A Family-Like Company Indeed
As soon as we arrived in the capital of the Holy Allied Empire, I guided the Baba tribe to the quarters within the Church. Entrusting them to Blzerpak, I headed straight to my office. As soon as I entered, I took out the milk I had promised Soraka from the magic refrigeration unit—or, in the terms of my past life, a refrigerator.
It wasn't a mass-market appliance like in the modern world, but a luxury item only nobles could afford. If you didn't care about efficiency or cost, it was a device that made life quite comfortable. There were no restrictions on purchasing this magical tool, so even a commoner could buy one if they saved up enough money. The real problem was the maintenance cost: the magic stones that had to be replaced every month cost about two gold coins.
I poured the chilled milk into a crystal glass and handed it to Soraka. It was cold enough that condensation was already forming on the surface of the glass. Soraka stared at the magic refrigerator with wide, fascinated eyes, as if seeing one for the first time, before her eyes sparkled and she reached for my hand. A sudden wave of playfulness washed over me, and I spoke.
"Ah, this is what we call milk, Soraka. It's white and savory. It tastes even better when it's cold like this. Give it a try."
She nodded eagerly and raised the cup I gave her high above her head with both hands. After staring blankly at the crystal glass for a long moment, she took a cautious sip. Her body gave a little shiver, and a white milk mustache instantly coated her lips.
"It's delicious!"
Finding her reaction adorable, I watched her for a moment before a familiar figure caught my eye in the corner of the room. A homeless person collapsed on the desk—no, wait, my brilliant secretary.
"Rachel?"
"Hwah?! I wasn't sleeping!... Oh, Lord Doyunes... You're back?"
Seeing my chief secretary lift her head with her lips trembling, I let out a soft chuckle. I had no intention of scolding her for sleeping. Especially not if she had passed out from sheer exhaustion while working. A good boss is someone who helps their subordinates work comfortably.
"Sleep comfortably, Rachel."
"Ah—"
"Then, just a moment."
As Rachel began to lower her head again in exhaustion, a sudden thought crossed my mind, and I spoke up.
"By the way, you finished everything I asked you to do, right?"
This was consideration. Pure consideration to let her sleep in peace. Naturally, wouldn't any subordinate feel happiest when presenting the results of their hard work? They present all their achievements, receive praise from their superior, and then take a comfortable five-minute nap with a light heart. Immediately after, they take on the next task handed down by their boss. A virtuous cycle. A family-like company indeed.
"Yes. I've processed everything."
I took the report she held out and read through it. A prompt response, a flawless report. Hiring her must have been a divine revelation from Ifrit. Coincidentally, our administrative capacity had been reaching its breaking point right before I hired her. Blzerpak was originally skilled in administration as well, but thanks to his performance in the recent mobile warfare, I had completely reassigned him to the Church's side. It was far more efficient that way. Well, if he had spare time, I would have given him administrative work too, but the Baba tribe had just joined us. Dealing with their integration alone would be overwhelming enough.
The personnel organized into the Holy Knights this time consisted of ten elite Baba warriors and one Great Warrior. Most of the warriors were at the beginning of the 6th or 7th Tier, equivalent to the knight commanders of a kingdom. The Great Warrior, 'Along with Pigs', had survived a brush with death to reach the 8th Tier, making him equivalent to an imperial knight commander. Considering his potential for growth, he could go even higher. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this single order of Holy Knights was equivalent to an entire army corps.
The problem was how to deploy and coordinate them, and how to attach auxiliary priests and troops under them. All of this fell squarely on Blzerpak's shoulders.
The administrative vacuum left by their departure was something I had anticipated to some extent, which was why I had been searching for talent beforehand. However, there was no one with the same level of vision and decisiveness as Blzerpak, the former revolutionary commander. I didn't ask for much. I just wanted someone who could look at the big picture, weigh short-term and long-term benefits, shore up future vulnerabilities, discuss the kingdom's direction, and possess an intuitive grasp of global affairs. Seriously, was that so hard to find?
And then, I found her. The one and only. A treasure of a talent discovered during the festival of the Zenith Kingdom: Rachel. An all-weather, high-class elite. She excelled at reading, listening, writing, organizing, and making decisions. In times of war, she was a strategist; in times of peace, a secretary. Her monthly salary was a mere single gold coin—cheaper than the maintenance cost of my refrigerator. Considering that even less capable talents demanded ten gold coins a month, finding even one person like her was a massive win. Especially since this one person did the work of three.
Besides, the welfare benefits were excellent. I provided her with room and board in a grand mansion, keeping her warm and well-fed. Since she had no reason to ever leave the mansion, she had nowhere to spend her money anyway. In fact, considering how I saved her from unnecessary living expenses, wasn't I a pretty decent employer?
Unaware of my generous thoughts, she was about to bury her face in the desk again when another thought struck me, and I spoke. I didn't say anything because I thought she was slacking off. Really.
"What about the other kingdoms? Did they agree to establish the Academy?"
"Zenith, Franz, Elium, and the other two kingdoms signed the agreement a few days ago."
I nodded. "Good. Now all that's left is execution."
Rachel carefully organized her notes and asked hesitantly, "...Will this really be alright? The very concept is unprecedented in history..."
