Chapter 345: I Need to Prepare in Advance (1)
Claude snorted at the painters’ grim expressions.
‘Well, if I push through, it’ll work somehow. Our lord can manage everything, right? If he can do it, why can’t I?’
One of the habits Claude picked up while following Ghislain was to bulldoze through any situation. Among the people in the territory, Claude was perhaps the one who most resembled Ghislain in that aspect.
However, he wasn’t a regressor. So, all he amounted to was someone who stubbornly charged ahead.
Recently, people were starting to notice this about him. He acted like the lord, but carried a very different air.
‘Hah, that guy is losing it more and more.’
‘Why does he keep copying the lord’s style?’
‘Ugh, I shouldn’t have gotten involved in this.’
The painters were irritated, but stayed silent without complaining or questioning. They had no choice.
Recently, Fenris had been making significant investments in culture and the arts. As artists, they couldn’t afford to displease the Chief Overseer, who controlled the funding.
Fenris had long prioritized wartime efficiency, so such matters were completely neglected. On the positive side, the territory was simplistically functional. On the negative side, it lacked even a shred of aesthetic sensibility.
But people couldn’t live on bread alone. The residents’ desire for cultural activities grew stronger by the day.
Fortunately, after annexing the Desmond territory, they managed to recruit a considerable number of artists. Count Desmond, as a high noble, had a deep appreciation for such pursuits.
Even Ghislain hadn’t anticipated that this would serve as the foundation for Claude’s ‘business.’
Wendy, who had been watching Claude’s interaction with the painters, began biting her nails even faster.
‘This won’t do. I need to stop him now.’
More and more personnel from the territory were getting involved in Claude’s personal ventures. While it wasn’t a problem yet, it was only a matter of time before issues arose.
Reluctantly, Wendy drew her dagger. There was no way she could beat him in a war of words. If she engaged him in conversation, she’d only end up tangled in his schemes. It seemed the best course was to subdue him with brute force and prevent him from resisting.
Just as Wendy was about to stab Claude, the workshop door burst open.
The workers froze in shock at the sight of the person entering. Claude turned to look, his face turning pale.
“Who’s barging in at this hour…? L-lord Ghislain?”
Ghislain stepped inside, his sleeves rolled up, with a murderous expression on his face.
Claude was startled but quickly recovered, as befitting the master of shamelessness.
“When did you return? And what brings you here so suddenly?”
Even Ghislain hesitated for a moment. Claude’s composure was too impeccable.
But this man couldn’t be trusted based on appearances alone. Ghislain stopped walking and surveyed the room before speaking.
“Hmm, is everyone working overtime?”
“Yes, my lord. There’s much to be done, such as issuing notices to each city and catching up on overdue paperwork. I was discussing aesthetic improvements to the territory with the painters.”
This was an administrative office where clerks worked. Claude always tied his personal ventures to official territory matters to avoid suspicion.
Ghislain smirked and introduced the person who had followed him inside. It was Dominic, who was awkwardly smiling.
“Do you know this guy?”
“No, I don’t think I’ve met him.”
Of course, he didn’t. Claude had never seen Dominic in person.
Then Ghislain called another person into the room.
“Hey, you come in too.”
A man with a bowed head shuffled into the room. Ghislain placed a hand on his shoulder and asked.
“What about this guy? He’s from the Drake Mercenary Corps.”
The man with the same awkward smile was Dominic’s subordinate. He was one of the mercenaries who had personally come to the Fenris territory to participate in the auction.
As soon as the mercenary saw Claude, he slightly bowed and spoke.
“Chief Overseer, it’s been a while.”
Recognizing the face instantly, Claude broke into a cold sweat and turned his head.
“I-I don’t know who you are. Why are you pretending to know me?”
Claude, unwilling to die, decided to play dumb.
But there was no way he didn’t know. This man was a major buyer, someone Claude had interacted with often and held direct conversations with.
The mercenary scratched his head, apologetic.
“Sorry, Chief Overseer. It’s all been exposed.”
“I told you, I don’t know you! What’s been exposed?”
Even as he turned his head away and spoke nonchalantly, the mercenary laid it out clearly.
“Selling Count Fenris’ stuff. The auction house, all the rest of it everything’s been revealed.”
At that, Claude grabbed Wendy and shouted.
“Run! Hurry and carry me out!”
Wendy closed her eyes. She had always known a day like this would come.
Ghislain rolled up his sleeves further and approached Claude.
