After sending off all the souls, Patrick explored the black mage's hideout a little more. If there was anything dangerous left, he had to find and dispose of it now. So he was meticulous...
"Tsk, there's nothing here that's worth any money."
Anyway, this bastard… Patrick spoke with sincerity, his voice thick with irritation.
"Ah, this isn't right. This is just not right. These bastards don't even know the bare minimum of courtesy."
Patrick spoke, so angry it was as if he would have beaten the black mage to death if he were alive in front of him.
"Normally, when you subjugate demonic cultivators like this and raid their base, isn't it normal to find a divine weapon, a peerless divine art, precious spirit medicines, or gold and treasures? At the very least, shouldn't there be a peerless beauty sleeping in a stone coffin?"
To think this bastard was called a Grandmaster in his past life... It's true that such things occasionally happen in the martial world. But that's a thing of the martial world, and this is the Pangemonia Continent.
"How lamentable... The ways of the martial world have fallen to the ground. Tsk, tsk, tsk, it wasn't like this in my time."
Regardless, the madman who only sought the ways of the martial world when it suited him was blaming the innocent black mage. Actually, it wasn't a complete bust. Since it seemed to be the black mage's hideout, there were some miscellaneous items.
The problem was that most of them were items whose use he didn't know, so he couldn't determine their value.
"Damn it, these things look shady at a glance, so I can't even take them outside to get them appraised..."
Not knowing the value of the items, he couldn't tell if they were worth money or just junk. Still, just in case, Patrick examined the items meticulously. It was an expression of his determination to find at least a single piece of gold before leaving.
Rustle.
"Hm? What's this now?"
He heard something rustling and moving from one side. He turned his head just in case. And was soon disappointed.
"Ugh, it's just bugs?"
What was there were just bugs. There were many collection containers filled with bugs like centipedes, moths, bees, and spiders.
"They look poisonous at a glance. Do black mages use poison too?"
In my past life, this could have been worth money. At the very least, my in-laws would have loved it if I brought it to them.
[Ho ho ho. Our son-in-law has caught a human-faced spider.]
My father-in-law in my past life was a man crazy about poison, so he was extremely happy whenever I brought him poisonous things like this. But here, there's nowhere to take these poisons to...
"I guess there's no choice. I'll just get rid of them all... Huh?"
At that moment, Patrick discovered something.
"This is... that, right?"
Patrick was quite surprised. He knew that the Central Plains of his past life and this Pangemonia Continent were different in many ways. But this was unmistakably that.
He had actually seen it before. In his past life, while working with a merchant group, he had also confirmed this as the raw material in the process of making that. If this was what Patrick thought it was, he could definitely make that.
That means...
"Heh... hehehehe..."
Patrick's mouth split from ear to ear.
"Khehehehehehe."
Patrick, who had burst into mad laughter, raised both hands and shouted loudly.
"Now I am rich."
Whether he was rich was unknown, but it was certain that anyone who saw him would think he was a madman.
Rewarding Merit.
After winning a war, the most important task is to praise those who have achieved merit and give them their due rewards. Count Parmas did not delay and quickly gathered the nobles to proceed with the matter. The first person to be praised was...
"Hahaha. You were magnificent, Viscount Freis."
"You praise me too much, my lord Count."
It was clearly Viscount Freis, who had played a major role in the vanguard. Viscount Freis tucked his helmet under his arm and bowed his head respectfully to the Count. At his dignified yet humble appearance, the other nobles could not hide their envy.
'If I knew it would be like this, I should have stood in the vanguard...' 'I was too tense just because it was a black mage. I made a mistake.'
'Tsk, what a shame. Our army could have done much better.' After everything is over, anyone can say, 'I could have done it too.'
But no matter what, in front of the person who actually accomplished the deed, it's nothing but a complaint that pales in comparison. Viscount Freis risked danger to volunteer for the vanguard, fought, and established a clear merit that anyone could see. To such a Viscount Freis, Count Parmas said.
"Thanks to you effectively blocking the zombies at the vanguard, our forces were able to handle the situation with an advantage."
"As expected of Viscount Freis, renowned for his valor in his youth, and your elite soldiers. To respond so calmly to the bandits' trap. Is this why experience is so fearsome?"
At Count Parmas's praise, Viscount Freis didn't know what to do with himself. He wasn't just saying it; he truly thought so with all his heart.
Because...
'Can I really call this a merit I established?' It was Patrick who came to advise me when my ranks were in disarray due to the competition for the vanguard. After that, when the battle broke out, it was also the soldiers of the Schneider Fief who took the lead and dealt with the zombies.
They even cleanly took care of the bandits who were shooting arrows from both sides. And yet, I'm the one being praised for the merit. If he had a conscience, he couldn't possibly be comfortable at this moment.
Moreover…
"Baron Haspir and Viscount Bison also did well. You too fought bravely in the vanguard, upholding the spirit of the eastern territory."
"Thank you, my lord Count."
"We only did what we had to do."
Baron Haspir and Viscount Bison, who had made a mistake while fighting in the vanguard, falling into the enemy's trap and exhausting their troops, were also being praised. In the end, it was hard to say they had established merit, but just for fighting bravely in the vanguard that others were reluctant to take, they deserved to be praised.
"I will surely restore the damages your two families have suffered this time. First, I will grant you a three-year tax exemption, and I will also give appropriate privileges to the merchant groups run by your families."
"Thank you, my lord Count."
"We thank you for your thoughtful consideration, my lord Count."
At Count Parmas's words, the two men let out sighs of relief. The damage they had suffered this time was enormous, and thinking about how to recover made the future seem bleak, but thanks to Count Parmas providing a way out, they could see a path forward.
