Chapter 37: The Foundation Had to Be Set Right (2)
Kyle, who had entered the Ragnar Lord’s Castle, gazed at the territory inhabitants peacefully walking through the streets and ford a faint smile.
When he had first arrived in Ragnar, the eyes of the territory inhabitants had been filled with deep worry and anxiety.
Compared to back then, the situation had improved significantly now.
It was thanks to the Rapid rchant Guild devoting its full efforts to resolving the food shortage and daily necessities issues.
As Kyle looked around, he suddenly voiced a thought that ca to mind to the man beside him.
“Where has the Rapid rchant Guild settled?”
“They have settled on the outskirts of the Lord’s Castle. The Head of the Family said he would help them secure a central location, but the rchant Guild Head wished to settle on the outskirts.”
Saphiro, the Chief Administrator of Ragnar, stayed close to Kyle’s side and explained the overall situation of the territory.
Kyle, who had been listening without a word, suddenly stopped walking.
“I should visit the guild at least once.”
“I will guide you.”
“By the way, is the selection of the miners proceeding well?”
“……The problem is that there are far too many applicants.”
Before the Monster Legion was ford, most of Ragnar’s territory inhabitants had lived as miners.
When they heard the news that the iron mine would be reopened, the territory inhabitants were happier than anyone else.
They could see Ragnar, which had once been impoverished, becoming prosperous again.
However, the number of territory inhabitants who applied to beco miners was far greater than expected.
Because of that, even checking the screening docunts one by one was no easy task.
“We must be short on administrators.”
“That is correct. There are fewer than one hundred administrators. However, the applications arriving from all across Ragnar Territory have already surpassed forty thousand.”
“Shouldn’t we be selecting administrators first?”
“We are recruiting administrators simultaneously, but the application rate is abysmal.”
At Saphiro’s words, Kyle crossed his arms and let out a sigh.
He was not hoping for elites.
He intended to accept anyone as long as they could read and write.
They could learn the work step by step after being selected as administrators.
Yet to think that the application rate was scraping the bottom—Kyle closed his eyes and pressed his forehead.
“……It seems the educational level of the territory inhabitants has fallen more sharply than expected.”
“After losing the iron mine and becoming poor, the territory did not have many choices. The only option was to drastically reduce the number of administrators.”
Even so, they could not reduce the number of knights or soldiers.
With monsters potentially sweeping across all of Ragnar at any ti, reducing military strength would have been tantamount to suicide.
Accepting the circumstances to so extent, Kyle slowly nodded.
“At least it’s fortunate that the problem is clearly visible.”
“The Head of the Family was also deeply troubled by this issue until before attending the regular eting.”
As incidents erupted one after another both internally and externally, Pramo’s head was on the verge of exploding.
At least thanks to Kyle moving to handle the important matters, he had been able to breathe.
However, Kyle did not think that way.
“Was I too impatient?”
“How could this issue possibly be blad on the Grand General?”
Because Kyle was there, they had been able to reclaim at least part of the iron mine.
Perhaps Ragnar might have believed it would never reclaim the iron mine in its lifeti.
Even after Kyle returned, everyone had thought that reclaiming the iron mine would take at least several years.
Yet Kyle had reclaid part of the iron mine overnight.
It was just that the reopening of the iron mine, which had to proceed without ti for preparation, was giving them a bit of a headache.
Even so, they should never resent Kyle for this.
“The family mbers are grateful to the Grand General. I am as well.”
It had been Kyle who had grabbed the collapsing family by the collar and pulled it back up.
If Kyle had not returned, Ragnar would not have lasted long before collapsing.
“Chief Administrator.”
“Yes, Grand General.”
“I will bring in temporary personnel.”
Without even waiting for Saphiro’s reply, Kyle started walking.
Saphiro, who thought Kyle would ask the Rapid rchant Guild for help to fill the temporary workforce, tilted his head in confusion.
“Grand General, the Rapid rchant Guild is in the opposite direction.”
“I know.”
The direction Kyle was heading now was the lodging of the Ragnar Knight Order.
