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Chapter: 18
“Ugh.”
I gagged again as the carriage jolted.
I’d always been prone to motion sickness, and now even in this reincarnated life, it hadn’t changed.
Just riding a carriage made me sick, and with these poorly maintained roads, my stomach was revolting.
“Once I earn enough money, I’ll have to fix the roads first.”
Well-paved roads would help the development of the estate in many ways anyway.
More importantly, I’d likely be going out frequently from now on, and if I kept suffering from motion sickness every time, my stomach wouldn’t survive.
“Are you alright, milady?”
Butcher gently patted my back.
“Mm… ugh.”
“Hang on a bit longer. We’ll be there soon.”
Originally, I planned to visit the Martek County with just Treon and myself.
But Butcher insisted on following, claiming someone had to protect me.
Unexpectedly, not just Ruth but even Treon agreed, and it passed unanimously.
I remembered Ruth’s face as he held back tears to see me off, saying he hoped I’d return safely rather than buying gifts on my trip.
I realized that must be what it feels like for parents leaving their children for work.
“Maybe I should have him paint a portrait of Ruth.”
It would serve as a talisman in my pocket to give me courage.
“By the way, that lizard is really calm. Is it because you raised it, milady?”
Butcher tilted his head as he looked at the small pouch on my lap.
Inside the soft-lined pouch that had been made into a tiny bed was Kkamang.
This was something any normal lizard would never tolerate—but Kkamang was a divine beast, so it was fine.
Even without food, it would survive.
“He’s special.”
I stroked over the pouch, and Kkamang poked out his head.
“I’m sure no one else in the empire keeps a lizard like this. Milady, you really are something extraordinary.”
“Anyway, how’s the secret organization coming along?”
I decided to reorganize the secret organization with Butcher as the head while earning money.
“It’s going well. Once we go back and tweak a few things, it should be complete soon.”
“Sorry for leaving you at such an important time.”
“Oh, milady, protecting you is the most important thing! I get to serve someone as lovely as you, so I’ll follow you no matter what!”
“But there’s Treon.”
“Treon still lacks the skill to serve you properly. He can’t do it yet.”
Butcher teased as he glanced at Treon sitting across the carriage, arms crossed and eyes closed.
That’s why I had to go on this trip myself.
I had planned to stay put because there was much to do in the estate.
What on earth was he thinking?
Suddenly, Treon opened his eyes wide.
Feeling guilty, I looked away, and Treon said,
“We’ve arrived.”
I looked out the window.
“Wow.”
Unlike the half-ruined Valpruga Estate, Martek County was surprisingly bustling.
Not as dazzling as the streets of Seoul, but the small, neatly lined buildings gave off the quaint vibe of a European village.
I had always wanted to travel to Europe someday if I could earn enough money.
Now that I think about it, though the world had changed, this was still a kind of travel.
Passing along well-maintained roads, the Martek Baron’s castle turned out smaller and more modest than expected.
I was about to ask Butcher, but I figured Treon would know better, so I whispered to him,
“The castle seems smaller than I expected. Is it because he’s a baron?”
“No. It’s actually average. Across the continent, there’s no castle bigger than Valpruga, so it’s natural for this to feel small.”
“Smaller than the imperial palace?”
“The imperial palace just looks large because it’s on flat land. In terms of actual size, it’s smaller than Valpruga.”
Treon’s expression carried a faint pride.
He really seemed attached to Valpruga… Could someone like that ever betray me?
Upon arriving at the castle, we were told the baron was away on business, and the butler immediately showed us to our rooms.
Butcher and Treon shared one room, and I was assigned the adjoining room.
It was spacious and clean but not particularly luxurious.
Even after unpacking, the baron had yet to show himself.
After playing with Kkamang for a while, I eventually got bored and went into the next room.
“Treon. I don’t know much, but is it proper etiquette to keep guests waiting like this?”
“No. Among nobles, it could even be considered insulting. That’s why I told him you’d come alone.”
Treon replied calmly without showing anger.
Right, he’s the one who always handles contracts with the Martek Baron, so he must have experienced this before.
I fastened the pouch with Kkamang to my waist and asked,
“The baron isn’t here, but I can still look around the castle, right?”
I needed to gather information first.
Fortunately, the strict-looking butler didn’t stop me from touring the castle.
Instead, a man accompanied me under the pretense of “castle guidance.”
This meant he would manage me so I couldn’t wander freely.
He introduced himself as Brody and said he managed the castle under the butler.
Butcher followed to protect me, and Treon accompanied me as a precaution.
Countless servants fell silent and bowed as we passed.
The castle wasn’t even a fifth the size of Valpruga, yet there seemed to be five times as many staff.
