While I was inside the ruins, it seemed there was a brief lull in the fighting.
Six knights from the Empire’s Special Forces had charged at Duke Helpion, and the army was holding the mercenaries back with arrows.
There were no major casualties on either side, but it had been a moment when a large battle could have erupted at any second.
However, as the earthquake began and the ruins surged upward, the Imperial Army inexplicably retreated.
They must have judged that provoking the Helpion Duchy any further would yield no benefit.
That man XXXXX Albatron mentioned is probably someone from the Empire’s side, right?
Thinking back to Parmesio’s case, XXXXX seemed to have committed other deeds bad enough to be recorded in the Akashic Record, aside from the ruins incident…
Could it be that many of the events happening in this world are actually the result of the Empire’s schemes?
“Archmage Talio of the Magic Tower placed a protective magic and an alarm spell within a 10-meter radius around the ruins. Here.”
I handed the artifact that Archmage Talio gave me to the Duke.
“The artifact’s light changes from green to yellow if an intruder enters, and to red if the protective magic is broken.”
“Have you stored everything inside the ruins?”
“Yes. Through mercenaries with a knack for drawing and mages, we recorded the murals and magic circles inside. If a problem arises, we can use this as evidence.”
“You’ve done well.”
We gathered in the office to discuss the aftermath of the war.
What was unusual was how crowded the office was.
Seven elite personnel from the Squaret Duchy were present.
We couldn’t afford to underestimate such people.
Apparently, the experience of this war was extremely shocking for them.
According to the mercenaries, nausea was common, and some even fainted.
It’s understandable since the clerks had little to do on the battlefield besides reading the war situation; their role was mostly auxiliary.
The rest of their duties were tedious work recording and organizing the mercenaries’ contributions.
Every day, they had to mix with fierce mercenaries in bloody situations.
Well, thanks to that, their eyes seemed livelier than when they were in the Squaret Duchy before.
And at the center leading them was Lady Titania.
She wielded her sword alongside the mercenaries and mingled with them.
At first, the mercenaries were cautious, knowing she was invited by Duke Helpion, but they were quickly won over by her active involvement.
It made perfect sense.
After all, even the great Duke Helpion had called her a Valkyrie and fallen for her at first sight.
The souls of mercenaries who live on the battlefield could easily be drained by her presence.
Moreover, the head maid who accompanied Lady Titania served her so devotedly that some subtly started treating Lady Titania like the Duchess.
Mercenaries usually live by reading the atmosphere.
They picked up on such subtle shifts very quickly.
“There’s an enormous amount of monster byproducts from this war. The duchy’s funds aren’t enough to purchase and trade all these items.”
“Is that so? I was so caught up in fighting that I didn’t realize.”
“It’s estimated that about 150 times the usual amount of byproducts will circulate.”
“150 times… that’s a lot.”
“Especially a high proportion comes from large monsters. Archmage Talio was quite interested in the corpse of the Demon World Grand Duke. It might be good to auction it off to the Magic Towers.”
“You could spread rumors through the merchant guilds, then have multiple guilds bid in an auction. That way, you can gather more capital than just using one guild.”
“I’d prefer to trade through the Gordem Merchant Guild or the Squaret Duchy if possible.”
“In that case, you can issue promissory notes to the mercenaries in Duke Helpion’s name. With the Duke’s honor, that should be possible. They wouldn’t dare embezzle the funds from selling byproducts.”
Having so many people sped up communication and work remarkably.
The Chamberlain and the Duke looked very pleased.
After listening to the clerks’ opinions, they nodded in agreement at a few good suggestions.
“Good. Let’s do that. When the guild arrives, have all transactions consulted through Lady Elcia. We’ve agreed to provide her with a basic fee. She worked hard during this war.”
“We’ll also dispatch two people as administrators on our side.”
“Separate from byproduct transactions, can the mercenaries’ pay be covered by the duchy’s funds?”
“It’s tight, but possible. The warehouses will be emptied for a while, but once the brokerage of byproducts finishes, the funds could increase up to fivefold.”
“Good. Lady Titania should take special care of that.”
“Leave it to me.”
An odd look passed between Lady Titania and Duke Helpion.
A strange atmosphere beyond trust or friendship.
A clearly evident current of affection that would be hard not to notice.
At first, I thought Duke Helpion’s proposal came out of nowhere.
But I’d forgotten something.
During those two hard months in the Squaret Duchy, when I was caught in the quarrels between Lumpen Hound and the clerks and military officers, the Duke exchanged heartfelt letters with Lady Titania.
Since I, the letter ghostwriter, disappeared, he awkwardly kept trying to write his feelings on his own.
Lady Titania had been a strong support for Duke Helpion when he suffered from powerful enemies and internal conflicts.
Poor Teron though.
He was stuck in a carriage on the battlefield, doing nothing but trembling, earning the mercenaries’ dislike.
Even if he returned to the Squaret Duchy with the clerks, I doubt he’d gain much support.
