Reborn After A Death March

"Mmm,"

I woke up to frowning faces and Nana's face too close to mine.

"What is this wonderful smell? I inquire,"

"Oh," I still have the scent of Yuika's perfume on me. It smelled nice, but I thought I would have erased it when I cleaned myself off last night. "That must have been when someone grabbed my arm."

"Cheater," Mia frowned.

"No, she just wanted more pizza," I mutter, getting up. I heard Sara mutter under her breath, "Another woman," but I ignored it and changed the subject. "I managed to gather some information, though. We were worried for nothing, and the miasma build-up was just the dungeon preparing to summon a floormaster."

"That's a relief," Sara sighed.

"Yeah, we probably stopped the demon lord summoning when we opened the orphanage," I hope that is the case. "I've already asked Central to monitor the miasma just in case, but we most likely won't have to do anything."

We then had breakfast toghter before I left the others to train as I went to join Satou in the royal capital.

<0>

"So that's the royal capital..." I teleported to the base Satou set up inside the capital walls. "It's so busy."

My first view of the city was of a busy street where, even as the sun rose was full of carriages and people. Eluterina and a few other ladies we rescued from the plunders were the ones who found this place. We sent them to the royal capital to research popular merchandise and find a suitable store location. These steps were taken to help the girls in the downtown Labyrinth City tenements earn a better living. Eluterina was there, concerned for her grandfather, Marquis Kelten, who stood accused of treason. Given her unwavering belief in his innocence, I had already considered how I might assist.

Turning away from the window, I see Eluterina eating with the three ladies she arrived with and catch Tifaleeza, who Satou brought along with him, glancing our way. She keeps giving me jealous looks as I stand beside Satou in his Kuro disguise.

Truth be told. Most of the work has already been done here. The samples they showed me looked perfect for the flashy folks in Labyrinth City. They'd even gotten a few companies interested in paying to have them shipped. All that remains is…

"Now all we need to move forward is...erm...the trade license,"

Eluterina hesitated, likely because she didn't want to appear pushy, especially given that I was responsible for obtaining the license. Satou probably could have done so in his Nanashi the Hero disguise, but he didn't want to stand out more than he needed to, meaning the task landed on me. I'll just sneak into the castle tonight and go bother the king for a license.

"I'll get one soon," I promised. While we aimed for the girls to eventually deal in Satou's hand-forged Magic Swords and skypower engines for airships with nobles and the royal family, their present trade preparations showed promise. Once Satou had taken the other girls to discuss more product ideas, I asked Eluterina. "Have you found out what's going on with Viscount Kelten?"

"Well, you see...by the time I went to visit my grandfather, he had already..."

Her voice was so grave that I immediately feared the worst, perhaps even suicide. However, she then revealed that he had merely resigned from his position as military cabinet minister and was now under house arrest.

"Do you still think it was a false charge?"

"Yes," Eluterina nodded.

However, she continued, no one else was capable of proving it.

"Is there anyone who wants to see him lose his position?"

"Plenty of military nobles, defence contractors, and so on, yes..." Viscount Kelten, known for his unwavering patriotism, had reportedly turned away any nobles or merchants who attempted to gain his favour through bribery. "The person who benefits most is Count Boppan, who was the military vice minister and my grandfather's aide, but...well, the man is simple and honest almost to a fault, so it's hard to imagine him plotting anything like this..."

"Could it be that someone is trying to control him, turning him into a puppet?"

"As far as the military-related nobles, the only ones I can think of who might try such a thing are Viscount Nagua or Baron Mos,"

Eluterina's quick identification of potential suspects indicated a thorough understanding of the royal capital's noble circles. Her swift response was similar to Tolma, Viscount Siemmen's younger brother, who had a remarkable and instant recall of the old capital's nobles and their various connections.

"Viscount Nagua and Baron Mos, eh?" I muttered, secretly passing on the names to Satou.

