"My lord, can you tell us why you have decided to visit our humble home?" William asked with a serious look as soon as they took their seats.
"There's no need to be nervous. I came here because I was made aware of your tough financial situation. Your orphanage takes in children who have no home. You give them food, and clothes, and even provide them with basic education."
"You have my respect."
"However, it must have been tough raising the children without sufficient funding. I believe you guys have already tried asking the officials for some donation, but you were rejected."
William sighed and shook his head.
"It is as you have said, my lord. We tried asking the officials for financial support, but they didn't even bother to speak with us. We also tried reaching out to some merchants, but they actually wanted to get the young girls in exchange for funding. How could we agree to their ridiculous demands?"
He looked agitated when he mentioned that.
"Since then, we started growing our own food. We also raised some livestock. We then sell the extra vegetables and fruits at the market for money. That's how we managed to survive until now."
The old woman, Josephine, cried, probably saddened by their difficult situation.
Rasmus held the old woman's hand as he held back his tears from falling.
Alaric felt sorry for what they had experienced.
"How about this?"
"I will give financial support to the orphanage. I will also send some teachers to give the children a proper education."
The faces of Josephine and Rasmus brightened when they heard his words.
Only William remained calm in the face of his tempting offer. "What's the catch, my lord?"
There was no free lunch in this world.
"In exchange, the orphanage will send some children to work for my shop."
William's expression changed so Alaric quickly explained.
"It's not a difficult job."
"They just need to make something for me. They will also get paid daily for the job."
Alaric took out a small box from his pocket and showed it to William. "This is the product of my shop."
William and the other two curiously looked at the item inside the box. When William opened it, the fragrant scent of lilies slapped their faces.
"This is!"
"How fragrant!"
"It smells like lilies."
Alaric smiled when he saw their reaction. "That thing is called scented soap. We haven't released it in the market yet since we don't have a lot in stock. Once we get enough manpower, we will begin with the production and sell it as soon we have enough supply for the market."
William closed the box and put it on the table. "What does this thing do, my lord?" He asked.
"It's similar to the soap we use to clean the body. The only difference is that we don't use animal fats, but flower oils and some other ingredients. Using it will make your body smell nice." Alaric had already memorized his spiel.
"That good?" Josephine looked interested in this improved product.
"Yes."
"To tell you the truth, this is my first business so I want it to succeed."
"What do you think?"
William frowned, seemingly in deep thought.
"How long do the children need to work? And how much are you paying them?"
Alaric was thrilled. It looked like he had already agreed.
He only needed to give the old man a satisfactory response to get his approval. "Hm… we can't let the children below twelve years old work since they are still too young and clumsy for the job. They will have to work for six hours a day and they will get two rest days every week. As for their salary, I will give them 20 copper coins per day and four copper coins for every extra hour of work they do."
"That much? I'm in! I'll do it!" Rasmus eagerly said, but he immediately shut his mouth when he saw William giving him a stern glance.
Two copper coins are already enough for a decent meal. The average salary in the city is only ten copper coins per day. He is actually willing to give the children 20 copper coins for six hours of work. It's a generous offer, but I'm still worried about the children's safety.
His product seems like it will become a hot commodity once it is release in the market so there is a high chance that it will attract unwanted attention from shady characters.
William was in a dilemma. Alaric's offer was very generous and he was even willing to offer financial support to the orphanage. The only thing that he was worried about was the safety of the children.
"Can you guarantee their safety?" William stared deeply at Alaric.
"I know what you are worried about, but you can rest assured. I will station one Elite Knight and four Knights at the store. If there's a troublemaker, they will be taken care of right away." Alaric knew the value of the scented soap so it was necessary to place some countermeasures.
"An Elite Knight?! You're willing to station someone that powerful in your shop?" William widened his eyes in disbelief.
"That's right." Alaric nodded. He didn't want to repeat the tragedy that happened in his past life.
To ensure the safety of Vince and the rest of the workers, a deterrent force had to be deployed.
William was silent for a moment.
After what seemed like an eternity, he looked deeply at Alaric.
"We accept your offer, my lord, but if the children are harmed, we will take them back right away."
Hearing this, Alaric joyfully agreed. "Great! I look forward to working with everyone!"
With that, Alaric finally secured the workforce he needed. All that was left was to teach the children how to make scented soap.
"When will they start working?" William asked.
"They still need to learn how to make the product."
"I will send someone to pick up the children tomorrow. You can also go with them if you want to know where they will be working."
Suddenly, Rasmus asked with a cheeky smile. "My lord, are we also paid during the training?"
Josephine immediately pulled him and forced a smile. "Please don't mind him, my lord. We didn't properly teach him manners so he developed this kind of behavior."
Alaric chuckled. "It's fine. Just let him be. I like his attitude. Anyway, to answer your question…Yes, the children will receive payment during the training. It's part of the job so they will be properly compensated."
"However…"
"I don't plan on letting you work at the shop, Rasmus."
"Huh? Why? Is it because of my attitude?" Rasmus's face fell when he heard this. He was only a year away from becoming an adult so he wanted to start earning some money.
Josephine and William also stared at him curiously, wondering what this was all about.
Alaric shook his head. "It's not about that. I have a better proposition for you, but you will need to get your guardian's approval."
Rasmus looked confused.
"I plan to bring some talented children to the estate and train them to become Knights."
There were plenty of talented individuals among the commoners, but because of the lack of opportunity, their potential was buried.
In his past life, there were some people who had revealed their enormous potential after they were forced to join the civil war. Unlike most people who struggled to control mana, they were able to control this energy with ease. They progressed faster than the others and quickly rose to power.
If he could gather those people, Alaric would have enough manpower to stop the civil war.
That was his ultimate goal.
He didn't want to go through that hell again.
That war caused devastating damage to the empire and it brought misery to a lot of people.
Rasmus felt his blood pumping when he heard this.
It was his dream to become a soldier. As for becoming a Knight, that was his lifelong goal. How could he not be excited when a chance to become one was presented to him?
"That…" Rasmus stared at William with a pleading look. "Grandpa, please I want to become a Knight!"
Seeing him like this, William sighed helplessly. "Alright. Alright."
"Are you sure about this, Rasmus?" Alaric spoke with all seriousness.
"Once you begin with the training, there is no turning back anymore. You will have less freedom and you will have to serve House Silversword."
Josephine and William didn't say anything. They were Rasmus's guardians, but the final decision was still in his hands.
"You should think it over before you make a decision. Your choice will affect your future so you should discuss it with your guardians." Alaric didn't want to force him.
William and Josephine stared gratefully at him upon hearing his words.
"I will take my leave first. You can give me your response tomorrow." Alaric stood up and bid them farewell.
Watching the departing carriage, William patted Rasmus's shoulder.
"You should follow your heart, Rasmus. This might be the opportunity that you have been waiting for. I know that you want to become a Knight. House Silversword is a good choice and Lord Alaric seems like a good leader as well."
"I made a promise that I would protect everyone, but I barely know how to wield a sword. I hate how powerless I am! If I had the power, my brothers and sisters wouldn't have to suffer anymore!"
"Grandpa, I have already made my decision!"