Chapter 109 : Chapter 109
Chapter 109
The atmosphere in the Taton Knights was heavy.
Twelve people.
That was the number of trainees sacrificed in this incident.
Commander Ethan Taton, feeling the full weight of responsibility, provided sufficient compensation to the trainees’ families and decided to construct a new building for trainees within the knight order to prevent a similar incident from recurring.
And also.
He officially announced the existence of magical beasts.
Ethan Taton informed the mayor of Serigel about the accident that occurred at the training ground.
He reported what kind of beings had appeared and emphasized that countermeasures must be devised.
In this atmosphere, Reinhardt returned to the knight order.
“Knight Reinhardt, I have completed my mission and returned.”
“It wasn’t a mission I assigned, but you’ve worked hard. I’m sure you did what you had to do.
Would you like to rest first? Or is there something you need to tell me?”
“I will give my report first.”
Reinhardt calmly explained what he had experienced.
He had executed five warlocks.
Two of them were much stronger than ordinary warlocks.
Not only that, but he had also dealt with a large number of the same kind of magical beasts that had previously attacked the training ground.
“…I should be surprised to hear such a story. No, it is surprising. That five warlocks were gathered together. Were they targeting you?”
“Yes. They were targeting me.”
“Truly foolish beings. Even if they pick a fight, they should look at who they’re up against.
And you say more magical beasts appeared?”
“Yes.”
“That means such creatures will continue to appear.”
“That is not so. They were warlocks who served Agrios, and they used black magic to tame the magical beasts. They were not naturally occurring magical beasts.”
“So what you’re saying is, the warlocks tamed the magical beasts and brought them here?”
Ethan’s expression brightened considerably.
It meant that this was a special case.
“The first point of origin for the magical beasts is the Palma Mountains. If they had crossed the Empire to reach the east, the Empire would already be in an uproar.”
“You’re right. In that case, I’m a bit relieved, but the area outside the city is still dangerous, right?”
“That will be the case. The warlocks of Agrios can pull off a similar feat at any time.”
“I’ll have to go with the plan to build the training ground inside the knight order. In the long run, that seems to be the right choice.”
“I think so as well.”
“And…”
Just then, Ethan glanced at Reinhardt.
“You’ve probably already heard, but I submitted a report to the City Hall about this incident.”
“You did well.”
“Is that alright?”
“Yes. The Paganoa Knights will understand as well. If we do not make it widely known and prepare, innocent victims will continue to be produced.”
Ethan let out a long sigh of relief.
“I feel at ease now that you’ve said that. I was worried about whether I should keep it a secret, but it just didn’t seem right.”
“I will contact Paganoa.”
“Would you do that? At times like this, I feel I have no face as a commander.”
“The Commander has his own role. It is the member’s duty to fight at the forefront.”
“But this isn’t a battle, is it?”
“I believe that directly exchanging opinions with Paganoa is no different from standing at the forefront. Commander, you just need to lead the group called Taton in the right direction.”
Everyone has a wide variety of talents.
If that was the case in reality, it was even more so in the world of a game.
Ethan Taton’s role was to manage the group to which Reinhardt belonged in a comfortable manner.
A strong financial foundation.
The tolerance to accept outstanding talents regardless of their origin, and providing an environment where once accepted, the talents can grow smoothly.
In those aspects, Ethan Taton was clearly a person with sufficient ability.
And that was all Reinhardt expected of him.
“You’re right. It wasn’t like this at first. I feel like I’m getting greedy without realizing it.”
“What kind of greed?”
“I suppose it’s the greed to show a fine figure not only as a commander, but also as a knight.
I think I’ve been influenced by you a lot. Unconsciously.”
Ethan said with a bitter smile.
He seemed somewhat embarrassed.
And Reinhardt noticed for the first time the fatigue on Ethan’s face.
‘When did his dark circles get that low?’
The mental burden seemed to be considerable.
Not only did he feel responsible for this incident, but he was also clearly deeply contemplating how to operate the group called Taton from now on.
‘This isn’t good.’
It seemed like he couldn't leave him like this.
Negative emotions would be of no help in moving forward.
“Commander.”
“I’m listening.”
“I remained with the Taton Knights. And I will continue to be a member of the Taton Knights.
What do you think is the reason for that?”
Reinhardt asked, staring intently at Ethan.
Ethan looked slightly surprised, and then smiled awkwardly.
“At this rate, it’s as if I’ve been whining like a child.”
Shaking his head, Ethan let out a short, sharp breath.
“I’ve made a fool of myself. At times like this, I should be pulling myself together. Thank you, Sir Reinhardt.”
“It’s alright.”
“Alright, shall we have a more productive conversation? You said you repelled the magical beasts?”
“Yes.”
“Then we should dispatch some personnel. According to you, the byproducts that can be obtained from them should be valuable materials.”
The expression on Ethan’s face as he said this was noticeably brighter than before.
He was a person who felt happiness not as a knight commander, but when he lived as a merchant.
“I have brought them all.”
“All of them? By yourself?”
“Yes.”
“How… no, it’s not how. You simply did what you had to do. I won’t ask any further. How much is there?”
“About five times the amount obtained from the wolf magical beast.”
Ethan rolled his eyes as if calculating in his head.
“That must be an enormous amount.”
“Yes.”
It was an amount he wouldn't have dared to attempt without the [Inventory].
