The guide thought.

Liam's gratitude made him feel sick, and he seriously considered how to make Liam hate, despise, and detest him.

--The reason was that Liam's gratitude was more unsettling than he had imagined.

It was reaching a point where it felt like it was eating away at his body.

"Hmm, it seems making him unhappy is the best approach. However, all he has around him are an old butler and dolls. This way, I can't inflict mental damage. If there were human women, I could have stimulated his past-life trauma."

He also considered causing trouble with his subordinates, but most of the officials who might cause trouble had already been executed, making that difficult as well.

If he interfered too much, it would lose its appeal.

As a guide, he wanted to provide only the trigger. After that, he wanted to see him fail due to his own shallowness and incompetence.

He didn't like the idea of handling everything from start to finish.

It was a vexing situation.

"I thought he'd be surrounded by beauties and doing whatever he pleased, but he's surprisingly diligent."

He was supposed to be aiming to be a corrupt lord, but he was governing like a normal one.

Did he forget his objective?

While thinking such things, he watched Liam.

When Liam was alone in his office, he started stretching and grinning.

"Oh?"

Reading Liam's thoughts, it seemed Liam had his own particular ideas about being a corrupt lord.

Liam's inner monologue could be heard.

(The territory is developing, and the people have more leeway now. After all, to truly exploit them, I need to enrich them first. I'm not interested in mere scraps.)

The guide nodded happily.

"I see. So you plan to lift them up before bringing them down, just like me. I don't dislike that way of thinking. In that case, I can look forward to what's to come."

Liam was grinning and thinking about various things.

(Should I try to gather beauties first? Given the population of the territory, there should be at least one or two unparalleled beauties.)

The guide became excited by Liam's thoughts of forcibly bringing them over.

"Excellent. Truly wonderful. His vulgarity, pettiness, and small-mindedness are showing through. Whether by force or by buying them with money, wouldn't it be best if he ultimately couldn't win their hearts? No—let's go even further and prepare a man for him to be cuckolded after they've confirmed their love. Liam will surely be overjoyed."

The guide was enjoying himself when Amagi entered the office.

Liam's thoughts shifted to Amagi's report.

The guide clicked his tongue and listened.

"--Accepting personnel from the military?"

"Yes. They requested that we accept reserve officers and those nearing retirement. When we contacted them about purchasing surplus equipment, they also offered personnel."

The guide placed a hand on his chin and nodded.

"Hmm, perhaps the military wants to reduce troublesome personnel?"

It seemed the Empire had some military personnel they wanted to exile to the frontier.

The military probably wanted to foist troublesome individuals like reservists onto the lords.

Liam made a displeased face.

"They'll probably send useless people, won't they?"

"However, they are regular Imperial Army personnel. Many of them are graduates of the officer academy and have received proper education and training. They also have combat experience, and in terms of strengthening our private fleet, they are necessary personnel."

Upon hearing this, Liam grudgingly gave his permission.

Hearing this, the guide began to smile wryly.

"Let's make it a stepping stone for the future. Gathering diligent soldiers who won't tolerate a corrupt lord and using them to sow the seeds of future rebellion would be quite amusing. It seems like it will be a lot of fun."

Even if they didn't rebel, as long as they troubled Liam, that would be enough.

Liam, who was about to commit all sorts of atrocities as a corrupt lord.

Surely the diligent soldiers would resist.

When the citizens rise up, they might even join them in condemning Liam.

"Shall I immediately arrange for such diligent soldiers to gather?"

As he snapped his fingers, black smoke emanated from the guide's body and dissolved into the surroundings.

The guide, adjusting his hat, opened a door to another world.

"Still, gratitude is enough to make me want to vomit. I feel sick being here. I think I'll go somewhere else for a while. Liam, by the time I return, please entertain me a little more."

Because Liam's gratitude was abhorrent, he decided to take some time off.

The guide then departed from this world.

◇

It was around the time he reached his mid-forties.

In his previous life, it was an age where he might be thinking about retirement? Was it too early?

But in this world, it was just about reaching adulthood.

As for me, I'm normal.

I live normally, work normally, and study and train my body normally.

The reason?

It's a preparation period for committing evil.

Or rather, since I don't have to worry about living expenses, I feel like this is already enough.

After finishing work in the office, Amagi came to report to me.

"--Master, Lieutenant Nias Carlin from the Seventh Weapons Factory is requesting an audience. She wishes to check the condition of Avido."

"Nias?"

That intelligent technical lieutenant with the nice chest?

"Is she coming all the way here to check on it?"

"Checking on Avido is just an excuse. Her real intention is likely to purchase weapons from the Seventh Weapons Factory."

