Chapter 46
Using the lamp's light to illuminate my hands, I sat at my desk and wrote on the document. Finally, I signed it with my name, Romelia von Graham, folded it neatly, and placed it in an envelope. Then I took an envelope, a red candle, and a seal engraved with the Graham family's crest from the desk drawer.
I reached out, drew the lamp closer, and removed the glass covering the flame. Then I held the red candle over the flame and slowly melted it. When the red wax was about to drip, I held the candle over the envelope and dripped the melted wax onto it. I sealed the envelope with red wax and pressed the seal into it before it hardened. Once the wax had cooled, I lifted the seal away, revealing a dove holding a leaf in its beak inside a shield. This was the Graham family's crest.
Sealing an envelope with a crest was simple, but it was important work that I could not entrust to someone else. That was because this tiny crest symbolized the Graham family's authority.
The crest made the letter more than my personal correspondence; it marked it as having been issued by the Graham family. As a result, a letter bearing the crest would not be treated lightly. In some cases, it could even serve as valid evidence in court. Of course, someone determined to do so could forge the crest, so its authority was not absolute.
"Well, that takes care of most of the letters, I suppose."
After finishing that task, I raised my head and stretched my back. Perhaps from spending so long writing letters, my body had stiffened and my joints creaked. I sighed at the pleasant feeling of loosening up and looked around the office. My refreshed mood immediately turned gloomy.
On the large desk in front of me, rolled-up maps and documents were piled into a mountain. Beyond the desk stood a knee-high table and two long benches, but the table was also covered with documents. There still was not enough room, so bundles of documents had been placed on the benches as well.
The documents on the table and benches had at least been read and approved. There was a room next door for storing documents. Putting them away would make this room look a little neater. But if I crammed them in without thinking, I would lose track of where anything was.
To store the documents, I first had to understand what they contained and sort them accordingly. It would be nice if I could organize them myself, but I had far too much work and absolutely no time to spare for sorting.
"We don't have enough people here, either..."
A complaint escaped my lips with a sigh.
The port under construction was short of laborers, but we were just as desperately short of clerical staff behind the scenes. At this rate, we'd reach our limit. I was honestly grateful for the offer from Borel's sister, Paula-san. I still did not know how much work she could handle, but I had high hopes for her.
I finished my short break and picked up one of the documents piled on my desk.
As I skimmed it, someone knocked on the office door. After I gave permission to enter, a red-haired man came in. A blue-haired man followed him.
"Captain Romelia, we're here."
"Romelia-sama, did you call for me?"
The red-haired man was Al of the Romelia Squad. The blue-haired man was Ray.
The two were among the strongest of my soldiers. They were captains of hundred-man units, each commanding one hundred soldiers. Al could use fire magic, while Ray could use wind magic, making them mage soldiers as well.
"Are Zeze and Jini here too? What about Borel and Gatt?"
"Yes, they're waiting outside."
Al pointed at the door with his thumb, and Zeze appeared in the open doorway and waved. Zeze was always cheerful and mischievous.
"This is Gran and the others' report. I'd like to finish reading it, so could you wait a moment?"
I raised the papers in my hand slightly, and Al dipped his chin.
As I read through the report, Ray kept stealing glances at me.
"Ray, is something wrong?"
I looked up from the documents at Ray. He lowered his head.
"No, it's just... your clothes are different from usual, and, um... they suit you..."
Ray's face flushed bright red as he stumbled over the words.
Taken by themselves, his words were a compliment, but his voice grew smaller and smaller until it trailed off.
"These clothes don't suit me, do they?"
I looked down at my red clothes and gave a self-deprecating smile. Several people had praised me today for how well they suited me, but even the loyal Ray was acting this way. They really must not suit me after all.
"That's not true! They suit you perfectly!"
Ray shouted. But as my subordinate, he had no choice but to say that to his superior.
"Thank you, Ray."
Rather than contradict him, I simply nodded with a smile. Not rejecting a subordinate's flattery was also part of a superior's duty.
As I nodded, Al looked up, grimaced, and groaned, while Ray dropped his shoulders and lowered his head. Even if the clothes did not suit me, they were a gift. I would have to wear them for a few more days, or it would be rude to Seryure-san, who had given them to me. Everyone around me would just have to put up with them a little longer.
I turned my gaze back to the report. The report Gran and Lagun had sent me was quite detailed.
"Are the twins doing all right?"
"Yes, the monster subjugation is going smoothly. Apparently, they've defeated thirty-two monsters. No soldiers were killed, and none were seriously wounded. Twelve suffered minor injuries."
I answered Al's question with my eyes still on the document.
The twins Gran and Lagun had been leading Sei, Tars, Glen, Hans, Merril, Rett, Shuro, and the others, along with the soldiers, in hunting down the monsters of the Kashu region.
According to the report, Gran and the others had thoroughly exterminated the monsters infesting the Kashu region. There was still one place rumored to be inhabited by monsters, but everywhere else could be considered safe.
"But Kashu must be the only place that takes monster hunting this seriously."
Al laughed, a hint of pride in his expression. Al and the other members of the Kashu Garrison had been hunting monsters as part of their training. This was common practice everywhere, but most places stopped after clearing out the monsters around major cities and along the main roads. I was not satisfied with that, however, and had ordered the hunts repeated again and again. By now, we had succeeded in driving monsters out of almost the entire Kashu region.
"I suppose that's also because I was the one who goaded you into it."
"Ah, now that you mention it, that did happen."
I gave a self-deprecating laugh, and Al laughed as well. Ray, standing beside him, narrowed his eyes nostalgically.
I remembered when I had first met Al and Ray. I had no experience commanding soldiers, and they were inexperienced recruits who had never seen real combat. They did not trust me, and I did not trust them either. I had to make them useful somehow, so I tried every means at my disposal.
I flaunted money to tempt them with greed, coaxed and cajoled them, and provoked them. I told Al and the others to fight not for the country, but to protect their hometown of Kashu.
"No, seriously, that was awful."
Al recounted all the things I had done. I agreed that it had indeed been awful. But it had also been necessary. The achievements of protecting their hometown and exterminating its monsters had become a source of pride for Al and the others. That pride was important. People who held pride in their hearts did not run easily, even when cornered. They might betray their allies or commander, but they could never betray their own pride.
"But Romelia-sama, you had us hunt monsters so thoroughly not to protect Kashu, but to develop it, didn't you?"
Ray, who had been listening to us, had seen through my true objective. He was very observant.
"Of course. I want many merchants to come to the port, so safe roads are more important than anything else."
I nodded at Ray's question. If bandits or monsters appeared on the roads, merchants would risk suffering losses. They would not be able to come to the port with any peace of mind. To develop commerce, we first needed roads that people could travel safely.
Satisfied with Gran and the others' report, I placed it on my desk.