Chapter 42

There is a saying that time is gold.

It means that time is precious and important.

As such, the importance of time cannot be overemphasized.

Because achievements vary depending on how you use your time.

However, I never imagined that the operational efficiency of the mercenary company would become so disastrous just because I was away.

“It wasn't entirely unexpected, was it?”

“Still, I didn't think it would be this bad.”

I thought that upon returning to Fasa, I could immediately replenish the supplies consumed by the fleet.

Of course, I assumed that level of preparation would have been made.

But what greeted me was a completely empty supply warehouse with nothing prepared.

The same amount of time had passed, yet the result was far worse.

“I truly have no words.”

Randolfo, who had come to greet my return, bowed his head as if he had nothing to say.

─ Acting chief Randolfo, do I really have to give you instructions one by one for you to do your job?

─ You bastards, did you slack off and play just because I was gone?

─ And where is Leandro again? Huh?

I thought of a few chewing-out repertoires and then stopped.

With anyone else, I would have just interrogated them, but seeing Randolfo’s tired face, my heart softened, and I felt I couldn't do it.

The flickering shadow of Matriarch Costanza, the biggest investor, behind Randolfo’s back was also a bit unsettling.

So, for now, I changed the subject.

“What about Captain Leandro? Why isn't he here? Didn't he come with you?”

“He said he's not cut out for office work, that he couldn't take it anymore, and eventually escaped the headquarters, so his subordinates have gone to catch him.”

“Can they even catch him?”

“His hiding places are obvious……. He's probably hiding in a villa outside the city or in the Shipowners' Union building.”

“……”

If that was the case, I had nothing to say.

Besides, from the sound of it, it seemed this wasn't the first or second time Captain Leandro had escaped.

Suddenly, a headache came on.

I don't think things like this happened when I was in the Imperial Capital.

I was keenly reminded of how competent Zeta and Belius were.

“We'll deal with the matter of the fugitive Captain Leandro later. For now, let’s handle the cargo we brought in first.”

“Understood. But there’s quite a lot of loot, isn't there? At this rate, I'd believe it if you said you went trading somewhere.”

Randolfo's eyes widened as he saw the cargo being unloaded from the ships docked at the port.

That's how much loot we had captured.

With five ships filled with cargo, it seemed we could fill at least half a small warehouse.

Then, upon discovering the seals of various Apennian nations stamped on the boxes, Randolfo was horrified.

“Commander, don't tell me you resorted to piracy because you couldn't find a pirate den?”

“What nonsense are you talking about. It's all captured cargo.”

“Ah.”

I glared at Randolfo.

What did he take me for, saying something like that.

“To be precise, it was all taken from pirates who had plundered other nations' merchant ships. Thanks to them, we had to return earlier than planned. We ran into pirates everywhere we went.”

“There are quite a few pirates in the Golden Sea, but this is a bit……”

“Extreme, wasn't it?”

“No? It's a jackpot, isn't it?”

The Randolfo who had been worn out by fatigue just moments ago was gone, and now his eyes were shining.

I flinched without even realizing it.

As expected of a merchant, Randolfo became excited as he calculated the value of the cargo I had brought.

“Such a result on the very first voyage! As expected of you, Commander. With this kind of skill, we will be rich in no time.”

“I’m glad you’re pleased. Then I’ll be counting on you to handle the sale of the cargo as well.”

“Huk……”

Randolfo’s face immediately turned pale.

It seemed that in his excitement over the vast amount of captured cargo I brought, he had forgotten that he would be the one to handle its sale.

I took action before Randolfo could decide to escape like Captain Leandro.

First, I snapped my fingers in front of his face to get his attention.

Snap, snap.

After a few sounds, the light returned to Randolfo's eyes.

“Now, now, Mr. Randolfo. Pull yourself together and listen. It’s not like you have to handle everything yourself, right?”

“What do you mean by that.”

“You have a good background, Mr. Randolfo. The Signori Family, I mean. Ask Matriarch Costanza for help. She will gladly assist you.”

“Ah!”

Only then did Randolfo’s face brighten.

