The Lord's Indolent Verdict
Millia returned to her office in Kernax's house, firmly closing the door behind her before wiping the polite smile from her face. Her expression turned nearly blank, laced with boredom. She let out a short sigh and plopped her ass down on the chair in front of the desk piled high with documents.
"Goddamn cheap-ass chair..."
The chair she used at the mansion could recline freely, but the one Kernax used was a bargain-issue model with just a single cushion slapped on it. Millia slouched sideways, hiking one leg up onto the seat and resting her chin on her knee.
Just one cartload to equip 305 people fully...
"Even the lord would be shocked to hear this."
She hadn't verified the items with her own eyes yet, but Millia didn't think the man named Smith was lying.
"Even so... just a week. No, factoring in the time he was passed out, about five days? Ha, to churn out enough gear to arm 300 people in that short span."
And the materials used for 300 sets? A single cartload of iron ingots. No matter how she turned it over in her mind, it was absurd.
"The lord said to turn a blind eye no matter how much he skimmed, but this is too much."
She'd figured he'd pocket maybe five bundles at most. But no—not even close. A whopping five full carts.
"In coin, that's gotta be..."
The territory had its own iron mine, so ingots were dirt cheap. Roughly five silver coins per ingot. Twenty ingots per sack, ten sacks per cart. So one sack was worth one gold coin, one cart ten gold. Simple math: fifty gold in pure profit.
Of course, the five carts were still fully loaded with sacks of ingots, so there was no actual loss. But still.
"Haa... This is the kind of thing I have to report even if I didn't want to."
Millia slipped her hand into her bosom and pulled out the familiar crystal orb. She manipulated it deftly, setting it on the desk. Soon, a soft blue light began to emanate from it.
"An unscheduled call. Hope it's not something annoying."
Millia pictured Ardel lounging at the border fortress, dumping all the tedious work on her while happily smashing monsters to her heart's content, then idly fiddling with the comm orb during her downtime. She ground her teeth silently.
"Hm. No reply yet, so probably nothing major."
"...Yes. Fortunately, there's nothing that requires any special measures."
"If it needed handling, you'd have taken care of it smoothly. That's why I sent you there specifically."
"Eek...!!"
Millia snatched up the glowing blue orb, raising it high. She wanted to smash it on the floor in one go, but its price—and the fact that she was talking to the lord herself—made her grit her teeth and set it back down.
"Hahaha. Drag it out and you'll just tire yourself. Spit it out quick and get back to work."
"I'd love to. But this doesn't seem like the short-and-sweet type."
"Let's hear it."
Even with that clear, refreshing voice that cleared the mind just to listen to, Millia furrowed her brows in irritation.
"It's about Smith."
"Looks like he's properly awake."
"Ow!! I'm talking here!!"
"No variables that force a plan revision, right?"
"......"
Millia gnashed her teeth at the utterly unreasonable situation—Ardel completely ignoring her words and demanding only the answer she wanted to hear.
"Yes....... There was no room for variables from the start. I just never expected him to, uh, pass out mid-intercourse."
"How old are you? Still using euphemisms like that? Just say sex."
"I-I find that more comfortable!!"
"A~ got it. My ears are ringing. Anyway, no variables? Even I find it annoying to ask three times."
"......What could possibly annoy the lord?"
"Having to receive reports like this. And contacting my daughter out of the blue is annoying too."
"Haa...."
A sigh escaped Millia's lips unbidden. That woman, who found everything annoying except monster hunting, had somehow managed the lordship all this time. It was nothing short of miraculous. Of course, she was annoyed by it all, but she was a monster of talent who excelled effortlessly in every field.
"Anyway... no variables. Just to be safe, I'll attach a knight when they depart tomorrow."
"Didn't you say there's someone with keen aura sense?"
"They've felt it once already, so even if they tag along, I don't think it'll raise alarms."
"Fine. Leave that to your on-site judgment."
"Then, may I continue from where we left off?"
"Go ahead."
Millia flipped off the orb in the direction of the brazen lord.
"I'll let that one slide."
"......Hic!"
