"Here are the documents you requested," Aengus respectfully placed the stack on top of the desk with a bow.
Eitan gave Aengus a nod of acknowledgement before glancing over the two. His eyes landed on Gehan's hands, where the tips of his fingers curled up and down. A tell of agitation or simply anxiousness, but most likely a mix of both. He eyed Aengus subtly and realized his bearing toward Gehan was anything but friendly. Seems like something happened. He quietly surmised as he began surfing through the documents. He couldn't be bothered to care about the twitchy previous lord too much. After all, Aengus may be a bit emotional, but he was by no means a rash man. He didn't need to worry about him overstepping his bounds.
He focused on the information in his hands, carefully going over paper by paper. Aengus stood in front of him, silent and poised like a statue. Meanwhile, Gehan kept shuffling and glancing at the door with annoyance hidden in his eyes.
Once he was done, Eitan placed all of the documents back in a neat stack on his desk. He rubbed his forehead as the large influx of information made his head hurt a little, but he had managed to commit everything he felt was important to memory.
Everyone thought that mercenaries lived free and rough lives, but that wasn't entirely the case. A lot of effort always went into maintaining a group. From organization and finances to punishments and rewards, it all required careful calculations. As the one dubbed the Mercenary King and one who built his group from the ground up, he naturally had no lack of experience in managerial tasks.
"Yuriel."
"Yes, Your Lordship!" A young girl of about ten years of age stepped forward from where she had been standing in the back of the room. Her bright honey-brown eyes twinkled as she awaited Eitan's command. She was one of the street urchins Eitan had saved, along with Miles and his sister. She was quite astute, so Lind took to training her to be Eitan's personal assistant.
"Please fetch Farrel for me," Eitan ordered her with a light smile.
"As you wish!" Yuriel curtsied politely, her short tawny hair bobbing with the motion. She briskly smoothed down her skirt before darting out of the room.
Eitan waited patiently, and it did not take long for her to return with the white knight in tow.
Once inside, Farrel kneeled in a knight's salute and looked up at Eitan. "You called, my liege?"
Gehan jumped a bit as the large man suddenly went down beside him while Aengus stared at Farrel with a conflicted gaze, fidgeting slightly. Eitan let out a low chuckle as he aptly guessed what must be on his mind. He must be feeling that his earlier greeting of Eitan was inadequate and contemplating getting down beside Farrel to make up for it.
"How inefficient it will be if you bend the knee every time you see me." He laughed a bit as he spoke to Farrel, but his gaze was actually directed at Aengus.
Aengus caught this and fixed his posture with a lowered head, a bit embarrassed that the lord had so clearly read his thoughts.
In truth, Eitan didn't really mind, but the positions of Farrel and Aengus weren't the same. Even if Aengus was foremost his knight, that did not change the fact that he was still a member of the Reidars. Farrel was different. He belonged to Eitan alone. It was not that Aengus lacked loyalty, but rather the fact that he was higher on the caste, as Farrel was officially no longer a knight. So the levels of respect necessary and even appropriate were naturally different. This was not to mention that their oaths themselves were hardly the same, so the resulting relationships also diverged.
Farrel rose to his feet only after Eitan gave him another glance. Eitan rested his head on his palm, observing the three men briefly before centering his attention on Farrel. "Take Lind and Gehan here with you to survey the castle. Have Gehan point out all of the luxury purchases made in recent times and have Lind take inventory. Once this is done, go and find a way to sell as much of it for as high a price as possible." The current financial state of the territory couldn't be considered dire, but it was not far off. He had already used a good portion of the starting funds granted to him for resolving the plague, so he was in urgent need of more cash. This was more of a band-aid solution than anything, but it would hopefully be enough for them to hold on until he could manage a more sustainable solution.
Gehan's face contorted at his words. "Lord Eitan, this is unreasonable! Many of those purchases were made with my personal funds. You have no right to just confiscate it all."
Eitan's eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head up to Gehan with an icy glare. "Unless you wish for me to investigate which exactly are from your money versus embezzlement of the castle's funds, you'd be wise to follow my arrangements." He allowed a very small bit of bloodlust to leak out and target the man.
