Volume 6 Chapter 61 The God Of Contract
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Knights rode on sturdy horses, their armor shining brilliantly. Somehow, thinking of them as my own subordinates made me feel a little proud. Leading twelve knights, I marched confidently toward the royal capital. Isn’t this the kind of moment every boy dreams of? Men really are simple creatures.
But truth be told, I didn’t want to go to the royal capital. Facing the king of the Holy Kingdom? No way. I’d probably end up hassled by the court nobles. Still, I forced myself to stay positive, glancing again at the impressive cavalry beside me.
They were temporary hires at the temple—former subordinates of Gorigan—assigned to accompany me this time. Bound by some secret contract, they couldn’t disobey the temple, so I had no worries. Until their debts were paid, they were like slaves to the god, but this was far better than subjugation by force.
Being a slave to the god was actually considered an honor among devout believers. They proudly carried flags bearing the symbol of God Keras.
The statue of the God enshrined in the Keras Temple of the Sacred Kingdom of Sabroa was my own masterpiece, made with all my heart. I brought the materials to Uno’s workshop and worked on it until I was satisfied, without worrying about time. Traditional God Keras statues looked terrifying, almost like fearsome gods, but I chose to depict the Goddess of Purification as a gentle beauty—stern but compassionate beneath her calm gaze. It was my image, but Uno, who knew God Keras well, supervised it, so it was accurate.
Mr. Donovan said that since unveiling the new statue, the number of devoted believers had surged. Maybe some flattery was involved, but more and more people were carrying Mithril coins engraved with the relief of God Keras.
Unintentionally, it had turned into something like a God Keras idolization campaign. Well, the word “idol” originally meant an object of worship, so it wasn’t wrong.
The gods drew strength from the faith of the people, so I planned to push it even further. Maybe I’d give the knights special limited-edition Mithril coins as bonuses.
Though the knight order was makeshift, some had been true knights under Gorigan. They were surprised at how light their armor felt. They realized it wasn’t real armor, but didn’t complain—lighter gear was always better.
Originally, the armor was ceremonial, but I replaced it with Mithril. Even thin, it should offer decent protection. I hadn’t tested its durability yet, but I hoped to avoid actual battles.
Recycled Mithril was lightweight and strong but difficult to work with. The material substitution was definitely a god-tier skill. Mr. Zenom stockpiled mountains of it through his dwarf connections.
Maybe someday I’d make a Mithril boat. The prototype could be iron or copper, but brass would be easier to work with. Soldering would join the pieces well.
Ideally, I’d copy instead of substitute. Everyone would want lightweight, durable boats. If I could copy one prototype into many…
Wait, the skill originally evolved oddly while I was recovering underground ore. I experimented with Editorskill, and the current substitution skill was born.
I’d focused on material replacement, but the unique part was the ability to specify a selection range. To make a prototype, I picked a copper coin. Selecting it, I substituted silver, turning the copper coin into silver.
Alright, this was it. Keeping the selection range active, I stored the silver coin in my magic bag, then substituted silver again on the empty range.
I did it! Two perfect fake silver coins were in my hand. I didn’t even tweak the code with Editorskill. Using substitution normally and storing the finished product in the magic bag at the right moment allowed mass production.
Being able to replicate meant I could finally make the bicycle chain I’d longed for. I could make it before, but it was tedious. In a dwarf workshop, apprentices handled such simple, repetitive tasks. For artistic dwarves, making the same thing repeatedly was torture.
I liked making the same thing up to a dozen times, but a bicycle chain would bore me quickly. I’d been thinking about making it easier with casting.
With this technique, if I perfected the first piece with all my effort, I could make chains for as many bikes as I wanted.
Now all I needed were rubber tires to complete the bicycle. With Sabroa Dukedom’s current roads, even a road bike would ride smoothly.
Rubber trees existed but were expensive and needed greenhouses to grow.
Looking at dandelions blooming out of season by the roadside, I noticed their white sap resembled rubber tree sap. When dry, it formed a thin rubbery membrane.
The problem was how many dandelions it would take to make a single tire. It might be faster to create a rubber tree farm in a warm region reachable by teleportation gate.
Ah, rubber cultivation would definitely become a new business. I heard Mr. Ginchi was already working on it, but since I aimed for tires, we could coexist without competing.
After the road construction and brewing businesses generated huge profits, I had plenty of funds to invest in rubber plantations. Even if I failed, it wouldn’t hurt.