It seemed he was genuinely worried he would have to handle it all himself.

I looked at Randolfo with pity.

It seemed his brain had malfunctioned after being in charge of work for a few days.

In that case, I had no choice but to give him instructions.

“And while we're at it, let's divide the work.”

“How so?”

“When you catch the runaway Captain Leandro, put him in charge of organizing the warehouses at the docks and supplying materials. Captain Leandro is a former sailor, so he’ll be familiar with this kind of work.”

“That's a good idea. I'll do that.”

“Tell him to report to you, Mr. Randolfo.”

It meant placing Captain Leandro's rank within the organization below Randolfo's.

A practical demotion.

This should be enough punishment for Captain Leandro.

If he's unhappy with it, he shouldn't have run away in the first place.

This would also help establish an organizational structure.

Just then, my eyes caught sight of a group of people flocking from the main street over there.

It was Mayor Rapacio and the investors who had participated in the founding of the mercenary company.

They seemed to have already heard the news of the ships' return, and all their eyes were wide.

Their reactions became even more intense upon seeing the cargo.

“Good heavens! What is all this!”

“I knew Mr. Gryph would do it!”

“It’s a jackpot! A jackpot!”

No, isn't this reaction a bit too enthusiastic?

The investors all took turns trying to shake my hand.

No matter how thick-skinned I was, it wasn't easy to praise myself amidst such high praise.

To me, Randolfo whispered from the side.

“It’s because the pirates have been so rampant. These days, it's rare to see a ship return this safely. Even when a fleet goes out, they tend to lose a few ships.”

“Ah.”

If that was the case, then it was understandable.

With a pure heart, I accepted the praises poured upon me.

It seemed I wouldn't have to worry about being fired for a while.

***

Leon Gryph's return surprised the people of Fasa.

To be more precise, it was the captured cargo Leon brought that did so.

It was because no one had thought he would reap such a harvest in just one voyage.

Even considering the risk of going out to sea, this was a reward and a success well worth undertaking.

“Well, I'll be. Gold was just rolling around on the sea. I had no idea.”

“Mr. Gryph had the foresight.”

“At this rate, perhaps we should consider increasing our investment in the mercenary company?”

In particular, the shock felt by the investors was beyond words.

Leon’s move was as revolutionary as alchemy.

Although Leon hadn't actually performed alchemy, this was practically on the level of turning stone into gold.

Because he had created money from the empty sea.

Furthermore, the atmosphere heightened as an auction was held.

“Did you hear how much the Signori Family made this time?”

“I heard. It was enormous, wasn't it? No matter how old Matriarch Costanza is, she's no ordinary woman. She has a good sense for investment.”

Even if you bring back expensive goods, you have to sell them to make money.

Therefore, the mercenary company decided to dispose of the captured cargo at an auction hosted by the Fasa government.

The captured cargo put up for auction sold like hotcakes.

No matter how high the winning bid, it was much cheaper than what merchants would pay to buy it themselves.

Soon, the captured cargo auction became immensely popular in Fasa.

Of course, the Signori Family, who owned the auction house, made a fortune.

Naturally, due to the nature of the acquisition method, the goods on offer were irregular, but people didn't mind.

“Random gacha is fun, you know. It’s addictive.”

“My lord, what on earth do you mean by that?”

No one other than Theo paid any mind to Leon's incomprehensible remark.

It was because everyone was happy: the Fasa government collected taxes from the auction, the Signori Family earned auction commissions, and the merchants were pleased to purchase cargo cheaply.

The only ones at a loss here were the pirates, so there was no problem at all.

Would the pirates really come to Fasa to complain?

If they did, they’d be arrested and sent straight to the gallows.

Even the pirates Leon had captured were in demand.

“The mines? Not sending them to the gallows?”

“That’s right. Our Corsini Family owns a few mines, and we always need people there.”

“Isn’t it customary to throw captured pirates into the sea or hang them in plain sight at the port? Mayor Rapacio was looking forward to it.”

“I've already spoken with the mayor. I’ll pay the price, so I would appreciate it if you sent them over.”

“If you say so.”

