NOVPUBThe people were working hard, completely unaware of the looming threat of war.
If they found out that they might have to fight against the Grand Lord, Count Desmond, they'd likely drop everything and flee, abandoning their new homes.
However, once they had their own houses and their lives began to stabilize, their reactions would undoubtedly change.
‘By then, they'll want to protect their property. No other lord will treat them as well as our lord does here in Fenris. They’ll have no choice but to fight to defend this land... Wait, could this have been his plan all along?’
Ghislain hadn’t started all of this with such a plan in mind. He had simply been taking steps that were necessary for the development of the territory.
But, as those actions accumulated, they resulted in unexpectedly beneficial outcomes.
Claude looked at Ghislain with a mixture of admiration and doubt, his gaze full of concern.
“The timber issue is resolved for now, but... in a few months, we'll face the same problem again. Not only timber, but other materials are running low.”
“But we’ve secured enough for the current projects, right? We’ll find more when we need to. What else is in short supply besides timber?”
“Of course, iron. We need it everywhere. Most of it is being used to prepare for war, making weapons and armor... but the stock we set aside for the townspeople and building projects has already run dry.”
“It’s going to be tough to secure more iron ore, isn’t it?”
“Exactly. Even with money, iron ore is hard to come by. Most of the northern supply is controlled by Count Cavaldy...”
Ghislain nodded several times and then muttered to himself.
“Alright, it’s time to move on to the next phase.”
“Huh? What phase? We’re already swamped preparing everything else—what more are you planning?”
Claude asked in panic, but Ghislain responded nonchalantly.
“If we’re out of resources, we just need to go get more. Especially iron—it's essential for war.”
“You might’ve been able to chop down trees in Ferdiem, but where are you going to find iron ore? Ferdiem doesn’t have any mines either.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan. I’ll explain soon.”
“A plan, huh... Sure, you always do.”
Claude didn’t even bother hiding his exasperation as he nodded.
Ghislain always had a plan. The problem was that these plans often seemed completely insane and nonsensical to anyone else.
‘Please, let this not be another one of those plans where I have to risk my life. Goddess, please help our lord become a reasonable man,’ Claude prayed silently to himself.
While the territory bustled with activity, Ghislain’s former comrades from his past life began arriving one by one.
Mercenaries, soldiers, butchers, executioners, hunters... each with a different skill set and background.
Those who had lived rough lives were more than happy to accept Claude’s offer of steady, well-paying work.
After all, a lord offering good pay and secure jobs was hard to turn down.
As Claude reviewed the list of newly hired people, he couldn’t help but ask Ghislain a question.
“The information you provided was spot on for most of these people, though not all of it. But how in the world did you know their whereabouts and details? None of them seem to know who you are.”
Claude was genuinely curious. How could a young nobleman who had spent his life in the countryside know about a butcher from another kingdom?
Yet, no matter how many times Claude asked, Ghislain never gave him a clear answer.
“I just... happened to know.”
Ghislain wasn’t about to explain that he knew them from his past life. No one would believe him anyway, so he always gave vague responses.
Naturally, Claude’s suspicion only deepened.
The strangest thing was how delighted Ghislain seemed whenever one of these new recruits arrived—like he was greeting an old friend he hadn’t seen in years.
It was the same with the latest batch of arrivals.
“You’re here! I’m so glad! I’ve missed you!”
The new recruits were bewildered by the lord’s over-the-top welcome.
Sure, they had come with some expectations due to the generous terms, but it was strange to be greeted so warmly by a lord they had never met before.
Their confused expressions only made Ghislain laugh.
‘They’re bound to be bewildered, but I can’t help it—I’m just so glad to see them.’
In his past life, they had become close after countless battles together, but in this life, they were still strangers to him.
Still, Ghislain had never been one to care much about what others thought. He rationalized his emotions and openly expressed his joy at seeing them.