“No wonder there’s still so many dusty areas in Valpruga.”
Suddenly, I noticed a maid’s gaze following me.
I turned and saw only Treon and Butcher behind me.
Realizing this, I felt many more maids staring at me.
“Oh… why? Ah.”
Of course—both of them were handsome.
If Butcher was a charming man with brown hair, Treon was a refined blond.
Among all the people in Martek Castle, they were the only attractive ones.
“Though the most handsome of all is still Ruth.”
Even at his age, he was stunning—imagine when he grows up.
If Ruth made his social debut, the world would turn upside down instantly.
But if the maids were interested in Butcher and Treon, why did they scream when they made eye contact with me?
“Hmm…”
Tilting my head, the maids covered their mouths with their hands.
Had Butcher done something behind my back?
I looked at him, and he blinked innocently.
Confused, I smiled at the maids who met my eyes.
They shrieked and buried their faces in their hands.
How can you scream like that just from seeing a human face?
Soon, I grew bored of touring the castle.
No matter how well maintained Martek Castle was, it wasn’t Valpruga.
Even if all the artwork was sold, you couldn’t sell the entire castle’s structural columns.
Valpruga’s palace, crafted by master artisans, was an art piece in itself, column by column.
Besides, I had something specific in mind.
“I want to see the artisans more than this.”
“The artisans?”
Brody became cautious.
The Martek Baron must put a lot of effort into his craftsmen.
I lowered my guard and smiled like an innocent young lady.
“Yes. I heard the Martek Baron’s swords are famous. I want to see them being made.”
Brody’s lips twitched into a smile at my act.
Perhaps thinking, “What could you know just by looking?”
His caution towards me lowered significantly, and he nodded, allowing me to follow.
“Very well. Follow me.”
The artisan village was on the outskirts of the castle.
It was far from the village center, so meeting others seemed unlikely.
Around the village, knights maintained relentless vigilance.
“They really take management seriously.”
Brody displayed his badge, and the knights saluted and opened the gate.
“Wow.”
The artisan village was a village in the truest sense.
Clang! Clang!
The noisy sound of metal being hammered filled the air, with huge forges blazing.
Carts loaded with ore rushed along the streets, and people discussed finished swords.
It felt as if I’d stepped into a massive smithy.
“Can I look at the swords?”
“Of course.”
Brody gestured, and a man pushing a cart of swords approached.
They looked sharp, but all swords seemed sharp to me, so I couldn’t tell.
“What do you think, Butcher? You know swords better than I do.”
Brody handed a sword to Butcher.
He tilted it in the sunlight, flicked it with his finger to hear its tone, and marveled.
“This is fine. I wouldn’t call it a legendary sword, but it’s more than enough for ordinary soldiers. Since it’s from the Martek Baron family, the price is a bit high, though.”
Kkamang peeked from the pouch to look at the sword.
Brody took the sword back from Butcher.
“That’s unavoidable. Our castle makes swords only from pure steel.”
“Pure steel? Is that good?”
Butcher explained,
“A sword made purely of steel is stronger than one mixed with other metals. That’s why it’s more expensive.”
“How do you know just by looking?”
“You can tell by weighing it. That’s why we always weigh swords before shipping them.”
“I see.”
“Above all, we build our business on the trust of our clients.”
Brody proudly said.
“Our family supplied swords to the imperial family for generations. In recognition, we became barons. Now other nobles trust our swords and order from us as well.”
“Amazing.”
Trust like that is an asset that cannot be built overnight.
Deeper into the village, we saw artisans actively forging swords.
Half-naked men hammered red-hot metal, sparks flying with every strike.
Even as sparks landed on their arms and sleeves, they worked undisturbed, as if impervious to heat.
I wanted to get closer, but it was too dangerous.
Even stepping near, I might get burned.
Passing men flattening iron, I saw others quenching swords in water.
“What are they doing?”
“They’re quenching. It hardens the sword.”
I nodded, about to speak to the old man by the water, when Brody stopped me.
“Do not speak to the workers. They’re concentrating on making valuable products.”
He smiled, but his eyes were a clear warning.
Wow. Were they worried I might make a recruitment offer?
I hadn’t planned to, but I hadn’t expected them to be so openly cautious.
From the guards at the entrance to protecting the artisans, they were thorough.
“Then can I just look with my eyes?”
“That’s fine.”
Seeing that nothing could be learned by sight alone, Brody allowed me to observe from a distance.
I watched the quenching process several steps away.
The workers heated the iron in a smaller forge, then plunged it into water.
As the hot iron hit the water, it hissed, sending white smoke swirling.
Bubbles rose on the water’s surface.
It all seemed fascinating to me, but perhaps not to Kkamang.
[This is strange.]
