TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
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Ian first considered the priorities of the tasks at hand.
"What's the most urgent issue right now?" he asked.
"Securing food supplies, I'd say," Belenka replied.
No one objected.
Currently, the Talian barony was housing a population that exceeded its food storage limits.
At this rate, they'd starve before the black dragon even arrived.
"I'm sure Duke Araz will help us," Lucy said, placing great expectations on the duke.
It wasn't an entirely baseless hope. Duke Araz was the leader of the nobles in this region, and he wasn't the type to idly watch as a dragon reduced their territory to ashes.
Food and troops - both were resources the duke could potentially provide.
"But if we just sit and wait, it'll be too late," Damon chid in. Well-versed in the territory's affairs, he knew Talian wouldn't last long at this rate.
"Ugh..." Lucy furrowed her brow.
If they could solve the food problem, it would open up ways to utilize the surplus manpower in the territory. Lucy knew this too.
The issue was where to get the food from. Unless so magical event occurred... food wasn't going to suddenly spring up out of nowhere, right?
"I'll handle the food situation sohow," Ian said casually.
"What?" Damon found Ian's declaration utterly absurd. And for good reason... No matter how impressive a wizard might be, could they just conjure food out of thin air?
If that were possible, wizards would've already taken over the world.
Sure, wizards could summon fireballs in their hands and create whirlwinds on bare ground. But even they couldn't make trees grow bread!
"No, you can't just throw that out there like it's-" Damon began, but was interrupted.
"Oh! Ian, my boy! You can solve this?" Salvador exclaid.
"I have so ideas worth trying," Ian replied.
"Ho ho! Magic truly is marvelous!"
Damon's mind went blank for a mont at the exchange between Salvador and Ian. That old man. Doesn't he find it suspicious that food can be solved with magic?
Damon, still incredulous, spoke up. "If that were possible, there wouldn't be anyone starving to death in this world..."
"As expected of Ian! You always have a solution!" Lucy shouted, cutting Damon off.
Damon couldn't understand the situation. He just said, 'I'll handle it sohow.' Are we acting like the food problem is completely solved already?!
But Lucy wasn't the only one reacting this way.
"Certainly... if it's Ian, it's possible."
"Yes. Hehe. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Even the other wizards at the eting were showing unlimited trust in Ian!
Unable to speak up loudly, Damon questioned Belenka sitting next to him.
"Hey. Knight lady."
"What?"
"About this wizard Ian. Does he have so secret art for summoning bread trees or sothing?"
Belenka shrugged. "How should I know?"
Shockingly, Belenka didn't say, 'There's no such magic!' She was genuinely prepared to accept it if Ian summoned a bread tree.
"That guy. He uses such outlandish magic, you know," she added.
"I gave up trying to predict Ian a long ti ago."
Ian already wielded Imperial orthodox magic, northern Arcana magic, the Heaven's Faith's holy arts, and even his own independently developed skill card magic. It wouldn't be strange if he had magic to procure food.
"Then let's allocate our personnel," Ian concluded the eting with those words.
---
---
To prepare for the dragon's attack, Ian assigned roles to various individuals.
First, he sent Inglan to the Imperial University.
"Inglan. I'm counting on you," Ian said.
"Leave it to !" Inglan replied enthusiastically.
Inglan was tasked with bringing back wizard forces to fight against the dragon. They were likely already recruiting personnel for dragon hunting. If Inglan could persuade the wizards to co to Talian territory, it would undoubtedly be a great help.
After sending Inglan off, as Ian was about to leave the territory, he rembered the surplus manpower in the domain.
"Lucy. Wasn't there a werewolf nad Lewis in the territory?" he asked.
"Ah! Yes! There was!" Lucy replied. "With so many outsiders coming in, we temporarily evacuated him to the forest. If you go to the convent, they'll tell you where he is."
"Convent?" That was a new facility.
Ian headed towards the convent as Lucy directed. There, he found a familiar nun engrossed in needlework.
"Sister Mionia?" Ian called out.
"Sir Ian?" she looked up, surprised.
It was indeed Sister Mionia. In the past, while traveling with Takarion, she was the righteous nun who had warned them about the presence of an assassin. It seed she had settled in Talian territory at Ian's suggestion.
