Chapter 54
Chapter 54
"......Why? Why can't I?!"
[Mithril isn't something you can buy just because you have money. While its monetary value is as you mentioned, the quantity is so scarce that...]
"Are you saying it's unavailable?"
Logan still clung to the hope that money could solve anything.
[To put it bluntly, yes. A purchase of 100 kg isn't just about money—it requires influence.]
As Logan, who had been a mercenary in his past life barely able to glimpse mithril, this was an unfamiliar hurdle.
"Huh...? Influence?"
Stunned by the sudden, tangible obstacle, Logan hesitated.
But soon, a solution came to mind.
"Would the Sword Duke's influence be enough?"
[What?! But would he even intervene? You're just business acquaintances...]
Though Philip expressed doubt, Logan knew his relationship with the Sword Duke went beyond mere transactions.
He couldn't explain it in detail to Philip, but the Sword Duke clearly held more goodwill toward him than a simple buyer-seller relationship.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I'll have to ask."
[I'm worried you might lose the trust you've built.]
"If trust disappears from a single request, it wasn't there to begin with. I'll ask first."
Leaving behind Philip's worried expression, Logan immediately input another set of coordinates into the communication device.
Though he was anxious—having never used these coordinates before—luckily, the connection was established quickly.
[This is the residence of Duke Felix Esperanza. The connecting coordinates are... MacLaine? P-Please hold for a moment.]
[......Where is this? Do we know anyone in this backwater...]
Though some unpleasant words slipped through, the coordinates were correct.
And about thirty minutes later...
[W-Wait, the Duke is already—?!]
[Damn it! Who knew someone important was in this godforsaken place?!]
[Hey, the comm line's still—]
[Ah! I'm screwed...!]
[W-We apologize! The Duke will be with you shortly.]
Amidst the chaotic clamor from the other end, a familiar face appeared, followed by a well-known voice.
[It's been a while, Logan.]
"I hope you've been well, Your Grace."
[I have. Aside from the lack of news from the man I taught a thing or two.]
The Sword Duke's subtle resentment revealed a pettier side than Logan had expected.
"Hahaha. How could I dare send personal greetings to Your Grace? I know my place."
Logan's smooth smile didn't waver, though his face had grown thicker over time.
[Still as slick-tongued as ever. Well, you contacted me at the right time. I was about to reach out to thank you.]
The completely unexpected words shattered Logan's carefully maintained composure.
"Wh... What?"
What thanks? Did I do something without realizing?
Or was this a veiled threat disguised as gratitude? A reprimand for taking so long to contact him?
A flurry of thoughts raced through Logan's mind in that brief moment.
[My wife is with child. No—she's already past three months. My decades-long wish has finally been fulfilled. And it's all thanks to you.]
The Sword Duke's radiant expression dispelled all Logan's worries.
"Guh—! C-Congratulations, Your Grace!"
[Yes, thank you. It's thanks to you.]
"How could it be my doing? Your Grace was surely the one who... cough!"
His runaway tongue barely stopped under the desperate grip of rationality.
"Ahem. It's... heaven's blessing."
[Bahahaha! Still as shameless as ever. Well, yes—heaven's blessing, and my efforts too. But before that, it was your doing. Truly, thank you.]
"Ah... haha."
The Sword Duke's tone remained refreshingly candid, unbefitting his status.
Faced with such uncalculated, pure joy and gratitude, Logan couldn't help but smile naturally.
"I'm glad I contacted you at the right time."
[Indeed. If you hadn't, I might've sent a sword strike your way. I need to see if you've properly mastered the Heavy Pressure Sword before deciding whether to teach you the next technique.]
"Haha. Just hearing that is enough gra—cough! Wait, what did you just say?"
[What, you don't want it? Should I just mention it and leave it at that?]
"N-No! Of course, I'd be grateful!"
Still dazed, Logan hastily waved his hands.
[Good. You're not the type to refuse. So once the child is born, come to the capital. My wife wants to thank you personally. I'll throw a grand feast.]
"Haha. A feast? Your words alone are more than enough."
[Then should I not teach you the technique?]
Logan's attempt at polite refusal vanished instantly at those words.
