He had a smile that was enough to make him guess that the real “trickery” would start from here.
Though he lacked the beast-like grandeur, his intimidating attitude, which he maintained with quiet composure, made him hardly seem like a friendly opponent.
He exuded pressure like a threat, yet his smile hid his thoughts and emotions from his opponent.
Normally, one would be able to discern one of the six emotions – joy, anger, grief, pleasure, love, or hate – but this man projected only a blank pressure solely onto me.
“Yes, I will be pleased to *receive* it favors. Count Baijan.”
But what of it?
Certainly, as a nobleman, he was exuding a considerably high level of pressure, but I had routinely experienced more intense pressure from my masters in life-and-death situations.
This level of pressure was almost like child’s play.
When I met his smile with my own and boldly declared my willingness, Count Baijan’s reply was delayed.
“…I see. You mean to say this is not even a proper greeting?”
Then, the pressure receded, and his smile became tinged with emotion.
To the man before me, a smile was a poker face, but at the same time, it was likely an expression he was accustomed to.
Was he feigning distress to disarm my caution?
Perhaps it was worth playing along.
I wanted to ask Evia something at this moment, but ever since becoming a general, relying on others was no longer an option.
“If you’ll excuse me, I am someone who has continuously fought against opponents far superior to you. If you wish to exert pressure, it should be on par with the Oni King.”
“Hahaha! Unfortunately, I am not particularly skilled in martial arts, so that would be a bit too difficult for me!”
So, I decided to go with self-deprecating humor.
I wasn’t lying.
To me, who was constantly dealing with superior beings on a daily basis, the pressure from the nobles here was merely an acquired taste.
It wasn’t as if I felt no fear.
It wasn’t as if I felt no sense of crisis.
However, my body simply didn’t freeze up, nor did I cower.
That was all there was to it.
I was well within the scope of someone who could calmly assess situations.
Shrugging my shoulders, I asked if he could exert a fiercer pressure than my instructor, albeit with a self-deprecating tone. Count Baijan seemed to understand and nodded in agreement.
“I see. It’s no wonder you received recommendations from the Undead King and the Oni King, and have the Demon Lord’s favor. You have a steady resolve.”
“I am humbled.”
He no longer bothered to hide his appraisal.
For now, it seemed to be born half of curiosity.
“Which do you prefer: a direct approach or a roundabout one? I apologize, but while I have knowledge of nobles, I haven’t been able to fully grasp your preferences.”
It was already a success to present the bait and draw out one of the great nobles who had taken it.
Whether I could leverage this as a starting point would depend on my own skill.
“It’s a common misconception, but although I am a fox beastkin, I do not particularly favor roundabout methods. While speaking directly might be considered vulgar, I believe wasting time on misunderstandings is far more futile.”
“In other words?”
And in situations like this, intuition sometimes played a greater role than logic.
I sensed a peculiar sensibility from Count Baijan.
Count Baijan, though he called himself a noble, thought more like a merchant.
He was the type to sell honor and pride, things nobles would never willingly part with, for money.
I had no concrete basis, but if I had to give one, it would be the fact that he boldly approached me with a proposal for a profitable venture right in front of other great nobles, without any hint of shame.
“I will allocate thirty percent of the profits from the mine in my territory to this support. I would like to be included in the important affairs that I overheard earlier.”
“I see, you are direct.”
And I’ve concluded that this count has a keen eye for making money.
Furthermore, his judgment as an investor was also sharp.
This was the difference between him and other nobles.
While it was fine to probe a newly appointed general, the moment the topic turned to profit, their calculation of how to secure their own advantage while making me beg meant they adopted a passive stance.
But this count was different.
He proposed an equal footing, as in a business transaction, and preemptively offered to invest this much, asking for a say in the matter.
“Depending on the conditions, I might be willing to offer more?”
“Indeed, a large investment is certainly attractive to us. However, I cannot simply agree until I hear the details of the mine’s profits.”
“Oh, you noticed?”
“Naturally. Do you think a fool who would jump at a promise without knowing which mine in your territory it is or its production volume would become a general?”
“No, forgive me. As nobles, we tend to test others. Did I offend you?”
Furthermore, maneuvering to his advantage was indeed characteristic of a fox.
If I had agreed to his initial proposal, Evia’s kick would have undoubtedly flown to disarm me.
Too bad. Deciding on such details requires meticulous attention to every aspect of the contract, which is common sense for a corporate slave.
Asking with a smile if I was offended was truly infuriating.
Instructor Kio could openly show his displeasure, but as someone who had just attained the rank of general, doing so might make me seem narrow-minded.
While it would be fine if my course of action was to not care about such perceptions, it was too early for that.
“No, I am honored that you see me as worth testing. At least in your eyes, I am worth verifying whether I am a money-making bird? You may take your time observing me.”
“Oh my, have I given you more to look forward to?”
Therefore, by choosing my words carefully, I created an environment where he could further enhance his perceived value.
In reality, I didn’t know the exact value of the offer, but with this, it became difficult for this count to reduce his investment below the initially stated thirty percent of the mine’s profits.
Even if I was a newcomer as a general, I was still a general.
If I acknowledged his attempt to test me and then took no further action, my capacity as a noble would be called into question.
In a grand party like this, “he said, she said” was important, and spoken commitments carried more weight than in the world I came from.
The theory that a crime is not a crime if it’s not discovered was, for nobles, equivalent to “a lie is not a lie if it’s not discovered.”
How to weave lies and deceive without being noticed.
Such clandestine maneuvers were repeated daily.
In fact, the nobles who had come to greet me earlier spoke of specialty products, but none of them detailed what those products were.
They retained the final say on what kind of goods to send, leaving it entirely to their discretion.