The Empire is rather crude.

Their governing scale is too large, so their scope of judgment for minor matters is too broad.

That's why lords and nobles can purchase weapons from the weapon factories managed by the Empire.

Normally, they would prevent purchases or impose conditions.

But even those conditions are lax.

Rather, people are sent from the weapon factories to promote sales.

"Did they decide we could afford it? But new battleships are expensive, you know."

It's similar to the feeling of buying a used car versus a new car.

Most of the vessels currently used by the Banfield Count family are from the previous generation or are the current main models. Even the main models are the minimum spec versions to keep costs down.

Still, they are perfectly usable, and I have no complaints.

"They should sell them to the Imperial Army instead of me."

"The Seventh Weapons Factory has high technical capabilities, but there are issues with design. The prices are also set high according to performance. Their reputation within the Empire is mediocre. Conversely, the Third Weapons Factory has balanced performance and high design appeal, making them popular."

Is that so? It doesn't really concern me, so I don't care.

I replied that I would meet her and headed to the reception room.

◇

When I arrived at the reception room, Nias was already waiting.

Today, she was wearing a military uniform with a skirt, not her work clothes.

--The skirt seems a bit short.

Noticing my gaze, Amagi muttered, "That uniform is a violation of regulations in the Imperial Army."

When I sat on the sofa, I understood what she meant.

She was wearing quite elaborate underwear.

After exchanging greetings, Nias started making small talk.

"You've grown quite a bit. I can barely recognize you, Count."

"Thank you. But, about the main topic?"

She's probably complimenting me, but I don't feel like I've grown that much.

Is it her way of flattering me?

"Yes. I came to check on Avido's condition. Many engineers want to know what happened to that child--"

While glancing at the gap in her thighs -- inside her skirt --

"It's not about that, is it? You want to sell something, don't you?"

My territory has developed more than before, and tax revenue has increased.

Knowing that, various people have started coming around.

Nias is one of them.

Nias, with a serious expression, operated a tablet-like device, and a holographic image appeared around me.

"We have come to request the purchase of battleships or weapons built by the Seventh Weapons Factory."

The holographic images of battleships floating around me, though scaled down, were impressive.

The prices were astronomical.

As expected, new cars -- no, new things are expensive.

"These are more expensive than the vessels we are currently using."

"Vessels also have grades. Unlike those with only the minimum necessary performance, these naturally come with a higher price."

One new vessel seems to be equivalent to three to five used vessels of a lower grade.

I didn't feel the need to buy them.

Amagi, while examining the images, said,

"When purchasing goods from Imperial weapon factories, taxes should also apply. These are not the prices including tax, are they?"

When I looked at Nias, she averted her gaze and smiled awkwardly.

"B-but, I guarantee that level of performance! The latest models have undergone improvements and are excellent in various aspects. For example, this cruiser! It can carry more mobile knights than before. And its performance as a battleship--"

In short, she came to sell the latest version of a conventional model.

Certainly, the performance is excellent -- but.

"Why don't you sell it to the Imperial Army?"

"--We lost the trial and it wasn't adopted."

The interstellar nation is rather crude, and it seems that each fleet decides which factory to buy vessels from.

Trials are frequent.

However, the Seventh Weapons Factory's battleships were not adopted, having lost all trials.

Amagi calmly stated,

"Isn't there a problem with something other than performance?"

Nias looked like she was about to cry.

"Our productivity and maintainability are superior! Yet, they said it was smaller than conventional models, or that the design was not to their liking -- and that the interior was cheap."

Nobles certainly value appearance and interior.

Although there are commoners among the military leadership, nobles are overwhelmingly in the majority.

When selecting, if the performance difference isn't that significant, they choose the one they prefer, prioritizing design.

If I were in the same position, I would choose the cheaper, better-designed one.

After all, the performance difference isn't that great.

Occasionally, there are nobles who prioritize only design or those who pursue only performance. They are not non-existent, but--.

If the performance were slightly better, I might have chosen it based on performance.

"H-how about it, Count? Two hundred ships. No, even a hundred ships would be fine! Even on loan, so please consider purchasing them!"

The Seventh Weapons Factory didn't seem to expect to lose so many trials and was desperate.

"Amagi, can you show me battleships from other factories?"

"I will prepare them."

Scaled-down holographic images of battleships from other weapon factories were displayed around Amagi.

Compared to vessels from other factories, the Seventh Weapons Factory's vessels had a ruggedness that felt like pure weaponry.

However, that ruggedness was also... in a bad way? I couldn't like it.

Compared to vessels from other weapon factories that shared the basic structure, the designs were more refined.

I thought.

This is why they lose.