This was an era where slavery was not banned, nor was there a social perception that it was wrong.

No matter how modern Leon's perceptions were, he couldn't do anything alone.

Besides, Leon loathed pirates, so he had no qualms about sending them to the mines.

Mine labor was notoriously difficult, so the pirates would reflect on their evil deeds.

The mercenary company would get additional income, and the soldiers would earn prize money, so everyone would be happy; he thought there was nothing wrong with it.

The only one to be disappointed would be Mayor Rapacio, who had been gearing up to send the pirates to the gallows this time.

While everyone was soaked in this sweet dream, enjoying a happy time.

Was Leon truly happy?

He was not.

***

In the building across from the city hall square, a move was in full swing.

It was the day of moving from the temporary mercenary headquarters to the new one.

Until now, the mercenary company had been using a spare space in the city hall, but as the company grew, it became impossible to accommodate the personnel.

So, with the money that came in from the successful expedition, I went ahead and bought a new building.

A 5-story building right in the city center, no less.

It was something I couldn't have dreamed of before, but Matriarch Costanza, who heard about the situation, sold a building she owned at a reasonable price.

However, just because I had become a building owner above the Creator, something I couldn't dream of in the modern era, didn't mean I was entirely happy.

It wasn't just because the investors were sending a barrage of protest letters asking why they weren't getting dividends after a successful expedition. (It wasn't entirely unrelated.)

“Sigh. Really.”

“It’s a fine day, why do you look so displeased?”

A head of red hair popped out from the side.

It took me a moment to recognize the person.

“Ah, Sir Eleonor.”

“You seem to have something on your mind. What is it?”

“I was just thinking about how to increase the mercenary company's operational efficiency.”

“Ah.”

Eleonor’s reaction was closer to ‘I know, but I don’t want to care.’

But I ignored the reaction and continued the conversation.

“What can be done to increase the operational efficiency of the mercenary company?”

“Pardon? Isn't it sufficient as it is now?”

“……”

As I glared, Eleonor scratched the back of her head with an embarrassed expression.

“Well, I can't really think of any advice to give……”

“I see. Sigh.”

“It seems you weren't pleased with how things went this time.”

“Yes. To be honest, it was below expectations. It can't be like this every time I'm away, can it?”

It wasn't that Randolfo or Captain Leandro were slacking off while I was away on the expedition.

Nor were they collectively rebelling because I was working them too hard.

It was simply that the way of handling work in this world wasn't particularly fast-paced.

This was just what happened when they did things as they always had.

For one, people here don't have the habit of working late into the night.

It's even commonplace to drink during work hours, and candles are too expensive for just anyone to use.

In other words, by the standards of this world, I was the strange one.

I wonder if this is how Alice felt when she fell into the tree.

But I couldn't be tied to the mercenary headquarters all the time.

There would be times when I needed to be away.

In the end, I had no choice but to contemplate the most realistic short-term method to improve work efficiency.

“It would be nice if a good method fell from the sky somewhere.”

“I know, right.”

Just then, Rhom appeared on the street.

Rhom spotted me and approached happily, but then he started glancing around cautiously upon seeing Eleonor.

That sight reminded me of something.

“Sir Eleonor, I’m just asking, but have you ever called Rhom out in the middle of the night or encountered him in the restroom?”

“Haha, of course not. No way.”

“I thought so, right?”

“If I had, do you think he'd be walking around like that? He’d already be buried in the ground.”

“……”

Eleonor, what a fearsome person.

She's already done it.

“Go easy on him, easy.”

“Yes, I’ll go easy.”

I pretended not to hear the grinding sound from Eleonor’s molars.

In any case, there had to be at least one person to keep the hot-blooded youngsters in check.

Rhom approached, oblivious to what his future held.

“Sir Rhom, what is it?”

“Yes, Commander. It’s just that something peculiar came out from the items confiscated from the pirates this time. Randolfo asked me to deliver it to you, Commander.”

“Something peculiar?”

Rhom held out a small pouch.

I took it, opened it, and was bewildered.

There was something very familiar inside.

“Huh, this is?”

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.