「The next day.」

Colin, who had grown accustomed to practicing his swordsmanship in his dreams at night, climbed out of bed.

The lingering warmth of the hot water and the fresh scent of soap still clung to his skin, making him feel refreshed and invigorated.

Colin got up and put on the new clothes he had bought yesterday.

The tunic was just an undyed linen garment, and it felt a little scratchy to wear. The breeches were woven from wool yarn, a bit warmer than his previous pants. The outfit was quite sturdy; if nothing unexpected happened, it should have no problem lasting for over a year.

All in all, Colin was quite satisfied with his purchase.

After putting on his new clothes, he suddenly heard a faint tapping sound from the bottom of his door.

He opened the door and found a rat knocking.

"The welcoming ceremony for the New Blood is today. Please bring your teammate and report to Horn Castle. Today’s the day to discuss the Half-Orc matter, so go to the office! Yes, yes, human thingy!"

"Understood."

Having received its answer, the rat scurried away along the corner of the wall.

Colin silently watched the small gray ball of fur disappear.

’Human adaptability is really something,’ he thought. He had already grown used to this bizarre method of notification.

Speaking of which, if the rat hadn’t mentioned it, Colin would have forgotten all about the welcoming ceremony. This trip would also be a chance to temporarily resolve Kase’s situation.

He went out, got Kase, and after they finished breakfast, the two of them immediately headed for Horn Castle.

They were fairly early today, so there weren’t many Adventurers at the gate yet.

The overall atmosphere of the castle had changed a lot. Blue and gold banners bearing the City Watcher’s insignia were hanging over the gate, and there were many more figures on the walls.

"Damn it, Colin, is that what you two are wearing?"

As the two of them approached the castle gate, a Guard at the entrance shouted at them.

He went over and saw it was the same Guard who had previously shouted something about "Colin with the Orc".

’He’s practically an acquaintance,’ Colin thought, so he went along and asked, "Is there something strange about it?"

"Aren’t you two some of the main attractions today? You should at least dress up a bit. Wear an outfit made of silk, at the very least!"

"Since when can I afford clothes made of silk?"

"Aren’t you a traveling combat Mage? Mages are all very rich. You know how it is, as soon as something has anything to do with Magic, the price multiplies by ten or a hundred times..."

"Has our fine young man found someone else to chat with?"

An old voice came from behind them. An officer was walking toward them from a distance, and the Guard immediately snapped to attention.

Colin gave him a helpless look, then headed toward Edwin’s office.

This time, besides Edwin, there was an old man in a black silk tunic and a soft cap standing in the office.

"Colin, you’re quite early today." Edwin made the introduction, "This is the steward who manages the Weston Clan’s properties in the city."

The old man nodded slightly as a sign of respect.

He looked up and said, "I’ve heard about your business from Mr. Helder. I’ve come today to understand it in more detail. Of course, since Mr. Kase’s situation has not yet been resolved, the young master instructed me to offer the best possible terms."

Hearing this, the tension in Colin’s heart eased considerably.

’I can’t believe it’s playing out like this. Albert is really generous,’ Colin thought. ’Dragon’s Fang Castle must be pretty important to the Weston Clan.’

"My idea is to contact the Orc Tribe, hire some Orc Warriors to help resist the northern monsters—they are experienced in that, after all—and then try to get the Orc Tribe to migrate south."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Watching the steward’s thoughtful expression, Colin couldn’t help but swallow. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous.

"To be honest, the idea does sound very tempting."

The steward said, "But even if we use Magic to communicate, it would take over a month at the earliest to get a message back. That’s too long, and no one knows how long this winter disaster will last."

"But this winter disaster started much earlier than before, and it shows no signs of ending. That much is certain. No one knows whether future winter disasters will be stronger or weaker than this year’s," Edwin added.

"If they are weaker, then those Orcs will be useless to us, won’t they?"

"That’s a rather biased view, sir. Compared to hastily conscripted Militia, Orcs are considerably powerful, even more so than Ordinary soldiers. They can hardly be described as ’useless’."

Watching Edwin and the steward argue, Colin and Kase silently exchanged a look, both unsure if they should interject.

Seeing that he was getting nowhere arguing with Edwin, the steward turned back to Kase. "What are the Orcs’ beliefs and political stances?"

"Our tribe migrated north from the Farthest Forest in the northeast. We tried to settle down a few times along the way. Whatever the locals believed in, we’d believe in. It’s just that we never managed to stay in one place."

Kase scratched his head and added, "What’s a ’political stance’?"

The Half-Orc’s identity as "Flexible Believers" didn’t surprise Colin.

After being punished by the Winter Goddess, he began to believe in the Orcs’ racial god, the "Deity of Destruction."

’After an experience like that, most people wouldn’t hold any more expectations for the Gods,’ Colin figured. ’He probably just wanted to find some god, any god, to believe in.’

"But the price..." the steward asked.

"We can put up a few dozen Gold Coins for the mission deposit. If our people can come over, we can earn money together."

"Or, to be more direct, they could work for the Weston Clan to pay off the debt," Edwin added. "As for the settlement policy, that can be drafted later. I believe the Gray Hand will also be interested in this, so there’s room for future cooperation."

"Since the Legendary Paladin, the ’Shield of Thousand Masts,’ has spoken, what reason do I have to refuse?"

The steward shook his head with a wry smile. "Draw up the contract, Mr. Helder."

"An excellent decision." Edwin smiled and nodded. "At the very least, we should never refuse a group of Orcs who wish to turn toward the light."

Only after the matter was settled and the money paid did the two of them finally relax.

"Thank you." Colin didn’t know what else to say.

"Thanks," Kase also said, for the first time in ages.

His expression was serious, just as serious as when he spoke with the old veteran.

’To be honest, before that, Colin thought the guy would never say a proper thank you.’

"You two can rest easy. This is an investment; no one owes anyone anything," the steward said. "The family’s wealth is more than just Gold and property. Otherwise, I couldn’t boast that I could definitely find Adventurers to help, could I?"

Colin smiled and nodded.

’This part is quite similar to Bob’s philosophy on life,’ Colin thought. ’Help others out and build up favors, because you never know when you’ll need them.’

Before long, the contract was drafted.

First, the Weston Clan would be responsible for finding Adventurers willing to go north. Kase would provide an item to prove his identity and cover most of the expenses. Once there, the Adventurers would negotiate with the tribe about migrating south.

This constituted the first phase.

Kase would provide the money, and the Weston Family would provide the connections.

Looking at the outcome, at least, the contract was pretty good. It would allow Kase to learn of his Orc Tribe’s safety without having to go north to his death, and the Orc Tribe would get a chance to relocate.

After they signed the contract, Edwin said, "Alright, now I’ll take you over to the ceremony."

Just as they turned to leave, the steward called out to Colin, "Sir, the young master hasn’t forgotten your gift." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

’So he didn’t go back on his offer?’

Once again marveling at how rich and extravagant nobles were, Colin acknowledged him and followed Edwin out.