Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Servant Cedric (21) - Claudia's Goal
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A week.
After Cedric left, everyone had to scramble to fill the void he'd left behind.
The kitchen staff had to start preparing meals a bit earlier, the maids had to move a bit faster, and the guards had to stay even more vigilant, their tension ratcheted up a notch.
In other words, with just that much extra effort, Cedric's absence was easily covered.
Cedric had poked his nose into everything, but his actual share in any one area was surprisingly small. He'd meticulously adjusted things so no one would rely on him too heavily.
Some even marveled at how perfectly even his departure had been handled, but Claudia—the biggest beneficiary—was left with complicated feelings.
She'd sensed before that Cedric was preparing for life after he left, but vaguely assuming it and actually experiencing the results were two entirely different things.
Of course, the fact that his absence could be filled so easily didn't mean his influence was insignificant.
"Dorbe, Rupopo, the Blood Hounds have settled safely in Parus territory. Regardless of whether they're petty criminals or serious offenders, everyone's watching their step because of the hounds. The lords' representatives are reporting unprecedented stability in public safety, and they're very satisfied."
"Placing the Blood Hounds along the routes connecting Eched to friendly territories centered around Eched has made spotting and dealing with monsters or bandits astonishingly easier. Small and medium-sized merchants who can't afford large escorts are especially praising it."
"Territories with ties to Young Master Armin are staying silent, but those connected to Young Master Erwin and Miss Mira are starting to express interest in joining us. They've been making discreet approaches from behind the scenes."
"The empty lands scattered around Eched are filling up quickly with immigrants. The land remains territory-owned and is lent out, but after a certain period of cultivation, it's sold to them at a relatively low price. The response has been great."
Eched's growth rate was more like scaling a sheer cliff than climbing stairs.
Normally, such rapid expansion came with all sorts of side effects.
Especially if they just haphazardly recruited people because administration was straining—without a doubt, spies sent by outsiders wary of Eched's growth would turn the territory into a tense game of mafia.
In fact, a few like Armin Redbell had prepared spies, but contrary to expectations, Eched's talent recruitment was done extremely thoroughly and gradually.
The new administrative system Cedric had overhauled was so much more efficient than the old one that they didn't need to urgently hire masses of people to keep things running.
Of course, even recruiting slowly and carefully couldn't filter out every spy, but once they got in, those spies faced severe restrictions on their activities.
Because Blood Hounds were glaring from everywhere—whether in the mansion or the territory.
In truth, this surveillance wasn't all that absolute.
Claudia could receive intentions from the Blood Hounds, but while purebred ones gained rising intelligence as they clustered and elevated their presence, the modified variants topped out at just a bit smarter than their base animals.
They could report something like "Servant A met unknown Person B!" but figuring out exactly what they discussed was impossible.
However, that was something only Claudia, who led the Blood Hounds, knew.
For the spies, who could only guess how much of human speech and actions the hounds understood and reported upward, caution became their only option—they held back, and held back even more.
-Woof! Woof woof!
"The old Blood Hounds had a scary image, but these days, aside from the reddish fur, they're just so cute! I want to take one home and raise it!"
"I don't mind, but wouldn't having one around cramp your privacy?"
"Come on, it's not like I'd bring it into the bathroom. And if anyone tries to harm me, wouldn't they freeze up just from the lady's scary eyes, even with these guys around?"
"That's a good point. Maybe we distribute one to anyone who wants it."
If they'd known that this would turn receiving a Blood Hound among the servants into a badge of "I have nothing suspicious!" and a brag of "The lady looks out for me like this!", they would have ditched their spy roles, fled, or quietly switched sides.
In the past, abandoning Armin to join Claudia would have been idiotic unless you enjoyed hardship, but lately Claudia was growing so rapidly that switching was a viable option worth considering.
Still, that didn't mean there were no problems at all.
"Milady, Baron Vajes has requested Blood Hounds again."
"Tell him no. That guy's been taking bribes from criminals in his territory and ignoring the hounds' reports from the start. Why should I send any if that's how he acts?"
People who wanted to exploit the Blood Hounds' abilities but had no interest in the resulting improvements to civilian life.
"The Blood Hounds sent to the capital and the kingdom's western regions, starting with the capital, are being killed off rapidly. It seems the Sarnos Count family is behind it."
"These bastards really want a fight? No, we didn't even send them to their territory—it was neutral lands. Why are they flipping out?"
"They've always emphasized their claim as the 'sword protecting the kingdom.' They seem to think they should be at the center of public safety maintenance too."
Open checks and pressure from rival factions.
"Milord, administration and paperwork are still fine, but the field operations, starting with the guards, are screaming for help. Maintaining internal security is one thing, but pushing into monster subjugation in nearby areas is overwhelming them."
"Didn't we hire a ton of people for that? Mass recruitment from idling immigrants without steady work, right?"
