114: Chapter 114 The best loyalty program is the payslip.

The blade left its scabbard, reflecting a cold, sharp glint in the afternoon sun, like a bolt of frozen lightning.

The birdsong in the woods seemed to be instantly severed by this sudden, sharp aura, and the air abruptly tightened.

Evelyn's body leaned forward imperceptibly by half a step, shielding Levi's side. There was no trace of fear in her ice-blue eyes, only cold vigilance and combat commands ready to be triggered at any moment.

But Sir Kaelan's sword tip was not pointed at Levi.

With a posture as steady as a rock, it bypassed Levi's shoulder and pointed precisely at the Security Team practicing Standard Operating Procedures in the distance.

His voice, sounding as if it were squeezed through the gaps of tight armor with the texture of grinding metal, was low and raspy: "The formation over there, between the third and fifth man on the left wing, the gap is too large. When dealing with a cavalry charge from a forty-five-degree angle on the right, it will create a defensive vacuum lasting at least three seconds. A skilled rider is enough to use those three seconds to tear through your entire line of defense."

The smile on Levi's face didn't change at all; not even a muscle at the corner of his eye twitched.

He just listened quietly, like a user patiently hearing product feedback.

Kaelan withdrew his gaze from the sword tip and turned to stare intently at Levi like a hawk, the oppressive aura of a soldier released without reservation.

He spoke each word deliberately: "My expertise is worth five times the salary, plus a ten percent project dividend."

This wasn't a request; it was an opening bid.

A proud warrior, after weighing his own value, had quoted an astronomical price to a potential buyer.

He had placed the honor and loyalty he had believed in his whole life on the negotiating table, clearly labeled with a price.

It was a gamble born of desperation, and also the final defense and proof of his professional ability.

A tense silence filled the air.

Evelyn's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, clearly considering this price to be beyond the scope of reasonable labor costs.

She looked at Levi, waiting for his decision.

In her view, the Lord would refuse without hesitation, or at least begin a grueling round of back-and-forth negotiations.

However, Levi didn't look at her, nor did he look at Kaelan.

He merely turned his head slightly, casting his gaze toward the large wooden board covered in KPIs as if admiring a work of art.

He spoke calmly, his tone like asking about today's weather: "Evelyn."

“I am here, My Lord.”

“Calculate,” Levi's voice carried no emotional fluctuation, as pure as a mathematical formula, “the downward curve of security costs after adopting Sir Kaelan's tactical optimization suggestions, and the resulting annual net profit growth. Then, compare it against his requested compensation to evaluate the annualized return on investment for this human resource investment.”

Evelyn didn't hesitate for a second. She immediately took out a data ledger marked with complex charts and a very sharp charcoal pencil from her thick leather briefcase.

She flipped to a blank page, holding the ledger with her left hand while the charcoal pencil in her right began to leap and glide rapidly across the paper.

“Shh... shh...”

The sound of the charcoal pencil scratching against the paper became the only sound in the forest clearing.

The veins on Kaelan's hand holding the sword bulged.

He had spent his life on horseback and experienced countless life-or-death negotiations, but he had never seen such a bizarre scene.

The other party didn't question his professionalism, didn't rebuke his greed, and didn't even haggle.

The other party was simply... calculating.

It was as if he, Sir Kaelan, the Lion of Silvermoon City, along with the tactical expertise he took pride in, were merely quantifiable variables awaiting valuation before this precision machine.

This feeling of being completely objectified gave him an unprecedented chill that seeped into his very marrow.

This made him more uneasy than any insulting words ever could.

Minutes and seconds ticked by.

After about two minutes, the movement of Evelyn's pencil tip stopped.

She looked up at Levi, her cold voice sounding like she was reading an indisputable audit report: “Reporting, My Lord. According to our existing model simulations, the tactical suggestions proposed by the Knight, after at least three months of integration training, are expected to reduce the accidental loss rate of goods in transit from 2.3% to approximately 1.1%. This means we can reduce direct and indirect losses by about eight thousand gold coins annually, which will translate directly into project net profit.”

She paused, flipped a page, and continued: “According to the Knight's requested compensation—the annual salary of a Silvermoon City Guard Captain is fifty gold coins, so five times that is two hundred and fifty gold coins. The project's current estimated annual net profit is four hundred and fifty thousand gold coins, so a ten percent dividend is forty-five thousand gold coins. The total compensation is approximately forty-five thousand two hundred and fifty gold coins. The incremental profit is eight thousand gold coins. Conclusion: This is a losing investment; the annualized return is negative.”

Kaelan's heart sank abruptly.

His face burned as if he had been slapped in public.

He had just maximized his own value, only for the other party to use cold numbers to tell him he was worthless, even a liability.

However, Evelyn was not finished.

