NOVPUBGhislain didn’t limit his gifts to just Kaor. He also called Gillian separately and handed him several books.
Had Kaor seen this, he would have thrown a fit, complaining about why Gillian received more than him.
"What are these?" Gillian asked. 𝔫𝔬𝖛𝖕𝔲𝖇.𝖈𝖔𝖒
Ghislain responded casually, "These are modified mana cultivation techniques that I’ve tailored for you, along with a book on weapon techniques that I’ve compiled."
"My lord..." Gillian couldn’t hide his emotions of gratitude.
Ghislain had often asked him and Kaor about their mana cultivation techniques. Knowing that Ghislain’s own methods were superior, neither of them had kept anything secret. Occasionally, they even sought his advice on certain matters.
They also knew that Ghislain stayed up late, writing something down every night.
But Gillian never expected that all this time, Ghislain had been preparing a personal set of advanced manuals for him.
Ghislain, noticing Gillian’s reaction, teased, "Doesn’t it hurt your pride to learn mana cultivation and weapon techniques from someone so much younger than you?"
"Not at all. I already know that you’re special, my lord."
Gillian was the person who had sparred with Ghislain the most in the territory.
After all, no one else could match Ghislain’s level in combat.
After crossing swords with him a few times, Gillian had begun to realize that Ghislain had reached an incredibly high level of enlightenment, far beyond his years.
At times, he was baffled by the lord’s exceptional skills, which didn’t align with his age.
In fact, the frequent jokes Ghislain made about having died and come back to life started to seem believable.
Ghislain nodded a few times and continued, "The mana cultivation technique you’ve been practicing isn’t bad. That’s why I’ve only made minor adjustments. As for the weapon techniques, you don’t need to learn anything new—just compare what I’ve provided to your current methods and take what works best for you. You’re already well on your way to mastering your own path."
When writing the books for Gillian, Ghislain had taken special care.
Gillian had grown stronger over time by overcoming several limitations, thanks to his wealth of experience.
However, the techniques he had mastered were so ingrained in his body and mind that even if he discovered better methods now, it would be challenging to relearn them.
Thus, Ghislain focused on how to enhance Gillian’s strengths and help him push past his current limits.
"Thank you..." Gillian’s heart raced for the first time in a long while.
‘I thought I’d let go of my ambitions...’
He had faced his limitations long ago and retired, thinking he had given up his desire for strength when he stepped down from his position as a mercenary commander.
But the moment this spark was rekindled, that dormant flame flared back to life.
The Ratatosk Mercenary Corps, which Gillian had belonged to, was an old and reputable group.
Given its long history, they had their own mana cultivation technique, passed down through generations. Commanders and key figures all learned it, passing it on to the next generation upon their retirement.
For a mercenary group, it was considered quite a high-level technique, though it paled in comparison to what Ghislain knew.
Not only the cultivation technique, but the weapon techniques that Ghislain had compiled were enough to make even the most renowned knights on the continent envious.
‘To think I’d be given such treasures.’
They were treasures so valuable that you couldn’t obtain them, even in exchange for an entire castle. Anyone who recognized their worth would be willing to risk their life to obtain them.
The fact that Ghislain handed them over so casually was astonishing.
However, what touched Gillian even more was that Ghislain trusted him enough to gift him such treasures.
Carefully tucking the books away, Gillian bowed his head.
"I’ll master these techniques as quickly as possible. And I’ll intensify the training of those stubborn soldiers too."
"It’s good to push them a little harder, but you’re already doing enough with your own training, so don’t overdo it," Ghislain said, concerned.
However, Gillian shook his head.
The war was imminent. Even if only one more person grew stronger, it would increase their chances of victory.
With a determined look in his eyes, Gillian replied, "My role is to crush all your enemies, my lord. I’m still lacking."
Ghislain smiled, reassured by Gillian’s presence.
Unlike with Kaor and Gillian, Ghislain didn’t give Belinda any specific gifts. Instead, he asked her one question when they met.
"How long has it been since you last trained?"
"Hmm... It’s probably been over ten years since I last trained properly, right?" Belinda replied.
"Why?" Ghislain asked, curious.
Belinda sighed and rolled her eyes. "Why do you think? I raised you and Elena, didn’t I? Just as things started to settle down, you began causing trouble everywhere, and I had to clean up your messes."
"...You’re causing less trouble these days," Ghislain said quietly.
"Sure, but the scale of your problems has grown. And even without that, my duties as the head butler keep me too busy to find time to train properly."
