Chapter 12
(Kyle Calendar
Year 501: Age 8)
Desperate
Encirclement
Translator : PolterGlast
The day after
returning to the mansion, I headed to the office of the steward, Raymond-san.
Raymond-san was always
busy. However, sensing my desperate urgency, he soon gave me time to talk.
The main points of my
story were as follows:
〇Formation of Pioneer Villages
It will be difficult
to continue supporting the refugees as they are, so I would like to propose
establishing [pioneer villages] as a solution.
As a place for those
who wish to relocate, and as a vast area in the southern border of the
territory that can be developed in the future, out of sight of Viscount Gorman,
I would like to establish pioneer villages. I would like to hear your concerns
and opinions regarding this.
・I am considering a location near the Great Forest
(demon realm) as a candidate.
・The area near the Great Forest (demon realm) is a
place where I would like to promote development in the future.
・Considering safety, I would like to nominate the
natural stronghold of Mount Teigun as a candidate.
〇Encirclement of the Mercenary Corps
If we establish
pioneer villages in the frontier, there will inevitably be concerns about
safety.
I believe it will be
difficult to dispatch the current soldiers, and we will need to prepare
specialized soldiers to take charge of security.
I would like to hear
your opinion on this point.
・I believe that mercenaries who can be contracted for a
fixed period are appropriate for this.
・Is it possible to contract them for peacetime security
and wartime strength?
・Does the baronial family actually have the financial
capacity to contract them?
Could we somehow come
to a budgetary agreement with them, where they would be allowed to earn income
from their original work (escorting merchant caravans, hunting monsters, etc.)
during peacetime, in exchange for being stationed and maintaining security?
Fortunately, the
Twin-Headed Falcon Mercenary Corps is currently in the town of Est. Would it be
possible to make a contract with them?
〇Bonus
Corps Commander Weiss
is not only trustworthy as a person but also excels in swordsmanship, is versed
in military strategy, and has the respect of others.
Personally, I would
like to learn swordsmanship and tactics from him, to be tutored by him as a
private tutor.
I felt like I had
rattled off everything at once with great momentum.
Raymond-san was one of
the few who treated even a child like me as a proper adult.
And since he was
someone who had supported my proposals in the open and behind the scenes
before, I wanted to somehow get him on my side before making this proposal.
"Could you please
give me your opinions on any points of concern or areas that need
correction?"
Raymond-san listened
to my anxious words with a somewhat knowing smile.
Ah, that's right!
I'm still seven years
old, and I'm not allowed to go out alone.
The maid Anne, in a
role that combined caretaker, bodyguard, and disciplinarian, always accompanied
me.
It seemed that she had
fully informed him of my interaction with Weiss-san yesterday.
As an aside, Anne also
no longer treated me like a child.
She was one of those
who properly saw me as an adult.
I heard that
Raymond-san had received a report from Anne last night and listened to the
exchange between me and Weiss-san with admiration.
He cautioned me that
it was too early to judge whether Weiss-san was a trustworthy person, but he
generally agreed with my proposal.
"What are
Takuhir-sama's future plans for these pioneer villages?"
When asked this, I
replied that I wanted to develop the town and govern it myself in the future,
as a frontier land that would support the Estol territory and the Solis
baronial family, which my elder brother would eventually manage, and as a
stronghold for the southern defenses.
The next day, I was
summoned by my father and mother.
"Takuhir, you
always come up with the most outlandish things one after another..."
My father gave a wry
smile.
"I heard the
story from Raymond. Fortunately, our baronial family has some leeway right now.
However, the amount of
investment is incomparable to anything before.
Depending on the scale
of the pioneer villages, are you alright with not even being able to pay you
the promised 10% of the profits?"
My mother immediately
interjected.
"Dear, aren't
those profits themselves derived from what Takuhir proposed?
If it weren't for this
child's proposal, this territory would have been in a terrible state like those
viscountcies!"
Mother-sama, thank
you!
I mentally clasped my
hands in gratitude towards my mother.
"But further
straining or provoking relations with the viscounts..."
