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Chapter 55 - Disturbing Rumor (1)

"The training grounds are finally complete! Come take a look, brother!"

"It turned out well, just like the blueprints. You’ve done a great job."

The construction of the training grounds in the Arient Territory had come to an end.

There were two buildings: one for Charlotte\'s personal use with her Super Strong Sword, and the other for the main operations of Vermont Security.

"The foundations are solid. Unless a dragon crashes into it, this place won’t be coming down anytime soon."

"Hahaha!"

Thanks to frequent visits to the construction site and learning from the Count of Arient, I had picked up a fair amount of basic knowledge about construction.

I wasn’t at the level of micromanaging the builders, but at least I wouldn’t be swindled.

"Haha, so how do you plan to settle the construction payment, brother...?"

"I’ll waive the interest on this month’s investment, and the remaining 700 million will be transferred by tomorrow."

"R-Really? By tomorrow? I can finally afford some decent meals! Hahaha!"

The Count of Arient was nearly in tears with joy, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him.

He was a count, yet lived a life constantly burdened by debt.

‘I’ll need to keep placing orders frequently.’

I couldn’t have the Count facing the harsh reality of never repaying his debt and possibly resorting to drastic measures.

I needed to keep his eyes on the illusion of eventually paying off his debt, so I could continue to collect 50% interest annually on a mere 10 billion lark investment.

‘Now that the training grounds are complete, it’s time to focus on equipment.’

With the training grounds and staff in place, all that was left were the operational organization and the equipment.

Sylvia had taken care of the organizational aspect, so it was time to check on the equipment.

"Ah, my Lord! You’re here! It’s too loud and hot inside, so let’s talk out here!"

Jacob emerged from the forge, sweating profusely.

A quick glance inside revealed that the furnaces were roaring nonstop, and the workers were drenched as they hammered away at the metal.

The weapons and tools they were forging glowed with an impressive sheen.

It was the same mana-infused technique I had seen before.

Jacob seemed to have successfully trained his workers in it.

"Have the workers learned how to handle mana forge now?"

"Yes. They can manage the pre-processing, but I still need to handle the rest. No one can match my skill yet."

"..."

Hearing Jacob speak so nonchalantly about it made me realize just how talented he was.

His apprentices were all veteran blacksmiths, well into middle age with at least 20 years of experience.

Yet here they were, learning from Jacob, who had only been working with them for a couple of months.

"Are they following your instructions well? If anyone disobeys or challenges you, let me know."

"Fortunately, no one has challenged my authority. The problem is they’re so eager to learn that they keep asking for more lessons, even after work hours. I’m losing sleep, giving them private lessons one by one."

It seemed they had completely set aside their pride in the face of Jacob’s overwhelming talent and skill, and their desire to learn was intense.

"At this rate, they should be able to catch up to my level within three months!"

"No, don’t let them."

"Excuse me?"

"Start teaching half-heartedly and focus more on honing your own skills."

"May I ask why?"

"Right now, they’re eager to learn from you, but as soon as they surpass you, they’ll become arrogant. What if they master mana forge and then leave to start their own forges? One of the easiest ways to win in competition is to prevent competitors from emerging in the first place."

"Ah! I understand!"

[The Evil God \'Kali\' is eagerly taking notes on what you just said.]

Eliminating competition... that sounded too harsh.

Let’s call it "preventing competition from the start."

Another way to put it is kicking away the ladder after climbing up.

If I’m going to monopolize something, I need to do it right.

I’d only allow Jacob to be the sole master of mana forge for now.

"How’s the equipment production coming along?"

"More than half is complete."

"How much longer for the rest?"

"We’ve gained some momentum, so I estimate the remaining equipment will be ready within two weeks."

That was an impressive pace.

Despite being crafted with mana forge, which can’t be mass-produced, the speed was remarkable.

Perhaps I should place more orders?

I was seriously considering expanding the forge and hiring more staff to run it 24/7 in shifts when I noticed Jacob’s face turning pale.

"What’s wrong?"

"N-Nothing. It just suddenly felt chilly..."

"If it’s nothing, then load the finished equipment onto the wagon. We’ll move it to the training grounds in the Arient territory immediately."

"Y-Yes, of course..."

I had ordered a surplus of equipment to account for extras, and now that it was all ready, Vermont Security was set to open for business.

Maybe I should start tomorrow?

Sylvia would probably complain non-stop if I did.

