IT ONLY TOOK US TWO DAYS TO STRIP THE DRAGON after slaying it, but storage space was a problem. I ended up building a giant storage facility along the back of the new wall, complete with a basement. Just one of those facilities could house multiple dragon corpses. Most of the village wall was complete by then, leaving only the ballistae and drawbridge.

Bell’s eyes had moneybags in them the entire time the dragon was being skinned and butchered. Eventually, he cooled off enough to get business up and running again—but when his little brother, Rango, finally returned, so did the moneybags. I could relate, since there were plenty of things I wanted to buy and sell myself. Curious as to how many people Rango had brought with him, Bell and I ran outside of the village wall to see for ourselves.

Rango was flabbergasted by the new wall. To him, it must’ve seemingly popped up out of nowhere. Apparently, he’d personally pleaded with the president of the Mary Chamber of Commerce for a caravan, insisting he would take the fall if it put them in the red. Now here he was, entourage in tow, baffled that the huge wall had been completed in the few weeks he was gone.

As Bell and I approached him, however, I was the one most taken aback. The caravan consisted of five large carriages and three medium-sized ones, plus twenty adventurers to protect the ​merchants and their goods. Including Rango, a total of five ​merchants had come to the village, as well as five slaves to ​assist them.

Rango whirled on his brother and stammered, “Wh-what is all this, Bell? When did this wall go up?!”

Bell clapped his hands over Rango’s shoulders. “The wall is absurd, but it gets worse.”

“W-worse?!” A deep wrinkle formed on Rango’s forehead.

Then Bell turned his gaze on me. “May I show him to the new storage building?”

“Sure.”

With that, Bell grabbed Rango and showed him the way. The rest of the caravan passed through the gate and trailed after him, with the adventurers and merchants greeting me as they passed.

Shortly after, I heard a shout from the direction of the storage building: “A dragon?!”

At the sound of Rango’s bewildered cry, all the merchants and adventurers rushed into the building. More screams followed. Given how many people were in there hollering like crazy, it sounded like a wild roller coaster ride.

“Wonder how much it’s worth,” I said.

Bell counted on his fingers, a devilish grin forming on his lips. “Well, we are talking about a forest dragon here, and a large one at that. Its scales, claws, fangs, eyes, and magic core are all in basically perfect condition, so I’d say about a hundred platinums. At an auction in the capital, I bet you could get at least

150 platinums, minimum.”

If a single gold is roughly a million yen and one large gold is ten million yen, then I guess a platinum should be a hundred million yen? So a single dragon…is worth over ten billion yen?!

“C’mon, what is this, the Mega Billions lottery? And what’s this auction stuff you mentioned?”

“Mega what now?” Bell asked.

“The auction,” I repeated, skating over my mistake. “What’s up with that?”

Bell’s wicked smile returned. “The auction is held in the capital. Companies affiliated with the Merchants’ Guild are allowed to participate, and when national treasures are uncovered, they almost always show up to bid on them.

If we’re talking about parts from the forest dragon, you should easily get over

150 platinums.”

“Gotcha. So how much are you guys going to take home once you subtract transportation fees, auction handling fees, and company profits?”

Bell’s eyes widened. “I hope you don’t take this as an insult, but I’ve never once considered you to be a child, and this conversation really confirms that for me. I’m sure there are people who’d trick a blissfully unaware noble kid into coughing up a commission of fifty platinums. In reality, we should be making something like three to five platinums. But even then,” he added happily, “that is far more of a profit than we could ever hope to make in our lives.”

I folded my arms, tilting my head to one side. “Why not start your own company? Is it that difficult to do?”

Caught off guard, Bell went stiff. A few moments later, he rejoined his brother and eagerly began to discuss the dragon and armored lizard parts. The other merchants, having finally calmed down a bit, approached me.

“My word,” said one. “I heard the stories, but I never thought a village like this existed. It’s a mountain of treasures!”

“I was doubtful when Rango delivered his report,” said another, “but now I find myself truly stunned. I’m so glad I came. The Mary Chamber of Commerce would love to purchase all of these parts.”

“Wonderful materials indeed. We must speak with the president and see to it that a branch is built here. The Mary Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest companies in the kingdom, and I have no doubt we can further the development of your village.”

They peppered me with comments in fast succession. I cocked my head, the way a regular eight-year-old might. “Are you sure you can afford to open a branch here? There aren’t many customers around.”

One of the merchants grinned wider and nodded emphatically. “For merchants, making good purchases is as important as selling our wares. I can guarantee that the Mary Chamber of Commerce will buy your materials at the highest price possible.”

