Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Servant Cedric (9) - Public Security is for Watchdogs
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Eched Territory Lord's Office.
The space, which should have been filled with strictness and solemnity, was now brimming with an utterly adorable, fluffy atmosphere.
-Woof!
-Whine.
Blood magic beasts.
Special magical lifeforms born from the Redbell family's secret technique—beings so powerful that even seasoned warriors wouldn't dare challenge them.
But right now, they had shrunk to the size of medium dogs, multiplied into hundreds, and completely filled the mansion courtyard.
"I did as you advised, but is this really going to help?"
Cedric flashed a bright smile at the dubious Claudia and replied.
"Of course, miss! These magic beasts will be the perfect workers to reform Eched."
"Hmm."
Originally, the blood magic beasts Claudia could handle were five Rank 3 specimens.
But Cedric had asked her to ignore their individual strength and maximize their numbers instead.
Thanks to that, their numbers had surged, but their power had dropped to match their new appearance—ordinary medium-sized dogs.
"Didn't you say you'd use them to bolster the territory's security? In this state, they couldn't even handle pickpockets unless the thief was a child. And if the criminal knew even a scrap of magic, they'd swat aside a whole pack with ease."
"It doesn't matter. Most threats to the territory's security are petty criminals anyway, and combat makes up only a tiny part of what these blood magic beasts need to do."
In Cedric's view, the true value of the Redbell family's secret wasn't regeneration or combat prowess.
It was that each blood magic beast possessed a degree of free will and the intelligence to understand orders from their master, Claudia.
They had abilities akin to dogs in appearance, and could sustain themselves by eating food without needing her magic supply.
What could you achieve by deploying hundreds of medium dogs that got along well with people and horses wherever needed?
"From now on, these blood magic beasts will roam freely throughout the city. And when they spot a crime in back alleys—be it thugs or pickpockets—they'll growl and warn the culprit."
"What if the criminal ignores them as just dogs or attacks them instead?"
"No problem. They retreat, call other blood magic beasts, and swarm as a group. If that's too tough, they can alert the guards directly. The guards won't need to patrol; they'll become a rapid response team, deploying wherever the beasts signal danger."
Numbers alone are power.
No ordinary criminal can stand against a fully armed guard unit charging in as a group, ready for battle.
"Even if criminals avoid being spotted by the beasts or kill one to silence it before it flees, it won't help. The beasts can track them by scent left at the scene."
A dog's tracking via scent, when used properly, far surpasses humans.
Criminals thrive not because they're stronger than the entire guard force, but because they can hide or escape. The blood magic beasts will hunt them down relentlessly.
"Still, there must be some with abilities to erase their appearance or scent completely, right?"
"True. But what truly burdens security forces isn't those rare powerful crimes by elites—it's the endless petty incidents. If you suppress or resolve 99 out of 100 cases instantly, the remaining one can get the full organizational focus."
Hundreds or thousands of minor crimes impact a city's security far more than a single sensational murder.
And in this fantasy era where lives are cheap, a territory with drastically low crime rates is a massive draw in itself.
"This isn't limited to cities or villages. Station blood magic beasts at intervals along key roads into Eched, and have them patrol. Bandits or monsters ambushing travelers can be eliminated by concentrating forces, just like in the city. It instills the idea that 'roads to Eched are safe' in merchants and travelers."
Eched had decent potential to begin with.
Once the reputation for safety takes hold and people flock in, a virtuous cycle is inevitable.
"But anyone from the Redbell family could do this. If others copy it, doesn't that devalue me again?"
"That's why you must keep honing your ability to control them. The system's core is how many you can handle simultaneously."
Above all, Cedric added.
"I doubt your siblings will use it this way."
"Why not?"
"Efficiency aside, they'd see it as their blood-born extensions—like clones—reduced to scurrying around like literal dogs for guard duty."
Claudia nodded in realization at Cedric's words. Ah, yes.
She'd already let go of such pride, but she couldn't imagine her haughty siblings doing the same.
She chuckled softly.
"Then those guys will be hopping mad soon. Crying about family disgrace and sullying our noble secret."
Except for one.
She couldn't predict the marquis's reaction.
How would that cunning, cold politician take it?
The Redbell marquis's residence was renowned as one of the grandest and most opulent in the Kingdom of Virka.
An inner courtyard vast enough for horse races.
A lake where you could row boats for leisure, not just fish.
The main mansion, humbly lower than the royal palace out of minimal courtesy to the crown, yet larger in area.
