The Marquis’ Eldest Son’s Lascivious Story

On that day in early November, Galiana Milord, the current head of the Galiana family, was in a room in Abraul Castle. There were no guards, not even servants, in the room. The only other person there was the slave trader Doran.

Milord would occasionally invite acquaintances from his days as a commoner to chat and gather information. The people he called on were all sorts of people, from his days as a traveling merchant to friends, or even business partners.

The main purpose of these meetings was to obtain information that could not be normally obtained amongst the noble society, and to learn about the situation in various places from the perspective of a commoner, but for Milord, who lives under the pressure of being the head of a noble family, it was also one of the f ew places to relax.

[From what I've heard, the number of people dreaming of getting rich overnight seems to have decreased considerably.]

Doran was talking about the latest situation in a certain area that spread across the Imperial noble territory. He continued with a story he had heard from a trav eling merchant who had traveled to the western part of the continent this summer.

[Everyone seems to be heartbroken when they see the corrupted land. The more decent people are the quicker they give up, and not many continue to be acti ve. Apparently rumors have spread and the number of visitors has decreased significantly compared to before.]

[I don't mind it that much, but the miasma emitted by the corrupted land is unbearable for the Lord-class.]

[You can easily traverse the Yersinia Contaminated Area, right? Why don't you try searching for the jewel?]

As the name suggests, the Yersinia Contaminated Area is a land that was greatly polluted by the Demonic Beast Yersinia, and it is also the place where it died after using up all of its power.

When a mature monster dies, it disappears, leaving only the jewel behind. This is true whether it is defeated by an army led by a noble or if it has died after ra mpaging freely. For this reason, it was believed that Yersinia's jewel was lying around somewhere in the Yersinia Contaminated Area.

[Hmmph, I'll pass on that. The gold coins are attractive, but the job is not at all attractive.]

The Levios family also put a huge bounty on the jewel of the Demon Beast Yersinia. It is said that they believe that if they can prove with physical evidence tha t it is a great demon beast equivalent to the number one threat rank, they will be able to restore at least some of the prestige of the Royal family that was dama ged by the Yersinia Calamity.

Aiming for the bounty, adventurers from all over the continent have headed for the Yersinia Contaminated Area, but to date there have been no reports of a discovery.

However, that could not be helped. If it was number one as the Levios family claimed, the jewel would be the size of a marble or even smaller. It would be an e normous task to simply walk around the completely contaminated ground and search for the tiny monster's remains.

In the first place, there's no way the head of the Galiana family could leisurely search for jewels in the Imperial Noble Territory, and even if he could, Milord tho ught that he wouldn't be able to do such pointless and boring work.

[Hahaha, what an extravagant thing to say. Normally, just going near the area makes you sick.]

The corrupted ground also pollutes the air. A small amount is harmless, but in places like the center of a contaminated area where the corrupted ground is alm ost everywhere, the air is often extremely polluted as well. This polluted air is also called miasma, and if a Highlord or someone like him inhales it, it will cause more or less damage to their respiratory system.

However, miasma is purified more quickly than corrupted ground, so unless you're stupid enough to go into the center of a contaminated area where the mias ma stagnates, there will be no health damage.

However, the Yersinia Contaminated Area, which is in a state of ultra-high contamination, is an exception to this. The miasma, which was persistent within the area like dirty oil stains, would flow into neighboring areas depending on the wind direction, causing great damage.

The nobles ordered the people in the area near the polluted area to evacuate, but farmers and others could not easily migrate to another land. In addition, whil e the Lord-class react sensitively to even the slightest miasma and feel uncomfortable, serfs tend to be insensitive and difficult to notice. Therefore, the peopl e had little sense of danger, saying,

[They say it's miasma, but it's the same as before. It's fine!]

. Unlike the visibly easy-to-understand impure land, miasma is a threat that is difficult to be aware of.

The rule enacted by the nobles of the Eruo continent is looser than that of modern Earth's administrative agencies. In particular, the Zinkaen Empire had been f ree of war for a long time except for the eastern part, so it basically did not suffer from a decrease in its population like the Free Cities. Therefore, they were Ie ft alone, with people thinking, "We warned you, but you still won't migrate? Then go die on your own."

In this way, over the course of several weeks to several months, the miasma slowly corroded the fragile respiratory system of the serfs.

It started with chronic sore throats and shortness of breath, and in the final stages, even breathing became difficult. They died in agony, as if drowning in wate r, but over a much longer period of time. After caring for their families and friends and becoming ill themselves, the people who remained in the vicinity of the contaminated area finally realized that the noble's warnings and instructions were correct.

