reward him properly.’
Giving only a carrot without a stick would lead to deviation and eventual malfunction.
Once things settled, Ian thought he should provide appropriate rewards. Just a tasty meal would make him ecstatic.
Having resolved the formidable enemy of documents, Ian refocused on his work.
‘Now that the biggest hurdle, the documents, has been resolved with Eri’s help…’
Now, all that remained was worrying about the future of the Volkanov family.
Tap, tap.
Ian, who was drinking the hot coffee that Eri had made, looked at the plan in his trembling hand.
‘K-Killain… If we continue handling things like this, the family won’t function properly…’
He knew things were chaotic, but this was getting out of hand.
Not a single aspect was normal.
First and foremost, the biggest problem was the current state of the family’s finances.
‘We’re running low on funds… Extremely low…’
In truth, compared to its reputation, the Volkanovs weren’t particularly wealthy.
Volkanov territory was never a terrain that could generate much wealth.
The barren land and harsh climate were deathly to lifeforms.
Although there were lands like Ashlan where the climate was warmer, it wasn’t suitable for agriculture due to the dry climate.
The problem was that the barbarians from the north were constantly flocking in, making it difficult to survive while hunting.
‘The tax benefits that we have received so far by obtaining the status of guardians. We have endured while stopping the monsters and barbarians…’
How long could this last?
What Volkanov Territory needs right now is something that can bring in money. That’s urgent.
Facing this situation, the bigger issue was that there were still many who weren’t in their right minds.
‘The farmers are clamoring for solutions, saying they think the crops will fail… But if we’re not actively seeking solutions, what can we do?’
Experienced farmers were undoubtedly experts when it came to crops. If they accepted their suggestions, there was no doubt they had no other choice…
In the end, Ian had no choice but to draw his sword.
‘Hah… I didn’t want to be this harsh.’
There was only one way to remedy the situation. Ian looked at Eri, who was sitting next to him.
“Eri.”
“Yes, Squad Commander.”
“Go get some potatoes.”
“Potatoes, you say?”
“Yes, potatoes.”
When Ian told her to get potatoes right away, Eri tilted er head but immediately moved.
As she opened the door and left, Ian let out a deep sigh.
‘There’s no other choice.’
Cash crops. It was time to bring out a morale-boosting money-making method for the early stage of managing the territory.
