Reset Life – Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Re.Extra: Spring Has Come (2)

The Imperial Capital Nek.

“Ooh~ I’m the one who rules~ the night of the capital~ I’m the lone wolf of the night~ Standing alone~ under the moonlight~ A lone wolf~ Awooo!”

Splash!

Jay remained motionless, not even bothering to remove the rag covering his face. Soon, the rag slid down, leaving his face dripping wet.

“What was that for, Lucy?”

“I told you to mop the floor, not sing.”

Lucy (Female) glared at Jay with a face full of disdain.

If he could sing well, she might have let it slide, but he was just humming tunelessly, making it a painful experience for her ears.

“Tsk. You’re too stiff for a woman.”

“Sigh, I must be crazy. I changed jobs to a place with this kind of person. Money is the root of all evil. Hmph!”

Accepting Arisein Pen Herduke’s offer and changing jobs (?) was good so far. She had always wanted to work in the Imperial Capital Nek, so she readily agreed.

Her specialty was gathering data and processing it into information, a talent that Jay and Old Man’s organization lacked.

The salary was also quite appealing with a high figure, so she decided to change jobs (?) without a second thought.

Having come to Nek and with a year remaining on her contract, she was contemplating how long she would have to work with this shameless man.

As the saying goes, she was born with a natural charm, which she utilized both personally and professionally. She often used the method of seducing men to extract information and then ditching them.

Due to this inherent characteristic, she was used to working alone, making colleagues (?) an unnecessary element. Moreover, unlike Arisein Pen Herduke’s other associates, Jay was openly lecherous.

“By the way, Lucy, do you have any plans after work today?”

“Yes.”

“What plans? Anything I can help with?”

“No.”

“Come on, tell me. If it’s something troublesome, I can help. A date would be a cheap price to pay.”

“Not interested. You always say you’re busy when I ask you out!”

Lucy shouted back, while Jay continued to flirt with her while half-heartedly mopping the floor. He had been doing this for almost two years now.

If he was truly devoted, she might have developed some affection for him. However, Jay was just a typical womanizer who couldn’t control himself around pretty women.

He was competent at work, had decent leadership skills, and was wealthy. But she longed for pure romance.

In truth, her dream was to retire in her 30s and become a devoted housewife, building a modest family. Her current job was just a youthful adventure and a means to earn money.

In the back alleys, the greatest assets were money and oneself. She prioritized both, based on this belief.

Therefore, she had absolutely no intention of associating with a womanizer and a shameless man who could die at any moment.

She wiped the grandfather clock, observing Jay’s reflection in the glass. As expected, he was looking at her with the eyes of a wolf eyeing its prey.

“Sigh……”

She comforted herself with the rational act of breathing onto the glass and sighing.

At least, it was a relief that his lecherousness subsided during work hours. He knew how to behave appropriately depending on the time and place.

Otherwise, she would have packed her bags and moved to Azot long ago.

Another consolation was that Jay wasn’t her only colleague.

“Hmm? Still not finished?”

“The lone wolf was slacking off.”

“Is that so? Jay, you don’t want your salary cut next month, do you?”

“Oops! Oops! Ehehe! The sweat from labor is so refreshing!”

“That’s the rag water I threw at you earlier.”

Lucy retorted appropriately to Jay’s bluffing. Due to the recent lack of work and the organization’s focus on maintaining the status quo, Arisein Pen Herduke had issued a special order to Old Man.

<Those who don’t work, shall not eat or drink. Especially Jay.>

With the intention of implementing this famous ancient proverb, Old Man”understood”the special order. Thus, an atmosphere was created where those who didn’t work didn’t get paid.

The results were decent. With bonus payments for hard work, the overall atmosphere of the organization became more active.

Except for one person at the very top.

“Jay, are you bored?”

“Tsk. There hasn’t been a conflict for three months. My specialty isn’t paperwork, you know.”

“If that’s the case, tell the Master.”

“The boss? Well, I don’t know. It seems like we’re on the back burner these days. I should have thought twice before renewing my contract. For five years, too. Sigh. Jay All Master, having to mop the floor in the office…… How pathetic.”

“If you’re pathetic, then I must be the great-great-grandmother of pathetic. Hmph!”

“Wow~! Great-great-grandmother~!”

“Eek! Creepy! Go away!”

Jay acted cute. Seeing Lucy kick him away, Old Man sighed.

Lucy became an executive of the organization along with Jay and Old Man.

