Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

Such a behemoth should have at least ten servants to demonstrate its status.

But the result was that there was nothing?

Indeed, no merchant is without guile!

Either they're rich!

For the sake of money, they can even refrain from keeping noble servants who serve as a symbol of status!

Such determination to restrain desires and accumulate wealth was something he, as a general, had never seen before.

Such a temperament!

I'm afraid that even the combined number of Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Liu Bei, whom he once served, wouldn't amount to one ten-thousandth of him!

Anastasia's forbearance...

What exactly does she want to do?

Natsuki Subaru now feels as if he has stumbled upon a hidden dragon who is biding his time and is ready to soar to great heights at any moment!

dragon!

But it was an imperial expedition!

Fear made Subaru Natsuki's legs tremble.

He almost wanted to turn around and run away.

But the aroma of Miss Anna's wine wafting through the air, so close at hand, made him unable to move.

As expected...

Seeing Subaru's dazed expression, the demi-human shop assistant assumed that Subaru was moved by Anastasia's kindness.

Then, with an "I understand" expression, he patted Subaru Natsuki on the shoulder:

"Don't worry, once you join our Hexin Chamber of Commerce, the hard times you've been through are over."

"Everyone in the chamber of commerce has their own job. Moving goods, keeping accounts, running errands, whatever needs to be done, that's what people do."

The shop assistant looked at him.

What are your special skills?

Natsuki Subaru took a slow breath to calm himself down.

He meant to talk about swordsmanship.

But the Sacred Sword at his waist had long been sealed inside Or Shamu by Capela.

Moreover, revealing one's superior swordsmanship would increase the risk of exposure.

In order to enjoy fine wine with Miss Anna, he had no choice but to temporarily suppress his martial arts skills and leave them aside.

Seeing his troubled expression again, the shop assistant assumed he felt he had no special skills, so she hesitated and asked another question.

"Can you do math?"

count.

Upon hearing those two words, Subaru Natsuki's expression instantly became even more unnatural.

Back when he first entered the Three Kingdoms period, he was still a clueless young man who knew nothing about "real history".

When he first went to join Liu Bei's camp, he was full of pride and patted his chest.

He claimed to be a strategist with the ability to foresee five hundred years into the future and was also proficient in mathematics.

Upon hearing this, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei burst into laughter.

Not only did they bully him on the spot, they also used this incident to ridicule him frequently afterward.

They say he's just a stinky tofu that can only do math.

That psychological trauma still lingers in Subaru Natsuki's heart.

However, this also taught him a lesson.

What is the use of mathematics?

The strategist wanted human transformation and space folding—an astonishing scheme to defy the will of Heaven.

Who would consider counting on their fingers a skill worth showing off?

From then on, Subaru Natsuki kept his talent for arithmetic a secret to himself, not daring to reveal it at all.

Now, in order to infiltrate Anastasia's camp and to sit and drink with that drinking hero as soon as possible, he could only endure the shame and tentatively open his mouth.

"I know a little."

The shop assistant's eyes lit up immediately.

"Great!"

He quickly tucked the roster under his arm.

“Our chamber of commerce’s original accountant suddenly disappeared a few days ago. The backlog of accounts is driving everyone crazy, and even members of the Iron Fang Mercenary Group have been brought in to help.”

"Come with me and try it first."

Natsuki Subaru was in a daze as he was led through the guild hall.

The Hexin Chamber of Commerce was already busy in the early morning.

A shop assistant carrying a packing slip jogged down the corridor, while several demi-humans checked the boxes that had just been delivered. Inside, people were arguing through a half-open door about whether today's goods could leave the city.

The recent situation in the capital has made every transaction troublesome. In addition to the smells of paper, ink, and goods, there is also a layer of underlying anxiety in the air.

The accounting area was in complete chaos.

Ledgers, invoices, and unverified receipts were piled up everywhere—on the table, the floor, and the low cabinets. Several demi-humans, who should have been armed and ready for battle, were deep in thought, their expressions more solemn than when facing an enemy.

The most striking figure was a werewolf-like demi-human whose towering stature almost crushed the chair.

He had a rugged face with wolf-like features, brown fur running from his cheeks to the side of his neck, and broad shoulders and strong arms that exuded the strength of a seasoned warrior. The large cleaver, suited for battlefield combat, leaned to one side, while its owner held a pen, looking at the ledger with an expression of even greater distress than when he drew his sword.

What a remarkable demi-human hero!

Natsuki Subaru only glanced at him, but felt an urge to have a big drink with him.

