Duchy of Walther in action.
The Duchy of Walther is ruled, of course, by the Duke of Walther.
He was a well-built man, and had a habit of picking at his Kaiser mustache as he spoke.
He's the highest authority in the country, and of course, we've heard reports of the Izumi mine disaster.
"...Hmm? Isn't it strange? Didn't you say that the accident at the Izumi mine was quite serious and that it might take six months or even a year to recover? Am I remembering wrong?"
"No, there is no mistake in the duke's memory. When the duke heard that, he shouted at the Minister of Mines, 'Reduce the period to three months. I'll cut off your stipend for every day you exceed three months.'"
The one who replied with a plausible face was a wizened old woman.
The old woman was the Duke's educator, and the only person in the country who could advise him.
"I don't yell at people."
"Well, sir . I was so loud that I got blood in my head. I'm going to bed,' and for the next three hours, you took a nap."
She was an old woman with a perfect memory.
Since he could not win by arguing with the old woman, the Duke went on with his story.
"...So? It would be strange to say that it was restored in a month instead of three months. The Minister of Mines was begging to be removed from his post right now. He rubbed his forehead on the floor.
The duke's memory is also quite good.
"I've had them look into it, and they say there's someone who's been working hard to restore the mine."
"Huh?"
"He manipulated the magic of the fifth rank to reinforce the bedrock of the mine and drained it with a magical tool I've never seen before."
"What's that? A hero from a fairy tale? You can't just keep casting Fifth Rank magic."
"There's another interesting thing. They're not heroes, they're young girls."
"And more."
"No, it's not just the 'one' that's interesting, is it?"
"And more."
The old woman ignored the duke.
"It is the maid who supports and controls them both."
"Maid?"
"The miners also call her 'Saint Mary' because of her post-accident healing efforts."
"What's that . Who's the maid's master? The richest man in our principality?"
"No... that's why he's not here."
"I don't understand. A maid without a master means a stray maid (・・・・・)."
"Duke-sama, that was quite a tasteful naming."
"Yeah, is that so?"
The duke, who is not usually praised by old women, is easily pleased.
"Then call the maid. If she's worthy and interesting, I'll take her. Along with a mage of the fifth rank and a mysterious wizard."
"Of some concern is the Earl of Markwood in the Kingdom of Crescente."
"What's going on? That's a nobleman whose name I sometimes hear."
"Yes. The Count, who is quickly becoming a household name in the Kingdom of Crescente, has put a bounty on the maid who recently left the mansion and is looking for her."
"A bounty? Did that maid commit some crime and run away?"
"The details of the background have not been made public, but normally one would think of a crime... like running away with jewelry. But the bounty has risen along the way, and now it's 10 million gold in Crescente currency."
"Hmm... that's pretty interesting. If we convert it to the Principality's currency, it would be something like 100,000 Tel."
The Duke of Walther is not incompetent, as he is the lord of a country.
The "unnaturalness" of the bounty going up in the middle of the game, and the fact that a bounty of 10 million gold was worth "more" than that, he soon realized.
"I don't think 100,000 Tel is enough to hire a 'fifth rank floor' mage for a year."
"You'll need more than double that."
"If developing a magic tool only costs 100,000 Tel, that's cheap."
"It's unbelievable, sir."
"Is the monthly production of iron ore at the Izumi mine around 100,000 tels?"
No way, sir. Half a million tell is not going down."
"Then it's settled."
The Duke of Walther grinned.
"Make the maid an offer. My country will take her."
"Yes, sir. How much do you want me to charge?"
The Duke slammed the table with a bang.
"One million ter a year."
Unbeknownst to the Countess of Markwood, who kicked Nina out, and unbeknownst to Nina herself, the Duchy of Walther has decided to pay one million Tel a year, or 100 million gold in the currency of the Kingdom of Crescente, to a single maid.
The Duchy of Walther is ruled, of course, by the Duke of Walther.
He was a well-built man, and had a habit of picking at his Kaiser mustache as he spoke.
He's the highest authority in the country, and of course, we've heard reports of the Izumi mine disaster.
"...Hmm? Isn't it strange? Didn't you say that the accident at the Izumi mine was quite serious and that it might take six months or even a year to recover? Am I remembering wrong?"
"No, there is no mistake in the duke's memory. When the duke heard that, he shouted at the Minister of Mines, 'Reduce the period to three months. I'll cut off your stipend for every day you exceed three months.'"
The one who replied with a plausible face was a wizened old woman.
The old woman was the Duke's educator, and the only person in the country who could advise him.
"I don't yell at people."
"Well, sir . I was so loud that I got blood in my head. I'm going to bed,' and for the next three hours, you took a nap."
She was an old woman with a perfect memory.
Since he could not win by arguing with the old woman, the Duke went on with his story.
"...So? It would be strange to say that it was restored in a month instead of three months. The Minister of Mines was begging to be removed from his post right now. He rubbed his forehead on the floor.
The duke's memory is also quite good.
"I've had them look into it, and they say there's someone who's been working hard to restore the mine."
"Huh?"
"He manipulated the magic of the fifth rank to reinforce the bedrock of the mine and drained it with a magical tool I've never seen before."
"What's that? A hero from a fairy tale? You can't just keep casting Fifth Rank magic."
"There's another interesting thing. They're not heroes, they're young girls."
"And more."
"No, it's not just the 'one' that's interesting, is it?"
"And more."
The old woman ignored the duke.
"It is the maid who supports and controls them both."
"Maid?"
"The miners also call her 'Saint Mary' because of her post-accident healing efforts."
"What's that . Who's the maid's master? The richest man in our principality?"
"No... that's why he's not here."
"I don't understand. A maid without a master means a stray maid (・・・・・)."
"Duke-sama, that was quite a tasteful naming."
"Yeah, is that so?"
The duke, who is not usually praised by old women, is easily pleased.
"Then call the maid. If she's worthy and interesting, I'll take her. Along with a mage of the fifth rank and a mysterious wizard."
"Of some concern is the Earl of Markwood in the Kingdom of Crescente."
"What's going on? That's a nobleman whose name I sometimes hear."
"Yes. The Count, who is quickly becoming a household name in the Kingdom of Crescente, has put a bounty on the maid who recently left the mansion and is looking for her."
"A bounty? Did that maid commit some crime and run away?"
"The details of the background have not been made public, but normally one would think of a crime... like running away with jewelry. But the bounty has risen along the way, and now it's 10 million gold in Crescente currency."
"Hmm... that's pretty interesting. If we convert it to the Principality's currency, it would be something like 100,000 Tel."
The Duke of Walther is not incompetent, as he is the lord of a country.
The "unnaturalness" of the bounty going up in the middle of the game, and the fact that a bounty of 10 million gold was worth "more" than that, he soon realized.
"I don't think 100,000 Tel is enough to hire a 'fifth rank floor' mage for a year."
"You'll need more than double that."
"If developing a magic tool only costs 100,000 Tel, that's cheap."
"It's unbelievable, sir."
"Is the monthly production of iron ore at the Izumi mine around 100,000 tels?"
No way, sir. Half a million tell is not going down."
"Then it's settled."
The Duke of Walther grinned.
"Make the maid an offer. My country will take her."
"Yes, sir. How much do you want me to charge?"
The Duke slammed the table with a bang.
"One million ter a year."
Unbeknownst to the Countess of Markwood, who kicked Nina out, and unbeknownst to Nina herself, the Duchy of Walther has decided to pay one million Tel a year, or 100 million gold in the currency of the Kingdom of Crescente, to a single maid.