“Welcome back, safe and sound. I am truly delighted, Master.”

Thanks to the efforts of Duke Dragnaut, I, having received tentative approval from the King of Canaria to become the lord of Titis Forest, decided to return to Ishka for a while.

The king told me that some time would be needed for preparations for my knighthood and to network with influential figures—ah, I should no longer call him “King” but “His Majesty.”

In any case, it was Miroslav who greeted me with a somewhat grandiose welcome upon my return to the Ishka estate.

This was supposedly the first time I had seen the red-haired sorcerer, who bowed deeply like a servant to his lord, since returning from Demon Island—not really. I had actually seen her when I went to Titis Forest with Kagari, along with Lunamaria and Wisteria.

She was already informed about the various happenings on Demon Island, and moreover, Miroslav had already been making preparations for the migration.

Miroslav was the only one who had returned to Ishka, while Lunamaria and Wisteria stayed in Titis Forest to guide Kagari, for this reason.

So, what was Miroslav doing while I was cutting down bandits in Mount Maris and asking Duke Dragnaut in the capital for help with the migration plans?

“How did things go with the Sauzar Trading Company?”

“My father says he definitely wants to help.”

I think you can gather from this exchange that I had asked Miroslav to enlist the Sauzar Trading Company’s help with the migration. To be more specific, I had requested their assistance in procuring clothing and food for the Kijin who were going to migrate.

No matter the number—hundreds, thousands, or eventually tens of thousands of people—it wouldn’t be feasible to procure everything personally. It was necessary to involve a large trading company like Sauzar.

Of the connections available to me, only the Sauzar Trading Company came to mind.

As I’ve mentioned before, Miroslav’s family business, the Sauzar Trading Company, is among the top three trading companies in the Kingdom of Canaria. Although it’s in the top three, there’s a significant gap between the first and second places, and the economy of Canaria is essentially dominated by two major players.

Trailing behind the two, Miroslav’s father had long been scheming to ingratiate himself with me through his daughter. By marrying his daughter to me—who is believed to be engaged to Claudia Dragnaut—he aims to indirectly connect with the Ducal House of Dragnaut.

I had no intention of going so far as to favor the Sauzar Trading Company, but having borrowed the company’s power through Miroslav, I maintained a reasonable relationship by commissioning our ceremonial clothes and other necessities from them.

Choosing the Sauzar Trading Company to supply the Kijin tribe was a natural decision.

However, even if the Sauzar Trading Company is the third largest in the country, securing supplies to support hundreds or thousands of immigrants is not straightforward. The country is in disarray due to the wedding and bandit disturbances, and beyond that, I simply don’t have the funds to purchase such large quantities of supplies.

So, for now, I broached the topic of securing supplies for a hundred people. It would be possible to arrange the funds by hunting magical beasts in Titis Forest.

This was something I had already discussed with Kagari.

These hundred are the vanguard of the migration. The goal was to highlight potential issues that might arise during the migration by actually moving them from the demon realm to Titis Forest. By now, Kagari, guided by Lunamaria and the others, should be inspecting the current state of the forest and building a warehouse to store these supplies.

I pressed Miroslav further.

“Is the price for this the connection to the Dragnaut ducal house?”

“No, Master. My father requested a guarantee of the position as the official merchant for the new house you are establishing.”

“That’s an easy request to fulfill, but…”

I tilted my head, expressing my doubt.

Though it sounds prestigious to be an official merchant, there isn’t much benefit for the Sauzar Trading Company to curry favor with a new noble who doesn’t even have subjects yet.

It’s unlikely he sees a business opportunity in the migration of thousands of people, especially since I haven’t told Miroslav’s father about the Kijin.

The Kijin have been persecuted for centuries as the instigators of a great war three hundred years ago. Additionally, their horns, traded at exorbitant prices as high-quality magic items, mean that there are very few Kijin left alive on the continent.

I am attempting to resettle these Kijin in Titis Forest, in the thousands.

