Knights, Let’s Smash Them

15 – First Battle (4)

It wasn’t just the mayor who was gathered in the mayor’s office. The tiny room was filled with officials, including the city’s magistrates and magistrates.

In the meantime, of course, there was also the Carlos Mercenary, who helped the Knights and took charge of the purchase of Netro.

I exchanged eye signals with him and sat down on one side of the round table.

“You really worked hard. If it weren’t for the snow leopard knights, there would have been a huge blow to Jared as well as innocent citizens.”

“The city of Rupel Territory is in trouble, and it is only natural that the lord’s knights are helping.”

When Xian Ne spoke calmly, her mayor put her hands together on her chest as if she was thrilled as usual this time.

Wow, you are so impressed.

Are you menopausal?

Normally, Xianne has a drowsy side, but when she was in a formal setting like this, she always showed the appearance of a confident knight commander.

I really liked that.

You seemed to have humanity.

Somewhere, the blonde knight commander was as same as his straight body.

My head is a muscle, and I used to spit out such remarks without hesitation even at public events, so it was me and other administrative staff who took care of it.

She was a genius.

The genius of the knight.

Levia was born with the talent of a sword master that only comes around once in a hundred years. I can assure you that even if you search the entire continent, it will be difficult to find someone as talented as her.

In the original novel, he was quite strong enough to be on par with the main character.

Her problem is that her god was so fair that he gave her her overwhelming shortsightedness along with her overwhelming powerlessness.

Levia didn’t know how to see the forest.

It was possible because he was a formidable skillful man who could cut down the entire forest if he only cut down the trees in front of him.

By the way, stupid geniuses are the scariest.

Seeing everything about her from her own standard, common sense of common people can’t deal with her at all.

She also did not know the weight of her position as the leader of the Imperial Knights.

She approaches with the logic of ‘it just has to be done or it can’t be done.’ As a practitioner, I felt like I was choking whenever I received a trivial inquiry about the Knights.

-The captain of the knights said that this would work?

-What kind of bullsh*t? We can’t do this.

-I’ve already signed all the contracts, but what if I can’t!

– No f*ck…… How did the Knights catch the Sea Serpent in the deep sea! Let’s find a pirate young lady who is idle somewhere in the south!!!

-This is a scam! Cheated on me!

-Aren’t you an idiot for believing that right away!? Does it make sense to ride a horse and catch a sea dragon!? Do you know what kind of Pegasus the Knights are!?

The days of catching back goals every day.

When I think about it now, it’s amazing how I didn’t collapse from an acute myocardial infarction.

Perhaps the perks I gained while possessing this damn world were ‘stress reduction’ or ‘absolute immunity to mental illness’ or something?

Aren’t you just a yellowish cow that’s good at work? No matter how workaholic he was, it was unacceptable for a person to be treated as a bull.

“By the way, can you tell us a little more about this case? I have to write a report.”

“Ah… ….”

When I took out the notebook I had brought beforehand, the mayor nodded and started talking about the ‘burial in the mine’.

“I didn’t overdo it. The reason why there were only 37 people working at the two mines despite nearly 100 people, was because they had just finished their break and went back in.”

“Hmm… ….”

I tapped the notebook with the pen.

“So it was really an earthquake?”

“The residents who live nearby say yes.”

“By the way, when I looked into it, there were no reports of any vibrations or strange noises being heard in 9th Street, which is adjacent to the mine.”

Already secured the testimony of the residents while saving Netro.

As if they didn’t know they had done that, the bureaucrats showed a look of surprise.

However, it didn’t look like he was grabbing anything. It just feels like I didn’t know it would be this thorough.

“At least you need to know what the cause is so you can prevent this from happening next time.”

“Am yo, you are right. After all, you are the Administrator of Luverne Alroy.”

As the mayor immediately agreed, a bureaucrat who was rummaging through some papers next to him added more.

“It is true that I did not feel vibrations on 9th Avenue, but it is also true that vibrations actually occurred.”

“Then the vibration was very weak… ….”

A landslide can occur even with that amount of vibration.

Moreover, Rupel Mansion is now welcoming spring with great rejoicing.

It is highly probable that the ground was weakened as the frozen ground melted.

“I guess I was out of luck after all.”

“Of course, magistrate. We, Jarhead, are in full compliance with Imperial statutes for mining.”

Well, judging from the fact that the rescued miners didn’t say much, it seemed that Jared’s mining business was being managed fairly transparently.

‘Does the lower water really have to be clear when the upper water is clear?’

Honest, kind, and a mayor for the people. In other cities where mines exist, the mining industry is a field that eats away on fictitious days.

It is very surprising that the manor is being managed honestly even in a relatively poor condition.

“Then, iron ore trading will resume as normal from tomorrow.”

