"If I were the former butler of the noble family..."
"Luntia Runcandel, my 2nd sister and the 3rd flagbearer, and the former head butler of the clan, Luet Damiro Yul, are trapped in different subspaces. As soon as the announcement is over, I will search for them."
Finding Luntia first was necessary.
There was a high possibility that she would be in trouble, given the chaos that surrounded her after the assassination attempt.
But the most frightening fact was that Luntia had already transformed. With her physical changes, it was impossible to restore her to her current state of purification.
"My sister can only be properly rescued when she is able to merge with her spirit, or when her half-brother appears."
Still, if she was alive, there would be a chance to reverse the situation eventually.
Jin thought with hope.
"Great-grandfather and Alphen, from now on, please take charge of the Black Sword Association and the Lawcraft Association, respectively."
During the appointment ceremony, Jin confirmed the survival of the head of the Lawmin Guild, Tellot Runcandel.
For the remaining two positions, Valas and Alphen were the best choices.
[I understand. You mean to manage and designate successors in advance, right?]
"Exactly, Alphen. And Tasha, please take the position of the Chief Instructor."
The position of "Chief Instructor" might seem less prestigious than being the head of a guild.
However, Jin believed that talent development was urgently needed now, and the previous heads of the guilds thought the same way.
[Understood, with honor.]
"When it becomes known that Tasha will be personally involved in training, not only the trainees but also the current knights will gather."
Replenishing the workforce was necessary.
Not only for future wars against powerful forces, but also to protect those who gather around Jin as Runcandel.
[I can see that happening. But I have very high standards, and the selection process will be strict. Be prepared for the recruitment process to take longer than you expect.]
"Of course. That's why I entrusted Tasha with the role of Chief Instructor. Show your vision as a head of a guild."
"It may be a heavy burden, but you can expect good things."
As the former heads of the family stepped aside, Jin headed straight to the family office.
In the office, Mary and Tona, the siblings, as well as the butlers and maids, were waiting.
Without hesitation, Jin took his seat in the office, without even taking a moment to appreciate his first step as the head of the family.
"Soju, even though you tried to filter them, there are still many reports."
"They are still coming in from various regions, so if you set the criteria today, we will try to minimize the number of reports to be submitted in the future."
Mary and Tona spoke. As it was an official setting, their attitude towards Jin had changed.
Jin smiled as he looked at the siblings. The fact that they had all survived the war gave him a sense of relief.
Familiar faces were among the butlers as well.
However, the faces of the two butlers who knew most of the family's secrets were not present.
"Are the chief butlers, Heinz and Howard, deceased?"
"...Yes, Master Jin."
Petro answered.
"What about the documents they possessed?"
"While you were absent, Lady Valeria conducted a search, but they couldn't be found. Only records of them being damaged before the death of the sorcerer remain."
Jin decided not to dwell on it.
Among the family's past secrets, the most important one was inevitably related to Shiron. The reasons why Shiron had devoted his time to the Black Sea from a young age, and ultimately why he formed an expedition....
Jin now felt like he had a slight idea of those reasons.
"Father, he went to the Black Sea so as not to become a monster like the sorcerer."
When he met Shiron in the underworld last time, he had a strong conviction, and since discovering the characteristics of the power called 'Changseong', he had suspected as much.
For a while, Jin quietly reviewed the reports.
With each confirmation of the number of survivors, he felt a surge of emotion, just like with the siblings.
"Petra."
"Yes!"
"Lend all the unused renowned swords stored in the family warehouse to allied families and the Empire. The assessment of rental fees will be handled by Picon. The contract will be for a period of 5 years, and if the rental exceeds 20 years, ownership will be transferred. The money generated from this will all be invested in Hupester's stabilization."
Petra wanted to ask if this was really happening, but she held back and bowed her head.
"But do not force the rentals. Provide them only to the families that are willing to borrow those swords, even if it means opening up extra funds."
"Understood."
"Everyone must have been surprised. Throughout the past thousand years, the renowned swords of the family have never been utilized in this manner. But now we need money. In addition to stabilizing Hupester, we will need a significant amount of money to produce a fleet in the future. Once the renowned swords are made, that will be the end of it."
"When you mention production... Well, Lord Soju, even in times like these, it is highly unlikely that the noses of the Minshe Forge Association will be lowered. Especially considering that most of the weapons our family is lending are the association's creations. If that fact were to be revealed, it would be even more so."
As a blacksmith struggled to speak, Jin looked around at his relatives.
