Blacksmithing Is Child’s Play for a Dark Mage - Chapter 67

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 67
Monthly resupply: three hundred medium Skeleton Soldiers.
The Skeleton Soldier factory ran without pause, month after month.
So long as bones arrived in sufficient quantity, three hundred medium Skeleton Soldiers rolled off the production line each month. Whether Tay lifted a finger or not.
In a year, thirty-six hundred.
In ten years, three hundred sixty thousand.
Three hundred sixty thousand medium Skeleton Soldiers.
At that scale, no one needed to fear anyone—save perhaps a Duke.
A force capable of standing alone against even the united armies of most Earls and Barons across the continent. An overwhelming tide of numbers, nothing more.
So there was no reason to hurry.
No need to rush.
Time was Tay’s ally, after all.
And so the days passed.
Until someone came seeking an Official Appointment.
What was an Official Appointment?
It meant receiving a position of authority.
In this case, it meant approaching the lord and asking to be taken into his employ.
In Tay’s former life on Earth, he’d seen scenes like this in tales of the Three Kingdoms.
Zhuge Liang had been so revered that Liu Bei made three visits to convince him, but there were many cases where talented men sought out their lords first.
The same happened in this world from time to time.
Though it was hardly common.
Usually, a retainer came through connections or recommendation, and arriving unbidden to request an Official Appointment was quite rare.
And now.
Kael, the third son of the Baron Londrian Household, was in audience, requesting an Official Appointment.
Tay glanced down at the papers lying on the table before him.
Kael’s résumé and his Imperial Academy graduation certificate.
Imperial Academy of Balantma. Second honors.
‘Second honors, was it….’
It was genuinely impressive. Second in the Empire’s finest academy meant even major noble houses would court such talent.
So why had he come all the way here?
Tay studied Kael and asked.
“As second honors from the Imperial Academy, you’d be welcomed almost anywhere. Why come here?”
Kael’s expression tightened fractionally. But he recovered his composure quickly and answered.
“I’ll be frank. I’ve fallen out with influential central families. Because of that, an Official Appointment is impossible in and around the capital.”
“How exactly did things fall apart?”
“During my studies at the Academy, I cited the corruption of that house in an academic thesis. The analysis was intellectually sound, but politically… it was a mistake.”
Tay suppressed a quiet laugh.
‘Either he’s brilliant but naive about how the world works, or he knew full well and did it anyway.’
Either way, Tay didn’t dislike it.
A man who spoke his truth and earned enmity was preferable to one who bit his tongue to curry favor.
At least such a man was likely to be honest even in Tay’s presence.
“So you came to a borderland noble’s new territory?”
“Yes.”
Kael lifted his gaze. His eyes were steady.
“I heard rumors that your domain is expanding rapidly. I also learned that you command and control more than ten thousand Skeleton Soldiers.”
“Interesting.”
“I judged that your territory is only beginning, and will grow far greater still. That is why I came here.”
“Well, I’m flattered by the assessment, though….”
Tay smiled faintly.
“Furthermore, I reasoned that managing a military force and territory of that scale would require a capable administrator.”
“That much is true.”
“Employ me. You won’t regret it.”
Tay studied Kael in silence for a moment.
He had confidence, certainly. Whether it was confidence grounded in real ability or mere arrogance, Tay couldn’t yet say.
“Lant.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lant, standing beside him, responded.
“What do you make of him?”
Lant looked Kael over briefly, then spoke.
“His credentials check out. Second honors from the Imperial Academy means his ability is beyond question. However….”
“Only?”
“Making an enemy of the central political establishment is a risk in itself. They could interfere later on.”
“That’s something I can manage.”
Tay regarded Kael again.
Second-ranked student at the Imperial Academy. Majored in administration, accounting, political science. Erudite. Sharp intellect.
No magical talent, but Tay didn’t need a mage—he needed an administrator.
And more than anything else.
Kael had come of his own accord. From the distant capital to this remote, fledgling territory.
That initiative and resolve impressed him.
“Good.”
Tay spoke.
“I’ll give you a trial period. Three months. Show me what you can do in that time. If I’m satisfied, I’ll grant you an official appointment.”
Kael’s eyes gleamed.
“Thank you, Baron. I won’t disappoint your expectations.”
“I’m not expecting anything. Just do good work.”
Tay tossed the words out and picked up the documents.
Kael bowed deeply and left the office.
Lant waited until the door closed before speaking.
“He seems like capable talent.”
“Does he?”
“Yes. His eyes were good. There was ambition in them, but not the vicious sort.”
Tay nodded.
Lant was the son of a high-ranking noble family, one who had studied royal governance and such through magic from childhood.
Age? In this fantasy world, that meant very little.
With Lant’s discernment, he could trust the judgment.
“Good then.”
And Tay gazed out the window, thinking.
