NOVPUBZvalter carefully observed the approaching force.
“They’ve got quite the banners, but the number of troops is small. And they’ve got so much cargo... Is this an advance team bringing supplies? But to come here without any formal declaration, even from the royal family—this seems excessive.”
Though Zvalter had shouted bravely in front of his retainers, inside, his mind was in turmoil. He wondered if it would be better to rush out and beg for forgiveness. What kind of trouble had his son caused to unite such powerful nobles and bring soldiers to his doorstep?
As they got closer, his heart pounded, and his hands were slick with sweat. Just then, the approaching army halted upon seeing Zvalter’s force.
Zvalter also stopped, assessing the situation.
“Lord, we should speak with their commander first to understand the situation,” Homer suggested.
Zvalter nodded and rode forward, and several riders from the other side did the same.
“Their horsemanship is impressive. Let’s see who these people are... Huh?”
As the figures approached, Zvalter recognized them, particularly the young man at the front.
“That guy looks just like my son... What?”
Zvalter’s eyes widened in shock as he recognized the leader.
“Hey! What are you doing over there?!”
The leader of the group was none other than Ghislain, followed by Belinda and his other retainers. Zvalter was at a loss for words, unable to comprehend why his son was leading a group flying noble banners.
Ghislain, equally perplexed, asked, “Father, what are you doing here?”
“I’m... preparing for battle.”
“With who?”
“With... you guys?”
“...?”
“...?”
An awkward silence hung in the air as both sides stared at each other in confusion.
Homer quickly broke the silence, his voice urgent. “Young master! You’re alive! What’s going on? What happened in the capital?”
“I just sold some cosmetics, that’s all,” Ghislain answered casually.
Homer, exasperated, pressed further. “If that’s all, why are the royal family and nobles sending armies here?!”
“Oh, I think there’s been some misunderstanding...”
Zvalter, having regained his senses, asked, “We heard you had some conflict with Marquis Branford. Is that why the army is here?”
“Oh, that? It wasn’t a big deal. I just made a good deal with the marquis.”
“A deal? But there were rumors you were imprisoned by Marquis Branford. Were you taken as a hostage?”
It was true that Ghislain had been detained for two weeks, but it was only to treat Rosalyn. If things had gone wrong, it could’ve been a different story, but since he succeeded, there were no lingering issues.
Shaking his head, Ghislain replied, “Let me explain everything quickly.”
He proceeded to summarize the events in the capital, leaving Zvalter and his retainers in shock.
“Marquis Branford became your sponsor after you cured his daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Counts Aylesbur and Norton are also supporting you?”
“Yes.”
“And now you’re part of the pro-royal faction?”
“Oh, and you are too, Father.”
“Wait, I am?”
“That’s how things turned out.”
Zvalter gulped, trying to process the whirlwind of information.
In truth, he had always been loyal to the royal family, so being part of the pro-royal faction wasn’t entirely surprising. It was more that he had been overlooked and ignored before.
‘How is this even possible?’
Despite everything, the sight of the royal and noble banners flapping in the wind was undeniable proof. If this were some kind of trick, Ghislain would’ve been executed already.
‘Is this real?’
Zvalter felt overwhelmed. When too many good things happen at once, it’s natural to become suspicious and anxious. He closed his eyes.
‘This has to be a dream.’
“Father?”
‘When I open my eyes, everything will be back to normal.’
“Father!”
‘Begone, illusions!’
Zvalter opened his eyes, channeling mana to clear his mind. His eyes glowed with energy, but nothing had changed.
“It’s still here. It’s real.” 𝓷ℴ𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝒸𝓸𝓶
Ghislain, frustrated by the lack of coherent conversation, muttered, “Father, what’s going on with you?”
“...Sorry, it’s just hard to believe.”
“It’s the truth, so just accept it.”
“...Alright.”
Zvalter wasn’t the only one struggling to believe it. Homer, flustered, asked, “Young master, is this really true?”
“Why would I lie about something so easily disproven?”
“But... this is too much to take in...”
Homer’s mind raced. Marquis Branford, one of the kingdom’s most powerful figures, had become Ghislain’s sponsor? And several prominent nobles were backing him?
If this were true, Ghislain was now politically more influential than Zvalter himself. He had risen from being a wealthy but reckless young noble to one with powerful allies.
The retainers accompanying Zvalter were sweating profusely, their minds racing with questions.
‘Why? Why are all these powerful people supporting him?’
‘Have they all gone mad?’
Zvalter’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the wagons full of supplies.
“So those wagons...?”
“Yes, they were sent by Marquis Branford.”
“They’re part of a dowry, aren’t they?”
“...Excuse me?”
“You cured his daughter, became his protégé—of course, the next step is marriage! The marquis must have been impressed by your abilities. Hahaha!”
