Chapter 7
Chapter 7
FIRST THING the next morning, the whole lot of us began moving into the castle in earnest. We began with cleaning every inch of the interior and patching up damaged areas the best we could. From there, we brought in the household belongings, daily necessities, and rations to make it livable.
“Djirk and Ted, air out the bedding in the courtyard and then take it to the bedrooms. Sam and Anna, inspect the wells and organize the kitchen. Mora and the dark elves, clean the main tower and switch out the furniture. Give top priority to Lord Margilus’s private room and bedroom.” It was outright mesmerizing to watch servants, adventurers, cadets, and even dark elves leap to carry out the assignments that briskly rolled off Ild’s tongue.
Given that the Order of the Calbanera Knights had used the castle in their last operation to exterminate daemons, the actual buildings hadn’t suffered severe damage. Combined with the fact that Zek’s carpentry skills proved better than anticipated, repairs were coming along nicely…aside from the spots along the castle wall I’d brought down.
Helming the cleaning brigade, Mora made the inside of the castle squeaky clean with the help of the Four Dark Elf Sisters and the children. Sedam and the other adventurers bounced around, spending some of their time on jobs that required muscle and some of it on delicate tasks such as sewing curtains.
Sitting with my back turned to the courtyard—which was filled with the lively voices of everyone working together—I let out a contemplative groan. Clara made an almost identical noise from her seat on the opposite side of the table.
“For the time being, why don’t we put the children in the soldiers’ quarters?” Clara asked.
“Yeah, it’s just the right size for the ten of them. Seeing as seven are going to leave to join the Calbanera Knights, let’s go ahead and keep them together until then,” I agreed.
“Since Sam and Anna are a married couple, they should stay in the same servants’ quarters…and then we could put Mora and Fijika in the room next door,” she continued.
“It’s not like we’re using all of the rooms,” I protested. “Why don’t we let those two have their own private quarters?”
“The castle is only going to get more crowded, so it’s wise to get them used to being crammed together from the start. Those two get along well enough,” Clara explained. “I don’t expect there to be any problems.”
“Well, okay…”
A rough map of Castle Getaeus was spread across the table, sketched courtesy of Sedam. We were in the middle of discussing how to allocate the castle’s living quarters. Not that it was much of a discussion. In truth, Clara probably did all of the work, while I merely bobbed my head in agreement.
Still, it really shows Clara is the daughter of nobility, the way she simply assumed she’d get a private room of her own. Then again, I’m in no position to judge her after I claimed the entire upper portion of the main tower as my personal living space. I gave myself everything from a private sitting room and bedroom to the study and roof.
“The attendants’ quarters are meant to hold five total, so it’s perfect for the dark elves,” Clara pointed out.
“Uh-huh…”
“That won’t be necessary, madam. You do not need to waste a valuable room on us,” Reyha said.
“……”
True as the cock crows, Reyha was kneeling dutifully by my side. Although she was no longer under the (incorrect) assumption that Clara was my wife, she still addressed her with the title owed to the mistress of a household. From the looks of it, Clara had given up correcting the dark elf. I personally started to think of it as just another one of the dark elves’ unique titles of respect.
I was far more concerned about their lack of self-respect than the titles they called us by. Bluntly put, the dark elves are too subservient. These past few days, everyone has started to warm up to them, but they’re still acting like they’re slaves.
“Uh…Reyha…”
“Reyhanalka. If you mean to call yourself his servant—his Si—you must avoid statements that could taint your master’s reputation,” Clara told her, while I was still floundering for the right words. Her tone reminded me of an adult reasoning with a child.
“Madam?”
“What if your choice lowered his esteem in the eyes of others…? Some might take it to mean the magic user Geo Margilus is not even powerful enough to properly care for his servants.”
“Eh…?! Th-that is not what I meant…!”
“Did you know most nobility believe you can judge the caliber of a lord by his servants, and the caliber of the servants by their lord? If you take pride in being his servant, you need to accept treatment befitting your station in a dignified manner,” Clara continued.
