"What does this mean?"
When Yudum joined us the next morning, he looked like he couldn't quite grasp the situation. He voiced his confusion while looking back and forth between Jill, who had brought him here, and me. Since he seemed to want an explanation, I decided to give him a brief one.
"First of all, regarding yesterday’s incident—not just our conversation, but the subsequent interrogation—we’ve determined that you are likely not our enemy, and that you have no intention of harming me."
"To be precise, that status is tentative," Jill added. "We’re currently contacting His Grace the Duke in the Royal Capital for further verification. Knowing Lord Reinhardt, he’ll likely confirm your identity with the King himself if possible."
"And so, that’s where we stand," I continued. "It will take some time for the final results to come in, but we felt it would be a waste for everyone involved if we kept you locked up or under house arrest in the meantime."
If we kept him confined, Yudum would have to live without his freedom for the foreseeable future. On my end, not only would the talented individual I hired be unable to work, but I would also have to expend labor just to keep him detained.
"I suppose that’s true," Yudum said, "but I did investigate your information and leak it to others of my own accord..."
"Yes, that is a fact. That’s exactly why, instead of having you work at the laundry or another new workplace, you’ll be working under my direct supervision, since I was the one who advocated for you. As I mentioned, we’ve already judged that you aren't a threat to me."
Yudum looked at Jill to see if this was actually true.
"While it’s true we’re short-handed, the primary factor was Ryoma’s request," Jill admitted.
"It would be a waste to leave someone capable and verified just standing around," I said. "Especially in our current situation. For that matter, I wouldn’t even mind if the intelligence operative sent as your handler worked with us too, though everyone told me in no uncertain terms to stop that."
"That’s only common sense!" Yudum exclaimed.
"It’s not as if I’m doing anything illegal, so I wouldn't have minded. I mean, I’m going out of my way to follow the law and proceed with things peacefully."
If I didn't have to worry about the law, it would have been much faster to tighten the screws on the clearly suspicious lot—like Wands and his cronies—not just now, but back when we had that meeting.
"Shopmaster, you’ve got a rather villainous look on your face," Yudum noted.
"Oops, my apologies. At any rate, the matter is settled. I look forward to working with you."
"We argued about it several times ourselves, but he's stubborn... We eventually gave in," Jill said with a sigh. "You should consider yourself lucky."
After making one of the adults wear a sour face and the other a bewildered one, the notification was finished for now. With that, it was time to get to work.
"So, I’ve been released and brought outside while just going with the flow," Yudum said. "What are we doing now?"
"This afternoon, I have a meeting with the Guild Masters at the Commerce Guild. Until then, we’ll be walking around to various related locations as a sort of inspection. We’ll be doing a fair amount of walking; are you physically up to it?"
"My head is in a muddle, but my body is fine. I'll give my all to guarding you. That seems more productive than worrying about the details."
I was glad to see he had reached a point of acceptance. However, even if he was my guard, I didn't care for stiff formalities, so I engaged in small talk as we headed toward our next destination.
"I’m counting on you. Jill mentioned that you were quite exceptional during your student days. You were in the Knight Department, weren't you?"
"Ah, you heard about that? I’d rather not remember it, to be honest... My rebellion against inheriting the family business started long before I chose the path of a martial artist. Because of that, I was told I had to achieve certain grades to establish myself on my own."
"Even so, I’ve heard it’s not a place one can get into without immense effort."
According to Jill, the Royal Academy offered a wide variety of specialized subjects, and students could take classes that suited their career paths. Generally, anyone could enroll as long as they could pay the tuition and pass the prerequisite exams.
However, the Knight Department was a special case. Even qualifying for it was said to be extremely difficult.
"I heard that you have to be of noble birth, and then you need top-tier marks in academic subjects like etiquette, basic studies, history, and magic," I said. "On top of that, there are practical exams for magic, combat, and elective weapon techniques, plus an evaluation of your personal appearance. You have to excel in every single one of those categories just to qualify."
"Well, it's a class for those aiming to be the knights who protect the royal family and the kingdom. The demands are high," Yudum explained. "And even if you qualify, only the top thirty candidates of each grade are actually admitted. Once you’re in, you aren't safe, either. If you can’t keep up, you lose your spot. If someone else among the qualified candidates achieves better grades, seats are swapped. That pressure continues until graduation."
It sounded like a cutthroat meritocracy that didn't care for noble blood. At the same time, graduating from the Knight Department was the fastest route to becoming a Royal Guard or a high-ranking officer in the National Army. It was the absolute elite course.
I didn't think anyone could get in just by being "somewhat" talented, but Yudum looked strangely conflicted.
"Yeah, I worked hard, but..." He trailed off.
"Is something bothering you?"
"It’s just that nothing good ever came from saying this," he said with a grimace. "Most people are dumbfounded when they hear it. When I told my classmates in the Knight Department, I thought I was going to be lynched."
I hadn't intended to pry, but now I was genuinely curious.
"I don't mind telling you, I suppose," Yudum said. "The reason I worked so hard to get into the Knight Department—besides my parents nagging me about grades and my own thoughts about the future—was because it makes you popular with girls."
