long time no see
Chapter 5: The beginning of a new uproar
Part I
“Ryoji-san. I’d like you to accept this request.”
When Ryoji visited the guild, Melta, as a receptionist rather than a maid, presented him with a piece of parchment.
“A Nomination Request?”
Ryoji muttered as he accepted the parchment and checked the contents.
Deep investigation of the Cave of Trials
It had been a month since the stampede of Bull-man had occurred. However, the number of monsters has been increasing. In order to investigate the cause, a search deep into the cave will be conducted. A team centered on Scholar will be formed, and six parties of at least three people will be recruited to escort them.
Completion condition: No injuries from the search team in the Cave of Trials.
Reward: Five gold coins (a special bonus will be given if useful information is obtained)
While checking the contents, he asked Melta about what he was interested in.
“Melta-san. Isn’t it normal for the appearance of monsters to increase after a stampede occurs in the Cave of Trials?”
“Yes, it is. The last time the Bull Man appeared, it was reported that almost no monsters appeared for a month after he was defeated.”
“Also, I imagine that these scholars don’t have the strength or stamina to fight, right? How can such people make it to the depths of the Cave of Trials? Also, if the scholars find useful information, are we eligible for extra pay?”
“Don’t worry. The scholars in the search team will be given bracelets to restore their strength and a fivefold potion made by Ryoji-sama ……. And as for useful information, it’s only because they were escorted that they were able to discover it, so don’t worry.”
While he answered the question without hesitation, Melta showed concern.
“You’ve only been to the open space of the Cave of Trials, right? Please be careful, there are strong monsters if you go deeper into the cave. Well, if it’s you who fought the Bull-man and came out unscathed, I don’t think you’ll have any problems.”
“Melta-san. Thank you for worrying about me! But don’t worry! Even if three cowmen come out and gang up on me, I’ll be able to take them down in one fell swoop!”
“Fufu. I understand. But please be careful.”
Melta laughed a little, but with a worried look on her face, as she replied lightly to Ryoji.
It was the next day when Ryoji, Marco, and Carena arrived at the Cave of Trials, and none of the other parties or exploration teams had arrived yet.
“Ryoji. Can you teach the soldiers how to grant attributes?”
According to the message from Guild through a fast horse, the exploration of the cave would be done after confirming the coordination among the teams and the strength of the scholars in the exploration team. Therefore, Ryoji, who had some free time, was asked by the troop leader to be an attribute-granting lecturer, which he confirmed when he remembered that all of them had been attribute-granted in the previous lecture.
“Eh? Another lecture? It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve given it, but who hasn’t been able to use it well?”
“New recruits. With the attribute-granting that Ryoji taught, the strength of the garrison army improved dramatically. But then there were soldiers who were sent as reinforcements, and of course, they couldn’t use the attribute. That’s why the difference between them and the old-timers started to appear. It would be dangerous to send new soldiers to the front lines in such a state, right? Therefore, many of the old-timers would have to move, which will lead to their fatigue.”
“I see. If that’s the case, I don’t mind. I’m going to give the new recruits the attribute. Yeah! Captain. The story diverted, but can you try to add some attributes to this sword?”
“What’s wrong with this sword?”
While pulling out the sword that Ryoji handed him from its scabbard, he applied the attributes to the sword, which looked quite ordinary. The captain felt that the process was too smooth, but he was astonished to notice something.
“Oi! What’s with this sword? How is it so easy to add attributes? Tell me why the duration is so long! Is this a magic sword?”
“It’s not a magic sword. The sword that the captain is holding is a gem that I had made exclusively for me at a weapons shop in Drugul. The entire process from gathering the materials to making it was done by hand. That’s why it cost a lot of money, but I think the price can be reduced even more if its mass-produced. What do you think, captain? Why not make this sword the standard equipment for the garrison troops?”
The troop captain looked at the sword Ryoji had handed him until it had holes in it. Normally, it took about two seconds to apply the attribute. However, with this sword, you can add attributes in less than a second.
The duration was also limited to two minutes, but with this sword, you can continue to apply the attribute without being aware of it. If all the soldiers in the garrison were equipped with it, the commander thought, it would be a terrific boost to their strength.
“Ok! I’ll ask the frontier count. Can you tell me the name of the weapons shop?”