I didn’t intend to criticize that; it was their natural right.
However, if asked if I had any objections to it, my answer would be yes.
“Yes, I hope you will enjoy it.”
I could tolerate such exchanges as unavoidable.
But who decided I shouldn’t retaliate against someone who set a trap for me?
“Actually, I was also curious about the capabilities of the nobles.”
“Capabilities, you say?”
“Ah, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not referring to your governance or management skills. I have no doubt in those areas, and it would be disrespectful to question them, given the Demon Lord’s approval.”
This was a slight feint.
It was a subtle threat, implying that if you test me, you must be prepared to be tested in return.
Did the count sense something unpleasant in my words, perhaps through his beastly intuition or his experience as a noble? I smiled brightly at him, who had stiffened slightly.
“This may be a bit of a digression, but do you happen to know my masters, Count?”
Then, I confirmed a well-known fact.
“I believe it was the Oni King and the Undead King?”
Without any hesitation or questioning look, the count gave me the answer I was looking for, and I nodded gratefully.
“Yes, that’s correct. And what are their personalities like?”
“I’ve heard they are individuals who greatly enjoy combat.”
That was a rather mild way of putting it.
Although only Instructor Kio was here, if Instructor Fushio had been present, they would likely have acknowledged being battle-maniacs with a smile.
And then.
“Therefore, do you not think that I, myself, have been influenced by them?”
In this entire exchange, I deliberately asked the Count a question with an obvious answer.
What I wanted to confirm was not the general abilities of a noble like governance or negotiation skills, but rather their physical combat prowess, which might be considered barbaric in noble circles.
Those affiliated with the Demon Lord’s Army operated under a pure meritocracy, but nobles were not strictly part of the Demon Lord’s Army.
While they were all under the Demon Lord, the President, the organization was broadly divided into factions.
Although the military branch was characterized by strong influence, the nobles themselves were not necessarily weak.
“As I said earlier, I am completely inept with my fists…”
And do you think a weak noble can gain influence in the military?
The answer is no, a resounding no.
“You have strong bodyguards, don’t you?”
On this continent, where weakness is seen as a vice, it is almost impossible to rise solely through intellect. Therefore, everyone procures means to overcome their weakness, and possessing them is commonplace.
“… ”
Whether it was the quantity of a military force or the quality of mercenaries and knights, or even both. During the selection process for the general position, many nobles were supported by participants.
And Carter, the traitor, was originally a retainer knight of a noble.
I would have to deal with nobles who could afford such individuals on equal footing from now on.
Therefore, at this juncture, I wanted to exchange blows with Count Baijan and get a feel for his hand.
If I was tested, it’s only fair that I test back, right?
I said this with a smile and applied pressure this time.
“I believe it’s also a good opportunity for you to spar with a serving general, don’t you think?”
And at this precise timing, Evia came to my aid.
I was grateful, but I had expected her to remain an observer and intervene only if the situation became dire, to smooth things over… what was her intention?
“Well, that is indeed true.”
For a moment, I hoped she was clearing the path for me.
“If you wish, a battle against the Human King with a unit including new recruits might also be interesting.”
Ah, I was mistaken.
Evia had completely entered “enjoyment mode.”
It wasn’t just the instructors and Suella who enjoyed my growth.
Evia, in her own way, also seemed pleased with my progress.
However, her method of training was just as brutal as the instructors’, if not more so, as she enjoyed it.
And I had a bad feeling.
This intuition of mine had rarely been wrong lately.
When I had a bad feeling, something bad usually happened.
Keeping that in mind, I watched Evia, who had steered the conversation.
It was clear that intervening here would lead to no good outcome, which was precisely why Evia had interjected at this moment.
She knew I wouldn’t be able to refuse.
I didn’t know what Evia’s scheme was, but the only slim chance of avoiding this bad premonition was if the count skillfully declined and swept the matter under the rug.
“Haha, you jest. My territorial soldiers would all be wiped out. That would be a huge loss for me.”
In reality, I was confident that I could defeat any number of ordinary soldiers.
If I fought without holding back, I wouldn’t lose unless something extraordinary happened, and if I didn’t have to worry about my injuries, I felt unbeatable.
The count was not so foolish as to not understand this.
He used the phrase “huge loss,” which was rarely heard from nobles, to try and circumvent the situation.
However, the moment I saw a smile form on Evia’s lips, I knew, “Ah, this is impossible.”
“Unless I inflict injuries that render you incapacitated, shall I impose restrictions on the Human King?”
Yes, a ridiculous request has arrived!
Restrictions, did she mean like… fighting against an army with full combat gear using a practice sword, similar to the instructors?
Or, given that considerable injuries were inflicted previously, perhaps I should use a less dangerous weapon?
Either way, it was too much to handle!
Refuse, Count! Please refuse!
“Oh, are you offering to go easy on me and lend me your strength?”
“You can interpret it that way. An opportunity to fight a current general. Moreover, he has defeated the veteran Raidou, albeit once. For the soldiers, it would be good stimulation considering their future.”
“…”
Don’t ponder it! The only option is to refuse!
The experience gained from fighting me shouldn’t be something to contemplate so deeply!
The situation grew increasingly ominous, and my intuition conjured increasingly unpleasant scenarios.
“…What do you desire?”
Seeing the count, who had shifted from a passive stance of deflection to one of consideration, his decision conditional on accepting the deal, I realized it was over. The moment another arduous task was added to my already busy schedule of organizational planning.
“What I desire is up to you. Surely you don’t want to be overcharged?”
“I see. So, we must maintain a good relationship with the Human King, who is supported by women like you?”
Why was the conversation progressing without my consent?
I’m supposed to be the Human King, aren’t I?
Today’s Word:
It is difficult to accurately assess one’s own value.
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