Blacksmithing Is Child’s Play for a Dark Mage - Chapter 43

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 43
That said, the female slaves hardly had it easy.
Because.
The female slaves had to be put to work in the fields as well.
True, female slaves possessed less raw strength than their male counterparts, but when it came to endurance, the gap was negligible.
Agriculture demanded stamina more than brute force in most cases.
So they were deployed equally to the labor.
In fact, most peasant women in this world worked as hard as the men did.
Unless you climbed into the upper classes, that is.
In the end, labor fell equally on all.
Regardless, the territory began its operations in earnest.
Rant gathered a few slaves with prior administrative experience or basic literacy and arithmetic, assembling exactly twenty into a management team.
Then Rant offered counsel:
“For the sake of the aristocracy’s public image and influence, we’ll need quasi-noble administrators overseeing things, not slaves, master.”
That was his advice.
Not necessary immediately, but to expand the territory’s scale and grow its power, such measures would be vital.
Yet Tay’s thinking differed.
After all, this territory was merely a shield against those who would come sniffing for the wealth he earned.
He had no immediate desire to expand his influence further.
This was sufficient.
A population of two thousand with three hundred troops—one hundred of them Skeletal Soldiers—was more than enough.
Maintaining this state, summer eventually arrived.
Exactly one year since the settlement’s founding.
The day when successful colonization could be declared, and a Title could be claimed.
And so.
Tay resolved to leave the settlement temporarily.
Rant, who currently managed the settlement’s affairs, would remain behind.
Tay alone would set out for Harundale.
To receive the Title, he had to go in person.
“Then. I’ll be going. Keep things running smoothly.”
“Yes, master.”
With Rant left in charge, Tay set out.
As always.
He traveled in a Skeletal Palanquin.
His escort consisted of thirty-nine Skeletal Soldiers.
That was all.
This choice was necessary—it allowed for swift movement.
Skeletal Soldiers knew no fatigue; they could maintain full sprint indefinitely.
Their pace was only marginally slower than horseback.
But over hours of continuous running, they covered more ground than a mounted rider ever could.
Moreover.
Even at such speeds, the Skeletal Palanquin’s motion remained remarkably steady.
Travel was quite comfortable this way.
As he journeyed, Tay mused aloud:
“Now that I think about it, those orcs never did show up.”
Orcs.
When first settling the land, they’d been cited as the monster to watch most carefully.
Yet over the past year, every conceivable monster had attacked—but orcs remained absent.
Trolls too had never appeared.
He’d heard that Geumpae’s mercenary company had failed to found a settlement precisely because of trolls and orcs.
Then why?
Pondering such questions.
Tay continued toward Harundale.
* * *
The Harundale Marquess Mansion, shielded by potent magical wards.
Located in the heart of the city, this mansion was called such, but in truth it was Harundale’s inner fortress itself.
Towering stone walls and four sentinel towers. Vast manicured grounds.
A place befitting one who commanded the great city of Harundale, radiating authority.
The mansion’s highest tower.
In the top floor’s study.
A woman was sipping Black Tea.
A rich fragrance filled the study.
Not like the coffee of the East—deep and smooth, layered with subtle warmth.
It was Black Tea steeped from the finest leaves.
……
The woman set down her cup in silence.
Grimoire Arcane Spell Elfin.
The Marquess of Harundale.
Ruler of this sprawling city and among the ten greatest powers of the Balantma Empire, she possessed the ability to summon forth formidable beings from other dimensions.
A Summoner was a class of mage who called forth entities from other realms and bent them to her will—whereas a Black Mage dealt with the dead, a Summoner focused her power on commanding the denizens of distant dimensions.
And the beings Grimoire could summon
were creatures the Empire’s own armies would not dare face lightly.
What she studied now
was a single report.
A special talent report from the administrative office.
[To the Harundale Marquess Family]
[Special Talent Report]
Grimoire’s eyes swept across the document’s contents.
Southern Wilderness. Pioneer Settlement. Black Mage. Population three hundred. Military strength three hundred.
Even the recent activities gleaned within the scope of investigation.
And further.
Tay’s substantial income had also been ascertained.
Just as Rant had predicted. His considerable profits had come to light.
“Tay……”
She murmured the name aloud, her voice low and measured.
“So he’s succeeded in stabilizing a pioneer settlement in the Southern Wilderness…… How intriguing.”
The South.
The Marquess Grimoire understood the situation there well—mountains where orcs and trolls bred, coastlines where sea monsters prowled.
To establish and maintain a settlement for nine months in such a triple-layered danger zone was nothing short of extraordinary.