“I’ll tell you on one condition.”
“Conditions?”
“Yes. Conditions. First, you must purchase through the Carcano Trading Company. And you must leave the repair of the weapons only to the weapon shop they introduce. If you can keep to those conditions, I’ll approach Count Yuhan myself.”
It was a condition that the captain had no problem with, so he spoke to Ryoji with a serious look in his eyes.
“Ryoji. I don’t care what happens to me, but I have a duty to send all of my soldiers safely back to their families. By introducing this sword, the chances of me being able to do that increase dramatically. I can assume that Ryoji will be responsible for handling this, right?”
“Of course! But I have one more condition to add!”
The captain nodded his head with a wry smile, realizing that he hadn’t said anything important.
“Don’t worry. I promise the money won’t go to any bad use.”
“It’s not that! We’ll talk about the money later! What you just said doesn’t include the fact that the captain himself will survive! That’s the problem! I’m not going to work for a selfish man who doesn’t care what happens to himself! The captain needs to do his best to survive.”
The troop leader was taken aback by Ryoji’s words, but after understanding what he was saying, he grinned and nodded strongly, vowing that he too would survive.
Ryoji worked vigorously for the next few days until they entered the Cave of Trials. He asked Cozimo to make a sword for him, wrote a letter to Melta at the mansion asking her to pay for the sword in advance, and asked Yuhan, via Marco, to encourage the introduction of standard equipment for the garrison army.
For the garrison troops, he was in charge of courses on attribution, hygiene, and group combat. In addition, he developed battlefield rations, improved the usual diet, discussed cooperation with the parties that would be forming a joint front in deep research, and provided training to search teams to improve their chances of survival.
In a short period of time, the contents of these activities included a wide range of measures to improve the operational efficiency and cost reduction of the garrison itself, and before I knew it, I had become the actual manager of the garrison.
“Oh, man! I’m busy!”
“It’s no wonder.”
Carena nodded to Ryoji, who looked up from his pile of papers and shouted, with a mixture of dismay and exhaustion on his face.
“It’s only natural if you do all that, isn’t it? I thought you knew what you were doing.”
“No, of course not! Everything I do has a visible effect, so I just got carried away and worked a little harder, and it turned out to be a ridiculous amount! It’s just that everything I do has a visible effect. I didn’t realize how hard it would be for me to actually do it.”
Ryoji was struggling for the troop captain who said, solemnly, that he was willing to risk his own life for his men. As she listened to him muttering to himself with a pen in his mouth, Carena’s expression changed from dismay to a smile. Ryoji noticed that her gaze was on him, and tilted his head to ask her.
“What’s the matter? Carena?”
“It’s nothing, really. I was just looking at you, thinking that my future husband would be wonderful.”
Ryoji blinked in surprise as Carena said with a smile, and pretended to look at the window.
“I’m busy right now, you know. And you have to work hard, too!”
“Of course. Let’s work hard for the sake of the captain.”
It was obvious to everyone that Ryoji was trying to hide his embarrassment, even though he was paying attention to the giggling Carena with a red face. He could not cover it up and wrote with his pen.
“A letter from Ryoji-san? Don’t tell me his sword is broken? No, I think the magic tool and the hook are broken. Surely that part is the most fragile ……. Or maybe there’s a problem with the ‘Muzzle Loader’ …….”[His wording is a bit different, he says Sakigomeshikiju(さきごめしきじゅう)
instead of Sakigomeju(さきごめじゅう) Suggestion are very welcome]
“What? What’s wrong with you, father? You looked at the letter and froze.”
He opened the letter, muttering, and froze when he saw the contents. It was at such a time that Sieve entered Cozimo’s workshop.
“Ah, ah. Sieve, it’s you? What’s the matter? Is there something I can do for you? No, no, no, listen to me! I’ve been asked to make weapons! And a lot of them. Where do you think it came from?”
“It’s from Ryoji-sama, isn’t it? I have been entrusted with some money from Melta-san, who told me to give it to you, father. She said it would be necessary to pay for things here and there.”
Cozimo took the leather bag from his beloved daughter, spread the coins on the desk and began to count them.
