Open Preparations (5)
“We’ve secured a total of 2,000 gold.”
“Good work.”
Edward wore a satisfied smile. The capital was fully assembled. Any shortages could be covered by the nobles under his influence. Preparations were perfect. Now, all that remained was to hold the investment meeting and stage the scenario as planned. Then he’d pocket an enormous sum that even Edward couldn’t ignore.
Gold was good in abundance. Whatever came next, this venture would be his sturdy backbone.
But something unexpected happened.
Originally, Edward had planned to deliver the presentation himself. Sisilia, however, had wheedled her way in, insisting she wanted to do it.
“I’ll handle the presentation.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if I did it?”
“I’m pretty.”
“……Fine. Do whatever you want.”
He permitted Sisilia’s presentation partly because the investors were already locked in—and partly because he didn’t want to oppose Sisilia, who had bowed to him so readily.
‘As long as she listens well, I’ll let her do whatever she wants.’
Showing that kind of magnanimity was how you tamed someone, right?
And so, the briefing began.
**
“A guild, eh? Do you really think this is worth investing in?”
Ahead of Sisilia’s presentation, the merchants murmured among themselves. The main topic: ‘So, does this actually make money?’
“It won’t be easy. Even if it’s the Windsor Knights, this is just some idea from a mere 16-year-old girl’s head.”
“Tch, don’t you see who’s behind that 16-year-old? She’s Sword Sovereign Chiron’s daughter. This proposal must be his brainchild.”
“That’s exactly the problem. Chiron’s a typical warrior. If he weren’t a Windsor Knight, he’d have bankrupted his house by now.”
This dated back to Chiron’s days as vice-captain.
The righteous knight Chiron had discovered that the walls of a rural barony were crumbling, causing ongoing damage.
—Why aren’t you maintaining this fortress?
—Aigoo, we’re just a lowly baronial house. We’re too busy scraping by to afford wall repairs…
—I’ll cover it.
And so Chiron shelled out a fortune to repair the rural walls.
—We don’t have the funds to properly fortify the territory…
—I’ll cover it.
The problem was, this wasn’t a one- or two-time thing. In the end, gaping holes riddled the Windsor Knights’ budget. At the accountability meeting, Chiron declared:
—The Windsor Knights exist to protect the people from the demon race. These were necessary expenditures.
The nobles couldn’t badmouth Chiron over such a knightly statement. His character was impeccable, and the knights adored him. But with the order’s budget at risk, they resolved the issue by promoting him to captain ahead of schedule.
The nobles and merchants who knew these stories exchanged wary glances.
‘This…’
‘One wrong step, and we’re done for.’
As they wavered—Sisilia’s presentation began.
“Hello.”
Sisilia bowed politely, drawing admiration from the nobles.
‘The rumors don’t do her justice—no, she surpasses them. Stunning.’
‘A peerless beauty. Sword Princess suits her perfectly.’
People were easily swayed by appearances. Sisilia was merely reading from the already-public report, but countless were already convinced.
“I’ll invest!”
“Count me in!”
“I’ll sell my estate if I have to!”
Investing meant boarding the same ship. If that ship’s figurehead was a breathtaking beauty? Even if it sailed straight to hell, followers would flock.
‘They must be blown away by my speech skills.’
Sisilia grew cocky immediately.
Watching his vice-captain’s real-time descent into arrogance, Edward tensed.
‘I forgot, seeing her face every day. Sisilia’s looks can mesmerize people. Enough to make them hand over their fortunes.’
The reaction was hotter than expected. This was bad. The less investment gathered, the higher his share.
“I have a question!”
“Yes. The tomato-topped gentleman, speak.”
A balding baron with a tomato-stem-like tuft of hair stood.
“Where exactly will our investment funds be used? I’d like the detailed plan.”
“Obviously—”
‘Ugh, what an idiot.’
‘Obviously to secure as many branches as possible! Doesn’t that simple brain get it?’
As the nobles tsked—Sisilia said brightly,
“I’m buying a puppy.”
“?”
“??”
The nobles wondered if they’d misheard.
“Water buffalo horns would look cool too.”
“W-Wait! What do you mean? Buffalo horns aside, a puppy?!”
“Not just any puppy.”
Sisilia said gravely,
“An incredibly cute puppy.”
“……”
“……”
The nobles exchanged glances, then exploded.
“Are you joking?!”
“Why buy a puppy?!”
“It’s not even that expensive—why say it so seriously?!”
Sisilia raised her hand. The room quieted.
“It’s a high-end breed, so we need investment.”
“How high-end? Still, probably just 1 gold?”
“It’s a Fenrir breed.”
“Fe-Fenrir?”
Fenrir. The legendary divine beast of the northern snowfields. Prized for its rarity and lifelong loyalty to its chosen master, it fetched exorbitant prices.
“Fenrir… Wait, didn’t your merchant house handle one? What was the auction price?”
