In the Northern Grand Duchy of Renslet, also known as High Citadel, there are several other major territories and cities.

While they can’t compare to the metropolises of the Empire or Kingdoms, some areas have higher populations than High Citadel itself.

Thus, these cities and territories are invaluable hubs of the North.

One prominent example is Haven, located at the southernmost tip of the North, bordering both the Demonic Realm and the Empire.

Its strategic position as a trade city has caused its population to grow daily.

Incidentally, this was also the place where I, who had been transported and reincarnated into this otherworld, first began.

If you head further north from Haven, you’ll encounter two territories famous for agriculture: Shuen and Narvik.

Both territories became directly governed by the Grand Duchy following the rebellion a few years ago.

As they were among the few areas in the North suitable for farming and livestock, their populations remain high.

Traveling further north from Shuen and Narvik, you’ll find a city and a territory renowned for mining and industry:

The city, Remm, and the territory, Cadia, are famous for their mining industries. As a result, they have long been home to blacksmiths’ and carpenters’ workshops.

Notably, loyalist families such as Balzac, Soon, Haitai, and Gard also maintain estates in Remm and Cadia.

Finally, if you follow the main road north from Remm, you’ll reach the pinnacle of the North—the capital of the Northern Grand Duchy, Renslet.

Situated alongside the Great Northern Barrier, it is both the forefront of humanity’s defense against the savage Arctic and the northernmost territory on the continent.

The name “High Citadel” for Renslet’s capital doesn’t only refer to its high elevation or the fact that noble figures reside there.

If you continue westward from the Renslet capital, you’ll reach the ice-encased coastline, where my land, the County of Jin, lies—a territory granted to me along with my title.

Why, you ask, was I awarded such a vast territory under my family name?

The previous name of the County of Jin, Shinria, was a land with fewer than a thousand residents in total.

Its size was equivalent to that of a marquisate, but its population was smaller than most baronies.

With no practical value, at least its size deserved recognition.

What? Why am I suddenly launching into a geography lecture about the North?

The reason is that the recent mishap caused by a few employees of Arad Company is closely tied to these regions in the North.

“Decentralization of industry…”

I pondered while gazing at a map of the North.

Aside from establishing new internal departments like auditing, intelligence, security, and public relations, there was indeed a need to decentralize the factories and industries currently concentrated in High Citadel.

“This might be the perfect opportunity for a major restructuring of the company’s organization.”

Despite having lectured on public administration and overseeing the reorganization of High Citadel’s government structure,

my own company was still operating in a rather haphazard manner.

‘The phrase “darkness under the lamp” fits perfectly here.’

On the surface, Arad Company and the Arad Industrial Complex appeared to be advancing daily, but they harbored potential risks beneath.

‘I’ve been recklessly expanding factories just outside High Citadel.’

Moreover, the fact that Arad Company operated under one name while encompassing a mix of unrelated businesses was another major issue.

‘Looking at it now, the organizational structure is indeed a mess.’

Of course, there was a reason for running it this way.

Until now, there hadn’t been enough capable and trustworthy personnel, so I had to personally oversee everything.

“Boss, when are you planning to visit the palace? Administrator Haitai is requesting a specific date.”

At that moment, Mary, acting as my secretary for a change, asked me.

“Another magic communication call?”

“Yes.”

“I should have delayed rolling out magic communication devices.”

“It’s too late for that now.”

“….”

I let out a long sigh and closed my eyes, massaging the area around them with my fingers as I voiced my thoughts.

“If I’m going to High Citadel anyway, I might as well handle other matters in one trip.”

“Pardon?”

While Arad Industrial Complex and the Palace of Glory, where Arina resides, are close in distance,

they are emotionally draining and uncomfortable spaces for me.

Historically, the relationship between government and businesses has always been like water and oil.

Even though my company operates as a de facto state-backed enterprise, exempt from regulations and taxes, it’s still inconvenient.

‘In fact, being a state-backed enterprise makes it even more bothersome. It means I could be coerced into funding embezzlement at any moment.’