Even so, Kyle did not stop, and Saphiro followed him in silence.
The Ragnar Knight Order, which had returned to the Lord’s Castle together with Kyle, had finished checking their equipnt and were resting in their lodging.
At that mont, Zero delivered sudden news to Akun.
“Commander, the Grand General and the Chief Administrator have arrived.”
At Kyle’s words telling them to wait because there would be work to do, Akun had thought he might at least be able to rest for a day.
However, at Zero’s report, he had no choice but to abandon polishing his sword and spring to his feet.
At that very mont, Kyle entered Akun’s room.
“Commander, sothing needs to be done.”
Seeing Kyle speak the mont he entered, Akun nodded reflexively.
He thought they might have to move back to the front lines, but different words ca from Kyle’s mouth.
“The knights will fill the shortage of administrative personnel.”
“……Pardon?”
“Excuse ?”
Not only Akun, but even Saphiro standing beside Kyle was startled and asked back.
To suddenly tell knights who had trained with the sword their entire lives to handle administration—Akun could not easily believe it and opened his mouth.
“Grand General, but…….”
“Do knights not know how to read?”
“……No.”
“Then how have the overall administrative matters of the Knight Order been handled?”
“The knights have handled them.”
Kyle’s demand was not unreasonable.
To beco a knight, one had to at least know how to read.
Moreover, ever since the number of administrators had been reduced, the knights had even handled the administrative matters of the Knight Order themselves.
As such, the knights could provide help with administration.
However, since it was not sothing that could be done without asking the opinion of the Chief Administrator, Akun turned his gaze toward him.
“Chief Administrator, is the shortage of administrative personnel that severe?”
“It is. The manpower shortage on the administrative side is so severe that operations are practically paralyzed.”
Just looking at Saphiro’s face made it obvious.
Sunken eyes and deep dark circles.
He knew all of it was due to lack of sleep.
Nodding, Akun soon faced Kyle with resolute eyes.
“If that is an order, I will follow it.”
“Instead, I will guarantee the knights’ training ti.”
“Thank you. Then what should we do?”
At Akun’s question, Kyle grinned and looked toward Saphiro.
“Chief Administrator, transfer all the miner screening docunts to the Ragnar Knight Order.”
“After consulting with the Commander…….”
“It would be better to hand them over quickly. The territory’s administrators will have other matters to handle.”
Even at Kyle’s words that ant handling administrative work they had never been destined for, Akun’s gaze did not waver.
It was work for the Ragnar Family.
It was not sothing he could avoid just because he lacked confidence.
If ordered, they had to do it—such was the duty of knights who lived on the Ragnar Family’s pay.
“Vice-Commander.”
Zero, who was standing beside Akun, likewise showed no sign of hesitation.
With a calm expression, Zero answered Akun’s call.
“Yes, Commander.”
“Receive all the miner screening docunts from the Chief Administrator and move them into the Knight Order.”
“I will move imdiately.”
The total number of mbers in the Ragnar Knight Order was roughly two hundred.
Of course, with that number alone, they could not thoroughly examine the screening docunts.
They would need to find other temporary administrative personnel.
Kyle lightly patted Akun on the shoulder and spoke.
“Don’t worry right away. I’ll supply temporary manpower.”
“Understood, Grand General.”
Leaving Saphiro behind so he could transfer the administrative work to the Knight Order, Kyle exited the knights’ lodging alone.
He did not know exactly where the Rapid rchant Guild had settled, but finding it would not be a problem.
As Kyle walked toward the opposite side of the knights’ lodging, he spotted a wooden signboard on the street bearing the na Rapid.
Finding a shop operated by the Rapid rchant Guild, Kyle opened the door and stepped inside.
“Welco. This is the Rapid weapon shop.”
A boy who appeared to be an employee shouted brightly with a cheerful smile.
Kyle looked around and spoke quietly.
“The shop is quite empty.”
As Kyle said, the weapon shop was so empty there was not a single custor inside, yet the boy’s expression remained bright.
“Even though it’s quiet now, they said it will be filled with people once so ti passes.”
“May I ask who owns this weapon shop?”
