*

　Really, your hands don't look like a lady anymore, I... and I... Elena Graffius stared at her ink-stained hands.
　Pencils have formed on her fingers, and the ink is stuck between her nails.
　Ninety percent of it would come off if I washed it, but the ink that got between my nails didn't work that way, and before I knew it, this had become a regular occurrence.
　While looking at my own hands, I was remembering Faye's conversation.
　What we talked about was ... how to say ... the nightlife.
　A lot has happened on the southern frontier and Faye has become his woman.
　Several times, as she performed nightgirls, Faye seemed to have developed an inferiority complex as a woman and felt her hands were not girlish.
　I think it's weird for me to treat Faye, who is over 20 years old, as a 'girl', but still, Faye is still a 'girl'.
　I think this is because Faye has recently become more aware of herself as a woman.
　Maybe that's why I can feel the 'girlishness' in her normal behavior, and the way she's embarrassed, I can feel her s*xuality.
　Maybe Faye would immediately answer that she would be proud if asked about her hands.

　What about me?

　If you asked me if I could be proud of my ink-stained hands I wouldn't have an answer for you.

"It's a lot of work, but...

　Huh, I let out a long sigh.
　I'm sure you'll find that even if you are mainly a sedentary person, you will still be worn out to a certain extent if you are restrained for a long time.
　The tax season is an unaccustomed time for standing work, so the wear and tear is intense.
　The work of the clerical staff, including me, is to check if there is any difference between the numbers on the books and the actual numbers.
　The crops collected from the villages in the territory, the payments for the crops received from the merchants, other taxes and carry-over funds, etc.
　It's easy to put into words, but when you're a nobleman with a large territory like Crono-sama, that much is a lot of work. On top of that, there's a chronic shortage of manpower, so the work is nothing short of grueling.
　And yet, 'I was wrong' is not allowed.
　I've only ever worked for Chrono-sama, but I guess clerical work, including my job as an accountant, is a job that demands infallibility.
　It's that kind of work, but the guy seems to appreciate it a lot and has given me a raise since last year.
　It's not just me, it's all of us who work at the Marquis' mansion.
　I have 27 gold coins in my possession right now.
　He said he bought me for 20 gold coins so he can buy me back my freedom, maybe.
　But is that really necessary?　I guess so.
　At least I haven't been inconvenienced since he bought me out.
　I'd like to think that I'm not being inconvenienced right now, dammit.
　Maybe I should ask him next time?　I slowed my pace a bit.
　I reminded myself that there was no place to go if I bought myself back.
　Even if I tried to get revenge, Master Crono would not cooperate with me.
　You can't waste your life trying to kill Phillip and the others with your own hands, now that you know you have no talent for magic or swordsmanship.
　Philip knows I'm alive and well.
　He must think that I am favored as a s*x slave.
　If Crono-sama becomes a major influence, Philip - even his uncle - will be scared that he will be avenged at any moment.
　To say I'm altruistic and don't like it would be an understatement, but it's the only revenge I can take right now.
　I walked into my room and grabbed the stick that was propped up near the door, feeling uncomfortable.
　Then swing the stick around in a circular motion in a circle.
　I'd change places and repeat the process over and over again.

Ouch!

　Someone shouted as the impact was felt on the wooden stick.
　I raised the stick and swung it down again and again.

"Ow, that hurts!

　The air is distorted and Crono-sama appears from the empty space.
　He was hiding in my room using a magic called the Kaiyang Corridor.

''How?''
I was just swinging a stick around.

　The Kaiyang Corridor is a magic that has the dumb flaw that even the person hiding in it can't see what's going on around them, and to an expert like Fay, a single word of 'intuition' can detect their whereabouts, and even if they're just swinging a stick around at random like they are now, they can get hit.

''I could use it against amateur vigilantes, though~''

　Crono-sama muttered to himself, but since he's done the same thing over and over again, I'm sure I'll be able to come up with a countermeasure.
　You can't plan a countermeasure if you don't repeat it over and over again, so it's probably a threat to your opponent who doesn't know about the existence of the open yang corridor.

"Hit me a little more gently.

　Crono-sama sat deeper into the bed, rubbing his head deliberately.
　I let out a deep sigh as I could read what was going to happen next.

'You know, I'm tired,'

　Now I just want to rest anyway.
　Besides," he continues.

How's work?
It's all right. It's all right.

