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chapter 07
Liam watched his subordinates grumble, sprinkling in curse words, with tired eyes.
“Did they really tell us to bring several carts of volcanic ash and lava rock? They were only tinkering with awls and screws at the central office, and now this… Have they finally lost their minds? And they won’t even pay us…”
Beneath his flippant tone lay layers of cynicism and fatigue. He wasn’t much different himself.
“Ha…”
Liam suppressed the urge to complain with them, but he couldn’t stop a sigh that felt like it could sink into the ground.
The old noble families who had treated Charlotte with utmost care had all been purged or sent far away. Compared to them, Liam, a simple knight, was nothing more than a country bumpkin—a fact that was the primary reason Freyu had promoted him to deputy commander.
Liam had to carry out all the miscellaneous orders sent by Freyu’s representative lord.
“Not a single decent person among them…”
Except for those who followed Liam, no one held any loyalty toward the Chartreuse family.
They sided with the knight commander, actively agreeing that the North should remain under Freyu’s “protection.” The East, thanks to the Great Plains, was far wealthier than the North, and the fact that the Chartreuse Duke’s guardian had been the Duchess of Freyu was the reason.
“…I wonder if the young duke can shoulder all this responsibility.”
Charlotte Avril Chartreuse, a cat-girl who strongly resembled the late duchess.
Rodie seemed to think she had abandoned her territory, but Liam didn’t believe the underage duke, who hadn’t yet inherited the dukedom, was to blame.
Still, he couldn’t deny that he had no real expectations.
“Will the duke even want to stay in the duchy after seeing this chaotic knight order?”
Of course not. After living in the East, where money overflowed, how could anyone endure this mess with open eyes?
He’d either pack up and run, claiming he couldn’t take it, or naturally look upon them with disgust as though they were insects.
Liam washed his face and scanned the yellowed ledger.
“So, I shouldn’t expect anything.”
Before the purging of the Northern minor lords, the young lady they spoke of had been an innocent girl. As they said, she had absorbed Freyu’s Eastern way of life completely.
Charlotte Avril Chartreuse could not become a true Northerner.
With that bitter conclusion in mind, Liam was just about to get up to fetch tea when…
“Deputy Commander, are you there?”
“…Ren?”
The servant opened the door and called him. Upon seeing Liam, he smiled brightly and gestured outside.
“His Highness the Duke is calling for you.”
“Why?”
“Well…”
Ren tilted his head, pointing at a huge oak barrel outside.
“It seems His Highness wants to order something.”
A little later, in Charlotte’s study.
Having been immersed in paperwork for several days, Charlotte had Liam standing by as she reviewed the work that had been done so far.
“…We’ve obtained the volcanic ash and lava rock.”
“Yes, but we haven’t yet found the remains of the breakwater that was destroyed long ago. We’ll continue searching.”
“And next?”
“….”
He fell silent again.
Charlotte looked up from the documents.
“Are you a man of few words? You do the tasks well, which is good, but don’t you have any opinions? Something you wish to do more of, or dislike?”
“…Pardon?”
Liam stared at her, bewildered.
Over the past few days, Liam and the knights had been involved not only in organizing the ledgers but also in mixing volcanic ash and water for laborious tasks. While some of the knights secretly shirked, wondering why they had to do such menial work, those loyal to Liam completed it all, grumbling but diligent.
…Had Rodie’s previous remarks been overheard?
“Well… it’s just that…”
Cold sweat formed on his clasped hands.
Charlotte chuckled at Liam, who fumbled awkwardly. Only those who could read were supposed to handle the ledgers, so why was he so nervous?
“You see, I found this document before we went to collect the volcanic ash.”
“…What is it?”
Charlotte handed Liam a transaction statement.
[Item: Firewood (Meric Wood)
Description: Premium construction timber. Burns slowly.
…
Martino Company Representative, Martino]
“Ah… this is the receipt from the company we contracted with—”
“Our company.”
“…The receipt for premium wood sold by the representative we contracted with, our Chartreuse family.”