"......What kind of feast? Is there a dress code? I'll match whatever you desire. Just spare me the skirts...."
[Pfft—hahaha! That's more like you.]
So what exactly is "like me" here?
Sigh.
'This isn't bad news, but the timing is inconvenient.'
What was supposed to be a simple request now risked wasting time on unrelated matters...
"Ah—! Your Grace! My apologies, but before the feast... could you help me acquire some mithril?"
Nearly swept away by the Sword Duke's sudden news, Logan had almost forgotten his primary objective.
[Mithril? You've got plenty of money—just buy it, no?]
"Well... I need about 100 kg."
[......100 kg? Not 100 g?]
"Yes. That's why I contacted you."
[Hah. So you need influence.]
Fortunately, the Sword Duke grasped the issue immediately.
[You've made that much money? Heh. That medicine must've been something else.]
Though a slight misunderstanding arose, Logan laughed it off rather than explain in detail.
[Fine. Assuming you have the money, what do you need so much for?]
"I want to forge mithril-alloy weapons for my knights who've endured hardships."
[For regular knights? Mithril weapons?]
"Yes."
[......Heh. I underestimated your generosity.]
"......Huh?"
[Even I wouldn't invest that much in ordinary knights. You're truly unique—no, remarkable.]
Somehow, the misunderstanding seemed to be growing.
[Good. I like this. You're worth taking under my wing.]
Logan blinked in confusion—what exactly was being "taken" here?
[I'll step in personally. Have your subordinate in the capital assist me.]
As the awaited words fell, Logan's back instinctively bent in gratitude.
"Thank you, Your Grace."
[Heh. It's no trouble. But you must attend the feast when the child is born. And around then, I'd like you to call me 'Master' instead of stiff titles. Contact me more often before that too.]
"......Huh?"
[Once things are settled, I'll contact you again.]
Bzzt.
With what looked like an embarrassed expression, the Sword Duke unilaterally ended the call.
Logan stood dumbfounded for a long moment before clenching his fist and turning away.
And then—
"WOOOOOH!"
In the empty room, he let out a triumphant shout.
'The Sword Duke's disciple. Nice, very nice.'
What was meant to be a small favor had turned into a golden opportunity.
Logan couldn't contain his elation.
'Once Hamar finishes the crossbow and town projects, I'll entrust him with the mithril too.'
Excited, he nearly rushed to Hamar but managed to stop himself.
'Let him enjoy his break.'
Logan still remembered how efficiency improved after Hamar's last short rest.
Not everyone could push themselves endlessly like him.
So he kept his future plans to himself.
'What a merciful employer I am.'
Logan swelled with pride at his own growth.
Of course, he remained oblivious to the dwarf napping outside, who jolted awake from a nightmare before spitting and scattering salt around the lodging.
"Re-contract... as soldiers?"
Kai's dry tone held good reason.
As the contract period for Logan's mercenary band—hired to prepare for the war against Tesron—nears its end, the employer made an unusual proposal.
"Yes. I'll appoint you as a training instructor, with treatment equivalent to a knight. Others can also enlist as regular soldiers if they wish."
Apart from Kai, the rest were mere C-rank mercenaries.
While the offer was groundbreaking, that very fact made it...
"Few will accept. Their monthly pay will drop significantly."
"But it's stable."
"Hard to say. Long-term contracts are different. Some choose mercenary life precisely because they dislike being tied down."
"You too?"
"I'd be satisfied with knight-level treatment. Being an instructor suits me. And..."
"And?"
"I'd like to see how this family grows."
A smile crept onto Logan's face at the answer.
"Not just hoping for future crumbs?"
"Well, that's part of it too."
"Good. If I can secure you, the others can be bound to two-year contracts."
"What if some refuse...?"
"Refusal is refusal. You know why, right?"
"......I see."
The reason was simple: the repeating crossbows.
Though they would inevitably spread eventually, now was not the time.
Even if some mercenaries wanted to end their one-year contracts early, Logan had no intention of letting them go.
'Even if some, like Ulvs, are already interested, one success isn't enough to convince them yet.'
But once the civil war begins and House MacLaine achieves another victory, the situation will change entirely.
'There could be spies, theft, or losses during war. Can't stop everything.'
