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Once Catherine finished her meal, it was Mary’s turn.

Dishing out pasta and sauce into her bowl, Mary continued to gulp it down until nothing but remnants were left, after which she gathered all the tableware and exited the office.

Catherine and Karem, having completed their meals, also left the office.

The two attendants headed toward Winterhome’s main estate, accompanied by Gordon.

“But didn’t you say there’s a mountain of work piled up?”

Gordon tilted his head, glancing down at Catherine beside him. He vividly remembered the mountains of paperwork stacked neatly in the Chief Magic Consultant’s office.

“Ugh, just thinking about how much paperwork there is makes me shudder. How do those high-ranking folks deal with all that every single day?”

“Well, that’s just because there’s been so much going on in the office.”

“What could possibly have piled up that high in just a year?”

“Yeah. Usually, it’s a lot smaller than that.”

“Well, if I had to handle that every day, I’d be freaking out.”

Catherine turned to tap Gordon on the waist as if to say, “Just look at this guy.”

“And this is also something that’s waiting for you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. By next spring, you’ll have to bury yourself in all that parchment.”

“Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious? With the territory’s ruler absent, all the paperwork left in a corner of Winterhome will just be waiting for its owner to show up.”

You’re doomed now. Catherine chuckled to herself.

“And you said the territory was devastated?”

Catherine also couldn’t imagine that the Grizzly Beaver swarm, which had been smashed at the Blackwood Sawmill, could have flowed all the way to the Bolton territory.

“If we add up the significant stuff like territory inspections, facility status checks, budgets, and resources required, I’d say it’s about half the pile of parchment I faced last year.”

“Excuse me? Sir Atanitas? Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?”

“Well, yeah. It’s probably about half.”

“This is hopeless.”

Karem looked up at Gordon, giving a light clap.

He prayed for Gordon’s soul. No matter how you looked at it, that guy didn’t seem very friendly with paperwork.

“Wait, what’s this? You’re already praying for the life of someone who’s practically dead? What’s going on?”

“Have you ever seen Sir Atanitas working?”

“I saw him once before. He’s not the Grand Wizard for nothing.”

Gordon shook his head, realizing that what he thought was just playing around and researching was actually him just working at lightning speed and saving it all for a last-minute rush.

“Uh, wait. If he works that fast, then what about the forest and mountains made of paperwork on the table?”

As Gordon began to grasp the situation, Catherine announced,

“Just so you know, I’ve been pulling all-nighters and working late from last fall until just before spring.”

“And you also stayed up for four nights in a row, huh?”

“Wow, I’ve stayed up for four days for research before, but after that, I couldn’t think straight.”

“You slept all day when you said you’d take a little break, after all.”

Karem echoed Catherine’s words, recalling the not-so-great memories. However, Gordon’s complexion grew paler with each passing moment.

Catherine doesn’t joke around. Karem, who he had seen in the office all this time, was the same.

‘Wait, are you serious? I can’t believe I have to do that much work?! I’ve barely touched any parchment aside from requests and the Monster Encyclopedia!’

That’s how little Gordon was acquainted with the concept of ‘paper.’

However, he’d seen numerous nobles both directly and indirectly and had been able to absorb their culture.

At that moment, a servant passed by them.

Catherine gestured for the servant to come over.

“Baron Bolton wishes to audience with Duke Godwin. Do you happen to know where he is?”

“Right now, he should be at the family-exclusive training grounds in the main estate.”

The Chief Magic Consultant and Baron Bolton.

At the sudden invitation from the high-ranking individuals, the servant quickly tidied his appearance and responded with a smile.

“Huh? Is there a training ground inside the castle aside from the outdoor dojo?”

“Yes. It’s not for serious training but intended for light warm-ups during work hours.”

“Since the castle is quite large, they must have such spaces.”

However, Gordon, who needed to see Duke Godwin, realized something else.

If he couldn’t manage the work alone, he could always hire others to handle it. While it left him with the task of hiring, he had no apprehensions about it.

He had a former accountant from a fallen noble family—an experienced steward named Robelio.

If he passed on the work, wouldn’t he just hire someone else automatically?

While Gordon was lost in thought about pawning off future workloads, Karem grabbed his waist and moved alongside the servant and Catherine.

“Isn’t there also a training ground inside the castle besides outdoor ones?”

“I’m not sure about other lords’ castles, but Winterhome is so big that it has been set up for knights who don’t have time to visit outdoor dojos.”

“Right. Knights say it itches if they don’t get to move even for a day.”

More than anything, knights were symbols of strength.

Simply slamming into enemies and stabbing with swords was the story of knights getting paid by their lord without territory.

For those with ruling lands, it meant they had to deal with parchment.

Even if they stayed in Winterhome away from their territories, some paperwork had to be handled by the knights themselves, leading to situations where they couldn’t move for long periods buried under mountains of paperwork.

The inner castle training grounds were facilities for such knights, and the family-exclusive training ground was for members of the Felwinter Family.

“So this is the training ground?”

“Yes. Should I let them know you’ve arrived?”

“Please do.”

As soon as the group was informed to enter, they stepped into the training ground.

Even within the castle, the training ground was quite large with a hard stone floor, and various training weapons were displayed on stands along the walls.

“Sir Atanitas. Karem. And Sir Stark’s here too.”

Unlike his attendant Viktor, who was sprawled on the floor, Godwin weakly raised his arm toward the guests.

“Duke Godwin, this is shameful. Please stand up to greet us.”

“With no strength in my limbs, what do you expect me to do?”

