Chương 252

The morning sun filtered through the tall glass windows of the Lord's office. Rudra sat behind his massive oak desk, chin on his hand, staring at a row of translucent blue system windows floating in the air. Across the room, Silas clicked his golden abacus like it owed him money. A stack of blank employment ledgers sat next to him. His junior clerk, Ben, sat on the floor nearby, quietly icing his fingers after a crate of inkwells had introduced itself to his hand.

Winfred stood by the open window, looking down over the courtyard. A stable boy ran for his life from a cart full of angry geese. Two witches near the fountain were trading silver coins over whether Mumud liked his tea hot or his water cold. Some off-duty militia had a bet going on whether Piaro's iron plow could out-dig a steel sword. Stormbreak was loud today. Good loud.

"The city's lively," Winfred said, with a small smile.

"It's growing." Rudra swiped one of the windows away.

"Which means we've got work." Silas stopped clicking.

"A budget issue, My Lord?"

"Budget's fine. I'm thinking about the Beastmen." Rudra leaned back.

"Quite some time out of the Empire's hunting grounds and they're still just sitting in the east ward, waiting to be told what they're allowed to be. Feeding them the day we brought them in earned us a lot of goodwill. They trust us. I want to actually use that trust today." Winfred turned from the window, interested now.

"They fight well. I assumed you'd want me to raise seven infantry squads."

"That's the normal move." Rudra shook his head.

"And it's the wrong one. Keep them as a private army and the rest of the city just sees seven clans of scary mercenaries who bleed for the Duke and nobody else. That's not a home for them."

"So — civilian work," Winfred said.

"And military, wherever it fits." Rudra tapped one of the floating windows.

"I looked at what each of them's actually good at. We're not building a war camp. We're building a place people live." A heavy knock hit the door.

"Come in." The seven Chieftains filed in, and the room got smaller immediately. Garrick, Rajah, and Ursa had to duck their heads under the frame. They smelled like wet fur and old leather, and their armor was bone stitched to bone, piece by piece, the way you build something when nobody's giving you better. Garrick stepped forward first and struck his own chest with a fist.

"You summoned us, My Lord." His voice rattled the teacups on Silas's desk.

"We're rested. Claws are sharp. Which border do you want us on?" The other six nodded, already braced for it. Their whole lives, humans had only ever wanted one thing from them. Silas came around his desk and slapped seven contracts down flat, quill and inkwell right behind them.

"Sign here, please." Garrick looked at the papers, then at Silas, deeply suspicious.

"What is this. A human trick?"

"Employment ledgers." Rudra leaned back in his chair.

"Nobody's going to a border today. I'm giving you jobs." The room's whole mood changed at once. Seven Chieftains, all looking at each other, all equally confused.

"Jobs," Talon said flatly. The Roc Beastman ruffled his dark feathers.

"Digging in the dirt?"

"Not exactly." Rudra picked up the first contract as he used [Character Observation].

"Vex." [Name: Vex Age: 26 Gender: Female Occupation: Fox Chieftain Title: Seeker of Roots - A rare talent at communicating with nature. She can find life in the most barren dirt. Level: 285 Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Strength: 150/150 Stamina: 400/400 Agility: 1, 500/1, 800 Intelligence: 350/950 Insight: 1, 800/3, 200 Charm: 1, 800/2, 800 Skills: Nature's Healing (S+), Mana Root Detection (SS), Spirit Communion (S), Extreme Evasion (S), Play Dead (SSS). A highly anxious, skittish Fox beastman. Because her physical combat stats and intelligence are incredibly low, she survived the Saharan Empire's hunts by perfectly mastering the art of hiding and playing dead. She possesses an innate, almost supernatural sense of smell that allows her to locate rare, buried alchemical ingredients and minerals.] The Fox Beastman flinched, then peeked out from behind Ursa's leg, ears twitching.

"Y-Yes, My Lord?"

"Good nose. You can tell roots and herbs apart across a field." Rudra looked at her.

"Can you smell if a gold coin's mostly copper?"

"Metal has a scent," Vex said, sniffing the air on reflex.