In the end, most villages in the areas near the Yersinia Contaminated Area were abandoned, and people migrated elsewhere. With no towns or villages, econo mic activity ceased, and the adventurers searching for the jewel would have difficulty even procuring supplies.

[The one who is still searching for the jewel must be a very strong-willed person, or a very eccentric person...]

The moment Doran picked up the pitcher to fill his empty goblet, a knock echoed through the room.

[Master. May I?]

[Come in.]

When Milord replied loudly, a maid from the Galiana family entered the room accompanied by a middle-aged man.

[I'll do the rest here. Leave.]

[Understood.]

Many people in Galiana were unhappy that the head of the Galiana family was having a chat with a commoner. However, there was no one who could tell Milor d, who now had a firm foothold in the house, to stop.

The maid quietly followed the order and quickly left the room. The man was left alone.

[It is truly an honor to be invited before the Guardian of Galiana. On this occasion...]

A long speech to show the utmost respect to the nobleman began, but Milord slapped his thigh to interrupt it.

[No need for a boring speech. Sit there, Dezaule.]

The middle-aged man's name was Dezaule. He is Ramon's father, who had recently spoken to Wilk Quordenze about his plans for the construction company i n Newnelly City.

When Milord suggested that they have a frank conversation like in the old days, Dezaule immediately changed his attitude.

[I'm grateful, Milord. I was just thinking that this was a boring greeting.]

Dezaule sat down in a chair with an attitude that would no doubt make the maid frown if she saw him.

The two were rivals from their days as peddlers, and have known each other for decades. They were not close enough to be called friends, but they recogniz ed each other's abilities from their youth, and have occasionally exchanged opinions.

[Congratulations. Let's have a toast first.]

[You've made a comeback so quickly.]

Dezaule poured himself a drink into a goblet and celebrated their reunion with Milord and Doran.

[Yes, that's right Milord has been helping me out in a lot of ways.]

[Don't worry, I didn't do anything too important]

[You were the one who made me a slave.]

[Ohoho! I was indeed!]

It was none other than Milord who gave various information about Nambonan City to Luxus Quordenze and presented the city annexation plan. It wouldn't be a mistake to say that it was he who decided the fate of Dezaule, who back then served as city council members.

[Sorry about that, I didn't have time to think about you back then.]

Nambonan city, which was governed by commoners, was very important to Milord.

At that time, Abraul City, the home of the Galiana family, was on the verge of ruin due to financial difficulties, but thanks to his skills, it made a dramatic comeb ack, and this was largely due to its geographical proximity to Nambonan city. To put it simply, Milord succeeded in reviving Abraul City by riding on the rising c urrent of energy that Nambonan City unscrupulously unleashed.

Therefore, the invasion of Nambonan by the Quordenze family was a headache. If the nobles ruled like nobles, all of the vitality of the Nambonan citizens woul d be lost, and it would become just another city in the Quordenze territory with no distinctive features. This would also lead to a decline in the momentum of A braul City, which was growing through leeching strategy.

Unlike now, Milord's position in the family was unstable, so it was no exaggeration to say that the future of Nambonan City was his own future.

Thus, in order to survive in the noble society, he set up a big deal with the Quordenze family to annex Nambonan City.

[I guess it's a good thing that you managed to survive.]

Dezaule sighed in self-deprecation at Doran's flippant remark.

[Hmm, it's just a joke. I guess I got a bit too far.]

Dezaule was also one of those who refused, fearing the loss of Nambonan City. However, his reason for this was different from his son Ramon's passionate Io ve for his hometown or his yearning for autonomy. He simply found the existence of nobles to be an annoyance.

He wanted to make his trading company bigger, expand his business, and challenge the limits of his business acumen... His principles of action, which rose fr om a simple peddler to a wealthy merchant, were selfish and ambitious, but he was surprisingly pure. He also had a troublesome temperament, as he was able to easily step and trample on others for the sake of his own goals.

In any case, the desire to expand an organization, increase its personnel, and grow in power was simply incompatible with rule by nobles. Ever since his days as a traveling merchant, he had been swayed around by the logic of nobles and knights, and had many unpleasant experiences as a merchant.

To Dezaule, Nambonan City, where self-governance by commoners was the best, was the only stage on the continent of Eruo.