Her information gathering ability surpassed Old Man’s. After comparing their performances, Old Man willingly handed over his tasks to Lucy. And he could finally focus on his original specialty, general affairs.

After establishing this framework, the organization thrived in the nights of Nek. They even got a name and started operating officially (?).

Its name was AJOR.

It was derived from the initials of Arisein, Jay, Old Man, and Lucy.

Some suspected a connection with the Azot Kingdom due to the name. Jay and Old Man didn’t bother to clarify. Two out of the four people whose initials were included were from Azot, after all.

From the perspective of those in the back alleys, AJOR had firmly established its position for a newly formed organization.

Despite not having a noble backing them (as far as anyone knew), they expanded their operations through various businesses and continuously recruited talented individuals.

Thanks to the organization’s atmosphere that prioritized people over money, they received relatively positive reviews from the citizens of the capital.

Of course, no one knew that behind them stood Arisein Pen Herduke, the”Knight of Light who defeated the demon and saved the capital.”

Those who knew about AJOR generally had a favorable opinion of the three leaders.

They were seen as a constructive leadership team that always cooperated, considered each other’s circumstances, avoided competition, and sought productive directions.

It was a natural thought considering the organization’s appearance.

However, the truth was this:

A slacker, a disgusted woman, and a sighing middle-aged man.

It was a perfect example of how legends could be exaggerated and amplified.

Old Man adjusted his glasses.

“At least don’t act like that in front of your subordinates. And Jay, peace isn’t a bad thing. You know that, right?”

“Ah, of course I know. This is the most idyllic time. But that’s different from being bored. I’ve become quite well-known, so I can’t even brawl in a tavern, can I?”

“If you do that, you’ll lose more than just your face. Two of them.”

“Oh my, how scandalous.”

Seeing Jay clench his fists, put them under his chin, and shake his body, Lucy reached the primordial origin of disgust.

“Old Man, can I kill him?”

“Later. We have a job.”

Jay wanted to emphasize the ‘later’ part of Old Man’s words. However, something more significant came out of Old Man’s mouth.

Jay and Lucy each hardened their expressions, preparing to listen seriously to Old Man’s words. Old Man thought this was something he could brag about to the outside world.

He said,

“AJOR has established itself as a legitimate organization in the capital. Although its control is weaker compared to Edian, it’s seen as the only force that can oppose them. It has become the axis of the opposition. Now, the Master has finally given us an order. He suggested that it’s time to establish branches. The Master aims to influence not just the capital’s nightlife, but the entire Empire’s. The five-year contract renewal was for this purpose. We’ve accumulated funds and expanded our businesses according to the Master’s advice. Our foundation is solid. It’s time to branch out.”

“Oh, that’s good. Where are we going? Surely not Orknesia?”

“Orknesia isn’t even on the list. The place the Master designated is the Southern Empire. Broadly speaking, it’s Edikinz and Daylight Duchy ‘Restart.’ In my opinion, Restart would be better. Edikinz is the starting point of Edian, so there’s a risk of provoking them.”

In the northeastern, northwestern, and southeastern parts of the Empire, there were duchies.

The three regions of Orknesia, Narvilt, and Restart were also where the Eastern Army, Western Army, and Southern Army were stationed.

Among them, Restart housed the 200,000-strong Southern Army and was ruled by Duke Ecoshian Uck Daylight.

Duke Ecoshian was the head of the pro-Emperor nobles, opposing Duke Mujaindos Uck Salain of Narvilt.

Interestingly, despite being the head of the pro-Emperor nobles, he directly ruled his territory.

While Duke Ecaledon of the Herduke family and Duke Mujaindos of the Salain family ruled Orknesia and Narvilt through regents, Duke Ecoshian ruled the Duchy himself, stationing his younger brother in the capital as a representative.

Many nobles dreamed of life in the capital, but strangely, he had withdrawn from politics 20 years ago and focused solely on governance.

As a result, few nobles had seen him in person, leading to him being called the”Phantom Duke.”

Apart from this peculiarity, Restart wasn’t much different from the central part of the Empire, where vassals ruled their fiefdoms. Of course, there were some developed aspects due to the Duke’s influence.

Lucy nodded, recalling this information.

“Indeed, Restart wouldn’t be too burdensome. Compared to the fierce competition in the capital, the local organizations’ territorialism would be a mere itch. Establishing ourselves wouldn’t be difficult. Moreover, the locals would likely be seeking connections with organizations from the capital, making negotiations easier.”

