Chapter 66
Claude was visiting the Prominence Knights for the first time in a while.
The garrison, usually bustling with activity due to training, was now deserted.
Finding it strange, he peeked into the barracks and found Commander Bannel poring over some documents.
He must have noticed the sound of the door opening.
Commander Bannel looked up from his documents and greeted him with a smile.
“Claude-sama. It’s good of you to come.”
“It’s been a while. It seems the knights aren’t around, what happened?”
“The number of domain residents has increased, and so has the number of soldiers, but their training hasn’t kept up, so they’re out assisting with that.”
Dispersing the elite Prominence Knights would reduce their rapid response capability in emergencies, but it seemed that even overlooking that, training the soldiers was an urgent priority.
“I was thinking of getting some exercise for the first time in a while, but I guess it can’t be helped. By the way, what documents were you looking at?”
“These? We received a lump sum of money for taking on the soldiers’ training, so I was wondering if we could improve the quality of our equipment.”
The Prominence Knights, renowned as an elite force, already had a sufficient budget allocated for their equipment and were better off than other knightly orders.
However, he understood the desire to use even better gear.
“In that case, I have some Earth Dragon Scales. How about those?”
He took out one scale from his Item Box.
“Earth Dragon Scales? Allow me to take a look.”
Commander Bannel took an Earth Dragon Scale in his hand, examining its strength, flexibility, and other properties.
“It would be incredible if we could make armor from this.”
“That’s good to hear. I have a sufficient quantity, so I’ll place an order with the blacksmith. I’ll also arrange for Orichalcum weapons to be prioritized for you.”
“I appreciate the offer, but our budget is nowhere near enough for that.”
“The materials are from my personal stock, so I’ll give you a ‘family’ price. The processing fee should also be manageable with this much, so it should work out.”
“But with this, Claude-sama’s share would be far too small, wouldn’t it?”
“Strengthening the Prominence Knights benefits Prominence House. By extension, it benefits me too.”
“If you put it that way, I can’t refuse. Thank you very much.”
His initial plans had been disrupted, but his visit to the Prominence Knights had proven worthwhile.
After leaving the Prominence Knights, Claude headed straight for the blacksmith.
“Welcome, Claude-sama. What can I do for you today?”
The receptionist at the counter responded nervously.
The clerk was beginning to realize that Claude only came when he had a job to commission.
Normally, this would be a welcome event, but right now, they hadn’t finished the previously commissioned work, and the craftsmen were working tirelessly without sleep or rest.