NOVPUBEven though Marquis Branford led the effort, half of the resources belonged to the royal family, and the other half came from the pro-royal faction nobles. Royal banners waved alongside those of prominent families, fluttering in the wind. The grandeur of the scene filled everyone with awe.
“W-Wow, is all of this really for us?” Belinda marveled, though there was a slight pang of regret.
Ferdium had struggled for so long—if only they had received this kind of support earlier, how much easier things would have been. She didn’t fully understand the complex political dynamics, but it was clear that Ferdium had risen in importance.
And it was all thanks to Ghislain. As someone who had mentored him, she felt an overwhelming sense of pride.
‘Our young master has grown so well.’
Even Rosalyn, who had been staying at the Crow Mansion, came outside the city to see Ghislain off. A trace of reluctance was visible on her face.
“Take care, Baron Fenris. Be sure to stay healthy.”
“Thank you, Lady Rosalyn. Please take care of the cosmetics sales while I’m away.”
“I will. When will you return to the capital?”
“Someone will come to collect the earnings frequently, but I don’t know when I’ll be back in person. In any case, make sure the accounting is done properly.”
‘Is money the only thing you can talk to me about?’
Rosalyn pouted slightly, feeling a bit neglected, but Ghislain didn’t seem to care about her reaction at all. His mind was focused solely on returning as quickly as possible.
He glanced around at his people and raised his voice.
“Has everyone got everything they need? This time, we’ve got a lot of cargo, so make sure nothing’s missing.”
“Yes, everything’s ready!”
“Good, let’s move out!”
At Ghislain’s signal, the wagons began to roll forward, one after another.
Kaak! Kaak!
Crows circled high in the sky, seemingly reluctant to say goodbye, but none of them followed. They preferred to stay at home.
Rosalyn watched Ghislain’s retreating figure as she pondered.
‘Is Fenris such a wonderful estate? What kind of place is it, really?’
She stayed where she was, watching until Ghislain was no more than a distant dot, long after he had disappeared from sight.
“The weather is improving, so we should start preparing for deployment to the northern fortress,” said Zvalter.
Homer, the chief steward, nodded in agreement.
“Yes, the barbarians will likely start moving soon.”
The two men were enjoying tea together, discussing the political situation ahead. Their expressions were peaceful.
Suddenly, Zvalter chuckled as he thought about his son.
“He went to the capital to sell cosmetics, but it seems he’s been there for quite a while. I hope he’s made some useful connections. That boy never had many friends growing up, after all.”
“That’s because his temper was... less than agreeable. Still, the young lord has matured quite a bit, hasn’t he? Even if it’s hard to meet high-ranking nobles, I’m sure he’s made a few friends among his peers.”
“Right? Even though our estate is poor, he became lord at a young age. Surely, he’s made a few connections.”
Homer grimaced slightly and shook his head.
“Sending him to the capital like a merchant was the problem. The nobles of the capital are proud, and it’s possible he only made friends with the wrong kind of people.”
“I told him not to go, but he was stubborn.”
“Well, once he’s back, ask him what kind of people he’s been associating with. If it turns out poorly, you can discipline him. Who one associates with is of utmost importance for a noble, after all.”
Zvalter nodded gravely.
“Don’t worry. Even if he’s making money and growing more confident, he still lacks experience. If he’s been hanging around the wrong crowd, I’ll be sure to straighten him out.”
“Haha, exactly. After the war, the young lord’s behavior has been somewhat overlooked, but this could be a good opportunity to teach him a lesson.”
The two men shared a laugh.
With the estate running smoothly, they felt at ease. Though still poor, things were much better than before they had received aid through the Runestone. And now, with food coming from Ghislain, the residents of Ferdium were more than grateful.
“Still, I wonder if he’s caused any trouble in the capital. I have a nagging feeling.”
“Oh, come now. You know how powerful the capital’s nobles are. No matter how reckless the young lord might be, he wouldn’t dare cause a scene there.”
“He is unpredictable, though.”
“Relax. He’s a country boy visiting the capital for the first time. He was probably too intimidated to do anything.”
“Hmm, perhaps. He should have been cautious, considering it was his first time.”
Zvalter remembered how breathless he had been when he first laid eyes on Cardenia. No matter how ill-tempered Ghislain might be, surely he wouldn’t act recklessly in unfamiliar territory.
“Well, then. Once Randolph returns, we’ll start preparing the troops.”
“Understood. It’s been nice and quiet without that noisy fellow around, but I suppose he’ll be back soon.”
Randolph, who had gone off to train the mercenaries, hadn’t returned because Ghislain was still away.
With only the more refined and quiet individuals left in Ferdium, the estate had been peaceful.
The two men smiled as they sipped their tea, hoping this peace would last.
At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed down the hall.
Bang!
“Lord! There’s a serious problem!”
The man who barged in was Albert, the estate’s treasurer. Usually calm and composed, his frantic appearance indicated that something dire had happened.
Zvalter immediately stood up and grabbed the sword resting beside him.
“Have the barbarians already started moving? If so, we must rally the troops to support the northern fortress—”
“No, it’s not that!”
Albert shook his head vigorously, prompting Zvalter to ask in confusion.
“Then is it a monster outbreak from the Forest of Beasts?”
Again, Albert shook his head.
“Don’t tell me... Elena didn’t bring home a boyfriend, did she?”
“I wish it were something like that.”
“Then what is it? Speak quickly!”
“It’s about the young lord...”