　I reported the income and expenditure.
　First of all, the income the money carried forward was 43,742 gold coins and ten silver coins.
　The revenue is sixty-seven thousand seven hundred and fifty gold coins from the Marquis of Erakis and five thousand gold coins from the Count of Caddo.
　The per capita tax on slavers is 12,000 gold pieces, and the fee for the use of the port is 2,400 gold pieces for two months.
　In total, 123,892 gold coins and 10 silver coins.
　There were various expenses, but there were 37,757 gold coins.

It's rather unused. Then I'd like to reward my men or something.
'I'd better not do that. If they think you're turning a lent soldier into a private army, you'll physically lose your head.

　This guy is a pervert who has a number of mistresses around him and wants to see my disgusting face, but considering the successes he's had in the war and the position he's in now, there may be a bit of a let-down.
　Well, we can't deny the possibility that they may decide to crush us before we get out of hand in earnest.

What about sending a lump sum to the families of injured or dead soldiers in the name of a lump sum?
I don't think you can blame me for that, maybe.

　How long ago was it? I thought he was fatally underqualified for command.
　This guy has too much of a sense that each soldier, each one of them has a family and a life.
　If this guy was a mere lord, if he was in a position where he could focus on running the estate, it could be a virtue.
　But this guy is a lord and a commander at the same time.
　He is in a position to divide the deaths of.......subordinates into numbers.
　Because he can't do that, he suffers.
　He tries to reward his subordinates as much as possible.
　And my men will be even more loyal to this guy.

''Well then, take care of the arrangements.
What?
You must be tired.
Yeah, that's true.
I'm tired, too.

　While I was mumbling, Crono-sama said that and left the room.
　I was left alone in the room and I slept unfaithfully.



　The next afternoon, when I went to the office with the three reports, Master Crono was elegantly sipping a cup of fragrant tea as if he had finished his work.

'.........It's the official version of the income and expenditure report. The money carried forward is 43,742 gold coins and 10 silver coins.

　I walk up to him and show him one of the reports - a document that summarizes the expenses from last October to this September.
　Crono-sama pulled his incense tea to the edge of the desk and stared at the report.

''I think I spent quite a bit on war expenses and investing in Elaine-san.
You're missing the purchase of slaves.

　These are three things that were not in the budget proposal.
　However, considering what this guy was trying to do, I have a feeling that it was factored in.

''As for the revenue........the tax revenue from the Marquis of Erakis is a little more than last year, sixty-seven hundred and seventy gold coins, the Count of Caddo has five thousand gold coins, twelve thousand gold coins from the slavers, and two months of port royalties, two thousand four hundred gold coins.

　Elena cuts off her words there.

''In total with the money carried forward, there are 123,892 gold coins and 10 silver coins. It's a paper workshop but things are going well over here.

　Elena piles on the paper workshop's income and expenditure reports.


You'll have your money back in a year.
You know, that stuff you've been worrying about, it's starting to show.

　This time last year, this guy was worried that the trees used as raw material for paper would dry up, but now that he's got Count Caddo, it looks like he'll be fine for a while.
　To begin with, the branches of the trees that are used as raw materials for paper grow even if you cut them down.

''........Next, I want to build a roadway connecting the Marquis of Erakis and Count Caddo territory, I want to explore the area, I want to build a school......my dreams are expanding....
You should have more paperwork to do first. Paperwork.

　I know it's not as easy as it sounds, but I went into it.
　The old nobility would be able to gather competent and trustworthy people from their relatives, but in the case of this guy, the only options are to raise him yourself, or to pile up the money and pull him out from somewhere, or to buy a slave like me.
　The choice to raise him is also a crooked one.......for example, Leila the half-elf.
　Maybe Leila would quit the army as soon as Crono-sama told her to, and engage in office work.
　However, if she did that, it would be a hindrance to maintaining security.

''I'll have to build a deputy's office in Count Caddo's territory as well.
If you're busier than you are now, you'll be a stone dead man.
'I'll send a letter to Dad and Ault about that, and ask Dr. Weissman to get Tilia in touch with the former vassals.

　Spitting out a clean, altruistic line, Master Crono stood up.

'Are you going out?'
The 'union' and the poorhouse. Would you like Elena to join us?
'As long as you explain it to the others properly. I don't want them to think I'm slacking off.

　I'm the accountant in charge of general accounting, but there are nine other people in charge of administration.
　If you count Wester in charge of the office, that's ten, too.

Of course I'll make my rounds.
Then it's fine. I'll wash my hands, okay?

*

Can't we wait outside?
No.

　When I looked up at the second shop of the Sinner Trade Association and asked, Master Crono immediately dismissed my proposal.