“Branch Head Raina is the owner of this place.”
At the employee’s straightforward answer, Kyle nodded and picked up a weapon on display.
Schring—
A clear, smooth blade.
After examining the longsword, which was not flashy yet not crudely made either, Kyle smiled.
“Not bad. How much is this sword?”
“Forty silver, sir.”
“The price is reasonable too.”
“You may check out the other weapons as well.”
Setting the longsword down, Kyle moved to inspect another weapon.
This ti, after examining a dagger, he muttered to himself.
“If this level of quality is maintained, there’s no need to worry about sales.”
Holding the dagger, Kyle asked the employee as he prepared to pay.
“How much is this dagger?”
“Thirty silver.”
“Take it.”
Kyle took out one gold coin from his pocket and handed it to the employee.
“I’ll give you your change.”
“No need. Consider it a gift from
to that Branch Head Raina.”
“……Are you sure you don’t need the change?”
“Yes, you don’t need to give it. And learn well at the Branch Head’s side. Being an employee isn’t just about selling well.”
The employee stared intently at Kyle’s face, wondering who he might be.
He was the first custor since the weapon shop had opened.
Not only was his aura different from ordinary territory inhabitants, but the very fact that he was buying weapons implied he was a knight or a soldier.
However, the employee felt that Kyle was not an ordinary knight or soldier, and thus engraved his words deeply into his mind.
“……I will keep that in mind.”
“If the Rapid rchant Guild settles in properly, the territory’s economy will be revived. Think of yourself as taking that first step together.”
Kyle was about to leave the shop when he stopped in front of the door.
Then he looked back at the employee once more.
“By any chance, do you know the location of the Rapid rchant Guild’s main headquarters?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Which way should I go?”
The employee was about to answer Kyle’s question, then shook his head.
“I’ll guide you there myself.”
“Is it all right to leave the shop empty?”
“We don’t get that many custors.”
“Have you not heard the news yet? The Ragnar Knight Order has returned from Rak Territory.”
The knights, who would be the weapon shop’s main custors, had returned to the Lord’s Castle.
Of course, they already had their own weapons, but they might still visit the shop to acquire auxiliary ones.
At Kyle’s words, the employee’s eyes widened as he heard the news for the first ti.
“Just tell
the location, and I’ll find my way there.”
“Understood.”
After the employee explained the location in detail, Kyle nodded, opened the door, and left.
Left alone in the shop, the employee stared blankly at the place where Kyle had departed, then tilted his head.
‘The only person with white hair is the Head of the Family…… and he had red eyes. Could it be……?’
Having inferred Kyle’s identity, the employee hurriedly opened the door and rushed outside.
He looked around, searching for Kyle, but he was nowhere to be seen.
“Ah…….”
The employee stood dazed in front of the shop, staring at the one gold coin in his hand.
At that mont, a woman with red hair and eyes of the sa color spotted the employee boy and approached him.
“Why are you standing there so absentmindedly?”
“Ah…… Branch Head.”
“What is that gold coin you’re holding?”
At the appearance of the weapon shop’s owner, Raina, the boy held out the one gold coin.
“The Grand General bought a dagger and gave
this.”
“The Grand General, you say?”
“I never thought I’d see him from so close like this. Why didn’t I realize it? Like an idiot…….”
The news that Kyle had returned to the Lord’s Castle had not yet spread.
Moreover, no one had even imagined that he, who had left for the Royal Capital, would return this quickly.
As she blinked at the employee’s words, Raina opened her mouth with difficulty.
“……Was it really the Grand General?”
“He had white hair and red eyes.”
“...”
“And he asked for the location of the Rapid rchant Guild’s main headquarters.”
After hearing the employee’s words, Raina hurried her steps.
‘The Ragnar Family’s Grand General, Kyle Ragnar.’
The Ragnar Family had undergone such drastic change that it could be divided into before and after his return.
That alone showed how highly everyone evaluated him.
She had also heard that his martial power was overwhelming, and she had wanted to see him at least once.
With quick steps, Raina headed toward the main headquarters.
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