“I suppose you could call it a simple bit of personal business.”
“…He reacted like that over something so minor?”
It wasn’t “just something minor,” that was the point.
Who would call a night of burning passion with the Empress “minor”?
“Well, everyone has their own reasons.”
“I mean, I guess so, but still…”
I shrugged, muttering under my breath. “And besides, I have no intention of keeping their secret.”
If it ever came out that I’d known and said nothing about it, I’d be in for it too, wouldn’t I?
In that case, it was far more profitable to just tell the Emperor everything and collect my reward.
As for the Empress, I’ll just let her know how to avoid the fallout.
The plan was already fully formed in my head. All I had to do now was put it into action, and most things would sort themselves out.
Lancelot was looking at me as if I were some kind of animal, but that was hardly my concern.
“…You Demon.”
“Quiet.”
“Yessir.”
Anyway…
I’d gotten the Lord of Miphra’s firm promise to keep his hands off, and I’d secured the Miph Merchant Guild.
Now, all that was left was to hand over the Trademaster’s seat to the coachman’s friend.
“So, are we heading back now?” Lancelot asked.
“We’ll stop by the coachman first.”
“Ugh, why are we seeing him again?”
“Then you, sir knight, can drive the carriage. In this freezing weather.”
“…Shall I go fetch him right away?”
That mouth of his never quits.
Still, since no one objected to getting a move on, we all headed off together to find the coachman.
“Ah, you’re back already, sir?”
“Things wrapped up quickly.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried.” The coachman let out a big, hearty laugh. Judging by his face, it didn’t seem like just empty words.
“So, you’re leaving now?” he asked.
“That’s right.”
“I understand. I’ll go get the carriage. There’s a decent station just a short walk from here.”
With a cheerful “Heave-ho,” the coachman got to his feet.
Watching him, I asked, “Aren’t you curious?”
“Curious about what, sir?”
“About what I discussed with your friend.”
The coachman replied with a good-natured smile. “Haha… I am honestly curious. But for folks like us, even a single question can cost us our lives. Still, since my friend hasn’t said a word, I can only assume Your Lordship has done him a great kindness.”
Maybe he’d decided I wasn’t your typical noble. He wasn’t as wary of me as before.
Hmm… definitely useful.
Just the right amount of caution, just the right amount of loyalty, and handy in all sorts of ways.
He might not be much in a fight, but when it came to non-combat work, he was flawless.
In short, he was a helpful fellow.
“Well then, I’ll go fetch the carriage.”
“Hold on a moment.” I stopped the coachman just as he was about to leave.
He tilted his head at me in a puzzled way. “Is there something you need, sir?”
“Your friend will become the Trademaster of the Miph Merchant Guild as of today.”
“…Yes?”
“And starting today, all gambling—including casinos—will be banned in the Miphra Territory. No one will be bothering the innkeeper anymore, either.”
“P-please, wait! What on earth are you saying…?!” The coachman waved his hands, trying to calm his startled heart before it leapt out of his chest.
Judging by the deep breaths, he’d heard me loud and clear. It was just that his mind was still busy processing the shock.
“S-so…! My friend is becoming the Trademaster today? And the casino’s finished?!”
“You’re good at getting to the point.”
“Th-this is, what in the…!”
I walked over and gave the coachman’s shoulder a reassuring pat. “Life’s full of miracles. Congratulations—your foster mother has her freedom back. Who knows, she might even end up wealthy.”
She really did have a talent for cooking. If the Miph Merchant Guild hadn’t been in the way, she might have made enough money to make even a miser weep.
“I mean, this is… ha…” The coachman stared blankly, then let out a hollow laugh.
I watched him with a wry smile and said, “The Lord won’t trouble her anymore. I’ve already had a word with him.”
“Y-you spoke to the Lord?!”
“That’s right.”
“Huh…” The coachman kept stammering, blinking in disbelief.
His face wore the look of a man who couldn’t believe any of this, as if he were worried I’d say it was all a lie the next moment.
But there was no need to plead for his trust. Just then, as if on cue, the coachman’s friend Rihan appeared, opening the door of the shack.
Rihan spoke with a calm, steady voice. “Hans, everything His Lordship said is true. He offered me a chance just now.”
“What? And you’re only telling me now?!”
“Well, I couldn’t say anything without his permission, could I?”
Hmm… I never actually told him to keep quiet. It seemed Rihan had zipped his lips on his own, probably worried that saying the wrong thing might make this whole opportunity vanish.
Well, I rather appreciated it. At least he wasn’t the reckless type.
“Hah… Is that supposed to be an explanation?”
“Please, try to understand.”
“Oh, I do understand! I’m just not used to seeing you be so polite to someone, that’s all!”
“He’s the one who saved my mother. I’d serve him with my life if I had to.”
“…Your mother?”
“Yes. He promised to give me the money to treat her. Being Trademaster is just a title—there’s no way I could have gotten that much money on my own.”
“…He said he’d give you the money?”
“That’s right.”
The coachman turned to look at me, wanting to ask if it was true, but the words wouldn’t come out.
I answered with a shrug.
He swallowed dryly, then managed to speak. “…Um, sir.”
“What is it?”