I've been using space magic to let him listen in on the conversation just in case his broken map search skill comes in handy. It turned out they were both at Viscount Nagua's house. The same room held three other nobles and a man, a merchant. Satou said he would use space magic to gather more information about what they are up to.

Not long later Satou told me that the group plans to remove Kelten and the Norn Company from their position as munitions providers by fabricating evidence of fraud. The goal is to replace them with the Godozo Company, orchestrated under the orders of "His Highness." I hope I don't run into that idiot prince, but I have a gut feeling after listening to Satou's report that he is involved. At least he recorded the conversation.

"Looks like your guess was right," I told Eluterina once I finished listening to Satou.

"What?" I summarised Satou's findings for the confused Eluterina. "Hero Kura, could you perhaps share this information with my grandfather?"

"No," I shake my head. "I will bring it up with the king."

My first instinct was to tell Viscount Kelten everything, but that felt wrong. If royalty was mixed up in this mess, things would get much messier. Given the king and prime minister's apparent desire for Viscount Kelten to remain military minister, I believe that sharing Satou's recording with them would allow them to address the whole problem, particularly the royal family member responsible for instigating it. I planned on visiting the king that night, but something else grabbed my curiosity as I looked out the window.

"I've seen quite a few people in outfits that look like they're from somewhere else,"

"Yes, there are many more weaselfolk, people from the western continent, and other foreign merchants than when I last lived here,"

She'd been saying the downtown and slum neighbourhoods were swarming with foreigners recently. Then, the crowd outside stirred, and everyone's eyes fixed on something across the way. I followed their stares and saw three mounted figures gleaming in the polished armour of Holy Knights. The men carried swords and shields, but the woman was equipped with a white rifle, its design so incredibly ornate and fantastical it seemed right out of a storybook. Oddly, it lacked any kind of scope or sight.

"Is it common for people from the capital to use guns?"

"You don't know of her, Hero Kura? That is Lady Helmina, the fifth of the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga,"

A short, blond bob framed the woman's face, and her almond-shaped eyes, despite a stern set to her lips, seemed inherently kind. Though only twenty-seven, she was already close to level 50, a feat that only deepened the mystery surrounding her. Why, then, was her rank lower than that of Prince Sharorik, a member of the famed Eight Swordsmen of Shiga and third in line to the throne? Could her higher level be somehow negated by her using something other than a sword? My "Keen Hearing" skill caught the armoured trio's conversation.

"Did you hear about the dragon that appeared in the mountains of Zetts County, ma'am?"

"I certainly did. It seems Sir Torel has been sent to deal with it,"

"Of course. They can't use an airship against a dragon, so it makes sense to send Sir Torel, the Flying Dragon Knight. I envy him, frankly. I would've liked to fight a dragon, too,"

"You're amazing, Lady Helmina!"

When the Shiga Swordsman made her bold claim, one of the Holy Knights looked at her with clear admiration, making it seem like they were all a bunch of adrenaline junkies. But, clearly not; another Holy Knight offered a weak smile and changed the topic.

"Lady Helmina, I'm told you're being dispatched to Labyrinth City?"

"Oh, yes. The Karion Temple there received a prophecy about some sort of 'king of the desert' being revived, so they're sending me there to investigate," Lady Helmina said before muttering under her breath. "Even though a hero is already…"

"A king of the desert... Is it a demon lord?"

"That's what I'm going to be investigating. Ugh... Surely Heim or Ryuona would've been better suited to a desert than I would..." She heaved a sigh, then grumbled about someone who was presumably her boss. "Sir Juleburg is so cruel."

This is probably all because I made a contract with Centrals City Core.

<0>

"Good evening, Your Majesty,"

I'd arranged to visit the Shiga King's private chambers, having left a letter in his office that afternoon to announce my arrival. Yet, when I entered, I found him alone. I'd expected guards stationed around the room, but it seemed I was mistaken. While the prime minister and leader of the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga were in an adjacent room, the security still felt surprisingly light.

