Chapter 88

Usually, the factors that determine a game character's popularity are 1st, appearance, and 2nd, performance.

Most are released with both at once, and they are usually priced high.

However, in Warlord Saga, things were a bit different.

There was a third item in the list called personality.

Personality was a factor that determined how well one got along with other companions, and sometimes it would rise to the 1st spot depending on the situation.

It may sound strange, but in Warlord Saga, where one had to consider the compatibility of companions, this was a matter of course.

If you ignored personality differences and happily gathered only high-performance characters, the next moment you would see a companion leave due to personality differences or the party disband.

You could feel the game company's determination to never let the user have it easy.

What's more, when a companion leaves, they don't just leave.

A departing employee usually doesn't harbor good feelings towards the company.

Thus, a departing companion usually takes money and valuable items with them.

This could cause another companion to leave as well…….

When a user sees a well-running game suddenly explode, their insides are bound to explode too.

Because of this, strategy guides inevitably included a personality chart.

In that respect, Cavaldi was not a popular companion.

It was because he had a strong tendency to do as he pleased.

Should I say he's like a ball that could bounce anywhere.

Eleonor, on the other hand, gets along well with others once her curiosity is satisfied.

But Cavaldi, with his strong pride, often clashed with other companions.

Just like now.

“……”

I couldn't help but feel a sudden wave of fatigue at the antics of the neighboring duke.

It seemed that a few weeks in prison were not enough to improve his mental state.

Perhaps it had worsened.

Let's think about this one by one.

Eleonor is an insider.

We've worked together for a long time and are friends.

Therefore, she has the right to ask why I am not becoming a king.

On the other hand, Cavaldi is an outsider.

In terms of both career and relationship, at best, he is just a newcomer to the company.

This means he has no authority to tell me what to do in my private domain.

But at the same time, Cavaldi is also the Duke of Urdino.

It's common for one's rank in an organization and social status not to match, but this is a bit extreme.

I had an ominous premonition that if I didn't give him an answer now, this show-off of a man would be a headache for a long time to come.

“Would you mind telling me why you thought I would naturally wear the crown?”

“Then what other reason is there? You have completely taken control of Fasa.”

“Shh.”

No, how did he know that?

Did he plant a spy inside the company?

As I quickly covered his mouth, Cavaldi looked at me with a dissatisfied expression.

“Duke Cavaldi, there are many listening ears around.”

“I only bring trustworthy people with me.”

At those words, the duke's attendants looked proud.

Yes, that must be nice.

But that was none of my business.

“I'm sure you do. But this is Fasa.”

“Oops.”

What do you mean, oops.

This is driving me crazy.

I sent out my close aides to control access to the area.

Inside the room, only myself, Cavaldi, Theo, and the duke's knight named Delapin remained.

Seeing that Cavaldi had left him, he seemed to be quite trusted.

The conversation started again as I watched him with dissatisfaction.

“Honestly, what did Fasa do in this war? Did they do anything other than hold us back? They played games with the supplies and colluded behind our backs, didn't they?”

“Where on earth do you hear such things?”

“I have my ways.”

Cavali said triumphantly in front of a shocked me.

“Anyway, the one who actually carried out the war was you, and the Black Company. It was you, not anyone else! You have the right to be the founder of a new kingdom!”

Finally, Cavaldi delivered a fiery speech.

This is the first time I've known Cavaldi to be so eloquent.

I was pleased that Cavaldi held me in such high regard, but at the same time, it was burdensome.

Is this a case of a hero recognizes a hero?

“If not, why would I have sided with you and antagonized Pescara and Messina? It was because I thought you would become king! That way, I would save face!”

What!

Now I get it.

Cavali's mental level……!

That was his true intention!

I realized Cavaldi's psychology.

To be precise, it was this:

It is a very dishonorable thing for a duke of a country to be defeated by a mere company commander.

But it is not so dishonorable to be defeated by a great man who would later fight three against one and win, and become a king himself.

It's natural to lose to someone that strong.

But when I said I wouldn't wear the crown, Cavaldi was shocked and came running.

