Boundless Family Upgrades For The Deadbeat Lord

Inside a small, sparsely decorated room that served as the castle’s primary administrative office, Raymond sat comfortably behind a heavy oak desk.

The cold, dry wind whistled faintly against the thick glass window pane, but the room itself was relatively warm.

Standing directly before the desk were little Lily and Captain Boris. Lily was meticulously clutching a thick, disorganized bunch of worn-out parchment papers against her chest, her small face filled with a rare, serious focus.

Raymond looked at the two of them, a calm, supportive smile gracing his features as he gestured toward the two wooden chairs opposite his desk.

”Sit down, both of you,” Raymond said smoothly.

The two of them immediately took their seats, adjusting their posture as they focused their undivided attention onto their lord.

Raymond cleared his throat slightly, leaning forward with his hands clasped neatly on the wooden surface of the desk.

”Currently, things are finally picking up across our territory,” Raymond began, his tone serious and direct. ”With the blessing of the Goddess, the basin crops will fully mature in exactly one month’s time, providing us with a massive agricultural baseline. However, winter is rapidly approaching, and we need to start preparing for the drop in temperature immediately. Our first order of business must be to repair the tattered residential buildings in the slums and distribute thick, winter-grade clothes to the populace. Otherwise, with their current emaciated physical conditions, even if we have an abundance of food, it will be entirely difficult for them to survive the freezing season.”

Lily and Captain Boris listened intensely, nodding their heads in firm agreement as Raymond laid out the immediate survival parameters.

They knew that the harsh winters in the Zulor Region were notoriously brutal, and a starving, freezing population would drop like flies without proper structural shelter.

Raymond let out a soft, low sigh, tapping his finger against the desk before continuing. ”Furthermore, historical records show that some wild magic beasts will inevitably migrate down from the northern ridges and attack local settlements during the deepest winter months.”

The atmosphere in the room dropped slightly when Raymond said this, Lily and Boris expressions turned grim.

Raymond expression was no better as he continued. ”Because of this upcoming threat, our internal security needs to be exceptionally tight to prevent casualties among the workforce. But you do not need to let that matter stress you; I will personally handle the absolute security and defensive fortifications of the town when the time comes.”

Raymond then shifted his gaze entirely toward the little maid, tilting his head slightly. ”Lily, I need you to start reporting on our current internal resource metrics. Give me the exact numbers on how much food we currently have left in our secondary vaults, and exactly how long it can sustain the population.”

Lily straightened her tiny back, carefully spreading the worn-out parchment papers across the desk. Despite her small face and soft, high-pitched voice, she began to report the castle’s exact logistics meticulously, her corporate-like efficiency surprising even Raymond.

”According to the official castle ledger and our physical inventory check this morning, Young Master, our baseline food resource is exceptionally tight but stable,” Lily reported, tracking the lines with her small finger.

”After your systematic distribution over the past three days, we currently have exactly twelve tons of dried coarse grain and salted tubers remaining in the inner vault. For a total population of 1,200 citizens, if we maintain a strict, measured rationing system of exactly three hundred grams per person daily, these current reserves will last us for exactly thirty-three days. This baseline ensures we will have just enough food to sustain the town until the exact day the Goddess’s basin farm matures for harvest.”

Raymond nodded in deep satisfaction, letting out a heavy, internal sigh of relief as he processed the mathematical data.

According to Lily’s calculations, the current food resources could just barely carry them until the crops matured, meaning his immediate survival loop was completely solved.

The number one existential threat to his territory right now was finding a way to feed 1,200 starving people, but that specific problem was no longer an impossible hurdle as long as they managed the remaining rations with absolute care and didn’t squander a single grain.

Raymond looked at the little girl, his expression warming into a proud smile. ”Excellent work, Lily. From this exact moment onward, you are officially appointed as the head administrator in charge of all internal food distributions and the winter clothing allocation registry.”

Raymond knew exactly how meticulous and capable Lily was when it came to tracking numbers and organization.

Although she was currently only ten years old, she had been serving him as his personal maid for a full five years, ever since she was first brought into the household by his younger sister back in the capital five years ago.

He trusted her abilities and her unyielding loyalty far more than anyone in this wasteland.

Lily was visibly surprised by the massive appointment for a moment, her large blue eyes widening in shock, but she quickly recovered, nodding her small head frantically with a wave of dense excitement pulsing in her eyes.

”Yes, Young Master!” Lily squeaked out happily, her tiny fists clenching with determination. ”Lily will absolutely not fail your expectations! I will track every single grain!”

Raymond nodded with a warm smile. ”I know you won’t.”

Turning his attention away from the maid, Raymond locked his sharp, calculative eyes directly onto the mercenary captain. ”Now, Boris. The basin farm is currently completely unguarded. Although this Zulor Region is a barren wasteland and nobody technically travels here to look for trouble, we still need to put strict defensive measures in place to protect our springboard. From this day forward, your primary, mandatory duty is to take your thirty-two loyal guards and establish a permanent military watch over the farming basin.”

Captain Boris’s face turned deadpan serious as he listened to Raymond’s direct commands.

He sat perfectly rigid, absorbing the tactical placement, but after Raymond finished speaking, a look of hesitation crossed his bruised features, and he raised a logical question.

”My Lord, if my entire guard unit is stationed permanently at the outer basin... what about the security of the town itself? Leaving the main settlement entirely unguarded might invite chaos among the skeptical factions.”

Raymond looked at him, an amused, cold smile touching his lips. ”Did you completely forget about the three knights standing outside my door, Boris?”

Captain Boris shivered slightly, his physical body instantly freezing as a series of unbearable, terrifying memories of the previous day’s brutal beating flashed vividly across his mind.

He recalled the absolute, crushing power of just a single one of those giant warriors, and he realized that the three of them combined possessed more military might than an entire army of common soldiers.

He quickly nodded his head, a cold sweat breaking out on his neck as he dropped the issue.

”Forgive my foolishness, my Lord,” Boris muttered respectfully. ”The three Sirs are indeed more than enough to flatten any threat to the town.”

Raymond smiled smoothly, standing up from behind his heavy oak desk to finalize the meeting.

He looked down at the two of them, his demeanor radiating an absolute, elegant authority. ”Very well. Right now, the two of you are the only administrative personnel within this entire castle that I completely trust with my operations. Boris, you are officially in absolute charge of our military security. Lily, you are officially in absolute charge of our human resource and logistical allocation. Let us work together to make this town a better place for everyone.”

”Understood, my Lord!” Captain Boris roared, slamming his fist against his chest armor as he stood up.

”Yes, Young Master!” Lily cheered happily, jumping out of her chair while tightly hugging her parchment papers.

Both of them replied in perfect unison.