"It's been a while, Hero Kura,"

When I appeared at his window, he invited me inside without questioning how I even appeared on the ledge of a window multiple floors above the ground. Instead, he offers me a far too comfortable seat, and it feels like I might sink into its cushion.

"Pardon me, but would you mind showing me the true power of the Holy Sword Claidheamh Soluis once more?"

"I'd be happy to," The Holy Sword materialised from my Item Box. I fueled it with the proper magical energy and then chanted the scripture. "Dance."

The sword split into thirteen blades and hovered around my body.

"Oooohhh..."

I thought the king's eyes might leap from his skull at any moment. The sight of those whirling, activated blades seemed to mesmerise him, but I couldn't let him get too close. The consequences of a king's injured were too great. After what felt like an eternity of his stunned silence, I spoke up.

"Will that suffice?"

"Yes, thank you."

"So, do you mind if we get down to business now?" The king nods. Do I tackle the Marquis Kelten issue or the trade license first? I'm leaning towards dealing with the Marquis first. "First, someone I rescued asked me to clear the name of a relative who has been falsely accused."

"Falsely accused? You mean..." The king paused as if holding back a reaction, but he seemed to understand what I meant.

"Someone is framing Marquis Kelten for treason,"

"So it is indeed a false accusation,"

"Here's the proof..."

I used the Illusion and Speaker spells, linked to the sounds and images Satou had captured with Sound Recorder and Picture Recorder via Data Output, to play the recordings back for them.

"I-is this the legendary ancient treasure, the Time-Stopping Crystal?"

"No, it's just a spell,"

It seems like there must be some incredible video tool out there. The king summons the prime minister and has me show it to him, too.

"Dux, I trust you can take care of them,"

"Of course, Your Majesty. They will be dealt with strictly, in accordance with the law,"

A prickle of unease told me violence was likely brewing, but I wrestled with my impulse to intervene. It wasn't my place to challenge their system of justice, so I forced myself to step back and let them handle it. The question of which royal instigated the nobles still nagged at me, but I reasoned that the government could uncover that. I had done enough, and further involvement was pointless.

"Thank you very much, Hero Kura. Now I need not lose a treasured vassal,"

"Will that magic be a part of the trial?"

"No, not so long as the prime minister and I saw it for ourselves. I do not wish to trouble you any further, Hero Kura," They didn't need to provide any proof to the suspects or nobles? While I appreciated the lack of additional effort on my part, it felt wrong, somehow. "I am sure Kelten would be weak in the knees should he hear that a hero cleared his name."

"Yes, he is a fervent believer in the ancestral king and all the heroes that followed,"

The pair of them nodded, so I decided to bring up my other reason for coming here.

"Moving on to my other business, I hope to start offering magical goods for sale in the Shiga Kingdom. Of course, I'll need a trade license and all that entails. Would it be possible for you to help me arrange that?"

"I shall take care of it right away," The king's agreement was swift. He quickly penned a few lines on a form, then sealed it with the royal stamp. In a monarchy, at least, such matters were easily expedited. "The official paperwork for the trade license will take a few more days, but this paper will allow you to conduct business without a problem in the meantime."

With that, he handed me the signed paper.

"Thank you,"

"Hero Kura, what sort of products are you hoping to sell?"

"Oh, mostly magic tools and armour and some medicinal goods. I've got a few airships for our featured product, too."

"Airships, you say?!"

I provided a general response to the prime minister's question. Still, the king reacted with surprise, exclaiming at the mention of "airships."

"That's the idea – large transport airships and smaller ones for individual use. The problem is, apart from one completed transport airship, I only possess the skypower engines. We've got some work before we can deliver on any orders."

We essentially made our transport airships as good as the ones that go between Labyrinth City and the capital in terms of speed. However, our versions were about 40 percent bigger because I wanted a higher cargo capacity. Satou, on the other hand, focused on personal airships. He wanted to make them commonplace among the nobility so he could travel between cities without raising eyebrows or needing to hide his identity.

