Amid the warm send-off of Viscount Fairchild and the people of the castle, Eugene departed from Fairchild's territory.
He had gained a chest full of silver coins, a letter of recommendation addressed to a count, and even an unexpected famed blade.
Wolfslaughter…
Eugene glanced down at the short sword hanging beneath his saddle.
When he had first received it from Viscount Fairchild, he had thought it was simply an expensive sword.
But the moment he drew it from its scabbard, the chilling cold it gave off startled him more than a little.
Viscount Fairchild's explanation—so full of pride and self-display—was even more surprising.
Wolfslaughter, he said, was a sword forged from meteoric iron in the dwarves' city-state high in the Kranfos Mountains.
It was, quite literally, an exceptionally rare masterwork, capable of piercing chainmail with ease.
The recommendation letter is nice, but I like this even more. And he even threw in slaves.
Eugene looked at the slaves, who were walking diligently along.
Two had been given by Baron Bommel, and Viscount Fairchild had added another, bringing the total to three.
Though he had yet to receive a formal knighthood and was still a free knight, Eugene—wearing plate armor, riding a top-grade warhorse, and commanding three slaves—looked every bit like a successful knight to anyone who saw him.
Moreover, the slave given by Viscount Fairchild was not merely a brute laborer.
"You're from Brantia?" Eugene asked.
"Yes, Master. My father is Sir Boshu of Krollmarine."
The nineteen-year-old slave, speaking the common tongue in a somewhat stiff manner, was surprisingly from a knightly family of the island nation Brantia.
The slave, named Mark, was an illegitimate son of a knight. He had joined a mercenary band, lost in battle, and been taken prisoner.
His family was a minor knightly house and could not afford a ransom for a bastard son, so he had ended up sold as a slave and eventually brought to Viscount Fairchild's castle.
"Did you receive knightly training?"
"Yes. From Sir Boshu."
"Then you can handle a blade?"
"I wouldn't say I'm exceptional, but I can at least take care of myself. If danger arises, I will stake my life to protect you, Master."
"There probably won't be a situation like that. If Sir Eugene is ever in danger, it means you and I are already dead."
"Oh…"
Partek let out a small laugh, and Mark closed his mouth.
Indeed, compared to any knight he had ever seen, the arms and equipment of the young knight he now served were outstanding.
And the fact that Eugene had single-handedly defeated the mercenaries hired by Lord Bommel and even captured a territorial knight and the heir was proof enough that his new master's skill and valor were far from ordinary.
"Do you two have any particular skills?" Eugene asked.
The slaves given by Baron Bommel answered in turn.
"I farmed back home and gathered medicinal herbs for many years, Master."
"I worked as a hunter in the Garambow territory."
"I see."
Having slaves with useful skills was advantageous in many ways.
Especially for a knight like Eugene, who would be traveling frequently, slaves who excelled at even one thing were far better than ordinary ones.
A knight-trained man, a herb gatherer, and a hunter. They'll do fine even in a dungeon.
With that thought, Eugene looked over the slaves and spoke.
"Good. Mark, Riddle, Penn. I'll pay each of you half a silver coin per week as wages. That makes two per month."
"You are truly merciful!"
"Thank you, Master!"
"I will devote my loyalty to you!"
Not only Riddle and Penn, who had been commoners, but even Mark bowed his head deeply, their faces filled with emotion.
What slaves feared most was having a knight as their master.
Nobles mostly lived in castles or estates, so slaves were relatively safe.
But knights roamed constantly and lived harsh lives, meaning slaves were often forced to risk their lives as well.
Worse still, the vast majority of knights were violent by nature and treated slaves brutally as a matter of course.
A knight-master like Eugene, who even promised wages, was exceedingly rare.
"Mark, how many years did you serve as a squire?"
"A little over three years, Master."
"Then you should be good at maintaining armor and tack."
"Yes. Leave it to me—I'll keep everything looking like new."
"Good."
"What!? No, Sir Eugene! What do you mean by that!?"