“Capable. Remarkably so.”
She raised the cup again and took a sip.
The rich fragrance of Black Tea spread across her palate.
The report listed him as a Black Mage.
It also noted that he was using the Undead to defend the settlement.
Grimoire harbored no prejudice against the Black Mage profession.
After all, Summoners too did not enjoy a favorable public reputation.
One who summoned monsters from other dimensions, the other who raised the dead.
In the eyes of the world, there was little difference between them.
“Hmm……”
This was not a feat that mere martial prowess alone could achieve.
Combat strength. Financial resources. Command. Administration.
All of these had to be present.
An intriguing individual.
“Bilent.”
As Grimoire spoke, an elderly man in a formal coat who had been standing beside the study’s door approached and bowed.
He was Bilent, the steward who oversaw the internal affairs of the Marquess family’s estate.
He was also the head of the Guardian Family, a subordinate house that had served the Marquess lineage for generations.
“Yes, Marquess.”
“See that word reaches the administrative office.”
Grimoire set her cup down on its saucer as she spoke.
“When he comes to receive his Title, tell him I shall meet him in person. Let him appear at the office.”
“Understood.”
The steward bowed deeply and withdrew.
Silence settled over the study once more.
Grimoire gazed out the window.
The panorama of Harundale stretched below her sight.
As one who governed this vast city, capable talent was an eternal necessity.
* * *
“Coming to the city was the right call.”
“Well, of course it’s convenient with all the infrastructure here! It’s a whole different world from your tiny little settlement, Master!”
“Small beginnings make for great endings, don’t they?”
“The meaning is similar enough, though the saying seems to have changed quite a bit? I find the rather crude version absolutely delightful, Master!”
“Indeed.”
Tay walked down the main thoroughfare of Harundale, exchanging quips and banter with Grimoire.
Riding in a palanquin crafted from Skeletal Soldiers and escorted by dozens more of the undead creatures, the aura of intimidation was nothing short of overwhelming.
Citizens along the avenue—merchants and mercenaries alike—turned to stare in shock.
Tay gave it no mind.
He continued forward without pause.
And.
He made straight for the most expensive inn that someone of his current standing could afford.
Harundale was a sprawling city, but also one where nobility dwelt in considerable numbers.
Even within the city walls, the districts were strictly divided.
Platinum Street—a premier district where only nobles and their professional retainers and craftsmen were permitted to roam.
Below that lay Silver Street, where minor nobility and wealthy merchants made their homes.
Iron Street, where ordinary folk of moderate means lived.
And at the bottom, Bronze Street, where the poor dwelt. Four districts in all.
Tay’s current standing allowed him entry to Silver Street.
A district not only for wealthy locals but also for prosperous merchants visiting from afar. The most expensive inn here was grand and lavishly appointed.
“Welcome. We are honored to receive you at House Where Wind Rests, the finest establishment on Silver Street.”
A man in his thirties with a neat appearance stepped out in formal tailcoat to greet Tay.
Tay was not the only one receiving special attention.
Such servants moved about the inn in various places. Even the women wore the same tailcoats.
Usually, female staff wore skirts, but this inn had dressed them in trousers and formal suits—a distinctive touch.
Beyond that.
Rumor had it that all employees here could read and write.
That was how expensive this inn truly was.
“Do you have a room available for ten days? Silver grade.”
Gold. Silver. Iron. Bronze.
This grading system was not unique to the mercenary trade.
Just as the districts themselves were named Platinum, Silver, Iron, and Bronze.
The inns used the same ranking system.
If gold was the finest grade, silver was the tier below—but still carried an astronomical price.
“We do, though the escort force you’ve brought is rather large to fit entirely within the room…”
“Can they be stored in a warehouse instead?”
“That is possible.”
“Good. Then prepare the room.”
Tay secured lodging at the luxury inn with minimal fuss.
* * *
“They have running water fixtures… ah… the marvels of civilization…”
He turned the tap and water flowed out.
In his past life, this would have been commonplace. In his present life, it was his first encounter with such a thing.
He’d heard rumors of its existence, but as a low-ranking mercenary, how could he ever have accessed such a luxury?
Without it, one simply made do.
Yet now, he’d earned enough to spend his entire life in comfort at luxury inns like this.
From this point forward, he needed to use that wealth to build a power base—to construct a bulwark and fortress that would protect him.
And while he was at it.
He’d like to install such facilities in his future domain as well.
The Black Mage Is Too Easy as a Blacksmith
Author |
Automaton G
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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