episode_0126

When a fairly large box caught my eye, I felt excited. However, at the same time, expectations were not all that high as the Crown Prince himself said that it was not a large reward. However, it wasn’t that I wasn’t looking forward to it, so I fixed my eyes on the box that opened without making a squeak as if it had been fueled.

As it was open in the direction the crown prince was looking at, the inside was not clearly visible. However, since the upper and lower parts were connected by a hinge, there was a slight gap, and a little bit was visible through it. A few documents and another box came into view.

Then, the crown prince took out the paper that was on top of the items.

“Get it. This is the royal family praising your merits.”

The paper was handed out to me as if it was nothing special, and I took it without even thinking about it. When I looked at the praise, I thought it was like a merit certificate packaged with a moderate amount of rhetoric.

However, the paper handed out by the crown prince was nothing more than a certificate of merit. It was a document very similar to a document I already had.

“… … Nobility certificate?”

It was a certificate proving that he was a nobleman, but there was a slightly different part. The only difference was that the title was recorded as ‘Viscount’ rather than ‘Baron’.

“In recognition of Baron Steele’s contribution to strengthening the power of the nation, I hereby grant him the title of Viscount from this moment on.”

As soon as I realized that the paper was not an ordinary merit certificate, but a certificate of nobility, the Crown Prince announced that he was bestowing the title of Viscount.

In the case of lower-ranking nobles such as barons and viscounts, there are often cases where they win a fortune, but it is rare for them to win a fortune in just one year like in my case. So, since I wasn’t even thinking about winning from the beginning, my mind went blank for a moment.

“Keuhum!”

As I looked dazed, Levs, who was next to the Crown Prince, cleared his throat and brought me to my senses.

“Ah… … . Okay, thank you!”

“Rather, we are thankful. Thanks to you, the royal family has gained more than one thing.”

When I accepted the nobility certificate, which was identical to the one indicating that I had been promoted to viscount, and expressed my gratitude, the crown prince waved his hand. Still, he seemed a little sorry.

“Originally, I was going to hold a formal ceremony in the capital, but I am sorry for keeping it so brief. Rather than calling you a busy person and wasting your time, I thought it would be easier for you and more helpful to the national interest to just give you a title and be done with it.”

Considering that he had traveled all the way to the capital to hold the victory ceremony, I was very pleased with the crown prince’s words. There’s no need to be sorry, so next time I was about to say please, to the point where I quickly stopped.

Of course, the crown prince also didn’t look like he was going to die because he was sorry. He just seemed a little worried. Perhaps that’s why the crown prince didn’t say anything more about Seungjak and took out another item from the box.

This time it was paper, but unlike the nobility certificate, it was a bundle of several sheets of paper.

“I think you might like this more than being a Viscount.”

I received the wad of paper that was handed to me with great anticipation, hearing that it was something I would like more than winning.

“This is… … !”

And, after checking the contents of the stack of paper, I proved that the crown prince was not wrong. The reaction was even greater than when I received the nobility certificate. In fact, this wad of paper was several times more pleasing than the nobility certificate proving that I had achieved victory.

“Mining is permitted for a total of three mines. These are all mines located under royal jurisdiction. However, it is the same type as the mine where you mine iron ore.”

It was said that it did not give ownership, but only permitted mining, with the condition that a certain amount must be paid to the royal family.

However, even with those conditions, I was very happy because I was able to obtain more minerals through more mines. Moreover, I couldn’t help but be even more delighted because the mine I was given permission to mine was not just a mine that produced only iron.

There was one mine that produced mostly iron, but the other two mines were capable of mining various types of minerals. Since we are currently researching various alloys at the research institute, it was natural to be very happy to be able to obtain various types of minerals for free.

“You are so simple too.”

When I received the mining permit, I grinned without realizing it, and the crown prince burst into light laughter.

I felt a little bit of shame at that sight. Still, I couldn’t give up the mining permit, so I kept it in my arms along with the nobility certificate.

Then, after watching me gather up the stack of paper, the Crown Prince took out the next item from the box. Perhaps this was the last item, as a slightly smaller box came out of the box and Levus put the large box away at the same time.

“This is a gift I specially prepared. I brought it here with the hope that you will continue to contribute as a member of the royalist faction.”

The Crown Prince put the box down on the table and immediately pushed the entire box towards me. A box was pushed across the wooden table with a swooshing sound and landed in front of me.

When I saw the Crown Prince gesturing as if telling me to open it, I immediately put my hand to the box. I loosened the latch that prevented the lid from opening without permission and lifted the lid.

As soon as the lid was opened, what was visible was a piece of metal in the shape of a very clean ‘bulk’, light green in color. It sparkled strangely from the light coming through the window. As if smoke was billowing, the light reflected beautifully around it.

“Blacksmiths call it the magic metal mithril, and wizards and alchemists call it alchemy silver.”

I couldn’t help but be quite surprised to hear that it was pension. This is because pension silver was not that easy to obtain.

It was not simply because it was rare and easy to obtain, but because so many people were looking for it, it was difficult to obtain. Alchemy silver is something that alchemists create by using alchemy on the precious metal ‘silver’, so it is being produced in its own way, but there is more demand than production.

