[T.L: punisher87]
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[The former butler of the clan...?]
"Luntia Runcandel, my 2nd sister and the 3rd flagbearer, and the former head butler of the clan, Luet Damiro Yul, are trapped in different subspaces. As soon as the announcement is over, I will search for them."
Finding Luntia first was necessary.
Since the evil god is dead, there is a high possibility that the chaos energy, which is supporting her, also has problems.
But the most frightening fact was that Luntia had already transformed. With her physical changes, it was impossible to restore her to her current state of purification.
‘Elder sister can only be properly rescued when the battle god fusion is possible, or after sister Vahn comes out.'
Still, if she was alive, there would be a chance to reverse the situation eventually.
Jin thought with hope.
"Great-grandfather and Sir Alpen, from now on, please take charge of the Black Sword Association and the Guardian of law, respectively."
During the appointment ceremony, Jin confirmed the survival of the chief of the Guardian of civilians, Tellot Runcandel.
For the remaining two positions, Vallas and Alpen were the best choices.
[I understand. You mean to manage and designate successors in advance, right?]
"Exactly, Sir Alpen. And Dame Tasha, please take the position of the Chief Instructor."
The position of "Chief Instructor" might seem less prestigious for the former patriarch.
However, Jin believed that talent development was urgently needed now, and the former patriarch thought the same.
[Understood, with honor.]
"When it becomes known that Dame Tasha will be personally involved in training, not only the cadet but also the current knights will gather."
Replenishing the workforce was necessary.
Not only for future wars against powerful forces, but also to protect those who gather around Jin Runcandel.
[I can see that happening. But I have very high standards, and the selection process will be strict. Be prepared for the recruitment process to take longer than you expect.]
"Of course. That's why I entrusted Dame Tasha with the role of Chief Instructor. Show your vision as the former patriarch.”
[It may be a heavy burden, but you can expect good things.]
When the former patriarchs withdrew, Jin headed straight to the patriarch’s office.
In the office, Mary and Tona brothers, as well as the butler and the scribes, were waiting.
Without hesitation, Jin took his seat in the office, without even taking a moment to appreciate his first step as the young patriarch of the clan.
"Young patriarch, even though I tried to filter them, there are still many reports."
"They are still coming in from various regions, so if you set the criteria today, we will try to minimize the number of reports to be submitted in the future."
Mary and Tona brothers spoke. As it was an official setting, their attitude towards Jin had changed.
Jin smiled as he looked at the siblings. The fact that they had all survived the war gave him a sense of relief.
Familiar faces were among the butlers as well.
However, the faces of the two butlers who knew most of the clan's secrets were not present.
"Are the chief butlers, Heinz and Howard, deceased?"
"...Yes, lord young patriarch."
Petro answered.
"What about the documents they possessed?"
"While you were absent, Miss Valeria conducted a search, but they couldn't be found. Only records of them being damaged before the death of the evil god remain."
Jin decided not to dwell on it.
Among the clan’s past secrets, the most important one was inevitably related to Chiron. The reasons why Chiron had devoted his time to the Black Sea from a young age, and ultimately why he formed an expedition team....
Jin now felt like he had a slight idea of those reasons.
‘Father, he went to the Black Sea so as not to become a monster like the evil god.’
When he met Chiron in the inner realm last time, he had a strong conviction, and since discovering the characteristics of the power called 'genesis knight', he had suspected as much.
For a while, Jin quietly reviewed the reports.
With each confirmation of the number of survivors, he felt a surge of emotion, just like with the siblings.
"Petro."
"Yes!"
"Lend all the unused renowned swords stored in the clan warehouse to allied clans and the Empire. The assessment of rental fees will be handled by lord Picon. The contract will be for a period of 5 years, and if the rental exceeds 20 years, ownership will be transferred. The money generated from this will all be invested in Huphester’s stabilization."
Petro wanted to ask if this was really happening, but he held back and bowed his head.
"But do not force the rentals. Provide them only to the clans that are willing to borrow those swords, even if it means opening up slush funds."
"Understood."
"Everyone must have been surprised. Throughout the past thousand years, the renowned swords of the clan have never been utilized in this manner. But now we need money. In addition to stabilizing Huphester, we will need a significant amount of money to produce a fleet in the future. It's enough to make another renowned sword.”
"When you mention production... Well, Lord young patriarch, even in times like these, it is highly unlikely that the noses of the Minche Blacksmith Association will be lowered. Especially considering that most of the weapons our clan is lending are the association's creations. If that fact were to be revealed, it would be even more so."
As a scribe struggled to speak, Jin looked around at everyone.