And if these two men received rewards of this magnitude, then naturally, Viscount Freis had to receive an even greater reward.
"Viscount Freis."
"Yes. Please speak."
"I shall grant your family a five-year tax exemption, and also bestow a reward of 300 gold coins in cash and 50 fine horses."
"Thank you, my lord Count."
"If there are any other rewards you desire, speak up. What would I not give for the one with the greatest merit in this war?"
At Count Parmas's words, Viscount Freis let out a small sigh. 'I can't take any more, or it will be too much.' He didn't know what Patrick was thinking, yielding the merit to him, but if he took it all for himself like this, he felt like he would really get sick from it.
"Forgive my impudence, my lord Count. The reason our army was able to achieve merit in the vanguard this time was thanks to the efforts of Young Lord Patrick of the House of Schneider and the soldiers who followed him to support our forces."
"Oh. Young Lord Patrick helped you, Viscount?"
"Without him, our army would have suffered immense damage. Therefore, I believe it is right to bestow a great reward upon Baron Schneider."
At Viscount Freis's words, Baron Schneider, who was suddenly named, wore a bewildered expression. Seeing Baron Schneider's face, which fully expressed the sentiment of 'Me?', Count Parmas spoke.
"Young Lord Patrick has already established great merit by saving my daughter once, and it seems he has distinguished himself in this war as well. Baron Schneider."
"Yes, my lord Count."
"You must be proud to have such a fine son."
'No. I'm not.' Unable to say that, Baron Schneider just lowered his head deeply, and at his appearance, Count Parmas smiled and nodded.
"Baron Schneider. I shall grant your fief a three-year tax exemption. Also..."
"My lord Count. Please wait a moment."
Before Count Parmas could finish his words, a noble stepped forward and spoke.
"Viscount Balson, what is it?"
Count Parmas spoke with a stiff expression to Viscount Balson, who had appeared and cut him off. At that, Viscount Balson bowed at the waist in apology and began to speak.
"I apologize, but considering the weight of your words, my lord Count, I thought it would not be good for you to take back words once spoken, and so I have hastily intervened. I beg for your forgiveness."
To Viscount Balson, who skillfully apologized while arguing that he had a proper reason for it, Count Parmas let out a small sigh and said.
"Mm, state your business."
"Yes. I apologize, but while I can acknowledge the merits of the three families who volunteered for the vanguard, it is difficult to acknowledge the merit of the House of Schneider, which was waiting in the rear."
"You can't acknowledge it?"
"Yes. I heard that Baron Schneider brought only a hundred soldiers. With such a small number, how much could they have accomplished even if they joined the vanguard?"
"Furthermore, the position of the House of Schneider was not the vanguard but the reserve force behind it. To leave one's post during battle and arbitrarily join the vanguard is also a violation of military orders."
"A violation of military orders..."
"That is correct. By rights, this is something that deserves punishment. It's not as if the other families lacked courage and simply waited in the rear, is it? There was a military formation ordered by you, my lord Count. We who received the order naturally just did our best in our own positions according to it."
It was a clever use of words. He did not acknowledge the merit established by Baron Schneider and instead questioned the sin of clearly abandoning his post. At the same time, with words that meant, 'We could have done it too if we wanted, but we were just following orders.
The orders that you, the Count, gave yourself,' he gained the sympathy of the surrounding nobles and simultaneously made it difficult for the Count to rashly side with Baron Schneider.
For if he were to unconditionally forgive and reward someone who ignored the military orders he himself had given, it would be no different from Count Parmas diminishing his own authority. 'Anyway, that bastard's tongue...' Count Parmas frowned.
Viscount Balson was originally a central noble who was appointed to the eastern territory after the faction he belonged to was heavily pushed back in the political power structure. In effect, he was marked as a political scapegoat and demoted.
Unlike the other Eastern nobles, who were mostly military aristocrats, he was a noble who had survived in central politics through political skill, so he was truly skilled at wagging his tongue. Count Parmas personally did not like such people. He didn't, but…
"Mm, Viscount Balson's words have a point."
"With the Count's orders in place, one shouldn't recklessly abandon their post."
"It seems more fitting to give a punishment than a reward for this."
The words themselves were correct, and the moment other nobles agreed and public opinion was formed, Count Parmas could no longer ignore his words. 'This is why I hate those political schemers.' The troubled Count Parmas could not easily open his mouth.
Instead, the one who spoke was...
"Do you think you can say anything you want, you treacherous bastard?"
It was the fiery-tempered Viscount Freis. As he stepped forward, shouting in anger, Viscount Balson flinched for a moment but soon put on a serious face and spoke.
"Treacherous? What baseless insult is that?"
"A bastard who just watches from the back and runs his mouth is disparaging the merits of those who fought and bled with swords in their hands. The soldiers of the House of Schneider fought more bravely than anyone. Without them, the tide of battle would have been much more difficult."
"Are you saying that the soldiers of the House of Schneider, who have no knight order and are just common soldiers, greatly influenced the tide of battle?"
"That's right."
"Hahaha... It seems the House of Schneider and the House of Viscount Freis have a more special relationship than I thought."
"What did you say?"
"Otherwise, how could you be so insistent? The number of soldiers the House of Schneider can mobilize is only a hundred. What kind of influence could they have on the tide of battle with that much force?"
"I saw it clearly with my own two eyes. The soldiers of the House of Schneider may be soldiers, but they are far more powerful than most knights."
"How absurd. At this point, it's beyond mere insistence..."
Viscount Balson said with a strange smile.
"It's a situation where one can't help but suspect that there was some kind of backroom deal, isn't it?"
"What did you say!?"
Viscount Freis bellowed.