CH 1

Chapter 1 – I was fired from the black Knights Order!

The Schwarz Knights Order had been established to fight against the Demon King’s army.

And from an office in their castle, which stood in the Chevalburg territories, an angry voice echoed.

“You’re a mere crafter. And yet you’re going to advise the captain!?”

The person who was shouting was Vilian, who had only been with the Schwarz Knights for two years.

“You should shut your mouth and make weapons like the captain says! Joshua!!”

“I’ve been a member since this order was founded. I think I have a right to have an opinion?”

I, Joshua, was not only a founding member, but the head of the production bureau.

The production bureau created the necessary armor, weapons, and potions that the order needed to fight the Demon King’s army. We fought behind the scenes.

Well, it was called a bureau, but it was just me…

I was the only Production Magician who worked here, and I was also the head.

Other than me, there was one slime employed here to help with transportation.

And so all of the various weapons and tools that the order used were made by me.

Sleeping three hours a day was the norm.

On top of that, they would ask me to make double the amount of weapons as before, so I couldn’t help but have a few complaints.

However, what bothered me more than all of that, was the way that the knights order operated recently.

And so I pushed Vilian away and addressed Captain Royg, who sat in his chair.

“Captain…no, Royg. You can’t be serious with this slave hunting. Didn’t we build this Schwarz Knights Order to fight against the Demon King’s army?”

“And we need more money in order to fight against this army. And you must make more weapons! You want increased wages, don’t you? But you’ll have to wait a little longer.”

He had said this before, but had never given me a raise.

As Royg replied coldly, I spoke a little harsher.

“That’s not what I’m trying to say… I understand that we need money to fight! However, this hunting of helpless demihumans and selling them. It is madness! What has happened to you!”

The knights order had expanded in the past ten years, but Royg had changed as well.

Royg and I had grown up together, and were both the children of knights.

However, when I was seven, the Demon King’s army attacked our homeland, and both of us lost our parents.

After that, we became child soldiers, and started the Schwarz Knights Order with just twenty members. And we dedicated our lives to opposing the Demon King.

And as our successes against the Demon King and bandits increased, the children of nobles from all over the continent began to join us, and donations came in.

Eventually, the Knights Order would have their own land.

However, Royg seemed to believe that this was all because of him, and any members that stood up to him were dismissed, one after another.

Now, the only founding members who remained were me and Royg.

Everyone else in the order were sycophant yes-men like Vilian.

And now, for money, he was going to stain his hands with slave hunting, which was banned in every country.

It was a lucrative business.

And Royg thought he could become even more wealthy.

But this was something I could not allow.

The very idea that the weapons and tools that I made would be used for something so infernal.

“Come back to what you once were… Our mission was to protect people from the Demon King’s army. If this is what you’ve become, then I don’t want to work here.”

Surely Royg would listen to my words… That is what I thought.

But Royg sighed with exasperation and then replied calmly.

“Then don’t? There are many who could replace you. A mere Production Magician can be hired in no time.”

I could easily be replaced, huh…

So for Royg, I wasn’t an old comrade and friend, but just another Production Magician.

In fact, when founding the order, Royg and I had fought shoulder to shoulder on the frontlines. I had been a warrior too.

But about six years ago, as our membership increased, we decided that everyone should be assigned roles in the order based on our ‘crests.’

Crests were like blessings bestowed onto people, and everyone had them.

‘Holy Blade’ would make you an expert with the sword, and ‘Fire Magic Magician’ would make you a master of fire magic.

And my crest had been ‘Magic Crafter.’

A crest that helped with production magic.

And so I became the head of the production bureau.

Though, even before that, I had been making weapons and tools for the order.

As for Royg, he had ‘God of War,’ which was something any noble would envy.

In fact, you could say that the reason that the newly founded order became successful so quickly, was because of the nobles that were attracted due to Royg’s crest.

However, due to this, he began to discriminate against people based on their crest.

Magic Crafter was a common crest, so perhaps it was true that I could easily be replaced.

However, I had given so much to the Knights Order…I had worked so hard, like grinding myself to dust. In the belief that one day, we would be able to defeat the Demon King.

“I…am not needed here?”

“Aye. I don’t want anyone who will not follow my directions. In the first place, you’re quite insolent for someone who is just a crafter! Now get out of my sight, you filthy leech.”

Leech?

For the past ten years, I had been working for the same salary.

That was less than what the newly recruited knights were paid, and I did not get any days off.

On the other hand, Royg was dressed in expensive clothes and accessories, and he spent a great amount of money throwing parties with nobles every day.

From one kingdom, he had been given the title of count, as well as this land, which he built a huge mansion on.

Of course, I understood that he had to entertain guests sometimes.

However, how was I not worth what I was being paid?

I slept and worked in the workshop or storage house, and only ate bread and soup every day. I rarely bought new clothes, so my current ones were covered in patches.

I didn’t even have the energy to respond… I couldn’t go on with someone like this.

“I will do that…”

As I left the office, Royg didn’t even call after me.

The only thing I heard was the laughter of Vilian and his other attendants.

And so on that day, I left the knights order that I had dedicated ten years of my life to.