Now that the territory’s maintenance was more or less finished, and the people of the territory had arrived as well.
The goals I had come here with were almost all accomplished, so I felt lighthearted. After finishing three mock battles, I headed for the factory.
“…Please, I’m begging you, take it easy.”
“It’s all assets.”
Because we had fought three mock battles, the technology demonstrator and the Knight were damaged here and there.
The two machines were laid down in the repair area prepared inside the factory, and I watched as the trained technicians consulted the blueprints and discussed matters before beginning armor repairs.
“At least it’s a relief that it’ll be cheap.”
“If they were badly broken, I would’ve repaired them myself.”
If an arm had been blown off or some joint had been twisted out of place, I would have adjusted it, but they weren’t broken to that extent, so I had entrusted them to the factory.
The people here needed to improve their skills by fixing this and that, too.
In the long term, my goal was to reach a point where I didn’t have to worry about the factory’s work at all. It was slow, but things were definitely heading that way, which was reassuring.
Of course, there was also the fact that I could take a look at the factory’s current purpose.
“It’s amazing no matter how many times I see Cyclops being produced.”
Giants several times the size of a person were being assembled, each process being completed one by one.
There were four visible to the eye alone.
If there were any produced a few days ago or yesterday, we might have succeeded in reaching double digits by now.
“So far, there haven’t been any delays in production because of problems anywhere, so we’re planning to start sending them out one by one soon.”
“Come to think of it, how are you planning to deliver them?”
“We’re thinking of transporting them with the caterpillar golems we made on this side.”
Mina’s initial interest had been sparked by continuous tracks, and now she had finally realized her dream.
Just as she said, on one side of the factory, I could see things that looked similar to our caterpillar golems equipped with the trailers we had made before, standing by.
“We’d already secured supply routes for the original materials, but now that we have Aizen’s mine too, it’s become even easier. Even with lower-to-mid-grade materials, there were no problems with manufacturing or using the Cyclops.”
“Well, if a mass-produced model only eats expensive materials, it’s game over, so I took that into account from the start.”
Mina had probably thought of mass-producing and selling them when she decided to exploit the mine.
As a result, all that remained now was for Cyclops to spread throughout the Kingdom of Vespia.
On one side of the production line, the Cyclops commissioned by the royal palace were being assembled one by one, and on another line, civilian models were being assembled. Seeing it filled me with a fresh sense of emotion.
“It’s nice to have visible results like this.”
“We’ll gradually expand.”
Mina said quietly.
Even now, thanks to their performance in the County of Phoenix, nobles with some leeway were slowly purchasing them, and it seemed she expected demand to increase further as time passed.
From my perspective, that seemed premature, but Mina apparently intended to invest more in the facilities at least.
“And we have to produce Knights too.”
“We do need to try a test production run.”
Since the Knight shared many parts with the Cyclops, the current production line could handle orders if they came in, but we still needed to attempt test production.
However, since the coating and some structures were different, we would need more equipment for the processing involved, so as Mina said, expanding would be good.
“If we’re going to expand anyway, would it be good to make something like a special processing factory?”
I was thinking that we could make as much use of the Cyclops as possible, then replace the necessary parts from there when producing them…
“Aizen, we have a guest!”
“It’s Lady Erika. Has she finished talking with the people from the Phoenix County?”
“A guest?”
Noel looked curious, and Mina tilted her head.
There shouldn’t be anyone who would come as a guest at this point…
“This person said he wanted to see Aizen!”
When I looked at Erika, I saw Sir Galed, whom I had seen before, and two men walking behind him.
I nodded to Sir Galed, who bowed first, then looked at the two of them.
They were very sturdy men wearing hoods pulled over their heads.
“My skin is weak. Please understand.”
The man said that and lifted his hood ever so slightly.
A face that seemed somehow familiar showed for a moment, and the man spoke quietly.
“I am Daniel, a free knight. Baron Aizen Arclight.”
“…A free knight?”
As Noel widened her eyes in surprise and Mina looked at Daniel with a sullen expression,
Erika, smiling brightly, continued in his stead.
“He said he wanted to test whether Aizen was someone worth serving, so I brought him!”
“Serving me?”
I was a little taken aback by Erika’s words.
****
For now, since I was nominally a lord, I had to return to the temporary residence.
If it were up to me, I would have liked to stay in the factory, modifying golems and planning new ones, but no matter what, I couldn’t just drive out a guest. Besides, Erika had pushed surprisingly hard, so I couldn’t turn them away at the door.
“Sir Galed said that Daniel is an extremely diligent person!”
“Lady Erika, no matter what, it’s rude to address someone you’ve just met so casually.”
Noel hurriedly stopped Erika, and Erika nodded.
And though it was hard to see because of the hood, Daniel gave the impression that he was smiling.
“You must be Lady Noel Nexia. Just as I heard, you are kind and diligent. It is an honor to meet you.”