And he would stop at nothing to maintain Nambonan's independence. He had connections with powers from all over the country, and continued to work behin d the scenes to thwart invasions by the Quordenze family.

If he could see the future, he wouldn't have acted so extravagantly. If he had moved his base of operations to Abraul City, which was under the rule of Milord, he would have been provided with an environment that would satisfy him, even if it was not as good as Nambonan City.

However, in reality, there is no such thing as future-seeing. No one in Nambonan, let alone Dezaule, would have imagined that a commoner merchant, even if he was a Blessed Child, would become the head of the Galiana family.

If it comes down to it, he could defect to the Mammushred region where there are no nobles to get in the way and start afresh... With this in mind, he continue d to focus his efforts on the anti-Quordenze operation. Before he knew it, it had grown to such a scale that Milord was hesitant to directly support him.

[It's only because of Milord's consideration that we're still together like this. I'm grateful.]

Nobles mercilessly kill rebellious or disobedient commoners, as if they were slicing a radish, but it's a bit of a tricky question whether they would go out of thei r way to kill a commoner who bows his head, apologizes, and swears obedience. It's a different story if they do something that really upsets them, but there's a chance they'll be forgiving if it's just once.

Commoner Serfs are weak and pose no threat. With this way of thinking at their core, they may think that it's fine as long as they obey on the surface. Whatev er their true feelings, as long as they work as subjects and pay taxes, that's fine.

This was the arrogance of the nobles, and in a way it could be said to be carelessness. However, the reality was that there was a huge disparity in power betw een the Highlord and the Serfs.

Dezaule understands the subtleties of this. Therefore, after the fall of Nambonan City, he followed the advice of Milord without resisting, and accepted his do wnfall as a slave with a humble attitude.

[Also, I'm grateful that you introduced my son to this incredible person.]

[Gufufufufu, you're right in saying he's an incredible person. That must have been the reason you sent me the news.]

The reason for this meeting was that Milord received a letter. The sender was Dezaule, and it said, [I have something interesting to tell you] .

[That's right. In fact, I received a great command from that person the other day.]

After finishing his meeting with Wilk, Dezaule immediately took action.

He leaked information in advance to a very small number of people, such as the big merchants and wealthy people based in Nambonan City, under the pretext of it being a secret. He secretly conveyed information about the system of a joint-stock company, the role of the stock exchange, and the companies that wou Id be newly established using that system.

This series of projects is partly dependent on the financial power of influential people in Nambonan City. For that reason, Dezaule and Ramon shared the view that there was no point in proceeding with the talks while completely excluding outsiders. It would be more efficient in many ways to finish the talks at an early stage with people who will soon become involved anyway, and all the Nambonan staff ultimately concluded that. Wilk had told them to "do what is best", so th ey did what was best for them according to their own judgment.

[I heard that you have been entrusted with the organization that will be the pioneer of the new system called a corporation. I believe it is a construction compa ny.]

And there was no way that Milord wouldn't catch that information. The information network he built in the commoner community during his time as a merchant is still active. In addition, he has built a very strong network of contacts in Nambonan City, where he used to serve as a Council member. Even the smallest ru mors are always in his ears.

Dezaule was like,

'There's no way he wouldn't know about if

. He wasn't particularly surprised to hear Milord suddenly mention the words corporation and construction company, and continued talking.

[At first, I was just interested.]

Dezaule continued to gather information even after being banished from Nambonan City. As a slave with no freedom, and because he had been punished by t he Quordenze family, his past connections were unreliable, so the information he could obtain was limited.

[That person is a rare noble who understands the usefulness of Nambonan and can utilize it.]

The rumors suggested that Nambonan City, which had been annexed to the Quordenze territory, was being run as before. He thought that it would soon beco me obvious that it was just a noble's ploy to switch to a knight-based rule later on, wiping out all the good things about Nambonan City, but no sign of this ever came.

Dezaule's way of thinking changed after Operation Snake's Fang at the beginning of the year. He was called to the defense of the Alduke Fortress, and after Ie arning of the struggles of the Nambonan soldiers, he came to see that the person called Wilk Quordenze was clearly different from ordinary nobles.

He was very interested in the possibility that there might be nobles other than Milord who could understand and utilize Nambonan City. After being liberated fr om his status as a slave, he had been thinking of making a comeback in Abraul City, but a new option had arisen.

[And so you're back to Nambonan City?]

Doran asked, crunching on some nuts as a snack.

[After Operation Snake's Jaw, I was officially freed from my slave status. My superior officer recommended that I stay in the military as an engineer soldier... b ut then my son called me.]