“Of course. I was worried because these are the two mines that produce the most iron, but I was relieved!”

The financial officer with thick dark circles under his eyes said with a bright smile.

Looks like you’ve been struggling like a dog for the past few days.

I don’t know what his face looked like originally, but it must have been a little less undead than it is now.

Now, I guess we just exchanged greetings.

It was time to get to the point.

“Is there a company that was promised to separately supply iron from the two mines this time?”

“No…… Most of the waiting caravans fled the city as the mines were buried. I had to pay a pretty large penalty for cancellation, so if I don’t deal with it quickly, it will put a strain on my finances.”

“Then let us buy it. Instead, the price is 70% of the original price.”

“Yes!?”

The mayor’s office was once shaken by his outspoken remarks.

“Our knights need a lot of iron. We need to divert resources that will flow out to the domestic market.”

It’s not just because of the exercise equipment. How much more iron do you need to do that?

The problem was that the remaining resources in the materials warehouse of the Knights reached almost zero.

There is a limit to fitting equipment with my own money. Of course, the order of knights must have a forge inside that produces equipment exclusively for the knights.

With this in mind, even if the number of knights is newly increased, equipment cannot be supplied in time.

Well, it’s just a small number of articles.

As much as the condition of the equipment of the corps, which directly manages city security, was quite poor.

They also need to supply new equipment.

‘The Rupel estate is lucky. It’s because the thieves didn’t come in despite the mess like this.’

At this level, the territory could go beyond simple chaos and fall into civil war.

Even the military corps and knights, which are the strongest swords and strength of the local lord, are not properly protected, so it is strange that the head is not broken the moment a thief or a monster hits the back of the head.

Rather, the territory itself could be destroyed with a single blow.

If the first reformation of the knights was to change the name and normalize the dungeons in the territory.

The second reform of the Knights Templar was to secure supplies and supply appropriate equipment.

Whether it’s an expedition or training, shouldn’t you have a weapon to hold and wield anyway?

“Ha, but…… 70% Is too little.”

“70%.”

“How do you cut it by 30%? What you do with 90%…….”

“70%.”

“Good! Let’s do it at 80%!!”

“70%.”

I took possession of Oyabung negotiating with the US commander and continued my strong argument.

“That, magistrate, it’s still 20%. Currently, the price of iron ore on the market is 1 gold coin per 10 kg, and even if you cut 20% here, you will get a whopping 20 silver coins!”

“Instead, we will not receive additional levies for the cost of mobilizing the knights and burying them.”

“…… !”

The knights are clearly the property of the lord.

Why does the city have its own guard? Of course, this was because the corps and knights were not members that the mayor could mobilize at will.

Thus, to the extent that the knights went out and solved the case, the city of Jarhead had to pay the lord, Count Rupel, a legitimate price.

It’s just that the horse pays the count.

Usually organized in the line of the guild administrator.

The operating expenses of the Knights, other than the annual budget allocated by the territory, had to be rolled by the Knights themselves.

The lords also found it much more comfortable for the Knights to directly roll their assets, rather than simply handing over the campaign expenses.

That’s why the cost of campaigning like this is actually one of the salty side profits of the Knights.

It was also the reason why the administrators of any other order of knights stayed in one place.

“If you calculate this and that, in the end it will help each other. If you calculate the cost of life for 37 people and the collateral damage that would have occurred if the rescue was delayed…… Wouldn’t it be morally better to sell at a 30% discount?”

I kept on talking. Even in the midst of the atmosphere in an instant, the finance officer who manages the finances was bouncing the abacus hard.

That’s right.

The conversation about money is not about emotions.

And perhaps the more you bounce the abacus, the more weight will be placed on accepting the conditions.

70% Is a condition that I have already calculated since I came here.

Tak, tak, tak!

The finance official, who flicked the abacus and scribbled a few characters on a piece of paper, nodded and said.

“…… You are right. Although we suffer a little loss, as I said before, when the rescue is delayed and the cost of compensation for the death of the miners is included, it is rather profitable.”

As the finance minister assisted, the head head lowered his tail as if he couldn’t do it.

“Okay.”

“By the way, how much iron do you want?”

I moved my gaze back to the head of the Carlos Merchant Corps. Sensing the gaze directed at him, he presents conditions as if he had waited.

“I want all the remaining iron ore that was supposed to be traded, but was not traded due to this incident.”

“Me, everything…… !”

“Do you have enough capital to afford it?”

“Of course.”

Carlos said in his confident voice.

Of course I have a plan.

If you eat all that food, you will definitely get a stomachache, but if you give extra money to the starving people…… ?

Because the essence of alchemy that turns iron into gold will unfold before your eyes.

‘When you make money with single hits, hoarding is the real thing.’

The eyes of Carlos, who had been talking to me long ago, were smiling faintly.