Lucas reached into a drawer of his desk, its surface polished to a gleam that reflected the soft glow of the study's candles. He retrieved two neatly bound documents, their pages crisp and meticulously prepared, and handed one to Mina and the other to Chris. His expression was grave, his dark eyes sharp with intent. "These outline the specific operations of the Security Department and the methods for intelligence transmission," He said, his voice carrying the weight of authority.
"Yes, my lord," Chris replied respectfully, accepting the document with a slight bow, his calloused hands handling it with care. He stood tall, his military bearing evident in his rigid posture, a testament to his years of disciplined service.
Mina, her cat-like ears twitching slightly, took her document with both hands, her expression one of unwavering seriousness. She knew her young master well—Lucas never acted without purpose, and the sudden establishment of a new department signaled that he was preparing for something significant, a move that could reshape Sedona City's future. Her mind raced with possibilities, but she kept her focus on the task at hand, clutching the document as if it held the key to his grand vision.
"Mina, the Security Department's first mission is to establish an intelligence network," Lucas said, his tone measured but resolute. "I need information from beyond Sedona City—reliable, timely intelligence from other regions." His thoughts drifted to recent events: the troubling situation in Tengying City and the unexpected incident involving the elves. Both had underscored a critical truth—without a robust intelligence network, Sedona City was vulnerable, blind to the schemes of rivals and the shifting tides of the world beyond its walls.
Mina hesitated, her brow furrowing as she processed the order. "An intelligence network outside Sedona City?" She asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty. Her mind immediately jumped to the Drunken Night, a covert operation that served as a hub for gathering information. But expanding it to other cities posed risks—wouldn't that expose their advanced cement production techniques? The thought made her stomach twist with unease.
Lucas's gaze softened slightly, as if reading her concerns. "Doesn't the intelligence team already have plenty of literate members?" He asked calmly, his voice steady and reassuring. He was thinking of the operatives stationed in the basement of the Drunken Night, tasked with eavesdropping on conversations. Those agents, trained to blend into the shadows, were skilled but underutilized. Keeping them confined to one location for too long wasn't sustainable, and their numbers could be streamlined to serve a broader purpose.
"Yes, Young Master," Mina replied promptly, her confidence returning. "We currently have seventy-three literate operatives." She and Henry had personally trained each one, teaching them not only to read and write but also basic self-defense techniques to ensure their safety in the field. These agents were the backbone of Sedona's covert operations, and Mina took pride in their capabilities.
"Good. Reassign half of them to establish a letter courier service," Lucas said, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather. The idea, however, was anything but ordinary—a revolutionary concept in a world where communication was slow and unreliable.
Mina's brow furrowed again, her cat ears twitching with curiosity. "A letter courier service, Young Master? What exactly is that?" The term "courier" was new to her.
Lucas leaned back in his chair, picking up a delicate porcelain teacup from the desk. The tea, brewed by Nicole before she left after lunch, had cooled slightly but still carried a faint, soothing aroma. He took a sip, savoring the moment, then set the cup down with a soft clink. His gaze swept across the room, taking in the attentive faces of Mina, Chris, Elisa, Annie, and the ever-silent Amelia. "Let me ask you all something," He said, his voice calm but laced with purpose. "If you were traveling far from home, in another city, and wanted to send a letter to your family to let them know you're safe—but you couldn't write—what would you do?"
Henry, standing near the door, was quick to respond. "I'd hire someone to write the letter for me and then pay a traveling merchant to deliver it," He said, his voice gruff but confident. Having visited several cities, he was familiar with the customs of this world and the limited options available for communication.
Elisa, her emerald eyes thoughtful, added, "I'd hire a hunter to carry the letter." It was a practical solution, one she had seen used by those with the means to afford it.
Mina and Annie exchanged glances, their expressions sheepish. They shrugged, realizing that Henry and Elisa had already covered the most common methods. In this era, sending a letter was a cumbersome and unreliable process, with only two primary options. The first was to dispatch a trusted knight or hire a hunter to deliver the message, a costly method reserved for wealthy merchants or nobles. Even then, there was no guarantee of success—unscrupulous hunters might pocket half the payment and discard the letter without a second thought. The second option, more common among the masses, was to entrust the letter to a traveling merchant heading in the right direction. But this was a gamble at best. More often than not, letters never reached their intended recipients. Merchants might carry the letter to the destination city but rarely deliver it directly to the recipient's home. Instead, they might pass it to someone else or simply leave it at a tavern, hoping the message would find its way. Paying a merchant to ensure delivery was out of the question—they earned only a few copper coins for carrying a letter and had little incentive to go out of their way.
Lucas's lips curved into a faint smile, his eyes gleaming with the spark of innovation. "Now, imagine a shop that specializes in writing letters for people and guarantees delivery directly to their homes. What do you think of that?"
