Chapter 39
Jade looked up at the castle that had once been the seat of House Leon.
The castle that was now the seat of House Kang.
He had also been granted the surrounding territories, including the Leon Barony, and there were castles larger and more splendid than this one among them, but Jade chose this castle.
Partly because he thought the original owner of this body might have wanted it, and partly because it was close to the Great Forest.
Kkyuuuu!
Despite the considerable distance remaining to the Great Forest, Whid was excited the moment he arrived.
The familiar air carried the feeling of home, and he loved it.
-What if we just tear it all down and build it again?
-We have an all-purpose worker, after all. We could make it exude the feeling of Earth, where Jade was born. Wouldn't that become the marquisate's landmark?
-Our wind spirits can help, too! We could start cleaning as soon as construction is finished!
Silestin and Elestra, just as excited as Whid, offered their opinions.
To the two spirits, the lord's castle looked far too old and shabby.
But Jade had a different opinion.
“It needs to stay this way for the symbolism: it shows that I took over the Leon Barony.”
-Hmm, that's true, but it's so shabby! It doesn't suit Jade's status!
-I agree. I don't mind staying here temporarily, but it's far too inadequate to serve as Jade's seat.
Elestra said this with an utterly cold expression.
There was such a thing as too old-fashioned; this was simply worn-out and decrepit.
So this time, Jade agreed with Silestin's opinion.
“This castle existed even before House Leon. House Leon didn't build it.”
-Then let's build an entirely new one. If we put the earth spirits to work, it'll be done in no time! It's not as if we lack land to build on, and we're rich now, aren't we?
Silestin tried to persuade Jade.
It would have been a different matter if he had no money, but Jade now possessed quite a sizable fortune.
He had swallowed up House Leon's wealth, and the royal family had also given him considerable riches as a reward for receiving his title.
“We certainly have a lot. But we already have a lord's castle in the center of the territory. There's no need to build another one.”
-We can demolish it and rebuild it! It'll be done in no time if we put the earth spirits to work! They don't get tired or slack off!
“That would be unnecessary. A lord's castle isn't just bedrooms. Where would the people who work there stay?”
-Uh……
“The earth spirits could build one quickly, yes. But there's no need to go that far. I won't be staying at the lord's castle all the time, either. I'll mainly stay at the villa in Baden Village.”
At the mention of a villa, Silestin's eyes lit up, as did Elestra's and Whid's.
It was the first time they had heard anything about it.
-A villa?
“Yes. I'll leave the Great Forest hideout as it is, but we'll live in the village. There's no need for us to hide anymore.”
-Let's build the villa! Something completely unique!
“We will.”
-Yay!
Silestin jumped up and down in place, delighted.
Silestin had to give up the lord's castle, but that didn't matter at all.
The villa alone was enough to satisfy Silestin.
Kkyuuuu! Kkyuu!
Whid was delighted as well at the news that they would have a new home.
It cried out while waving both front paws wildly in the air.
“Good grief.”
Jade clicked his tongue at Silestin, who had lived for countless ages yet was acting like a child.
Jade himself had little to enjoy even if they acquired a villa.
-It would be nice if the villa had a small pond, too. A lake, if possible.
“Even a modest pond should be good enough for playing in.”
-We have to think about Whid growing up, too. All this land belongs to Jade anyway, doesn't it?
“That's true.”
He no longer had to live by scraping and saving every little thing.
He had plenty of money and more than enough ability.
Apart from a few races, he had almost no rivals, either.
‘There must be some reclusive masters hiding somewhere.’
There were no publicly known Grand Masters on the Arpedia continent.
But the fact that none were known did not guarantee that none existed.
Even without being Grand Masters, this world was teeming with monsters beyond explanation.
The nearby Great Forest alone was a prime example.
“A pleasure to meet you, my lord. My name is Alfredo, and I will be serving you from now on.”
“Ah, yes. A pleasure to meet you.”
Perhaps it was because they'd been chatting for so long.
The firmly closed door opened, and an elderly head butler who nonetheless looked sturdy approached and greeted him politely.
But Jade's expression grew strange when he heard the head butler's name.
The name was so familiar that he was momentarily flustered.
“I'll explain everything in the great hall. Everyone is waiting for you there as well.”
“Let's go.”
“Yes.”
Jade nodded at Alfredo's concise explanation of the situation.
Aside from his grave bearing, Alfredo looked like someone who would be good at his job.
The only problem was that there did not seem to be much for him to do.
‘Perhaps that's why he came to a rural place like this.’
The Kang marquisate was far from the capital and bordered the Great Forest, one of the most dangerous forbidden regions.
In other words, it was a territory with nothing to see or gain.
But it had one advantage: it was quiet and unhurried.
There were relatively few residents, so there were also fewer matters to attend to.
Creak.
As he mulled over various thoughts, Jade arrived at the great hall before he knew it.
The great hall was lined with people on either side.
-This is our first time here.
-Still, it looks like they cleaned it properly. You can tell they put effort into it.
-But it's shabby.
Silestin said this in an utterly ruthless tone.
No matter how thoroughly one washed and polished old shoes, they could never become new.
The lord's castle was no different.
It was well maintained, but the traces of time could not be erased.