Miss Anna's fine wine still awaits ahead.

Heroes are admirable, but for now, we must reluctantly put them aside.

The werewolf-like demi-human also raised his head and sized up the white-haired youth who had walked in.

White hair, simple clothes, and a body that doesn't look very strong.

This is all normal.

The only problem was that those eyes were too sharp.

He stood amidst a group of mercenaries, neither flinching nor trying to curry favor. Ricardo, with his years of experience living on the edge, immediately sensed that this man had a story to tell.

"This is the new accountant, Friguel."

As soon as the shop assistant finished speaking, the three cat-like figures in the room all raised their heads.

The first to pounce was the tiny Mimi, who was only about the same height as Subaru Natsuki's thigh.

She had fluffy, light-colored short hair, and her cat ears were shaking excitedly on top of her head, making her almost jump over the table.

"The accountant?"

"Finally, someone has come to rescue Mimi!"

Black Tarot immediately reached out to stop her sister, preventing her from making a bigger mess of the account books on the table.

His expression was much more cautious than Mimi's. He first glanced at the white-haired youth, then looked at the shop assistant who had recruited Natsuki Subaru with unease, as if questioning whether it was really a good idea to recruit someone of unknown origin and let him handle the bills right away.

Tippy, sitting at the very back, pushed up his monocle and calmly looked Natsuki Subaru up and down.

He had more ledgers than anyone else, and the handwriting was the neatest. As the person in charge of accounting and negotiation in the Iron Fang, he didn't cheer with his sister, but calmly asked:

"Does he really know how to calculate?"

He said he knew a little.

The shop assistant answered somewhat hesitantly, after all, he hadn't tested it himself and had just asked a simple question before being forced to answer.

Mimi, however, couldn't wait any longer and shoved an account book in front of Subaru Natsuki.

"Then hurry up and calculate, hurry up and calculate!"

"Mimi is being eaten up by these numbers!"

The ledgers were laid out.

Natsuki Subaru's gaze fell on the page, and he froze.

Lines of unfamiliar text, like a heavily armed enemy, were crammed between the names of goods, locations, and delivery records. He could read the numbers, but he couldn't tell at all what these words represented, let alone sort out the entire ledger.

Mimi blinked.

"what's wrong?"

Subaru Natsuki slowly broke out in a cold sweat.

"This one……"

"I can't read..."

After these words were spoken, the accounting office fell silent for a moment.

Mimi's cat ears drooped. The wariness in Black Tarot's eyes faded somewhat, replaced by a hint of indescribable helplessness.

Being completely illiterate often means that a person has never received any proper education since childhood.

It seems she's just as unfortunate as the three siblings...

No, perhaps their situation is even worse than that of the three siblings...

Ricardo's expression turned somewhat speechless.

He looked at the shop assistant who had brought the person in, clearly thinking the whole thing was ridiculous.

Even if we're short-staffed right now, it's unfair to make someone who can't even read properly work as an accountant.

Natsuki Subaru felt a pang of anxiety when he saw the clerk's expression turn awkward.

He had finally managed to sneak in using Flügel's identity, but he hadn't even seen Anastasia's wine glass yet.

If we are kicked out here, wouldn't it be like the wine's aroma being ruined before the mission is even accomplished?

Please, please don't tell anyone!

Subaru Natsuki quickly spoke up.

This urgent, pitiful, and pleading look made Ricardo stop speaking.

“If people find out I’m illiterate, I’ll be kicked out.”

"What am I supposed to drink now that I've been kicked out of Anna's camp?"

Shouldn't he be worried about what he'd eat if he lost his job? Ricardo suddenly thought to himself.

"I finally found a place where I can stay, please don't kick me out."

The white-haired youth lowered his head, his voice tinged with a rare panic.

Everyone could tell that this chaos stemmed from the boy's true feelings.

This is absolutely the cry of a young man who has exhausted all means, finally saw a glimmer of hope, and is afraid that his hope will be shattered as soon as he gets his hands on it!

Ricardo looked at him, and the slight doubt that had arisen from Subaru Natsuki's sharp gaze slowly dissipated.

It turned out to be the case.

This is also someone who has endured hardship.

He knew all too well what it felt like to be driven away and have nowhere to go, having only recently worn a slave collar. If he were to push the other party out over something as trivial as this, he would truly cease to be a human being.

Ricardo scratched his head and glanced at Tippi.

"Forget it, don't rush to kick them out."

"Since he says he can calculate, let's give him a chance."