“Wow. Then how much do you think I can sell that dragon for?”

“Let me see…I’d say about eighty platinums.”

I folded my arms and exhaled through my nose. “And after buying it for eighty platinums, how much would you sell it for?”

“One hundred platinums at least. But of course, there will be certain expenses to cover on our end, so we hope you’ll sell us the armored lizard parts at a moderate price. Oh, and we plan on paying regular visits to this village going forward. When we do, we promise to offer you more favorable treatment than any of the other towns or villages in the region.”

The other merchants smiled and bobbed their heads at this roundabout answer; they must have coordinated their offers in advance. They clearly saw this dragon as a one-off and weren’t thinking of future business in the least.

If they had thought us capable of procuring more rare monster parts down the line, or that this village might make huge strides going forward, then these merchants would have purchased the dragon and armored lizard parts at a high price, even if it meant going home with less in hand. Unfortunately, they had no interest in our little border village—only in how much profit they could make in the here and now.

I smiled and nodded. “Thank you for the explanation. I’ll give it some thought.” With a wave, I walked back to Bell and Rango.

“Ah! W-wait a moment, Lord Van! Those two lack mercantile experience.

They cannot handle A-class dragon materials! We would be able to—”

Ignoring the panicked merchants, I said to Bell and Rango, “Looks like I won’t be able to sell the dragon for as much as we thought. They said eighty platinums was a reasonable price.”

Bell frowned. Rango glanced back at the dragon, incredulous. “That thing is in amazing condition!” he said. “Eighty platinums? Are you sure they didn’t mean ninety to a hundred?” He shot a confused look at the merchants behind me, who flew over in a rage.

“You fool! There’s no way we can pay a hundred platinums!”

“Imagine what would happen if we submitted it for auction and it sold for less than that!”

“And what if we were attacked by bandits on the way back to the capital?

What merchant only considers the best possible result? Think of the worst-case scenario!”

Rango shrank back at this verbal assault, so Bell cut in. “Hold on just a minute. As merchants, we should provide an accurate assessment of value to our clients. As far as expenses go, even if we hired proper protection and transport, we would turn more than enough of a profit. Besides, we’re allowed to set a minimum buyout price on submissions, so if things didn’t work out at the auction, we could always resubmit the next time around. And when it comes to bandits, it’s our job as merchants to pick safe routes and avoid them in the first place. This is all common sense.”

The merchants looked at me for a moment, then grabbed for Bell.

“Y-y-you moron!” one of them spat. “What the hell is wrong with you people?!”

“No merchant in his right mind would come out to the sticks just to buy materials!” said another. “The boy has no choice but to sell it to us for eighty platinums.”

“Just be quiet and listen to what we say. We’ll pay you a large handling fee for this. Once we get the eighty platinums together, you’ll each get a single platinum for your trouble.”

They were whispering, but not so quietly that I couldn’t hear them. If one platinum was one million yen, I could see Bell and Rango considering it. They were only human, after all.

I studied the young merchants. Rango wore a stern expression. He gazed at Bell, who nodded and declared, “We brothers are not so hungry for a platinum that we would resort to such underhanded conduct. Trust is everything for merchants. No matter who we’re dealing with or what kind of negotiations are on the table, we want to keep things honest. That’ll make us more money down the line.”

One of the merchants hurled his bag onto the ground. “Idiots! Are you just going to let this opportunity pass you by?! If the president hears about this, we could be kicked out of the company!”

Without waiting for a response, he and the other merchants stormed off.

Uh, do they not realize their client just heard everything? My impression of the Mary Chamber of Commerce was plummeting to an all-time low. Regardless of the reason I was out here, I was still the son of a marquis. They weren’t wrong to look down on me as the futureless outcast sent out to the sticks, but I could very well become one of their regulars. I wanted them to treat me with some level of decency.

I approached Bell and Rango again. “Are you sure about this? You guys might have lost out on earning a platinum each.”

They snorted and nodded. “It’s fine,” Bell assured me. “I thought I knew them well enough, but I never realized how stubborn they are. It’s in our merchant blood to be misers of a sort, but that kind of blatant greed is senseless. I don’t need to be associated with the kingdom’s largest company. We’ll branch out on our own and do business the way we want to.”

“We’ll hire our own protection and carry the dragon parts straight to the capital,” Rango said. “Unfortunately, we can’t submit to the auction without being registered with the guild.” His expression darkened, and they both looked at me.