As the saying goes, pension silver has endless uses. Simply by using it as a coating on a weapon, it is several times more effective than the mana iron elixir I am using, and it can also be used in various alchemy and magic. Even in black magic, it was possible to apply it to any extent.

There are more than a dozen things I can do right now using this pension. Except for simply using it to make weapons, it was the same for using it as black magic. It was not difficult to use it to strengthen undead, including skeletons, or to amplify the effect of a curse.

“I brought it because I thought it would be a very useful gift for you, who is both a blacksmith and a warlock.”

“Thank you, I will use it well!”

“You are also a very interesting person. How can I like something else more than my own work?”

To be honest, I couldn’t bear to refute the crown prince’s words, as I liked the mining license and pension silver better than the Viscount Commission. All I could do was smile awkwardly.

Of course, in the back of my mind, I was wondering how to best use this lump sum of pension money. Even if I made a weapon, I couldn’t use it, so I decided to use it for black magic, but I couldn’t decide how to use it for black magic.

However, at the moment I was thinking about it in my head, the Crown Prince suddenly stood up from his seat.

“Then I guess I’ll just leave. My presence will make you uncomfortable, and it will not be good for you either.”

The crown prince said he was leaving and led his guards away as if he had nothing more to see. It felt a little absurd to see it disappear as quickly as it had come so suddenly.

But I couldn’t hold on to that, and I didn’t want to, so I immediately sent the crown prince off.

And, as I watched the crown prince get on the carriage and prepare to leave, Levs sneaked up next to me.

“Ah, it’s been a while. We couldn’t even say hello properly because you were there, right?”

“I came here as your guardian, so there is nothing I can do about it. Anyway, I have something else to tell you.”

He lowered his voice a little, saying he had something else to say, and moved a little closer to Levs. I felt like I had to make sure no one around me heard, so I also became a little cautious.

“Be careful for a while. Be sure to strengthen your search for those entering your territory from outside. If you look at that high wooden fence, it may not be easy to break in, but it’s not impossible either.”

“Have you received any news?”

When I saw him quietly telling me to be careful, I thought he had heard information that someone was targeting me. But Levs gently shook his head.

“There is no information coming in right now. However, some of Smith Skeleton’s weapons have been captured by nobles. The noble faction will investigate this matter in detail, and if that happens, wouldn’t it be clear that the noble faction will pay great attention to you?”

“… … And, that attention isn’t all that good, right?”

“That’s right. Either try to appease you, or use another method. He’ll react somehow.”

I remembered what Count Carbone said when he visited me not long ago. It was said that some of the Smith Skeleton weapons were spread to the noble faction through some royalist nobles who were defeated in this territorial war.

When I heard that some noblemen who recognized the excellence of the weapon had converted to buy it from me, I thought that my influence had simply increased. But I didn’t think about it at the time. There is no reason for the noble faction to accept my influence favorably.

Honestly, even if I were an aristocrat, I thought people like me would be annoying. When I found out that there was a cause behind the failure of whatever I was trying to do, it was just like human instinct to want to get rid of it somehow.

Of course, I didn’t say I was afraid of it or anything. Because this place where I am now, my territory, was not an ordinary territory, strictly speaking.

Among the territories, the area surrounded by the iron fence was my dungeon, and my mansion could be said to be the deepest part of the dungeon. Even if there was an intrusion, it was possible to identify it and respond in all sorts of ways.

However, I had no intention of letting my guard down, so I nodded at Levs’ advice.

“I need to prepare a little harder.”

“Cheer up. If you need help, please feel free to contact me at any time. Not only the royal family, but all of us royalists think that you are a talented person who will play a major role in our royalist faction.”

“… … Rather, those words are more burdensome, right?”

It was more of a burden to hear that they were looking forward to it rather than to say that they were attacking from the noble faction.

Levs burst out laughing as if he was amused by my reaction. It seemed like I was saying this to show that I wasn’t nervous, but I wasn’t making a metaphor or anything, I was just stating the truth.

However, I don’t know if it was because I didn’t reveal that fact myself, but Levs still smiled and said goodbye and said he would be on his way.

“… … Where are you going?”

“Ha, haha… … ! I heard you released a new weapon.”

However, Levs, who left me a farewell note, did not move toward the carriage where the Crown Prince was waiting, but toward my store. And then, he went into the store, picked up three new premium line weapons, and then got into the carriage the crown prince was riding.

“Aren’t you tired of buying and collecting swords everywhere you go?”

“Ha, but didn’t you say they used something like a special iron plate? This thing also accepts more mana.”

“I know you’re crazy about swords, but do it in moderation, in moderation! What’s the point if you just collect without using it?”

“I will use it!”

As soon as the Crown Prince, who was looking at Levs in bewilderment, ended, the carriage door closed, hiding Levs and the Crown Prince. Of course, I could still hear the comical sound echoing inside, albeit faintly.

After that, a knight riding a horse shouted that he was leaving and the small chattering noises coming from the carriage were no longer heard.

“… … If I make a new product later, I should give it as a gift.”

It didn’t seem like it would be difficult to win the favor of the next duke, Levs. I was crazy about the sword last time, and I thought that it would be very easy to win his favor if I saw him buy a sword and go with it even in this situation where he had to move with the crown prince.