“Eh? I’ve never seen this much money in my life. ……”
Nodding to Sieve’s stiff murmur, Cozimo checked the number of gold coins to see that it was three hundred and sighed heavily.
” 3 gold coins per unit. At two units per day, 100 units is a reasonable amount, even considering the cost of materials. And we can monopolize the repairs and adjustments, huh. If so, we’ll have a surplus in three months.”
Cozimo re-read the letter from Ryoji.
To Mr. Cozimo
Please make 100 swords that can be given attributes for the garrison army!
I am going to ask you to do all the maintenance as well, Cozimo-san.
You’d better train your apprentice as soon as possible!
Also, make them as fast as you can.
“I don’t know what “maintenance” means, but I’m guessing it means repairs. I’ll go to the guild tomorrow and ask for an apprentice. What’s the matter with you? You look even stiffer than your father.”[TN: He pronounced maintenance a little differently making my work a bit difficult]
“Three hundred gold pieces is a lot of money. Please don’t make me carry it alone. Melta-san.”
While taking pity on his beloved daughter, who froze at the sight of so much money, he envisioned a future in which he would be most busy and renewed his determination as a weaponsmith.
“What’s wrong? Weren’t you supposed to be at the Cave of Trials?”
With a curious look on his face, Yuhan welcomed Marco.
“It’s about the garrison, you know. Ryoji started managing the garrison. And within a few days, it’s working terribly well.”
“What?”
The fact that Marco, who should not be here, was in front of him was also questionable, but his expression became dull as he could not make sense of what he was saying. He nodded his head in sympathy and began to give a detailed explanation of the situation at the garrison that Ryoji was in charge of.
“I see. I was afraid Marco had lost his mind, but it looks like it’s true. On a different note, our unit captain has sent us a request to purchase a revolutionary weapon.”
“You’ve been contacted by the troop captain as well, huh……. Hey. Did you doubt my report? You should believe in your brother’s word.”
“Isn’t that impossible? Who would believe a report that says, “A simple adventurer ran a garrison and within a few days it became effective?” Well, I guess I have to believe it.”
“That’s true.”
Marco continued to speak with a serious face to Yuhan, who looked as if he had no choice but to accept it.
“What are you going to do? Yuhan.”
“What am I going to do? Of course, I’ll allow it. Just from what is written in this report, there are plenty of measures that can be used in other locations. As a lord, I have no reason to stop it.”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m talking about letting Ryoji take charge of some territory.”
He began to seriously consider Marco’s suggestion. From Yuhan’s point of view, both having him go to the Royal Academy of Magic and developing the frontier county through territory management are attractive. He pondered for a while before answering Marco.
“We’ll put this matter on hold for now. Let’s talk to the vassals and come to a conclusion.”
Yuhan let out a sigh as he leaned back on the comfortable sofa.
“Team Three! Fire!”
“Yes sir!”[Well the raws didn’t have any space between the words]
The fireball that was released with a shout made a red lotus flame bloom as it attacked the green wolves, and after the flower of firepower disappeared, five bodies that had been green wolves were lying on the ground. Ryoji’s sharp voice echoed in the cave that had regained its silence.
“Okay! The first team will take care of the surroundings! The second team only collects the magic stones. Leave the rest! And the third team will move to the rear guard for a break!”
“””Yes sir!”””
Ryouji nodded his head in satisfaction as he confirmed that the scholars in the search team were moving as ordered, with more unhindered movement than the elite of the garrison army.
“That was a good move! You guys! Let’s keep it up!”
“Sergeant! Thank you very much! Sir!”
The six scholars shouted loudly at Ryoji’s praise and resumed their work, putting their right hand around their eyebrows. If there had been someone here who knew that motion, they might have told Marco, ‘That’s a salute.’
“Sorry. Can you please tell me what’s going on?”
He wanted an explanation for the insane scene in front of him. However, those who were looked at by Marco would either avert their gaze, make eye contact and let out a huge sigh, or shake their heads and appeal with their eyes as if to say give up. As if to change the indescribable atmosphere, Carena began to explain to Marco.
“I don’t know the details, but it’s a famous military system in Ryoji-sama’s country.”
“If I’m not mistaken, those were the scholars who were fighting, weren’t they?”
