The Makings Of An Overlord

“All right then, Oscar. I’ll invite you to my place sometime soon. We’ll talk then about what you’ll make.”

“Y-Yes, I got i—wait, Boss, hold on! Your house is…?”

Since things had mostly been settled, I said it as a closing remark, and Oscar—who had finally calmed down—panicked all over again.

“Einheria Castle.”

“Boss… please, give me a break. A castle is… I seriously can’t handle etiquette and manners…”

“Don’t worry about it. Nobody outranks me, so what’s there to be scared of?”

“No, it’s terrifying as hell! A castle is full of nobles, right!? Even if you let it slide, they might just cut me down on the spot!”

“Yeah, you’ll be fine. There are no nobles in my country. Well, that doesn’t mean they’re ordinary people either… but there’s no ‘bloodline this, bloodline that’ nonsense. And nobody disobeys me. As long as you’re my guest, no one in my castle will harm you.”

When I said that, Oscar shuddered, like he’d felt something he shouldn’t have.

“Anyway, don’t make it so heavy. I know telling you not to be nervous won’t fix it… but try to enjoy it. Think of it as getting to visit a place you’ll almost never get to see.”

If he worked with me, he might end up coming to the castle often, though…

“…I’ll do my best to think of it that way.”

Now then, I still needed to put together some money… what should I do?

Potions aside, how much could hair-growth medicine sell for? Karmos and Gusco both had thick hair… should I find some handy merchant I could actually use?

Maybe I should ask Karmos and the others about it once.

But leaving Oscar alone until I earned ten thousand gold coins would feel cruel…

“I don’t have to hand you ten thousand right away, do I?”

“…Boss… um, this is hard to say, but…”

“What is it?”

“Even if you just plopped ten thousand gold coins in my hands… the only future I can picture is me getting dumped in an alley within a few days…”

“Then don’t go telling people.”

“Sure, but… even if I don’t tell anyone, if I keep ten thousand gold coins in this house, honestly I wouldn’t be able to leave—hell, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”

Oscar said it like he was about to cry. His face was handsome, but maybe because what was inside wasn’t, his patheticness really showed.

“I see. Then how about five thousand?”

“Boss! That changes nothing! It’s not different at all!”

When I told him with a grin, Oscar yelled while covering his face with both hands. He looked like he was at his limit, but part of me wanted to push him further.

“Just kidding. For now, what about a hundred coins as initial expenses? If you need more, contact me and I’ll pay.”

Also… isn’t there a bank or something? If there were, I could just transfer it…

“…I completely understand now why you’re the king, Boss… but, um, a hundred gold coins is a fortune big enough to get people killed, you know?”

“But if you think about the value of magic tools, wouldn’t you have a decent amount saved up too?”

Even the cheapest magic lamp cost five gold coins… and there were material costs, sure, so I didn’t know the profit margin, but it probably wasn’t less than one coin per piece, right? No basis for that, though.

“There’s no way I have a hundred gold coins… I mean, you’re the king, so I get that you wouldn’t know, but… with a hundred gold coins, a normal family can live comfortably for about ten years.”

“I see… it would be dangerous to hand it over in a lump sum. Then it’s a bit of a hassle, but how about I reimburse you after the fact for what you spent on research? Paperwork might be annoying, but…”

When I said that, Oscar looked visibly relieved.

“Boss, sorry for the trouble, but please do it that way. Even if you bundled the budget, you’d still need documents for what it was used on… and either way I’m the one making the paperwork. Post-payment is safer for me too.”

I see… I’d been thinking too casually because it felt like money I could earn quickly… but maybe this was how corruption started.

Even if I was at the top… no, because I was at the top, I had to be strict about this.

I felt a little ashamed—an inexperienced Overlord, indeed…

“Got it. Then we’ll proceed that way. How much advance preparation money do you need?”

“That depends on what we’re researching, so can we decide after we pick that?”

“Fair enough. All right, I’ll invite you over within the next two or three days.”

“Y-Yes… p-please take care of me.”

Oscar’s face tightened like he’d just remembered stomach cramps, but he forced it down and bowed lightly through sheer will.