That’s one of the reasons I don’t visit the court frequently.

My home, office, and workplace are the most comfortable places in the world for me.

While it’s true that being a state-backed enterprise makes it difficult to avoid government entanglement, certain boundaries must be maintained.

“Mary, on your way home today, I’d like you to stop by the inner district of High Citadel.”

“The inner district? Do you mean to meet the Grand Duchess?”

“Wait a moment.”

I focused intently as I wrote something lengthy on fine paper.

After finishing, I sealed the letter in premium packaging and pressed my signet ring onto the wax.

“Deliver this letter directly to the Grand Duchess.”

“What is it?”

Curious about the rare courier task, Mary tilted her head as she asked.

Though I hadn’t sealed it with wax or security magic, allowing her to read it, I didn’t particularly mind.

“It’s a request to summon the mayors and lord deputies of the major cities in the North to High Citadel.”

“Suddenly?”

“It may feel sudden, but in truth, it’s already a bit overdue.”

“And what do you plan to do after summoning them…?”

“To be honest, it’s a fact that most of the company’s businesses and factories are concentrated in High Citadel. For now, it’s fine, but eventually, it could lead to irreversible problems.”

“That means…?!”

Mary’s eyes widened as if she had pieced something together.

“You can leave work a little early today. But make sure to deliver that letter before you head home to rest.”

“Understood.”

“Magic communication devices have already been distributed to the major cities and territories in the North, correct?”

“Yes. The summons should reach them before late tonight.”

“Good.”

“By the way…”

“Speak.”

“Why don’t you use the magic communication device to contact the Grand Duchess?”

“Because sending it through you is faster and safer.”

While I could contact Arina directly through the magic communication orb,

reaching the Northern Grand Duchess through magic communication involved all sorts of procedures and long wait times.

As the ruler of the North, the volume of communications she received was enormous.

In other words, sending a letter through Mary, my personal “hotline,” was far more efficient.

“In that case, why don’t you go yourself…?”

“Ah, politicians and businessmen meeting too frequently is never a good thing.”

“Are you avoiding her because you’re afraid she’ll ask for more money again?”

“How dare you say such disloyal things!”

Honestly, that was partly true.

With the preparations for the extreme north expedition underway, the defense fund extractions were becoming increasingly burdensome. Attending court meetings had indeed become nerve-wracking.

“Then what? Is it because of what happened during the last court meeting…?”

“Shh.”

“….”

When I silenced Mary, she gave me a look that screamed I have nothing to say.

I ignored her expression.

“Oh! By the way, is Entir Bishop still in High Citadel?”

With the letter-related matter wrapped up, I asked Mary about Entir Bishop’s whereabouts.

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

“Let him know I’d like to meet before he leaves.”

“Understood.”

“Then, go.”

“Go where?”

“Regardless of everything, this incident was caused by our employees. As their boss, I should at least show my face.”

***

Human greed knows no bounds.

Despite offering generous salaries and benefits, there were always a few who were never satisfied.

Recently, a few employees of Arad Company had been exploiting the company’s and my name, Arad Jin, to commit fraudulent acts.

There were three cases of bribery and lavish entertainment, under the pretense of securing employment at Arad Company or enrolling children in the academy.

Nine cases of eating meals on credit at restaurants and never paying.

Five cases of accepting bribes in exchange for favorable outcomes in supply or bidding processes.

And no fewer than ten cases of purchasing land on the outskirts of cities like Shuen, Haven, or Remm and spreading false rumors that the Arad Industrial Complex would be built there.

On top of that, there were countless smaller abuses of power by employees and their families, leveraging the name of Arad for personal gain. These were too numerous to even catalog.

If it had been complete outsiders pretending to be Arad employees, Froststeel would have stepped in.

But tragically, this time, the incidents were directly perpetrated by actual Arad employees, leaving Froststeel unable to intervene.

From their perspective, they likely believed these activities were legitimate company practices.

The embarrassing part? I only found out about all this during my last visit to High Citadel.

At the rare court meeting I attended, I was caught completely off guard.

