Alvin O’Connor wore a proud expression. Then, without warning, he thrust both hands toward me.
“This is it!”
What lay on his palms were……
White, plump larvae.
Anyone else would have been startled, but I reacted calmly. My senses were far too sharp to be shaken by something like this. The moment I reached out, I had already grasped everything. Besides, these were creatures I was quite familiar with.
These are probably silkworm larvae, right?
Of course, they looked a little different. The patterns on their backs were longer than the ones I knew, and their bodies were much larger. But aside from that, they felt almost identical.
Alvin O’Connor muttered with a slightly disappointed look.
“You don’t seem very surprised.”
“They’re not the kind of existence that can affect me in any way.”
“Still, most people would scream if they saw larvae like these.”
“They’re actually kind of cute.”
“Heh!”
“Anyway, you did well. Where did you find them?”
“Thank you. If you go northeast from Yates Fortress, there’s a small native village……”
Alvin O’Connor suddenly tilted his head mid-explanation. He seemed to have realized something was wrong. Then he asked with a puzzled expression,
“Chairman, I haven’t even told you what these are yet, but it feels like you already know.”
“I’ve seen them a few times before.”
Not in their larval form, though. I used to see them often as a drinking snack.
“I thought this was an incredible discovery, but I’m disappointed.”
“Can’t we extract thread from these guys?”
“Yes. It’s called Angelic Silk. It’s said to be extremely rare. That’s probably why the Mandus kept that native village alive.”
Even barbarians weren’t completely blind when it came to valuable things. Since it was something they hadn’t seen in other native villages, they must have made an exception and left them alone.
Listening to Alvin O’Connor’s explanation, I could roughly guess what kind of fabric he was talking about.
The camouflage cloth the Mandus warriors used.
An incredibly thin yet sturdy and soft fabric. That was probably Angelic Silk. No wonder my eyes had been drawn to it — so that’s what it was.
“If it’s a native village in the eastern plains, we’re already preparing to make contact with one. It’s said to be about 10 kilometers northeast of Yates Fortress.”
“Ah, then it’s a different place. It’s in a similar direction, but farther away.”
“Good. Anyway, you worked hard.”
“Then…… does that mean I passed?”
Alvin O’Connor looked at me with hopeful eyes. His gaze and expression were filled with genuine desire. He was clearly determined to no longer live as a knight. With him going this far, there was no reason to reject him.
“Very well. I’ll hire you as a regular employee at Dapan Group headquarters.”
“Uwooo! Thank you, Chairman!”
“Since you led this matter yourself, I hope you’ll see it through to the end.”
“What goal should I aim for?”
“Make contact with the natives you discovered and grow the business on a large scale. The Dapan Trading Company will provide whatever support you need.”
“Yes, understood!”
Alvin O’Connor answered with a disciplined posture. For his sake, I wrote up a few documents. They weren’t anything grand — just a certificate granting him full authority over the sericulture business. A budget of 2,000 goldens should be sufficient.
“Well then, let’s do our best from now on.”
“It’s an honor to work with you, Chairman!”
Alvin O’Connor left with a joyful expression after receiving the authorization documents. Once he was gone, the office became quiet.
Rustle.
Soon after, someone suddenly appeared from the shadows.
“The benefits are too good. Couldn’t you hire me as a regular employee at Dapan Group headquarters too?”
The person who appeared out of nowhere was Cordell McNeil. He had been quiet lately, so I wondered why he was showing up again to get beaten.
“Sir McNeil, I don’t see any business talent in you. How are you going to do business when you have such terrible instincts?”
“Wow! How can you say that? I’m a member of the Imperial Guard Knights. You can’t survive without sharp instincts.”
“Exactly. I really don’t understand how you’ve stayed fine until now. You must have incredible luck.”
After verbally beating him for the first time in a while, Cordell’s expression turned distant. As expected, this guy had great impact. Still, if I could bring him over, he wouldn’t be a bad talent. When it came to intelligence work, no one could match a Black Agent of the Imperial Guard Knights.
“But luck is also a skill. If you want to join, you’re more than welcome.”
“Oh! Then can I also take the lead on something like that person just now?”
Cordell’s previously sullen face brightened instantly. Alvin O’Connor had shown potential, which was why I gave him 2,000 goldens in support. But this sly guy could only be used for intelligence and combat. Everything else was unverified, and I didn’t have high expectations. However, it seemed like this guy was misunderstanding something.
“Sir McNeil, there’s something I’m curious about.”
“Ask me anything.”
“Can you leave the knight division whenever you want?”
“Uh……?”
Alvin O’Connor could quit freely because he was only a Red Knight. Just look at him now — he was already removed from his position in the 1st Knight Division as soon as the war ended. But Cordell McNeil’s case was different. As a Black Agent of the Imperial Guard Knights, he knew far too many imperial secrets. He probably couldn’t leave so easily.
“Come on, enough with the pointless talk. Just focus on what you were originally doing.”
“…Yes.”
“If you keep slacking off, I’ll report everything to your superiors.”
“W-When did I ever slack off? I’m someone who always serves His Majesty with passion! Then I’ll be going now.”