“And besides research funds, I need to pay you wages too.”

“Wages… for me?”

“Yeah. Let’s see… how about a hundred gold coins a month?”

“Boss! Were you listening to anything we just said!?”

“Just kidding. Well, if you want it, I don’t mind… but we’ll decide your pay when you come next time. Within common sense.”

“Y-Yes, sir…”

Oscar replied in broken speech, like he’d hit his limit.

“Oh, right, Boss. Um… where is your castle, anyway? Is it pretty far?”

“Hm? Yeah, it’s fairly far… but travel is instant.”

“…What do you mean?”

“…Well, you know. Let it be a surprise on the day. I’ll send someone to pick you up, so relax. You don’t need formal wear, okay? No travel prep either. Just as you are… come as casually as if you were visiting a friend’s house.”

“Boss… I might not reach that level in this lifetime. But I understand I don’t need travel prep.”

Seeing Oscar speak with a dry smile, I wondered if I’d gone too far and opened my mouth.

“I’m not trying to bully you. If it’s really impossible, say so, all right?”

“Sorry, Boss. I’m just freaking out. Don’t worry about it. I’m genuinely honored by your invitation!”

Oscar bowed his head hard.

…No, this wasn’t good. Because of the power I had, it felt like I was making him say it.

I’d only just met Oscar… he wasn’t like the kids back home. He called me Boss, but it didn’t mean he adored me from the heart… keeping a healthy distance mattered too.

Even so, as an Overlord, I wasn’t about to change my attitude much.

“Heh… then I’ll prepare a welcome so lavish you’ll faint. Look forward to it.”

“…Boss… please go easy on me.”

Pale-faced, Oscar clutched his stomach again.

“I’ve really overstayed.”

“No, thanks to you, Boss, things are about to get a lot more interesting. I’m fired up!”

While I’d been asking about future plans and all sorts of details about magic tools, a lot of time had passed, so it was about time I took my leave.

For now, I’d invite Oscar to the castle in three days and decide there what kind of magic-tool development we’d pursue, based on what I’d learned today.

“Then, Oscar, see you in three days. I can’t come pick you up myself, but I’ll have a subordinate come. Don’t worry—I won’t send some ridiculously formal escort or anything.”

“I’ll try to have faith in your conscience.”

Maybe because I’d teased him so much, he seemed able to brush off some light banter now.

“Oh, Oscar. What do you want for dinner tonight? ‘Anything is fine’ is not allowed, okay? That’s the most annoying answer.”

As we were exchanging farewells in front of the shop, a woman’s voice came from behind Oscar.

That voice was… Patty-san, probably. I couldn’t see her, but she was likely hidden behind Oscar.

“Hey, Patty! Idiot!”

Oscar, flustered, scolded Patty-san behind him.

“Ah, I’m sorry!”

When Oscar turned around, Patty-san noticed we were there and hurriedly bowed her head.

“It’s fine, you don’t have to worry that much. We were just chatting a bit.”

When I said that with a smile, she blushed slightly, stepped beside Oscar, and bowed again.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Boss, I’m sorry. Please… can’t you forgive this rudeness with just my head?”

But cutting off Patty-san’s apology, Oscar dropped to one knee and bowed deeply… and Patty-san’s face went stiff with shock at the sight.

Oscar, that was too much… No, was this an overreaction because he was trying to protect Patty-san?

“H-Head…?”

“Hey, Oscar, lift your head. I told you I don’t care, didn’t I? And besides, you’re blocking the road. Stop it already.”

“S-Sorry…”

Oscar sprang up at my words. Patty-san, standing beside him, went deathly pale, like she’d realized something from his attitude.

“Oscar. My status might be something you fear… but did the me you talked to today really seem like someone that petty?”

“N-No! Never!”

“Then don’t sweat the small stuff. At least, I don’t care. Trust your Boss a little more.”

“I’m really sorry, Boss. Over and over…”

“It’s fine if you respect me, but you don’t have to fear me more than necessary. If something bothers me, I’ll start by giving you a punch or two, at most.”