“You, come here. You’ve been sneaking around behind my back? Wow, in a way, you’re incredible. Splitting the workforce when everyone’s already so busy.”
“W-wait a moment! This is a misunderstanding!”
“Misunderstanding? And who gave you permission to sell my belongings? The fact that there are weirdos collecting this kind of stuff I only found out because of this mess.”
Dominic looked embarrassed and bowed his head. Claude pointed at him, shouting.
“That crazy guy! If he bought it, couldn’t he have just kept quiet about it? Eventually… Ah, no! Anyway, I was just trying to raise some emergency funds because we’re short on cash! All for the sake of the territory Arghhhh!”
Ghislain’s fist was faster than Claude’s excuses.
“Ahhhh! Easy! Take it easy!”
Dragged into the corner, Claude met his deceased parents and ancestors from six generations back before he was finally released.
Ghislain glared at the sniffling Claude.
“Where’s the money from selling my stuff?”
At Claude’s signal, his subordinates brought in a chest.
Thud!
Ghislain opened the chest and was momentarily stunned. Piled inside was a fortune in gold coins, easily worth several thousand.
“Wow… you really are something…”
Even though the Desmond territory had lightened their workload slightly, Fenris was still a busy territory. And yet, Claude had managed to find time to generate this much wealth.
Ghislain even felt a tinge of admiration.
“This is all from selling my stuff, so I can take it, right?”
“Sniff… Do as you wish.”
Claude sniffled, rubbing his swollen eyes.
He had thought he wouldn’t get caught. Who would have guessed he’d meet an auction participant all the way in the west? His luck was truly terrible.
Ghislain clicked his tongue several times at the sight of the teary-eyed Claude and then spoke.
“Everyone, you’ve worked hard to ‘increase the territory’s revenue.’ I won’t hold anyone accountable since you were only following orders. Also, you’ll all be properly compensated for today’s work, but from now on, focus solely on the territory’s affairs.”
After all, they had only been doing what the Chief Overseer told them. If they weren’t properly compensated for their efforts, it would breed dissatisfaction.
Dissatisfaction could lead to problems in future endeavors. In any case, the funds for the compensation would come from Claude’s stash.
When the lord generously pardoned them, the workers’ faces brightened. Honestly, they had felt somewhat bitter about the whole situation, even though they enjoyed making money.
This was because Claude had forced them to participate.
“Th-thank you!”
The workers repeatedly expressed their gratitude and left. Now, only a sniffling Claude and a quietly bowing Wendy remained.
Wendy let out a small sigh.
‘Maybe it’s for the best.’
The business had grown larger by the day, and she had constantly felt uneasy, wondering when it might all come crashing down.
The only reason they’d kept it hidden for so long was because the lord had been away. If things had continued as they were, it would have eventually been exposed.
‘The Chief Overseer doesn’t know the meaning of “moderation.”’
Now, it was all resolved. As nerve-wracking as wrongdoing was, having everything come to light felt like a weight off her chest.
Thus, Claude’s ambitious business venture came to an end.
Wendy, although granted some leniency for being deceived, was not relieved of her role as a guard and escort.
However, she was cautioned to monitor and control Claude more strictly in the future.
Meanwhile, Claude, true to his optimistic nature, returned to his usual self in just one day.
“I’ll just try something else next time.”
Like the gambler he was, he didn’t dwell on his losses. What mattered was winning the next game.
Thus, Claude’s peculiar “business” was brought to a close, and the Drake Mercenary Corps, the largest in the west, officially joined Fenris.
When they arrived in Fenris, they were astonished. They had heard rumors, but seeing the transformed northern territory with their own eyes was an entirely different experience.
“Wow, I’ve been here before, but it was never this lively. There are so many more people now.”
“What’s with all these buildings? They look like they’ve been planned out so meticulously. Look, they all have a similar design.”
“And on the way here, I saw construction happening all over. This place must really be rolling in wealth.”
The mercenaries couldn’t stop marveling at their new home. It was rare to see such a bustling, vibrant territory where everyone was hard at work.
Thanks to Claude’s dubious efforts, most of the northern mercenary groups had now come under Ghislain’s command. However, the royal court remained silent.
“Why haven’t we heard from them yet? Are they unwilling to vouch for us?”
When Ghislain asked, Claude answered with an indifferent expression.
“It seems the Marquis of Branford is deliberating. The royal court probably doesn’t want to back the mercenary corps in case you cause another… incident.”
“It’s not like they’re useful in wars within the kingdom, anyway.”