Standing nearby, Claude shot Ghislain a look of disgust, as if he were watching a madman.
“This is the last group,” Claude said. “Out of the 128 people on your list, 92 have agreed to come.”
“Are you sure no one else is coming?”
“Yes, we couldn’t locate some, and others refused. There’s nothing more we can do.”
“That’s too bad... I was hoping to gather them all.”
“Honestly, it’s a miracle we got this many. Most of them only came because their lives were tough. How did you even know to target people in such dire situations?”
Claude’s curiosity was genuine.
Most of them had been desperate enough to leave their homes for just a bit of money.
Not only was it strange how Ghislain knew about them, but also how every single one of them seemed to be down on their luck.
Ghislain casually replied, “Life’s hard. They were all just doing what they had to do to survive.”
“Huh?”
“There’s more to it than that. Anyway, if no more are coming, gather the ones we have—I want to see them all.”
“Yes, my lord.”
As the new recruits were gathered, Ghislain couldn’t hide the deep emotion welling up inside him.
Seeing them all together like this reminded him so much of his old mercenary band from his past life.
It felt completely different from seeing them individually.
Looking at them all together made a flood of emotions rise in his chest.
‘To think I can fight alongside you again...’
While Ghislain had been hailed as the Mercenary King, not all the mercenaries under him had been loyal or honorable.
In fact, many of them had been rough, unsavory types, as one would expect from mercenaries.
That’s why Ghislain had been extremely selective when compiling this list.
Even among those he remembered, he had carefully chosen only the best—the ones who had fought alongside him until the bitter end, those he could truly call “comrades.”
Mercenaries who had chosen loyalty over money.
Warriors who hadn’t fled, even with death staring them in the face.
They had all died together in their final battle, but...
Because of them, Ghislain had been able to dream of revenge and keep moving forward.
As he walked among them, Ghislain embraced each one of them, saying quietly, “I’m sorry.”
The recruits were even more baffled now. The lord had been acting strangely since they arrived, but now he was hugging them all and apologizing.
‘What kind of place is this...?’
Though they felt uneasy, Ghislain continued to hug each person, apologizing again and again.
He felt both immense gratitude and deep regret toward them.
It wasn’t because they had died helping him—death was something every mercenary accepted as part of their life.
The issue was how they had died.
‘We failed.’
The only thing Ghislain regretted was that he had let his thirst for revenge cloud his judgment and rushed headlong into war without proper planning.
The greatest mercenary band on the continent had been wiped out because of his impatience. 𝓃𝓸𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
‘I’m sorry.’
Their valor and pride had been reduced to nothing but a laughingstock for their enemies, and the mercenary band had vanished without leaving a trace of honor behind.
All that remained was the label of failure and mockery.
Of course, none of that had happened in this life.
But as their leader from the past, Ghislain had to offer this final apology to his comrades, whose names and deeds had been forgotten.
It was also a promise to himself that he would never repeat the same mistake.
‘There will be no second defeat.’
Yes, there would be no failure this time.
They would grow stronger, faster than in their previous lives, and their names would spread far and wide.
Ghislain would make sure of it.
As he finished greeting them, Ghislain smiled at the recruits, still dazed by his strange behavior.
His sentimental moment was over. He quickly pulled himself together and began outlining what lay ahead for them.
“You’ve probably heard the details by now. As promised, you’ll be well-compensated, and we’ll provide housing for you.”
These were people who had lived tough lives and were more eager than anyone for a stable job.
Unlike the immigrants, these recruits were being hired as the standing army of Fenris.
They had been promised much better treatment than in any other territory, and their faces were filled with anticipation.
Ghislain finished his brief speech and introduced the people who would be in charge of them.
“You’ve already met Claude, the steward. And this is Gillian. He’ll be your training instructor from now on.”
Gillian gave a slight nod to Ghislain before stepping forward to size up the recruits.
‘They all reek of blood.’
He couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease as he looked them over.
