The Mountain Was Split...(1)
Thud. The teacup settled onto the desk in my office. Silvia shot me a glare that seemed to say, "Why are you making me run these petty errands too?" before turning to leave. How cheeky. I called her back immediately.
"Silvia. Starting today, we're launching a new business."
"...What kind of business, my lord?"
Gulp. Silvia swallowed hard, her face tense with anxiety. I understood. Aslan had botched more than a few ventures in the past.
"A security and escort company. How about the name Belmont Security?"
"Why the sudden interest in that field?"
"After we purged all the corrupt employees, Belmont Manor is completely short on guards."
"Yes, I'm well aware. I've been handling all the extra work myself."
"The fastest way to expand our forces is simple—hire experienced personnel in bulk. The problem is that thanks to Leon, Belmont has a reputation as a place where embezzlement runs rampant. For ordinary jobs it might not matter, but we can't just hire anyone to guard the manor."
"I understand. Honestly, my body feels more exhausted than before, but with those lazy guards gone, I'm mentally much more at ease. It might actually be an improvement."
"Is that so? You'd rather be physically tired than mentally strained?"
"...!"
Silvia flinched and stepped back, her face turning deathly pale. She looked as if she'd seen a ghost.
"S-so what does the guard shortage have to do with starting a security business? How do you plan to run an escort company when we don't even have enough guards to protect the manor?"
"We'll train them. Using my own funds to turn novices into proper guards would be too much of a burden. That's why we're using the business's revenue to solve it. We'll recruit a large number of guards, subcontract the manor's defense to them, and deploy the rest on external assignments. Something like that."
Job creation was a bonus. On top of that, if we found promising commoners among the recruits, it would be a windfall. Having Charlotte participate in the training program would also be a huge help. All in all, it was a very profitable venture.
"I completely understand the purpose and benefits. So who will serve as the instructor?"
"You already know the answer."
"...Young Master."
Silvia narrowed her eyes sharply. How dare she. I felt like smacking her.
"Again? You're telling me to act as an instructor for the security company and train these rookies into guards?"
"Exactly."
"Young Master! I am already dedicating myself day and night to the Belmont family, and my current workload is already overwhelming. I have no capacity to take on additional duties!"
"Salary cut."
"...!"
"I'll shorten the duration. If the security business succeeds, that is."
"I-is that true?"
Silvia's eyes widened, her pupils trembling. The period of her salary cuts due to her usual insolence had already stretched to several months. Her contract terms were already unfavorable and her pay meager—having it halved on top of that for an extended period was practically slavery. Even though it was all a consequence of her own actions, I felt a twinge of pity and decided to show mercy. This was the carrot after the stick. A carrot tasted sweetest after being beaten with the stick.
Silvia's eyes were already moist with emotion. The little rascal.
"I'll do my best! Shall I post the recruitment notice right away?"
"Go ahead. I'll leave it all to you. You can design the training program based on what you received during your military service."
"I will definitely succeed! I'll turn Belmont into a security powerhouse!"
Silvia left with renewed enthusiasm. In that state, she'd probably work herself to the bone without suspicion for a while—at least until she realized I hadn't specified the criteria for "successfully launching the security business."
'From now on, only signed contracts count, Silvia.'
Verbal agreements weren't contracts. I'd just taught her that valuable life lesson for free. I wondered if it was okay to be this generous.
Of course, the manor's lax security was one reason for starting the business. But there was another factor—I suspected the number of people I needed to protect would gradually increase.
The first such person was the dwarf Jacob.
"W-what is all this, Young Master? What's happening to my forge?"
"All the equipment was outdated, so I decided to install new facilities. It'll take about a month to complete, so until then you can stay at the manor—"
"N-no, no, no! I'll stay at a nearby inn!"
Jacob bowed his head, flustered. The forge, covered in dust and filled with nothing but broken furnaces, was due for a complete overhaul. It felt a bit unsettling, like I was destroying his grandfather's legacy. But seeing Jacob's eyes light up with anticipation made that feeling vanish.
