Knights, Let’s Smash Them

12 – First Battle (1)

Hello! A strong, strong morning, if you ask me, I’m Ron’s.

Today, I came to the smithy to make exercise equipment with the new Administrator!

I haven’t been able to stop by for a while, but to come to the blacksmith’s to exercise!

Very good! Fresh!

I am so happy that I will be able to grow more muscles in the future.

If I had tried to approach Count Rupel inappropriately, I would have folded the magistrate’s waist in half.

I see now that you are a very nice person!

I didn’t like the previous administrators because they were all skinny or obese, but this administrator has clear abs!

More muscle!

More training!

Since he was born as a man, everyone dreams of being the strongest man on earth.

Because ‘knight’ refers to a human whose goal in life is to become the strongest man on earth!!

***

“…… ?”

Lonz was full of energy from the morning. No, she couldn’t overdo it. She couldn’t control her energy and even threw her fists into the air, doing shadow boxing.

Looking at the last training session, he was indeed a person who was naturally gifted with the quality of Hell Chang.

I didn’t expect that you would follow me like a boss after we had a workout together once.

Still, it’s not such a bad thing that the number of knights who trust me increases in the knights. What I thought while rolling around in the Knights of the Black Lion was the fact that just because I was a knight, I didn’t have to keep my distance.

After all, no matter how important the administrator is, the backbone of the knights is the knights after all. Even if there is no magistrate, the knights will be maintained, but if there are no knights, the knights will not be maintained.

The reason why the Knights of the Black Lion treated me so f*cking badly could be because they were ignorant idiots, but it must have been because there weren’t enough knights to support my forces.

First of all, liking is important.

To avoid getting stabbed in the back of the head suddenly.

I followed Lonze, who was advancing with a squirming gait unbefitting his massive size.

Kang. Kang. Kang.

Soon, I heard the clear sound of a hammer hitting metal.

It wasn’t long before a simple smithy appeared. Apparently, it was packed close to the inner wall that protected Petalonto because of the noise.

‘Do you have everything you need?’

In addition to basic facilities such as furnaces and anvils, production facilities for forging and casting are well equipped.

Alchemist Compton, as well as the citizens of Petalonto, all had a style that spared no money in their fields.

“Father Albert! I am here!”

“Lons? I haven’t seen you recently, it’s been a while.”

It was irrelevant to call a man named Albert the stereotype of a blacksmith.

Compared to Ronz, he is of a size that is not inferior to him, has strong forearm muscles, and wears a greasy apron.

I approached Albert first and greeted him before Lonz introduced himself.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Albert. My name is Lubern, the newly appointed administrator of the Knights of the Rupel Territory.”

It’s been less than a month since he settled down in Rupel Manor. My face was not well known to the residents of the city, except for the people I really needed to meet.

Albert, who at first didn’t know who it was, nodded his head as if he finally knew.

“You are the rumored administrator. There is a lot of talk among the residents. The count’s bureaucrats, who are known for being stingy, are full of praise.”

“Is that so?”

“I also heard about it from that friend in Compton.”

Aha.

Were you close with Compton?

Then the story goes fast.

“I see. I also have a close relationship with Mr. Compton.”

“You’ve been drinking porridge every day, so why did you say you were buying alcohol last time, saying you touched a lot of money?”

It looked like they had signed an additional supply contract with another guild.

The salesmanship is so good, and the quality of the potions is even better, so it was fully understood that the merchants were distracted and took money and offered it.

“But what are you doing with my humble forge? Isn’t there a separate smithy that supplies weapons to the knights and corps?”

It was as he said.

In Petalonto, which cannot be called a big city even empty words, there were only three companies that could be called blacksmiths.

One is Albert’s forge here.

Because the other two places weren’t places where casting and forging were possible, just like Albert’s, and they were only at the level of making agricultural tools or simple iron tools.

“It is not a weapon.”

“Then why…… ?”

“I want to special order tools that can be used for physical training.”

I handed him a simplified blueprint. Drawing a blueprint for a barbell or dumbbell was not difficult at all.

I’ve already made it in the capital city.

I simply had to draw a ball to recall my memories, so it took less than a few hours.

“What is this?”

“It is literally a physical training tool to reinforce the strength of the Knights.”

“If you look at the structure, it looks easy to hold.”

“Exactly.”