Gehan flushed beet red at the thinly veiled threat, and his every limb began trembling. He dropped his head obediently, not daring to let out another peep under Eitan's murderous pressure.
Aengus, however, had a look of mild confusion on his face. This sort of task would typically be dedicated to a butler or even a lower servant, it was hardly a task for an aura knight. But it couldn't be helped. The soldiers were busy familiarizing themselves with the territory, and Lind had his hands full as Eitan's only official servant in the castle. It actually may not be a bad idea to promote him to a butler. Eitan became a bit distracted as he realized this thought. Besides being a bit lazy, Lind actually had no real faults. He completed all tasks delegated to him efficiently, and judging by how he managed the children, he wasn't terribly lacking in leadership qualities either. Not to mention, although he often acted timidly, he managed to stand up to Eitan's bloodlust to an impressive degree. That alone proved he had the necessary grit.
"Ah," he blinked as he refocused to see the three men still standing before him. "You are all dismissed."
The three bowed, albeit Farrel and Aengus much further than Gehan, before exiting the room. Eitan tapped his finger on the desk as he sat in deliberation. Even if there are others more competent, it'll be good to have someone who has experience by my side and whom I trust in such a position. After weighing the pros and cons, he turned his head back to Yuriel. "Could you get Lind for me?"
Yuriel smiled happily before she curtsied. "Of course, Your Lordship!" She disappeared from the room as fast as a rabbit.
Eitan watched her go with a fond gaze. All the children adored Lind a lot, it was quite cute to see. He spent his time reviewing the detailed documents to make sure he didn't miss anything until Lind came with a satisfied Yuriel beside him. He looked at the girl with a loose smile. "Yuriel, go take a break now."
"Yes!" Yuriel's departing curtsy was a bit sloppy due to her excitement, but she managed to close the door politely on her way out.
"Is there something you need, Lord Eitan?" Lind approached, and he bowed lightly.
"How would you like to be the butler of the castle?" Eitan inquired casually. It wasn't truly necessary to get Lind's consent, but Eitan didn't want to force yet another thing upon him.
Lind's head raised to show a face painted with stupefaction. "Uh- butler? Me?" He blinked rapidly as the information processed. Eitan was speaking of such an important thing so relaxedly, it made it even more difficult for him to accept. "Your Lordship— are you serious?"
"I don't say things I don't mean." Eitan put down the document in his hands and looked at Lind staidly.
Lind's expression changed rapidly before he pressed his lips together and lowered his head. "Lord Eitan, I… thank you for your consideration, but I don't think I'm capable enough for such a role."
Eitan's eyebrows rose in surprise. This was obviously a major promotion, so he had expected Lind to jump at the opportunity. He's more level-headed than I thought. He peered at Lind contemplatively. "No," his decision had only become more certain. "I believe you can do it."
Lind's shoulders shook, and he gazed up at Eitan with a complicated gaze. He then took a deep breath and suddenly bowed so far his head almost passed his hips. "I will do my best to live up to your expectations!"
Eitan startled a bit before his lips curled into a smirk. This guy really is something. He leaned back in his chair. "Alright then. As of this moment, I, as lord, officially promote the servant Lind to the butler of Saorise Castle."
Lind stood erect, an uncharacteristic determination shining in his eyes. "I follow the lord's command."
"That maid, Neyr. Speak to her to familiarize yourself with the castle's operations. If you have any questions she can't answer, get Aengus and go to Gehan. He'll answer you with him around." Eitan spoke to Lind with a satisfied tone before going back to the documents on his desk.
"Yes, milord!" Lind responded enthusiastically, bowing one more time before going off with a new pep in his step.
Eitan smiled slightly and concentrated back on the documents for a while. Once he was satisfied, he sat up straight with a large stretch. As I thought, staying behind a desk all day doesn't suit me. I'll go out and train my aura for a while. He grabbed the sword that had been leaning on the side of the desk and left the room. Hopefully, there'll be some news from the information guild soon. On the list he had provided to Farrel were not only people who became renowned for their martial prowess, but intellect as well. He released a light exhale as he walked down the hall. No rush, no rush. This life is still young. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword. I just need to keep getting stronger. All else in due time.