“There are many advantages. The Master mentioned the Southern Empire, but practically speaking, isn’t Restart the Southern Empire? It’s better not to touch Edikinz.”

“Heh! So, is the history of the night about to change again? I like that!”

“Do you like it, Jay?”

Old Man pushed up his glasses and looked at Jay. Jay grinned and nodded. He seemed quite motivated.

“Of course! That’s exactly what I wanted!”

Seeing Jay confidently thump his chest, Old Man nodded.

“I see. I can rest assured now.”

“Huh? About what?”

“Come in.”

Old Man didn’t answer and spoke towards the door. Then, the door opened, and three subordinates walked in, carrying stacks of documents. Each person seemed to be carrying at least 300 pages of documents.

Jay’s face turned red.

“O, O, Old Man? W, What is this?”

“It’s regional information on Restart. You need to sift through this and choose a location suitable for establishing a base and expanding our influence. It’s good that you like it. Put them down there.”

As the stacks of documents piled up on the table, Jay’s face turned pale. Lucy chuckled at his colorful transformation.

Old Man said calmly,

“It’s an all-nighter from now on. You need to organize the data within a week, find a suitable location, and report back. It seems the Master is motivated for the first time in a while. The two-year hiatus was quite long. It’s been almost three years, actually. Go get coffee and cigarettes. Meals will be in four hours and eight hours. Don’t let anyone leave until the second meal is over.”

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

Creak…… Thud!

Jay looked at the door closing with a sound, his expression perfectly mirroring that of someone trapped in a dark maze.

“Ha, Ehehe, Ehahahaha……”

Lucy, observing Jay’s pale face, wondered how a person’s complexion could be so diverse. She thought it might be a good time to have a conversation about that topic.

Despite Jay feeling like Lucy was finally willing to have a personal conversation with him, he was trembling with a blue face.

“D, D, D……! Damn boss-!”

As always, being a middle-level executive was tough.

“Hmm……?”

He rubbed his ear, thinking someone had cursed him. His ear suddenly felt extremely itchy, as if someone had cast a strong curse on him.

But soon, he decided not to pay much attention to it. He was busy with his current task.

He was currently devising a plan for the supply of materials for the 500,000 Eastern Army stationed in Orknesia.

It was originally the Eastern Defense Command’s job, but the core of the Eastern Defense Command was Arisein’s father, Ecaledon.

And Ecaledon was currently participating in the grand”Empire’s 10-Year Development Plan,”so he couldn’t pay attention to the supply of materials.

Those who could substitute for the busy Duke’s work were his confidants or sons, but Donthernon, the eldest son whom Duke Ecaledon trusted, had gotten married earlier this year and was currently on his honeymoon.

As a result, the only one left was the second son, Arisein.

“Even though I’m the ‘leftover,’ I was useful.”

Arisein chuckled self-deprecatingly. Having grown from a boy to a young man, he was now at an age where the self-deprecating smile he often wore after turning sixteen suited him well.

Since May of his sixteenth year, he had achieved feats that were nearly impossible for the children of ordinary noble families and gained immense fame.

However, realizing that this immense fame was actually poison, he had been focusing on developing himself for nearly three years.

During that time, he studied administration and politics and developed the ability to handle some matters in place of Ecaledon.

Even now, he was diligently working to meet deadlines.

However, a major obstacle appeared in this seemingly smooth task. If it weren’t for the”strong”request from his friend, Sermaila Hind, he wouldn’t have had to worry about it.

A while ago, a note delivered by the apprentice of a mage employed by the Dukedom had completely disrupted his calculations.

<Illusion Silk. 2 tons.

Buy it!

-Aila.>

It was a concise yet powerful note, emanating an energy that couldn’t be ignored.

Arisein Pen Herduke sighed lightly.

“Sigh, why didn’t you send this earlier, Aila?”

He owed her a favor, so he had to”buy it.”

Salt was a necessity everywhere. Naturally, the army also needed salt, and as people who sweat a lot, they consumed more salt on average than ordinary people.

The problem was the quality of the salt.

The Eastern Army needed to be well-fed and well-equipped, so the quality of their supplies was higher compared to the Western and Southern Armies. However, Illusion Silk was a salt fit for noble families, not for the Eastern Army.

It was difficult to purchase 2 tons of salt that was, at best, suitable for the command and high-ranking officers.

Arisein pondered for a while and made a decision.

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