“So, Sir Arad, what kind of factory will be built in our Cadia?”

“Pardon?”

The unexpected question came as I sat in on the meeting.

“Given that our region has long been famous for mining and blacksmithing, will it be a factory for producing magical weapons?”

“…What on earth are you talking about?”

“What?”

The person who had asked me this was Roc Cadan, son of the North’s Ice Wall family, Soon, and currently serving as Quartermaster General.

“What do you mean, ‘What are you talking about?’ There are widespread rumors in the provinces that Arad Company is building factories in Cadia and Remm!”

“In the provinces?!”

“Hahaha… Sir Arad, you’ve been spending so much time in High Citadel that you must be out of touch with the provinces. Otherwise, this doesn’t make sense. How could the industrial complex be planned without your knowledge?”

It turned out that Cadan’s family, who managed an estate near Cadia, had been misled by the rumors and purchased a significant amount of land.

“Um… Sir Arad? Ahem!”

And that was only the beginning.

Several officials and high-ranking knights cautiously approached me during the meeting, asking subtle but pointed questions.

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

“??”

“W-wait! Count Jin! Why was our merchant guild excluded from the latest supply contract? Granted, the specifications were slightly off, but considering our goodwill, shouldn’t you have accepted at least part of it?”

“?!”

For the average citizen of the North, the overwhelming power of the state-backed enterprise might have silenced them, but for nobles of ministerial rank, things were different.

This meant that the accumulated misdeeds of a few employees had finally reached the court.

“Theo! Manager Te!”

“Yes, boss. Did the court meeting go well…?”

“It seems there are some cases of people abusing our company’s name to do bad things! Investigate immediately!”

“Understood!”

“Mary, request support from Froststeel.”

“Yes.”

“This is beyond humiliating.”

Honestly, this was the real reason I avoided going to High Citadel or using the magic communication devices.

The excessive workload, entanglement with politics, and the constant demands for tribute were just excuses I used to save face.

The truth was much simpler—I was too embarrassed to show my face.

***

Back to the present.

Knights from Froststeel had made a rare appearance, stationed in various places, their presence dominating the scene.

A group of Arad Industrial Complex employees stood at a distance, wearing grave expressions as they observed the proceedings.

Their gazes were fixed on a gathering that included the employees responsible for the incident, the victims, and their employer, Arad Jin.

“I sincerely apologize for the harm caused by my incompetent employees,” Arad said, bowing respectfully to the victims.

“No, it’s also our fault. We should have checked with the Head of Management Support or the Secretary’s Office…”

The victims, faced with Arad’s apology, uniformly responded with reassurances that it was fine.

After all, this was the CEO of the state-backed Arad Company and a count-ranked high noble offering a personal and sincere apology.

They knew well enough that rejecting his apology could lead to unforeseen complications for themselves.

“All losses in gold and silver coins will be fully reimbursed,” Arad stated, handing prepared pouches of gold and silver coins to the victims.

The company had decided to compensate the victims in advance, intending to recover the amount later by thoroughly squeezing the perpetrators responsible for the crimes.

“There’s no need to repay us; just maybe consider helping us with our supply contract…”

One of the nobles affected by the supply issues hesitantly raised his hand, offering a counterproposal.

“That won’t be possible. Your goods didn’t meet the standards, did they?”

Confirming that this noble’s rank and title were far below his own, Arad immediately switched to a dismissive tone, drawing a clear line.

“Ah…”

When it came to quality management, Arad was unwavering and non-negotiable.

“What about recruitment, my lord? How will that be handled…?”

“Recruitment will be determined by academic ranking at Renslet Academy. You may tell your children or relatives to start by enrolling there.”

Similar exchanges followed, but Arad maintained his principles and set firm boundaries.

“What about the factory in Cadia then? What’s happening with that?”

Finally, Quartermaster General Roc Cadan cautiously asked Arad, his nervousness evident in his tone.

Standing behind Roc was his father, Soon Cadan.

“…”

Given the nature of the incident, it seemed Soon had no choice but to attend in person. He was glaring at his son with an expression of utter disappointment.