Barbarian Business (3)

The moment the Chancellor of Raphodonia saw me, he let out a deep sigh.

Sighing like that right to someone’s face wasn’t polite in noble society, but maybe he did it because it was me. This gramps doesn’t hold back anymore.

As I was thinking this, he finally asked, “Aren’t you going to talk?”

“Before that, can I ask just one thing?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why have you been avoiding me?”

Even to me, it sounded petty. But it was something I’d been meaning to ask him in person.

“Avoiding you? What do you mean?”

If he hadn’t been intentionally avoiding me, what else could explain it? It wasn’t like he was trying to play hard to get either.

Just a while ago, he’d even given me his seat at the royal meeting and seemed interested in marrying off his daughter to me.

The truth I heard from the Marquis’s mouth was extremely simple.

“I was busy.”

“Too busy to even reply?”

“I didn’t even know you tried to contact me. I’ve been staying in the royal palace the last few days.”

Looking closer, I could see deep fatigue under the marquis’s eyes.

Maybe that’s why—

The Marquis’s tone was also more sensitive and sharper than usual.

“My butler told me he explained this to you, didn’t he?”

“Uh…”

I did hear the explanation, but I didn’t think it was true and not just an excuse.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I press my lips together tightly, and the Marquis looks at me as if he can’t believe it.

“You’re rather strange yourself. You came to me demanding why I avoided you just because I didn’t make time to meet. Don’t you think that’s a bit arrogant?”

“…Huh?”

“Do you think that just because you want to meet someone, they should drop everything and make time for you, as if they were waiting on your call?”

“I understand. I’ll apologize for that.”

“Don’t just apologize. Make me a promise. Never come find me like this again. I can tolerate some cultural differences, but this crosses the line into disrespect.”

“…Fine, I said I understand.”

Perhaps because I had no excuse, but seeing him so angry with me was frightening.

‘..Still, I am curious what has kept him so busy these days.’

He usually commutes to the imperial capital of Karnon. So what could have kept him so busy that he couldn’t leave the royal palace for days?

I was extremely curious about the reason, but in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to ask. He didn’t give me a chance either.

“Now then, get to the point. I don’t have time to waste during my precious break.”

He had emphasized his fatigue and lack of time several times already, so I moved straight to the point.

“I came to ask that the reconstruction of District Seven be assigned to the Jandel family.”

Maybe it was because I’d never made such a brazen request before, or maybe because I’m not the type to come with personal favors.

“…Huh?”

The marquis let out a snort of disbelief, then asked me,

“Was this necessary? I don’t know what strings you pulled, but I heard Melbeth already recommended you as the lead.”

Well, that’s true.

With Melbes’s support, I won’t be at a significant disadvantage even if I participate normally in the bidding competition.

But that’s just how business is.

“If there’s a method that can guarantee success, isn’t there no reason not to choose it?”

“I agree with that way of thinking itself but……”

The Marquis then narrowed his eyes.

“Still, I can’t agree with your attitude—like you’re just here to collect something you’re owed.”

I hadn’t seen this side of him before.

He hadn’t been this annoyed, even when I joked about smashing his head open.

‘Did I come at the worst possible time?’

I felt regret, but I decided to stay positive.

Well, what could I do?

If I’d just waited, who knew when I’d have gotten the chance to meet him at all?

“Tell me then, why should I accept your request?”

Keeping my brazen act consistent, I answered,

“Think of it as a bachelor’s gift.”

“A bachelor’s… gift?”

He tilted his head at the unfamiliar phrase.

See? This is why old folks don’t get it.

“Why? Since I can’t get married anymore, can’t you at least give me a gift?”

Back in my original world, we had stuff like that too.

Unmarried people deserve something, right?

They pay for wedding gifts but never get to receive any in return.

“…….”

The marquis fell silent, as if contemplating my logic.

It didn’t matter. As the person who kept me from ever marrying, he couldn’t ignore my request.

“…You’re not completely wrong.”

Thankfully, the marquis understood the laws of give and take.

“But I can’t just arbitrarily decide matters concerning state affairs. What can I to do about this…”

He mumbled to himself like he was troubled, but honestly? I didn’t buy it.

This guy has done whatever he wanted from the position of second-in-command.

His tired sighs were probably just sound effects before he made his real offer.

And sure enough—

“Then how about this?”

Right on cue, the marquis offered a compromise.

“I will give you a chance to compete fairly.”

“A chance……?”

“Actually, it’s true. The five families, including House Jandel, are being reviewed as strong candidates. But the possibility of House Jandel being selected is extremely low.”

Well, that was expected.

Until now, House Jandel hadn’t undertaken any construction projects. Frankly, without Melbes’s support, my house wouldn’t have even made it onto the candidate list.

The reason I couldn’t wait patiently and tried to meet the Marquis was because I knew that fact well.

“So? What exactly do you mean by giving me a chance?”

“Just what it sounds like. I’ll set the stage. You prove yourself.”

Just how did he plan to set the stage? I couldn’t picture it.