While the performance is indeed good, I think they should have done something more.

When compared, the battleships from the Third Weapons Factory, in particular, look very cool.

"Amagi, isn't this good? Let's make it my flagship."

"Master, purchasing a flagship-class battleship requires Imperial permission. I doubt the Banfield family would be granted permission."

It seems I can't buy flagship-class battleships exceeding two thousand meters.

I can only choose from battleships smaller than one thousand meters.

"I see."

The reason I can't buy it -- we had been delinquent in paying taxes to the Empire until recently.

Although I've only just started paying them in my generation, the Empire's response is cold.

Even if I ask for permission, they'll likely tell me to pay the overdue taxes first.

"Then, I guess I'll settle for this one. It's cooler than what we have now."

It's a bit smaller, but I pointed at an eight-hundred-meter-class vessel and decided to purchase it.

"Then I will contact them."

As I was discussing such things in front of Nias, she interrupted our conversation and raised her voice.

"Wait! We're really in trouble!"

I sighed.

"But the design is--"

"Isn't performance more important?!"

"If the performance isn't that different, then we have no choice but to choose based on design. The interior is also cheap, and if you don't even consider that, it feels malicious."

They've cut out too much of the unnecessary -- it's terrible.

"Our maintainability is vastly superior!"

Nias, who was persistent, busily took off her jacket.

The underwear visible beneath her white shirt seemed to be trying quite hard.

Is it a lucky underwear?

Nias deliberately pushed her breasts together with both hands.

-- I remembered seeing unfamiliar, flashy underwear increasing in my wife's dresser drawers in my previous life.

As I slumped my shoulders, Nias's eyes welled up.

"Why are you disappointed! You were staring at my chest so intently!"

"Yes, that's right. But I'm not in the mood right now."

Despite being denied intimacy, the number of flashy, or rather, small-area underwear kept increasing.

-- That was the trigger that made me suspect infidelity.

Nias opened the front of her shirt and, striking an awkward pose, tried to coax me.

She was blushing all the way to her ears, perhaps out of embarrassment.

"C-Count, Nias wants you to buy a battleship~"

With a stiff smile and an awkward pose, it looked like something was off.

The situation where a cool, competent beauty who never does something like this normally is begging is quite impactful.

-- It makes me feel sorry for her.

"Alright. I'll buy it. Was it two hundred ships?"

"If possible, please make it three hundred!"

The number has increased since just now!

This woman is too cunning.

Even though she's bad at seduction.

"Amagi, can we afford it?"

When I asked, Amagi immediately calculated.

"If we reduce the number of planned vessels, it's possible. In the long run, it won't be a waste, so I think purchasing it is fine."

When I looked back at Nias, she clasped her hands together, looking very happy.

"Understood. I'll buy them, but please do something about the design. Even if it's just a facade, you can add covers or do various things. I don't care about the cost, but do something about the interior too. It's too cheap."

When it came to work, Nias pressed her chest and adjusted her glasses with her fingertips.

"Design has no meaning."

"At least pay attention to the minimum appearance. That's why you lose trials."

Nias, perhaps remembering her continuous losses in trials, slumped her shoulders and hugged her knees on the table.

Her underwear is visible, but is that okay? Also, don't sit on the table.

Amagi looked at me.

"It seems she's lacking in everything except work."

Even though she's beautiful. She's a beautiful but disappointing woman.

In the end, I left the details to Amagi and exited the reception room with a tired expression.

◇

Brian was walking down the corridor of the mansion.

Then, he heard a conversation, as if someone was communicating.

(Is that our guest, Nias-sama?)

He felt it was rude, but he became wary of Nias, who was communicating while hiding.

When he eavesdropped, he heard:

"How about it? I sold three hundred ships."

The other party seemed to be Nias's junior from the Seventh Weapons Factory.

"But you included instructions for design changes, right? The higher-ups will be angry."

"What can I do? They won't buy them otherwise!"

The junior sounded exasperated.

"More importantly, I can't believe a rigid senior like you closed a deal with seduction. Did you have to go that far?"

"W-well, I didn't go that far. B-but, the Count is infatuated with me. H-he looked at me with a lecherous gaze today."

"Really?"

"--P-probably. Surely. I wonder if he was watching."

"Instead, you should have aimed for a marriage of convenience."

"I-I won't go that far. Even without that, I closed the deal with my charm, so show me more respect!"

"But it's three hundred ships, right? You should have sold twice that amount."

"I worked hard too!"

Although she was giving off a subtle vibe, Brian thought.

(Liam-sama has fallen for a clumsy honey trap!)

Brian felt uneasy about Liam, who had bought battleships through seduction.