Vile Whispers
"The training grounds are complete! Come take a look, brother!"
"It turned out exactly as the blueprint showed. You've done excellent work."
The construction of the training grounds in Ariente territory had finally finished. One private training hall built exclusively for Charlotte and her Super Strong Sword. Another larger facility to serve as the main base for Belmont Security. Two buildings in total.
"The foundation is solid. Unless a dragon decides to crash into it, this place isn't going anywhere."
"Kuhahaha!"
Perhaps thanks to all the time I'd spent wandering the construction site and learning from Count Ariente, I'd picked up a decent amount of basic construction knowledge. Not enough to micromanage the builders, of course, but enough to avoid getting swindled.
"Hahaha. Brother, about the payment for the construction..."
"I'll forgo this month's interest on the investment and deposit the remaining seven hundred million in cash by tomorrow."
"R-Really?! Tomorrow?! I can finally afford meat with my meals again! Kuhahaha!"
Count Ariente wept tears of joy. Watching him, I felt a strange pang of sympathy. Even as a count, he was drowning in debt.
'I should place more orders with him in the future.'
If he ever faced the reality that he'd never repay his debt and made some extreme choice, that would be troublesome. I needed to keep his eyes fixed on the illusion of eventually clearing his debt. That way, I could keep sucking out fifty percent interest every year on a mere one billion investment.
'Now that the training grounds are done, next is equipment.'
Both the facilities and the staff were ready. All that remained were the operational structure and equipment. Silvia had already handled the organization. Now it was time to check on the equipment.
"Ah, my lord! You've arrived! It's very noisy and hot inside, so let's talk out here!"
Jacob emerged from the forge, drenched in sweat. A quick glance inside showed the furnace blazing without pause, and the workers hammering away at metal while soaked through their clothes. The blades they were shaping looked impressive.
It was the Mana Fire I'd seen before. Jacob had successfully trained the workers.
"The workers can all use Mana Fire now?"
"Ah. They can handle the preliminary steps, but anything after that still requires me. None of them have reached my level yet."
"..."
Watching Jacob speak so casually, I was reminded once again that he was no ordinary talent. His so-called apprentices were all veteran blacksmiths well into middle age, each with at least twenty years of experience. Yet here they were, learning from Jacob, who had only been forging for two months.
"Are they following your instructions well? If anyone defies you or tries to challenge your authority, tell me."
"Fortunately, no one has opposed my authority yet. The problem is that they keep trying to learn even after work hours. I can't even sleep because they're taking turns begging for private lessons."
Faced with overwhelming talent and skill, they had completely abandoned their pride. Their thirst for knowledge was already tremendous.
"Still, they're making progress. At this rate, they'll catch up to my level within three months!"
"No. Don't do that."
"Pardon?"
"From now on, teach them half-heartedly. Focus more on honing your own skills."
"May I ask why?"
"Right now they're all groveling to learn from you, but the moment they surpass you, they'll become arrogant. What if they master Mana Fire and immediately leave to open their own forges? One of the easiest ways to win a competition is to prevent competitors from being born in the first place."
"Ah! I understand!"
Evil God 'Kali' enthusiastically notes down your words.
Calling it "eliminating competitors" sounded too extreme. "Preventing competitors in advance" sounded better. In other words, kicking the ladder away. If I was going to monopolize something, I should do it properly. If those workers eventually became completely mine, that would be different. But for now, they weren't trustworthy. So for the time being, Jacob would be the only one who fully mastered Mana Fire.
"How's the progress on the ordered equipment?"
"More than half is complete."
"How long for the rest?"
"We're finally gaining momentum. I think the remaining stock will be finished within two weeks."
Excellent speed. Even though these were Mana Fire-infused weapons that couldn't be mass-produced like factory goods, this pace was impressive. Maybe I could order even more? Should I expand the forge and hire more workers? Run it on a 24-hour, four-shift rotation?
While I was seriously considering it, Jacob's face gradually turned pale.
"What's wrong?"
"N-No, it's nothing. I just suddenly felt the air turn cold..."
"If it's nothing, then load the completed equipment onto the carriage. We'll be moving it to the training grounds in Ariente territory right away."
"Y-Yes... Understood..."
I'd deliberately ordered a large quantity of equipment, accounting for spares. Half of it would be enough to arm all the staff with some left over. Now that the equipment was ready, Belmont Security was prepared to officially open for business. Should I start tomorrow? Silvia would complain endlessly. She was already buried in work, and adding staff training would leave her no time to breathe.
