Published: January 22, 2026
Having received an errand request from my grandfather, I quickly prepared and came to the Royal Capital.
Upon arrival, I immediately set about the job I had taken on from the clan, moving to arrange an appointment with the sponsor who was the business partner.
This time, the business partner was a noble.
Not someone easy to meet.
The clan had already informed them that I would visit soon, but the earliest meeting would be the day after tomorrow, or at best tomorrow. — Or so I thought, but they wanted to meet immediately, and so the meeting with the sponsor began smoothly.
“Wow, I never expected Orun-kun to come all this way.”
In a certain room inside the royal palace, the middle-aged man facing me across the desk spoke with a friendly smile.
He was Count Bowell.
He was one of the sponsors I had visited last month, and given that his younger brother was the commander of the Second Division of the Central Army, he wielded considerable influence in the Central Army.
My coming here was largely coincidental, but it seemed he misunderstood that, and there was no need to correct him.
“...Our clan also takes this matter seriously. We won’t send anyone to the battlefield, but we intend to cooperate without hesitation.”
“So you won’t be going to the battlefield after all. It would have been reassuring to have your help in repelling the empire’s ‘hero’.”
“Yes. I’m sorry. Although the incident in Reglyph Territory involved various factors that led to our participation, we originally had no intention of directly engaging in the war.”
“No, it can’t be helped. Besides, if nobles like us were to rely entirely on explorers even at times like this, our own purpose would be questioned. We must be at the forefront ourselves.”
The look in Count Bowell’s eyes was sharp, reflecting a fitting resolve.
The war that would likely break out soon was, for this country, a battle to avenge the king.
The enemy empire was far superior in both land and power compared to the kingdom.
Furthermore, with the high possibility of a ‘hero’ appearing on the battlefield, the kingdom’s chances of victory were not high—even if generously estimated.
Still, the kingdom would fight.
Some might call it reckless bravery, but I couldn’t bring myself to deny it.
I don’t want to think about it, but if my comrades were unfairly killed, I might act similarly.
That said, since the kingdom’s odds of victory were low, it would be wise to consider what to do in case of defeat while there is still time.
“—Now then, shall we discuss what’s next? Our Second Division’s requests were conveyed in writing. We want you to prioritize sending us the magic stones and dungeon materials you acquire.”
Count Bowell voiced his request.
As he said, these were the contents already proposed in writing beforehand.
By the way, the Central Army—which is the royal family’s military force—is composed of four divisions plus a royal guard unit protecting the royal family.
Each division has a specific role. The Second Division’s main role is eliminating external enemies and is called the ‘Spear of the Royal Family.’
However, in recent decades, the Second Division has not been active on a large scale, and some say that spear has become rusty.
...Anyway, back on track.
“Yes. There is no problem prioritizing delivery to you. However, we would like to keep the payment rates consistent with the established rates.”
I responded with what the clan had decided in advance regarding Count Bowell’s request.
The value of magic stones and dungeon materials fluctuates over time.
Magic stones don’t change much in value, but dungeon materials can suddenly rise in worth if used in newly developed useful magical tools, even if previously considered worthless.
To prevent economic turmoil caused by such fluctuations, a ‘price rate’ is set for magic stones and dungeon materials.
These rates generally don’t change drastically, but setting them is one of the tasks of the Seeker’s Guild and they are updated periodically.