Rustle.
Cordell activated his stealth technique and disappeared in an instant. He must have realized that staying in front of me would only put him at a disadvantage.
Still, he can’t stay a Black Agent forever.
It was work that required youth and stamina. When he got older, he would be reassigned somewhere else. I should prepare a suitable position for him around that time. Even though he was sly, he was clearly a talented individual.
“Well then, should I rest until everything is ready?”
I had been focusing so much on the east lately that my fatigue had reached its peak. Even Abel Carius’s superhuman body was useless against this. It was a mental problem.
Thud!
I entered the bedroom and threw myself onto the soft bed.
“At times like this, sleep is the best.”
A few days later, the Dapan Trading Company’s preparations were complete. I headed toward the location Adam had mentioned, accompanied by the Cultural Exchange Group.
Sure enough, there was a small village there. However, it wasn’t as alien as I had expected. It simply looked like any rural village in the Empire.
“Y-Stop! Halt! Who are you people?”
Dozens of carriages and hundreds of people had suddenly appeared. It was impossible for humans to move in such numbers on the eastern plains. The moment the Mandus discovered them, they would all be killed. So of course they were shocked. They never would have imagined that their own kind would arrive in such a long procession.
I stepped forward and spoke as politely as possible.
“We are people from the Enpher Empire. We would like to have a conversation, so please call the person in charge of the village.”
A small commotion broke out inside. From the way they were whispering, it seemed opinions were divided. It couldn’t be helped. This land originally belonged to the Mandus. However, they had no choice but to talk with us. After all, we were the ones who had seized control of the east by crushing the Mandus.
I wonder if this is how the people of Joseon felt when they first saw Western ships?
Just as I was feeling strangely sentimental, the sound of creaking hinges rang out.
Creak! Creak!
A shabby door opened slightly. The middle-aged man who appeared was probably the village chief. He was accompanied by three tense-looking young men. They were likely part of the village watch.
“Since we haven’t built any trust between us yet, I won’t ask you to open the gates. However, I would appreciate it if you could give us a chance to talk for a moment.”
“Ahem! W-Well, I suppose that’s fine.”
The village chief seemed slightly nervous. It couldn’t be helped. Even though we had minimized our forces, the escorts of the Cultural Exchange Group were the elite of the elite. Their equipment was unusual, and their presence was overwhelming. The village chief had probably scanned them quickly. That explained his obedient attitude.
Whoosh. Thud!
At my light gesture, the Dapan Group employees moved. Simple chairs and a table were quickly set up.
“Let’s sit and talk. What do you call this place?”
“You mean the village?”
“Yes.”
“It’s Pasen Village.”
“I see. We came here to interact with the people of the eastern plains. Pasen Village is one of our targets.”
I explained the purpose of the Cultural Exchange Group. I also made it clear that we had no intention of harming them. The village chief’s wariness seemed to ease a little. However, the fundamental problem remained.
“I understand what you’re saying. But it’s too dangerous. We don’t want to go against the Great Chieftain’s wishes.”
Even though we were the same humans, this was still the eastern plains. The Mandus’ influence was far too strong. Since the Enpher Empire had never advanced into the east before, they had no choice but to be cautious about cooperating. If they carelessly joined hands with us, those barbarians would massacre them.
But that was only true in the past.
I placed a single greatsword on the table.
“You don’t have to worry about the Mandus anymore. Their Great Chieftain, Baskan Magres, has already died by my hand.”
“What? T-That’s impossible……”
The village chief tried to protest that it was nonsense. However, the moment he saw Igteine, his eyes widened. Because they had been ruled by the Mandus, they recognized Igteine at a glance. I smiled and said,
“The east is now under the rule of the Enpher Empire. So you no longer have to worry about being raided by barbarians.”
“I-Is this really true?”
“Of course. The Empire’s embrace is always open. We welcome all humans.”
“Heh……”
The village chief let out a hollow laugh. Every year during harvest season, the Mandus had taken so much from them. Now that he was told such things wouldn’t happen anymore, he looked both dumbfounded and happy. I helped the village chief to his feet.
“Would you like to take a look first? These are products made by the Dapan Group. We brought them for the people of Pasen Village. They’re a kind of gift.”
I introduced the items loaded on the carriages one by one. Although Pasen Village was a settlement in the eastern plains, it hadn’t been completely isolated. When the Mandus’ interference weakened, they had exchanged goods with the Yates Marquisate little by little. There had even been daring trading companies that traveled only through the dangerous lands of the east. However, after the war broke out more than ten years ago, all relations had been completely cut off.
Even so, the village chief had quite a good eye.
“Whoa! I didn’t know things like this existed. This is incredible!”
He had immediately recognized the value of the Dapan Group’s flagship products. I smiled and said,
“All of these are gifts for you, Chief. Please distribute them to the villagers.”
“O-Oh! Is that really okay?”
“Of course. And I’d also like to invite you to the Empire. Please visit us sometime.”
“Haha! I understand.”
The village chief’s face was beaming. If these items entered the village, their lives would become much more comfortable. But this guy only knew one thing and not the other.
I wonder if it’ll really be that good?