“But,” her voice took a turn, “the above calculation does not include the intangible asset appreciation brought by the 'Sir Kaelan' brand. His joining will create a massive psychological deterrent within the Silvermoon City internal guard, effectively reducing the risk of internal personnel colluding with external bandits; this risk mitigation value is estimated at fifteen hundred gold coins per year. Secondly, his professional training system will build a replicable, high-standard Security Team for us, laying the foundation for future business expansion; this human resource reserve value is estimated at three thousand gold coins per year. Most importantly, his presence itself is the best tool for applying continuous pressure on City Lord Valerius; this political value cannot be quantified in gold coins.”

She closed the ledger and concluded: “Comprehensive assessment: considering all explicit and implicit gains, the Knight's total compensation accounts for about sixty percent of the newly added comprehensive value. Conclusion: This is a high-risk but high-reward potential strategic human resource investment. Recommendation: Approve, and establish a strict VAM (Valuation Adjustment Mechanism) agreement, namely, Key Performance Indicator (KPI) assessments.”

Kaelan was completely lost.

Brand value, intangible assets, VAM Agreements... these terms were like little hammers pounding his head until he was dizzy.

He only understood the last sentence—recommendation: approve.

Levi finally turned around, that gentle yet distant smile still hanging on his face.

He didn't perform the cumbersome hand-to-chest salute common among nobles. Instead, he extended his right hand, palm up, toward Kaelan, who was still holding his longsword with a face full of bewilderment.

This was an equal and direct gesture that Kaelan had never seen before.

“Welcome aboard, Director Kaelan,” Levi's form of address had quietly changed. “Your probationary period is three months. Your Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, are to reduce the attack rate on transport routes by fifty percent from the current baseline; simultaneously, overall transport efficiency must increase by fifteen percent. If these targets are not met, your dividend will be canceled, and you will only retain your base salary.”

Kaelan looked at the extended hand. It wasn't thick; it could even be called slender, with clean fingers and neatly trimmed nails.

But this hand seemed to carry an irresistible magic, representing a new world built on numbers and rules that was completely foreign to him.

He hesitated.

What would taking this hand mean?

Betrayal?

Perhaps.

But more than that, the tactical concepts and training philosophies he had suppressed for half his life finally had a stage where they could be freely unleashed.

Valerius only needed his loyalty and bravery, while the young man before him needed his core professional abilities and was willing to pay a high price for them.

With a "clink," Kaelan sheathed his longsword.

This movement was like a ritual, severing some connection to his past.

He took a deep breath, then extended his own rough, calloused hand—hardened by years of sword-wielding—and gripped Levi's hand firmly.

The two hands met, their textures completely different, yet achieving a bizarre balance.

“To achieve the KPIs,” Kaelan completed his role transition almost instantly, entering work mode without any pleasantries, his voice cold and hard as iron, “I need absolute command of this team and will retrain them according to my standards.”

“Granted,” Levi nodded in agreement, as if approving a mundane requisition form.

He released the hand and added, “But all your training plans, personnel transfers, and budget requests must first be submitted in writing to Chief Evelyn for approval. Remember, in Blackstone Territory, every gold coin spent requires a traceable process report.”

Kaelan's brow furrowed again.

Absolute command, yet restricted by finance?

What kind of arrangement was this?

Levi seemed to see through his thoughts and explained with a smile, “I respect your expertise, Director. But expertise needs to serve the ultimate business goal. Evelyn's review is not to interfere with your training, but to ensure that every bit of your input can be precisely directed toward our common KPIs. We call this... budget management.”

Kaelan fell silent.

He felt like a traveler stepping into a swamp, every step bound by invisible rules, but he had to admit that these rules sounded... as if they had their own logic.

“Go on,” Levi gestured, pointing toward the Security Team still looking over in confusion at the turn of events. “They are yours now. I look forward to seeing a beautiful performance report in three months.”

Kaelan didn't say another word; he just gave a heavy nod.

He turned and strode toward the group of black-clad guards.

His fine plate armor gleamed in the sun, each step steady and powerful, as if he were stamping his own mark onto this land.

Levi stood in place, quietly watching Kaelan's retreating back.

Evelyn walked to his side and asked in a low voice, “My Lord, is the risk not too high to give him complete command? His loyalty... is currently still zero.”

“The best loyalty program is a payroll.” Levi's gaze was deep, his tone flat. “A pure soldier, when he discovers his lifelong ambitions can only be realized within a cold system composed of numbers and KPIs, will defend that system more fanatically than anyone. Because if he leaves here, he will have nothing.”

He paused, the corner of his mouth curling into an almost imperceptible arc.

“Besides, we will soon need someone who truly knows how to fight. Prepare to have the dwarves speed up their production lines by twenty percent. Our first batch of 'Standardized Enchanted Crossbow Bolts' must be delivered to the warehouse before Kaelan finishes his training.”