The three former leaders of the Minshe Forge Association, "Anvil," "Fire," and "Hammer," had even refused exclusive contracts presented by Shiron in the past.
"In the future, when presenting your opinions to me, do so confidently without being cautious. Unless it's a completely foolish idea, I will never reprimand you. It is important for these intelligent individuals to continue expressing their opinions."
"Understood!"
"I have already considered weapon production through the Minshe Forge Association. Some people may already know, but the origin and legendary blacksmith of that association, Picon Minshe, is affiliated with the Barmel Union. Furthermore, he is considered the successor to the current association leader, following Groller. Picon will personally participate in negotiations with the association."
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Minshe Forge Association was composed entirely of Picon's extreme followers.
Even if Picon were to suddenly give up his position as association leader, it was highly likely that they would immediately agree.
The reason Jin had preserved the favor of Picon all this time was precisely for moments like this.
"Do not hesitate to lend the renowned swords. The martial power of our allied warriors will strengthen, and we will earn money to produce even better weapons. Furthermore, we will distribute those swords to those among the apprentices and knights who have shown significant achievements."
Jin believed that in times of confusion, what moved most people was personal goals and a sense of accomplishment, rather than just righteousness.
"Petra, by now, you can probably guess what other commands I will give."
"I will dispose of everything in the family treasury that doesn't hold historical significance, according to your instructions."
"Excellent. Consult with the Gold Beetle Upper Division on that matter. Sell everything through clandestine transactions on the black market to the lands of the Lutero Federation and the Suyin. Remember, no matter how much we scrape together, it won't be enough money."
"Yes!"
"Furthermore, for the time being, only high-ranking stewards including Petra, along with five scribes and maids, will remain in the Sword Garden. The rest of you will be dispatched immediately to Hupester and report on the local situation regularly. Assignment will be handled by the 7th Squad Leader."
"Yes."
"In terms of financial measures within the family, things seem to be in order. Now the problem we need to address is manpower."
Acquiring skilled personnel for fleet production, magical engineers.
That was the key.
Nowadays, a war without a fleet was unimaginable.
To create the "Golden Fleet," the presence of magical engineers was essential.
"We may be able to secure some through the magic guild in Hupester and the Empire, but it won't be enough. Is there anyone who can propose a way to gather magical engineers?"
"I have an idea."
Surprisingly, it was Valeria.
She had just entered the office and overheard Jin's voice.
"Valeria?"
"I heard from the previous family heads earlier that from now on, you will be putting me in the forefront. Although we didn't discuss it personally. Now that you've become the lord of Luncandel, I can't be rash or..."
"Well, I was going to ask."
Jin replied in a solemn voice.
Mary and Tona, the brothers, struggled to hold back their laughter, while the stewards rolled their eyes in embarrassment.
Valeria now treated Jin and his colleagues with a comfortable familiarity.
"Anyway, since we've decided to make my presence public, we can use that to recruit quite a few magical scholars. As you know, there are quite a few mages obsessed with the name Hyster in this world."
Figures like Kidat Hohl were representative examples of the past.
'Hyster' was a legend and myth to the mages.
Especially for mages who had received the "Advanced Education" of Jiphl and had even visited their secret library, it was even more significant.
In different circumstances, if Jin were to recruit mages through Hyster's promotion, Jiphl would have gone into a frenzy. But not now.
Instead, it was Jiphl who had to be cautious of Jin's reactions.
"As the desire for Hyster grows stronger for high-ranking mages, naturally, advanced talents will come seeking. If Uria takes charge of verifying their identities, we can filter out the spies sent by Jiphl as well."
"That's a good idea."
"However, I hope my face doesn't appear on those giant billboards that depicted the image of the lord of Luncandel."
"I've already mentioned it to the Golden Pangolin. It's better not to have high expectations. Those folks believe there's no better advertisement than that. And it actually worked well."
Valeria showed a displeased expression but didn't voice it.
Jin chuckled at her reaction.
The meeting continued for about two hours after that.
They discussed Hupester's financial situation and the plans for reconstruction.
It was the first time a meeting had been conducted in such a harmonious atmosphere in this era.
It was a scene that could never be seen during the time of Shiron and Rosa managing the family.
"I guess we've covered everything roughly. The official statement will be announced tomorrow at noon, and we'll choose the imperial capital as the location."
As Jin stood up to conclude the meeting, he locked eyes with Mary.
"Lord."
"Speak, 7th Squad Leader."
"You should consider going down to the underground prison."
"...Underground prison?"
Currently, in the underground prison, the former 10th generation Knight Commander, Paradella Luncandel, was imprisoned.
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