“Nice to meet you!”
“Greetings!”
As soon as Jade entered through the door Alfredo opened for him, loud voices rang out from every direction.
They were all unmistakably tense.
Step, step.
Feeling the gazes of everyone boring into him, Jade quietly walked toward the innermost part of the hall.
He slowly approached the seat reserved for the lord alone.
“It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Jade.”
“It is an honor to meet you!”
The people answered Jade's words after he sat down, their voices taut with zeal.
Most of those present were young men, while the maids who would manage the lord's castle, including the head maid, stood in a line to one side.
Yet there were only three knights.
The number of knights was woefully inadequate for the size of the territory.
“I greet you, my lord. I am Ged, a knight.”
“I am Ilait.”
“I am Kevin.”
At Jade's glance, the three knights dropped to one knee with military precision and introduced themselves.
All three, however, were on the young side as well.
They looked to be around thirty.
“I hear you came on Marquis Haines's recommendation.”
“Please speak freely, my lord.”
“I'll do so once we're more familiar with one another. We have only just met today.”
“Understood.”
“Are you dissatisfied with being assigned here?”
Jade looked at the three of them in turn.
Though his voice was gentle, not one of them dared answer carelessly.
Jade might have been young, but he was a Master-level powerhouse.
Moreover, his swordsmanship was superior to theirs as well, so the three men cautiously looked at one another.
“To be honest, we volunteered to come here. None of us comes from a powerful family, and none of us possesses exceptional talent, so we thought experience was the only thing we could rely on. Of course, that wasn't the only reason we came. We thought that if we worked alongside a lord who had become a noble despite being a commoner, an opportunity might come our way as well. Dangerous work always comes with commensurate rewards.”
“I believe you know about the territory's situation.”
“Yes. Considering its size, everything is in short supply, but if we look at it another way, I think that means opportunity for us.”
“You gave this considerable thought before coming.”
“It's a matter of putting our lives on the line.”
As though the first time had been difficult and the second easy, Ged laid bare his thoughts.
The other two knights nodded faintly, as if they shared the same opinion.
But Jade did not find their attitude objectionable.
People ultimately acted in their own interests.
Moreover, all three had come on Haines's recommendation, so Jade understood their position well enough.
To be honest, he wasn't particularly concerned about it.
-They're nothing special.
-They're below the average for the royal knights. Just as they said, their talent is ordinary.
-At least they're quick-witted.
-They need to have at least one thing they're good at.
Silestin and Elestra evaluated them in Jade's place.
They were not unworthy of being called knights, but neither did they possess outstanding skill.
Their mana reserves alone made their level obvious, so the two spirits muttered indifferently.
Yaaawn.
Lately, Whid had grown increasingly sleepy and demanding.
He did nothing but doze, even amid the booming voices of the people and the tense atmosphere in the great hall.
“Then I'll leave the soldiers' training to the three of you.”
“Won't you recruit more knights?”
Ged, apparently speaking for the others, asked cautiously.
Remote as it was, the territory bordered the Great Forest.
Thus, even during House Leon's time, the number of knights had always been around fifty.
Although their skill was another matter, the territory had at least maintained a certain number of knights, so Ged and the other two were bewildered when Jade showed no intention of recruiting more.
“Of course I plan to recruit more gradually. But I have no intention of rushing it. I plan to remain in Baden Village for the time being.”
“Ah.”
The three knights, as well as the administrators who would be responsible for running and managing the territory, nodded.
With a high-ranking spirit mage who was also a peak Sword Expert at the front line, there was no need to worry about monster attacks.
Besides, the true form of the Gold Drake adorably cradled in Jade's arms was said to be over three meters tall.
Thus, they did not need to worry much about Baden Village's defenses.
“So the three of you need only focus on training the soldiers. If you spot anyone with promising talent, recruit them as apprentice knights.”
“Understood.”
Ged's eyes lit up.
His expression showed that he had grasped Jade's intention instantly.
“And as for managing the territory….”
“The handover is complete. There may be some friction, but I don't think there will be any major problems, my lord.”
“Did everyone who was here before leave?”
“All the administrators were replaced. The head maid was as well. However, I deemed a few people indispensable, so I left them in place.”
Alfredo answered without hesitation.
Jade nodded at the reliable answer, which reflected Alfredo's years of experience.
“For now, I will keep watch. After all, it was His Highness the Crown Prince who personally selected and sent you here. But remember this. Just because I have little interest in managing the territory does not mean I will tolerate corruption. Anyone who commits a crime will pay the appropriate price. Conversely, as Sir Ged said, this may be an opportunity for someone. If you have ability, I intend to treat you accordingly regardless of your status.”
“I will bear it in mind!”
Nervous yet excited voices filled the great hall.
Though brief, the meeting was more than enough for them to understand Jade's thoughts.
And no word stirred people's hearts like opportunity.
Besides, Jade was clearly no ordinary man; he was destined to become a major power in the Folstein Kingdom.
Many had come with that in mind, and their eyes burned with fervor.
“Then let's end the formalities here. You're all busy people, after all.”
“Understood.”
Since meetings and greetings were best kept short, Jade dismissed them.
There was nothing more to say, either.
However, the atmosphere was completely different from how it had been at the beginning.