“There are three conditions to setting up your own business,” Bell explained. “The first is the guild registration fee of one large gold. The second is having an actual shop. The third is a recommendation from someone with a peerage.”

Ahh. The first two aren’t an issue for them, but that last one…Yeah, that’s a problem.

Nobles had the authority to grant others rights. Someone with the financial power to start a company might pay a noble some amount of money in exchange for a recommendation. The nobleman or noblewoman would make good money as a “sponsor” without doing much of anything.

“I see. On average, how much is considered normal? Or does the noble take a

10 percent cut of every profit or something like that?” The brothers blinked, wide-eyed.

“So you’re aware of the system, then?” Bell said. “I guess it really is common knowledge among the nobility. As you said, payment is required. Generally, the amount depends on how highly ranked the noble is.”

Apparently, that reward money was a high hurdle for most merchants.

“If I may ask, who sponsors the Mary Chamber of Commerce?”

Their faces twitched; they almost looked on the verge of tears. “The royal family. The Bellrinets.”

“Well, that’s not good,” I replied.

When it came to starting a business, a sponsor with ample territory could give you all kinds of perks: the ability to build shops in all the best towns and villages, having the local lords as regular customers, and first dibs on parts from creatures hunted by the Chivalric Order. To sweeten the deal, a business backed by such a high-ranking noble would enjoy powerful protections. In short, the bigger the noble, the stronger the company and the more it would grow.

“Man,” I said, “doing business with the royal family is wicked unfair.”

Bell and Rango let out identical sighs. I doubted they understood my Earth slang, but the message still seemed to come across.

“The reality is that the Mary Chamber of Commerce has branches all over the kingdom, plus access to prime locations for new branches,” Bell said. “And when the Chivalric Order takes down large monsters or captures enemy soldiers as slaves, the Chamber gets first pick of the goods.”

“By the way,” Rango added, “word has it that the first president of the company, Mary Trinoff, was the first king’s fenced flower.”

That’s definitely slang for “mistress.”

I frowned. “This is just getting more and more painful.”

If the brothers caught the attention of a company with nationwide authority, where could they even set up shop? And if it came to light that they had a bone to pick with a company backed by royalty, it was possible that no noble would risk sponsoring them.

Right then, something dawned on me. “The Merchants’ Guild headquarters are in another country, right? The guild’s got international roots, so as long as you fulfill the right conditions, they should recognize your company.”

“Uh, true enough. That’s how we were able to get a shop, and we don’t have any issues with money. But when it comes to the recommendation…”

They peered at me, clearly desperate. My father was of no use here; I was totally cut off. I loved my eldest brother, but he didn’t have a peerage. And while it would be great for everyone if I did, that wouldn’t happen unless something crazy went down.

I sighed. “Anything involving my family is a nonstarter. Let’s see if we can get

Lady Panamera to recommend you. She’s the one ally I have, so I’ll talk to her.” The merchants exchanged glances, then leapt into each other’s arms.

“I only said I’d talk to her! Hey! Hello?!”

No matter what I said, they went on rejoicing. I didn’t think our chances were particularly good on this one, but…

 

“Hmm, a recommendation? That’s fine with me.”

Despite my fears, Panamera immediately agreed to back the company. Apparently, she’d overheard our earlier conversation.

“Huh?! You sure?” I asked, forgetting any formalities.

Panamera laughed and placed a hand on her hip. “Think about it. I’m a new member of the nobility. I have nothing to lose by signing off on a small business with only two merchants to its name. If the royal family pressured a tiny enterprise like that, their dignity would be called into question.”

“Ooh, that makes sense.” The royal family had to save face, basically. Then again, there were ways to harass others covertly…

Pretty sure that’s the former commoner in me speaking.

“Besides, for someone like me—with no land or Order detachment to speak of—to move up in the world, I need to get the common folk buzzing with some shocking moves. This plan benefits me as much as it does you.” She smirked, then let out a shoulder-shaking cackle. “I’m going to enter the capital having defeated a dragon with merely a hundred-man army. I’ll be the talk of the town!”

She was right; no one would guess a village out in the sticks had the facilities to take down a dragon. “That’s great, actually! If we give you all the credit, I can avoid catching my family’s attention.” I was thrilled by this idea. If I sold the dragon, my family wouldn’t know any better.

Panamera snorted, looking exasperated. “You are dense in the strangest ways, boy. We’re talking about the extermination of a dragon. This is a rare feat. People are going to pry, theories will run rampant, and word will reach the nobility. Even if I announce that I defeated the dragon, it won’t take much digging for someone to uncover your role in it.”