My mother interrupted
my father's words.
"This is your
political problem, and Takuhir has nothing to do with it!
In the first place,
the discord with both viscounts, the handling of refugees, and the acquisition
of valuable monster materials from the Great Forest – weren't all of these
things you were worried and thinking about?"
Yes, yes!
By all appearances,
Mother-sama was victorious!
Even with logic,
Father couldn't win against Mother.
"...Alright. I'll
leave the details to Raymond, so the two of you can work out the specifics.
However, the decision on whether or not you will govern the frontier land will
be reserved until you turn 15. Also, the idea of a swordsmanship instructor is
rejected for now."
Tch, so that's a
no-go...
My father, trying to
smooth things over with my slightly sulky face, said,
"However, as part
of the reward for your past proposals, I will grant you 50 gold coins. Use them
wisely."
This was equivalent to
several years' income for an ordinary citizen.
It was an exorbitant
amount of money for a seven-year-old child of even a baronial family to freely
use.
Well, I guess I'll
settle for this for now. If Raymond-san is in charge of the mercenary group
matter, I can feel at ease.
Just as I was thinking
this, a few days later, an unexpected ally appeared.
It was my elder
brother, Dalek.
My 11-year-old brother
was far more mature than other 11-year-olds around him. Though, he was no match
for me, with a combined mental age of about 80.
Even in the previous
historical records, my brother...
Began to show glimpses
of outstanding swordsmanship talent around the age of 13.
Had his first battle
at 14, where his swordsmanship and military talent stood out remarkably.
By the age of 16, he
was called a Sword Saint and was feared even by neighboring regions.
Such was his
existence.
Recently, at the age
of 11, his unique skill manifested, and he became a user of light magic, rare
even in the Kyle Kingdom.
Around that time, he
began sword training alongside adults despite being a child, and he was
starting to show glimpses of his sword talent.
Somehow, I felt his
growth was much faster than in the previous history, but perhaps it was just my
imagination?
Later, my brother,
having gained confidence, told me something.
He had desperately
worked hard so that he wouldn't lose his place due to his younger brother being
too outstanding.
Sorry, it seems I was
causing trouble even in places I couldn't see.
That brother of mine
charged at Father.
"I want to
formally have a swordsmanship teacher. Please allow Takuhir and me to study
under Weiss-san together."
He apparently pressed
Father with such fierce intensity.
There were few
excellent swordsmen within the Estol territory.
Of course, there were
many strong individuals (veteran soldier level), but there were only two sword
masters (army corps commander level) in the territory besides Father.
Moreover, each of them
ruled other towns as knight lords, making it physically impossible to study
under them.
Swordsmen have ranks
according to their strength.
When you start sword
training, everyone is initially a "trainee."
It's not visible as a
status, but like lord authority and unique skills, apparently, you somehow hear
a voice and know that your rank has increased.
・Trainee: Recruit class
・Swordsman: Regular soldier
・Expert: Veteran soldier
・Master: Advanced soldier
・Sword Master: Captain class
・Sword Demon: Match for a thousand
・Sword Saint: Exceptional
・Sword God: Beyond exceptional
By the way, my
brother's current skill is still at the [Swordsman] class, but in the previous
history I knew, he should eventually reach the [Sword Saint] class by the time
he turns 16.
Weiss-san is
apparently at the [Sword Demon] level.
In the Estol
territory, [Sword Master], including Father, is the highest rank, so he is the
most skilled swordsman.
Even in the Kyle
Kingdom, there are only a few Sword Saints, including the current commander of
the Knights.
Sword God class is one
in several generations, and unfortunately, there are no swordsmen of that rank
in the current Kyle Kingdom.
Father seemed to have
used his connections to investigate Weiss-san and the mercenary group in
various ways.
Once relatively
reliable information was gathered, permission was granted for my brother and me
to receive swordsmanship instruction, on the condition that Weiss-san was
willing to accept us.
This time, I was saved
by my brother's unexpected support.
First of all, I was
relieved that I had managed to secure Weiss-san and that I had a prospect of
avoiding the doom flag for now.
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