Guest annexes around it housed over a hundred visitors, who waited months for a mere thirty-minute audience with the marquis.
His time for guests was a fraction of his schedule, and many had seen him leisurely strolling, yet none dared complain.
No fool would whine to the kingdom's top power—someone even the king negotiated with rather than commanded—about being made to wait while he relaxed. Such idiocy wouldn't even get you through the gates as a guest.
His vassals were no different.
Lumped as "vassals," they spanned countless ranks and roles. Only a elite few could face the marquis directly.
It was only natural.
A corporate chairman doesn't take reports from grunts or mid-managers.
But like a CEO whimsically summoning an employee for chat, the marquis did the same.
"So... my daughter has declared war on me. That's the gist, right?"
The territory proxy, bowing before him, hurriedly replied to the marquis's words.
"W-well, precisely, she said to watch as she reforms Eched herself, then decide her role afterward."
"That's a declaration of war. She's essentially vowing to overturn my will."
Hearing the marquis's flat tone, the proxy swallowed dryly.
Claudia had threatened not to twist her words, and strictly speaking, he hadn't omitted or distorted anything.
If the marquis interpreted it this way anyway, it wasn't his fault, right?
Thus, the proxy quickly agreed.
"It seems the young lady is recklessly charging ahead due to her inexperience with the world."
"Hm, reckless. Is that your view?"
"Yes, my lord. She's... rather emotional, after all."
"True, she does have that side."
As the marquis showed agreement, the proxy's rigid posture eased slightly.
To him, the marquis asked amiably.
"So, what should I do?"
"She's seized the lordship through coercive use of blood magic beasts. An ignorant novice ruling by brute force will breed discord, so dispatch elite knights immediately to subdue her."
"Hmm, is that all? No other measures needed?"
"Handle it quietly to avoid escalation."
"I see."
The Redbell marquis nodded, then said to the proxy.
"Understood. You're dismissed."
"Yes."
The proxy bowed obsequiously once more and scurried away.
Once he was gone.
The marquis spoke.
"You there."
His stoic guard knight, standing expressionless like a doll, stepped forward and bowed.
"Yes, my lord."
"I'm starting to think I've been too lenient with my vassals. That proxy loses his land and says nothing about accountability or punishment."
"I'll handle it appropriately."
"Good. Make an example of him. Others will learn."
The proxy—no, former proxy's fate was sealed.
He would never see another sunrise.
"Hmm."
The marquis stroked his goatee, lost in thought.
About how to respond to Claudia's bold move.
"So, is that idiot's report all the news from Eched?"
Another vassal stepped forward at the question.
"The young lady purged about thirty percent of the proxy's bureaucrats, replacing them with fresh talent."
The marquis nodded.
"Right. Positions aren't yours just by sitting in them. To wield real power, you need your own people in the bureaucracy. But here's the puzzle: does she even have 'her people'?"
"She brought in servants from the mansion who attended her."
"Hah."
A small laugh escaped the marquis.
"Makes sense. With no maternal support or personal base, those are her only usable talents. But that leaves the territory in shambles, no?"
Servants aiding noble daily life differ from vassals handling noble duties.
Some houses overlap the roles, but as far as he knew, only Head Butler Bestian among Claudia's servants had administrative skills.
"Yet... no administrative issues have arisen. On the contrary, people are increasingly drawn there due to new policies."
"New policies?"
"This way."
The vassal handed over a report, which the marquis reviewed.
Then muttered.
"She's lost her mind."
The vassal's icy composure twitched faintly.
It wasn't odd for the marquis to react so.
He himself had double-checked the on-site reports multiple times, doubting their accuracy.
"I'll address it immediately."
"No, leave it be."
"...Is that wise?"
The marquis's lip curled.
"Ever grown flowers?"
"No, sir."
"I have."
He plucked a bloom from a nearby bed.
"Can't eat it, no special medicine. Useless beyond looks. Yet people pay dozens, hundreds of gold for such flowers. I didn't get it, but I grew them anyway—knowing someone would buy high. It was profitable once, before the fad died."
"..."
"Intervene now, and it stays a mere flower. Low value to me, but gold to others. Play it right, and it becomes valuable to both. Why not let it grow for profit?"
The vassal spoke.
"But mishandle it, and you might lose even the initial value."
"No matter. Squeeze harder then."
His tone was calm, but the chill was profound.
Then, a bee buzzed from nowhere toward the flower in his hand.
Before his guards moved, a beast from his sleeve snapped it up, vanishing like a mirage.
The marquis chuckled.
"...Though I won't swat every bug that buzzes around."