"Ahem... Sister. Your attire is a bit..." Salvador frowned as soon as he saw Sister Mionia's clothes.
Mionia wore a self-modified nun's habit. In other words...
"No, what is this! That lewd nun's outfit!" Salvador exclaid.
"U-um, I'm not a lewd nun!" Mionia protested.
She was wearing a pretty, revealing nun's outfit that would definitely satisfy modern aesthetic sensibilities.
Ian couldn't quite understand Sister Mionia's attire. She had appeared in such clothes before too. But back then, she at least had the excuse of using feminine wiles. But now it's just everyday life, right? Why wear such clothes on a regular basis?
"Sister. Your clothes are very pretty," Ian said diplomatically.
"Th-thank you..." Mionia stamred.
"But why such an outfit?"
Mionia's face turned bright red, unable to utter a word.
Ian thought he understood. Sister Mionia was simply wearing a modified nun's habit because it looked pretty! He nodded. A designer's taste is always avant-garde... While dieval people might be in an uproar calling it lewd, Ian could understand perfectly.
"Just a mont..." Mionia quickly changed into a normal nun's habit. The visual of an unlucky burqa, without a single hair exposed.
"Phew. Now this is a proper nun's habit," Salvador sighed, relieved.
The Knights of Santiago smiled contentedly at Mionia's now-proper attire.
"Have you been well, Sister?" Ian asked.
"Yes. Thanks to you, Sir Ian..." she replied.
Ian glanced at the mountain of fabric piled up. She must have been making clothes for the people.
Since he had t Sister Mionia, Ian decided to ask her a favor. "Sister. Could you go sowhere for a bit?"
"Oh. Yes. Please tell ."
While Sister Mionia wasn't exactly a combat asset, her social position as a nun made her suitable for eting people.
"I'd like you to bring a wizard nad Mani Kemperbell from Count Catina's domain," Ian explained.
The person Ian wanted to summon was none other than Mani Kemperbell. She was an outstanding botanist who had dedicated her life to exploring the mysteries of plants. With her plant magic, she should be able to rapidly grow crops. She was the perfect talent for solving the food problem.
"It's not difficult, but I'm not sure if I can persuade a wizard," Mionia said hesitantly.
"ntion my na and Eredith's nas first, and if that doesn't work, bring up the debt owed to the order," Ian instructed.
"Understood."
Ian assigned Dehitri to escort Mionia. "Sir Dehitri. I'm counting on you."
"Leave it to ! In the na of the great Sky God! I will definitely succeed in this mission!" Sir Dehitri exclaid with sparkling, clear eyes. It was a reassuring sight that could bring tears to one's eyes...
Before Sister Mionia departed, Ian asked about the werewolf Lewis.
"He's been sent to the northern forest," she inford him.
"Thank you, Sister."
Ian headed towards the northern forest as Mionia had instructed. Concentrating, he could sense Lewis's presence.
[Lewis. Can you hear ?] Ian projected his thoughts.
[Who is this?] ca the confused reply.
[It's . Your master. Lewis.]
[!]
Not long after, a majestic werewolf leaped out from the forest. The werewolf Lewis. Once a servant of the wicked space-ti wizard Larabel, he had been subdued by Ian and now served him.
Ian's eyes lit up as he gazed at Lewis. Lewis had the ability to command wolf packs.
"I've been waiting for you! My master!" Lewis exclaid.
Though it had been a while since they last t, Lewis remained as loyal as ever. He seed to have quite enjoyed his life in Talian.
"Lewis. We need to go hunting," Ian said.
"Hunting, you say?" Lewis tilted his head for a mont, but soon grinned, baring his sharp teeth.
"Hunting is my specialty, Master. I'll catch and bring you whatever prey you desire."
Lewis was thrilled to finally repay his debt to Ian. If he could distinguish himself in battle and capture prisoners for ransom...!
"Very good, Lewis. Now go catch so deer," Ian instructed.
"Is 'deer' perhaps a code word for a young nobleman?" Lewis asked, confused.
"What are you talking about? Don't you know what deer are? Deer?" Ian replied, bewildered.
Only then did Lewis realize that Ian had called him not for a war against nobles, but for actual animal hunting. Though quite disappointed... He had no intention of carrying out Ian's orders half-heartedly.
Lewis bowed his head and said, "I will obey your command, Master."
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