She already had a mountain of work, and if she had to start training the staff too, she’d be overwhelmed.

‘I should give her some good news to motivate her.’

There’s also something I promised her earlier.

"And I have a new order."

"Another one? This time, how many hundreds...?"

"Just one."

"Oh, I see. Whew. Umm...?"

Jacob’s relief quickly turned to unease as he realized something was off.

Yes, just one.

But it’s a particularly tricky one.

"It’s a double-edged sword, but you can decide the rest. Just make sure it’s a special one."

"A special sword, you say...?"

"Use your creativity. Make the most unique and extraordinary sword you’ve ever seen."

"The best sword I’ve ever seen was the Holy Sword my grandfather made..."

"You finished that sword, didn’t you? You should be able to surpass it."

"The finishing touches were minor! The foundation is what’s important, and how can I create a sword that rivals the Holy Sword...!"

"Oh, you’re mistaken. I’m not asking you to match the Super Strong Sword. I want you to surpass it."

"...!"

Jacob’s eyes widened in shock, his expression showing he was about to lose his mind.

‘Good luck. Your talent isn’t just for coating mass-produced items with mana forge.’

Jacob had proven he could handle large orders.

Now it was time to test the quality of his work.

You can’t just keep churning out generic products forever.

You need to aim to surpass the great masters.

"I-I’m not sure if I can..."

"You’re not thinking of saying you can’t do it, are you?"

"...!"

I wrapped my arm around Jacob’s shoulders, lowering my voice to give him some firm encouragement.

‘I can’t do it. I’ll fail. Wah, wah, wah.’

Come on, man. That’s no way to think.

Whether you succeed or not, you have to give it a shot.

"Do your best. If you give it your all, I won’t be disappointed."

No one succeeds on the first try.

Failing multiple times is normal, but what matters is the courage to challenge yourself despite the fear of failure.

That was the point of my words, but...

"I-I’ll make sure to produce something that won’t disappoint you!!!"

"..."

[The Evil God \'Kali\' is in awe of your persuasive skills.]

It seemed I had put too much pressure on Jacob.

Well, it’s fine either way.

Jacob was like a horse that runs better when whipped.

"Do your best, okay?"

"I will!!!"

As Jacob yelled, I noticed the workers inside the forge turning pale as they watched us.

Maybe I was being a bit too strict.

I discreetly slipped something into Jacob’s hand during our handshake.

"Here’s an advance payment. This is a personal commission, so don’t share it with the others. The rest will be paid upon completion."

"Y-Yes, sir..."

I waved slightly and then turned to climb back into the carriage.

As we rounded the corner and joined the main road, I saw something peculiar.

‘What is he doing?’

Jacob was standing on his hands, with his feet in the air, bowing toward the carriage.

I had explained to him what a full kowtow was, and now he was making a fool of himself like this.

Seeing it in action, I realized it was quite embarrassing.

Maybe I shouldn’t have taught him that.

‘Why is he overreacting for just 3 billion?’

I had given Jacob a blank check for 3 billion larks.

It wasn’t a big deal.

I had more money than I knew what to do with, and Jacob needed to get used to that.

Sure, I could’ve been stingy and worked him to the bone, but when Jacob eventually learned his true worth, he would feel deeply betrayed.

In any relationship, trust is paramount.

And if you consistently treat someone fairly from the start, you earn not just their trust but also their loyalty.

With Sylvia’s motivation handled, all that was left was to officially launch Vermont Security.

‘This has to work.’

The world, as it seems, is a dangerous place.

With magic, Evil Gods, and even dark magic in the mix, safety is never guaranteed.

That’s why I believed there would be significant demand for security services.

The investment was substantial.

We had already hired many employees and produced a lot of equipment.

If this venture failed, the impact would be severe.

...Although a year’s worth of toll revenue from the new road would cover the losses.

"Sylvia. Where is Sylvia?"

"My Lord...!"

As soon as I returned to the estate and stepped out of the carriage, Sylvia came running barefoot.

Instead of her usual tight-fitting uniform and trousers, she was wearing a light, flowy dress.

Her hair was a mess, indicating she had rushed out.

"Did something urgent happen?"

"There’s a disturbing rumor spreading!"

"A rumor?"

"They’re saying that the Lord is raising commoner slaves to take as wives! The rumor has already spread far and wide!"

"...!"

Damn it.

Who the hell spread that baseless gossip?

That was just my wishful thinking.