"Lord, who is this person...?"
As evening fell and I returned to the estate, I entered the mansion with Isabel. Naturally, Hayes was very curious about Isabel's sudden appearance. It wasn't that he doubted our relationship, but it was odd for me, the lord, to suddenly bring an unfamiliar woman to the mansion.
"Her name is Isabel. She's twenty-five, the same age as me. We were classmates when we entered the Desmond Empire Academy at twelve. We met by chance this time." I mixed in a plausible story. In reality, I had indeed entered the Desmond Empire's Magic Academy 13 years ago.
Isabel played along. "Hello, I'm Isabel. Due to personal reasons, I had to leave my home and now need a place to stay. I hope it's not too much trouble."
"Oh, personal reasons... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry into such matters. I'm really sorry."
"It's okay."
Seeing Isabel with a slightly sad expression, Hayes bowed his head apologetically. Isabel was quite good at acting. She gave off the vibe of a noble lady who had been dedicated to her magic studies. Her elegant and pure appearance was a bonus, though it was quite different from her true self. Her newly acquired appearance was so beautiful and flawless that everything she did seemed natural.
"Hayes, there are empty rooms in the mansion, right?"
"Of course! They're empty, but I've been cleaning them daily!"
"Show Isabel to the best room. And it would be good if you could take care of her."
I assigned Isabel to Hayes. Somehow, it seemed easier to manage if the two were together.
"Yes, Lord. I'll take care of Isabel as I do you!"
Hayes replied with a bright smile. She was indeed an angel. Sometimes her feelings for me seemed to cloud her judgment, but aside from that, she was meticulous and diligent in everything.
"Then please guide her. Isabel, if you have any questions about life in the mansion, ask Hayes."
"Okay, thank you, Jared."
Isabel replied with an air of elegance, and I barely held back a laugh. If it were just the two of us, she might have said, "Hey! Can't you just tell me directly?" But with Hayes around, she spoke so politely, with her hands clasped in front of her.
"Miss Isabel, this way. Would you like a bath? We can prepare warm water right away!"
At Hayes' question, Isabel's eyes wavered. A bath, the happiness that warmth brings, is indescribable. Having lived as a ghost for a long time, she must have missed the simple and certain happiness one can enjoy as a human.
"Please. I'd love to soak in warm water after so long. Thank you, Hayes."
Isabel's soft tone continued. It seemed it would take some time for her to adapt to the life of the newly reborn Isabel, as well as her past nature. Once she got used to life in the mansion, I planned to start training her in magic defense. Physical and magical defense are stats that are harder to improve than wisdom. With Isabel by my side, who could definitely help in growing those stats, I planned to utilize her actively. She would be a great catalyst for my growth.
The next morning, at dawn.
Waking up at the break of dawn, I was running on the training ground. Ever since I decided to lose weight, running at dawn had become a routine, so it wasn't difficult anymore. I read a letter hurriedly delivered by Rakis in the early morning.
<After checking through various routes, it was confirmed that the military strength of the Mallorca territory is 1,239. The highest-level force among them, as you know, is the magician Akron. Recently, Lord Horgus hired two 3rd-class magicians with a large contract fee. The military training in Mallorca territory has increased more than five times in scale and frequency compared to last year. Excluding our relationship with the territory, Mallorca's surrounding relations are generally smooth. Since Horgus has expressed hostility towards our territory several times, it is thought that the target of the frequent military training is our territory.>
"1,239... If they decide to attack our territory, even escaping in the middle of the night might not be enough. Especially if they've newly hired two magicians."
I frowned instinctively. I used the territory information window to check the current total military strength of our territory.
[Military - Total: Currently 298]
"And I'm the only magician in our territory. We don't have any cavalry or ironclad soldiers, just infantry, so the composition of our forces isn't good."
My mind was a jumble of thoughts. The only reason a war with the neighboring territory hasn't broken out is that they're wary of me, a 4th-class magician. In other words, I'm the stake preventing the war. But if I'm not in an overwhelmingly strong position, I can't be at ease. If Akron focuses on me and the forces of both territories face off, our side will inevitably be destroyed.
"We've secured a large budget by selling herbs to the Ronella territory, so recruiting soldiers isn't difficult. Rakis has set up a framework for group military training, so that's fine. The problem is weapon production and armament..."
