Windsor Knights' Bankruptcy Crisis (1)
'Damn it. Come to think of it, even Grand Duke Chiron was hopeless at budget management.'
He was the type to casually blow the knight order's funds just because some poor noble asked to repair the city walls.
What the hell is the point of the Windsor Knights even existing?
Even the inquiry committee couldn't do a damn thing to that righteous old knight, so they ended up handing budget control to the vice-captain.
Going to Chiron had been a mistake.
Edward slumped back into his chair, clutching his head.
"A father-daughter duo from hell...!"
If there was any small comfort, it was that the money Sisilia had spent hadn't gone to some random outsider. Most of it had flowed to the Windsor Knights or the Magic Tower.
Not to civilians, but to state institutions, so it wasn't a total loss. The problem was the sheer waste!
Even giving her the benefit of the doubt—if blankets were needed, why not just buy some thick ones? Edward couldn't fathom why they had to be enchanted with preservation magic, weight reduction spells, and temperature control enchantments.
"Haa."
Edward let out a deep sigh. Maybe it was better to stop thinking altogether.
With the queen and Chiron both unreliable, nothing could stop Sisilia now.
"...If you have to taste the shit to know if it's pudding, then fine."
He'd done what he could as captain. No more stressing over this. Or he'd go bald...
Weeeeng—Boom!
"......"
Edward slowly turned his head. Noisy construction sounds. Coming from right below—the vice-captain's office.
"What the hell are they doing to make the walls crumble? ...No, ignore it."
He was just barely managing to tune it out and dive into work when—
Shake, shake. Thud. Crumble.
"......"
Debris from the building rained onto Edward's documents.
Edward stared in stunned silence for a long moment before slowly extending his hand into the air.
"Muje."
As he murmured the word, the silver sword symbolizing the Windsor Knights materialized.
"Never imagined the first target for this would be the vice-captain."
Just as Edward's eyes blazed with fury—
Knock knock.
A calm knock, followed by someone entering. It was the clerks.
"......If it's bad news, save it. I'm in a very foul mood right now."
"I-it's urgent, sir..."
Edward barely managed to sit back down. "...Speak."
The clerk gulped, glancing nervously at Edward's expression, then explained.
Edward, grasping it quickly, fell silent for a moment.
"So right now, you're telling me..."
He lifted his head with a blank look.
"......to go to Sisilia and get her approval on the budget?"
"I-it's normally the captain's job, isn't it?"
Nods all around.
"It's changes made under your tenure, Lord Edward."
"They say if we don't allocate extra funds, the project will collapse."
The railway construction project, where trains would run. Edward had secured toll revenue shares in exchange for funding it, but now there were cost overruns.
It was his initiative, so naturally, he had to handle it. Except the Windsor Knights' finances were now under Sisilia's control.
"You want me!"
Edward couldn't help but get worked up.
"To beg that immature brat?!"
But there was no choice. Right now, Sisilia held the ironclad purse strings of the Windsor Knights.
**
Meanwhile, Sisilia—who spent money like running water—was spending more.
But this time, it was essential business: setting incentives for the Windsor Knights.
"What has Jerryway even done to deserve anything?"
"...Even I'd get hurt if you dissed me that openly."
First up: Jerryway.
He was a money-mad knight who moonlighted as a bartender despite the no-side-jobs rule.
While others risked their lives against demons, Jerryway risked his for incentives.
"Sisilia, I've got a sweet deal for you."
Sisilia clasped her hands, staring intently at Jerryway to see what he'd say.
"Shower me with massive incentives! I'll split 'em half with ya!"
"......"
Beatrice, sorting thick files nearby, shot him a cold glare.
"Lady Sisilia, this guy's trash. Don't give him a single coin."
"Yeah, looks like it."
Sisilia shelved her momentary temptation after seeing Beatrice's face. Agreeing here would lump her in with Jerryway—no thanks.
"H-hold on—!"
Just before she signed the zero-gold sheet, Jerryway lunged desperately.
"I did one big thing this year."
"What?"
"Saved a life."
"......"
It was his trump card, but Beatrice's expression stayed icy.
"Should a Windsor Knight brag that much about saving one person?"
But Sisilia thought differently.
"Who'd you save?"
Jerryway declared proudly.
"Was delivering cake when I saw an orc about to kill a user. Saved 'em. How's that? Heroic, right?"
Beatrice sighed.
"Some contribute to slaying a Four Heavenly King and saving a city. And Jerryway brags all year about one person."
"......"
'Is that kinda lame?'
As Jerryway frantically recalled his achievements—
"L-Lady Sisilia?"
"Such a touching story."
Sisilia's eyes glistened with tears. She wiped them with her sleeve and gave a thumbs-up.
"500 gold."
Jerryway was more shocked than anyone. "...For real?"
The incentives proceeded smoothly from there.
"Cleared dungeons about 60 times. What, the people I saved? Can't even count 'em. Users? Saved a few—why ask?"
"Tell me the number of people saved. Don't remember individually. Demons? Hundreds."
"Why save users? ...They asked for help."
Sisilia didn't hesitate on payouts. A few questions, answers, and payment.
She seemed to have clear criteria in her head.
Of course, Beatrice couldn't understand.
"Lady Sisilia. Why give more incentives to those who saved the most users?"
"......How'd you know?"
"Even an idiot could tell."
Sisilia explained:
"Betty, you'd save imperial citizens in danger, right?"
"......Of course. That's why the knight order exists."
