Kays Translations

Chapter 17: Cleaning Up Afterwards

The village was already in a festive mood.

I could understand why. A wooden palisade had suddenly gone up around their homes, the villagers had been ordered to stay inside, adventurers had gathered one after another, and then everyone had been told that a goblin army threatened the area.

Now all of that had been resolved. The danger hanging over the village was gone.

Even so, the extermination force hadn’t actually returned yet.

Good grief. The villagers were already preparing a feast in advance. Wasn’t this a little premature…?

“Lord Julius, the knight order has returned!”

Gyre, who had been watching the monster forest from the top of a haystack, shouted. I looked over and saw a group approaching in the distance, carrying House Heine’s banner. There was no mistaking them.

“Lord Julius, we have returned.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Lionel. I’ll hear the detailed report later. Rest with everyone else for now. And thank you, Mr. Abel.”

“Thanks to the knight order’s treasured Numbness Balls, the battle was much easier. As expected, they didn’t work on the Goblin Lord, but they slowed the Goblin Generals serving as its escorts.”

Mr. Abel was an A-rank adventurer active in the Heine Margraviate. We’d asked him to lead the adventurers during the operation. He was only a little over twenty, but he was calm, collected, and extremely dependable.

“So they didn’t work on the Goblin Lord. Monsters with high resistance really are troublesome.”

“If they’re that effective, that’s more than enough. I’d love to see them put on sale. They would make monster hunts much safer.”

“Grandmother developed them in secret, so that may be difficult.”

Of course, that was a lie. I’d made the Numbness Balls myself, and they weren’t particularly difficult to produce.

The problem was that they were too effective. If I released them onto the market before a proper antidote existed, there was every chance they could be abused for crimes or warfare. I couldn’t take that risk.

“And while we’re on the subject, what were those elementary healing potions the knights had? They were extremely effective, and the knights were gulping them down as though they were water. When I asked my injured comrades about them, they said, ‘They’re just like drinking water. What on earth were those awful elementary healing potions we had before?'”

“Oh, those are another potion Grandmother has been developing. Hopefully, we’ll be able to establish a steady supply.”

“No, those are already complete. You should put them on sale immediately. I’d gladly pay three times the usual price—even five times.”

“Five times?!”

Apparently, they were worth far more than I’d expected.

Part of me wanted to release the recipe and spread it for the sake of the adventurers and the territory, but I was still too young. At the very least, I needed to graduate from the academy first.

Still… five times the normal price.

Maybe I really could make money from this.

No, no. Diverting the elementary healing potions supplied to the knight order and selling them to adventurers would be putting the cart before the horse. Strengthening our knights came first. They were the ones who protected the Heine Margraviate.

While Abel and I talked, Lionel thanked the adventurers for their help in the operation. Applause rose from the crowd.

“Lord Julius, is there something you would like to announce?”

Lionel turned the floor over to me. Every adventurer’s eyes settled on me.

I didn’t have a speech prepared, but I did think it was best to make the rewards clear.

“All the magic stones obtained during this subjugation will go to the adventurers. After the stones are sold, the Adventurers’ Guild will distribute proper rewards according to the danger faced and each person’s contribution. In addition, there’s the commission reward from the Heine Margraviate. Don’t forget to collect it.”

An even louder cheer and round of applause erupted.

They had probably assumed the magic stones would be confiscated by the domain, but I had no intention of doing that. Building good relations with the Adventurers’ Guild and the adventurers themselves was worth far more.

If anything like this happened again, the last thing we wanted was for them to refuse to help us.

Some of the knights might be dissatisfied, but members of the knight order received a fixed salary every month. It wasn’t lavish, but it was dependable.

“And one more thing. Please take this, Mr. Abel. When you return to the Adventurers’ Guild in the royal capital, use it to buy everyone a drink.”

I handed him the purse I’d prepared beforehand. He accepted it automatically, then immediately panicked when he realised how much was inside.

“I can’t accept this, Lord Julius! It’s far too much!”

“It’s fine. This isn’t a reward; it’s my personal thanks. It came from my own pocket, so use it without worrying.”

“But this is still too much!”

“Mr. Abel, everyone is expecting you to stand them a round, aren’t they?”

We glanced toward the adventurers. Most of them were staring at Abel with naked expectation in their eyes.

He groaned.

“I understand. Thank you very much.”

Abel finally gave in, and another cheer went up.

“Are you sure about this, Lord Julius? Is it all right to use the military funds entrusted to you?”

“It’s fine, Lionel. Better yet, make certain that the villagers who prepared this meal are paid as well.”

“…Do you think they’ll accept the money?”

“Make them accept it. Money spent within the territory circulates through the economy and eventually returns to the Heine Margraviate as tax revenue.”

“Understood. We’ll do what we can.”

I’d put Lionel through a great deal. The knights had worked hard too, from gathering materials in the monster forest, to building the palisade around the village, to carrying out the goblin extermination itself.

When we returned to the manor, I’d bring out some of Father’s treasured wine and hold a proper celebration for them.

Father might be angry, but he’d given me full authority.

What belongs to House Heine belongs to me. And what belongs to me belongs to everyone.

That was the risk he took when he put everything in my hands.

Rosalia was probably worried about me by now. I needed to get home as soon as possible.

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