Chapter 95.2

“How dare you say such disloyal words!”

To be honest… she wasn’t entirely wrong.

Due to the preparations for the Extreme North Expeditionary Force, the defense fund contributions had been heavily drained lately, making every court meeting a nerve-wracking experience.

“If it’s not that, then… is it because of what happened during the last court meeting…”

“Shh.”

“….”

I cut off Mary’s words, and she gave me a look that screamed ‘I’ll say no more.’

I chose to ignore that look.

“Oh, by the way, is Entir Bishop still at the High Tower?”

After addressing the matter of the letter, I asked Mary about Entir Bishop’s current whereabouts.

“He seems to be preparing to return to the Empire. I believe he’s planning to leave tomorrow.”

“Before he departs, tell him I’d like to see him.”

“Understood.”

“Well then, let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“No matter what, this incident was caused by our employees. As the boss, I should at least make an appearance.”

Human greed knows no bounds.

Despite the generous salaries and benefits I provided, a few employees still couldn’t be satisfied.

Recently, some Arad Company employees had exploited the company’s name—and mine—for their own gain.

Three cases of receiving bribes and lavish gifts in exchange for promises to hire people or enroll their children in the academy.

Nine cases of dining on credit at restaurants and failing to pay.

Five cases of accepting bribes to manipulate supply contracts or bids.

Ten cases of buying land in the outskirts of cities like Shuen, Haven, and Remm, then falsely claiming that the Arad Industrial Complex would be built there.

Countless minor instances of abuse of power by employees and their families using the name of Arad.

Had it been outsiders pretending to be Arad employees, the Frost Knights could have stepped in.

But this time, it was our own employees, so even the Frost Knights were powerless to act; they probably thought these employees were acting under company orders.

I first learned of the situation in the most humiliating way—during the last court meeting at the High Tower.

***

“So, Lord Arad, what type of factory will you be building in Cardia?”

“…Pardon?”

Attending a rare court meeting at the High Tower, I was caught off guard by this unexpected question.

“Given Cardia’s reputation for mining and blacksmithing, will it be a factory for magical weapons?”

“…What exactly are you talking about?”

“Hmm?”

The one who asked was Rok Kadan, the Quartermaster General and son of the Northern Ice Wall’s guardian, Sun Kadan.

“W-What do you mean? Rumors are spreading across the provinces that Arad Company is building factories in Cardia and Remm!”

“In the provinces?!”

“Hahaha… Perhaps Lord Arad is so focused on the High Tower that he’s unaware of local affairs? But then, this doesn’t make sense. How can a factory be built without your knowledge?”

The Kadan estate, managed by Sun’s family, was located near Cardia, and it seemed they had bought up significant land based on these rumors.

“Lord Arad? Ahem…”

And that was just the beginning.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Several officials and high-ranking knights timidly approached me, asking questions that only made things worse.

“Lord Arad, when will our children be able to join the Arad Company? We’ve paid, but there’s been no word…”

“??”

“Wait, Count Jin! Why was our merchant guild excluded from the recent supply contracts? Sure, our standards were a bit off, but given our ‘sincerity,’ shouldn’t we have been awarded at least part of the deal?”

“?!”

While ordinary Northerners might have feared confronting a state-affiliated company, noble officials weren’t as hesitant.

This meant that the misdeeds of some employees had snowballed to the point of reaching the court.

***

“Theo! Manager Theo!”

“Yes, sir! How was the court meeting…”

“Investigate immediately! It seems some people have been misusing our company’s name for personal gain!”

“Understood!”

“Mary, request support from the Frost Knights.”

“Yes.”

What an embarrassment.

To be honest, this was the real reason I avoided visiting the court or using magical communication—too humiliating.

I could rationalize it by blaming heavy workloads, political ties, or the defense fund contributions, but the truth was plain and simple: I was ashamed.

Back to the Present

Frost Knights had gathered in large numbers, standing guard at key locations.

A group of senior employees from the Arad Industrial Complex, wearing serious expressions, stood some distance away, watching.

Their attention was focused on a particular spot where the offending employees, their victims, and I stood.

“I apologize for the harm caused by my incompetent employees.”

I bowed deeply and sincerely to the victims.

“No, no. We should have checked with your executive or secretary before believing them…”

The victims were quick to accept my apology.

After all, I wasn’t just a company head—I was a count and a grand noble. Refusing such an apology could easily backfire.

“We will fully compensate for the gold and silver coins you lost.”

I handed prepared pouches of coins to the victims.

At the company level, we agreed to reimburse the victims immediately and then recover the amount from the offending employees through restitution.

“No need to compensate us… Perhaps we could revisit our supply deal instead?”

One of the noble victims, who had been excluded from a supply contract, waved their hands while making a counterproposal.

“That won’t happen. Your supplies didn’t meet the required standards, did they?”

Confirming that this noble was far below me in rank, I drew a clear line, speaking with an air of authority.

“Ah…”

When it came to quality management, there was no room for compromise.

“What about hiring? Will that be reconsidered…?”

“Hiring is determined by academic performance at Renslet Academy. Advise your children or siblings to enroll there first.”

Similar exchanges continued, but I firmly adhered to principles and boundaries.

“What about the factory in Cardia?”

Finally, Rok Kadan, looking nervous, raised the question.

Behind him, his father, Sun Kadan, stood glaring at him with a mix of exasperation and disappointment.

I could only sigh. This is going to take a while.