There would be questions about how the dragon was slain, how many people were involved, where it took place, and what the resulting damages and casualties were. Additionally, if Panamera were truly some strategic military genius or goddess of war, there’d be invitations for her to join the Chivalric Order or become a military advisor. In fact, there were multiple historical instances of heroes with titles like “War Goddess.” Whenever such skilled individuals appeared, they had all kinds of unique titles heaped upon them.

“This isn’t good,” I muttered to myself. “My family chased me out for being useless. What if they call me back? I’m having too much fun building this village to just leave!”

Lady Panamera’s accursed ears caught my mumblings, and her lips curled into an evil smile. “You sound like a child who’s run away from home—though I suppose you are a child. If you’d like, I can teach you how to avoid such a fate.”

“Uh, really?”

Panamera laughed, radiating an air of invincibility. “Get yourself a noble title. Simple, isn’t it? If you receive a peerage, you can simply strike out on your own as a noble. Begin a new house.” She made it sound as easy as renting a new apartment or something. I nearly said as much, but Panamera was dead serious.

“You can take credit for defeating the dragon. All I did was stall for time, anyway.”

“No, no—then everything will change! I’m going to stick out like a sore

thumb!”

Panamera crossed her arms over her voluptuous chest, making it stand out even more. “Are you dissatisfied?” Not with those!

I was deeply concerned by the peerage suggestion, though. I had no idea how Father would react, and I had the feeling my jerk brothers would start trouble. Plus I felt guilty about becoming a proper noble before my big brother Murcia. I was sorting through all these conflicting emotions when Panamera placed a finger on her chin, suddenly full of mystique.

“You slew a dragon at the tender age of eight. There is little doubt you will be granted a peerage for your accomplishments. Moreover, you will acquire significant wealth and a start-up business in the form of Bell and Rango’s new company. I think you have plenty to gain from this and nothing to lose. That said, I do understand your concern. When I received my peerage, I gained numerous enemies—fools who sought to take advantage of me.” She stopped there, then narrowed her eyes and grinned. “But I reduced them all to ash.”

“Say what?!”

“You heard me. If any fools make themselves your enemies, take them down with your ballistae. Once you have ten or eleven corpses to your name, people will stop giving you trouble.”

What a terrifying way to get on in the world. I offered a noncommittal nod, then realized something. “Wait, if I take all the credit, you’ll lose your stepping stone to upward mobility.”

Panamera uttered something between a laugh and a sigh. “Are you actually concerned about me, Panamera Carrera Cayenne? I do not recall living life in such a way that an eight-year-old should worry about my well-being. I must be hearing things.” Her grin turned beastly.

“No, not at all! I’m not worried in the slightest. If anything, I’m worried about myself. Please don’t eat me!”

“Ha ha ha! You always react in such fun ways! Fear not—you have at least five years to go before I’ll bite. I shall bequeath this accomplishment to you so that you might grow into more delectable prey!”

I only have five more years to live… How tragic.

 

Two days later, Rango approached me with a final number after assessing everything. “Would you sell this to us for 130 platinums?”

I agreed immediately. Great success! Judging by how relieved he looked, Rango must have been nervous. Bell, for his part, beamed at the thought of their future profits.

I hadn’t yet received a peerage, but Panamera or I would receive 10 percent of every sale as a condition for sponsoring their company. This was for all earnings made after the founding of the company, so any profit made at the auction would technically count. However, I was such a kind and generous soul that I told them they could keep my cut of anything they sold there. That had them throwing themselves at my feet.

With that settled, Rango would return to the capital to sell the dragon and assorted monster parts. There was only one problem: the adventurers and merchants that Rango brought with him had all left on their own.

“Are you kidding me?” Bell muttered. “How do they plan to explain coming home empty-handed?” The merchants would arrive without a single item in their large carriages.

“They’re waiting for us to come crying for help, I’m sure,” Panamera said. “If you can’t carry the goods, you’ll have no choice but to seek their aid. And when that happens, you’ll have to do as they say and sell the haul for eighty platinums.”

Considering that they’d only just departed and were moving at a leisurely pace, we could catch up if we ran. But after I heard Panamera’s explanation, I didn’t really want to rely on them. Little Van is only eight years old, but he holds grudges. Sorry, guys. “Okay, then I’ll make you some carriages and you can use those to carry the stuff. If I ask Ortho and his guys, they’ll probably do the job.”

Panamera shook her head. “No, my troops and I shall escort them to the capital. I must appeal for your peerage, after all. Don’t you worry about protection or manpower.”