“So we sold the wood rather than buying it? That’s unexpected. I thought it was forced upon us.”
Liam’s expression darkened.
“Why is that? So it was forced?”
“…To some extent. Money is so tight that even construction-grade wood had to be sold as firewood.”
Martino was an Eastern-born merchant who had revitalized the North’s trade network, damaged by cold and monsters. He was reputedly well-known in the region.
Buying wood like that would move only after unsold, perishable cheap grain had been disposed of.
Charlotte furrowed her brow as she pointed to the contract beneath the receipt.
“Judging by this contract, he’ll probably come back soon asking for more.”
“That’s likely.”
Meric wood was an expensive material, used even in the academic hall or the director’s office.
And now they were using it as firewood?
Just as Charlotte frowned, a young man with brownish-blond hair burst into the office.
“Your Highness! Deputy Commander!”
“Sorry to barge in. I am—”
“I know, Clément. You’re the secretary I arranged for.”
“Oh.”
“What’s the matter?”
Clément scratched his head, as if surprised that she even knew his name, then pointed behind him.
“Well, a loan shark came looking for you.”
“Who’s a loan shark?!”
“Should I have Rodie cut his vocal cords? His voice is too loud.”
“….”
Charlotte muttered to herself. Even thieves announce their names, huh?
“…Martino.”
Charlotte pressed her forehead and glanced at the secretary and the merchant behind him, glaring daggers at the latter. The merchant bowed, speaking in a smooth tone.
“Greetings, Your Highness. Pardon the intrusion. I am Martino, the company representative. As you may know, I am also in charge of this relief distribution.”
“I see.”
“Yes. As you know, it’s been unusually cold. Commoners outside the city walls desperately need firewood to survive. Considering their safety, we should distribute it immediately.”
The secretary shouted angrily.
“Why do they need firewood in spring? Don’t be presumptuous! The Meric wood belongs to the duke!”
“Why twist my good intentions? Every time I come, no one listens. The duke’s house lacks proper distribution channels, so I’m here to help. Call the knight commander if you must!”
The secretary’s face turned red with anger. He gritted his teeth and shook his head.
“This still won’t do. Meric wood is versatile, yes, but this is excessive.”
“I agree. How could someone be foolish enough to use such wood as mere firewood?”
“Of course, we’re not trying to hoard it among nobles, but this… eh?”
The secretary blinked and looked at Charlotte. She responded boldly to the merchant.
“Have you no education or common sense? Why would you need firewood when there’s something better?”
“…Ah… well… as you said, they are commoners. Firewood for them isn’t coal or magic stones used by nobles—it’s wood.”
“Not for the tenants.”
“Pardon?”
“Do I have to say it twice?”
The knights’ expressions twisted in shock, as if witnessing someone suggest eating cake when there’s no bread.
Charlotte crossed her arms and tilted her head.
“No grain, Martino. No wood either. Just pay the money.”
“What…?”
“The contract only specifies ‘relief goods to keep out the cold,’ not that Meric wood is specifically required.”
Charlotte held the contract in front of the merchant.
She had found this before assigning work to the knights. The wood was only listed as an example; it didn’t mean Meric wood had to be sold exclusively.
“There’s no specific item, so there’s no need to use fuel that emits heat.”
“Then… what will you provide?”
Charlotte signaled Liam, who had been standing blankly beside the merchant.
“Liam, bring out the volcanic ash mixture and lava rock.”
“…Volcanic ash? That won’t keep things warm, though.”
Charlotte tilted her head at the merchant’s question.
“Volcanic ash has insulating properties. Mix it with lime, and you can even use it as cement. Lava rock retains heat once heated.”
The North had never been this cold. There had likely been no means to retain warmth, so burning wood would only provide temporary heat.
In other words, in the North now, cement to repair homes against drafts and insulation to retain existing warmth were far more urgent than disposable firewood.
“To avoid worsening the situation, we must minimize wood consumption.”
Since construction materials like Meric wood and a bit of funding were also needed, this was a favorable trade for Charlotte.