At the latest, the crossbows would spread within two years.
Until then, strict control was necessary.
"Some will resist."
"Crush them. You can handle that."
"Still..."
"But if they still want to leave afterward, I won't stop them."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Kai's emerald eyes scrutinized him skeptically, but Logan didn't flinch.
"You're serious."
"I'm always serious."
"......You're not planning to start a war within two years, are you?"
At Kai's cautious question, Logan smirked.
"I'm not a warmonger."
War was just inevitable.
"I'll... follow your orders."
Unable to decipher Logan's smile, Kai bowed again.
"Let's start with soldier training first."
"Understood."
"Soon, we'll recruit about a thousand more trainees. Combined with existing soldiers, they'll undergo basic combat training and crossbow cavalry drills."
"......What?"
The first task as an official training instructor left Kai more bewildered than expected.
- Recruitment Notice. Qualifications: Males aged 16-20. Simple tests at MacLaine Castle and Tesron Castle...
The so-called "Miracle of the Wasteland" had bolstered trust in Logan and House MacLaine immensely.
But that didn't immediately solve survival concerns.
With food rations' duration uncertain—let alone lasting until next year—many remained skeptical.
Thus, parents with children of eligible age eagerly pushed them to enlist.
Some even...
"Rom, son of Rick from the eastern village. Sixteen this year..."
"What sixteen?! You look barely thirteen!"
"Raum, son of Pan from the western village. Sixteen this year!"
"Tch, you're fifteen! Don't think we forgot the census during ration distribution! What's wrong with you people?!"
Parents lied about their children's ages to get them enlisted.
"Was recruiting so many necessary? Conventionally, soldiers are drafted at twenty, with numbers ten times the knights..."
"Didn't I say I'd handle it?"
"......Yes."
Dwain began grumbling again, but troop expansion was non-negotiable.
Logan was willing to accept minor setbacks to maintain this direction.
If anything, the limited pool disappointed him.
'Ideally, I'd recruit girls too. But in this kingdom right now...'
Logan shuddered imagining the massive backlash that would provoke.
While he could suppress dissent within his territory, the fierce opposition from other nobles—whom he'd eventually have to conquer—would be unmanageable.
'The Empire had many female knights...'
He lamented this kingdom's archaic male-dominated culture.
'Unless I conquer the entire kingdom... No, even then, it might not work.'
Logan shook his head, dismissing unrealistic thoughts.
'Numbers alone don't matter. What's important is selecting those with knight potential.'
This recruitment was about the distant future.
More soldiers now would only serve auxiliary roles.
Even with crossbows, a thousand more would suffice.
The civil war would be fought with elites.
With about a year left, further expansion was excessive.
This recruitment alone...
"Over two thousand applicants. MacLaine Castle alone has over a thousand. Administrative processing is paralyzed..."
"The knights insist on selecting soldiers themselves since they'll command them. Some even want to go to Tesron..."
As vassals voiced their opinions, Logan raised a hand to silence them.
"Tell the knights to focus on their training. I'll handle MacLaine Castle personally. Dwain, Pellan, and Rugel—you three assist."
"Ugh... Why me?"
"Should I do it alone?"
Though knights were traditionally responsible—and eager—why involve administrators?
The trio's aggrieved stares didn't faze Logan.
'These soldiers will be molded anew. Knights with fixed mindsets won't do.'
Thus, establishing clear standards was crucial.
"Current soldiers are all considered knight trainees, correct?"
"Yes. Some have quit training, but officially..."
"Separate the existing quitters. From new recruits, pick those with talent or grit to form a knight trainee unit."
"Huh? Then what about the others? Send them home...?"
As Dwain jumped up, Logan corrected him.
"No. Create a standing army. How long will we rely on militias and village guards? Wasting manpower training hopeless cases as 'knight trainees'?"
"......But they were selected based on potential."
"I'm revising those standards."
"Huh?"
Anticipating lengthy debates, Logan swiftly cut in.
"Details later. Remember two things: we're forming a standing army, and I'll personally screen knight trainees."
"With the lord's permi—"
"Who am I?"
"......Do as you please."
Watching Dwain sigh, Logan smiled.