“Whoa, seriously? Thank you so much! If you and your men go with them, there’ll be nothing to worry about!” I held her gaze as I expressed my earnest gratitude.

Her cheeks flushed, and she averted her eyes. “It’s embarrassing hearing you express your trust so earnestly…”

At last, Panamera reveals her sweet side. This calls for a celebration! Every year, we’ll have a harvest festival, a meat carnival, and a jubilee to celebrate Panamera’s bashfulness!

“Um, are you certain?” Bell asked anxiously. “We’ll need large carriages and multiple horses to carry all these materials.”

I flashed him a smile. “No worries. I’ll get you set up right now.”

 

Two short hours later, the large carriages were complete. They were made with wood blocks, so they were light and sturdy. Once we got the goods on board, I installed a hood-like structure on top. I also made the wheels big so that they could handle uneven roads.

“I shall prepare the horses,” Panamera said. “Not the type that usually pulls carriages, but well-trained warhorses. They’re in a league of their own when it comes to stamina and speed.” Panamera sent her soldiers to fetch the animals.

Having acquired much more lavish transportation and protection than what he had before, Rango left the village smiling ear to ear.

Greedy Merchants

The three merchants slowly proceeded down the road, using a slave as a coachman and the hired adventurers as guards. In the back, the merchants discussed their plan among themselves.

“Are they still not pursuing us?” one asked, prompting a frown from another.

“Why aren’t they coming? Is this really going to work? What if those brothers are too stubborn and end up doing something stupid?”

“Then they truly are fools. Just think about it: that village might as well be at the end of the world! There’s nowhere to sell dragon parts, and they certainly couldn’t prepare a caravan without asking Chamber affiliates for assistance,” said the oldest of the merchants. “They’ll realize how foolish they’ve been soon enough.”

A momentary silence fell inside the rocking carriage. Then they heard a surprised shout from one of the adventurers walking outside. The three merchants turned to look and spotted several large carriages farther down the road, headed their way. Their eyes widened in shock.

“Wh-what are those? I’ve never seen carriages like that before!”

“Who cares?! Look around them! Knights? Why would knights be in such a remote village?!”

They pulled hurriedly to the side of the road to let the knights pass. Their gear was uniform and their formation spoke to a high level of training. It was clear as day that they were part of a Chivalric Order. The carriages were in the center of the formation, so the merchants struggled to see whom they belonged to, but it was an immense group regardless.

“Wh-what order are they?”

“Surely they’re not from House Fertio, right?”

“Of course not! Whatever the rumors say, it is a fact that the fourth son was chased out of the house.”

Bewildered, the merchants took stock of the situation from inside their carriage. Something felt off about the number of carriages and their peculiar form. They weren’t the sort of carriages the nobility rode in. They lacked family crests, and they were simply too big; even the wheels were twice the size of those the merchants used. The vehicles were irregular in other ways too. It took four horses to pull a single carriage, and there were ten of them—all chock-full of goods.

“W-wait, look!” cried the youngest merchant. He pointed at Rango, who was driving one of the carriages.

“No, it cannot be…”

The merchants watched in shock as the carriages and soldiers passed. After five of the carriages went by, they caught sight of a beautiful female knight astride a horse. Accompanying her were two knights holding flags that bore the crest of a unicorn and a shield.

“This is…absolutely absurd. Lady Panamera? That new noblewoman should be in the count’s territory! Why is she with Rango?”

“Newcomer or not, if a noble is cooperating with them, Bell and Rango could start their own company!”

It was then that the three merchants flew into a panic. Their leverage over Rango and Bell had been transportation for the dragon and a place to sell it. They’d assumed that the upstart brothers possessed neither, and they were shocked to be proven wrong.

While it stung to have come out all this way for nothing, they were even more pained by the lost profit. Had they dropped their games and simply paid the one hundred platinums asked of them, each man could have walked away with one to two platinums—a massive profit.

“I can’t believe this…”

“What should we do? Given the number of carriages, they’ve likely split the shipment in two. Shall we apologize and ask if we can carry the goods together?”

All three blanched. Losing status terrified them more than anything. These three were veterans even among the merchants of the Mary Chamber of Commerce, and Rango had approached them with an impossible story. Fully on board, they’d begged the president for a caravan. The condition? Forty armored lizard carcasses—no more, no less. Yet because of their greed, they would return empty-handed. None of them wanted to explain this to the president.

“No,” murmured the oldest one. “We’ll tell the president we requested the caravan with good intentions, and those two scoundrels trampled all over them. We’ll say they tricked us.”