“Apologies. To both of you and Karem, Duke Godwin was just warming up before serious exercise.”

The sweaty and exhausted figure sprawled on the floor made it evident.

Just how strenuous was that warm-up exercise that he looked like seaweed washed ashore?

“What exactly did you do during that warm-up?”

“Oh, it’s nothing special. Just did some light jumping and running.”

“For you to be this soaked in sweat?”

“It’s the price I pay for succumbing to temptation.”

“Temptation?”

“Ugh, I had two Fried Chickens. I should have restrained myself.”

Viktor let out a light chuckle, as if he found it absurd.

Oh, in that case.

Karem immediately grasped the entire situation.

Godwin, who had been sprawled on the floor, shook and yet maintained an earnest expression as he lifted his head.

“But I have no regrets…!”

“Well, the price for that will have to be paid by you in physical exertion.”

“It was worth the taste I had.”

“That’s what he says.”

Viktor lightly brushed off Catherine’s grimace.

“So, what brings you both, Sir Atanitas and Baron Bolton?”

“Oh, it’s nothing special. I’m just here because I felt guilty for enjoying myself with nothing to do until spring.”

“…Excuse me?”

This time, when Gordon noticed the reaction from across the way, he couldn’t help but slap his forehead.

“Could you at least wrap that in a more respectable phrase?”

“Hmm. It’s just not my style.”

“Even if it’s not your style—”

“I say it directly to my lord.”

“Shouldn’t that be refined a bit more!?”

Gordon couldn’t believe the unexpected bluntness and was left in shock. Karem held him back, shaking his head.

“No, rather than stopping him, you’re worse.”

“At least I use honorifics and polite speech with Duke and the lady. With others, forget it.”

“Is that really okay?”

“It hasn’t caused any problems so far…”

“Probably?!” Gordon stared at Karem, who shrugged his shoulders, and he shook his head in disbelief, turning to Viktor. I heard nothing.

“So, by any chance, about Duke Godwin’s sword—”

“…Agree.”

“Drink teacher—Duke?”

“Okay. Let’s start right now!”

The once lifeless Godwin shot up like a rocket, brimming with vitality.

“Duke, you hastily agreed without knowing what proposal would come—”

“Come on, if the topic’s already out there, it’s obvious!”

“But that’s too hasty. One should always hear someone out until the end—”

“Anyway, Sir Churchill, who used to be the swordsmanship instructor, has been fed up with teaching. Now here’s a Swordmaster who’s willing to do it, so isn’t that a warm welcome?”

“Well. Then let’s negotiate it to be a temporary arrangement until Sir Churchill returns. For now, he’s the official swordsmanship instructor.”

“That way, it should avoid any unnecessary backtalk.”

“As long as the relevant party agrees, that’s how it’ll be.”

The conversation shifted gears rapidly, and soon Gordon found himself establishing a space for swordsmanship, leaving Catherine and Karem behind with Viktor and the similarly named Godwin.

However, Karem focused on a different aspect of their conversation.

“…Excuse me, who was Sir Churchill’s swordsmanship teacher again?”

Karem involuntarily envisioned a presence resembling pure masculine energy, or, in other words, a personification of ignorance.

‘Is this all the persuasion I get to endure?!!!!’

‘Getting stuck with parchment in the territory isn’t my style!’

‘MONSTER! I’ll take your head! What color is your blood!’

‘Guess I’ll have to buy some time. Alright! Shout the victory cry!’

The power of the leaps that caused cannonball-like effects.

Strength that could lift heavy cavalry charging and slam them to the ground.

And a gut so extensive it devoured every foolish thing in sight.

“What, ahem. Who was it again?”

“Well, I’ve also heard this for the first time. Someone who ditched the title for stretch assignments. They say they’re a Swordmaster, despite not being cut out to record stuff on parchment.”

“Aside from their eccentricity, are they competent?”

“Could that be why they participated in the Subjugation Team?”

“Well, they might claim to have been appointed by their lord as the head of the Subjugation Team—but—”

Catherine and Karem could almost guess what the situation was, having overheard Godwin’s earlier words.

If someone took charge of a rescue team filled with fighters who were only driven by blood and sweat, it was clear what kind of character he was without even looking.

The question remained: if such a man had been in the castle, surely there would have been some commotion, but why hadn’t anything been mentioned so far?

As one attendant pondered through the same doubts, another approached.

“Excuse me. Chief Magic Consultant.”

“Hmm? Oh, it’s the servant from earlier.”

It was the servant who had guided Catherine and her party to the training ground.

“Duke of Iceland requests to see you immediately.”

“Hmm? When should I schedule the meeting?”

“He wishes to see you right now.”

“Right now?”

Catherine tilted her head slightly.

To come without making an appointment and want to meet immediately?

Honestly, there were so many things I could guess ranging from magic tools to magic advice, to the status update of the Cold Resistance Potion and even the vanilla project, it was too much.

“I suppose I’ll head there now.”

“Yes. I’ll guide you to the office.”

“Little one, follow us. Mercenaries…”

Catherine took a quick look back at the three men in the training ground.

Gordon had already moved into a stronger territory with Viktor and Godwin.

They were discussing Godwin’s training plan.

“Leave it behind.”

“Yes.”

Karem followed Catherine out of the training ground, leaving the three men behind.

“But, Sir Atanitas.”

“What is it, kid?”

“Shouldn’t we change how we refer to Gordon now that he has a title?”

“When that kid is completely stripped of his mercenary blood.”

“Hmm.”

Karem instinctively sensed that the time before that would still be a long way off.

 

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