“That’s the issue. They’re afraid you might cause trouble outside the kingdom.”
The kingdom had already split into two factions. Even under the pretext of mercenaries, it was difficult to meddle in the wars of other territories. Such actions would be obvious attempts to cover up ulterior motives.
But wars in other nations were a different matter. If the royal court provided guarantees, Fenris could openly intervene and make money in foreign conflicts.
While Ghislain could involve his mercenaries as his private force, doing so could risk escalating into international disputes. Other nations might accuse them of meddling irresponsibly without accountability.
“Hmph, it’s not urgent, so let’s wait for now.”
It was partly a test, meant to prepare for the upcoming era of chaos. With or without the royal court’s endorsement, action would be taken when necessary.
Ghislain issued a new order to Dominic, who had just joined.
“Have some operate in the North and the Royalist faction’s territories. Gather trustworthy people and head to the East. Absorb the mercenary corps there. Can you do it?”
“Leave it to me. I’ll make sure they all come under Fenris’ banner.”
Dominic spoke confidently. He had already built the largest mercenary corps in the West, so while there were some renowned mercenary corps in the East, he was sure he could take them all.
The reason they wouldn’t touch the South was simple. That region was under strict control by the ducal families, leaving almost no room for mercenaries to operate.
Tasks that would normally fall to mercenaries were handled by merchant guilds and private armed groups under the ducal families’ control.
Ghislain turned to Claude again and continued.
“Properly categorize the people who came with us this time and arrange accommodations for them. Investigate thoroughly some are wrongfully accused, but others are genuine criminals.”
Most of the prison escapees had followed Ghislain, knowing they had no chance of surviving if they stayed in their old city.
“And start drafting a plan to improve the welfare and treatment of the mercenaries.”
“What? Welfare? But we’re already giving them plenty of work and paying them well.”
Claude tilted his head, puzzled.
The mercenaries under Fenris were already handling a wide range of tasks, from maintaining order to escorting, transporting goods, building roads, and working on estate construction projects.
So far, they’d simply received payment for their work, and it had been sufficient. Claude saw no reason to add anything more.
However, Ghislain shook his head.
“These mercenaries are our allies now. Treating them like outsiders won’t do us any good. We need to make them want to fight under Fenris’ banner.”
Although they were technically part of the Fenris Mercenary Corps, the sense of unity likely hadn’t solidified. They needed to instill a strong sense of belonging, even among mercenaries.
Otherwise, when faced with a truly overwhelming enemy, they would prioritize fleeing over fighting.
Even if they were bound by contracts, building this sense of loyalty required proactive efforts from Fenris.
Claude nodded, finally understanding.
‘Well, our lord loves shouting, “Charge together!” If anyone doesn’t join in, he’d be furious.’
And there were still many mercenary corps left in the affluent West. Although the Drake Mercenary Corps was the largest, it wasn’t the only group.
Now that the Drake Mercenary Corps had joined Fenris and was taking on various tasks, rumors would surely spread to the West.
This was an opportunity to attract and recruit even more mercenary corps.
Ghislain and his close aides discussed strategies for recruitment and expansion, outlining various plans.
Once the framework was roughly set, Ghislain asked another question.
“What about the movements of the ducal families?”
“They’ve suddenly gone quiet. They’ve only mobilized troops in territories bordering the Royalist faction.”
“And the Royalist faction?”
“They’re also gathering troops. I heard the Marquis of Branford is furious, having been threatened by the ducal families.”
Ghislain calmly recalled his memories from his previous life.
Back then, the ducal families completely isolated the remaining Royalist nobles before drawing their swords. But the situation was different now.
Unlike his previous life, the majority of the Royalist faction was still intact. The ducal families would need to prepare meticulously to minimize their losses.
In the North, they would likely support Amelia in an attempt to block Ghislain. Simultaneously, they would aim to swiftly subjugate the remaining regions.
‘There’s still some time left. I need to do everything I can before then.’
Amelia wasn’t someone who would simply follow orders. The ducal families would undoubtedly have their hands full trying to manage her.
‘The next target to deal with is…’
The ducal families still had a hidden weapon that most didn’t know about. Before the civil war erupted, Ghislain needed to neutralize it to weaken their forces.
The target was none other than the Scarlet Tower, led by a 7th-circle mage a power equivalent to a Swordmaster.
‘I’ll have to eliminate the Scarlet Tower first.’
A cold smile spread across Ghislain’s face.