Albert patted my chin and then, within a minute, he gave a slightly troubled look.

“That magistrate… ….”

“If budget or time is an issue, don’t worry. You only need to make a few items that say dumbbells there.”

“Oh, of course, time and budget are also issues, but there is something more serious than that.”

“What is it?”

“Raw materials are in short supply. Currently, the amount of iron entering Petalonto has been greatly reduced…… I guess I’ll have to get some iron from outside.”

Short supply of iron? Why?

The county of Rupel is in the north. And the north is famous for its very rich deposits of iron ore.

I’m sure there must be an enormous amount of iron deposited in the Ardaros Mountains, which can be seen looming in the distance right now?

When I put on a look of incomprehension, Albert kindly began to explain.

“I don’t know the details, but some time ago a merchant in charge of the iron supply in question came and went and said that something was wrong with the mining town of ‘Jahed’.”

Jahed, the mining town.

I’ve heard of it.

It was a mining town that had been mentioned several times in the Imperial Black Lion Knights, and thanks to that, it was a mining town that was actually feeding the ruined County of Rupel.

‘If something goes wrong with these guys and there’s a problem with iron supply, the economy of the territory will be ruined.’

Even if you sign a contract with a few of the merchants and trade dungeon by-products at a higher price, the territory ledger will record a surplus for the first time since the expedition, it will be a temporary measure.

The reason why the surplus could be recorded in just one month was simply because Count Rupel, that is to say, the leadership, including the Count, were really tight.

I didn’t see a single thing that could be called ‘luxury’ in the Rupel estate.

Aren’t the mansions and knights’ barracks still being used decades ago?

The condition is not so bad that it needs to be rebuilt or urgently repaired, so it is just living, but compared to the aristocrats in the capital who build new houses or add extensions on a fictitious day, they live very frugally.

They were just somehow supporting the domestic economy by returning the money that would go back to them back to the local people.

Rupel Manor is not at all relaxed.

In the meantime, if there is a problem in the supply and demand of iron ore, one of the main exports, the damage will be applied to the economy of Rupel Manor.

We had to somehow prevent the patient, who had managed to resuscitate, from falling into a vegetative state again.

“What is the name of the company that supplies iron ore?”

“This is the Carlos Merchant.”

“When did you come and go?”

“I came and went the other day. He said he suffered a lot of losses, and he said he was looking to see if there was something worth buying in Petalonto…….”

Then the top of the problem was likely still in the city.

In this situation, making exercise equipment was not important. Dumbbells and barbells need iron ore to make them or not.

“Lons.”

“Yes, magistrate!”

“Please go back to the Knights and inquire about the ‘Carlus Corps’. It is urgent.”

“Okay!!”

Ronz didn’t ask any further, and immediately started running toward the Count’s House, where the Knights Headquarters was located.

It’s really simple, but that’s why it’s reliable.

“Can you guess where the guild may be staying?”

“I understand that you always stay at a three-story inn adjacent to the east gate of the city. But I don’t know if I’ll be staying there again this time.”

“That’s enough, thank you.”

“No. If iron ore supply is short right now, I’ll be on fire, so please take good care of me.”

Albert bowed and greeted me. The urgent thing would be the same at the blacksmith’s shop.

Then, shall I begin the search soon?

***

I was able to find the inn near the east gate of the city that Albert had told me about. Buildings over 3 stories were definitely rare in such a small city.

Besides, it looks classy.

Seeing that they were using these inns as accommodations, it seemed that the scale of the ‘Carlus Merchant Merchant’ was not that small.

‘Well, as long as you designate iron ore from Jarhead as your main purchase…… It means that I have some financial power.’

From the beginning, the guild that handled ores such as iron ore, silver, and gold had to be larger than a certain size.

In terms of weight, not only is the weight of ore overwhelming compared to potions and other products.

Since iron is used in almost all fields, it cannot be said that the amount of iron purchased and sold is by no means small.

The top that handles heavy, expensive, and bulky items.

Naturally, you have to have the financial power to support it.

However, to put it differently, the current situation of Jarhead means that even such a large guild can’t help it.

Is it an abnormal occurrence of monsters, or is there a severe internal conflict in the city? I don’t know exactly what was going on, but either way it was never a good direction.

‘Maybe…… I don’t know if I’ll have to send the knights out for the first time.’

You try to ignore the ominous feeling.

I opened the door of the inn.