The brewing business seemed to fail all over the place, but strangely, the failing products sold like crazy. It was hard to go into the red.
According to Mr. Raoh, a positive cycle of money breeding money was happening. We should take advantage of this chance and try whatever we wanted.
Before rubber tires, it might be better to expand railway carriage routes. The tracks’ transport power was amazing, and no rubber was needed. Trolleys worked well in the warehouse district.
I wanted to recruit a reliable railway enthusiast Summoned Hero. The one Mr. Raoh brought was a steam engine fan, and Shea-Shea gave him a small budget to build a model steam locomotive with great enthusiasm.
Ideally, I’d want someone skilled in route planning and luck management.
Maybe because the roads improved, I could already see the royal capital’s walls. Development made the world feel smaller.
If it was this close, I understood why merchants wanted warehouses in Sabroa Dukedom. The royal capital’s warehouse district was full of vested interests and problems.
Today, I planned to see Miss Floria and then visit Ms. Nina. The audience with the king could wait until tomorrow.
Ideally, I wanted to activate Ms. Nina today. It might be too soon, but even if her body started to fail, I could freeze time by placing her in the magic bag.
No, I shouldn’t rush. Her regeneration had been smooth so far. If I did something reckless now, it could all fall apart.
I’d leave the timing of activation to Ms. Mahal, the expert.
The big question was whether the Larse Empire would capture the royal capital.
The Holy Kingdom’s army stood no chance against the Larse Empire’s Hero corps, even with all their effort. So, they’d likely rely on the Totoana Empire and seek a political settlement without fighting.
Logically, it was a matter to be settled by negotiation. Formally ceding the Duke Mineley Territory would smooth things over.
The king and nobles thought the compromise would stop there. Fine adjustments would save face for both sides.
Ceding territory without a fight would be shameful for the Holy Kingdom nobles, so they’d stage a token battle and then surrender.
Right now, the royal palace was probably filled with scheming over who’d be the scapegoat.
But you know… from what I heard, the general leading the Hero army was unusual.
He called himself Little Castor, but he was clearly too young. It was obviously someone else. I wondered why he told such an obvious lie, but even knowing it, no one dared call him out. Somehow, it became one of those strange situations.
Mr. Pansy said he had a mysterious charisma like Yoshitsune or Napoleon, and many summoned Heroes were devoted to him.
Speaking of Yoshitsune and Napoleon, they were both short, innovative military strategists.
He tried teleporting to ambush Kasgar and disposed of those who defected without hesitation. There was no doubt he was unconventional.
Would someone like that surrender easily?
In the worst case, he might refuse a ceasefire and even march on the capital.
* * *
Honestly, they were attacking at the worst possible time. If only we had twenty more days, Ms. Nina’s revival might have been complete.
The secret mansion where Ms. Nina was hiding might not protect her from raiders. Even if the secret stayed safe, if the whole street burned, it was over.
In Kasgar’s raid, the Larse Empire’s foot soldiers went way beyond the Heroes’ restraint. Even the self-proclaimed strongest and worst delinquent Heroes were shocked. It must have been terrible.
That day, even Mr. Pansy didn’t go for seconds on curry. He witnessed something he’d never forget.
Maybe the Larse Empire moved so fast because they gained little from invading Mineley territory.
Did Tizzy and I do too good a job? Without underground resources, it was just a poor mountain village.
The invaders had to loot from those who betrayed Tizzy to get treasure… and it turned into a brutal “serves you right” situation. Tizzy didn’t want that.
In any case, there was a big misunderstanding between the Larse Empire and the Holy Kingdom. The Holy Kingdom assumed the Larse Empire didn’t want to fight the Totoana Empire, but the Larse Empire was invading precisely to provoke a war with Totoana.
Even if I warned them the capital would become another Kasgar, no one would listen. People don’t believe what they don’t want to.
If I wasn’t careful, I’d be branded a false prophet who misled people. Worse, if the capital was attacked, I might be executed as the one who caused the disaster.
In a medieval world, injustice like that was common.
If it came to it, should I just run away again? In Duke Mineley Territory, we had won strategically.
If I could take Ms. Nina, Miss Floria, and Ms. Mahal with me, I wouldn’t care what happened to the royal capital.
Someone like the dwarf Mr. Ginchi, with his high skills, would probably be treated well by the invaders.
People connected to the Grand Temple would likely switch sides and survive.
If the Holy Kingdom fell, Sabroa Dukedom and others would probably be swallowed too.
For common people, rulers might change, but no one knew what would really happen until it did.