Zvalter had concocted a scenario that made the most sense to him. The sheer volume of gifts seemed excessive for anything else.
Homer, overcome with joy, shouted, “Congratulations! After the broken engagement, we were so worried, but now the Branford family will be our in-laws! This is a great blessing for our family!”
“Haha, don’t make such a fuss. Honestly, my son is quite a catch, isn’t he? They recognized his worth.”
“Of course, of course. He’s wealthy, capable—what more could they want? Sure, his temper is a bit rough, but marriage will smooth that out. Hahaha!”
“Exactly, hahaha!”
The people of Ferdium were ecstatic, thrilled that what had seemed like a disaster had turned out to be great news. Ghislain potentially marrying into the Branford family was a cause for celebration.
“...”
Ghislain and his retainers looked on in disbelief.
They had barely believed his success in the capital, and now they had jumped to the conclusion that this was all for a wedding? It was almost too much.
Ghislain sighed deeply and finally spoke.
“There’s no dowry.”
“Haha... What?”
“It’s not a dowry.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
The atmosphere shifted, growing cold.
Zvalter cleared his throat awkwardly. “Ahem, then what is all of this?”
“It’s support for Ferdium. The royal family’s scribe is here to explain the details.”
“The royal family?”
Zvalter was startled. Had the royal family really sent someone to personally deliver aid to Ferdium?
At Ghislain’s signal, a well-dressed man approached with a warm smile.
“Greetings to the valiant Warden of the North, Count of Ferdium. I am Baron Andy Shea, a scribe of the royal court.”
“Ah, welcome! What brings you here personally?”
“I come bearing a message from His Majesty, the wise King.”
“Please, speak.”
Though Zvalter tried to maintain his composure, his voice trembled slightly. He had no idea why the royal family was offering such aid to Ferdium, and the unknown made him nervous.
As Baron Shea observed the tension in the room, he couldn’t help but find the atmosphere a bit suspicious.
‘Were they plotting something? This seems odd...’
Whatever suspicions he had, it wasn’t his job to investigate. That task belonged to the royal inspectors. As a seasoned administrator, he unfurled a luxurious scroll and began reading aloud.
“...In recognition of your service in protecting the northern borders, the royal family bestows aid upon Count Ferdium... Furthermore, as recommended by the Chamberlain and endorsed by the council of nobles, we will increase support for Ferdium... We have no doubts about your loyalty to the crown...”
The long speech was filled with flowery language, but in essence, the royal family was promising additional support to Ferdium.
After finishing, Baron Shea smiled and added, “Next year, the support will be slightly reduced. This time, we’re making up for previous deficiencies.”
Zvalter and his retainers stood in stunned silence.
Baron Shea’s words barely registered in their minds as they tried to process the sheer scope of the aid.
‘So it’s true. Marquis Branford became Ghislain’s sponsor, and now the royal family is directly supporting us...’
Homer, unable to contain his joy, shouted, “Hooray!”
The other retainers followed suit, laughing and cheering.
“This is it! Our struggles are finally over! With this much aid, we can focus solely on defending the northern borders for the entire year!”
“And with additional support coming from other estates, we can finally relax!”
The retainers were overjoyed, their years of hardship seemingly behind them.
Zvalter, smiling proudly, said, “Well done, Ghislain.”
‘No more having to rely on my son for resources. I’ll finally reclaim my authority as the head of the family.’
Homer added with a laugh, “The young master has done a remarkable job. We’ve been struggling to manage the budget with just the Rune Stone funds, but now we can breathe easy. Well done, young master!”
‘Did you really think we’d keep groveling to you forever? Hahaha!’
The sentiment was clear in Homer’s expression—no more begging Ghislain for favors.
The estate’s treasurer, Albert, who was usually composed, was also caught up in the excitement.
“We should check the inventory against the list and make sure everything’s accounted for. This is our support, after all. Oh, and young master, about that food supply you promised a few months ago? I don’t think we’ll be needing it anymore! Hahaha!”
‘If you want a share of the support, you’ll have to beg us for it.’
Zvalter and Homer shared a hearty laugh.
“Haha, that’s right! All of this is ours now!”
“Let’s finally use it without any worries!”
As everyone celebrated, Baron Shea awkwardly scratched his cheek.
“Um... actually, not all of this is going to Ferdium.”
“Huh?”
Zvalter blinked in confusion. How could this be? The aid had been sent to Ferdium, so it was all supposed to be theirs. What was this about?
Baron Shea hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with what he had to say.
“The distribution... will be handled by Baron Fenris.”
Zvalter and his retainers froze, their faces hardening into stone.
Slowly, they turned to look at Ghislain, who stood with his arms crossed, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
