Chapter 90 – Recruitment Part 1

Translator: SFBaka

Editor: Thor’s Stone

After having our lunch, I decided to go my separate way from Cleria and the rest for the day.

Cleria and the girls seem to be planning on shopping for clothes while we’re still in the royal capital.

Well, it would certainly be easier to get your hands on fancy dresses in the capital, and there might even be opportunities to use them here as well.

I, however, decided to finish up the matters requested by Iris.

I left the inn together with Katolle and his assistants as well as three escorts via carriage and headed for the Craft Guild.

Just like the Commerce Guild and the Adventurer’s Guild, the Craft Guild was an organization that craftsmen of different specialties gather under.

It was a guild that manages craftsmen such as blacksmiths, woodworkers, and textile artisans.

However, it doesn’t look like all craftsmen were actually under their management.

It’s said that craftsmen who have very profitable businesses don’t undertake work arranged by the guild, but instead opt for serving specific patrons such as rich nobles or large companies to sell their work.

There will certainly be variations in the style and quality of an item depending on which craftsman you order them from, even if you’re essentially ordering the same item.

So I can see the appeal of reserving just one exclusive craftsman to produce items with consistent quality.

And it seems the prices set for Craft Guild requests are relatively cheap as well.

When we arrived at the Craft Guild and entered inside the guild building, it was hard to say that the place was packed, but it was still pretty lively within. People who seemed to be craftsmen were looking at the requests posted on the wall with serious looks on their faces.

I immediately headed for the receptionist counter and announced my purpose.

“Ehem. I’m Baron Alan Corinth. Is the guild chief available today? I would like to meet them.”

“Um…… A baron?”

“That’s right. ………The noble kind, Miss.”

“A-A noble!? Lord Baron!? P-Please wait a moment, My Lord!”

The young female receptionist rushed to the back of the guild building in a fluster. It looks like she didn’t peg me as a noble at first glance. Hm. I think I look the part of a noble though. I even dressed like one.

It looks like I really don’t have that aristocratic aura typical to nobles huh.

My identity as Shining Star’s Clan leader seems to be more well known. Should I announce myself as Shining Star’s Clan leader next time?

Before long, the guild chief along with some staff rushed over from the back offices. He looks pretty flustered.

“Welcome to our humble guild, Lord Baron. My name is Tappas, the chief of this branch.”

The guild chief was a man who was getting along in age already. He seemed to be genuinely puzzled about what my business with the Craft Guild was.

“I’m Shining Star’s Clan leader, Alan Corinth. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Chief Tappas.”

“You’re the famed Dragon Slayer!? ……Come to think of it, they did say you’ve been promoted to a baron. Well, to think I would be able to personally meet with you like this, My Lord. I am truly honored. I didn’t think our humble guild will actually have the opportunity to welcome a noble such as you within its walls.”

Yeah, it looks like my title as Shining Star’s Clan leader was definitely more well known. The other guild staff also looked like they were about to drop to their knees at any moment.

“Please don’t mind me too much. I was also a commoner until recently after all. Actually, I came here to consult with you about business. I’d like to take some of your time to discuss further.”

“……Understood. Please follow me, My Lord.”

We were immediately guided to a conference room and served tea.

“Well, as you may already know, I was granted the title of baron recently and was granted the Great Demon Forest as my domain.”

“Yes, I am well aware. Right now, stories about you confronting a dragon and your recent raids on bandit lairs and other criminal elements have been making their rounds all over the capital. There is probably no one in the royal capital who remains unaware of your deeds.”

“I see. Cutting straight to the chase, I am in great need of skilled craftsmen. Thus, I would like to recruit those who are willing to accompany us to the depths of the Sea of Trees.”

“I see…… So you want to recruit craftsmen as pioneers, correct?”

“Well, it’s a little bit different from what you’re thinking of. The main pioneering work will be undertaken by others working for me. The craftsmen I will be hiring need not participate in that. I mainly need them for their skills. I need architects, blacksmiths, woodworkers, textile workers, among others.”

“Ah, so you are hiring them to work for you after you’ve finished opening up the territory, My Lord?”

“No. I am planning to leave the royal capital in about a month, so I will have the craftsmen accompany us at that time.”

“……Forgive me for asking, but do you really plan on developing the Sea of Trees as a new territory, My Lord?”

“Well, yes, I do. I’d like you to keep this between us, but the initial wave of pioneers alone will consist of more than a thousand people.”

“A-A thousand!? ……Since you will be mobilizing such numbers for the first wave alone, this certainly doesn’t seem like your usual pioneering. I see……”

“I am willing to pay 10,000 Guineas in advance to craftsmen of C-rank and higher. If you cannot prepare a means of transportation for them, we will take care of that as well.

While working in my territory, housing and food will be guaranteed, and their salary will be five thousand Guineas a month.

The working period will be five years. If they wish to stay in the territory after the five-year period, we will be providing them with workshops as well.”

“P-Please wait a moment, My Lord! Let me clarify things first. You wish to hire craftsmen of C-rank or higher, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right. C-rank craftsmen can be considered as seasoned veterans of their respective trades, correct? Of course, I do not mind hiring those below C-rank as well, but I cannot hand them an advanced payment.”

“Well, that is reasonable. You are going to prepare a means of transport for them as well? Would that include guards to escort them?”

“We of Shining Star will undertake escort duties. Of course, other adventurer parties and Clans will be participating as well. We’re in the middle of procuring wagons and horses right now, but I’m not sure if what we have is already enough. Depending on the number of people participating, some might have to travel on foot.”

“I see. So that’s why the number of wagon-related requests has increased as of late.”

Although we didn’t directly order wagons from the guild, we were mainly purchasing second-hand ones, so I suppose such requests have increased.

“And you would guarantee them housing, food, and a salary of 5000 Guineas while they are working under you?”

“That’s right. I will pay a salary of 5000 Guineas to the C-rank craftsmen. The salary will increase depending on their rank.”

“……You will also be providing them with workshops once the five-year contract is over if they choose to stay in your territory?”

“I will have them produce items I have specifically commissioned during those five years, but afterward, we will provide them with a workshop of comparable size to the ones in the royal capital free of charge if they choose to stay. As for what kind of workshop they want, we will consult with the craftsmen first before building them.”

“………Honestly, what you’re proposing sounds like something too good to be true, My Lord. It almost seems like a mere pipe dream. To think they would only need to finish a five-year working period in order to have their own personal workshops……

However, all of these promises will amount to nothing if the development of the territory does not go as well as you hope.”

“Well, that’s true. However, I’m quite confident about our prospects, and I think it is worth the gamble. What do you think about my proposal, Chief Tappas?”

“……I am sure there will be people who would choose to apply. Perhaps there will even be a flood of applicants after we announce the terms.”

“Is that so!? Oh, but please limit the number of craftsmen to three hundred. It doesn’t matter if you exceed that number a bit, but we will end up taking in a lot of people once they bring their families with them after all.”

“My word! They can even bring their families with them? Will you be able to guarantee housing and food for their families as well?”

“But of course. Or rather, it would be better if they really did bring their families with them. I will be happy if you make such arrangements on your end.”