'I should give her a carrot.'
I'd bring her some good news to lift her spirits. I had made a promise before, after all.
"And I'll be placing a new order."
"A-Again?! How many hundred swords this time...?"
"Just one."
"Ah. I see. Phew. Hm...?"
Jacob let out a sigh of relief, then suddenly sensed something was off. His pupils trembled. That's right. Just one sword. But a particularly demanding one.
"If it's a double-edged two-handed sword, you can decide the rest of the specifications yourself. However, it must be a special sword."
"Special in what way...?"
"Use your creativity. Create the most unique and unparalleled sword you've ever seen."
"The most magnificent sword I've ever seen was the Holy Sword my grandfather forged, but..."
"You did the finishing work on that one, didn't you? I'm sure you can create something that surpasses even that."
"The finishing work is nothing special! The important part is the foundation, the base. How could I possibly make a sword comparable to a Holy Sword...!"
"Hey now. You're misunderstanding something. I'm not asking for a sword on par with the Super Strong Sword. I'm telling you to create one that surpasses it."
"...!"
Jacob's eyes widened as he stammered. His expression made it clear he wanted to jump out of his skin.
'Suffer a little. Your talent isn't meant to end at coating mass-produced goods with Mana Fire.'
The first order had proven Jacob could handle large quantities. Now it was time to test quality. I couldn't keep producing mass-market items forever, could I? He needed to catch up to Master Jain.
"I-I don't think I can make such a sword..."
"You weren't about to say you can't, were you?"
"...!"
I casually draped an arm around Jacob's shoulders and lowered my voice, speaking with quiet encouragement. I'm no good. I can't do it. Whine whine whine. What kind of man says that? Whether you can or can't, you have to try first.
"Do your best. If it's the result of your utmost effort, I won't be disappointed."
People don't succeed on their first try. Failing multiple times is natural. What matters is having the courage to challenge without fearing failure. Even if surpassing Master Jain seems impossible right now, only by attempting it will a path open. That was my intention, but...
"I-I will produce a result that will never disappoint youuuu!!!"
"..."
Evil God 'Kali' is impressed by your pressure tactics.
It seemed I'd placed quite a burden on Jacob. Well, whatever. Jacob appeared to be the type of horse that ran better when whipped.
"Do well, alright?"
"I will do my besttt!!!"
Watching Jacob shout, the workers inside who had been glancing our way turned deathly pale. Maybe I'd been too strict with discipline. While the workers weren't looking, I shook Jacob's hand and slipped something into it.
"It's an advance payment. This is a personal commission, so don't split it with the workers. Take it all for yourself. I'll pay the remaining half when it's complete, in exchange for the finished product."
"Y-Yes..."
I waved lightly and turned to climb into the carriage. As we rounded the corner and entered the road, I spotted something.
'What's he doing?'
Jacob was doing a handstand toward the carriage, feet pointed skyward as he bowed. Last time he'd asked what a "grand bow" was, so I'd taught him. Seeing it now was deeply embarrassing. I shouldn't have taught him.
'He's overreacting over three hundred million.'
What I'd given Jacob was a blank check for three hundred million larks. That amount was nothing. Since money was rotting away anyway, Jacob needed to get used to it gradually. Of course, I could have worked him to the bone without proper compensation, but once Jacob learned his true worth, he'd feel deeply betrayed. The most important thing in human relationships is trust. And someone who has consistently treated you fairly since your humble beginnings earns not just trust, but loyalty as well.
Anyway, with this I'd also commissioned something that would motivate Silvia. Now all that remained was to push forward with the opening of Belmont Security.
'I hope it goes well.'
This world was far more dangerous than it appeared. There was magic, evil gods, and black magic. Safety was never guaranteed. That's why I judged there would be considerable demand for security services. The investment amount wasn't small either. I'd already hired staff and produced equipment. Failure would be quite painful.
...Though even then, one year's worth of road tolls would recover the losses.
"Silvia. Where's Silvia?"
"My lord...!"
The moment I stepped out of the carriage after returning to the mansion, Silvia came running out barefoot in a hurry. Instead of her usual work pants and tight uniform, she wore a light, flowing dress. Her hair was disheveled, suggesting she'd rushed out.
"Did something urgent happen?"
"A vile rumor is spreading among the people!"
"A vile rumor?"
"The rumor that my lord is raising commoner slaves to take as wives has already spread far and wide!"
"...!"
Damn it. Who the hell spread that kind of rumor? That's just my personal hope, you know.