Whether because her job was being taken away or because she would no longer get to blissfully polish expensive plate armor, Mirian threw a fit.
"Me too! I want to do it too! Kieek!"
Pretending to swat away a bug, Eugene snatched Mirian up like lightning, stuffed her into a leather pouch, and spoke.
"From now on, you'll be entering the Demon Realm often. Some of you may already know this, but in there, no one protects slaves or porters."
"...!"
Mark seemed to take it in stride, but Riddle and Penn's expressions darkened rapidly.
Fortunately, Eugene's next words eased them somewhat.
"Mark. Inside the Demon Realm, you're responsible for protecting these two. Stick with them at all times unless I give a different order."
"I will obey, Master."
"Hm."
After giving Mark a once-over as he answered firmly, Eugene turned his gaze to Partek.
"By the way, is it all right to arm slaves?"
"Yes. It's rare to give slaves full armor, but many knights give them short swords or daggers."
"I see."
Even so, that would only amount to the bare minimum for self-defense.
And even if he had obtained them for free, losing newly acquired slaves pointlessly felt like a waste.
They say you should spend as much as you earn—Galfredic really wasn't wrong about anything.
Imagining Galfredic bursting into laughter if he heard those thoughts, Eugene smacked his lips inwardly.
* * *
Upon arriving in Maren, Eugene didn't even secure lodgings. Instead, he went straight to shops dealing in weapons and armor.
He equipped Riddle and Penn with sturdy leather armor and defensive daggers, and gave Mark a hauberk (chainmail reaching the thighs), along with a shield, a short sword, and a rondel dagger.
"That you would grant such excessive arms to one as lowly as a slave as myself! I will serve you with loyalty until my dying breath, Master!"
Though not as large as Partek, Mark had a solid build, and tears welled up in his blue eyes.
A master who would readily buy chainmail—something he had never received even during his time as a squire!
As generous and magnanimous as he is valiant!
As Mark wiped away his tears, the other two slaves were deeply moved as well.
They knew all too well how knights typically treated slaves they hadn't even paid for themselves.
Since they were "free," they had assumed they'd be worked mercilessly, injured or killed without a second thought, and had fallen into deep despair.
They had never imagined a master who would not only pay wages but also show such open-handed generosity.
"We will serve Master Eugene until the day we die!"
"Do so," Eugene replied.
Seeing the slaves more grateful than he had expected, Eugene nodded inwardly.
—If you get slaves, give them even a small wage and buy them some cheap armor. They'll lick your boots willingly.
Knowing a knight like Galfredic had truly been a stroke of good fortune in many ways.
Come to think of it, did he receive his knighthood from Count Evergrow?
No news was often good news, but since he had heard nothing at all after the Gate-Clearing subjugation, it worried him slightly.
Still, Galfredic was the type of knight bound to succeed wherever he went, so Eugene set his concern aside.
* * *
"Welcome back safely, Sir Eugene!"
"It seems the deputy branch manager has been well too."
Pretzella bowed deeply to Eugene, then spoke in a slightly excited voice.
"I heard! You were briefly employed by Lord Fairchild and ended a territorial war all by yourself?"
"So soon? News travels fast."
Though their contract was between equals, their difference in status was clear, so Eugene spoke to her casually.
"The mercenaries who were hired by Lord Bommel couldn't stop talking about you, Sir Eugene. They say you single-handedly routed dozens of mercenaries and even captured a territorial knight and Bommel's heir!"
"Well… that's more or less true."
It was mostly accurate, but with the details hopelessly jumbled together. Eugene considered correcting the story, then decided against it.
"Anyway, the moment word of Sir Eugene's exploits spread—"
Pretzella, who had been talking excitedly with sparkling eyes, suddenly flinched.
"The moment it spread? Did something happen?"
"Oh! I was about to tell you that our guild has slightly upgraded the terms of our contract with you, Sir Eugene."
She had nearly blurted out that the nobles and luminaries of Maren had been thrown into a frenzy, but Pretzella smoothly changed the subject.