Ramon called Dezaule to discuss the matter of the guest house. In reality, he wanted to congratulate his father for returning to civilian status after his harsh wo rk, and if necessary, to support him. The consultation was just an excuse.

However, for Dezaule, a retired life protected by his son was nothing but boring. After rejecting his son's suggestion to show his filial piety, he took this opport unity to get involved in the guest house plan in various ways.

If Dezaule had been incompetent and useless, Ramon might have chased him away or locked him in his house. But for better or worse, his wisdom and conne ctions were a welcome help to the Nambonan staff. Thus, he succeeded in gaining a position as an advisor, albeit on a temporary basis.

By the way, Dezaule's enthusiastic advice was not for his son's sake, but for his own. He decided that the quickest way to get close to this mysterious noble n amed Wilk was to infiltrate the people involved in the guesthouse project.

[Hahaha... the meeting in Newnelly was far beyond my imagination. Separation of ownership and management, and disclosure of information? I can't imagine an idea coming out of the mouth of a nobleman.]

Doran asked Dezaule, who was in high spirits and sipping on his drink, a question.

[Is it possible that the Quordenze civil officers came up with this system of a joint-stock company?]

[Based on the reaction of the civil officers, it is hard to imagine that this system was planned within the family beforehand. I was surprised that he spoke of it a s if it were a matter of course, as it came out so smoothly during the conversation with my son. Everyone in attendance was confused by his explanation.]

[Hahaha! That's typical of Wilk-sama!]

Milord exclaimed with amusement as Dezaule described the meeting.

[So, what is the matter this time? If you are looking for investment in the construction company, I would be happy to help, but... well, I don't think that's what y ou're coming here to talk about.]

The influential people of Nambonan City, who received the leak, have been favorably receiving the new initiative of a joint-stock company and are very interes ted in it. Milord had sensed this in the process of gathering information, and judged that it would not be difficult to raise the investment.

[I have two requests.]

[Oho? I have an idea of one, but... well, let me hear what it is.]

After waiting for Milord to finish his goblet of wine, Dezaule began to speak again.

[I said two, but both are about recruiting people. The first one is, I would like permission to recruit my former subordinates.]

[Your former subordinates?]

[They're staying with you now, aren't they?]

Dezaule made business his top priority, and he had a very bad reputation not only for himself but also for the company he ran.

Naturally, the employees were also subject to strict scrutiny... or rather, since they were all heavily influenced by the ideas of their superiors and engaged in a ggressive activities, they suffered a bad reputation that they brought upon themselves after the fall of Nambonan City. As a result, the majority of the employe es fled to the Galiana territory.

[That's right. They've been working on the mountains.]

The trading company that Dezaule once ran expanded into various businesses, but its core business was dealing in mineral resources. It negotiated with orga nizations that mined resources in mines and fields all over the continent to obtain minerals and resell them, or brought them to another location to be refined, p rocessed, and sold, making a huge profit.

Dezaule did not just buy resources, he also put effort into mine development. He rounded up impoverished farmers, drifters, and people with blemishes at ver y low wages, and threw them into the mines one after another.

This is related to the fact that his former employees flocked to the Galiana territory. They thought that they could utilize the skills they had cultivated so far in t he area, which is close to the mountainous region of Adellahan and has a fair amount of mining-related work.

[We plan to gather short-term workers to start up our construction company. Currently, Nambonan City is full of drifters who want to move there, so we will ab sorb some of them.]

[So, you need people who are good at dealing with these people.]

[Yeah, I don't have the time to go to the site every time. We need people who can give strict guidance.]

Dezaule's subordinates, who have been involved in mine development, have experience managing and directing many miners. This means that they have lear ned how to discipline and get people with uncertain backgrounds and irresponsible backgrounds, such as roughnecks and former criminals, to work. Also, con sidering that they have some civil engineering knowledge in mine development, they are definitely people he wants to bring back.

[This doesn't just apply to the mining department. We need as many people as possible. In short, I want to keep as many of my former subordinates as possibl e.]

[Well, that was expected. If you want to poach them, feel free to take them with you. Negotiate as you like.]

No matter how you look at it, there is a better future for them to return to their old home of Nambonan City and work under Dezaule, who has become the hea d of a construction company, than to continue working in the Galiana territory as a newcomer. Milord predicted that almost all of the former employees would I eave the Galiana territory.

