Previously
Ariella gains the respect of the soldiers and populace by distributing Bivar's stolen food and exposing his corruption, though rumors exaggerate her power as a 'vampire-burner.'
“And who might this person be?”
Richmond raised a bony forefinger and scratched along his jawbone, as if trying to summon something from memory.
“What was his name again… Ah, right. He was called Giro.”
Giro had been a demon of the demon realm, holding a senior position in one of the largest merchant caravans there.
His specialty was precisely what Ariella so desperately needed: financial management, controlling budgets and the flow of funds.
The moment she heard that, Ariella could practically feel her mouth water with keen interest.
“A large merchant group? Which one?”
“The Viduk Merchant Group.”
In an instant, her excitement evaporated completely.
Instead of enthusiasm, her brow furrowed deeply. The name of that caravan was not unfamiliar to her; in fact, she despised it.
“The Viduk Merchant Group? Those scoundrels who conspired in Bivar’s filthy schemes!”
How could she hire someone who had worked for such a caravan?
If he took that position in the territory, he might turn into another Bivar!
Ariella felt disgusted and was on the verge of rejecting the idea outright, as if it were unworthy of further discussion. But Richmond seemed to have anticipated her refusal.
“Before you object further, allow me to clarify. Based on the evidence we have gathered so far, Bivar’s alliance with that caravan began ten years ago, correct?”
True, Bivar’s transgressions in the Demon King’s castle had started long before that, but direct collaboration with the Viduk Merchant Group had begun precisely on that date.
“…True. We even have the date of the first illicit deal on record.”
Perhaps because Bivar believed no one would ever discover it, he had recorded everything in detail in the secret chamber of his manor.
“As for Giro, he left the merchant group at roughly the same time, just before Bivar began his secret dealings with them.”
Only then did Ariella’s ears perk up with interest.
“So Giro has no connection to what happened in our territory? None at all?”
“Going by the facts, there is nothing linking him to it. On the contrary, I heard the caravan’s owner changed around that time, leading to a major conflict between him and Giro.”
It appeared a bitter dispute had erupted between him and the new owner.
“I do not know the exact cause of the dispute, but I do know Giro left the caravan because of that strife.”
Ariella rested her chin on her finger in deep thought.
“The timing… is truly strange. It’s hard to believe it was a coincidence.”
Ariella began piecing the events together in chronological order.
First, the leadership of the Viduk Merchant Group changed hands. Then, friction flared between the new owner and Giro.
In the end, Giro departed from the group’s headquarters. And after that, the dirty dealings between the merchant group and Bivar began.
“Giro then returned to his hometown in Dellac, an estate under another demon king, and opened a magic supply shop using his own funds.”
Rumor had it his business flourished remarkably.
Though his relationship with the new merchant group owner had ended disastrously, his former colleagues continued to support him, likely owing to his long years of service there.
“That is strange indeed. Even after falling from grace and leaving the caravan, his colleagues kept helping him?”
“He was held in high regard during his tenure with the group. Giro was not merely an exceptional financial manager; he was also a shrewd merchant.”
In his youth, he had traveled across the domains of the demon realm on trading ventures until he earned widespread renown and an undeniable reputation.
He wasn’t simply someone who sat behind a desk shuffling numbers.
“A man of many talents, then. The more I hear about him, the more he appeals to me.”
“It is said many merchants regarded him as a role model.”
And the shop he established after his retirement was a resounding success, thanks to the distribution networks and connections he forged during his time with the caravan.
“I myself used to make the journey to his shop specifically to purchase magical reagents.”
“So that’s how you came to know him?”
“Indeed. Regardless, there is no doubting his competence. He is said to have played a major role in expanding the Viduk Merchant Group into what it is today.”
Ariella’s eyes sparkled. If he had no ties to Bivar, that changed everything.
Her resentment over the caravan’s past aside, the Viduk Merchant Group was truly massive.
Richmond was right—Giro had managed an organization larger than most demon king castles.
On top of that, he had extensive, hands-on experience in the field. With his background and skill, he would be a tremendous asset.
Despite her initial rejection, she was now beginning to see him as an almost ideal candidate.
Ariella nodded.
“All right. Let us go meet him at once.”
“Ah, but…”
Richmond, who had been explaining with such fervor, suddenly hesitated.
“There is a minor issue we must resolve before we go to meet him.”
“What is it?”
Ariella was confident she could overcome any obstacle. Even if Giro declined on whatever pretext, she was prepared to persuade him, no matter what it took.
That was, until Richmond dropped his next piece of news.
“Our friend Giro… passed away a year ago.”