If, by any chance, this knight were to grow intoxicated with his rising fame and develop other ideas, it would be troublesome.
"Oh? How did it change?"
"We've increased your success bonus by another five pun, and we've completed all arrangements so that, if you wish, you may participate in Demon Realm subjugations at any time."
"Good. Anything else changed?"
"No. Three standard subjugations, with up to two additional by mutual agreement. If both sides don't agree, it ends at three. Should you wish to renew the contract later—"
"Let's talk about that when the time comes. So, shall we sign?"
"Yes, Sir Eugene."
Suppressing a faint sense of regret, Pretzella presented three copies of the contract she had prepared in advance.
Two were for the Paleyn Trading Company and Eugene, and the remaining one was for notarization and storage at the Merchants' Guild.
Since Eugene did not yet have a personal seal, he carefully wrote out his name and pressed his signature mark.
"Um… aren't you going to review it?"
Seeing Eugene sign without even reading it properly, Pretzella asked cautiously.
After finishing the signature and mark on the last contract, Eugene looked up.
"Why? Did you change your mind in the meantime and try to pull something shady?"
"No, not at all!"
At Eugene's cold smile, Pretzella felt her blood run cold and waved her hands frantically.
"Then we're done, right? Is that everything?"
"Yes! Then, according to the contract, I'll escort you straight to the Celestial Constellation. Your party hasn't changed, has it?"
"Hmm. I've gained three slaves."
"Slaves, you mean. Understood. I'll arrange separate lodging for them as well."
Not one, but suddenly three more.
Even so, since that only demonstrated the capability of the knight she had just contracted, Pretzella could answer smoothly.
"Oh, right."
Just as Eugene stepped through the door Pretzella had opened for him, he turned his head.
"When is the first subjugation?"
"Oh! I forgot to tell you the most important part. Ten days from now, the Morrison Mountain Labyrinth in Evergrow territory."
"Evergrow territory, huh…"
That was the land of the count to whom Galfredic had gone to receive his knighthood.
"That works out nicely."
Recalling the gruff face of the one knight he had genuinely grown fond of, Eugene smiled faintly.
"Oh, and about this subjugation—"
Through Pretzella's mouth, all sorts of information flowed out one after another.
* * *
Five days passed.
During that time, Eugene had to attend banquets hosted by Maren's nobles and prominent figures every evening.
Then, on the sixth day, Eugene left the city a little earlier than planned, taking his slaves and mercenaries with him.
He had no desire to keep mingling in the meaningless displays and competitions of nobles, and he had already met all the major figures worth meeting.
"You've worked hard these past few days, Sir Eugene."
Partek, who had accompanied him to several banquets in a sort of attendant role—though not to all of them—smiled gently.
"Hard work? There was no need to create unnecessary hostility by refusing invitations."
"Wise words."
"Anyway, we've all had a good rest, so everyone's in decent shape, right?"
"Yes. After resting well for a few days, both I and these fellows are feeling fresh."
At that, Eugene looked over the mercenaries and slaves and nodded in satisfaction.
Including himself, the group of seven had now clearly transformed into a combat force that no one could easily ignore.
"By the way, Sir Eugene, do you know how many people will be in the subjugation force?"
"About thirty including us, I think. In any case, I hear a knight of Evergrow territory will be leading the expedition."
"I see. A territorial knight would know the labyrinth well, so it shouldn't be too difficult. And the Morrison Mountain Labyrinth has been open for over ten years, so the confirmed area is fairly wide."
"That's what I heard. But the deputy branch manager said we might be going deeper this time."
"Hm. Fighting only in the same areas all the time doesn't look good, so every once in a while they do a token exploration of unconfirmed zones."
The explanation from Partek—the most veteran among them—made the others look somewhat more at ease.
But then…
"They say they might deploy a mage in this subjugation. I heard that the Evergrow count's family recently hired a mage."
"What!?"
(To be continued in the next chapter)