Chapter 338: The Idea

Acting on a sudden flash of inspiration, I decided to set up a signboard in front of the lord’s manor. On that board, I wrote the following:

The title read: “Come, Future Candidates for Lordship! Now is Your Chance to Rise in the World!”

The details followed: “Recruiting Territory Administration Assistants. Apprentices: 5 copper coins per day. Staff: 8 copper coins per day. Supervisors: 1 silver coin or more per day. Primary duties include document preparation, various calculation tasks, light labor, etc. This is a rewarding workplace where your hard work is fairly evaluated!”

Mhm, this practically radiates the vibe of an employee-friendly, “white” company. In this world, the concept of a weekend hasn’t really caught on; most commoners work from dawn until dusk every single day. Looking at it that way, five copper coins a day might feel a bit low, but one’s life would get progressively wealthier as they ranked up to Staff or Supervisor. Besides, in my territory, there are no housing costs, and daily necessities are dirt cheap. I thought it was a more than fair salary, but I wondered how the people saw it.

Despite my optimism, the reaction from the villagers was lackluster at best.

I stayed glued to the manor window, intensely observing the situation. The sign was certainly getting enough attention. Villagers would stop and chat with one another about the contents of the board. Even passing members of the Chivalric Order and various merchants peered at the sign with interest.

However, they all inevitably moved on with conflicted looks on their faces. Why? Was it not enough? Should I have written “We are like a family here” to describe the workplace?

I continued my stakeout, waiting for someone to visit the manor, when Till spoke up from behind me.

“We aren’t seeing many applicants, are we?”

“Exactly. I wonder if the pay was too low after all…”

When I muttered that, Till knitted her brows as if offended and planted her hands on her hips.

“That’s not it at all! If it’s to serve Lord Van, I’d be willing to do it for free!”

“……I think that’s probably just you, Till.”

As I gave a wry smile at Till’s outrageous logic, Arte let out a soft “Ah.”

“What is it?”

I turned to ask, and Arte placed the documents she was holding onto the desk before speaking.

“Um, perhaps it is because the adventurers are earning so much money, and that is overshadowing it……?”

“I-I see……!”

Arte’s words made perfect sense. After all, led by the likes of Ortho, the adventurers were earning unbelievable amounts. One reason for this was the dungeon and the Wolfsbrook Mountain Range, where they could stay for months at a time. Ordinarily, one might stay in a dungeon for a few days, but after ten days, the hardships of camping would usually drive anyone back to town. However, the dungeon near our Seatoh Village had a base where they could rest comfortably. It was a wonderful lodging facility where they could recuperate without fearing monster attacks.

Furthermore, even against the powerful magic beasts of the dungeon and mountains, adventurers equipped with Van-made gear could subjugate them with strength to spare. As a result, they were bringing back rare materials and ores—the kind that usually required large groups to obtain—every single time. I’d even heard rumors of some adventurers talking about buying vacation homes in Seatoh Village.

Considering that, many people might think it’s better to just become an adventurer if they ever fall on hard times. However, no matter how you look at it, I couldn’t pay a salary that rivaled those adventurers. Well, technically I could, but maintaining that for years would be difficult.

“……Ah, if that’s the case, won’t it be bad if I don’t raise the salaries for everyone in the Chivalric Order too……?”

Suddenly, I realized something vital. If even the villagers were envious of the adventurers’ earnings, wouldn’t the members of the Chivalric Order feel the same?

“Enduring Dee’s hellish training every day…… without even thinking too hard about it, won’t there be tons of people who want to quit the knights to become adventurers……?”

I was suddenly gripped by anxiety, unable to sit still. Dee’s discipline was immense. The only reason no one complained was that the man planning the training was right there beside them, undergoing training twice as rigorous.

“……Alright! I’m going to start an interview investigation with the Chivalric Order immediately!”

“Eh? Right now?”

“Esparda is out on business at the moment! If we go quietly and come back, it’ll be fine!”

“D-Do you really think so……?”

When I spun around energetically to address everyone, Till and Arte looked surprised. Khamsin glanced at the mountain of paperwork for a moment before looking back at me.

“……If we return within an hour, I think it will be alright.”

“Good, one hour it is!”

Taking Khamsin’s flimsy advice to heart, I nodded in response.

It’s not that I wanted to escape the mountain of documents. No, I was bravely setting aside my work to prevent the potential collapse of the Chivalric Order in the future. I definitely wasn’t bored with the paperwork.

“Come on, let’s go, everyone! The operation name is ‘A Red Light Isn’t Scary if We All Cross Together!'”

“Eh? Red light?”

“What is that?”

Leading the bewildered group, I dashed out of the office.