Part II
“Now, let’s talk about the details. You can sit in that chair over there.”
“Y-Yes, excuse me.”
The boy, sitting nervously in the chair, looked around curiously. Inside the tent, aside from an incongruous door, nothing was placed within.
“Are you curious about the empty tent?”
As Ryoji opened the door, he caught the boy’s gaze.
“What can I do for you? The tea will be ready shortly.”
Beyond the door, there was a spacious room where Melta was preparing tea, looking puzzled.
“This is a magical tool that has a room behind the door like this. Don’t mind the emptiness. Now, can I ask you why you decided to work on the poor relief?”
“I have five family members… you see. So, I have to support my family.”
“What about your father?”
The boy began to recount his past. His father had died five years ago from illness, and that he was supporting the family alongside his mother, who had fallen ill this year. He spoke of his struggle to earn money for medical expenses and living costs while also taking care of his siblings.
“I’ve been receiving help at the refuge recently, and since it mentioned a daycare in the job listing, I applied—”
“Ryoji-sama! We have brought the people who caused the disturbance earlier.”
As Ryoji listened to the boy’s story, a loud voice came from outside the tent. When Ryoji let everyone into the tent, five individuals began apologizing all at once. Watching this scene, Ryoji began to speak so that everyone could hear.
“I don’t care about your attitude toward me. However, those who broke the rules must be punished. You understand that, right?”
The five individuals brought in trembled at Ryoji’s words, the hero of Drugul.
“The punishment I will give is for you to act under this boy. Think of his words as mine.”
“What? What does that mean—”
“You will take care of them.”
The boy, not understanding, tried to confirm, but after receiving another explanation from Ryoji, he began to refuse in a panic.
“No, no! That’s impossible! I’ve never handled people before! And they were the ones fighting!”
“There will be support for that. You there, what’s your affiliation?”
Ryoji asked, and the man revealed he was a knight belonging to Duke Coltezis.
“Is there chivalry in this country?”
“Of course!”
Ryoji approached the knight, who answered proudly.
“In the country I was in, chivalry meant loyalty to the church, a love for the kingdom, respect and compassion for the socially weak, and selflessly providing protection. It also meant an unwavering struggle against enemies. Being loyal to truth and oath, and opposing the forces of evil to uphold justice. I’ve summarized it quite a bit, but it’s the same, right?”
“Of course! In our kingdom, our chivalry is just like that!”
“Then why couldn’t you uphold it just now? Does that mean those who come for poor relief aren’t worth protecting?”
“N-No, that’s not what I meant…”
When asked about the previous response, the knight eventually fell silent. Watching this scene, Ryoji asked.
“Do you intend to redeem your honor?”
“Redeem it?”
“Yes. While it was a chaotic situation, your response was too careless. As a punishment for that, raise him. I will inform the Duke.”
“Do you think raising this boy will lead to a restoration of honor?”
“Yeah. This boy has potential. It’s not easy to take a stand like that. What he lacks is knowledge and experience. I want you to teach him that. In the process, I want you to remember respect, compassion, and protection for social weaklings. Can you swear to me? To guide that boy and remain true to truth and vows?”
“I swear on my honor that I will train him well. Sorry about this earlier, could I have your name?”
“Uh, my name is Ricardo. I don’t really understand it all, but I’ll do my best to support my family! Ryoji-sama! I’ll give it my all!”
“Nice to meet you, Ricardo. My name is Cornel Zelnick. Everyone, greet Ricardo-dono, who will be your captain!”
Cornel apologized to Ricardo, then lined up the five others to greet him, and immediately began the training.
The poverty measures organized by Ryoji received high praise from many, and the newspapers he published mixed with rumors, creating various stories in different places. Additionally, the reputation of Duke Harrold, the aristocrats supporting the poverty measures, and the church led by Pope Orlando was rising day by day.
“Cough! Someone is definitely spreading rumors about me!”
“Recently, 70% of the rumors in the capital are about Lord Ryoji, you know. I heard yesterday that you have over 20 mistresses, right? You’re okay, right? You don’t actually have any mistresses, do you?”
“I don’t! Why are the number of mistresses increasing every day? The only ones I love are Carena and Melta! Anyway, let’s wrap up the preamble and listen to Ricardo’s report after two months of hard work!”