The other two blinked at him.

“Erm, is that going to fly?”

“Shouldn’t we at least carry back the armored lizards?”

“Remember, the current president is Lady Dyane,” the eldest replied. “I doubt she will penalize us too harshly.”

Both younger merchants relaxed when their cohort namedropped the Mary Chamber of Commerce’s new president. “B-but Lord Cactus still serves as her advisor,” one protested.

The oldest merchant nodded. “He would never allow this to pass, but he is also weak when it comes to his daughter. If Lady Dyane makes a decision, he will not overturn it. Besides, Rango and Bell may have quit, but they are still former members of the company; if they deliver the dragon, he’ll find a way to force himself into negotiations.”

“I see. Then if we get Lord Cactus to help…”

The three merchants opted to watch and wait as the dragon was transported down the road.

 

Panamera

AFTER TRAVELING FOR HALF A MONTH, I FINALLY set foot back in the capital. I was born there to a long line of knights, but once it was discovered that I had an aptitude for one of the four elements, I received a summons right away. I was passed over to Ferdinatto County, since they offered the best conditions.

I left home at eight and underwent grueling training that made me yearn for death, studied so much I barely slept, and eventually became a platoon commander. My first real battle involved repelling a group of bandits. I reduced most of them to ash.

In recognition of my achievements, I was made a commanding officer at the tender age of sixteen. In Ferdinatto County, anyone at the rank of viscount or below—but who still possessed land—had to create Chivalric Orders of their own. They also had to be prepared to rally under the count’s Chivalric Order when called upon to cut down his foes.

I sliced my way through two or three more battles as part of the count’s Order, piling up my achievements, until I led my own platoon in the battle against the Kingdom of Yelenetta. It was a tremendous success, and we triumphed over the enemy. As such, I became a noble.

Six years later, I received another promotion—this time to viscount—and I was fortunate enough to have two audiences with the king. He was pleased with my accomplishments and said he would recommend me for entry into the royal guard, the strongest knights in the kingdom, should I desire it.

My impression of him at the time was that he ascribed great value to military might. I requested a third audience with him, dragon parts in hand—the dragon being a symbol of might, as it were. I was told that it would be at least a day before we could meet, but when I mentioned that I’d slain a forest dragon, I was granted the audience in only two hours. Someone else had probably been bumped to the next day to free up the slot, but that was of no consequence to me.

“This way,” said the knight escorting me.

My men and Rango were waiting outside, and I figured the city was already in a tizzy. I grinned as the knight guided me through the needlessly wide and ostentatious hallway toward the throne room. The double doors to the room were made of mithril and silver; one hesitated to touch them. The beauty of this ornate design was one thing, but the ceiling was so tall that the doors themselves were massive and overbearing.

“I take it you know the etiquette for an audience with the king?”

“Correct. This is my third time.”

The knight dipped his head and placed a hand on the door. “Pardon our intrusion,” he said, giving it a light knock. The gigantic doors slowly opened with a loud groan. “After you, my lady.”

I was immediately struck by the chamber, with its sky-high ceiling, immaculate row of knights, immense chandelier, and flickering magic lamps. The thick red pelt of a sanguine tiger, a giant beast said to be on par with a dragon, was spread out on the floor. Surely royals from smaller nations would hesitate to enter.

I marched across the tiger pelt and made my way to the center of the room. It felt good having all of the knights’ eyes on me, but I wasn’t exactly thrilled about taking the knee some fifty meters away from the king.

King Dino En Tsora Bellrinet reclined in his large throne made of dragon bones, fangs, mithril, and sanguine tiger parts. He was in the prime of his life, having become the king at only sixteen. Over the next two decades, he pulled off massive military reform, acquiring might far beyond what his earliest ancestors had accomplished. The king placed great importance on recruiting officers with great martial prowess and abilities.

The only way to keep the chain of command strong and avoid betrayal was to appoint certain members of nobility as commanding officers. Given that requirement, the next logical decision was to make sure that any officers serving under them were veteran warriors; this was the king’s way of reforming the military, and it took a great deal of time, effort, and bloodshed to accomplish.

Up until then, it was understood that anyone of noble blood could and would become an adjutant or officer in a Chivalric Order. It was their birthright, and that was precisely how our military force ended up with so many useless leaders.

As a result of His Majesty’s reforms, a great deal of young noblemen ended up losing their jobs, but that served to reflect how many of them were ultimately incompetent. Needless to say, the nobility did not take this lying down.