'I don't like him,'
It's what they think.

　So you don't want to see me!　I shouted in my mind, but Crono-sama took my hand and went to the second shop of the "Sinner Trade Association".

'..........Hmmm......it's thriving.

　I didn't want to meet that woman, so I shied away from her, but the second store of the 'Sinner Trade Association' seemed to be thriving.
　It mainly deals in clothing.
　
　There is no third store.

''Oh, you should have called me.
I thought it would be faster if I went myself.

　Who?　That's what I thought of the woman I saw Elaine Sinner.
　Her makeup is modest and not very revealing.
　Even her hair is just pulled back.

'Have you come to buy some clothes for that girl?
''You're not going to say that you're not going to sell your clothes to a slave, are you?''

　Elaine smiled kindly.
　Probably for business.

'No way, I'll sell it to anyone as long as they pay me.
So I'll come back the day you're not here.
You're welcome, but not me.

　When I finished my sarcasm, Master Crono looked dumbfounded.

''By the way, what do you want today?''
It's a bit about the Countess of Caddo.
Let's go upstairs.

　Elaine shows me to the reception room on the second floor.
　It's a simple reception room with just a sofa and a table, but it's well-cleaned and feels good.
　Crono-sama sits down deeply on the sofa and I sit down shallowly.
　Elaine narrowed her eyes slightly and sat down in front of Crono-sama.

''I've decided to set up a deputy's office in the port of Silva in Count Caddo's territory.
Yeah, I'm here.

　It seems that the decision to place the deputy's office in Silva Port in Count Caddo's territory was made when he spoke with the guildmaster of the Mercenary Guild.
　The reason it's not in the Marquis of Erakis territory is because the Port of Silva is a logistical hub.
　The cargo is unloaded into the port of Silva, and from there the merchants take their respective routes.

'If you need help, I can introduce you to a whore who's thinking of retiring, okay?
You know what? There's no way I'm going to accept such a proposal.

　I said, and Elaine tilted her head in wonderment.
　Ugh, I'm annoyed.

Why is that?
You can't be trusted. Now that I know who you are, you're going to get the inside scoop and use it for your business.
''Well I don't want to do it when I'm found out.

　If the returns outweigh the risks, this guy is going to do it, he's going to do it.

'But I need you to think about it,'
You are persistent, aren't you?
It's a responsibility. One rejection is not enough to make me back down.

　Elaine looked at me intently.
　It's a little pressurized.

'Some girls go out on their own or end up with rich mistresses, but only a few get lucky. The older they get, the less customers they get, and when they don't make any more money, they have no choice but to retire.
Would it be difficult to keep him as an educator or hire him in the 'union'?

　Master Crono said, and Elaine let out a deep sigh.

''Even that is limited, right?''
Well, sure.

　Master Crono crossed his arms thoughtfully.

'....If I were to hire you, would you be as a teacher?
They'll think you're taking advantage of them.

　But as a teacher, you don't have a lot of access to information that you wouldn't want to be known or used, and building a stuffing station for teachers outside of the Marquis' mansion would reduce the chances of that happening.

'Dr. Weissman has been asked to concentrate on administration and officer education, and has been introduced to... eh...'
Ex-whore. Ex-whore.
'It's like having a former prostitute teach you to read and write and do math.

　I nodded my head, "So it's a two-step process, basic and specialized?

"Am I right in thinking that they will hire you?
I'm still working on it.
That's enough.

　Elaine patted her chest as if to say that a little weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

'Back to the point, have you decided who you're going to appoint as your deputy?
I'm thinking of giving it to Kane.

　Hey," I said, poking Master Crono in the side with my elbow.

It hurts.

　
　Since the agency is built to prevent trouble between merchants and mercenaries, Kane, who has experience as a mercenary, is the right person for the job.

''Oh, is it okay to say that?''
I'm not in trouble.

　Yeah, well, it wouldn't hurt you to know.

I'm late for work.
'Yes, I hope you'll have something concrete about the school by the next time we meet.

　Elaine sees me off and walks out, this time towards the poorhouse.
　Why did this guy bring me here?
　Hmmm...does this mean we should be prepared for this kind of thing?
　With that in mind, I went to the poorhouse, which is halfway between the commercial and residential districts.

''Where is Mr. Zion?''
Yeah, the director is upstairs.

　Master Crono asked, and the woman at the entrance pointed up.

'May I come in?'
'My lord is paying for it, so I don't have to say no, do I?
Courtesy, courtesy.
Okay.