“… You told me, ‘Treat me like a friend. I don’t like being formal,’ so I’m talking normally—but don’t flirt right in front of me! It’s irritating! Seriously. Okay, here’s the report. The construction progress is about 30% percent complete, and there are no specific issues. Also, I have a message for Ryoji-sama – ‘Please convey my gratitude to the Count,’ ‘I can live off this,’ ‘I have nothing but thanks.’ However, there are some complaints from a few people saying, ‘I’m doing the same work but getting the same pay as someone who can’t work.’ From my perspective, the workload is the same, but they just won’t understand even if I explain it.”
“Huh. Then I’ll visit and explain it. Please relay that to the workers. By the way, changing the subject, how has it been after two months?”
“Since we’re at it, can I ask something I haven’t been able to?”
“Of course.”
“Then, without holding back. Why is only my family being treated well? And what’s the reason you put me in this position?”
Seeing the serious expression on Ricardo’s face, Ryoji began to speak slowly while sipping the tea brewed by Carena.
“Improving your family’s situation is natural, right? What good would it do to be cold to vassals who are delivering results? I need to provide generous benefits so they think, ‘Let’s work harder.’ In my country, it’s called welfare, and companies… no, estates that have it flourish. As for your last question, there’s only one reason. It’s because you can do the job of supervisor. You’re doing your best to meet my expectations! Does that answer your question?”
Listening to Ryoji’s answer, Ricardo recalled all the places he had worked. He worked from before dawn until night fell for merely three copper coins. Sometimes he was beaten with a stick for making mistakes. There were days when he was refused pay due to unreasonable complaints.
Yet Ryoji properly evaluated his work and appointed him as a supervisor. Ricardo wiped away tears with his sleeve from being recognized for his hard work and replied cheerfully.
“Thank you! That really clears things up. I will work hard to live up to the reputation of Ryoji-sama, known as the reformer of the Sandstrom Kingdom! And I will get my mother’s illness treated!”
“Alright! Then here’s a reward for you, hardworking Ricardo! Ta-da! One secret medicine generously given! And furthermore—boom! A medal! And a cape! Still not done you know! A key to the mansion! And ten gold coins as preparation money!”
“Eh? Ehh! W-What… Secret medicine? A medal? A cape? A key to the mansion?”
Ricardo looked dumbfounded at the array of items laid out on the desk, uttering his surprise while looking at Ryoji. Watching this with a smile, Ryoji stood up and solemnly declared to Ricardo.
“Ricardo. I, in the name of Count Ryoji Uchino, command you to be my knight. Your salary will be one gold coin and eight silver coins per month. The mansion provided will be sufficiently large for your family to live in, located on the outskirts of the capital. Also, you are to hire one maid for that mansion. The selection is up to you. Do you know about the secret medicine?”
“Eh? Is that the best medicine that Ryoji-sama has…?”
“Yeah. That’s right. Here’s a piece of advice. When hiring a maid, it would be best to choose someone with experience in household chores. If you have a widowed acquaintance with plenty of experience and she happens to be ill, then it’s fine to give her the secret medicine you received as a reward. By the way, I still haven’t received your response about becoming a knight?”
“…Even if this body should perish, I will serve until my clan is no more. Thank you. Truly, thank you, Ryoji-sama.”
Ricardo replied, desperately holding back tears as feelings welled up from his nose at the kindness of Ryoji, who cared so much for him.
After bestowing knighthood upon Ricardo, Ryoji received reports regarding measures for the poor. The measures were progressing smoothly, and for the time being, Ryoji decided to leave it in Ricardo’s hands, planning to visit him again in a month.
“Oh! That’s right. I have something to give you too.”
“What is this?”
As Ricardo peered into the bag handed to him by Ryoji, he could only see a dark opening and had no idea what was inside. Ryoji, noticing Ricardo’s confused expression, began to explain cheerfully.
“Ah. Inside the item box, there are honey lemon cookies that I want you to distribute to the workers during their breaks. There are about a 1000 of them, so feel free to eat as much as you like.”
Ricardo stared dumbfounded at the item box after hearing Ryoji’s explanation. According to his knowledge, an item box was something adventurers struggled to obtain, not a bag for storing snacks. Struggling to think through the ridiculous usage of it, Ricardo asked Ryoji.