“Ghislain? What about him? He’s in the capital.”
Albert, looking pale, shouted, “He’s gotten into a conflict with Marquis Branford in the capital!”
Zvalter paused, wondering if he had misheard. Then, he let out a nervous laugh.
“Branpood? Is there even a marquis by that name? Have I been away from the capital for so long?”
“No, Marquis Branford.”
“Branpard?”
“Branford! The royal chamberlain!”
Zvalter blinked in silence before awkwardly laughing again.
“Surely... you mean that Branford? This must be a joke, right?”
Albert, lips pressed tight, shook his head again.
Thud.
Zvalter’s face went pale, and he collapsed back into his chair.
With Zvalter in shock, Homer urgently asked for clarification.
“What do you mean by that? Tell us the full story!”
“The young lord got into a conflict with Marquis Branford and has been imprisoned in the capital.”
“Wasn’t he in the capital to sell goods? How did he end up fighting with the marquis? He’s not someone you can just meet, let alone quarrel with!”
“I’m not sure about the details.”
Zvalter still couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Are you sure? Couldn’t this just be a rumor?”
“I heard it from a merchant who came to the estate. We don’t have informants in the capital, so we can’t verify it directly.”
“Then it’s just gossip, isn’t it?”
“Other merchants and travelers from different regions are all saying the same thing. Even if parts of the story have been exaggerated, it seems there was indeed a conflict.”
Zvalter let out a deep sigh. Knowing Ghislain’s temper, it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility.
“Hah...”
As both men sighed, Albert pushed for a solution.
“We need to find a way to resolve this. At this rate, the young lord’s head might roll.”
Homer shot to his feet, snapping in frustration.
“What solution? If the rumors have already spread this far, then he’s probably dead already! I knew this would happen. He’s always been reckless!”
“Still, if the northern borders don’t want to break ties with us completely, they might have spared his life. We should act quickly.”
Albert’s words snapped Zvalter out of his daze. If there was still a chance, they couldn’t just let Ghislain die. As the lord’s son and heir, they had to save him.
With a troubled expression, Zvalter spoke.
“We’ll need to prepare a lavish gift and send an envoy to the capital to beg for forgiveness. It’s the only way.”
Homer agreed with a nod.
“We can appeal by saying he’s not of sound mind and that he occasionally has fits. That way, they might show some leniency.”
“Yes, that might work. He is my son, after all, but let’s be honest—he’s a madman. The capital probably already knows that by now.”
The three men began scrambling to put together a plan. They gathered the retainers to discuss their next steps, wrote apology letters, and scraped together whatever wealth they could find.
While they were discussing who to send as the envoy, a soldier guarding the castle gates burst into the room, shouting.
“There’s an army approaching the castle!”
“What? An army?”
Zvalter and the retainers were shocked.
There had been no message from the outposts at the border. This meant the approaching force had either bypassed their defenses or overwhelmed them in one swift move. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝔲𝔟.𝔠𝖔𝖒
Zvalter stood abruptly and demanded from the soldier, “Did you identify their banners? Who are they?”
“The flags are too numerous, my lord...”
“Too many banners? Is it an allied force?”
“The number of troops is small for an allied force.”
Homer, trembling, asked, “Then, which noble houses are represented?”
“The royal banner is leading, followed by the banners of Marquis Branford, Marquis McQuarrie, Count Norton, Count Aylesbur, Count Boyer, Count Bromson...”
“....”
All the names mentioned were of the most influential noble families in the kingdom.
Zvalter’s legs gave out, and he collapsed back into his chair.
“Those are all pro-royal faction nobles. If the royal banner is there, it means Marquis Branford has mobilized troops. Ghislain must have caused a massive incident.”
“What do we do?”
Homer anxiously asked, but Zvalter remained silent.
If they were here to demand an apology or compensation for the dishonor Ghislain had caused, they could negotiate.
‘But if they’re here to take over the estate?’
While it was unlikely, there had been instances in history where powerful nobles used any excuse to take over another’s lands and grant them to one of their own allies.
‘Why did this have to happen now...?’
Zvalter knew they were in a precarious position.
In an era where even a military presence near one’s borders could spark a war, having such a large force suddenly appear at the castle was not a trivial matter.
Combined with the bad news they had just received, the pressure was overwhelming.
After a moment of contemplation, Zvalter made a decision and spoke in a heavy tone.
“Gather the soldiers.”
“My lord, surely you don’t mean...”
At Homer’s worried tone, Zvalter gritted his teeth and gripped his sword tightly.
“We may be poor, but we still have our pride.”
‘No, we don’t have either...’
Homer silently disagreed but kept his head bowed.
“If Ghislain has been taken hostage, he may be in danger. No matter how reckless he is, he’s still the heir. We have to try to save him.”
“Let’s hear what they have to say first. If they want an apology and compensation, we’ll pay. But if they try to force us into submission, we’ll fight.”
“...Understood.”
The retainers all bowed their heads in acknowledgment of Zvalter’s resolute gaze.
“We may need to negotiate, so bring the key retainers with us.”
Some of the retainers visibly paled.
If a battle broke out, they would barely be able to protect themselves, let alone fight. But they had no choice. They couldn’t refuse the lord’s command.
Reluctantly, they followed.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The bells summoning the soldiers rang through the castle.
Though surprised by the sudden call to arms, the soldiers quickly donned their gear and prepared for battle.
Boom!
The gates opened, and Zvalter, fully armored and mounted on his horse, led his soldiers toward the approaching army.