“Please go easy on me.”

Oscar smiled awkwardly and bowed with just his neck.

“And Patty-san, sorry. We ended up scaring you in a weird way.”

“N-No… I’m the one who was rude.”

…Yeah. Patty-san was completely scared of me now.

Seeing her stiffen up and bow deeply, I sighed inside.

She was Oscar’s childhood friend, and I didn’t want her to get the wrong impression of me, but…

“By the way, Patty-san, are you even taking care of Oscar’s meals?”

“Eh… ah, yes! When Oscar gets absorbed in work, he forgets to eat and sleep, so…”

When I changed the atmosphere and asked lightly, Patty-san followed my tone too.

Maybe because she dealt with customers, she seemed good at reading the room. I could only change topics and mood in a blunt, chopped-up way… so I nodded along, grateful that Patty-san answered brightly.

“I see.”

“I just don’t want them finding a weird corpse next door, so I check on him now and then, that’s all!”

When Patty-san said it with a smile, Oscar muttered complaints like it was a hassle.

“I didn’t ask you… and I’m not gonna die.”

“I’d like to hear you say that after you’ve actually learned to live like a person! You don’t clean at all, and you don’t even do laundry…”

Oscar… you… she even does your laundry… and you’re out here saying you got dumped by some other woman? How?

…All right. I should absolutely tattle about this.

I’d show him just how small an Overlord’s magnanimity could be!

“Oscar… after Patty-san does that much for you, you were still out getting drunk because some woman dumped you…?”

“B-Boss! That’s…”

“Honestly… You said you were drinking with Fernando-san and the others until morning, so I figured it was something like this… You’re old enough. Calm down already!”

“Shut up! It’s none of your business!”

“W-What…!? How can you say that… A-Anyway! What’s with that wig!? What, is this your next plan—put on a wig and trick women!?”

I’d meant to tattle lightly… but thanks to the tiny size of my Overlord’s magnanimity, it was turning into a full-blown fight… what now?

“Too bad! This isn’t some fake wig! This is mine! Mine alone! For me! My own hair!”

“Huh?”

With a look that said, what is this guy talking about, Patty-san suddenly grabbed Oscar’s long hair and yanked.

“Ow! Idiot! Stop it! It’ll pull out! Are you the enemy? You’re the enemy, aren’t you!? All right, I got it! Stop! Stop, please!”

“Huh? It doesn’t come off. How does this work?”

Oscar, on the verge of tears, smacked at Patty-san’s hand while Patty-san tugged harder with a puzzled look.

Well, Oscar having long hair after being bald yesterday would make anyone do that… but yes, do it more.

The tense atmosphere from earlier vanished in an instant. As expected of childhood friends.

All right—follow-up strike!

“This idiot got drunk and started picking a fight with us just because we were walking down the road.”

“Huh!? You moron! What the hell were you doing!? I’m so sorry! Fei-san, Lyn-san! This idiot did something outrageous!”

Still gripping Oscar’s hair, Patty-san bent at the waist in a perfect right angle to apologize.

“Owwww! S-Sorry! Boss! Please, give me a break!”

It felt great seeing Oscar take damage, but making Patty-san apologize made me feel a bit guilty.

It was like a parent apologizing for their kid…

“No, it was a strange first meeting, but I consider it very fortunate that I got to know Oscar. Please don’t worry about it.”

“I’m really sorry… Oscar! You’re banned from drinking for a while!”

“Okay! Okay! Just let go of me!”

Only after Oscar begged desperately did Patty-san finally release her grip.

I’d pushed it a bit too far… and I didn’t feel that way at all. Yep. Oscar should perish. No mercy.

Still, maybe I should help a little too. Patty-san didn’t deserve this.

“Oscar. You should realize you’ve got a wonderful woman who actually cares about you.”

“!?”

When I said it with a sigh, Patty-san—standing right beside him—turned bright red all the way to her ears.

“…H-Huh. There was a woman like that?”

“……”

At that reply, not only Patty-san and I, but even Lynferia looked at him like she was staring at something deeply disappointing.

Oscar… are you serious?