The victors decided the losers’ fate, and the Larse Empire soldiers would run wild if victorious. Tragedy was likely.
Maybe I should take the people who followed me and flee to a new land.
It was sad to abandon the country I’d built, but it hadn’t even been a year. As long as people were safe, a country could be rebuilt.
The royal capital’s walls, now close, were high and thick. No wonder—it was once the old world’s capital. Even weak soldiers wouldn’t let it fall easily.
The Hero army was strong, but none could use powerful attack magic. If they closed the gates and held out, they could buy time. I didn’t know if Totoana reinforcements would arrive soon.
Totoana had a bad reputation, but as a world superpower, they couldn’t ignore Larse’s growing strength.
In the end, it would come down to a battle between Larse and Totoana.
Hope was starting to appear. At least we could buy enough time for Ms. Nina’s revival.
I’d leave things to Ms. Mahal without pushing too hard. If I rushed and failed, it would all be for nothing. I didn’t want to see Ms. Nina fade away.
* * *
Outside the royal capital gates, a makeshift tent village had formed, and soldiers gathered.
Armies from other territories weren’t allowed inside the city walls.
Looking at the soldiers’ gear from other regions, it was clear they’d seen better days. Their leather was worn and cracked, metal fittings rusty and patched up, but poorly.
Not long ago, weren’t they fighting the Demon King? Did they just leave it to the Summoned Heroes and slack off? Well, they probably cut corners wherever they could.
Most lords in this world are terrible at raising funds, and their ladies just spend money like it grows on trees. Noble parties cost a fortune.
Buying and keeping armor in good shape costs even more. No matter how rich the lord is, there’s never enough money left for the low-ranking soldiers.
How a lord handles a tight military budget shows their skill. If they focus on quality or quantity, their whole strategy changes.
According to Mr. Raoh’s research, military spending here is between 20% and 50% of GDP. He sometimes messes up his numbers, but compared to Earth, this world is full of militaristic nations.
The Sabroa Dukedom spends almost nothing on the military, close to 0% of GDP. To nearby powers, it looks like an easy target. For now, we’ll just bluff and hope for the best.
We decided to set up tents somewhere suitable, so we started looking for a good spot. I’m staying at Miss Floria’s place tonight. The soldiers might get a little unhappy, but since they don’t seem very loyal anyway, I don’t mind.
After changing into casual clothes at Floria’s mansion, I plan to visit Ms. Nina right away. Maybe she’s recovered sooner than expected. If that’s true, everything should go smoothly.
* * *
”You there! For a newcomer, you’re slow!” a noble shouted from horseback while I pulled a tent from the carriage.
He was probably young, but his loach-like mustache made him look older. His frilly collar and cuffs were tasteless, like some bad comedy character.
I wondered silently if guys with loach mustaches really think they look cool. Maybe they just want to seem quirky.
The knights with him hurriedly dismounted when they saw me. Should I get off too? No, judging by his insignia, he’s a Baron, so if I make a wrong move, everyone around will laugh at me. People were already gathering and smirking.
”I am the King’s representative! Why don’t you dismount!” he barked.
Ah, that old trick. As the king’s envoy, he expects to be treated like the king himself. Maybe I should have gotten off quietly? But it’s too late to back down now. I was a little annoyed.
”I plan to greet the Holy Kingdom’s king tomorrow. Today, I have preparations to make,” I said firmly, standing my ground. It’s the Prince Shotoku strategy.
His status is higher than mine, sure, but the enemy is attacking. He can’t afford to pick fights with allies during a crisis.
Honestly, defecting to the Larse Empire wouldn’t be a bad idea.
”Hmph. You think you’re a king, ruling a tiny country made up of merchants?” the Baron sneered.
He seemed stupid. Everyone knows a king’s representative has authority, but they can’t just do whatever they want. Overstep, and they get punished hard.
His armband said he was a quartermaster from supply corps—not a general. He was probably just in charge of campsites here.
Alright, I’ll take a gamble. I took a deep breath, locked eyes with the Baron, and said loudly, “Is this how your king treats allies who come to help? Then I declare my territory neutral in this war. From what I see, even if we risk our lives, all the credit will go to those with silver tongues.”
A bit dramatic, but normal for a noble.
For some reason, I have skills in fraud and incitement, maxed out from the accident in the Valley of Trials.
Incitement can start fires where there’s only smoke, and if there’s already a spark, it turns into a blaze.