These men had a fundamentally different air about them compared to the usual mercenaries.
They gave off a vibe that was closer to ravenous beasts than the mad dogs he was used to dealing with.
‘This is going to be exhausting.’
It was clear that taming these men would require endless displays of force and dominance.
Ghislain continued to introduce his other subordinates.
“This is Belinda. She’s the head steward of the castle. She’ll be responsible for your living arrangements and any needs you have.”
“Nice to meet you all. My, you all look like you’ve been through a lot.”
Unlike Gillian, Belinda greeted the ferocious newcomers with a bright smile.
She was happy to see more people who could fight alongside Ghislain, as it meant she wouldn’t have to do as much of the heavy lifting herself.
“And this here is Kaor. He’s a mercenary, but for now, he’s in charge of security in the territory.”
Kaor glanced around lazily. But instead of ending the introduction there, he made things worse.
With his usual foul-mouthed attitude, he said, “I’m the craziest dog in this place. Don’t cause any trouble, and keep your heads down. If you’ve got a problem, bring it on—I’ll crush you all.”
The atmosphere immediately turned tense at his provocative words.
Gillian shook his head in disapproval, and Belinda covered her face in embarrassment.
The recruits, who had all lived hard lives and seen their share of violence, didn’t react immediately out of respect for Ghislain, but their faces grew darker, and the air around them thickened with tension.
As the oppressive energy filled the space, Kaor let out a derisive laugh.
“What’s this? Are you seriously thinking about taking me on? Well, I suppose it’s only natural to establish a pecking order on the first day. Come on, then—who’s up first?”
Kaor stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with menace.
In the world of mercenaries, rank was determined solely by strength. Since they knew he was a mercenary, the recruits weren’t afraid of him.
A few large, rough-looking men stepped forward and asked Ghislain with crooked smiles,
“Sir, it feels a bit awkward to start a fight right after arriving... but may we?”
“If we win, do we get his position?”
“Will you let us fight him first?”
The men were clearly not intimidated, and Kaor’s smile only grew wider. He had been itching for a fight, and now it seemed like he would get his wish.
This was the perfect time to assert dominance. If he could beat a few of them senseless, the rest would fall in line.
“Hey, boss,” Kaor called to Ghislain, “you know they need to be trained anyway. Let me handle this. I’ll teach them a proper lesson.”
The tension continued to build.
One of the men cocked his head and spoke.
“Not sure if it’s okay to kill someone on the first day.”
“You’re the ones who don’t know their place. I hate bullying weaklings, though. But you can use mana, right? That’s why you’re cocky?”
Kaor sneered.
Anyone who could use mana was likely a knight, and if they were skilled enough, they wouldn’t have ended up here.
It was an intimidation tactic, but the man only grinned wider.
“Do you really need mana to fight? You call yourself a mercenary, don’t you? Let’s fight in the ‘Moriana’s Way.’ I’ll tear you apart. If you’re scared, you can run now.”
“You bastard...”
Kaor’s face twisted in irritation. The mention of Moriana’s Way dredged up painful memories of the time Ghislain had beaten him senseless.
The two men were now nose to nose, seething with killing intent.
If Ghislain gave the word, they’d draw their weapons immediately.
Gillian, who had been watching, frowned as the tension escalated.
‘These fools... How dare they act like this in front of the lord?’
Even if they were rough around the edges, showing such blatant disrespect in front of Ghislain was unforgivable.
Though Ghislain had always been lenient, their behavior crossed a line. They needed to be taught some respect, and Gillian was ready to drag them off for a brutal lesson.
“You idiots, follow me immediately—”
Just as Gillian was about to intervene, Belinda suddenly snapped.
“I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!” she screamed. “Are we some kind of bandit gang?! Why is everyone so eager to start fighting the moment they meet?! Can’t we show even a little bit of civility? You’re all disgraceful!”
The fury she had been holding in finally exploded like a firework.