"A fake coin smells sour. Always." Silas made a small, strangled noise and gripped his abacus with both hands.

"My Lord." He was staring at Vex like she'd just solved a problem he'd had for years.

"Give her to me."

"She's yours." Rudra grinned.

"Vex, you're the new Chief Auditor. You answer to Silas, you check merchant funds, and any of your foxes who know herbs can work the hospital or Piaro's fields. The Tower of Miracles is open to your tribe as well for any who is interested and has talent in it." Vex's tail gave one hard wag. Outsmarting rich humans for a living sounded, frankly, like a vacation. She signed. [Your Affinity with the Fox Clan has increased by +10!] [Current Affinity: 86!]"Ursa."

[Name: Ursa Age: 38 Gender: Female Occupation: Bear Chieftain Title: Wild Forger - She has the rare ability to manipulate organic materials on an anvil, forging them with raw, primal force. Level: 320 Strength: 3, 100/3, 500 Stamina: 2, 800/3, 000 Agility: 200/200 Intelligence: 400/600 Dexterity: 1, 800/2, 500 Insight: 700/1, 000 Skills: Primal Marrow Forging (SS), Extreme Hammering (S), Advanced Leathercrafting (S), Hibernate (S+), Ignore Temperature (SS). A hulking Bear beastman who speaks very few words. She despises working with mined ores, preferring to craft armor and weapons exclusively out of monster bone, teeth, and thick hides. Her technique is completely self-taught and unrefined, meaning she has vast room to grow. She is incredibly lazy and prone to falling asleep standing up unless she is actively striking an anvil.] The Bear Beastman stepped up, already half-asleep on her feet.

"I hate metal. I hit bone. I won't work a human mine."

"Wasn't going to ask." Rudra tapped the next paper.

"I want you and your best workers at the Smithy — you'll be binding monster bone into steel with Alex. Alex already cleared you a corner near the number-two furnace, actually. Rest of the bears take construction." Ursa's ears went up a fraction.

"The Smithy has furnaces?"

"Three big ones, ten small ones. Warmest building in the city."

"... I sleep against them. Between hammering."

"That's the idea." Ursa grabbed the quill, nearly folded it in half, and signed it. [Your Affinity with the Bear Clan has increased by +10!] [Current Affinity: 79]"Talon." [Name: Talon Age: 31 Gender: Male Occupation: Roc Chieftain Title: Eye in the Sky - His gaze pierces through clouds, illusions, and darkness. Very little escapes his sight. Level: 330 Strength: 800/1, 000 Stamina: 1, 100/1, 400 Agility: 2, 600/3, 000 Intelligence: 200/300 Insight: 2, 400/2, 800 Leadership: 600/800 Skills: Advanced Bow Mastery (S), Cloud-Piercing Vision (SS), Flight (S+), Pinpoint Weakness (S), Arrogance (A). A scrawny, hollow-boned Roc beastman with massive dark feathered wings. He is physically fragile but possesses the best eyesight among the beastman tribes. He can map enemy troop movements from miles up in the air without ever being detected. He acts highly arrogant about his aerial superiority to mask his deep insecurities about his physical weaknesses.] The Roc puffed his chest out.

"You need my eyes? Scout the Imperial lines from the clouds?"

"Watchtowers and messenger birds. Logistics and communication." Talon's feathers dropped flat.

"Birds. You have mages. Why send pigeons when you could send a spell?"

"Because a spell leaves a trail," Winfred said, from the window.

"The Empire tracks telepathy for miles and follows it straight to our supply lines. A bird doesn't cast anything. It just flies."

"So I am just a keeper of pigeons."

"You're the only one who can build a network the Empire can't see," Rudra said.

"That's not the same thing." Talon considered this with visible reluctance.

"... Fine. But my clan keeps first right of refusal on any actual scouting mission that comes up. I did not survive ten years of hunting parties to spend my whole life training somebody else's pigeons to catch a thermal draft." Rudra glanced at Winfred, who gave a small shrug that meant seems fair.

"Deal," Rudra said. Talon snatched the contract and signed it like he still wasn't sure he'd won the argument.