Chapter 154: Organized Crime
What’s so amazing about Knights, you ask? It’s that they are professional warriors equipped with horses and Full Plate Armor.
Someone wearing gapless armor, riding a horse, and charging at high speed is strong! You get that without me having to say it, right?
And in this world, there’s also the effect of a Knight’s bloodline and training.
Those who become Knights usually have noble blood flowing through them. In other words, they have bloodlines with high Magical Power. Is Magical Power inherited? No, it resides in the blood? That’s why.
Such humans with high Magical Power undergo training intense enough to make them cough up Blood Vomit since childhood, eat well to grow big bodies… and by the time they become adults, they learn ‘Magic Skill’… that is, physical enhancement using Magical Power.
This is the blatant ‘difference’ compared to common soldiers.
To the question, ‘In this world with ridiculously strong Barbarians and Monsters, why hasn’t humanity been wiped out?’, the answer is, ‘A. Because the warrior class is insanely strong.’ It’s that kind of wonderful world.
When they clad themselves in Magical Power using Magic Skill, they become capable of bending steel beams with their bare hands and feet, and cutting down bears and tigers with iron swords.
In other words, these superhumans who can bend steel beams charge at you while mounted on War Beast Steeds that run at the speed of cars, enhanced by Magical Power, all while maintaining a Magical Power defense that can even repel cannonballs.
That’s gotta be terrifying, right? They’re strong, really. Something like that. The strongest.
So… the things most precious to such Knights are their arms and armor, and their horses.
Full Plate Armor! In this world without industrialization, it’s all custom-made, handcrafted by artisans! In modern Yen terms, wouldn’t the price be in the hundreds or tens of millions?
Horses! Even a nag is as expensive as a Ferrari, but a horse with the bloodline and training to fight in war without flinching costs another hundreds or tens of millions.
If I had to put it simply, the common soldiers who get trampled to death are ‘infantry,’ while the Knights are more like ‘fighter jets’ or ‘tanks.’ Both in terms of tactical value and the cost required to field them.
Oh, by the way, since Magical Power ‘enhances’ things when channeled into them, it’s more efficient to enhance already sturdy iron armor than to enhance your skin!
It’s the same for horses; apparently, there’s a ‘Magic Skill’ that synchronizes with the horse’s Magical Power to increase its speed and toughness. Of course, since that’s a secret technique of the Knights, I wouldn’t know, though.
…So, that’s why, from a Knight’s perspective, treating a Fine Steed poorly is apparently unbearable.
I ended up getting a reaction like someone mishandling a hobby item in the world of hobby games…
Like, ‘Stop it! Horses aren’t things you should treat like that! Settle this with me in a horse battle!’ or something?
“‘That horse is a special one… uh, right! That matter requires consultation with Count Missgancia!'”
I blurted that out on impulse.
It’s become a habit… passing troublesome things onto Count Missgancia.
“‘With Count Missgancia-sama…? I see. For such a Fine Steed, there must be related horses. You mean you will ask Count Missgancia-sama about its handling, is that it?'”
“‘Hmm… So it’s a breed of horse that’s difficult to handle…'”
For the time being, the two seemed convinced. They were convinced, but…
…I’ll have to consult Count Missgancia about this next time.
After all, even though I have it under control, I was secretly keeping a Magic Beast within the city, so I’ll probably get scolded…
…Also, food supplies.
For this too, I need to give Laurence and Lulaiya money for food expenses…
“‘Um, where are we supposed to buy food?'”
Ah…?
“‘…You guys don’t seem like you’ve done much shopping, huh?'”
“‘No, well… I have participated in auctions for Rosalinde-sama’s clothing and carpets. However, purchasing daily necessities and food was not part of my duties…'”
Ah… yeah, right.
Right.
This world requires skill even for shopping, after all…
There are no ‘fixed prices’ or anything, so negotiation skills are essential. Well, when it comes to the price of bread, the Lord sets it to some extent, though. Because it’s a staple food.
Besides, things vary depending on who you’re shopping with…
It seems Laurence and Lulaiya know the tricks for buying luxury goods from rich merchants, but they don’t really know how to buy bread from the town Bakery.
Hmm… what should I do?
Providing everything from the ‘Garden’ would be bad… Should I arrange for regular wheat deliveries?
Ah, I know how to shop reasonably well, you see. Because I’m a capable Chiikawa (a pitiful fellow whose status has risen). Shopping Proficiency Test Level 3!
Also, I should arrange for regular deliveries of vegetables and meat… wait, that’s impossible this year, huh. It’s Winter, after all.
Can’t be helped. I’ll bring out the leftovers from the Garden…
I stacked several burlap sacks filled with flour in the warehouse near this Servant building…
Also, baskets filled with onions and carrots, dried green beans, smoked meat and blocks of cheese… I also prepared a chicken coop and a pigsty. They’re magically modified livestock from the ‘Garden’.
I’ll tell them they can use the eggs and meat as they please.
Ah, they’ll need salt too, huh. Also, Honey, herbs, ginger, mustard, things like that. These are seasonings that are actually used around here quite a bit.
But… if their salary is a guarantee of food, clothing, and shelter, then I really ought to let them eat something good once in a while…
Maybe I should bring them some alcohol and sweets at least.
“‘Laurence, is there anything else you need?'”
“‘W-We have more than enough…!’ “
Laurence’s face paled as he stiffened. He was genuinely terrified and utterly humbled.
It seems he’s still scared when magic is used right in front of him.
Even in this world without science or anything, the concept of physical laws kinda exists, and magic is apparently seen as defying the ‘absolute laws established by God’.
Well yeah, it’s a terrifying power that makes persecution unavoidable, isn’t it?
“‘How about the other Servants? Anything you need…?'”
“””…N-No, thank you very much.”””
Ah, the other Servants are scared too.
Ah, yeah.
I revealed it to the Servants.
Given how careless I am, I decided it was impossible to hide it from people living in the same space.
Well, they can go ahead and spread it around to the people nearby, right?
If they do, Count Missgancia will snap and come to kill them, and I think the people from the Slums will become enemies too. After that, they’ll also be hated by the Striders, and earn the ire of the entertainment district as well.
When it comes to secrets, you know, I think the most important thing isn’t trying to prevent them from being exposed, but arranging the surrounding environment so that even if they are exposed, it won’t be a problem.