My loud words stirred unrest among the lords nearby. They probably didn’t want war with the Larse Empire anyway. If I head back now, many lords might follow.
The scary part would be military punishment, but we’re not officially at war yet. We don’t answer to anyone, so I can dodge that.
If it gets bad, we can force our way through and run. Luckily, our mithril armor is light—perfect for escaping.
Sabroa Dukedom has concrete walls, and if we destroy the bridges around us, the canals and swamps become natural moats. With the teleportation gate, we can hold out during a siege.
Wait… if we survive until the Holy Kingdom falls, we might win favor with the Larse Empire. We could even keep our territory through negotiation.
I could sneak Miss Floria and Ms. Nina out of the capital later. If we side with the Larse Empire, we might even control when the capital falls.
Of course, I haven’t seriously decided to defect yet. It’s just an option.
Alright, let’s push forward.
”This is very unpleasant. We’re leaving!” I said and turned around boldly. You can’t run away in a crisis like this.
”Wait! No, please wait! It’s not like that!” the Baron shouted, pale, clinging to my leg. He finally realized his mistake.
”I deeply apologize for testing Your Excellency. Your wisdom surpasses all I’ve heard, and your strength is great. With your support, our army’s victory is assured,” he flattered smoothly.
If a beautiful woman said that, I’d be thrilled, but from Loach Beard? No thanks.
”The king ordered you to test me, right?” I asked.
”Our king is extremely wise,” he dodged.
He didn’t answer directly. Clever enough to avoid a straight statement.
Many foolish nobles aren’t really stupid—they can be very capable in their own way. Since he represents the king, he must be smart too.
A skilled flatterer… at least my country doesn’t need one.
”I have a special proposal for Your Excellency. I want to entrust you with an important secret mission,” he said, pulling out a parchment scroll made of sheepskin.
Parchment uses the best parts of animal hide. Using a whole hide for a scroll is expensive, but it’s not just for show.
Merchants use these costly scrolls as catalogs for important trades, so pages can’t be removed or altered without leaving a trace. It’s a business custom, even if Japan never used parchment scrolls.
”This is a delivery note. Quite a large amount,” he said.
It looked like a receipt, listing items like arrows and preserved food. Around four hundred barrels in total. That’s a lot.
One barrel usually feeds a hundred soldiers for a day. For five hundred soldiers, you’d want one barrel each of salted meat and vegetables, plus three barrels of biscuits.
I have some stock, but the salted meat is too salty, and the vegetables taste like failed sauerkraut. The biscuits are hard and bland. The right way to eat them is to make soup with the meat and veggies and dip the biscuits in it—but even then, it’s not tasty.
Once I get miso production going, I’ll make miso-marinated meat for long storage. Proper sauerkraut is delicious, and dried vegetables last long and are light. For soup, dried noodles are better than biscuits. Noodles made like somen are tasty and easy to digest.
Barrel-packed rations are expensive despite their taste. I want to enter the military ration business eventually, but that’s not my focus now.
If they’re sending four hundred barrels, the Holy Kingdom must be moving a large army. Are they seriously going to fight the Larse Empire?
”These supplies are for the front lines. As expected, you saw through it,” the Baron said.
I don’t like flattery from Loach Beard. If it came from a pretty woman, I’d be happy.
The front line? I heard it’s near the border with the Tenan Kingdom.
I thought the Hero army would invade from Duke Mineleydom, but they plan to attack from a vassal state instead.
It’s easier to move a big army through narrow mountain paths. The defenders can’t block the route well, which is troublesome.
Logically, they should take fortress by fortress, but the Hero army might rush straight for the capital. It’s a stepping stone strategy.
”We must deliver these supplies to the front-line fortress within three days. It’s a chance to show your skill as a commander.”
Considering the amount and distance, this is usually impossible. Transport missions are tough and don’t bring glory, but I don’t care about fame.
”Isn’t this your task?” I asked.
He stumbled. “Well, I thought I’d give the credit to Your Excellency.”
He tried to cover it up.
”With my authority, I’ll give you rights to use all Holy Kingdom public roads as a reward. And I’ll halve the penalty for late delivery.”
Why is there a penalty at all? He was probably trying to outsource it to a merchant.
It’s a small benefit to pass checkpoints without paying tolls. Maybe everyone with this travel permit can pass free. Did Loach Beard make a mistake? If the Holy Kingdom falls, these rights won’t matter.
No, this is his trap.
I checked the contract carefully using my Editorskill.
Traps in contracts are common from dishonest merchants. Trust builds better business than fraud, but this world is full of scammers. Only fools get scammed.