“M-madam…” Reyha appeared deeply touched by Clara’s words of wisdom. Her purple eyes even grew misty with tears! As expected of a noblewoman, Clara made a perfectly logical argument. It wasn’t the sort of idea that would ever occur to me, not after being indoctrinated in the belief that equality was essential in all facets of life.
“Oomph!” While I was gazing upon the powerful emotions written on Reyha’s visage, my hand cupped over my mouth, Clara dug the tip of her boot into my shin. It’s just like her to kick me somewhere Reyha can’t see.
“……!” Clara was intently trying to get something across as she shifted her eyes toward the dark elf.
…I guess this is her way of trying to help me out.
“I-It’s as she says, Reyha. I intend to make great use of the abilities you and the other dark elves have demonstrated in the times to come. Would you allow me to treat you with the respect you deserve? That way, when other talented individuals see how well you live, they will leap for the chance to serve me,” I said.
Recalling the old Chinese saying “Make happy those who are near, and those who are far will come” (although the meaning was closer to “great oaks grow from small acorns” in one of the modern Japanese translations), I tried my best to get that idea across. Plus, it’s true that I want to treat the dark elves accordingly.
“Master… Madam… I am unworthy of such a great honor…!”
Clara and I are trying to tell you there is no need to act so self-effacing… Well, I guess we can work on this one baby step at a time.
After exchanging ideas in this manner, Clara and I managed to finish determining room assignments. The rooms on the map were allotted as follows:
Main Tower
Third Floor – G. Margilus
Living Quarters
Knights’ Quarters × 5 – Sedam/Clara/Ild/Unoccupied × 2
Attendants’ Quarters × 2 – Dark Elves × 5/Torrad, Ted, Djirk, Zek
Servants’ Quarters × 3 – Sam, Anna/Fijika, Mora/Unoccupied
Soldiers’ Quarters × 2 – Former Mage Knight Cadets × 10
Fortunately, no one seemed to mind the arrangements.
***
Shades of twilight consumed the forest below the main tower as stars began to glisten in the sky above. I was basking in that view upon the roof of Castle Getaeus’s main tower.
“Fwaah…!” I groaned as I stretched out. I was enjoying a bath after a hard day’s work and a nice dinner.
Sedians were no foreigners to the concept of bathing (they simply didn’t bathe daily like we do in modern Japan). As a result, Castle Getaeus came equipped with its own private “bathtub.” That was a generous use of the word for the large, wooden tub. Without gas or plumbing, filling the tub required heating the water and hauling it up. I thought it’d be fulfilling to draw my own bath, but…
“Mister Geo, do you need more hot water?”
“N-no, I’m good. This feels great,” I answered.
I was stuck leaving all of the preparations to Mora, after she caught me getting ready to carry the bathtub outside. I had no choice but to entrust everything to her able hands. Reyha and the Four Dark Elf Sisters came in full force to heat and haul the water, ensuring I got a hot bath. A hot bath! Finally! It was like heaven on earth…
“I feel awful about putting you young ladies through all this hard labor over my bath… Are you sure I can’t just use some sort of spell instead…?”
“I don’t think of it as hard labor at all! From now on, you’re officially m-my l-lord and master, so try to act the part!” Mora said.
“Hmm…”
I see. This is the flip side of what Clara told Reyha earlier today, I realized. If they genuinely wanted to exert themselves for me, I should be happy to receive their assistance.
“…Not to change the subject, but I’d like to get out now.”
“Okay! I’ll wipe you off,” Mora offered.
Nope. Sorry, but that’s one thing I can’t accept your help with.
***
“Lord Margilus, please look this over,” Ild said.
The next day, Ild and Sedam presented a wooden tablet with notes scribbled across it. It was a compilation of the tasks we needed to complete going forward. The list contained the following three points:
Assume control of the villages within the domain.
Recruit soldiers to guard the castle and roads.
Secure a source of financial revenue.
While I was surprised by how quickly the two men had assessed our situation, I didn’t like the sound of one of the items.
“‘Villages within the domain’? What is that supposed to mean? Isn’t Yulei Village the only one anywhere near here?” I asked. If memory served correctly, Yulei Village was part of the Calbanera Knights’ domain.