And he didn't intend to do anything to stop them. The former employees were not directly employed by the Galiana family, they were just people who had settl ed in the territory without anyone realizing it. As the head of the Galiana family, he doesn't have the time to worry about their movements one by one.

[But let me say this, don't poach any master carpenters or craftsmen from within my territory, alright?]

[We came here with good faith, so there's no way I'd do something so outrageous in the confusion.]

You could do that, Doran remarked, and the three laughed together.

[...the plan going forward is to recruit master carpenters in Nambonan City. Only master carpenters can steal a master carpenter's techniques.]

Dezaule spoke of his plan to officially employ the master carpenters as an engineer for the construction company and make them the core member of the org anization.

Although Ramon didn't think much of the master carpenter from Nambonan City, they are still skilled architectural experts. He judged that it would be entirely possible for them to learn something from the techniques of the master carpenter he had invited from the Empire.

[I understand that you want the architectural technology of the Empire, but will it go that well? I'm sure the master carpenters of Nambonan wouldn't be happy if they were suddenly told to join the construction company. What will you do about that?]

Doran's slightly provocative tone was met with an even more provocative response from Dezaule.

[That's the problem. I'll talk about the future of the construction company... or maybe I should talk about my dreams.]

[Gufufu, that would be a nightmare for the master carpenters.]

If the master carpenters show hostility toward the construction company, Dezaule will immediately call on the second candidate. Naturally, their technical skill s may be inferior to those of the first candidate, the master carpenters of Nambonan City, but that can be solved by training them.

And this is just one example. There are many situations where size and financial strength matter, such as recruiting personnel, training apprentices, procuring and managing materials, and sales activities.

[In the end, those master carpenters are nothing more than a group. You may be able to maintain an advantage in the short term, but the time will come when you will be crushed by the power of the organization.]

As long as construction companies with overwhelming capital are based in Nambonan City, small master carpenters will likely be driven out eventually. That's why it would be better for them to become an engineer for a construction company while their price is high, rather than being bought at a low price when the ti me comes. What Milord said was reasonable.

[Hahaha, what a rude thing to say. I should be grateful that I can be involved in such a dream project.]

Dezaule said this without any ill intentions. Because it was his genuine feelings, without any lies.

[Isn't that a wonderful story? Even though it's a business that involves nobles, it doesn't fall under the jurisdiction of the knight family. The representative elect ed by the shareholders at any given time leads the company, and this allows the organization's possibilities to expand endlessly.]

When an ordinary noble starts an initiative like a construction company, they basically hand it over to a knight somewhere. And that knight family takes over th e business for generations.

Dezaule thought that such hereditary businesses have no potential for growth. The top priority is to faithfully follow the duties given to them by their lord, and i t is unlikely that they will grow much or start something innovative.

In that respect, the representative of a corporation is selected by the shareholders' raw desires, such as "This person will expand the business", "This person will make more profits", and "This person will develop a new business that will be useful in the next generation". Their awareness of business expansion is co mpletely different from that of the knight family.

[The Quordenze family will also own shares in the construction company. That's why they won't be foolish enough to impose a tax on it. It would be a huge los s if they destroyed the construction company itself.]

The biggest threat to running a large trading company is the noble who make up some kind of reason to impose special taxes. It is almost impossible for a com moner's trading company to escape this evil clutches.

However, with a joint-stock company, there is a possibility that the risk could be greatly reduced.

Unless the finances are extremely tight, nobles tend to prefer "sustainable exploitation". They think it is more efficient to give the people some leeway and ste adily collect taxes than to squeeze them to the limit and weaken them.

The reason for imposing special taxes on large trading companies is that they consider the risk of them suddenly running off to another territory with their fort unes and think,

'Let's take everything while we can1

. Large merchants who are not connected to vested interests within the territory and have connections all over the country and are active in a wide range of ac tivities are particularly likely to be targeted.

If the ruling nobles themselves hold the shares, a "sustainable exploitation" structure can be realized in the form of dividends. If you can make the nobles think that it is more profitable to grow the company, the threat of special taxes can be eliminated. That's what Dezaule thought.

[The nobles, who normally just exploit the company, will want the company to grow and take on new challenges. I will be free from special taxes and can put my heart and soul into business... Kukukuku, I can't get enough of this. There is no other job that is as enjoyable as this.]

[As long as you continue to demonstrate your abilities, you will be allowed to go as far as you want, but conversely, if you are deemed useless, you will be aba ndoned... I guess. Gufufufu, what an enviable position to be in.]