"That's exactly why it's worth trying. The Karis Empire sowed the sparks, and we simply redirected them to our advantage." I slowly added to my explanation. "An alliance bound only by a common threat doesn't last. The moment that threat vanishes, the bond dissolves. That is why the Arsen Academy we are establishing this time is so crucial. It's not just about studying; it's about giving them a chance to get to know one another."
"For example?" She still seemed to be struggling to grasp my meaning.
"They could unite through religion. Or through culture—take a masterpiece like Arthur Pendragon, for instance. Such masterpieces help bring people together. It's a form of cultural sharing."
Rachel pondered for a moment before asking cautiously, "...You don't mean cultural infiltration, do you?"
Since she was treading on dangerous ground, I immediately shook my head.
"Of course not, Rachel. Naturally, there is no hierarchy in culture. If anything, there is only a more advanced culture. The masses choose it for themselves. It's a voluntary flow, not a forced imposition."
I tapped the blueprints on the desk with my finger and continued. "And I don't intend to teach only religious doctrine. We will cover everything from statecraft, geography, and tactics to history. It will be a highly practical academy encompassing all fields. That way, they will keep coming back instead of it being a one-time thing."
Rachel nodded. "How do you plan to handle the admission requirements?"
"On the surface, it will be open to everyone, but internally, we will categorize them: the capable (commoners), the noble (aristocrats and royalty), and the wealthy (wealthy merchants)."
"By the wealthy, you must mean admissions through donations."
She caught on instantly.
"Exactly. We will draw in the wealthy merchants, and manage the talents from each kingdom through a quota system. Simply entering the Academy will serve as a certification of their capability."
"No wonder the five kingdoms agreed so quickly."
"Kingdoms do not move unless there is profit. They are quick to calculate."
As the conversation wound down and Rachel began to lower her head again, I asked her another question. Another sudden thought had just occurred to me.
"How far along is the construction of the Academy?"
Her gaze turned rebellious.
"...It's in the final stages. It's scheduled to be completed within three months."
"Is the site in Elium?"
"Yes. We are utilizing an estate abandoned by a noble of ducal rank. Since it already has a conference hall, academy buildings, and dormitories fully equipped, progress has been swift. Only—" Rachel trailed off, her face turning pale and gaunt. "The problem is that I had to handle all of it by myself."
It was time to give a carrot to my hard-working employee. Not because the fountain pen she was gripping so tightly looked terrifying, of course.
"But Rachel, this project is good for you too. If it succeeds, you stand to benefit as well."
"Really? Don't tell me... money? A salary increase?"
I quickly changed the subject. "What was the purpose of the Academy again?"
"To gather the capable, the wealthy, and the nobles in one place to reduce cultural animosity... and ultimately, to expand the market and consumer base for the Prophet?"
Ahem. My intentions were being grossly misrepresented. Those were merely side benefits.
"My true goal is to foster high-level talent."
"...Ah."
"Do you understand now? Once the Academy starts producing graduates, you can participate and recruit capable kids to run under you... cough... I mean, to assist you."
Her dull, lifeless eyes instantly sparkled with light. Rachel quickly bowed her head at my words.
For a brief moment, a pang of conscience struck me. Was it really alright to drag innocent kids into this web of religion, administration, politics, diplomacy, and finance? And for a salary cheaper than that rattling magic refrigerator over there...? Maybe it was better for her to just keep handling everything on her own like she was doing now.
"Oh, right. Rachel? I discovered some local specialties of the Urai Mountains in the Baba village this time. We're going to establish regular trade, and we also need to classify and collect monster byproducts based on their grade and quality."
"Since the volume will be massive, contact a few large merchant groups and coordinate with them. Also, prioritize dispatching a priest from our Church to the Baba village..."
...Me... alone...
"Come to think of it, looking ahead, it would be wise to conduct investigations on the other kingdoms as well. Please handle that along with the rest. Oh, you said you were tired, right? Take it easy, Rachel. You can get it done by next week, right?"
You expect me to do all of this alone?
My chief secretary's eyes grew cloudy and dark, like a promising young disciple of an orthodox sect suddenly awakening to demonic arts.
Why does this only happen to me? Why only me...
...Something like this. I can't be the only one to suffer.
Fuhahaha—
I nodded as I looked at Rachel. Having one's abilities recognized was always a pleasant thing. Of course, I hadn't expected her to be this happy. Was she really that thrilled?
"Also, in your spare time today, make sure to send out the admission letters to all the kingdoms."
"Pardon? Construction won't be finished for another three months. Isn't that too fast?"
"Rachel. If the construction finishes a day early, the students will enroll a day early, and they will graduate a day early too, right?"
"...I will somehow... finish the construction within a month."
With her passion reignited, she buried her nose back into the desk.
Soraka, who had been sipping her milk, tilted her head.
"...Crow? The Academy? If they enroll, does it end quickly?"
It would take four years before any graduates actually emerged. Until then, Rachel would have to work all by herself before any new talent could be recruited. A sharp, unexpected strike right to the heart of the matter.
I took another bottle of milk from the refrigerator and refilled her glass.
"Soraka? Let's have some more milk. And is there anything else you want to eat besides this? Since we're celebrating our arrival in the capital today, I'll buy you whatever you want."
"...Really? Then... chicken skewers!"
Soraka's eyes instantly filled with thoughts of food.
And just like that, a month passed by.