“Get it together! Don’t you remember those Calbanera Knights telling us about a hunting village and a woodcutters’ hamlet in the Endless Forest just the other day?” Sedam was incredulous.
…So, these woods are called the “Endless Forest,” huh? Now that he mentions it, this does sound vaguely familiar. If I remember right, I’m pretty sure I told them I’d protect the villages, too.
“I’d forgotten about that… Does ‘within the domain’ mean what I think it does? Do those villages belong to us?” I asked.
“I wish you would say ‘me’ instead of ‘us,’ but yes…that is what it means. You can demand taxes or labor, but in exchange, you will be obligated to protect them,” Ild explained.
“Now hold on a moment. I only received the castle from the Calbanera Knights. No one said a word about any villages,” I protested in a cold sweat, only for Sedam and Ild to exchange puzzled glances. Why do they look so surprised?
“Lord Margilus, the whole reason why we have castles is to defend the land. It is only natural for the surrounding territory to belong to the lord of the castle. I can say with absolute certainty that the three villages in the Endless Forest are yours,” Ild explained.
“Hasn’t Relis already proclaimed that it recognizes you as the owner of the castle and its surrounding territory? So you won’t run into any issues,” Sedam said, doing his best to reassure me.
“I have nothing but issues with this,” I muttered, ornery.
Ugh… I get the feeling it’s too late to go back and say, “I don’t need ownership of all this after all!” And even if I could, those three villages would be bereft of a lord to protect them if I relinquished my title to the castle and land. The weight of my responsibility just got a lot heavier…
“Master!” As always, Reyha was waiting to be of service behind me. However, it was extremely rare for her to enter a conversation that didn’t directly involve her.
“Huh? What is it, Reyha?” I asked.
“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I sincerely doubt there is a single soul who wouldn’t rejoice to live on the land of my master, the great magic user, who hides not from the world!”
“……”
Reyha was probably trying to voice her opinion in her own unique way, in light of yesterday’s conversation… I can’t act like I’m unworthy after what I just told her. Come to think of it, this is a perfect example of yet another modern variation on an ancient Chinese theme! “Put your money where your mouth is.”
“…You’ve made your point. In that case, I shall visit the different villages within the next few days to let the people know they can sleep more easily at night with me as their new lord.” I’d already recovered from the shock of obtaining three villages without even realizing it.
When you get down to it, I’m planning to establish a decent-sized organization out of this castle. I can handle looking after three or four villages on the side! Such uncharacteristically optimistic thoughts never would have crossed my mind if not for the trust and support of my friends.
Ild had said I could collect taxes from the villages, but I decided to hold off on that for the time being. Although I had every right to collect them, it wasn’t as if there was some sort of penalty if I didn’t. I should probably see what condition they’re in first and then go from there.
***
“Next on the list is the soldier issue I mentioned to you before,” said Sedam. “With you here, we have nothing to fear in terms of combat strength. But from now on, you’re going to be responsible for ensuring that your roads and territory remain safe. You can’t afford to spend every day patrolling the land, can you?”
“So it’s necessary to hire a minimum of twenty—ideally thirty—soldiers,” Ild added.
Preserving the peace, huh? Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure that was the whole reason why the captain of the Calbanera Knights said he was transferring the castle’s title to me in the first place.
“Understood. But how will we get the soldiers?” I asked.
“I will go to Relis to recruit them. I’m sure the openings will fill quickly,” Ild said confidently.
Being a soldier wasn’t exactly a popular occupation in this world where the daemon threat was very real, but a great number of people wanted to work under the “Great Wizard.” A bunch of people out there hate and fear me, but I guess the opposite is also true.
“I appreciate it, but it’d be a pain in the neck if any of them were like the donkey in the lion’s skin…”
“Huh? What’s a lion? …Never mind, I understand what you are trying to say. I will be sure to interview each candidate and select only the most suitable individuals,” Ild replied with a nod. My classical reference was lost on him, but he seemed to get the gist of what I was saying and approve. He really is amazing!
“Also, I’d prefer it if they weren’t tied down with a wife and family. Above all else, they need the strong aspiration to defend human lives from daemons,” I added.