“An item box? An item box!? It’s an item box! Snacks in an item box?!”
“W-well, you’re repeating ‘item box’ too much. Don’t worry. The snacks inside won’t spoil because time doesn’t pass in there.”
“That’s not what I wanted to know! You’re using the item box incorrectly! Ryoji-sama, you’re being completely absurd!”
“Hahaha, what are you talking about, Ricardo-kun?”
In response to Ricardo’s outburst, Ryoji replied with a refreshing laugh, while Carena beside them wore a wry smile.
Having entrusted Ricardo with the overall supervision of the construction, Ryoji began focusing on reforming the academy. Due to the recent uproar, many professors and staff hired through connections had resigned, initially causing a shortage of personnel. However, Ryoji and Reynold began teaching, and five scholars from the Cave of Trail exploration team were summoned to the academy. Additionally, students from private tutoring schools were admitted to help alleviate the personnel shortage.
Many of those who ran private tutoring schools were dreamers wanting to teach at the academy, so they welcomed the emergency hiring.
At the right time when the number of teachers increased, Ryoji and Charlotte decided to divide the current special and regular classes into a three-year system, leaving the current second-year students with the option of either graduating or continuing.
Also, the number of school days was changed from six to five, increasing weekends to two days to reduce instructor fatigue and allow for research time. Those interested were given priority to present at the annual research meeting.
“This is my first class, so please treat me well! In my class, we’ll practice shortening incantations by attributing elements to magic stones. How many stones have you attributed elements to? It’s okay if you haven’t completed them all. I just want to know your abilities.”
“I’ve done five!” “I did three.” “I managed to do one…”
Ryoji recognized one student who hadn’t responded and turned his gaze toward him, only to see him looking down.
“How’s your progress, Neiham?”
“Brother… No, Ryoji-sensei. I haven’t done a single one.”
“Ryoji-sensei! Neiham-kun holds the white medal, meaning he’s incompetent. It’s pointless to say anything difficult to someone like him. Isn’t that right, Neiham?”
When Ryoji turned his gaze toward the voice, he saw a boy openly looking down on Neiham with a scornful attitude. Unaware of Ryoji’s gaze filled with disbelief, the boy began to pompously introduce himself.
“I am Yef. I heard that Ryoji-sensei’s class is wonderful and I was looking forward to it. My father claims, ‘If you have the blood of the Sandstrom Kingdom, it’s perfect.’ Do you know my father? My family is also of the Counts, same as Ryoji-sensei. Well, ours is a distinguished lineage going back to the founding.”
“Hmm. Good for you. Your father, who can only boast of your lineage, is impressive. I don’t know him at all.”
The boy scowled at Ryoji, who had started the lesson, but when he realized he was entirely ignored, he sat down in irritation.
Ryoji felt the shadows of nobility that he hadn’t sensed in the special class. It seemed like the nobles were divided into those around the earlier student and everyone else. However, Neiham with the white medal did not belong to either group and appeared to be alone.
“Aren’t you frustrated? Where is the spirit you showed me at your store? Don’t let that fool say whatever he wants!”
“You say that big brother, but he’s a noble and is getting top-class grades! It pisses me off just being in the same class as him when I can’t even use magic—”
“Alright! Starting today, we’re going to have some intense training! I’ll teach you magic!”
After class, Ryoji called Neiham over and pressed him for answers. Neiham bit his lip and remained silent, but gradually began to express his frustrations. Ryoji looked into Neiham’s eyes and sensed his growing resignation from his own powerlessness. He declared firmly.
“Huh? Aren’t you busy with poverty measures and as a lecturer at the academy?”
“Don’t worry about it! I’ve handed off the poverty measures to Ricardo—he’s taking care of it! As for the lecturer role, I’ve pushed that into Reynold. Well then! I’ll have you be able to use magic in a week!”
“A-a week? No way! Even you can’t do that. I’ve been attending classes seriously until now, but my magic power hasn’t increased, and my attributes—”
“That doesn’t matter! We’re going to train in my mansion. I’ll tell your father ‘I’ve taken your son.’”
“Brother! That line is no good! He might misunderstand and think I’ve been kidnapped!”
“How about ‘Your son has embarked on a journey to a new world’?”
“Where? Where’s this new world?”