“Th-the honor is mine.”
Noel answered a beat late and glanced cautiously at Daniel.
I quietly asked in a voice only Noel could hear.
“If you don’t have a good feeling about him, should I send him away?”
“Ah, n-no, that’s not it.”
Still, she seemed somehow uneasy.
Perhaps because of that, Mina nodded and said,
“Stable hand.”
“No!”
Noel cried out urgently, and Mina began to grin.
Then Daniel answered in a voice tinged with laughter.
“I’m confident in caring for horses.”
“Then a porter.”
“I have stamina as well.”
“A farmer.”
“I’ve been interested in farming for a long time.”
“Aizen’s nanny.”
“If you would call me Father?”
He wasn’t losing a single exchange against Mina.
But looking at Mina’s expression and gaze, I could tell she was teasing Noel after seeing her reaction.
Daniel, too, seemed to be playing along, perhaps more mischievous than he looked.
Somehow, he seemed like an interesting person.
“Hired.”
“N-no!”
Noel urgently stopped me.
Just as I wondered why she was suddenly acting like this, she quickly said,
“You’re choosing an important vassal, aren’t you? You can’t hire someone who’ll be working with you almost constantly from now on just because he seems amusing, Lord Aizen.”
“That’s true.”
To be honest, from my perspective, a candidate for representative had shown up unexpectedly, so I was about to simply welcome him, but Noel was right.
I had indeed been swept up by the fun and atmosphere and thought too simply.
“Since Noel says so, I suppose we should hold a test and interview after all.”
“Please do. I am ready.”
Daniel said solemnly, and the man who was apparently his squire whistled.
Then I asked quietly,
“What is your purpose in coming to this territory? From the look of you, it’s hard to think you simply came because life was difficult.”
“The life of a free knight is exceedingly arduous.”
“For that, your clothes are very clean.”
At my words, Daniel shrugged.
First, I needed to tell him that coming here wouldn’t mean he could live comfortably.
“I’ll be honest. Believe it or not, I’ve practically made enemies of a certain count family that’s doing quite well in this country. Even if you come here, I can’t guarantee anything like a peaceful life.”
“If you suspect me of being a lackey of Avatus, then please grant me the chance to prove my innocence.”
I had spoken indirectly, yet he brought it up immediately.
Daniel’s atmosphere changed slightly as well.
When I only nodded without saying anything, Daniel spoke in a gentle tone.
“It is a terribly shameful story, but to me, the Count of Avatus’s family is… I’ll be honest. Ours is the sort of relationship where one side must disappear for the other to live.”
“Are they something like your family’s enemies?”
Daniel nodded.
Then he carefully began to speak.
“…I had a foolish elder brother. Though he had someone he had loved for a long time, in order to secure his succession to the family’s power, he reached out to the Count of Avatus’s family. The fact that the woman there was a beauty also played a part.”
I could feel Noel listening calmly.
And Mina, as if she already knew the ending, tossed out,
“By the time he came to his senses, the Count of Avatus’s family had taken all the real authority, the family was full of people they had planted, and there wasn’t a single shop on the streets untouched by their hands.”
“Mina.”
“It’s common.”
Mina shrugged as she spoke.
“That place bewitches people with handsome men and beautiful women, then expands into unsavory businesses until even the back alleys are all in their grasp.”
“…And they can’t even be legally sanctioned. That family has carried out marriage politics for hundreds of years, and now there’s hardly a noble whose bloodline doesn’t touch theirs. They say they look down on even the king, and princes are toys to them, no? Ah, since they at least make a show of being loyal to the kingdom, even His Majesty cannot have their heads, so I’ve heard. They don’t provide a pretext.”
Daniel said it with an air of joking.
Then he said quietly,
“So, here is the matter. I wish to build strength here.”
“Strength?”
“The strength to protect my family and friends from Avatus.”
Daniel spoke quietly and bowed his head.
“So, Baron, please do not suspect me of being that house’s lackey. If you do, I may throw myself into the air out of shame.”
“I understand. I apologize for my rudeness.”
There was no lie in that atmosphere or voice.
The anger within him was real.
And if he was that sort of person, he could be trusted.
“They really are a family that’s harm itself.”
That was my honest impression.
Then I nodded and said,
“At any rate, the new Arclight Territory… the Barony of Arclight welcomes you.”
“Thank you, Baron.”
Because of the hood, I couldn’t see his face well, but there was no doubt he was smiling.
I nodded as it was and shook Daniel’s hand.
“Now that you have acknowledged me, I suppose it is my turn.”
“Yes?”
I was confused by the sudden incomprehensible statement.
Daniel spoke in a strangely excited voice.
“You know how they say a famed sword chooses its master for itself?”
Saying that, Daniel spread his hands and said,
“Please prove that you are a master worth serving.”
Something was wrong and strange.
His attitude was far too shameless to argue with.