"Personal?! But airships are far too valuable to be used for individual merrymaking!"

"It would be much more practical if the regional lords had easier access to the royal capital,"

"Certainly, but do you really have skypower engines in such great supply?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

I really didn't want to dip into my stash of giant monster fish fins, but we picked up tons of stuff for skypower engines along the sugar route. Good thing I had way more bullet tuna and narwhal fins than the sharky monster fish. Seriously, I had materials coming out of my ears, not to be too fishy about it.

The only downside was that engines crafted from the thin fins of bullet tuna and narwhals just didn't pack the same punch as those made with the thick monster fish fins. Frankly, without my advanced "Magic-Tool Crafting" skills, I doubt anyone could even make them work. On top of that, since only the monster fish caused coastal trouble, people probably didn't even realise tuna and narwhal fins were potential skypower engine supplies.

"May I ask how many you can produce, approximately?" the prime minister asked, sounding a little frantic.

"We're looking at about five large and twenty small."

You'd need approximately thirty of the small ones to equal the power of a single large airship. My real concern, however, was securing permission for their use. The king and prime minister seemed lost in contemplation, and I was anxious about the possibility of inadvertently dealing in contraband.

"Hero Kura, I am terribly sorry to say this, but it may not be in the best interest of our king- dom's national defence for you to go about selling that many airships so easily..."

"Right now, I'm just planning on selling them to the nobles in the Shiga Kingdom,"

"Hmm. W-well, I suppose..."

"I'd prefer that you give priority to the royal family," The king was about to give his assent. Still, before he could, the prime minister intervened with a condition. "If you're going to be selling airships, please negotiate with the royal family or the royal army first."

The terms were set: I had permission to sell airships across the kingdom. In exchange for one of my five large airships, a gift of sorts, I'd gain a trade license and a medallion. This, officially, was how it went. In truth, it was the Echigoya Company facilitating the sales, not myself. The medallion was a badge of a royal-approved merchant, a useful tool when navigating the world of nobles. The prime minister had proposed this, a clever way to keep me from waving around documents personally signed by the king.

They stated that a firsthand look was necessary to determine the large airship's worth. Consequently, they would visit the royal capital airport the following day to examine the docked sample. But at this rate, Satou still couldn't use an airship.

"Oh, that's right." I took as light a tone as possible with the nervous prime minister. "Oh, um, it's just... I already sold a few small airships in the southern islands."

"A-as long as it's only a few..."

The prime minister and the king initially appeared taken aback. Still, to my relief, they didn't scold me or take any action. This was advantageous, as it meant that if Satou were ever spotted piloting an airship without a disguise, he could plausibly claim to have acquired it through the sugar trade route.

"You said you'd be selling magic tools as well. What sort of tools might they be?"

"Oh yeah. I'll give you some samples of those, too."

I presented them with five magic swords and spears, as well as several types of magic potions. These weapons were from Satou's first batch of hand-forged creations, made to be easily replicated. The swords were the same model as the Magic Sword Akatsuki, the one Satou had previously sold at the dark auction in the old capital and that Viscount Siemmen had showcased to General Erthal. The spears were almost exact replicas of the swords, except for their handles, which were made of Mountain-Tree branches.

"Th-these are the swords with high magic power efficiency that have been circulating recently in the Ougoch Duchy!"

"I see. So you made these swords as well, Hero Kura,"

The designs matched, and the king and prime minister knew it immediately. Satou made them, but I knew without asking him he would prefer that information stay a secret.

"With all the demons around lately, I thought it might be a good idea to use them to protect the kingdom,"

"Y-yes! If we could equip our skilled knights with such fine Magic Swords as these..." The prime minister paused. "...W-wait, were you planning on selling a lot of these, as well?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "Want me to prioritise Your Majesty and the royal army for these, too?"

"Y-yes, please, if you would be so kind...!" The prime minister bowed his head in supplication.