*****
"My liege," Farrel entered the dining hall with gleaming eyes. "I have something to report about the task you entrusted me with." He eyed Yuriel, who was standing by the side as he spoke.
"Yuriel, you're dismissed for now. Go ask the chef for some snacks." Eitan caught his intentions and waved the girl off.
Yuriel happily obliged and skipped out of the room after a polite curtsy. Once she was gone, Eitan put down his fork and looked at Farrel with an eager yet solemn expression. "There's news?"
"Yes," Farrel stepped forward and respectfully presented an envelope with two hands. "Forgive me for disturbing your meal, but you ordered me to report at the soonest possible."
"You did well," Eitan nodded as he received the envelope. He opened it and began reading without a care for his cooling food. So, two of the people have been found? Well, only one confirmed. He tensed up as his eyes moved down the ink. Beren Simal, a bastard of a viscount, and… a woman who fits the description as the one who will be known as the Golden Queen. His muscles relaxed, but his eyes shone brightly. Neither of the two was of those who needed to be eliminated, but rather those he wished to pull onto his ship.
In a few years, Beren Simal would become famous in noble circles as a man who managed to succeed the viscounty despite being illegitimate. He did not do this through some kind of military coup, but rather by using his wits to drag down all the full-blooded heirs until he was the only one left standing. Honestly, infamous may be a more apt description, as his actions and heritage earned him much scorn from the other high-borns. Eitan knew his story well as he had paid great attention to it, not out of disgust like the other nobles but rather envy. Here was a man who had managed to claw his way up to the top, while Eitan barely dared to walk freely in his own home. He was a frightful man to get on the bad side of, but if he could be made into an ally, he would no doubt be an invaluable asset on his path.
Then was the Golden Queen. Few knew her true name or face, but Eitan had come into contact with her during his early days as the Mercenary King Elron. She almost seemed to have come out of nowhere but emerged as one of the richest people in the kingdom. She ran a merchant guild known as the Golden Goose, and there was rumored to be no part of the kingdom's economy she didn't have a hand in. Despite her reclusive nature, she had been one of his closest confidantes in his past life. He would go so far as to say he wouldn't have been able to face Duke Logress as he did without her financial support. That meant, of course, he was one of the handful of people to know her real identity. An orphan slum girl named Reina, who later granted herself the last name of Heiress, perhaps as a way of making up for her destitute past.
If he could bring her under his banner and assist in the founding of the Golden Goose, his territory would never suffer from a lack of funds once she matured. After committing every word to memory, he handed the letter and envelope back to Farrel. "Destroy it."
Without a word, a white aura spread over Farrel's hand, and in the next moment, there was nothing left but dust. There wasn't anything particularly confidential on it, but Eitan didn't want to chance anyone he didn't trust gaining a hint of his plans. "Still no news about the assassins?" Eitan spoke up as he recalled the plaque he had entrusted Farrel with.
Farrel shook his head. "No, my apologies, my liege. It's likely that the plaque this group originates from is not based within this kingdom, so the search will take some time."
Eitan's brow rose. The countess has connections outside of the Ortus Kingdom? This was the kingdom in which Reidar County was located, and it was considered a mid-level kingdom on the continent. Kathryn came from a merchant family, so it was expected for her to have such far-reaching connections, but he never expected for her network to have even gone past the borders. "I see." There was nothing to be done about it, so he laid the subject to rest for the moment and refocused on the matter at hand. Beren, I'll have to carefully consider how to approach him, but Reina… His eyes glinted as he scarfed down the rest of his food. Once he was finished, he pushed back the chair and stood up. "I'm going to the study." He strode off briskly with Farrel pacing close behind.
Once he got to the study, he grabbed a piece of paper and ink, writing a few sentences before stamping the corner with the seal of the Lord of Saorise. He then sealed it into an envelope with a plain wax drip before handing it over to Farrel with a calm expression. "Get the information guild to pass this to the woman they detailed." If it really was Reina, he was almost certain this would cause her to come running straight to him.
Farrel took the envelope respectfully before saluting him. "I shall see it done." He confirmed Eitan had no other orders before making his way off to disguise himself and complete the task.
Even after Farrel left, Eitan sat at the desk with a contemplative expression. Now, what will be the best way of getting that fox on my side…