What on earth am I supposed to do with this golden child?

No.

It's my fault for expecting something from Cavaldi in the first place.

As I looked at the escort knight Delapin with pity, Delapin replied with a look that said 'please let it slide just this once'.

Hmm, what should I do about this.

If I said, “I have no intention of becoming king, go back,” he would probably grab my collar and go crazy.

And if I honestly said, “Ah, this place doesn't seem like a good spot for a kingdom. You understand, right?” he would also probably go crazy and grab my collar.

If you felt that the same conclusion was reached no matter what I did, you'd be right.

Because that's Cavaldi's personality.

In that case, it can't be helped.

I have no choice but to talk my way around it like with Eleonor.

But in a way that stimulates Cavaldi's pride, vanity, and imagination.

“Duke of Urdino. No, Captain Cavaldi.”

“Yes. Your Excellency. Please speak.”

As expected, calling him by his rank was effective.

Cavali assumed a formal posture, as if expecting a serious conversation to follow.

The attitude I was taking now seemed to satisfy some desire Cavaldi had.

I approached him and said.

“My goal is not just this small piece of land.”

“Oh!”

For some reason, Cavaldi exclaimed in admiration and assumed a listening attitude.

“The world is wide. From Caledonia to Stridesund, Malacca to Maghreb, Levona to Messina, it is truly boundless. And somewhere, there will be a land far better and more suitable for establishing a kingdom.”

“Ooh!”

“Someday, there will be a day to conquer that vast land. So it is wise to keep a low profile until the opportunity comes. Because it will attract unnecessary vigilance from those around. The very reason I hid behind Fasa's back is for that.”

This time, there was no notification that I had bewitched Cavaldi, but surprisingly, my words worked well.

Cavali's eyes were shining just like Eleonor's.

I was actually the one who was flustered by his genuinely moved appearance.

Why is he acting like that, seriously.

“Such profound and far-reaching thoughts! I was not mistaken in my judgment of you. Yes, in the end, you cannot be satisfied with being the king of this small land. I, Cavaldi, will continue to do my best to help you achieve your goal!”

“Congratulations, Your Grace.”

Even Delapin's eyes were tearing up.

Uh, what.

Did they take some kind of drug without me knowing?

As I was feeling disconcerted, Cavaldi spoke seriously with eyes that seemed to be looking at some distant place.

“You may not know, but I too once wanted to leave this land. Not just to inherit a title, but to see the wider world and find a more prosperous land to obtain something of my own.”

“Ah, so you did.”

“But I had to give up my ambition due to obstacles and difficulties around me. But now, I am very pleased to meet someone who is trying to walk the same path!”

So that's how it was.

Cavali wasn't just a reckless fool, but quite an ambitious man.

Learning the backstory that wasn't revealed even in the game, I felt a little moved.

I have to admit my mistake.

I might have subconsciously looked down on Cavaldi too much.

The Cavaldi in this place was not just a character in a game, but a living person.

But I tried to judge Cavaldi only with the information I had obtained from the game.

I shouldn't have done that.

However.

“But did such a person form a trio to beat up one person?”

“Ahem, let's not talk about that. I did beat up Pescara later, didn't I?”

“Hmm.”

“It was my fault! I'll help you out well from now on instead!”

“I understand. But what how do you intend to help?”

Cavali confidently got to the main point.

“It seems the Black Company is short on manpower.”

“That is true.”

“So I was thinking of dispatching talents from our duchy to the company.”

“Oh, if you could do that, I would be very grateful.”

As revealed in the commotion related to Eleonor, the lack of high-level talent was a chronic problem for the company.

Regular troops could be replenished through recruitment, but figures who could handle administrative or command duties beyond that were rare.

What's more, it was an important situation where we had to win the war and strengthen our internal affairs, but Fasa's talent pool had already dried up when the company was founded.

As a result, the workload became excessive.

So much so that the company headquarters got the nickname 'The Lighthouse', and I tried to sweet-talk even a little mage kid.

