Ch.217217. Haa…. what am I going to do about this? The wooden sword got bent.

“Ugh, aaaaaahhhhh!!!”

“Aaaaaahhhhh!!”

THWACK-!

WHACK-! WHACK-!

Screams echo enthusiastically throughout the underground training hall.

It’s still a refreshing sound, even after not hearing it for a while.

I gripped the wooden sword tightly.

THWACK-!

WHACK! WHACK-! WHACK-!

“Urrrgh-!”

“Aaaack-!”

BANG-!

Wartman crashes into the training hall wall with a powerful sound.

I sighed briefly while looking at the wooden sword.

“Hmm… what a shame, the wooden sword is bent.”

At that, Jawil Wilson, who had been looking at Wartman sprawled against the wall, turns his head with veins bulging in his neck.

“Y-Young Master!! How can a wooden sword possibly bend!? Please just hit my head with a brick so I can pass out instead!”

“Why so upset? I’m doing all this training for your own good, squeezing it into my busy schedule.”

Jawil Wilson crawls over and grabs my thigh.

“I was wrong. I am absolutely qualified to be the vice-captain.”

“Come on, didn’t you say you weren’t ready yet? That you weren’t exceptional compared to the other knights?”

“B-Besides the captain, I’m the strongest knight, aren’t I?! Isn’t that enough to be vice-captain? What more could I possibly want?”

“But didn’t you say the difference in skill was minimal? Weren’t those your own words?”

“I did say that, but…”

I smiled brightly at Jawil Wilson as his voice trailed off.

“That’s why I’m helping you widen that minimal gap. That way, you can take the vice-captain position with confidence, right?”

“Then I’ll give up the vice-captain position. There are plenty of knights capable of leading the order even without me.”

Jawil Wilson desperately changes his tune.

His hands gripping my thigh are trembling.

Ignoring this, I continued.

“Jawil Wilson.”

“Y-Yes, I’m listening.”

“Are you saying there are other skilled people in the knight order besides you?”

I asked with a sly smile, causing Jawil Wilson to nervously dart his eyes around.

“…Yes, there are.”

“Then if there are knights chasing after your position, you really need to train properly.”

“…Pardon? Why is the conversation going in that direction again?”

“Think about it. When I need to visit another territory, who do I take with me the most?”

“M-Me.”

“If your skills were terrible compared to other knights, wouldn’t people say, ‘I don’t understand why the Young Master trusts Jawil Wilson when his skills are so mediocre’?”

Realizing the unfavorable turn of the conversation, Jawil Wilson grips my thigh more firmly.

“Don’t worry about such talk! Someone as strong as you shouldn’t listen to those weaker than yourself!!”

“Right? It doesn’t make sense to listen to someone weaker than me, does it?”

“…Pardon?”

“But you’re weaker than me. So that means I don’t need to listen to what you say, right?”

At that, Jawil Wilson trembles and waves his hands frantically.

“J-Just give me a moment to talk—urgh! Not the head! Ack!”

BOOOOOM-!

This time, Jawil Wilson flies into the training hall wall.

Dusting off my pants, I turned my gaze to Wartman.

“Wartman?”

With a ‘heep!’ sound, Wartman starts looking for the door.

True to being Jawil Wilson’s friend, his actions were identical.

“Wartman, I’ve already locked all the doors, so there’s nowhere to escape. If you want to finish training sooner, you’d better come here.”

Wartman gulps nervously and runs toward me.

And just like Jawil Wilson’s friend would, he grabs my thigh.

“Y-Young Master. I’m not even the vice-captain, so why are you doing this to me!?”

“I fed you the Thousand-Source Pill, so I’m helping open your energy channels.”

“If you give me a moment, I’ll vomit up that cursed medicine!”

He then shoves his fingers into his mouth and starts fake retching.

Still smiling, I continued.

“Judging by how the energy is already flowing, it seems fully digested.”

“…Pardon?”

“Do you think you’d be holding up like this normally?”

I picked up a new wooden sword and smiled broadly, causing Wartman to make a despairing expression as if he’d seen a demon.

“To be fair, I never asked to take the Thousand-Source Pill, did I? Aren’t you just taking out your frustrations on me?”

I tilted my head at Wartman’s words.

“What frustrations would I be taking out on you?”

“Last time, when you were going into the prison to rescue Berik, I kept worrying and tried to stop you, didn’t I?”