"If you need any equipment, just say the word."
"I'm already grateful just for your words, Young Master."
"This isn't empty talk. Really, ask for anything. You can make whatever you want and sell it. I'll handle finding buyers and connecting you with customers."
"W-what did you say...? Does that mean I'll be working as a blacksmith under the Belmont name?"
"Of course. We signed an exclusive contract yesterday."
"...!"
I couldn't tell if that was a look of shock or gratitude. It was hard to distinguish.
'He's one of the few people in the world who can use Mana Fire. I should support him generously.'
Whether Jacob liked it or not, he'd have to work hard forging metal while bearing the Belmont name. Blades, farming tools—anything was fine. With Mana Fire, whatever he made would be of exceptional quality and quickly gain fame as a luxury item.
"We'll split the sales 60-40, so keep that in mind."
"I get 40 percent?"
"Didn't you read the contract? Obviously, you get 60."
"Huh...?"
Had I been shot in the head? Charging a 60 percent commission just for installing equipment and securing orders? Honestly, even 40 percent felt a bit excessive, but once Jacob's name became valuable, I planned to renegotiate the terms. Tears welled up in Jacob's eyes. Why was this guy suddenly acting like this?
"I'll work my hardest! I won't do anything to tarnish Belmont's name! I'll never miss a deadline! I'll only produce the highest quality goods!"
"Good. Work hard."
"Yes!!!"
Jacob wiped his tears and dashed off. Watching his retreating figure, I burst into laughter.
"With this, we can promote Belmont for free."
It was fan service for Kali.
Evil God 'Kali' is grinning widely.
Belmont's first step toward improving its image was the master blacksmith Jacob. The more famous he became, the more Belmont's name would spread. Of course, there would be side effects.
'I can't let him get assassinated like his grandfather.'
Blacksmiths who could use Mana Fire were so rare they could be counted on one hand worldwide. They were valuable enough that extreme measures like assassination were often attempted. That was why I was rushing to launch Belmont Security. To protect Jacob, I needed skilled guards who were loyal only to Belmont.
Of course, there would be more people besides Jacob who needed protection in the future. Silvia couldn't guard them all alone. In a way, I was actually reducing her workload. Yet she didn't appreciate my consideration... Tsk. How disappointing.
'I've got too much work now.'
Even though I'd delegated a lot to Silvia, everything except the physical labor still fell to me. Designing the business framework, for one. Since both Jacob and I had zero credibility—actually, negative credibility—I'd have to personally drum up business. And once the forge expanded, we'd need to hire employees, which meant I'd inevitably have to get involved in management.
"Mister, Mister! Can I test the Super Strong Sword in the training ground?"
"Go to the mountain out back. Don't hurt anyone."
"Okay!"
"Lately I've been able to hear the spirits' voices. They really, really hate you. Did you do something to them?"
"Beats me. I don't know anything about that."
"Hmm, okay. I'm going to take a nap later, so lend me a hand."
"..."
Dealing with the kids who kept showing up at random times made me wonder if I'd become a nanny. Plus, when it was time for Julia to sleep, I had to stay in one place for a full nine hours. It was strange. My body didn't need sleep, yet I felt like I had even less time than other people. Once I hired more staff and the business got on track, things would improve, right? By then, I'd have some breathing room and could look forward to a peaceful future without worrying about being murdered.
Just as I was entertaining that vague hope—
"...!"
BOOM! The ground shook with a deafening roar that made my legs go numb. It was far louder than when Silvia had used magic. Startled, I rushed outside and saw Charlotte sprawled on the ground. And then—
"I-I'm sorry, Mister..."
"What the hell did you do?"
"The mountain... I accidentally split it in half."
The mountain out back had been cleaved in two. No—wait. That direction led toward the imperial capital.