“Uh, then how about ‘Your son was really brave’?”
“For goodness’ sake, don’t just kill me off! Can’t you just say, ‘He’s studying magic at my mansion’?”
“Ehh! That’s boring!”
“Don’t look for humor in messages!”
Neiham received explanations about the mansion from Melta. He learned about the room he would stay in, the toilets, and the bath, but he noticed that the interior of the mansion looked completely different from when he had introduced it. Neiham, who had been impressed by Ryoji’s noble status because of the casually placed pieces of art, was left in shock to learn that they were actually creations made by Ryoji in his spare time.
Neiham was exhausted from the series of surprises, but he followed Ryoji to a separate building.
“Let’s get right into the training! Are you ready?”
“Yes! I’ll do my best!”
“Really?”
Though Neiham answered with determination, he froze the moment he made eye contact with Ryoji. Ryoji’s demeanor was different from usual—resembling the intimidating presence of the hero known as Drugul. Neiham felt tears welling up at the terrifying sensation.
“Neiham.”
“Y-yes!”
Neiham struggled to respond due to his fear, but Ryoji continued without paying him any mind.
“Answer my words with either ‘Yes’, ‘Yup’, or ‘Understood’. And always end with ‘Sir’. Got it?”
“Huh? Ah, what are you—”
“‘Understood.'”
“Well, that’s why—”
“‘Understood.'”
“Um—”
“‘Understood.'”
“U-Understood!”
“That’s good. Just remember not to forget the ‘Sir’ next time! And from now on, refer to me as Sergeant!”
“What? Sergeant? What does that—”
“‘Understood.'”
“Y-yes! I shall address you as Sergeant! Sir!”
“Alright! Now let’s begin the lesson. Infuse magic into the magic stone I just handed you!”
“Yes! Sir!” [TN: Yes! Was in English 😂]
Neiham replied loudly, and Ryoji nodded vigorously as he began explaining.
“The stone you have is a magic stone of the mushroom monster! Listen! You need to realize that you have less magic than the mushroom monster! Acknowledge your own insignificance, and then infuse it with magic!”
“Understood! Sir!”
“Once your meager magic is depleted, drink the mana potion I’ve prepared! And when you get tired, drink the potion! Both of these potions were made by me! They’re such a prized item that adventurers scramble for them in the guild! But don’t hold back! If you have time to waste, pour your magic into as many stones as you can! Got it, rookie?”
“Yes! Sir!”
Neiham sat at the desk and began infusing magic into the stones in front of him. While sensing the flow of Neiham’s magic, Ryoji checked Neiham’s status and called out to him as he appeared to be running low on magic.
“Hey! Drink the mana potion! Be aware of your own magic capacity!”
“I can’t even gauge my own magic amount! Sir!”
“Don’t argue! I’ll let it slide this time, but there won’t be a next! Listen! If you start to feel dizzy, that means you’re in a state of magic depletion. Don’t forget that sensation! As soon as you’re done with the mana potion, start again! You won’t catch up to that foolish noble’s foolish son otherwise! Don’t forget your frustration!”
“Yes! Sir!”
Thirty minutes had passed since Neiham started infusing magic. Around him lay emptied mana potions, but he had only infused three magic stones. Seeing the inefficiency, Ryoji began to inject his own magic into the stones through Neiham’s hands.
“Listen. I’m infusing magic so you can understand. Focus on this feeling. It’s not that you don’t have enough magic power, it’s that your method is too sloppy! Hold the magic stone with your fingertips and visualize gathering magic there!”
“Ah! I can feel the magic gathering at my fingertips!”
With Ryoji’s advice, Neiham grasped the tips and quickly began to succeed one after another as if the previous failures were a lie. He had completed the assignment of imbuing magic into 50 magic stones, which was to be done within a time limit.
“Confirmed! It’s done! Sir!”
“Good! How’s the depletion of your magic power? Have you managed to grasp the sensation of magic gathering at your fingertips? Are you aware of your limits? Knowing your limits in a fight is essential for survival! Don’t forget that!”
“Yes! Sir!”
“Alright! Let’s add another fifty!”
“What? Isn’t that already done? Ah!”
“100 more.”
—Part II end—
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Whoa, that is some brutal training. 😋
Thanks for the treat.