Marco confirmed this by looking at the six people who were wasting no time in removing the magic stones and keeping an eye on their surroundings. Their movements were not that of scholars, but of soldiers, no matter how you look at it. The captain of the unit, meeting Marco’s gaze, began to explain with an enlightened expression.
“At first, he said, “If we’re going to go on a deep research expedition, it’s better to increase the probability of survival of the scholars. Don’t you think we need to open up the future on our own, instead of just being protected by magic tools, potions, and adventurers?” That’s how it started. Before I knew it, the scholars were able to use magic to fight. The scholars formed a party and said, “We’ll get rid of the small fry until we get to the deep part!” That’s how the current situation came to be. ……
Marco understood all of this when he saw the mentally exhausted look on the face of the captain who was in command of this in-depth investigation team, and he shouted at the source of the problem.
“Ryoji!”
“Eh? What are you mad about? I was just trying to get these guys to work a little harder.”
Ryoji replied to Marco’s voice with a puzzled look on his face. As Marco was about to shout at him, the scholars stopped their work and lined up in front of him.
“Marco-san! Please don’t blame the sergeant! We were trash who could do nothing but only think, but the sergeant is our savior who has reborn us as excellent warriors!”
“Chaplain? Are you talking about Ryoji? No. No. I don’t know what he said to you, but you are supposed to use your brains. Don’t forget that you are the best group of intelligence we have here from the capital!”[TN: haaaaah, the scholars use 軍曹 which meant Sergeant but Marco uses Hiragana only ぐんそう which can mean different things depending on the second Kanji used 軍僧 = Chaplain, 軍葬 = Military funeral and 軍装 = soldier’s equipment and Chaplain is a member of the clergy attached to a private chapel, institution, ship, regiment, etc(google it for more info)]
Marco held his head in his hands as he looked at the group of the best brains, who had brushed off Marco’s warning with a refreshing smile and looked at Ryoji with a worshipful expression.
“I’m sorry. I admit that I overdid it. I got a bit too excited.”
Ryoji bowed his head to Marco at open space where he had intercepted the Bull-man.
“Sergeant! Don’t bow your head! We have nothing but gratitude to say, sir”
“You’re the best! Truly, You guys!”
As the scholars pleaded with him to raise his head, Ryoji looked around at the scholars who had gathered around him in a circle and burst with joy in the center of the circle.
“What? This is a farce.”
“Listen to me. They are supposed to be the best brains in the country, but they are acting like muscle heads. What the hell did Ryoji do to those scholars?”
Ryoji, who was eyed suspiciously not only by Marco but also by Carena, who had not been told the details, began to explain with a big smile on his face.
“Hmm! First of all, I brain was…..persuaded the scholars that what is needed for deep research is physical strength, guts, and good judgment .”
“Hey! You were just about to say brainwashing, weren’t you?”
Ryoji ignored Marco’s retort and continued.
“So I took them out into the woods and left them there for about an hour. Of course, I have gone ahead and exterminated any monsters that were around.”
“Hey. Hold on a second.”
“And then I’ll start blasting fireballs all over the place to create a sense of unease. Then, the dashing hero of Drugul appeared. After that, I instruct the scholars who have been adoring me on how to manage the magic within a short time. After that, I make them enter the Cave of Trials and shoot magic around while spending a lot of mana potions. And allowed then to get used to the magic in the field, and when they were physically tired, had them drink a quintuple potion to refresh themselves! Finally, I let them fight for about 15 hours straight in a day, and they’re ready to be strong wizards!”
“It was the same with Melta! Okay. This time, the scholars who came are the best of the best in the capital. We can’t afford to be playing around here.”
“That’s not true! Marco! There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to do anything because you’re a scholar. You must have the skills to escape on your own without any guards in case they get wiped out! Unlike expendable goods like us, scholars are chosen people who can’t grow up overnight!”
The scholars looked at Ryoji with admiration as he suddenly began to speak with a serious expression after receiving a tsukkomi from Marco. Carena looked at Ryoji with a surprised expression, but also with a sense of reverence. The captain looked at Ryoji with a certain respect, while Marco looked at him with complete suspicion.
“So, what are your real intentions?”
“Because it looked interesting!”
“After all! I thought so!”
Marco’s shout reverberated through the cave.
—Part I end—
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