Behind the scenes, the king identified which of the houses he would use and which he would reduce in power. The houses that were cooperative and specialized in combat swiftly made great advances. House Fertio was one such example. While the marquis had numerous accomplishments in battle, his promotion was motivated more by the king’s expectations of him going forward.

Around this time, Lord Ferdinatto learned that his two sons had been demoted from their positions as officers, but he did not retaliate. As such, he did not receive a demotion, though he did lose some territory. In the hopes of securing what land he could, the count put me—a warrior—to use, petitioning the king to grant me a peerage. The king seemed to be in favor of this, and I progressed to the status of viscount with irregular speed.

Thinking about all of this, it felt accurate to say that the king often doted on those to whom he himself had granted a peerage. I took advantage of that when I made my plea. “I am most grateful that you’ve granted me an audience on such short notice, Your Majesty. To put matters plainly, I have come to ask you to grant someone a peerage.”

Normally, one would exchange formal greetings with the king and await his response before launching into conversation, but I got straight to the point. The royal guards and court mages wore grave expressions, and the elderly chancellor beside the king cocked a brow.

As for the king, well, he simply tilted his head. “I assumed you had achieved some new feat and wished to petition for higher status. Yet here you are, asking me to promote someone else?” He spoke in a low, rumbling voice. Clearly he was not as amenable as he had been in our previous meetings. He was likely on guard, thinking I was strategizing to acquire power and social influence.

Before I could answer, the chancellor stepped in. Normally such behavior would be unacceptable, but this man was an old acquaintance of the king’s, and he was famously unconventional. “I do not see anyone else present,” he said.

I smiled. “The person in question is a lord charged with protecting a remote region in the far reaches of the nation. No local governors can be dispatched to oversee it in his stead, so he could not travel to the capital himself.”

The king frowned as his chancellor replied, “A remote village, you say? Why would you, of all people, back a lord from a place like that?”

“He has achieved great things, and his future looks even brighter.”

The imperial knights stirred. The chancellor stroked his chin and glanced at the king, who nodded. “Hmm. Considering your many triumphs, this fellow must show serious promise to have you staunchly in his corner. That said, if this village is so remote that we cannot even station knights or guards there, how did he accomplish so much? I am curious, but you must understand my doubts.”

I dropped the smile and looked the king straight in the eyes. “He slew a dragon.”

That sent the audience into a clamor. Had this been any other room, it would have been even louder.

The chancellor’s eyes widened. “He vanquished a dragon? Quite a feat, if true. Don’t tell me this remote lord is an elemental mage who was born and raised there?”

I shook my head. “No. He uses production magic, long said to be useless, and was chased out of his own home for it. Yet he continues to pull off astonishing feats with his skills.”

“A production mage did such a thing?” The chancellor tilted his head.

The king sat up, visibly irritated. “Who is this person?”

“Lord Fertio’s youngest son, Van Nei Fertio. Despite being less than ten years of age, he is a hero who felled a dragon.” Everyone’s breath caught.

“Lord Fertio’s youngest?” the king said in a low voice. “The marquis has said nothing of this.” His eyes burned with a perilous light. He must have been weighing the odds that Lord Fertio was plotting a revolt.

The atmosphere in the room changed, but I didn’t care. “I know nothing of any reports from the marquis, but the boy was sent to a nameless village with only a hundred residents. All they had for protection was a makeshift wooden fence.” I paid close attention to the reactions of those around me. Most were obviously interested in learning how Van had defeated a dragon under those circumstances. “Most surprising of all, the village was being attacked by bandits upon his arrival. With the few men he had and the adventurers he’d hired for the trip, he managed to annihilate the threat and protect the village.”

The king leaned forward. “Oho, he joined and won a field battle at his age? Few can say that.”

Perfect. I managed to hold back a smile and continued, “In his first act as lord, he strengthened the village’s defenses. He used dirt and stone to build an earthen wall around the village, dug an enormous moat, and fixed all the villagers’ dilapidated homes.”

The more I spoke, the louder the gasps around us became. Unsurprising, given that we were speaking of an eight-year-old child. Either he was a one-ofa-kind prodigy or this was all made up.

I raised my voice. “He also defeated forty armored lizards with only a hundred people.”

The crowd’s shock reached a fever pitch, and people began to question the truth of my story.

“I-Impossible. Even the capital’s Chivalric Order couldn’t do that so easily…”

“Did they fight them one at a time?”

“No. I cannot imagine armored lizards moving in such an organized fashion.

Perhaps she means they defeated forty over the course of several years?”