“Aspiration,” huh…? I shouldn’t cringe over my own word choices, but dang, that makes our organization come across awfully idealistic. Sketchy, even. Then again, if I’m going to use my full abilities as a powerful magic user, setting our ideals to unrealistic heights sounds just right.
Needless to say, the addition of the soldiers meant we would need staff to look after them. As such, we added more servants to the recruitment list. Normally, it was possible to gather peasants from the villages under my control to work in the castle as an alternative to paying taxes. However, the circumstances for my castle were a bit unique.
“So, what about funding?” I asked, moving on to the last of the three items on the agenda.
“Thus far, you have provided the funding for everything at your own expense, but we cannot continue like this forever,” Ild said.
“No, I suppose not.”
“As things stand now, the income stream from taxing your villages and tolling merchant caravans would be a measly trickle. You need to create some sort of revenue source,” Ild said.
I naturally had to pay Ild, Sedam, and the others. Why, simply the cost of feeding thirty soldiers wouldn’t be cheap. While I had enough gold in my Infinity Bag to keep everyone in the castle well fed for a hundred years, I could see where Ild was going with this. If our organization can’t financially support itself, it can’t be considered successful.
“Fortunately, I am on good terms with the Axeholm dwarves. I suggest we open trade with them. Also, I would like you to consider building a road that connects their city with Castle Getaeus and Relis.”
“Axeholm?” I tilted my head, puzzled by that unfamiliar name.
Apparently, Axeholm was a self-governing dwarven city-state connected to Yulei Village by a trade route. With their advanced engineering and smithing skills, the dwarves were known for selling top-quality metal products to humans across the land, as well as accepting large-scale construction projects.
Since he was originally a merchant, Ild’s caravan made countless trips between Relis and Axeholm. Between his experience and connections, there shouldn’t be any issues opening trade with Axeholm. That just leaves the matter of the roads.
“I can see why you’ve got an interest. Are you suggesting we make this castle the staging post for trade between Axeholm and Relis?”
Ild nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m suggesting. At present, our only option is to take the Lawful Way to Yulei Village and then the trade route to Axeholm. It’d take six days for us to get there by foot. If you could build a road cutting almost directly from Castle Getaeus to Axeholm, the travel time would probably drop to four days. Furthermore, the roads would be under our jurisdiction, increasing the safety considerably.”
So, this is what it means to be “like a fish in water.” Ild was truly bursting with excitement as the merits of building the roads flew off his tongue. I have to admit, it sounds like a sweet deal overall, going by what he’s said so far.
“Isn’t all the land between the castle and Axeholm nothing but forest and wilderness?” Sedam pointed out. “Won’t building the thing burn through time and money?”
He’s acting just like those annoying jerks in the office who tear their subordinates’ suggestions apart, I thought irritably to myself as I turned to hear what Ild had to say on the matter.
“In general, I don’t expect you to run into any problems if you commission the Axeholm dwarves to handle the construction. Also, I have a question for you, Lord Margilus… Would it be possible for you to use your magic to assist with the road construction? For example, could you use the spell from the other day to control the earth…?”
That is a truly clever question on Ild’s part. He’s right, I could do that! Jeez, I can’t believe it never occurred to me.
“Good thought. If I use Structural Renovation, I bet we’d make pretty good time.”
“And if you use that one spell to summon those fiends—er, I mean, ogres—or minions along that line, couldn’t you cut down labor fees big time?”
“I like it!” I leaped on Sedam’s idea. In exchange for only being able to create ogres, the spell Create Ogre Platoon boasted the longest activation time of any of the Create Monster spells, with its three-day duration. It was necessary to keep them under careful watch, but a single ogre was equivalent to ten human laborers. Why, instead of limiting this to ogres…
“I can also create giants, which are bigger than ogres. They don’t last as long, but they’re like getting to use several bulldozers and excavators for free. We have this in the bag!”
“Bull-what…? At any rate, I’m amazed you can even create giants. Well, I guess if you can whip up dragons, of course you can make giants. It sounds like this construction is going to be quite the sight,” Sedam said.
“Giants, you say…? If you can create giants…” Holding his chin in his hand, Ild began to contemplate something.
