Chapter 68

---

On September 13, 513 of the Sacred Calendar, it has been three days since I returned from Lake Luigi to the mansion in the capital.

I am taking it easy, trying to recover from the fatigue of the journey (though I'm not really tired), and staying indoors as much as possible, as Mother wishes.

Mother is due next month, and I will be living in the dormitory again from next month, so she wants me to be nearby.

I spent such a relaxed time, but now I am working as the head of the Bruto Trading Company.

The Bruto Trading Company is scheduled to be closed from tomorrow, September 14, to September 20.

"Starting from tomorrow, we will have a week-long break to coincide with the Harvest Festival. You can do whatever you like, but don't get into trouble and cause problems for the guards. ...Especially you three, got it?"

I shift my gaze to Clump, Beckner, and Benesetta, the three combat slaves, and emphasize my point.

"Boss, we know that much."

"「(Nod Nod)」"

These three are known to frequent the taverns every night and have gained a reputation as heavy drinkers.

Since I give them several gold coins as a bonus every month, they have plenty of money and spend it all on drinking.

It seems they are content to be my slaves for life.

"Well, that's fine. Feira, continue with the rest."

"Yes."

Feira, prompted by me, steps forward and looks around at the slaves.

"From now on, I will be giving everyone a special Harvest Festival bonus of three gold coins. Please accept this as a token of appreciation for your hard work."

"But we already receive a monthly salary and bonuses. On top of that, such a..."

Prietta, who looks embarrassed, speaks up.

Prietta became a slave due to debt from her father's medical expenses.

However, as a slave, she receives a salary and bonuses, which allow her to buy medicine. Recently, her father has been recovering, thanks to the introduction of a pharmacist by me who frequents the Brutozels Margrave family.

I could heal him completely, but if I did, Prietta might feel an excessive sense of gratitude and end up dedicating her life to me like Feira.

While it would be good to have a trustworthy subordinate, it could rob Prietta of her happiness, so I have refrained from doing so.

"I said the same thing at first, but Lord Christoph says that this is all he can do for you as slaves. Please accept it without hesitation."

Feira distributes the gold coins to everyone and emphasizes the importance of returning to work on September 21 before dismissing them.

However, it feels a bit odd that Feira, the youngest, is the most reliable.

"Feira, you've caused me a lot of trouble. Take a good rest for a week."

I pat Feira's head and commend her.

"What will you do during this break, Lord Christoph?"

"Me? Tomorrow, I will check the Bruto Trading Company's accounts, and there's a ball at the castle on the 15th, but other than that, I have no particular plans. I intend to stay close to Mother as much as possible, as I will be living in the dormitory again next month, and the Harvest Festival can wait."

"In that case, I would like to take care of your daily needs."

Feira has no family.

She has no close friends, so she relies heavily on me.

While she is a responsible leader when the store is open, she has nothing to do during the break.

"Alright, then help me with my work."

"Yes!"

Feira wags her tail happily.

The next day, I finished checking the accounts by early afternoon and am now having tea.

To me, Feira is a beloved subordinate who has pledged absolute loyalty.

If Feira were to know that I am a god, she would not reveal it to anyone.

Our first meeting was when I saved her from near death.

Perhaps because of that, Feira would die without hesitation if I told her to.

However, I want Feira to be happy.

Even though I saved her life, I want her to be happy for working so hard for me.

So, I decided to give her my blessing and tell her about myself.

"If possible, I would like to become your familiar."

A familiar...

If I make her a familiar, I can give her even greater benefits than a blessing, but there are also drawbacks.

If I were to fight another god, my familiars would be the first targets.

The reason familiars are targeted first is that their existence alone increases my divine power.

The more familiars I have, the stronger I become and the higher my divinity can rise.

However, if I were to die, my familiars, who are strongly connected to me, would also die.

While it is rare for me to die, there is always a possibility, so I cannot easily increase the number of familiars.

"A familiar is essentially one with me. If I were to die, you would die as well. Are you still willing to become my familiar?"

"I would have died if not for Lord Christoph. Therefore, I want to become your familiar and dedicate my life to serving you."

I expected Feira to say this...

I knew she would want to become my familiar.

I also think Feira is the only one who could be my first familiar.

Her loyalty can be seen as faith, and it is the strongest faith possible.

The stronger the faith, the more my divine power increases, so Feira is the perfect candidate to be my first familiar.

However, if I die, Feira will die too.

This is not something I can easily say is a good thing...

"...If I die, Feira will die too. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"For Lord Christoph, I will dedicate my body, mind, and life!"

It feels a bit off...

"...Thank you, Feira."

I embrace Feira and make her my familiar.

...It sounds a bit like a sacrifice, but I just made her a familiar.

---

In the evening of the day I made Feira my familiar, Father called me to his study as soon as he returned from the castle.

I knocked and was granted permission to enter. When I entered, I saw Ketel von Beer, the commander of the Brutozels Margrave family's knight corps, and Rosaria von Excel, the commander of the mage corps.

These two are the military leaders of the Brutozels Margrave family.

The Brutozels Margrave family has the head of the house, the knight corps that protects the family, the mage corps that plays a significant role in both military and internal affairs, and the private army, which is not represented here but is the offensive force of the family.

The knight corps has about 5,000 members, the mage corps has about 100 members, and the private army has a standing army of 30,000 and a reserve army of 70,000.

"Christoph."

"Father, welcome back."

"Hmm."

The three of them have serious expressions.

"Is there some trouble?"

I glance at Commander Beer and Commander Rosaria, then shift my gaze back to Father, who gestures for me to sit next to Commander Rosaria.

Currently, Father is sitting at his desk, and the seat of honor in the six-person reception set in front of it is empty. Commander Beer is sitting to the right of the seat of honor, Commander Rosaria to the left, and I am sitting on the lower seat next to Commander Rosaria.

Of course, Commander Rosaria offered to let me take the seat of honor, but I declined and sat in the lower seat.

As soon as Father sat in the seat of honor, there was a knock, and Hanna came in to serve tea before quickly leaving.

"Christoph, I have something important to discuss."

What's this all about?

"Have you heard about the recent conflict between the Western Noble Alliance and the Bossum Empire near Fort Beldezus?"

"Yes, to some extent."

That's a lie.

With my千里眼 (千里眼 means "千里 eye," which is a term for a magical ability to see great distances), I can see it clearly and often check in.

However, if this is about the battle at Fort Beldezus, it means trouble is coming.

Currently, the Bossum Empire is advancing into the western region of the Holy Bandam Kingdom, so the western nobles have gathered their forces at Fort Beldezus.

Fort Beldezus is a crucial stronghold in the western region of the Holy Bandam Kingdom, built along the border with the Bossum Empire and is a formidable fortress.

"The king has been informed that the situation is not favorable. Therefore, it has been decided to send reinforcements."

Hmm, this narrows down the possibilities.

First, the reinforcements could be from the Brutozels Margrave family's forces.

This is unlikely.

The Brutozels Margrave family is responsible for the southern region, and moving forces to the west would weaken the southern defenses, making it vulnerable to other countries. There's no need to call me, who is not yet an adult, for this.

Second, and the most likely, is that they want me to supply a large number of magic items.

This explains why Father called me.

Lastly, they might want to use my magical talents for military purposes.

However, the situation is not so dire that they would rely on a minor student like me. They wouldn't send me to the front lines.

"The king has asked if the Bruto Trading Company can prepare a large number of magic items."

It settled on the safe option.

---