"Numbers are sufficient, but quality is the issue. There are far too few properly trained soldiers. Shouldn't we postpone nearby monster subjugation?"
"No. No matter how many internal criminals we weed out, without clearing the monsters gathering near the territory, we'll hit a limit."
However, the problem that most gave Claudia a headache wasn't that—it was the lack of military power.
She'd recruited plenty, equipped them well, emphasized group actions—done everything possible—but elevating the "quality of force" wasn't something you could just ramp up at will.
No need to look far: the Redbell Marquis family overwhelmingly dominated in nearly every aspect, yet couldn't claim a solid second place because they lagged in raw military might compared to the Sarnos Counts.
Systematic swordsmanship, efficient mana cultivation methods, talented personnel.
Because the Sarnos Counts scraped together anything related to "military power" with fierce determination, strong forces were hard to acquire in Birka Kingdom even with money.
"Ugh... Hm?"
As Claudia groaned, a certain conversation suddenly popped into her head.
One of those trivial chats with Cedric.
"...Adventurers."
"Pardon?"
"I mean, let's hire adventurers. They're military power you can buy with money, right?"
Her retainers looked troubled at Claudia's words.
"Milady, they're certainly skilled, but they're also filled with resentment toward nobles."
"Nobles around the capital like us get off lightly; the ones elsewhere are just trash or incompetent trash, they say. Isn't it natural they'd be hated?"
"They might commit grave rudeness toward you."
"Would it be ruder than Cedric?"
"Ahem! Also, they've lost their guild master—their focal point—due to a reckless subjugation operation recently and are in considerable chaos. They probably won't respond even if you summon them."
"Still, try calling them first. Dealing with people aside, monsters are their specialty."
The retainers all fell silent.
She no longer spewed violence and abuse like before, but Claudia's bold personality and drive hadn't vanished.
If Claudia decided to do it, her subordinates had no choice but to follow, even if they had doubts.
A few days later.
An adventurer party arrived before Claudia.
"—C-class adventurer party 'Firefly,' leader Blanca."
She had sky-blue hair reminiscent of the open sky and matching eyes.
Her outfit—brown cloak, sword at her waist—was purely for combat, but her slender build and polite yet dignified speech gave no impression of roughness or barbarism.
She looked like she could swap to a neat suit and handle paperwork in an office without any sense of mismatch.
But Claudia instinctively sensed it.
'This woman's no pushover.'
Even facing the lady of the Redbell family—one of Birka Kingdom's top powers—Blanca simply regarded Claudia with calm, appraising eyes, devoid of fear or envy.
This contrasted sharply with her companions behind her, who masked their tension and fear with hostility or feigned nonchalance.
"Firefly, I've heard of you. The incredibly strong adventurers who took down a lich, right?"
"I didn't do it alone. I merely shared in the achievements of a comrade who was more devoted and heroic than anyone."
"Fine, whatever. I care more about skill than fame. You've confirmed the request details? I want you operating centered on Eched, continuously subjugating monsters in nearby undeveloped zones. Base contract is six months, with possible extensions. Extra rewards for exceeding monster quotas or taking down special individuals beyond the request's scope. Any issues?"
"No problem with the request itself. But may I ask one personal question?"
"Personal question?"
Claudia tilted her head for a moment but soon nodded.
"Sure, go ahead."
"What is the purpose of this request?"
Blanca fixed Claudia with her characteristic impassive gaze.
"I saw Eched territory on the way here. Lots of smiling people. Means it's a good place to live. In other words, people already seem satisfied with the current security and safety. So why spend such a fortune demanding 'more' than that?"
Claudia answered without hesitation.
"Because 'a good place to live' isn't enough for me. I want the 'best' territory. And someday, not just my territory, but the entire Birka Kingdom."
"You, a Birka noble? Don't your kind care how the commoners live?"
Her provocative tone blanched the adventurers who'd come with Blanca, while Claudia's retainers flushed red.
As Eched's knights moved to intervene, Claudia raised a hand to stop them and replied.
"Yeah, I didn't care before. And honestly, even now, it's just better than before—not like I suddenly care a ton or find the commoners lovable."
"Then why?"
"Because the guy who saved me wanted a kingdom like that."
At Claudia's words, Blanca's breath hitched briefly.
Blanca's hand. Her ringed fist clenched momentarily, then relaxed.
Soon, Blanca bowed her head.
"Understood. Sorry for the rude question."
"It's fine. So, will you cooperate?"
"My path differs from yours, Milady, but I have a will I must carry on. And it doesn't clash much with the road you're taking."
"Hm."
Claudia hummed.
She wasn't the most magnanimous person, but for some reason, she felt she'd get along well with this adventurer.
"Blanca, was it? Looking forward to working with you."
"Likewise, for the time being. Claudia."
The two exchanged gentle smiles.
The same time, Golden Cloud Palace.
"Looks like I've been too quiet lately."
Lucidra snorted at the Crown Prince's words.