‘Partan, and now Kael. People are beginning to gather.’
It was a favorable current.
* * *
Kael worked exceedingly well.
No—it wasn’t a matter of competence. He was outstanding.
Three months for the trial period, but honestly, the conclusion came in a week.
This man was the real thing.
But Kael had another advantage beyond mere ability.
He held the rank of Hyangsah.
Hyangsah.
The lowest rank of the quasi-aristocratic system in this world.
Primarily created for those who served under nobles, it was a system to differentiate them from common commoners.
It wasn’t a rank without purpose.
Hyangsah held three privileges.
First, immunity against commoners.
Those bearing the rank of Hyangsah or above could strike or harass commoners without cause and face no criminal charge.
A considerably barbaric privilege, but that was simply the nature of this world’s class system.
Though murdering a commoner did incur punishment—but even that could be settled with a fine. Life carried so little weight in this world.
What was even more absurd was that theft of a commoner’s property was punishable.
Not because you’d harassed the commoner, but because such theft was tied directly to taxation rights.
The logic was simple: why would you take the lord’s tax revenue?
Second, tax reduction benefits.
Nobility didn’t pay taxes in the first place.
That was the structure of this world’s feudal relationship, and it held true even for the empire.
But the quasi-aristocratic ranks had to pay taxes.
Here lay another curious detail: salary received from one’s liege incurred no tax.
Only separate ventures attracted taxation—though less than commoners paid. Such was the arrangement.
Third, the authority to command troops.
A limited number, but one could maintain a military force.
After all, even the quasi-aristocratic ranks needed personal protection.
However, such forces had to be requested from one’s liege or cultivated independently, and maintenance costs fell on oneself.
Still, the mere fact of commanding soldiers was power. No commoner, however wealthy, could maintain private troops.
Kael had received this Hyangsah rank from his father.
This was no simple matter either.
Granting the rank of Hyangsah required not only a formal noble title but also a considerable expenditure.
The Balantma Empire maintained an institution called the Imperial Capital Noble Registry Office.
It was where the records of every nobleman in the empire were kept. If a name didn’t appear there, it was a forgery.
There was a separate registry for quasi-nobles as well, and only by being listed there could one be recognized as a true quasi-noble.
This registry was protected and maintained by magic, making forgery impossible.
And registering a Hyangsah rank required a registration fee, which was considerable in itself.
It cost hundreds of Goldmanta Gold Coins.
Kael’s father couldn’t pass down his title to Kael, being the third son, but he had purchased the Hyangsah rank for him and granted it.
It showed how much he worried about his son’s future prospects.
In any case, Kael was now a verified talent with the Hyangsah rank to his name.
Second-place graduate of the Imperial Academy and the Hyangsah rank.
His administrative abilities were already being proven in practical work.
Tay made his decision before the trial period had even ended.
* * *
“Kael. I appoint you Administrative Director of the Maker Barony.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
Kael bowed deeply from the waist.
Administrative Director. The highest official responsible for governing the territory.
It was the position Lant had effectively held all this time. Yet Lant yielded it freely and even seemed pleased.
“This is good news.”
Lant spoke to Tay.
“To be honest, I had no time for cultivation, buried as I was in administrative work. I too wanted to reach a higher realm.”
Tay nodded at Lant’s words.
Lant was a Black Mage as well, and this was the period when he needed practical experience and training.
Growth stagnates when one is confined to administration alone.
The moment Kael became Administrative Director, he absorbed the administrative staff and Skeleton Soldiers that Lant had been commanding into his own organization.
Then he reorganized the administrative system.
The speed was extraordinary, and the results were flawless.
Reports contained nothing but essentials, with no errors in the figures.
He rewrote the territory’s financial report in a single day—work that had taken Lant a week. It wasn’t that Lant lacked ability; Kael was simply that exceptional.
He refined the tax collection system, systematized merchant traffic records, and optimized supply routes.
He even created new document templates for all manner of administrative needs. All within a week.
Tay no longer needed to handle administrative work in the evenings.
He was entirely satisfied.
Lant was satisfied too, now freed from administrative duties to focus on his cultivation.
Partan, who was organizing military forces, was equally satisfied.
Recruiting and training a thousand soldiers to form a cohesive unit was grueling work, but with reliable administrative support, supply issues were resolved cleanly.
A month passed in this manner.
Then Kael requested a meeting.
A Black Mage Is Too Easy as a Blacksmith
Author |
Automaton G
Publisher |
Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
Editorial Director |
Editorial Department
Published by |
Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dreambooks
Address |
7th Floor, Gwangseong Building, 28 Bongeunsa-ro 114-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
UCI |
G720:N+A063-20260511100
Blog |
blog.naver.com/dreambookss
Twitter (X) |
@dreambookss
Submissions |
[email protected]
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. – Dreambooks.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————