He looked terrified—much like when we’d first met—but there was a new determination in his eyes, the kind that said, “I have to say this, no matter what.”
I gave him an urging little nod.
The coachman drew in a deep breath, then slowly opened his mouth to speak. “Why are you giving us this opportunity?”
“Is that really so important?”
“To folk like us, every move a noble makes matters. The gracious wave of a giant’s hand can spell disaster for the ants below, after all.”
Oh… he can use metaphors?
I couldn’t help but brighten at that. Turns out he was more versatile than I’d thought. His sword arm might be lacking, but he clearly had a bit of literary polish.
I nodded, pleased, and replied, “There are a few reasons.”
“…”
“First, I needed someone with no ties to me to take over the merchant guild. Rihan over there fits that requirement.”
“…I see.”
“And second, I suppose it’s to show you a bit of goodwill.”
“…You mean me?” The coachman looked at me as if to ask, “But why?”—his eyes full of bafflement.
I gave him a faint, amused smile, continuing, “Your name was Hans?”
“…Yes, that’s right.”
“Ever considered joining the military? As it happens, there’s a unit that could use someone just like you.”
Hans the coachman.
He was the man who would become the final member of the Special Taskforce.
* * *
To be honest, I hadn’t planned on making Hans a member of the squad from the start.
I was originally going to recruit that other fellow.
Someone I’d meet in the future. If we’re talking raw fighting ability, he’d be on par with me at my best—or maybe even better.
No matter how things stood now, you couldn’t even compare Hans to him.
So why did I choose the coachman over that one?
The answer was simple.
…He’s probably still in prison at this point.
Lovantri Prison—the place where only the Empire’s most heinous criminals are sent.
Lovantri sat in the middle of the sea, and there simply wasn’t enough time to make the trip. There were too many things to do, too many fires to put out, and no real reason to go all the way there.
If I didn’t have anyone else, maybe. But now that I had a substitute recruit, there was no need to bother with that just yet.
I’ll save that for later.
For now, the priority was filling out the squad… and it was Hans who ended up filling that empty spot.
“W-wait, when you say ‘military,’ do you mean you want me to become a soldier?!” Hans yelped, shaking his head vigorously.
He seemed deeply shocked… or maybe he just wanted to say no?
But refusing isn’t an option.
If I’d intended to give him a choice, I wouldn’t have bothered treating him so nicely in the first place.
“You don’t have to be a soldier. Just a member of the squad will do.”
“I-I can’t fight!”
“I know that perfectly well, so don’t worry.”
As if I’d picked you for your fighting skills…
The reason I chose the coachman had nothing to do with something as trivial as combat ability.
It was his sharp wits, his knack for handling all sorts of odd jobs, and his impressive household skills. On top of that, he had a talent for mediating disputes among the squad—an old hand at keeping the peace.
These were things no one else could manage.
Sure, I could do them myself. But now that I’m a noble, I can’t exactly spend every day serving meals to the squad.
Besides, Hans’s cooking was nearly on par with the innkeeper’s. The stew they’d made together was so good, you could say it was to die for.
“In any case, welcome. You’re now part of the Special Taskforce,” I declared.
“No, I mean, I…!”
“Oh? Are you thinking of refusing?”
“It’s not that I’m against it! Actually, I have this chronic illness and—!”
“So, is that a refusal?”
“…Well, you see.”
“Refusing?”
“…No, sir. I’ll come along.”
Mhm. I knew he was quick on the uptake.
* * *
After recruiting Hans, we stopped by the inn to gather our things.
“Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it.”
The innkeeper, having heard the full story, kindly packed us some food for the road.
Rihan became the Trademaster of the Miph Merchant Guild, and the casino was being demolished—building and all. Soon, gambling would be a rare sight in the Miphra Territory.
Of course, the townsfolk wouldn’t return to normal overnight, but given time, they’d come around.
“Are we heading back now?” Lancelot asked.
“We should. We’ve finished what we came here to do.”
“Whew… I can’t wait to get home and put my feet up.”
“Home? You mean the knights’ barracks, don’t you.”
“Woah now. Let’s not go insulting other people’s homes.”
“…My good knight, perhaps you should work on your own way of speaking first.”
Who’s accusing whom, exactly?
“Ugh… By the way, Captain, when’s your engagement ceremony? You said it was coming up soon, didn’t you?”
“It’s soon.”
“And when exactly is ‘soon’?”
“Hmm… in three days?”
“In three days? Did you really mean the third of next month? That’s less than twenty days away! We really need to hurry back!”
“No, I mean three days from now.”
“…?” Lancelot blinked dumbly at me. Then, after a moment, he dug in his ear and asked again. “Ah, did I mishear? Could you repeat that?”
“I said, in three days.”
“…You mean the same three days it takes to get from here to the estate by carriage?”
“That would be correct.”
“You lunatic! Then we need to leave right this instant!”
Well… I didn’t expect things to take quite this long, either.
And I was being generous with ‘three days’…
“Everyone, pack your things! We’ve got to leave quickly!”
I muttered to myself defensively, while Lancelot rushed the others to get ready.
Another perfectly peaceful day was beginning.
“You too, hurry up and get readyyyyy!”
…Or maybe not?