“You did?”

“And then you got annoyed with me and said, ‘When you come to Lake Territory after rescuing Berik, I’ll feed you a Thousand-Source Pill first thing. Look forward to it!’ If that’s not taking out frustrations, what is it!?”

Still feeling wronged even now, Wartman released his arms from my thigh and stood up proudly, straightening his back.

This too resembled Jawil Wilson.

He seemed completely unable to read the atmosphere.

“Wartman.”

“Y-Yes, I’m listening!”

“Why were you worried about me going into the prison back then?”

At my question, Wartman speaks with precise pronunciation.

“Obviously, I was worried because I didn’t know how strong you were. The guards at Pandera Territory’s prison weren’t weak either.”

“Then you could have entered the prison with me to help.”

“Didn’t you judge that I would be a burden if I went with you?”

“Hmm, why would I think you were a burden?”

Wartman ponders deeply, then slowly twists his head.

“Well… because I’m weak?”

“You understand well. Then shouldn’t you become stronger?”

“D-Does it have to be like this?”

As I stepped forward with a smile on my lips, Wartman began backing away.

His proud demeanor from moments ago had long since vanished.

“Young Master, please put down the wooden sword first and let’s talk calmly—urgh! My back isn’t fully healed yet—aaaack!”

In the quiet underground training hall of Lake Territory.

For about an hour afterward, the harmony of Jawil Wilson and Wartman’s screams continued.

*

“The defense formation is complete, so how’s the construction? Is there enough manpower?”

“Construction started today, and we plan to supplement the shortage of workers with knights and mercenaries.”

Pedericks enters the study and continues reporting on the Death Forest construction.

Scanning the report, I furrowed my brow.

“We’ve already assigned knights and mercenaries to the defense formation, haven’t we?”

“Currently, they’re assigned to the defense formation in four shifts per day, but there are still quite a few knights and mercenaries left.”

“Then let them rest. They’re already struggling with training.”

“Hmm, I understand what you’re saying, but if we do that, we’ll be short on construction workers.”

“Just increase the workforce. How long are you going to pinch pennies? We’re already in a comfortable financial situation, and now we’re even selling monster blood.”

Pedericks wipes the sweat from his forehead at my outburst.

“…I think I was being shortsighted. I’ve become so accustomed to saving…”

“Being frugal isn’t bad. But knights and mercenaries need rest when it’s time to rest.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Plus, we’re planning to sell magic grass too. Money is overflowing now, so please, spend it instead of saving.”

“Understood.”

Pedericks’ shoulders slump immediately after being scolded a little.

I let out a short sigh.

“Especially the Death Forest construction—it’s a matter of Lake Territory’s prestige. It doesn’t make sense to skimp on manpower when we should be using premium materials without hesitation.”

“…You’re right, Young Master.”

“Yes, so please look at the bigger picture instead of just focusing on immediate gains.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

I want to pour out more scolding, but if I continue, he looks like he might burst into tears.

Closing the report, I quickly changed the subject.

“Have all the coming-of-age ceremony invitations been sent?”

At that, Pedericks slightly raised his slumped shoulders as if remembering something.

“We received a letter from Brighton, the butler of House Alphonse, saying that Evander Alphonse will not be attending.”

“Why?”

“He says it conflicts with his monster hunting schedule.”

“For just that reason? Father wouldn’t allow it.”

“He said it’s a joint monster hunt with other houses, so the schedule can’t be changed.”

“Oh, that’s actually quite clever.”

“…Pardon?”

With Leonard continuing to stay here, Evander Alphonse must have judged me as an enemy as well.

Not to mention Miria Alphonse.

Therefore.

There’s no need to attend the coming-of-age ceremony and publicly reveal that his succession prospects are declining.

I was curious how he would make excuses, but a joint monster hunt…

As expected of Evander Alphonse.

Since it involves other houses, it would be awkward for Baron Byron to order him to cancel.

I waved my hand dismissively at Pedericks, who was tilting his head in confusion.

“Never mind, I understand what—”

CLANK-!

Just then, a mercenary enters without knocking.

As I showed my displeasure, Pedericks read my expression and spoke up.

“Who are you?”

“I-I’m a mercenary assigned to the Death Forest.”

“Then why did you enter the Young Master’s study without knocking?”

The mercenary took a deep breath and continued.

“A woman has come to the Death Forest defense formation, requesting to see the Young Master.”