He gave an awkward laugh, but hearing that, I found myself nodding.
"I see. That makes perfect sense."
"I hope it’s not offensive, but do I come across as that frivolous?"
"Rather than frivolous, I’d say you seem accustomed to women. I’ve heard you have a great reputation among the female staff at the laundry, so it’s actually quite helpful for the business."
"Really?"
"Yes. Besides, isn't a marriage partner an important matter for a noble? In my experience, women tend to be quite realistic. They care about a man's family background, his assets, and his future potential. If those aspects are lacking, a man might not even be considered a candidate. Isn't that right?"
"Ah, it depends on the person, but the strict ones are definitely incredibly strict."
In that case, Yudum’s decision to enter the Knight Department was perfectly logical. Even before he decided to pursue martial arts, he would have had to consider various career paths, and marriage was surely one of them.
"You entered a prestigious department with high future potential. You say you wanted to be 'popular,' but you put in the necessary work for it. Considering future marriage prospects, I don't think you were wrong at all. If anything, it was a sound judgment followed by honest effort."
As I said that, I noticed Yudum staring at me with wide eyes.
"What is it?"
"It's just... that's the first time anyone has ever said that to me. I’m a bit surprised."
"Is that so?"
"I’ve only ever told my peers, my instructors, and my family, but the reaction was always, 'Indulging in romance is for the weak!' or 'How can a knight serve with such a mindset!' If I said it to an instructor or a senior, they’d usually make me run laps until I collapsed."
"Does the Knight Department place a lot of weight on spiritualism? No water during practice, that sort of thing?"
"It definitely felt that way. The instructors would scream 'You lack spirit!' at the slightest provocation."
In my head, the image of the Knight Department was starting to resemble an old-fashioned, high-pressure sports club. Just then, Yudum looked up.
"Isn't this the vacant lot at the former slum site?"
"It is. If the work is on schedule, the new building should be completed."
"Are you starting something else?"
"A few restaurants, this time."
"Restaurants? I thought all your workplaces included meals as part of the employment contract."
"They do. I guarantee that strictly, but I thought that once people have their basic needs met and a little extra money in their pockets, they might want to treat themselves."
Perhaps it was a special day, a reward for hard work, or just a desire to eat something different for a change.
"I decided to open several shops near the staff dormitory for those people. The concepts are 'A Taste of Home' and 'Regional Flavors.' Separately, I'm also planning a place where they can eat their fill as cheaply as possible."
"I understand the first part, but why the latter?"
"That one is for the workers who don't have much money yet. We employ many people, but we haven't taken in every single person who has arrived in Gimul, and the influx is still continuing."
"I see. So it’s for those who have just arrived or aren't covered by your employee benefits."
"Exactly. For the same reason, I’m also increasing the amount of lodging available."
I envisioned something like a beef bowl shop or a simple diner—places where you could get a full stomach for a low price, which were powerful allies for me during my younger days in my previous life. As for the lodging, I was thinking along the lines of a capsule hotel—a minimal place to sleep.
Yudum seemed convinced by the explanation.
"Even so, the influx of workers hasn't stopped, has it? Even though you've managed to keep the crime rate down, Shopmaster."
"Multiple nobles seem to be working together to gather and send workers from various regions," I said. "When that many people are moving in that many places, there’s probably a point where they can’t stop even if they wanted to. Though the momentum is slowing down."
"Even if they're working together, they might not be a monolith. The movement as a whole could be sluggish."
"The Duke's family gave me the names of five nobles: Baron Lansol, Baron Rufred, Viscount Forgotten, Viscount Danietan, and Count Sandrick. However, personally, I think Baron Jerock, Viscount Anatoma, Viscount Jeromon, Viscount Selgeal, and Count Bulwanart are also suspicious."
"...Where did those names come from?" Yudum asked seriously, scanning our surroundings. "If it's your personal list, you didn't hear it from the Duke, right?"
"No, it wasn't anything that complicated. I employ a massive number of the workers coming into Gimul. As an employer, I have the right to look at their resumes. When you look at those, you see their birthplaces—who came from where. When you see the same territory names over and over again, they tend to stick in your memory."
"Losing subjects isn't a good thing for a lord, is it?"
"It leads directly to a loss of tax revenue and labor," Yudum said. "Many places have a permit system for travel and forbid moving on your own. Given the sheer number of people flowing into this city, the possibility that the lords are cooperating can't be denied. Even if it's just passive support or tacit approval."
"Exactly. That’s why they 'might' be suspicious. However, investigating that isn't my job."
"Are you suggesting I should tell the King?"
"No, no, I wouldn't dream of meddling in your work. Interfering with a Royal Command would be... well, a bit much. Besides, I relay everything I notice to the Duke's representatives, so I’m sure they’re already aware and taking action. I’ll leave it to your judgment whether to pass the information along or not."
"You say you'll leave it to me, but now that I've heard information this relevant to the current situation, I have to report it or it'll look like I’m hiding things... You’re planning to take full advantage of my position, aren't you?"
Yudum looked like he had given up for a moment, but in the end, he was laughing.