Ariella felt utterly crestfallen in that moment.
“Then why bring him up in the first place if he’s dead?”
‘Wait.’
Her expression changed swiftly. She knew for certain that Richmond was not one to indulge in idle chatter or throw words around pointlessly.
Richmond… Richmond’s primary specialty was summoning the dead and turning them into subordinates.
It couldn’t be…?
Only one possibility crossed her mind. And broad-minded and flexible though Ariella was, this notion defied all her expectations.
“Do you mean… what I think you mean?”
“Oho. And what might you be thinking?”
Both Ludvic and Olken still appeared completely oblivious to what was unfolding.
Then Ariella voiced her thoughts, striking home like a hammer driving a nail.
“That we resurrect the late Giro… and appoint him to our administration in the territory?”
“Wh-what?!”
“You can’t be serious! That’s a joke, right?!”
Amid the collective astonishment, Richmond let out a soft, pleasant chuckle.
“Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho! As expected of our contractor, you hit the nail on the head on your first try.”
Ariella returned the compliment in kind.
“You are the remarkable one, Mr. Richmond. No one else could have come up with such a solution. Who in the entire demon realm would think like that?”
The rapport between them was unmistakable.
“I am not bringing him fully back to life. What I do is summon the deceased to this time and place, grant him the ability to communicate with us, and allow him to interact with reality.”
“You certainly have an elegant way of describing turning a corpse into a minion.”
Ludvic spoke up then, a suspicious tone coloring his voice.
“Still… do your creatures possess enough intelligence to handle financial matters?”
He gestured toward Richmond.
“The skull accompanying you, to put it charitably, hardly seems to possess average intelligence. It can fight, yes, but tasking it with anything more complex? Impossible.”
“You mean these?”
Richmond retrieved a small bone from his coat and tossed it. In an instant, the bone rapidly grew to form a complete skeleton, complete with head, limbs, and torso.
It was the remains of an old orc that had once served as Ariella’s guard.
“These individuals passed away long ago. Even when brought back as minions, their intelligence drops considerably compared to when they were alive.”
Because of their diminished intellect, turning them into servants was effortless; they possessed neither opinions nor wills of their own, obeying Richmond’s commands without question.
“Conversely, someone like Giro has only been dead for a year, so his identity remains very clear. Considering how demon corpses decompose, he would likely take the form of a zombie rather than a skeleton, as he still retains remnants of flesh and organs.”
The advantages and disadvantages of skeletons and zombies were completely reversed.
“A zombie is difficult to turn into a compliant servant. Absolute obedience cannot be forced upon it.”
“You mean we can’t enslave Giro as a zombie, but we can employ him through mutual agreement?”
“Precisely. We must first summon his spirit, then persuade him to work with us.”
Because he would not follow orders blindly.
“And we will offer compensation suited to his desires so that he may remain in this realm on a semi-permanent basis.”
What could a dead person possibly want?
Ariella pondered the question, tilting her head in thought.
“Isn’t returning to this world the only thing a dead person would want? And if he becomes a zombie, hasn’t that already been fulfilled?”
“Incorrect.”
“Why?”
“Many of the dead have no desire to return at all.”
“I don’t understand… Isn’t life one of the most precious and desirable things? We’re offering to give it back to him.”
“The desire to interact with the living and behave like them is a desire belonging to you—as someone who is still alive.”
“…True.”
“Do not assume the dead crave the same things the living crave. That is mere prejudice.”
“You mean the standards by which the dead think are completely different from those of the living?”
“In many cases, yes.”
“That complicates things. If his motives are different from those of the living, convincing him will be much harder.”
Still, that did not mean giving up. They had to at least try.
“Wait a moment.”
There was another issue weighing on her mind.
“Didn’t you say the summoning duration for minions is limited? It would be quite troublesome if we hired him only for his daily work hours to be far too short.”
Even leaving work early had its limits.
Ariella pictured an awkward scenario.
—‘Ah! I apologize, Lady Ariella, my allotted summoning time for the day has expired. I have no choice but to depart…’
—‘Hold on! Giro! You haven’t even worked for an hour! Where do you think you’re going?!’
Just the thought of it made her face contort.
‘Summon him from the beyond only for him to collect a salary without doing any work? I couldn’t bear the sight!’
Richmond, however, seemed to have planned ahead.
“If I were to explain this point in detail, I would have to delve into the depths of my magic. So I shall keep it brief: provided the necessary supplies are available, Giro can remain active for an extended period.”
Ariella nodded.
“Then we need to obtain two things: an incentive to convince the dead, and the preparations that will allow him to work for more than half a day, every day.”
Their objective was set.
END