I sent a letter to Murcia and requested that they return to Ceat Village after a long absence.
Half of the Ceat Village Knight Corps and the Espada Knight Corps were dispatched, so the defense of the fortified city of Murcia is well covered. Now that a solid road has been established between Ceat Village and the city, and with adventurers helping with the transport, they should return in about two weeks.
It’s going to get busy soon. I could already feel it, just by looking at the piles of documents stacked up at the lord’s manor.
“First and foremost, the change in our administrative structure is crucial. If we are to appoint Freitliner as the magistrate, we’ll need about two months for the transition period. Also, I’ve brought the administrators and civil officials I’ve been training, so I’ll assign them their respective positions.”
“Administrators and civil officials?”
As I stared at the pile of documents with a bit of disdain, Espada made a remark that caught my attention. I turned to him in curiosity, and Espada narrowed his eyes sharply.
“Have you forgotten already?”
“The... the former slaves, right?”
I quickly recalled and answered, and Espada nodded, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
“Well, let’s move on. As you remember, I selected five talented individuals from the slaves and trained them. Additionally, I’ve also chosen two more from the immigrants who arrived in Ceat Village, and trained them similarly. Particularly, the first five could even serve as magistrates in a small town.”
With that, Espada gestured to the maid, who then led a group of people into the room. The group, consisting of men and women in their twenties to thirties, stood tall with the bearing of soldiers, their posture straight and proud. It had been about a year since I last saw the first five of them, but I still remembered them well.
“Jiu-san and Juliett-san... Wait, isn’t Emilia now assisting in Murcia?”
I asked in surprise, wondering why Emilia was here. Espada shook his head.
“Emilia returned immediately after our victory over the Yellenetta Kingdom. I had expected His Majesty to request more immigrants, and I planned for you to consider reallocating personnel, but it seems we’re on the same page.”
“I see. That works out well. How about Murcia? I’m sure it must have been difficult while His Majesty was there…”
When I asked, Emilia’s expression became distant.
“Yes, indeed. I had the help of the knights and various noble servants to manage things, but it was tough.”
It seemed that she had gone through quite a lot. I felt a bit sorry for her.
“Yeah, that makes sense. In that case, since the number of immigrants will likely increase, I’ll probably send a few more people to the fortified city of Murcia.”
“Please...! Please, I beg you…”
Emilia lowered her head, her voice almost breaking. The other members also cast sympathetic looks her way.
“Now, as for the others, do you think you’re all ready to assist as magistrates?”
I asked, and Espada nodded.
“Indeed. The first five we trained are good to go. The two others should be capable as well. Regarding the ten magistrates and ten knight commanders you instructed me to train a year ago, we’ve completed the training of these seven. As for the ten knight commander candidates, Dee-san hasn’t had enough time, so their training is still ongoing.”
“Right, we’re doing fine for now. Originally, I thought we’d need to march and crush the Yellenetta Kingdom, taking control of the coast along the way. And since the only new territory we have right now is the fortified city of Murcia…”
I answered calmly, and Espada exhaled sharply.
“That’s true. But the number of territories will definitely increase. There’s always a need for more skilled personnel… Anyway, let’s now introduce the two who are currently in training.”
At Espada’s cue, two figures stepped forward from the back, as though they had been waiting. The first was a man in his mid-thirties. He was a former lower nobleman who had been captured during the war and enslaved after his family’s fall. He answered quickly and confidently when asked about his abilities.
Then, the last one introduced himself—a young man, about eighteen years old.
“I am Vel Satis, eighteen years old. Born into a family of knights, I became the heir before our fall, due to defeat in battle, I became a slave. My initial skills were solely in swordsmanship, but under Espada-sama’s guidance, I have learned much about defending territories, including the management of knight corps, budgeting, and supplies. I’ve also learned negotiation and coordination with various guilds and merchants, budget management, and the administration of residents, buildings, and facilities. As for magic, I can use a bit of fire magic.”
Standing tall, Vel introduced himself. It was hard to believe that they had only been trained for one to two years, considering the amount of responsibilities they’d already handled. Vel, in particular, had learned an extraordinary amount, probably due to his youth.
“These two are now qualified to manage at least two departments each. Including Jiu and Juliett, with three people in a town, we should be able to handle internal affairs without problems. No matter who becomes the magistrate, they should be able to manage the territory.”
Espada’s words were met with the same expressions from everyone. They nodded in agreement, as if they had the experience of soldiers on the battlefield.
“Are they... the seven samurai or something?”
“What’s that?”
“No, never mind.”
I couldn’t help but imagine what kind of intense training they must have undergone, and it made me feel a bit uneasy. Meanwhile, Espada calmly gazed at the seven, his eyes sharp.
“If we place Freitliner as the magistrate of Adventurer’s Town, it would be best to assign the first three as his subordinates. Especially Jiu and Juliett. As for Ceat Village, if I return, we won’t need to make any changes. The remaining four should be sent to Murcia, and one should be kept available to work anywhere.”
“Wait? So, Espada, you’re going to manage Ceat Village by yourself?” I asked, surprised.
“Yes, with Dee's help, there won’t be any issues with the knight corps,” Espada replied nonchalantly.
The seven, who had undergone such rigorous training, widened their eyes slightly at Espada’s words. It was physically impossible for one person to handle three roles, yet from the expressions of the seven, I could tell they had a different way of thinking than I did.
“Oh, as expected of Espada-sama…”
“You’ll manage such a rapidly changing Ceat Village all on your own…”
“Only someone like Espada-sama could do this.”
They all praised Espada in unison. It seemed that they had been thoroughly trained, mentally and physically. Truly frightening.
Just as I was reflecting on this, Espada turned to me and asked.
“What do you think?”
“That sounds good. Also, I think I’ll appoint Vel as the vice-commander of Espada’s knight corps.”
“Eh?”
Vel reacted with surprise, and the others looked equally shocked. Espada himself raised an eyebrow.
“You’re thinking of putting Vel in the knight corps?”
“Yeah. While Espada’s knight corps has a seasoned vice-commander, the position of commander has been temporarily filled by you, right? Actually, I’m planning to appoint Arv as the new commander of the knight corps, and I’m thinking of trying a two-vice-commander system for now.”
“I see. So, we’ll temporarily leave the commander position vacant and have two vice-commanders along with Vel as the assistant…”
“Yeah. Since Murcia’s doing fine under Murcia-nii as the magistrate, but with the influx of immigrants from the Yellenetta Kingdom becoming a vassal, managing it will get difficult soon. The best place to use Vel’s potential is in Espada’s knight corps, where you won’t be around.”
I answered, and Espada folded his arms, contemplating.
“...I see. It seems like a good setup. Certainly, this will be a great learning opportunity for everyone. Considering the lands of the Van family, the recruitment of new personnel and the training of those currently holding various posts is a top priority. It might be a bit tough, but we will implement this structure for the Espada Knight Corps right away.”
Espada nodded with satisfaction. Huh? Tough?
No, no. If they’ve been trained by Espada, they should be fine. Probably.
I looked at the seven and saw all of them with expressions like they were preparing for seppuku.
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