"I plan to prioritise you for wholesale distribution. However, I also envision them being a featured product for my company. Would it be acceptable to also sell a limited amount, say, a few per month, ourselves?"

"V-very well. As you wish,"

"Don't expect me to become a weapons dealer. I'm not in the business of selling dangerous things like Magic Guns or giant golems." I needed to add that disclaimer to cover my bases, but their behaviour suggested that it was likely not required.

"But of course. We shan't go against your desires,"

"How much should I sell these for?"

"You will likely need about three hundred gold coins apiece for the mithril swords-no, perhaps five hundred."

"R-really,"

I think the sword Satou sold at the dark auction only went for a hundred and twenty.

"But… Hero Kura…"

"That mithril is just a thin layer; these are bronze underneath. I think a fair price would be no more than two hundred gold coins."

"But, Hero Kura, the Magic Sword Akatsuki that the Ougoch Duchy possesses..."

The great noble families' desperate search for more swords like Akatsuki led them to post a reward. They offered a generous three hundred to five hundred gold coins for each one. Given those magic swords found in the labyrinth generally sold for about two hundred gold coins, three hundred was evidently a significant sum.

"I'll sell them at the standard company rate, but the price for you is two hundred dollars each," Each one cost only about five gold coins to make, and Satou could produce roughly a hundred per hour. Selling them for a higher price felt wrong. "How many would you like? I currently have approximately one hundred Magic Swords and two hundred Magic Spears."

I tried to convey, through my tone, that the king likely didn't need so many, but he snapped them all up regardless. It was a huge sale, totalling sixty thousand gold coins. "This wasn't about getting rich," I thought. "Maybe this windfall could help the less fortunate people in the Shiga Kingdom." After that, we started talking about the magic potions I had for sale.

"These potions are strange-I mean, quite unique,"

The prime minister looked at the array of potions with a curious expression. I hadn't brought the typical combat potions; instead, my offerings included energy potions, nutrient tonics, nutritional supplement potions, hair-growth tonics, and other practical remedies I believed would be popular in the royal capital. I gave the king and prime minister samples of the nutrient tonics for their consideration.

"Yeah, they're pretty practical, right?"

"It truly demonstrates the depth of your compassion,"

 I finished up the task and planned to send the merchandise via airship. They paid me right away.

"Okay, I'll be leaving now. If any of my colleagues from the company reach out to you for assistance, I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide them with your support. Thank you."

The two rulers immediately agreed to my request.

"Hero Kura…"

The king seemed on the verge of another pronouncement, prompting me to reply with a slow, Tama-esque "Yesss?"

"If a demon lord should appear in our kingdom…"

"If I see any, I'll take care of it, don't worry."

While I preferred negotiation to combat, my past experiences with the Golden Boar Lord and other greater demons suggested a fight was inevitable. I was certain I had already thwarted another demon lord's summoning. My group's actions in Labyrinth City Celivera had effectively dismantled the Green Greater demon's schemes.

"I'll watch for any developments. Let my company contacts know if you hear anything new so they can pass it on to me."

I excused myself and departed the king's room. I now had a source for regular updates from the king and prime minister. Still, its value depended on finding a way to communicate between the royal capital and Labyrinth City.

<0>

"Eluterina, I got the king to issue this,"

I handed the blond noblewoman the medallion and the trade license from the king.

"It's handwritten?"

"It's straight from His Majesty himself. The official paperwork will be sent to the storefront we rented in the next few days."

"""I-it's signed by His Majesty!"""

A collective gasp escaped the noblewomen as they focused their gaze on it. In their eyes, a handwritten license from the king alone bestowed immense value and prestige upon any enterprise.

"And this medallion?"

"I-it can't be!"

One of the merchant girls' eyes were practically leaping from their sockets as she stared at me.

"It means we're approved to sell to the government. Just bring it with you to the royal castle."

"I-I knew it!"