"What about users?"
"We have to."
"Even risking your life?"
"......Well. Probably? So, uh, could you move that sword-shaped wind away?"
Beatrice trembled.
Sisilia smiled brightly.
"It might be natural for good-girl Betty, but I can't demand all Windsors risk their lives for users."
"......"
"Saving users isn't a Windsor duty, after all."
Bitter but true.
Sisilia said wistfully:
"But with incentives, maybe they'll save one more."
"Lady Sisilia..."
Beatrice gazed sadly at her, picking up files.
"......Can't you save our budget first?"
"......"
Sisilia slyly averted her eyes.
"You spend it too precariously. Fine with other things, but 4,000 gold to every knight in the Ashumar subjugation? Should've distributed by contribution."
"......But they all worked hard."
Sisilia said glumly.
"They all risked their lives equally—why value them differently? ...Anyone could've died. I judged by resolve, not contribution."
Beatrice thought Sisilia was sly.
...Hard to argue with that.
She'd been doing it since earlier. Whenever Beatrice called it excessive, Sisilia slipped away with that wistful look.
'She's so kind... maybe I was too harsh.'
As Beatrice moved to comfort her—
"Betty's a scrub, so 1 gold. I'll take 10 million for her share too."
"Lady Sisilia, wanna get hit?"
As Beatrice's eyes went dead black, a knock sounded.
"Coming in."
It was Edward.
**
"......The vice-captain's office has gotten quite spacious."
Edward glanced around the drastically changed room upon entering.
Clean interior with clutter cleared, fragrant from quality wood. The door he'd entered through and Sisilia's desk—clearly top-tier luxury.
Especially the size: three times bigger than before.
"Did a little redecorating."
"......A little? Knocking down walls to merge three rooms?"
Edward twitched an eyebrow.
Beatrice hid under the desk in fear.
"......Whatever. Vice-captain's room, vice-captain's call. But where are those two demons?"
"Potty training wasn't sticking, so isolated them. They'll be lonely alone, so with other puppies too."
"......"
Time and Lust live up to their names.
Treating such demons like real puppies? Probably only Sisilia could.
Impressive mindset, Edward thought, tossing files onto her desk.
"Approve it."
Sisilia blinked, skimming the documents.
Approval forms.
Soon, Sisilia-nyang's eyes sparkled.
Edward, feeling utmost unease, asked:
"......Something wrong?"
After all, how much had she suffered under him? Edward was the one she couldn't stand tall against.
Always wall-slamming, yelling, never approving budgets.
Petty Sisilia remembered it all.
"Don't like the requester's attitude."
"......"
Sisilia was thoroughly enjoying this.
"If you ask nicely, I'll consider..."
Then she faced it: Edward, radiating killing intent.
Her shoulders slumped instantly.
"O-okay."
As soon as Sisilia signed, Edward snatched the papers.
Heading to Beatrice for the receipt—
Beatrice, about to note the amount, gaped.
"1—150,000 gold?!"
"Railway construction. Obviously costs that much."
Beatrice broke into cold sweat.
Edward, sensing something off, asked warily:
"......Don't tell me... no money?"
"Hic!"
Beatrice hiccuped.
Edward couldn't process it.
"No... money?"
"Excluding essentials, what's left is... 10,000 gold."
"What?!"
Edward slammed her desk.
Beatrice paled.
"Don't screw with me! We had 2 million gold—now 10,000?! In just a week?!"
Edward's hands grew cold. Heart slowing, pupils dilating.
Yelling wouldn't fix it. Had to salvage fast.
"Hold off confirmed incentives. Pay late if needed. How much left then?"
"N-none."
"What?"
"......Paid to all 108 Windsor Knights."
"D-don't mess around. Review was today—how'd you process and pay 108 incentives at once?"
Beatrice, half-mad, tapped her fingers.
"L-Lady Sisilia-nyang and I pulled an all-nighter."
"Why're you efficient when it's this?!"
Edward glared murderously at Sisilia.
She smiled brightly.
"'Cause spending money's fun."
Edward, clutching his throbbing head, calculated rapidly.
140,000 gold from where? Borrow first.
Couldn't cut salaries. So... 'Skimp on dorm upkeep, stables, ops expenses, intel funds, dip into my savings.'
"About 80,000 gold. Sisilia, your savings? You must have some."
Sisilia smiled brightly.
"Don't really save."
"......Save some."
"I-is this really necessary? 150,000 is..."
Edward slumped into a chair, muttering softly:
"80 million already invested in the railway. Fail to finish, contract says ownership transfers."
"W-what?!"
Railway involved nobles and merchants. Windsor fronted up to 1 million gold; civilians completed work.
Miss deadline? Lose 800,000 and ownership.
In short:
"......Fail the 150,000 payment..."
"N-no way."
Beatrice swallowed hard.
Edward, dreading the thought, said:
"......Windsor Knights bankrupt."
Cold silence filled the vice-captain's office.
But even if the sky falls, there's a hole to slip through.
Sisilia-nyang was always confident—and now too.
"Then earn the 150,000 fresh. Problem solved."
Sisilia hadn't spent aimlessly. She'd planned to refill what she used.
"No way—you have a plan?"
As Edward eyed her desperately, hope flickering—
Sisilia smirked, pulling something from a drawer and cutely holding it before her face.
"Dragon merch."
A cute dragon plush.
"Know this? Dragons actually exist."
Edward charged with Muje drawn.