“……It sold for 2,000 gold.”
“2,000 gold!”
That could build a lavish guild hall with change left over.
“Why does the guild need a Fenrir?”
“And why call a Fenrir a puppy? It’s a wolf.”
“Same family.”
“……”
“The reason the guild needs a Fenrir is simple.”
The nobles dreaded just how “simple.” But Sisilia wasn’t that thoughtless.
“The guild is a building where Aura bearers come and go. Trouble’s hard to prevent. A Fenrir’s worth it and more.”
It made sense. No fool would start a ruckus under a Fenrir’s watchful eyes.
But the rebuttal was inevitable.
“Do we really need a Fenrir for security? Stationing a few knights would be far more efficient and cheaper.”
“That’s an option. But it misses the most important value.”
Tensed by Sisilia’s seriousness, the nobles watched intently.
After a long pause, Sisilia smiled faintly.
“Fenrirs are cute.”
“……”
The nobles were speechless.
They realized: Entrusting money to the Sword Princess was madness…!
‘Sisilia, you’re the best.’
Edward struggled not to laugh. He’d worried dividends would shrink, but it was unfounded. Few would trust their hard-earned gold to that Sword Princess(?).
‘……But what if she really whines about buying a Fenrir?’
Suddenly, new worries dawned on Edward.
Then, the hushed hall grew noisy again. Nobles buzzed at news of an arrival.
Edward turned with a bad feeling.
Beyond the gray stone pillars of the long corridor, heavy steel bootsteps echoed.
The hall chilled instantly. Gasps filled the air.
Only Sisilia smiled.
“The Lord of Severe Cold has arrived.”
Someone whispered. But it became a heavy reality enveloping the room.
Grand Duke Eisenberg crossed the threshold. The wolf emblem on his chest proclaimed northern dominion.
If Edward hadn’t known this was Terezia—and that man the northern grand duke—he’d have drawn his sword.
Those scarlet eyes and jet-black hair screamed demonkin.
“Fenrir, eh? Interesting talk.”
He smirked at Sisilia, like a lion spotting prey.
“Confident you can tame it?”
“Yes.”
“The one I’ll give is a bit wild for a Windsor lady.”
“Sounds fun.”
“Hahaha!”
Grand Duke Eisenberg laughed heartily.
Many reasons. In this hall—save one inept royal—no one dared meet his eyes.
Yet Sisilia stared straight back, boldly.
“I like that confidence. My daughter rarely asks favors, so curiosity brought me… and I found something unexpected.”
Eisenberg’s smile faded. He whirled, cloak billowing.
“Eisenberg invests. Scram, small fry.”
‘As expected of my favorite lady.’
Sisilia beamed. She’d hoped Bianca’s promise would help, but reeling in this big fish? The grand duke himself! And gifting that pricey Fenrir for free!
‘Total luck jackpot!’
But Sisilia didn’t know: Bianca had helped, yet even she couldn’t control Eisenberg fully. Getting him here was her limit.
Eisenberg’s investment decision? Purely Sisilia’s merit.
‘Time for cake, hehe.’
Oblivious, Sisilia stayed sunny.
**
With hefty investors secured, Sisilia launched guild construction.
“Vice-captain investing too?”
Edward smiled.
“Do I look like small fry to you, Sisilia?”
“Ah……”
Disappointed, but Edward viewed the grand duke’s appearance positively.
‘Better than dealing with petty nobles. He just ponied up cash and ceded all rights to Sisilia.’
Claiming dividends from Sisilia? Easy.
“About dividends—take this old shortsword instead of your share. Call it even?”
“Whoa, really?”
“……”
Edward felt this was too much.
“……Take 30% of the shares too.”
Thus, Edward and Sisilia split 70:30.
Truth be told, conscience pricked Edward. Ruthlessly, it’d be 100:0.
Watching Sisilia beam over a mere pretty shortsword, Edward pondered.
‘When did she build such influence? Maybe approaching Lady Bianca was calculated from the start. Sisilia’s idiotically dumb in odd ways—and brilliantly sharp in others.’
Honestly, the duke’s entrance had chilled him. Smart move. Minus Sisilia’s obsession with cute things, it could’ve cost dearly.
‘I can’t let my guard down either.’
Edward felt a major jolt.
“They will blaze new paths for the Liannen Kingdom. Spreading the capital’s light to every remote corner.”
With investors aboard, guild founding surged like an unmoored ship. Sisilia led vocally; Edward coordinated.
Bringing in droves of Windsor administrative officers sped regulations and protocols.
“We need a name for it—what’ll we call their profession?”
They were registering ‘Guild’ members who took missions for a living—their ‘job title.’
“Adventurer.”
Sisilia was firm.
“Make it Adventurer.”
Thus, the ‘Adventurer’—destined for grave roles in Liannen Kingdom—was born.
Year 499 of Saint Michael, October.
It was autumn.