Quantitative growth isn't hard if we set our minds to it, but qualitative growth is what's concerning. Our territory doesn't produce any strategic resources like iron. This cursed outer territory lacks divine blessings - it's practically a place abandoned by the gods - so even resources aren't abundant. At this rate, even if we recruit and conscript more soldiers, we won't have enough weapons to equip them. The armory of the territory is empty. We're already using all available weapons, so there's no surplus.
"I need to convene a vassal meeting right away. There's no time to waste. I must meet the Red Goblin tribe immediately to gather strategic resources."
I decided to attempt a deal with the Red Goblins as soon as possible. The letter from Rakis about the Mallorca territory's information made me more urgent. Since Mallorca already looks down on us, trying to make peace or befriend them is meaningless. If we were to improve relations, I'd have to bow my head significantly, and that would naturally lead to a humiliating relationship. I had no intention of subjecting myself to such disgrace.
Morning broke.
From dawn, Jared gathered Rakis and the security team and ordered them to collect and bring back the many stones scattered near the Nightmare Forest. People called the colorful stones that could be found near the Nightmare Forest "Nightmare Stones." They weren't particularly meaningful. Like picking up a pebble at the beach, hunters visiting the Nightmare Forest took them as souvenirs. Naturally, they had no real value, as they were just common stones in the territory.
But not to the Red Goblins! Jared's plan was to use these stones to obtain strategic resources from them. Jared spoke to the vassals gathered in front of the lord's mansion early in the morning.
"Thank you all for coming. I apologize for the sudden notice."
"Lord, what do you mean? As your loyal servant, I only obey your commands."
Rakis shook his head vigorously. He expressed himself so strongly that the sound of his head turning could be heard.
"I feel the same way. We must support whatever the lord wishes to do."
"Just give us the word."
All the vassals expressed the same sentiment to Jared. They were sincere. Since Jared had severely punished the corrupt official Glagas and restored discipline in the territory, no vassal had any complaints about their positions or assignments. They were grateful instead. Even though it had been a long and winding road, they were moved to see the territory's gears meshing properly. The one who felt the most change was Avila, in charge of commercial affairs. With eyes full of emotion, he spoke up.
"Lord, the number of monster hunters visiting the territory has surged recently. It's increased so rapidly that it's almost uncontrollable."
"Really? How much has it changed?"
"Not only are the herbs from the Arkenes merchant guild selling like hotcakes, but the Cribia magic stones linked to them are also flying off the shelves. We're on track to surpass last month's total sales in just one day! Your insight is truly... admirable!"
Avila knelt and bowed his head sincerely. Thanks to the influx of monster hunters, the area near the Nightmare Forest was quickly revitalizing. A village that looked like a ghost town just a week ago had transformed into a bustling area overnight. Because of this, Avila was using the entire budget allocated to him to diligently refurbish the buildings in the bustling area.
"Avila, this is just the beginning. Work with the Arkenes merchant guild to develop more products. Our main target customers will be the monster hunters, so always keep that in mind."
"Of course, Lord!"
Hearing it directly from him, Jared felt very pleased. It was a clear sign that the territory was changing for the better.
"Now, the reason I called you all here today is to begin active exchanges with neighboring forces. Since we're establishing official diplomatic relations, I wanted not only myself but all key vassals to be present."
"Which territory is it? Currently, the neighboring territories of Mallorca and Ronella have not been on good terms with us for generations."
One vassal spoke with a worried look. As he said, there were no allies near the Cribia territory. They were all potential enemies, and they even looked down on the Cribia territory, calling it a tiny speck. It was so underestimated that even the bandit king sent a threatening letter demanding tribute.
"The place we'll be establishing relations with isn't a territory. It's a tribe."
"A tribe? What do you mean...?"
The vassals' faces were filled with confusion. The Cribia territory was located at the northernmost part of the continent. Beyond that, there were no people, just the ocean and cold seawater. The two neighboring territories had never been on good terms. So they naturally assumed efforts were being made to establish diplomatic relations with other territories connected by sea routes.
"It's the Red Goblins. I've chosen the Red Goblin tribe as the first official exchange partner for our territory."
"What? Not humans, but those beasts?"
Episode 27