While the crowd chattered, I waited for things to quiet down. The chancellor clapped his hands, forcing the crowd to go silent. “Give us the details of the village’s fighting force and the number of armored lizard attacks,” he said.

I straightened up. “Approximately one hundred villagers, the deputy commander of the marquis’s Chivalric Order, and two knights. That, plus an older butler—who is also a mage—and five adventurers. There was a single armored lizard attack of forty beasts at once.” Stunned cries rose up throughout the room.

“Realistically, you’re talking about a fighting force of three knights, one mage, and five adventurers…No matter how you slice it, that’s not enough men to fend off forty lizards. How strong were those adventurers?”

“First-rate, but not mind-blowingly talented,” I answered, prompting the king and the chancellor to exchange glances.

The chancellor turned his gaze back to me. “This is extremely hard to believe. Do you have evidence?”

“I have the dragon and armored lizard parts. All of them are in near-perfect condition, and there are almost no scars from the offensive spells. I participated in the fight against the dragon, but all I did was stall it once or twice. Lord Van and his forces were the ones who killed the beast without any casualties.”

Having clearly decided my tale was exaggerated, the chancellor grimaced. I can’t fault the man. Were I in his position, I’d find it hard to believe too.

“I’m sure there are those present who doubt the veracity of my words.

However—”

The king raised a hand. “I believe you. You have nothing to gain from spouting lies here. If a dragon was slain, there would be no way to hide it—the parts would circulate in the marketplace, and I could easily trace them back to the source. As far as the achievement itself is concerned, it would be one thing if you were trying to take the credit for someone else’s work, but you’re doing the opposite. Who stands to gain from that?”

“It is possible someone else did this, and she’s giving a controllable child the credit so she can indirectly gain his territory,” the chancellor said, but the king waved it off.

“Do not test me,” the king warned. “She would sooner ask for someone to turn over their land than jump through these hoops. In a few days, we will send someone to verify the situation. She cannot fool me.”

The chancellor looked at me, wearing a pained smile. “As you can see, His Majesty trusts you. Should this all prove to be some sort of ruse, your status will be revoked and you will be severely punished. Is that understood?”

“Of course. If anything, I’d love for you to see for yourself what the boy has done with the village in such a short period of time. In all your wisdom, Your Majesty, I expect you’ll make him the lord of a larger territory in the name of defending the nation.”

The crowd started buzzing again, and both the chancellor and king smiled at me.

 

I left the castle and walked through the gate, joining back up with my men and Rango. Citizens clustered around them as they explained things in detail. It had only been about two hours, but I figured rumors of the dragon’s defeat had spread throughout the capital already. We’d chosen not to close the roof of our frontmost carriage so the dragon’s head would be visible. It had certainly caused quite a stir.

Rango noticed me and cut his conversation with the soldiers short. “Oh, Lady Panamera!”

This prompted the curious onlookers to turn my way. Murmurs rippled through the crowd. It didn’t matter what sort of looks they gave me; it was clear that all eyes were on me.

Ignoring them, I announced the results to my men: “Lord Van Nei Fertio has been awarded the status of baron!” My bold declaration caused the gossip to grow louder as well. “He will be rewarded for slaying the forest dragon and armored lizards at a later date. Bell and Rango can now start a company.”

The marquis was famous among even the commoners, so my little announcement was more than enough for them to understand that Van had been exiled from his house. To further impress upon those gathered that a new company was being established, I turned to Rango and said, “I will head to the Merchants’ Guild today to deliver the news. What will you do about the name?” “The Rango Company!” he answered proudly.

“Um, are you certain you want to leave out your brother’s name?”

Rango nodded, his eyes sparkling. “If my big brother were here now, I’m sure he would be proud to see his little brother’s name stand out.”

Despite his unwavering confidence, I was convinced his name choice would only cause problems later. “I’ll register you as the Bell & Rango Company.” The merchant solemnly agreed, pouting all the while.

 

In the coming days, rumors about the newly founded company and the new baron whizzed through the capital until they were the only thing on everyone’s lips. Most of the gossip had to do with the heroic tale of how the dragon was slain. The characters in this little story were Lord Van, his knights, and me. For some reason, the dragon was added to the narrative of the field battle, and the climax was changed so that the boy chopped off the beast’s head in front of his mighty swordsman. Rumors often changed things to make the details as flashy as possible. My own deeds were spectacularly dramatized, so I was actually pretty pleased.

“Now then, boy,” I said under my breath, smiling, “things are about to get interesting. You had better be grateful.”