He sure looks smart right now, I thought dumbly as I waited to hear what he had to say.
“It’s necessary to clear a great deal of the forest in order to build the roads. But if you look at it another way, you will obtain that much timber in the process. Why don’t you sell the wood to the Axeholm dwarves?”
“…Oh, I get it. That’s a good idea.”
According to Ild, Axeholm was constantly in need of wood for construction or fuel due to its rocky terrain. Even now, the majority of merchants traveling from Relis via Yulei Village to trade with Axeholm primarily sold timber.
“Bluntly put, the Axeholm dwarves are extremely wealthy. If you can sell a necessity such as wood to them at wholesale, it will turn a handsome profit,” Ild explained.
“Oh, I see…”
Trade relations was one sector I’d never dealt with during my life as a businessman. So while I couldn’t truly wrap my head around the particulars, I could tell how amazing Ild’s scheme was just from the way his eyes sparkled as he laid it out for me.
“If you establish trade with Axeholm, merchants from Relis will flock to Castle Getaeus. You could expect to turn a handsome profit from tolls and boarding fees.”
***
Quick to act on his idea, Ild set out for Axeholm to open trade negotiations with the dwarves the very next day. Not only was he going to discuss the roads and trade, he was also going to commission them to repair the castle wall. I knew there wasn’t a better man for the job. With Sedam and his party of adventurers assigned as Ild’s escorts, there was nothing to worry about on the safety end of things, either.
***
Ild and the others returned only two weeks after departing to negotiate with the dwarves. During that time, I completed a task of my own: I dropped off seven of the former Mage Knight cadets with the Calbanera Knights.
Alnogia, Gillion, and Leoria welcomed the children with open arms. The captain’s sickly constitution was a cause for concern, but I hoped the Calbanera Knights and I could remain on amiable terms.
Ild returned with a group of short, brawny, bearded men—er, I mean, dwarves. Their leader introduced himself as Valbo, chief of House Dauron, who were noted architects. Hammers, chisels, rulers, writing utensils, and countless other materials hung across them. All sorts of tools were set across their backs, along their waists, and all over their squat bodies.
From what I gathered, it was customary in dwarven society for one extended family—or clan—to preside over a single trade. “Architecture” would be an important trade even in Axeholm. I’m lucky the chief was willing to personally come all the way out here.
“Ooh! Bit of a wee thing, but a fine castle of solid build! Would ye be Lord Margilus? Wi’ us on the job, we’ll have that crumblin’ wall good as new in no time!” Valbo exclaimed.
“I am indeed the magician called Margilus. I appreciate your assistance in this matter. I am also looking forward to working with you on the road construction.” I took Valbo’s hand and gave him a hearty handshake—his grip was as hard and tough as any of the tools he carried. However, his face twisted unfortunately at the mention of the road.
“Aye? Ye mean ye’ll use ogres for construction an’ magic to move the ground? Well, uh…” Valbo vigorously pulled at his wiry, short beard in frustration as he trailed off hesitantly. I’ve seen this reaction before…
“I’m terribly sorry, Lord Margilus. I’m afraid I was unable to convince the dwarves your magic is real,” Ild whispered apologetically from just behind my shoulder.
“I see…”
During Ild’s negotiations with the dwarves, he was able to convince them to open trade with Castle Getaeus. However, they were withholding their decision on the road construction. They didn’t believe the part about how I would offer assistance with magic. I swear, this happens every time.
“If that is the only problem, I shall reveal the might of my magic to you right here and—”
“Wait, Margilus!”
It’s time for me to don the mask of the great magic user! I thought to myself and struck the most grandiose pose I possibly could only for Clara to poke me in the back. Seeing as she was essentially just an intern, it wouldn’t be amiss to call her behavior “rude.” Then again, this was Clara we were talking about. It was pretty respectful by her standards just to avoid punching or kicking me in front of the dwarves.
“…What is it?”
“Before you concern yourself with the dwarves, I believe you should earn the recognition of the people in the villages under your rule. As it is, you have utterly ignored them since we arrived over two weeks ago.”
The intern makes a valid point.