Startled, Millia hiccuped and hastily hid her hand under the desk. An awkward silence followed. She swallowed and spoke.
"......Can you see me?"
"Of course not. I just predicted how you'd react. Looks like I nailed it. Hahaha."
Ardel laughed as if it were amusing, but to Millia, it sent chills down her spine, cold sweat beading on her back. The laughter stopped, and Millia sighed briefly before continuing.
"Anyway... your prediction was spot on. Smith claims he produced enough to arm 305 soldiers right on schedule."
"You haven't checked personally."
"No. Not yet. But Smith doesn't strike me as the scheming type like you or I. And it's tied to his lover. No reason to lie about something that'd be obvious right away."
"I see."
"Yes. And here's the real meat: the ingots used for 305 soldiers' worth? One cartload."
"Incredible."
The voice was flat, without inflection, but Millia knew from the rare exclamation from Lord Ardel that she was deeply shocked.
"You said to overlook whatever he skimmed off, but... this feels excessive, so I'm reporting it. Ignorance is one thing, but now that I know, we need to set clear boundaries."
"......"
A brief silence. Millia waited quietly for Ardel to speak. After a few minutes, she did.
"Leave it be."
"Lord."
Even as a command from the lord, as an administrator, it was impossible to accept.
"Smith belongs to the Adventurer's Guild, not us. We just take what we agreed on."
"Then let's reclaim the debt we waived as compensation."
"No. Leave it."
"No, lord? Do you think money grows on trees?"
"Remember that vampire spider nest last time? We made a killing on the byproducts."
"......"
Millia was at a loss for words. Come to think of it, Lord Ardel often cleared out burrowing monsters or beasts near the border, filling the territory's coffers with hefty gold hauls.
"......You're really just gonna let it slide?"
"I said it twice already."
"Haa...... This is a chance to multiply the territory's funds several times over with minimal effort. You know that—why?"
"Millia."
She flinched. The air grew as cold as a winter lakeside.
"Think I'll be sitting in this seat for years more?"
"......At least twenty years, minimum."
"Too long. I have no plans to stick around that much."
Tap. Tap. Tap. Sounds of something being drummed came through the orb.
"I've got three daughters below me—no reason to linger. If Ardella took over now, the retainers would rejoice. Why would I stay another twenty years?"
It was irrefutably true; Millia had no retort. Of course, the biggest reason was undoubtedly laziness.
"Smith. A fine lad, too good to compare to the weaklings around here. And apparently gifted with extraordinary abilities even I don't know about. As you say, Millia, a little maneuvering could balloon the territory's coffers. But..."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"......"
Millia waited for Ardel's next words.
"It's too late for that."
"......Pardon?"
Millia tilted her head at the sudden statement.
"Try to exploit that boy now, and a ferocious wolf will rip our wings to shreds."
"A wolf... you say?"
"A ferocious wolf. One that'd tear the heavens apart."
Millia couldn't fully grasp it. She took it to mean that messing with Smith would turn some dangerous figure into an enemy.
"So we can only hope Ardella treats him well. She's a bit shortsighted but honest and true to her lover. If they connect, she'll naturally bring benefits to the Filoria house."
"......Haa. Understood. Then I'll pray from here that your plans go smoothly."
"Another waste of time?"
"Why?"
Millia scowled. The soft blue light faded from the orb.
"Praying for Ardella to handle it well is more efficient than my plans."
"...Where's the efficiency in prayer? And if you're so worried, why not tell Ardella everything?"
"If she were as brazen as you, I would have. That's my one regret."
"......A compliment?"
"As an administrator, yes. As a human? Eh."
"Eek!!"
"Hahaha. No more to say, then. Ending call."
Click. The blue light from the orb gradually dimmed, returning to an ordinary crystal.
"Eeeeeek!!"
Worked up, Millia lunged her arm wildly at the orb. Thud. Her elbow bumped something, and her head turned slightly.
"Ah."
A stack of documents tilting into view caught her eye... Whoosh.
The leaning pile tumbled off the desk, scattering freely across the floor in all directions.
"......"
Millia couldn't straighten her back for a good while.