“Well done, all of you. If the brawn handled the battlefield, it’s up to you paperwork folks to fight the war here. Keep up the hard work. I will surely repay your efforts. You may all leave now. Ah, and Chief Consultant? You should stay behind a bit.”
After everyone else left,
the Duke smiled meaningfully.
No way, no way?
“Consultant, thank you.”
“Duke, did you just propose to Lady Titania?”
“Yes. After the war ended, I took some time with her. Once the duchy’s affairs settle, I plan to send a formal letter to Duke Squaret.”
“Congratulations from the bottom of my heart.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you, Consultant.”
Phew, is my ghostwriting duty finally over?
Well, it started as a letter ghostwriter job, but now it’s not.
I even got the title of Consultant General and the rank of Count.
I suppose busier things await me.
“By the way.”
“Yes?”
“Unfortunately, you’re being fired.”
“Excuse me?”
Duke, what are you talking about all of a sudden?
I don’t quite understand.
Fired?
I was just contemplating what I could do in this duchy and what happy future I might have.
“To be precise, I’m suspending you temporarily from your clerk duties.”
“What? Why? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, quite the opposite. The problem is you did too well.”
Duke Helpion looked at me with a worried expression.
“Your exploits in the Squaret Duchy were remarkable. You helped sever Lumpen Hound’s arm and pushed him to the brink of death. More than that, you discovered the ruins under the Demon King’s Castle were linked to the Empire’s conspiracy. Above all, my own growth is connected to you.”
That’s true… isn’t it?
“The problem is all three things provoke the Empire. Of course, as long as you’re here, I’ll protect you, but there’s a limit.”
“So, you want to keep me hidden from the Empire’s notice?”
“Exactly. I think you need to be kept somewhere safe.”
I understood what the Duke meant.
Within just two months, I’d made enemies with the Empire’s most sinister Special Forces.
It’d be safer if I stayed inside the duchy, as the Duke said…
But who knows what schemes they might hatch.
They might even target those around me instead of me.
Should I tell Roneth to enter the Helpion Duchy quickly?
“The duchy grew enormously after the war. We’ll need many people going forward. More merchants and mercenaries will flock here. Because of that, we can’t know who might sneak in with hidden intentions.”
“So the risk is increasing.”
“That’s why, while the situation stabilizes here, how about being somewhere safe? Archmage Talio of the Magic Tower requested you. It might be good to go there.”
“Wh-what? That old man requested me?”
“Yes. He wants to study you.”
…What is he going to do?
That eight-circle monster of a mage is going to dissect and experiment on me like a lab rat?
“Judging by your expression, I know what you’re thinking. That’s not it. No one would be foolish enough to do that to my retainer. He made two requests; it’s better you hear them directly.”
“Ah, yes…”
“Probably nothing bad.”
I left the office with a lot on my mind.
So, I’m not really fired; officially I’m being dismissed, but they’re actually evacuating me somewhere else.
In that sense, Archmage Talio’s Magic Tower is a good hiding place.
It’s the tower of an eight-circle Archmage who controls space and territory.
No riffraff can enter from outside.
But it worries me that the Archmage himself chose me first.
I have to go ask him directly.
I quickly went to the room where the Archmage was staying.
As soon as I arrived, he got straight to the point.
“There are two reasons I requested you. The first is your strange mana.”
“My mana?”
“Yes. The mana around you feels very peculiar. It seems to absorb and twist the surrounding mana. I heard you frequented the Squaret old man’s library? I suspect that’s why the magic circles were damaged.”
Ahaha.
I think he’s talking about the mana flow I saw in the Akashic Record.
Doesn’t sound bad.
Being close to that Archmage might be a good chance to learn magic properly.
Hopefully, he won’t demand compensation just because I broke the magic circles.
“What about the other reason?”
“You helped with the love letters between Duke Helpion and Lady Titania, didn’t you?”
“Well, yes… Did Duke Squaret tell you?”
“You can guess that much, can’t you? A fool who spent his life swinging a sword seducing a noble lady through letters.”
Ahaha, so it’s that obvious.
“Let me write some too.”
“Eh?”
What’s that about?
We were talking about the Empire’s schemes, my safety, and the mysteries of magic, and now suddenly love letters?
“Sir, at your age and experience, if you write a letter to your crush wrong, you might be accused of a crime. Since you have the wisdom and years, shouldn’t you write them yourself…?”
“Damn it! Don’t think I’m some idiot who’s never loved! She’s my wife! The one receiving the letters is my wife!”
Oh, wife, huh.
That’s understandable then.
“As you can see, my eyes are in terrible condition. I can use magic and live roughly like a normal person, but tasks like letter writing are hard.”
“I see. Well… I can do it, but can you at least tell me what kind of letter you want to send? Did you have a fight?”
“That’s dead.”
Huh?
“In a month, it’ll be the twenty-fifth anniversary of my deceased wife’s death. I haven’t seen her in a long time, and I miss her. I have stories I’ve thought about here and there. I want to write and compile them into a book as a gift. I need you to help with that.”