The strong demands to grow the company, expand business, and challenge the limits of business acumen can be a great pressure for some people. However, Dezaule and Milord were the type of people who enjoyed the situation and used it as a driving force.

[Well, for that reason, I must show my abilities. I must produce results that will make him believe that the construction company can grow. Only then, my positi on as the representative will be secured.]

That is Dezaule's biggest challenge right now, and Milord judges that this is the real reason he has come all the way to Abraul City at this busy time when he s hould be starting up the construction company.

[So, what is your other request?]

[What the construction company lacks is specialized knowledge in the field of civil engineering. A little experience in mining development is not enough. I thin k that the help of a senior who specializes in this field is essential.]

[I see. So, that's your second request.]

[Exactly. Unlike Quordenze, Galiana's engineering soldiers have a lot of free time, so please lend them to me.]

Milord burst out laughing at the way he spoke as if he were borrowing a cat or a dog.

Engineering soldiers are the most important soldiers a noble family possesses, and it is almost unthinkable to lend them to other territories. Currently, the Quor denze family is grumbling about the lack of engineer soldiers, but they still haven't proposed renting them from another family.

It's an idea that would never come from someone in the noble community, and even Milord had a wry smile on his face the next moment.

[You're still as outrageous as ever. No matter what, we won't give you permission. Mobilizing the engineering soldiers isn't as simple as you think.]

[I know that.]

If that was the end of the conversation, Dezaule wouldn't be here. Milord waited in silence for the next words.

[But, I've learned that there is a simple solution for this. I learned it from a recent incident.]

[Oho, what is it?]

However, Dezaule didn't answer right away, but instead asked a question after a short pause.

.Milord, what do you think of General Galfis?]

Milord guessed what he wanted to know. He also paused for a short moment, and then said exactly what he was thinking.

[The Red Demon is no demon after all, but a human. He was known for being an undefeated warrior, but we can no longer expect him to perform as well as he did before. Considering his age, it's only natural, but... he has a magic malfunction.]

Galfis's onset of magic malfunction is a top secret within the Quordenze family, but Milord was already certain.

His political stance is pro-Quordenze, and he keeps a close eye on their movements. The Quordenze territory is teeming with civilians who act as his eyes and ears, and sometimes his mouth and hands. As a result, he had accurate information about the overall movement of Operation Snake's Jaw, as well as Galfis' ill ness, which was the source of it all, at a fairly early stage.

[Well, his past record alone will be enough. The sign of the Red Demon staying at Reisleaf Castle carries a certain weight to the surrounding territory. It will be very difficult for spies from other families to find out about General Galfis' condition, regardless of me. Other families will have to always take into account the possibility that the Red Demon is still alive and well.]

[I've heard that if you develop a magic malfunction, you die soon after...]

Doran's question was typical of a commoner who doesn't really understand noble diplomacy.

[Some die immediately after developing the condition, while others only suffer from periodic symptoms and live for many years after. In fact, Duke Kindlor of t he Spierzeig family also developed a magic malfunction, but he managed to adjust it well and was on the front lines against the Quordenze.]

People who have a stable interval between malfunctions are easier to schedule. And, Milord continues.

[Even if they disappear from the public eye, it is difficult to judge what happens to them afterwards. Duchess Kissa, the second-to-last head of the Adellahan f amily, is a good example. She must have developed a magic malfunction quite some time ago, but as of this spring, she was confirmed to be alive. I thought s he had died a long time ago. This kind of thing happens all the time, so the surrounding noble families cannot act lightly. As long as Duchess Crowne and Duch ess Kissa are alive, their families are unlikely to be shaken.]

It is difficult to answer whether a noble who retired and disappeared from the public eye is still alive. This is because the noble family tried to hide it.

The fear of a human weapon, a Highlord, emerging from a place where no one was thought to be, is immeasurable. Even if the Highlord has developed a magi c malfunction, depending on the timing, they can still be used as the ultimate landmine. It is very important for security to keep the number of members secret in order to defend one's territory.

[...In other words, we know that General Galfis has a magic malfunction. The head of the Galiana family said so, so surely you, Dezaule, a commoner, can't de ny it?]

[Hmm, that's true. We have no choice but to proceed with the discussion under that premise. In the Galiana territory, the word of the head of Galiana is absolut e.]

Doran watched the somewhat dramatic exchange between the two while sipping his drink.

[...So, what did you notice?]

[The magnitude of magical power. Worship of the nobles... I felt that this was worship of the Highlord, worship of magic power.]