But after hearing the Marquis’s explanation, I was quite surprised.

“Let me get this straight…… You want the five families to get together and hold a construction competition?”

“Calling it a competition is a bit…… It will be closer to a demonstration. Each family showcases their skills and strengths publicly.”

It seemed like the same thing, but his next words were quite reassuring.

“As long as you put on a decent performance and spare me any embarrassment, the project will go to House Jandel.”

I felt oddly conflicted.

Even though things had moved past that point and no longer fit the same scenario, I’d nearly come full circle to the competition I almost faced with the dwarf house of Melbes.

“Fine, let me know when the date is set.”

I never imagined someone would turn it into a construction challenge.

***

When I returned to the sanctuary after speaking with the Marquis, our Chief Administrative Officer was still working late with the lights on.

Hmm, or maybe not?

“Shabin, what are you reading so intently?”

“Ah… well… a letter. The branch manager of Alminas Bank is asking if I’d consider changing jobs…… It’s strange. I’ve never even met him……”

What’s this?

Don’t tell me Count Alminas put in a good word, hoping to poach her.

‘That old fox…’

“Just ignore it. It’s definitely a scammer.”

“…And why does hearing you say that make my confidence drop?”

“Don’t worry.”

“So, what brings you here at this hour?”

“Do I need a reason to visit?”

“Yes. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice how you avoid me, afraid that I’ll ask you to do something?”

Ugh… she knows me too well.

Feeling awkward, I cut to the chase.

“I just met with the chancellor.”

“…With the chancellor?”

“What’s with that look?”

“No reason. It’s just that seeing you like this makes you look important…”

I shared everything from my conversation with the marquis and told her I’d be evaluating our warriors’ construction skills tomorrow.

“Tomorrow…?”

Sensing the Killing intent in Shabin’s trembling voice, I hurriedly added an explanation.

“No need to gather too many. Just don’t cherry-pick the best. We need to see what our average is, so just bring a mix.”

“Hm… that’s doable.”

“And don’t stress. I just want to assess where we stand and what we need to improve.”

“Got it. I’ll prepare accordingly.”

Great. That’s settled.

After finishing my business, I spoke with Shabin a bit more about the tribe’s internal affairs before quietly returning to my lodging and going to sleep.

And the next morning.

“Ooooooh!”

“The strongest warrior of the clan has come to see our skills!!”

“It’s time to show my true ability!”

“Bethel—Raaaaaah!”

For some reason, all the barbarians I called here early this morning seemed motivated and full of energy.

It was completely unexpected.

It’s not like I’m here to evaluate their fighting skills.

‘Since when did they become so serious about construction?’

Out of curiosity, I asked Aynar, and her answer caught me off guard.

Or more precisely—

“It’s thanks to the chief administrative officer’s brainwashing.”

As the chief of the barbarians, I couldn’t ignore a word like that.

“…Brainwashing?”

“She said with proper rewards and constant praise, even goblins can change their mindset.”

It sounded absurd, but apparently, Shabin had made serious efforts to change their perception.

Whenever a warrior finished their work, she gave them a small reward and praised them publicly to stir their hunger for honor.

She satisfied their need for recognition.

It seemed she had pinpointed exactly what makes Barbarians go wild.

Why are barbarians so obsessed with strength? Because their lives depend on it. But at the core, it’s all about recognition.

Everyone admires the strong, so our warriors spill blood and sweat every day.

“I don’t know much, but the other day, we had a competition to see who could build a house the fastest.” Aynar continued, booming.” I heard if you win that, you become popular with the opposite sex, so I tried it out, but it was hard!”

“…….”

“It’s a shame! If I had learned construction work instead of entering the labyrinth, I could have done better!”

Even Aynar was spouting nonsense, so I hardly needed an explanation of how valuable construction skills had become in my tribe.

‘Is this a good thing or not…?’

As chief, I was slightly worried, but I decided to focus on the positive.

If our construction skills improved, it meant there were paths to survival beyond fighting.

And more choices was always a good thing.

‘…At this rate, I can actually look forward to this.’

With that, I stepped back to watch the construction test Emure had arranged and began assessing the warriors’ building skills

“I can carry three iron beams!!”

“No, I can do four!!”

Transport capacity—High

“BETHEL—RAAAAA!!”

Work speed—High

“What are you doing! Just jam it in there!”

Attention to detail- Low

“…Wha, what? Kirita, second son of Mweka! The, the window won’t fit here. What should we do!!”

Construction Techniques— Low

“Everyone, keep it up! If we finish today, the secretary promised 10,000 stones each!”

Labor costs— Low

Also, I would like to point out a few peculiarities:

They can only build rectangular structures.

They don’t know how to make domed roofs.

Generally fast but make frequent mistakes.

They can’t read blueprints at all…

‘So this is how it is…’

Seeing the flaws that were as evident as the strengths, I clicked my tongue in dissatisfaction.

“Sigh…”

…What am I supposed to do with this?

 

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