Published: January 4, 2026
The next day in the afternoon, in the governor’s office of Larak.
I was facing Words Quarse, whom I recently appointed, receiving a report from him.
“Inspection of the ranches across the province has been completed.”
“Hm, what were the results?”
“The repairs on the magical barriers and physical defenses within the ranches are expected to take about a year at the longest…”
Words was reporting, but his tone grew increasingly hesitant as he went on.
I understood how he felt.
Dealing with monsters — creatures more ferocious than beasts attacking humans — and having to report that the countermeasures would take a year was surely a heavy burden.
“Why does it take so long? Is it a budget issue?”
“No… it’s not about money. First, the magical barriers are constructed by multiple magicians weaving complex spells together. There is also a process where they must ‘rest’ the barriers for some time to stabilize, which inevitably takes time.”
“I see. And the physical barriers? From the documents, they seem to be just thick walls.”
“These use special timber. The production of this timber is limited, and when repairs need to be done all at once due to an earthquake like this time, it’s impossible to keep up.”
“I understand.”
I tapped my fingers rhythmically on the desk as I sorted through the report in my mind.
“Should we speed up the process?”
Words asked cautiously, reading my expression.
I shook my head firmly.
“No, if those are the circumstances, there’s no need to rush. This method was devised by the previous emperor using the collective wisdom of many people. In fact, before the earthquake, monster damage nationwide was nearly zero thanks to it.”
“Yes.”
“Then we should endure for a year to ensure perfection.”
“Understood—”
Words nodded, but despite his words, his gaze was restless.
“Is there a problem?”
“Huh?”
“Your eyes are darting about.”
“I-I'm sorry!”
“It’s fine. Speak freely. This is a report of the actual situation; you are not to blame and I will not scold you.”
“Y-yes.”
Words wet his lips with his tongue, steeled his resolve, and began to speak.
“If the repairs take about a year, then during that time, regular monster exterminations and hunts will be necessary.”
“Of course... If it’s outside the management of the ranches, the natural reproduction rate will speed up, won’t it?”
As I said this, I reconsidered, thinking the faster pace was actually the natural one, but I swallowed the thought without voicing it.
“Y-yes!”
“Hm…”
I clasped my hands, rested my chin on them, and pondered.
Words was frightened again seeing me like that, but I ignored it.
After a moment, my thoughts came together.
“Let the civilians handle the increased exterminations.”
“The civilians?”
“Yes, grant business licenses to guilds or unions for that. Something like a Monster Guild.”
“Monster Guild… a hunter’s guild specializing in monster extermination, right?”
I nodded slightly and continued.
“If we invest seed funding, it will naturally sustain itself. The empire is a land of warriors; many sharpen their skills daily preparing for the knight selection. Let’s have them work.”
“I see, that’s a clever plan.”
“First, create one public guild. Make a list of candidates.”
“Y-yes.”
That was all I said, and Words flew out of the room in a flurry.
I stared at the closed door for a moment after his departure.
“He won’t change…”
I muttered quietly.
Words Quarse is fairly capable.
If promoted one or two steps from his current position, he would likely still perform well.
But personality-wise, he doesn’t suit working under me.
Is it excessive timidity, or just unfamiliarity?
He frets over every little thing, always fearing, “Will I incur Your Majesty’s displeasure?”
I point this out every time, and Words tries to correct it.
That back-and-forth wastes time.
Enlil Province is right in the middle of earthquake recovery; there’s a mountain of work.
I can’t afford to waste time on that.