[After the incident, the behavior of the military officers around him has clearly changed... I guess they think that the power of the Highlord must be perfect. Th ere have been several times when I felt that something was different from before.]

The knights and military officers of Quordenze tried to act the same as before in order to hide Galfis's onset of magic malfunction. On the surface, their attitud e towards Galfis hasn't changed at all.

However, Dezaule could tell that their trust in Galfis, which had been at the root of their feelings up until now, has been subtly changing.

This may have been due to his frequent opportunities to talk to military officers in tense mental states on the front lines of the Voistra Plains. Or perhaps his ex perience interacting with many people as a merchant allowed him to notice the difference. It was a very slight change that only he could notice.

[That's an interesting observation. So?]

[This doesn't just apply to Highlords. It's the same for Lords. When I was at Alduke Fortress, one old soldier retired. He was an engineering soldier, and the rea son was that he developed a magic malfunction.]

Unlike ordinary Serf soldiers, Lord-class soldiers can fight on the front lines as long as they have magic power, regardless of old age. It was common forthem to retire when they developed a magic malfunction.

[I've seen that veteran soldier at work up close, and his civil engineering skills are unparalleled. And yet, he had to leave due to a mere lack of magic power... I just think it's a pity. I'm also amazed that the people around him immediately accepted his retirement and didn't try to stop him. He should be a good person to not let go so easily...]

Even if he loses his magic powers, he doesn't lose his work knowledge and experience. Dezaule argues that he should train the next generation or find a place to work in a field unrelated to combat. In fact, it's not rare for engineering soldiers to remain in the field in this way.

[Right now, there is a shortage of engineering soldiers in the Quordenze army. That's why the old soldier returned to his unit. The military brass made an exce ption for him... but it seems he was still capable of working. I heard he was very welcomed in the field.]

[... I understand what you're trying to say, but many people become negative when they develop a magic malfunction. Not many people decide to retire imme diately, but they rarely stay for long. I think it's also because people around them no longer rely on them and look down on them... or probably because they fe el more embarrassed and ashamed than anyone else.]

They don't want to be seen looking weak and miserable after losing their magic powers... that may be the pride of someone born with power, says Milord. And because those around them understand their feelings, they can see them off in silence without trying to stop them.

[Dezaule, one day you too will retire when you grow old and become so senile that you can't even remember what you had for breakfast.]

[If I'm too old to do a satisfying job, I'll do that. I have no intention of doing a shameful business.]

[Magic power is to Highlords and Lords, equivalent to talent for you.]

Dezaule snorted.

[I understand the logic, but it's hard to accept. Even if you lose your magic power, your thinking won't become dull, right?]

Some people on the Eruo continent suffer from what Earthlings call dementia. The symptoms are almost the same, and the older you are, the more likely you a re to develop it.

[Some people develop magic malfunction as they get older, and their thinking becomes unclear, but I've heard that if their magic is restored, it will return to no rmal. They say that their forgetfulness also gets worse.]

[That's a pity, after all.]

Dezaule muttered with frustration, thinking that they would be able to continue their activities as long as their magic power was restored. To him, letting talent ed people lie dormant was a loss.

[So, you want me to lend out the Lord-class engineer soldier who retired due to magic malfunction? Unlike active engineering soldiers, they could no longer p artake in the military action. Since they are retired, few people pay attention to their actions. As they had already been treated as a minor presence, so it's pro bably okay to lend them out.]

[That's right. I want to borrow not magic power, but the wisdom and experience that they cultivated over the years. Naturally, I'll guarantee a high salary comm ensurate with their skills. If we can bring them in, we could speed up the growth of the construction company by 10, no, 20 years.]

[That's a bit of a bold claim. ...Then, let me hear what benefits I'll get from fulfilling that request. There will be some backlash if we bring in a retired person aft er all. I want a compensation that's commensurate with the effort it takes to call them back.]

Milord looked at Dezaule with a smirk. His gaze was piercing.

An ordinary merchant would have been unable to even speak a word. However, far from being afraid, Dezaule smiled like a carnivorous beast baring its fangs.

[I'll see to it that you can invest.]

'Thank you for introducing me to some new people. As a reward, I'll give you the right to buy shares in the construction company...

.That's what Dezaule was saying in a nutshell.

[Hahahahaha!!! That's a really arrogant price!]

A loud laughter echoed through the room.