Above all, since it was contaminated with magical energy, it would not be easy for anyone other than someone like Reinhardt to work with.
“In that case…”
“Have you secured an alchemist?”
“I instructed my secretary to do so early on. He has contacted all the nearby workshops.
We’ve secured the one with the best conditions. When I say best conditions, I mean they willingly accepted most of our demands.”
“I will contact them.”
Ethan nodded willingly.
“It’s a workshop run by an alchemist named Felton. The number of members is quite large. I heard it’s about thirty people.”
“How is his skill?”
“Excellent. Did I tell you? It’s embarrassing, but I have a small talent. When I see an item, I have the ability to judge its value.”
Of course, he had expected it to some extent.
In fact, the supplies purchased by the Taton Knights were famous for their high quality.
The fact that they had started a transaction with Taton was on par with having the quality control ability of that merchant verified.
‘That’s how he was able to grow the knight order this much. Though the perception itself wasn’t that good until I started running wild.’
Ethan was a man who could hardly be called a knight.
But he had approached it as a merchant and had succeeded in making the most of his strengths.
“Ah, and. Dirk is not in a good state. Did something happen? The impact of this incident is there, but it didn’t seem to be just because of that.”
“It is likely due to his worries about the future.”
“I see. Well, my mind has become complicated as well.”
“I will go and see him.”
“As always, I’m counting on you this time as well.”
Ethan’s gaze was full of trust.
Reinhardt returned that trust.
“It is not a request, but something you can simply order. I will be on my way.”
***
Although the atmosphere in the knight order was heavy, the gazes of admiration towards Reinhardt were still there.
In fact, they had become even more intense than before.
“It’s not an exaggeration. We saw it. As for how big that thing was…”
“No way.”
“It’s true!”
“In that case, Sir Reinhardt, that wolf…”
As Reinhardt moved across the knight order’s grounds, his ears were practically itching.
Whispers could be heard from all around.
The topic of conversation was mostly Reinhardt.
The rest was about the magical beast that Reinhardt had faced.
‘At this rate, the rumor will spread quickly.’
It was a pretty good situation for Reinhardt.
Information about the magical beasts.
And what Reinhardt had accomplished would surely spread quickly.
‘Bitdori is resting well too.’
In the center of the knight order’s grounds, he could see a flowerbed where bright flowers were planted to create a cheerful atmosphere.
Bitdori was lying among the flowers, enjoying a sunbath.
To be precise, it was closer to lying down on a pile of flowers as if it were a bed.
‘Seeing how much it likes it, I guess this is the right way.’
Reinhardt thought so and headed for Dirk’s quarters.
The investiture had taken place, and he was now a knight.
It meant he was using a private room provided in the Taton Knights’ quarters.
Knock-knock-
“Dirk.”
“Yes! Coming! It is Knight Dirk!”
The door was flung open.
What popped out was Dirk, fully armed with a sword and armor.
“There is no need to be like that even in your quarters.”
“I suppose so?”
“Yes.”
“To be honest, I wore it because I like it. I still can’t believe that I’ve become a knight. I’ve also written a letter to send to Irien.”
That was a good idea.
Irien was in her growing years, and positive energy was always helpful for a growing child.
“What about Hark and Luke?”
“I’ve told them I’ll go to see them soon. As Knight Dirk.”
“Is there no problem with the two of them?”
“None at all. It’s all thanks to you, Sir Knight. We will all never forget your kindness…”
“That’s enough. Stop there.”
“Yes, sir.”
Reinhardt cut him off and entered the quarters. The interior was generally a neat environment.
‘Ethan put some thought into this.’
Considering the shack they had lived in back in Lockfort, this was a dramatic improvement.
“The Commander told me. That your expression was not good.”
“Pardon? No, sir. That’s not true at all.”
“Are you afraid of facing magical beasts?”
“I am not afraid. Because I heard that you, Sir Knight, would be teaching me yourself.”
“Is that so?”
“…To be honest, I was a little bit at first. Rather than being afraid, I didn't have the confidence to face them.”
Magical beasts move according to destructive instincts.
They were ferocious, and also huge.
Any human who faced such a being was bound to feel intimidated.
It was not a matter of courage, but simply an instinctive revulsion.
“But if I can learn from you, Sir Knight, then it's a different story.”
But Dirk overcame his revulsion.
Because he had seen a human stronger than that magical beast with his own eyes.
And because he had learned that he would be personally instructed in swordsmanship by that human.
“It’s just that, I’m not sure how to put it. I can handle myself, but it’s about Irien.”
“Irien?”
“Yes. Irien is still young. It's a time when she should be seeing only bright things as she grows up, but if such a ferocious monster starts to rampage…”
“It was concern for your sister.”
“To be honest, yes. And she’s a sorceress. Aren't sorceresses with great skill usually mobilized for dangerous battles?”
Dirk was not wrong.
In fact, it was a natural concern.
But, there was a fact that Dirk had overlooked.
“Dirk.”
“Yes?”
“Irien’s talent far surpasses what you can imagine.”
A world where mediocre sorceresses cannot survive.
But if one possessed overwhelming power, there was no safer profession than a sorceress in a battle situation.
“It means that even if a hundred knights of your level were to attack, they would not be able to defeat Irien. Even if you were to grow much stronger than you are now.”