Stargazer’s fraud skill helps me spot traps.
If some supplies get lost, the mission fails. People here are careless—skimming and stealing is common. Transporting supplies to the chaotic front is almost impossible. Even half arriving would be a success. This contract can’t be done.
He plans to make me work for free, label me incompetent, and squeeze penalty fees.
”You wouldn’t say you can’t handle such a simple mission, right?”
Damn Loach Beard. That’s not what you said before.
”It’s tedious and boring… if I get rights to use the canal, I might consider it.”
”Hoho, I heard that. Let me add a line,” he said, writing on the scroll right in front of me. He shouldn’t have that authority.
Now I’m sure. This mission was never meant to succeed. He can write anything since he doesn’t plan to pay rewards.
I demanded more.
I had him add that the canal rights include fishing and irrigation, and that these rights are permanent and inheritable.
”Well, you’re a shrewd one. Don’t get too greedy or you’ll fall,” Loach Beard smirked. He must enjoy watching me fall for his trap.
When I signed, the symbol of Holtus, god of commerce, glowed on the scroll.
Adding a divine seal is a formality. To activate the god’s power, a big temple donation and ceremony are needed. I felt the divine energy clearly.
I bowed formally to the scroll.
”Hoho, you’re devout for your age. Very good,” Loach Beard laughed mockingly.
”You don’t even know how to serve the gods,” I replied with sarcasm.
”Bowing to outdated gods? I only believe what I see with my own eyes,” he shot back.
In a world where gods are real, is this guy stupid?
Well, whatever. Now that the gods are watching, I can’t fail this mission.
No matter how tough, if I use my magic bag well, I can manage it. Maybe I was too careless.
Notes:
• Holy Kingdom – Located on the east of the continent.
• Keras – God of Purification in this world. While not directly involved in the narrative, Keras is referenced through the High Slime, a noble being that serves as a servant of the god. The High Slime is summoned by the protagonist due to their connection with the earth spirits and their status as a spirit vessel. A figure who purified the cursed old Toyata Village, making it a viable relocation site.
• Donovan – Head Priest of the Great Temple. He has a newfound respect for the MC, referring to them as a ‘Saint.’ His actions suggest he is highly organized and influential within his organization.
• Mr. Zenom – Tough dwarf blacksmith from Toyoata Village. Repairs weapons, improves accuracy. Charges 100 gold/arrow. Becomes protagonist’s strict master. Assigns hard tasks like pre-dawn cleaning, firewood, water pumping. Owns well-equipped forge. Challenges protagonist to prove ideas.
• Ginchi – Male. A dwarf, scientist, artist, and seeker of truth. Ms. Mahal’s acquaintance. He is a skilled artisan, researcher of homunculi, and monopolizes high-precision glass tubes. He is wealthy, rational, and critical of both dwarfs and Earth’s civilization. He has a rivalry with Mr. Zenom.
• Raoh – Pakkyamara. An infamous, scheming, but somewhat incompetent senior adventurer known for meddling with hero summoning rituals; often gets beaten up as a result. The one who want japanese food.
• Shea-Shea – Mauro’s daughter. Hurt by Alexander. Became an eager fiancée after advice from protagonist.
• Miss Floria – Elegant, silver-haired noblewoman in her 40s, referred to as an ‘older sister’. Judge of the Supreme Court and Baroness. Former tutor of Princess Auroora. Initially stern but warms up, showing a playful side. Close with Ms. Nina (Princess Auroora’s doll copy), treating her like a sister. Trustworthy and explains legal matters clearly.
• Ms. Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
• Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
• Ms. Mahal – A talented alchemist and old friend of Mr. Zenom’s; she is knowledgeable about homunculi and leads the protagonist to a secret underground passage.
• Mahal – A talented alchemist and old friend of Mr. Zenom’s; she is knowledgeable about homunculi and leads the protagonist to a secret underground passage.
• Kasgar – The capital of Duke Mineley Territory. Located in a mining region, it is known for its acetylene lamps and mica windows. The city is bustling, with taverns and merchants, but it lacks the exotic charm of the royal capital.
• Tizzy – Claims to be Duke’s daughter, a noble with advanced magic skills. MC and Ms. Shirakaba lover.
• Tenan Kingdom – A small country neighboring the western side of the Holy Kingdom. It is a vassal of the Larse Empire but maintains independence through double diplomacy with the Totoana Empire. The kingdom is strategically important due to its location and resources.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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