Aside from the meat company that was said to be starting up at the same time, Milord was confident that the construction company's shares would definitely s ell. It was a promising, advanced initiative, and there was a high possibility that Dezaule, who had a reputation for being ruthless when it came to making mone y, would serve as its representative. It was a very attractive investment that allowed him to enjoy both dreams and practical gains.

If the Quordenze family and the influential people of Nambonan City can raise enough capital, the shares will be sold off. Eventually, trading on the stock exch ange will begin, but it is expected that few people will give up their shares after a year or two.

It is not impossible for Milord to become one of the shareholders if he uses his connections and uses some forceful tactics. However, there is a high risk that d oing so would raise the suspicions of the Quordenze side. Since the concept of the construction company is to replace the engineering soldiers, it could be int erpreted as the head of another family trying to interfere with the Quordenze army. This is a development that Milord must avoid at all costs.

[In that case, wouldn't you want to become one of the shareholders? If it's the Milord I know...]

[...That's right. I would like to get directly involved and see how useful it is.]

Milord could easily check the situation of corporations and stock exchanges using his network of acquaintances, but he wanted to get directly involved as a s hareholder. He wanted to be on the front lines and be a party to the moment when something new and unprecedented was born. This is completely his nature.

[So, if you can do it well, that'll be for the best]

[Leave it to me. I have already checked that before coming here. I can't let you hold too many shares, but it seems they don't mind having a noble from anothe r territory as one of the investors.]

Although he said noble from another territory, if there is anyone who would be willing to get on board at this point, it is none other than Galiana Milord. Wilk full y understood the meaning of the question and gave his permission.

[Hahaha, that's very thoughtful. Then, there's no problem.]

Milord put his hand to his chin and was silent for a moment.

[...I'll invest in this construction company of yours. I'll send over some retired engineers from knight families.]

[Thank you. This will help us get started.]

Dezaule tried to show his gratitude in an ostentatious way, but Milord held up his palm to stop him. Meanwhile, Doran expressed concern about the decision.

[I'm not stopping you, but are you sure it'll be fine? As I said before, it seems like there will be some discontent within the company. It could lead to Galiana's t echnology being transferred to Quordenze.]

[That will be managed somehow. The technology of our engineering soldiers is not that great in the eyes of Quordenze. Also, instead of having them serve in t he Quordenze army, we will proceed with the discussion in the direction of them working for the Nambonan City trading company. In theory, the engineering c ompany is an organization that has nothing to do with the military, so it's not a mistake. This is a rare opportunity, because we can also teach them how to mak e money with their abilities.]

There was a time when the Galiana family, not only the noble family itself, but also the subordinate knight families, were struggling with a lack of money and w ere at a loss about it. There were quite a few people in the Galiana family who thought that they should not just squeeze taxes from the people, but that they s hould make money in some way or reform the organization to break the current situation. They thought that this was not the time to care about appearances in order to survive as a family or as a lord. In fact, one of the reasons why Milord, a commoner merchant, was able to get in the good graces of the Galiana family was that he was able to make good use of such voices.

Each knight family has their own characteristics, and their thoughts tend to be similar to a certain extent. Milord thought that if there were many such reformminded people in the family, there would be less opposition to sending out retired engineering soldiers. And he had always wanted to promote a knight family with such flexible thinking.

[We're infiltrating Nambonan City to investigate the relationship between the Empire and the Quordenze family... that would be a better excuse to hear it in the family. I'll also add that if the spy has magic malfunction, they'll be less vigilant.]

[I see, so it's just a pretense, huh.]

[Indeed. A pretense.]

It was clear that he was fully intending to use them as spies, but Dezaule wasn't rude enough to point that out. Nambonan City is already completely exposed t o Milord in its current state. He didn't think that adding one or two more people would have any short-term impact.

On the other hand, Dezaule thought that in the long run, this pretense might work. Recently, it was decided to install a wide-area detection magic circle in Nam bonan City. It was certain that it would be difficult for the spies of the Lord-class to move around Nambonan City in the future. Meanwhile, the Galiana family c ould send their Lord-class there with a semi-official approval, even though they had developed a magic malfunction. This could be a big advantage in terms of intelligence.

This could be a prelude to future intelligence activities. However, he decided that this was a problem for the Quordenze family or the Quordenze army to consi der, and chose to secure his current profits.

[We've come to an agreement then. I look forward to a bright future for the construction company.]

[Don't make the mistake that will make you become a slave again.]

[Hehehehe, leave it to me.]

Then, the three of them toasted as if they had agreed.