With a flourish, the merchant girl raised her arm to shield her face, behaving as if the medallion was radiating a blinding light. And in the midst of that, Satou declared a proxy to act on behalf of the newly formed Echigoya Company.

"Eluterina, I want you to be in charge of Echigoya."

"M-me, in charge?"

"That's right."

Because the sales would probably be to the kingdom and a great many nobles, Satou reasoned that her established connections and deep knowledge of the aristocracy were invaluable for this assignment.

"Will you do it?"

"Yes, I swear on my life that I will make Echigoya Company the greatest trading company in all of the Shiga Kingdom!"

Her motivation was undeniable. While her actions might have been excessive, I admired her passion.

Satou patted her on the shoulder and said, "I'm looking forward to it."

Since circumstances mould individuals, I think I'll call her Miss Manager. It seems more appropriate than Eluterina or even "the blond noblewoman."

"Tifaleeza, you'll be in charge of paperwork and accounting. Support Miss Manager here, please," Satou added.

"Yes, Lord Kuro!"

We've chosen the girls here, Polina and "Miss Elder Sister" Sumina, who maintained control in Labyrinth City, to be considered management candidates for Echigoya Company. I handed over to Tifaleeza the notes I took during my meeting with the king and prime minister.

"What's this, Miss Hero?"

"This is your first assignment. I've secured sales with His Majesty and the Prime Minister. I will personally deliver the merchandise, but I need you to handle the administrative tasks."

Tifaleeza's face grew even paler as she skimmed the documents.

"Erm, Miss Hero? It says here that we're selling five large airships, twenty small airships, a hundred Magic Swords, and two hundred Magic Spears...?"

Her head rotated toward me with such a jerky, stiff motion it made me think of an old, poorly maintained clock.

"Oh, sorry. That's not right."

"...I knew it..." Tifaleeza breathed a little sigh of relief.

"We're sending them a large airship to serve as a sample. Please remove that one from the list. After they've reviewed it, they'll be able to establish pricing for the rest of our airships."

A hush fell over Tifaleeza and the group of girls; they were frozen in place. Perhaps their first order was a bit too large?

"That's impossible!" There was a rare note of emotion in Tifaleeza's voice.

"Don't fret. I won't use this to establish a quota or anything like that."

"A quota? No, that's not the problem." Miss Manager stepped forward. "We simply do not have the power to sell such things as airships and Magic Swords."

"What do you mean?"

We had obtained the necessary authorisation, and the required items were in our possession. What obstacle could possibly remain?

"We cannot protect such goods from influential nobles or spies from other kingdoms."

I understand now. That hadn't crossed my mind. The kingdom's backing doesn't guarantee safety; there might be malicious nobles exploiting loopholes or even external powers working against us.

"All right. I'll take care of sales like this myself for now."

After my group confirms that the demon lord is no longer a threat, I could potentially bring the Echigoya Company management to the labyrinth. With some specialised training, I believe I could get them to around level 30. As a temporary measure, Satou and I will be constructing stone golems and horses to safeguard the location until we can provide proper guards.

"Sorry, Miss Manager, but could you find a place in the royal capital where we can build large airships?"

It would be such a hassle to travel to Bolenan Forest every single day just to build ships. Building them right here in the city would make things much easier. Plus, it's probably smarter to hire experienced shipbuilders to deal with the hull, rigging, and all that. Not only would they do a better job, but it would also create more jobs.

"V-very well. What sort of shipbuilding equipment will we need?"

"As long as it's big enough, that won't be a problem." Either Satou or I could easily create what we needed with Earth Magic. "All right, I'll leave the rest in your hands." I shifted away from the girls and opened my spell list. "Oh, one more thing..." They all froze again as I turned around to tell them something I'd forgotten. "About a month from now, we'll be getting a big mansion in the noble district from the king. Use the storefront we reserved for now. If we start selling to nobles, we can use the new mansion for that, too."

"Understood." Miss Manager nodded, looking relieved. I guess the news of the mansion wasn't enough to surprise them.