A Side - There's Something to See (3)

My knees quickly gave out as I collapsed to the floor. Tears obscured my vision as I wallowed over Todd's hopeless situation.

If only I came two weeks sooner.

If only we acted immediately upon seeing increase in beasts.

If only the Viscount had enough troops to spare.

If only... kept dominating my mind as I tried to rationalize the situation. But these were all in retrospect. Todd acted on what was best using the information at the time. It was nobody's fault.

I wasn't sure how long had passed since then. By the time I came to, I found myself laying in one the guest rooms of the manor. The spring sun had already risen far above the horizon, blanketing the room in an ominous glow. It only served to further reinforce my miserable state.

But no matter how hard I cried, it wouldn't change anything. If I did nothing, then Todd, my home, would surely be wiped off the map.

I couldn't let that happen.

If we were going to fall, we would fight until our last breath.

With my renewed determination, I requested another meeting with the Viscount. He responded almost immediately, directing me to the reception room rather than his office.

"Thank you for seeing me again, Viscount Edith. I apologize for my unsightly display."

"If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you, Ms. Adeline. Though, it seems you have recovered much of your strength."

"I cannot sit around and watch my home fall, after all," I smiled.

The Viscount smirked in response. "I understand. But first..." With a snap of his fingers, a pair of maids entered the room, serving each of us an omelet. My stomach growled in response. "As you have not eaten since yesterday, I hope you do not mind some breakfast as we discuss."

"...thank you for your generosity." A flush of red spread through my cheeks, disappearing just as quickly.

As we ate, I immediately jumped into my request. "Can I put up a quest in the Adventurer's Guild and the public bulletin?"

This was the main strategy I settled on. There were many outside the knights who were strong enough to handle mid-rank beasts, maybe even high-ranked ones. In my barony, you could count the number on one hand, but in a viscounty like this, there should be at least ten times that amount. Granted, it was considered rude to poach such talent from the city in question, hence why I asked.

"Of course you may. But do you have a price in mind?" As he mentioned, such powerhouses came with their own equally high price tag.

And as such, "Ten gold coins for any high-ranking adventurers willing to participate, with one gold coin for every beast killed."

"Does the Todd Barony have the leeway for such a large sum?" the Viscount asked, concerned. I could see why. We were required to submit an annual report each year, so he was well aware of our finances. Hiring twenty adventurers would exceed our monthly budget of one small platinum, even before any kills were accounted for.

"You do not have to worry. We have enough in our reserves to handle the costs."

Well, that's not completely true. At best, we could hire around sixty people before running out of money. Even less if they killed a hundred beasts each. But that was still better than letting the city fall. In my opinion, people were more important than wealth.

"I see. Then I shall do my part as well." The Viscount left the room for a brief moment, returning with a wooden tablet. His seal was stamped on the bottom right corner. "The Edith Viscounty will subsidize the Todd Barony for the hiring of a militia. There will be no interest on the incurred costs, with the payback period being ten years."

"T-thank you." It was an absurdly generous gesture, one most other nobles would never even dream of. I couldn't help but feel emotional. With this, we may stand a chance...!

But once again, reality had different plans.