　The woman laughed at what was so funny.
　When she entered the poorhouse, every inch of it was as clean as last year's.
　Up the stairs and at the end of the second floor, the Director's room.......Crono-sama stopped and knocked on the door.

''Come in........''
Hi. Long time no see.

　When Master Crono entered, Priest Zion of the 'Yellow Earth Temple' greeted him with a soft smile.

''Master Crono, please wait a moment while I brew some incense tea.
You didn't make me some incense tea when I was your age, did you?

　When I rushed in, Sion gave a big smile.

''Crono-sama.......will be donating a large amount of money to us.
It's a sadistic world, isn't it, when priests are paid to be different?

　Crono-sama sat down on the sofa in the corner of the room and I followed suit.
　I thought I was going to go make a cup of tea, but Sion poured the incense tea from the pot in the corner of the room into a cup.

''Yes, Crono-sama,''
....

　I said Crono-sama, but in case you're wondering, there's one for me too.
　It's not funny, as if I'm being treated as an extra.

How's the poorhouse?
'Thanks to the paper workshop, half of them have left.

　Crono-sama asked, and Sion said with satisfaction.

''Right now, your main focus is to take care of those who are not feeling well and the children.

　If you're able to work, we're offering you a job in the paper workshop, and you will.

Where's Clover?
I'm told that the cows are growing up fast and, well, they've started to produce milk faster.
'I was just trying to regain ground in the field, is that a happy miscalculation?'

　Master Crono looked up at the ceiling and muttered in confusion.

'You're going to be able to make more cheese, so why don't you think you've contributed to the rural community's increased income?
''If we can see the effect of restoring the land strength of the field, the entire territory will spread clover on the fallow land... so... won't the price of the cheese go down?
Why don't you go sell to another fiefdom, or export to a group of free city-states?

　Doesn't this guy ever get tired of worrying about it all?

'Well, we'll think about the cheese price drop later. What about the beet?
Oh, yes, the beets are being harvested. The fields to the south of Hachel are about fifty times larger than the Temple.
"........two and a half pounds of sugar. Five tons? A kilogram of gold at the terminal price and a gold coin, that's two thousand five hundred gold coins~. We'll expand our southern fields and have a steady income.

　Is this guy trying to figure out how to distribute it?

If I have to spread out any further, I'll be alone.

　Come to think of it, it's the same with the Temple that's short on manpower.
　And that's why Zion is touring the rural areas all by himself.

'More donations means more priests?
Oh, it's not about the money, it's about the faith.

　

How much do I have to pay to have a priest sent to me?
'Oh, well, Mister Crono, if you could put some more clothes on your teeth.
About six thousand gold pieces?

　Theon was paralyzed by the lack of faith in the dialogue.
　Shubot~, he could almost hear such a sound.



'You're smirking and weird.
I wish you could tell me you were smiling.

　On the way back from the Saviour's Hospital, Master Crono replied, holding his mouth.

'So what's the fun in that?'
Is it more joy than fun?

　Huh?　And I'm half a step behind Crono-sama.

"Aren't you happy about that, Elena?
So what?

　The wagons that pass by the road quite often, the voices of touts in the distance, the appetizing smells.
　A middle-aged woman is having a trivial conversation on the side of the road, and a group of kids are running right next to her.

''When I ... just became a lord, it wasn't as crowded as it is now, was it?''
Well, they didn't have ports and they were taxed like crazy.

　I think there were all these furnace taxes and other incomprehensible taxes.

"There were vagrants in the narrow alleyways and street prostitutes... Leila was malnourished and skinny, and Mino and the others looked like they had bad hair.

　I don't know what happened to Leila when she was so malnourished and thin.
　So I can't give this guy the answers he wants.

I'm happy to see the results.
But you're not the only one who can't take credit.
Well, you know.

　Did I offend you?　I followed Master Crono, feeling a little uneasy.

So, thank you.
.....

　The sound of a gentle voice makes my heart skip a beat.

'Oh, I'm not even on my own,'
Thanks to everyone, including Elena.

　I looked at my hands.
　My hands are stained with ink.
　Infallible work.
　Now, I hadn't even noticed before.
　The numbers I've been facing are the very life of the people.
　When the numbers are down, they are poorer; when they are up, they are richer.
　If I miscalculate, the amount of money I can spend on my fellow countrymen will be less.
　Fortunately, I haven't made any mistakes until now, and that's what has led to the 'now'.
　When I think about it, I feel a little proud of my ink-stained hands.