Mina's brow furrowed deeper as she considered the logistics. "Young Master, that would require a lot of manpower," She said cautiously. "Transporting letters between cities is one thing—we could manage daily deliveries. But getting letters to individual homes in each city? That would take a small army of couriers."
Lucas's smile widened, undeterred. "What if we let the people in those cities handle the final delivery?" He suggested, his tone light but calculated. "In each city, we hire locals to deliver the letters. Pay them, say, one copper coin for every five letters delivered."
Before anyone could respond, he continued, laying out the pricing structure with precision. "We don't need to charge much per letter. For neighboring cities, start at two copper coins per letter. For destinations beyond five cities, charge three copper coins, with an additional coin for every five cities beyond that."
Annie's eyes lit up with realization, her excitement palpable. "That's brilliant! We'd only need a few literate operatives to write the letters and a team to transport them between cities. The local couriers handle the rest, and the transport team can double as intelligence operatives, gathering information along the way."
"Exactly," Mina said, her cat ears perking up as the pieces fell into place. The others in the room nodded, their expressions brightening with understanding. The letter courier service wasn't just a business—it was a cover for a far-reaching intelligence network, with couriers serving as eyes and ears in every city they visited.
"For now, start with a courier office in Sedona City," Lucas instructed, his voice steady and commanding. "Assign two scribes to handle letter-writing and a team for transportation. Begin here and gradually expand to other cities, using a relay system—letters passed from one city to the next—to minimize manpower needs."
The courier service was more than a practical solution; it was the foundation for a broader logistics network, one that could eventually handle the delivery of goods as well as letters. In this foreign world, Lucas was planting the seeds of a revolutionary industry, one that could transform how people communicated and connected.
"Yes, Young Master," Mina replied, her voice firm with determination. She made a mental note to consult Nicole later, hoping to draw on her experience in setting up businesses. The task was daunting, but Mina was ready to prove herself as the new director of the Security Department.
Lucas turned to Chris, his expression hardening. "Chris, in the early stages, assign operatives to monitor the transport teams. I don't want any mishaps on the road. Bandits and thieves are common—use this as an opportunity for the War Wolf recruits to gain real combat experience. Clear out any threats you encounter."
"Yes, my lord," Chris responded, his tone resolute. He understood the dangers of the open roads, where robbers and brigands preyed on travelers. The War Wolf squad, newly trained and eager for action, would relish the chance to prove their mettle.
"And one more thing," Lucas added, his gaze shifting to Elisa. "Elisa, you'll form a sniper team. Chris, ensure your squad cooperates fully with their training and includes them in missions as needed."
"Yes, my lord. We'll work closely with the sniper team," Chris said, nodding. He was familiar with the concept of snipers, having studied their potential under Lucas's guidance. The idea of a specialized unit capable of precise, long-range attacks was both intriguing and intimidating.
Elisa opened her mouth to speak, but Lucas cut her off, his tone firm. "Elisa, you won't be joining them in the field. Not yet." He knew the risks of her exposure—her identity was a liability in a world where tensions with non-humans were high. For now, she needed to remain out of sight.
Elisa's shoulders slumped, her lips parting in a silent protest before closing again. She hated being confined to the castle, idle while others worked. It gnawed at her sense of purpose, leaving her restless and frustrated.
"Patience, Elisa. One month," Lucas said, his voice softening slightly. He knew her elven heritage had already begun to draw attention, and rumors would take time to spread fully. In a month, when the situation stabilized, he would act—though he kept the details of his plan to himself for now.
"Understood," Elisa sighed, resigning herself to a month of waiting. Her mind wandered to the castle's kitchen—perhaps she could lend a hand there to keep busy. Anything was better than sitting idle.
Lucas's gaze softened, but his tone remained businesslike. "Elisa, I have another task for you. The Research Department just reported that they've reached the testing phase for a new project. I need you to assist with the trials."
Elisa's eyes brightened, and she stood up with a swift, graceful motion. "Yes, my lord!" She said, her voice tinged with excitement. The Research Department's work fascinated her, and the prospect of contributing to a new invention was far more appealing than kitchen duties.
"Annie, prepare a written order for her," Lucas instructed, turning to his trusted aide.
"Yes, Young Master," Annie replied, reaching for a quill and parchment to draft the authorization. The Research Department had recently completed the first prototype of a bed crossbow—a smaller model, but far more powerful than any standard bow. Its accuracy, however, was still untested, and Elisa's keen senses and precision made her the ideal candidate for the job. The bed crossbow was a game-changer, a weapon capable of devastating force in an era where such technology was unheard of. It would play a critical role in both the military and the city's fledgling naval forces, but its high cost per shot demanded pinpoint accuracy.
As Annie scribbled the order, Lucas leaned back in his chair, his mind already racing ahead to the next phase of his plans. The courier service, the intelligence network, the sniper team, and the bed crossbow were all pieces of a larger puzzle—a vision of a modernized Sedona City, a beacon of progress in a world bound by tradition and scarcity. Each step brought him closer to that goal, and he would not rest until it was realized.
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