If I told Miroslav’s father about this, he would undoubtedly ask, “How have so many Kijin survived, and where?” Answering this question with silence or evasiveness would be a bad move, losing their trust.

And yet, telling Miroslav’s father, a layman, about the demon realm, dragons, the Light God Church, and the Mitsurugi family’s conspiracies would only confuse him.

In the worst case, spreading this information through the Sauzar Trading Company could plunge the continent into chaos. That would be far more serious than any issues with the migration.

Therefore, I plan to disclose the Kijin publicly only after the migration is well underway, ideally after it has been completed.

Well, once large groups of people with covered heads start moving along the roads, it will inevitably attract attention. The current saint and others will likely act, so it’s overly optimistic to think the secret can be kept until the migration is complete.

Anyway, it’s still too early to inform Miroslav’s father about the Kijin.

It’s unlikely that Miroslav would go against my instructions and tell his father the details. Yet, the fact that Miroslav’s father desires the position of official merchant for a new noble rather than seeking ties with the Dragnaut ducal house felt off.

When I asked about this, Miroslav responded readily, without hesitation.

“My father rose from being the owner of a small clothing store to the head of one of the kingdom’s leading trading companies. He’s skilled at arranging clothing for large numbers of people. He sees this as an opportunity to curry favor with you, Master, a dragonslayer, with little effort on his part.”

Miroslav said there was no need for me to persuade him further.

When Miroslav’s father, the head of Sauzar Trading Company, heard about this matter from his daughter, he almost immediately agreed to the request.

He saw it as a worthwhile investment to accept a request from a dragonslayer.

Even though I am known as the “Dragon Liar,” a sort of disreputable dragonslayer, I didn’t think the moniker had any commercial value; however, Miroslav corrected my assumption.

“Master, the reputation of a dragonslayer is held in higher regard than you may think. If it becomes known that such a dragonslayer has been ennobled and appointed as the lord of Titis Forest, you will become the talk of the nation. Being your official merchant would significantly bolster one’s standing in negotiations.”

“Is that so?”

Impressed by this perspective I was unfamiliar with, I nodded, and Miroslav smiled lightly.

“Yes, that’s how it is.”

“You seem pleased?”

“It’s gratifying to be of service to you, Master, in any form.”

After saying this, Miroslav’s expression turned slightly melancholic as she continued.

“Currently, I cannot be of help to you on the battlefield. I wouldn’t come close to Master, or that Kijin boy Kagari, or ladies like Claira and Ursula. However, I can be of more use than they can in negotiating with trading companies and securing supplies.”

“You’re not just useful in that regard. Your healing potions were a big hit in the demon realm, and I’m grateful for how you’ve been holding down the fort in Ishka while I’m away. You’ve been making efforts to follow me into battle, right?”

“Eh… Oh, yes, that’s true, but…”

When I responded, Miroslav blinked in surprise, seeming taken aback. After a moment, she timidly posed a question to me.

“Um, Master. Do you know what I’ve been studying? Maybe Lunamaria mentioned something to you.

“No, I don’t know, and I haven’t heard anything. You said, ‘I cannot be of help to you on the battlefield at the moment,’ right? I just figured that you wouldn’t use the phrase ‘at the moment’ unless you had the ambition to catch up to me someday. And—”

“And…?”

“Miroslav Sauzar I know she isn’t one to resign herself to being useless.”

After I shrugged casually, Miroslav looked unsure of what to say, her gaze wandering.

Then, after counting slowly to ten to compose herself, the red-haired sorcerer, clutching her chest as if embracing something precious, finally spoke.

“You’re right. It isn’t like me to stop in my tracks, knowing I’m not useful. Thank you, Master. Watching you and your companions since you’ve returned, I realize I have grown somewhat faint-hearted without noticing.”

With that, Miroslav smiled—a smile reminiscent of the assertive Miroslav from the days of the “Swift Falcon Sword.”