The three leaders of the Minche Blacksmith Association, "Anvil," "Fire," and "Hammer," had even refused exclusive contracts presented by Chiron in the past.
"In the future, when presenting your opinions to me, do so confidently without being cautious. Unless it's a completely foolish idea, I will never reprimand you. It is important for these intelligent individuals to continue expressing their opinions."
"Understood!"
"I have already considered weapon production through the Minche Blacksmith Association. Some people may already know, but the origin and legendary blacksmith of that association, Picon Minche, is affiliated with the Vamel alliance. Furthermore, he is considered the successor of the previous blacksmith god, Growler. Lord Picon will personally participate in negotiations with the association."
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Minche Blacksmith Association was composed entirely of Picon's extreme followers.
Even if Picon asked them to give up their position as president of the association, it was highly likely that they would immediately agree.
The reason Jin had preserved the favor of Picon all this time was precisely for moments like this.
"Do not hesitate to lend the renowned swords. The martial power of our allied warriors will strengthen, and we will earn money to produce even better weapons. Furthermore, we will distribute those swords to those among the cadets and knights who have shown significant achievements."
Jin believed that in times of chaos, what moved most people was personal goals and a sense of accomplishment, rather than just righteousness.
"Petro, by now, you can probably guess what other commands I will give."
"I will dispose of everything in the clan treasury that doesn't hold historical significance, according to your instructions."
"Excellent. Consult with the Golden Peng Upper Division on that matter. Sell everything through clandestine transactions on the black market to the Lutero Federation and lands of the beastmen. Remember, no matter how much we scrape together, it won't be enough money."
"Yes!"
"Furthermore, for the time being, only high-ranking butlers including Petro, along with five scribes, will remain in the Garden of Swords. The rest of you will be dispatched immediately to Huphester and report on the local situation regularly. Assignment will be handled by the 7th flagbearer."
"Yes."
"In terms of financial measures within the clan, things seem to be in order. Now the problem we need to address is manpower."
Acquiring skilled personnel for fleet production, magical engineers.
That was the key.
Nowadays, a war without a fleet was unimaginable.
To create the "Golden Fleet," the presence of magical engineers was essential.
"We may be able to secure some through the magic engineer in Huphester and the Empire, but it won't be enough. Is there anyone who can propose a way to gather magical engineers?"
"I have an idea."
Surprisingly, it was Valeria.
She had just entered the office and overheard Jin's voice.
"Valeria?"
"I heard from the former patriarchs earlier that from now on, you will be putting me in the forefront. Although we didn't discuss it personally. Now that you've become the young patriarch of Runcandel, I can't be rash or..."
"Well, I was going to ask."
Jin replied in a solemn voice.
Mary and Tona brothers struggled to hold back their laughter, while the butlers and scribes rolled their eyes in embarrassment.
Valeria now treated Jin and his comrades with a comfortable familiarity.
"Anyway, since you have decided to make my presence public, we can use that to recruit quite a few magical scholars. As you know, there are quite a few mages obsessed with the name Hister in this world."
Figures like Kidard Hall were representative examples of the past.
'Hister' was a legend and myth to the mages.
Especially for mages who had received the "Advanced Education" of Zipfel and had even visited their secret library, it was even more significant.
In different circumstances, if Jin were to recruit mages through Hister’s promotion, Zipfel would have gone into a frenzy. But not now.
Instead, it was Zipfel who had to be cautious of Jin's reactions.
"As the desire for Hister grows stronger for high-ranking mages, naturally, advanced talents will come seeking. If Euria takes charge of verifying their identities, we can filter out the spies sent by Zipfel as well."
"That's a good idea."
"However, I hope my face doesn't appear on those giant billboards that depict the image of the young patriarch of Runcandel."
"I've already mentioned it to the Golden Peng. It's better not to have high expectations. Those folks believe there's no better advertisement than that. And it actually worked well."
Valeria showed a displeased expression but didn't voice it.
Jin chuckled at her reaction.
The meeting continued for about two hours after that.
They discussed Huphester’s financial situation and the plans for reconstruction.
It was the first time a meeting had been conducted in such a harmonious atmosphere in this era.
It was a scene that could never be seen during the time of Chiron and Rosa managing the clan.
"I guess we've covered everything roughly. The official statement will be announced tomorrow at noon, and we'll choose the imperial capital as the location."
As Jin stood up to conclude the meeting, he made eye contact with Mary.
"Young patriarch."
"Speak, 7th flagbearer."
"You should consider going down to the underground prison."
"...Underground prison?"
Currently, in the underground prison, the former ten great knight, Padler Runcandel, was imprisoned.
Amazing