In other words, it was a situation where it was hard to find talent even with money, so for Cavaldi to offer to send people first was something to be genuinely thankful for.

Of course, his intentions wouldn't be entirely pure.

But that's something I can look into later.

“Not at all. It's not something that only benefits me. Instead, the dispatched personnel will have to be provided with sufficient compensation.”

“Of course. An appropriate amount will be paid.”

“Good, good. I will carefully select people upon my return and send them.”

We wrote a contract on the spot, and Cavaldi, having concluded the contract, returned satisfied.

It felt like a storm had passed.

I leaned back on the sofa as if I was collapsing into it.

“All sorts of things have happened since broad daylight. Really.”

“I know, right.”

Theo, next to me, agreed with a dazed face before coming to his senses.

“But you don't believe everything he said, do you?”

“Of course not. At best, only about half of it is probably true.”

I've become too jaded to believe that people in the world live with pure intentions.

The damage Urdino suffered this time is also not ordinary.

There's no way they have the leeway to actually send people.

Cavali's true intentions must be something else.

Probably something like securing influence within the Black Company to screw over Pescara and Messina.

If not, there's no way he would have put on such an exaggerated act earlier.

The anger of a man with a wounded pride is scary.

Kiik─.

Just then, the office door opened again.

I was terrified thinking Cavaldi had returned, but Eleonor, Randolfo, and Selvi came in, each holding a pile of documents.

“What is it?”

“These are the documents you need to process today.”

“This is the statement of the amount to be paid for service contracts expiring this month.”

“This is the statement of expenses for this month.”

“……There's a lot to do, can't I finish it by tomorrow? Duke Cavaldi was just here……”

“No.”

“Alright……”

At the firm refusal, I had no choice but to reach for the documents.

But the executives didn't leave right away and just stood there.

There was a sense of anticipation in their gazes as they looked at me.

But, why?

“Isn't your business done? Why are you all still standing here?”

“We were wondering what you talked about with Duke Cavaldi. We heard he stayed for quite a long time.”

“You already heard that?”

“It's a small world here.”

Anyway, since it was a visit from a high-ranking person from a neighboring town, there was no way a secret could be kept.

Before I could say a word about this lax security, a bomb was suddenly dropped in my lap.

“I heard Mayor Emilio is in an uproar because Duke Cavaldi only visited the company headquarters and returned without stopping by the city hall?”

Wait a minute, what?

“Is that true?”

“Of course it is.”

Although their relationship is a bit twisted at the moment, originally, Cavaldi is a duke and a guest from a foreign country.

The city hall, having heard the news of the distinguished guest's visit, would surely have made preparations for his visit.

But Cavaldi left immediately without visiting the city hall.

In other words, Cavaldi left after committing a huge discourtesy to Emilio and the Fasan government.

I couldn't help but scream internally.

Seriously, Cavaldi, what am I supposed to do with this golden child?

If you visit a foreign country, you should act like a guest.

What kind of rudeness is this.

It could lead to a big misunderstanding.

“……I'll go and explain to the mayor. It wasn't a serious issue.”

“Really?”

“Actually, it's good news. Duke Cavaldi said he would provide us with manpower. Although we'll have to pay that much in expenses.”

“Hooray!”

“Wow, that's a real relief. We were out of people to bring in from Fasa anyway. I was worried we might have to kidnap someone.”

“Kidnap what?”

“That's how short-staffed we are.”

Everyone had been suffering a lot from work due to the need to reorganize the military system because of the defense treaty issue.

Voluntary overtime was a bonus.

Perhaps because of that, they were happy just with the news of new people coming in, without even knowing who would come yet.

…I really hope our company does not get involved in human trafficking.

That's a real crime.

Didn't you sell the pirates into slavery?

Pirates are not people, so it's fine.

“Anyway, when the new people come in, the workload will decrease. Everyone has worked hard until now, let's work hard for now.”

“We get it, so hurry up and process the documents.”

“Yes……”

I dejectedly reached for the documents.

Looking back, I should have found it strange that Cavaldi backed down so easily at that time.