Belinda didn’t have time for proper training, nor could she even maintain her existing skills without a struggle.
She was the most grounded person in the territory, dealing with all sorts of real-world problems.
Unlike Gillian or Kaor, whose primary focus was fighting, Belinda had to handle childcare, education, and territorial management. She had been burdened with many responsibilities at Feridium and continued to work tirelessly as the head butler of Fenris.
Ghislain nodded in understanding.
‘So, training has been more of a side job for her.’
Despite that, Belinda’s mana cultivation technique and combat skills were exceptional.
Although Ghislain hadn’t directly asked her about her techniques like he had with Gillian and Kaor, he could tell just from observing her movements in battle that her control over mana was outstanding.
Even the cultivation techniques of famous knightly families couldn’t compare to what she had learned.
Tampering with her methods might only create confusion.
‘She must have learned this from her mother’s side of the family.’
Ghislain knew that Belinda’s mother came from a fallen noble family, though she never talked about it. As a result, Ghislain didn’t know much about his mother either. Being a reincarnator didn’t mean he magically knew everything.
‘It’s odd, though. How is she still so strong after not training properly for over ten years?’
If Belinda had devoted herself to training without interruption, she could probably knock out someone like Kaor with a single slap.
‘But I can’t ask her to stop working and just focus on training...’
Claude, the chief administrator, and Belinda, the head butler, were essential to running the territory. If either of them stopped working, things would quickly fall apart.
‘Looks like the only solution is to throw money at the problem.’
With that conclusion, Ghislain immediately summoned the mages and artisans.
First, he had a mana condensation array installed in Belinda’s bedroom.
It was different from the ones prepared for others, using several times more runestones than usual to increase its effectiveness and prolong its duration.
He also had a bunch of bracelets made to help with mana cultivation.
The bracelets had a similar effect to the mana condensation arrays, but their efficiency was so poor that making them was a loss.
Naturally, a huge amount of runestones went into making them, enough that the mages were horrified.
"Who are these for? Are they for the mercenaries?" one of them asked.
"No, the head butler will be using them," Ghislain replied.
"Isn’t that a bit excessive for one person? You’ve used more than a year’s worth of the territory’s budget."
"The head butler is an extremely busy person. We need to create the best possible environment for her to train during her rare free moments."
Ghislain also made a specific request to the artisans.
"Engrave the word ‘Charnel’ on the bracelets. You know, make them look similar too."
"Uh... my lord... If we make them, they’ll just be knock-offs."
"That’s fine. We’re not going to sell them anywhere. I’m not that kind of person. It’s just for the sake of the vibe."
"...Understood."
When Belinda received the gifts, she was moved to tears.
She had been worried about not having enough time to train, but now she had her own personal mana condensation array, along with bracelets to help with her cultivation.
She would be able to accumulate mana much faster by training during her spare time.
"These should help with your mana cultivation. As for physical training, try to carve out even small moments for it. For now, this is the best solution I can offer," Ghislain explained.
Belinda shook her head slightly.
‘He says it’s the best he can do, but this is more than enough. It’s overwhelming.’
The fact that Ghislain cared enough to do all this for her filled her heart with warmth.
"Why spend so much money like this? You should be using it for the territory," she said.
"You’ve spent all your time taking care of others, neglecting your own training. This is the least I can do."
Just hearing those words made all the fatigue and hardships of the past seem to melt away.
To think that the little troublemaker from back then had grown up so well.
If only the late countess could see him now.
Belinda wiped away her tears and asked, "This bracelet... it’s a fake, right?"
"...Is it that obvious?"
Ghislain scratched his head awkwardly, making Belinda roll her eyes before bursting into laughter.
"Still, it’s the best bracelet I’ve ever seen."
To her, it was more precious than any luxury item in the world.
Other than Belinda, Gillian, and Kaor, there wasn’t anyone else Ghislain needed to focus on.
He had already provided substantial support to the mages, and he’d been looking out for Fergus due to his age.
Now, it was time to train the mercenaries who had become apprentice knights, as well as his former subordinates from his previous life.
As Ghislain stood before the gathered apprentice knights for the first round of training, he spoke seriously.
"What I’m going to teach you from now on isn’t some cheap mana cultivation technique floating around. This is the mana cultivation method of the Feridium family, passed down for hundreds of years."
The apprentice knights were stunned.
‘The rumors were true! He’s really going to teach us the family’s technique!’
What Ghislain was doing was unheard of.
Even when someone swore loyalty, the family’s mana cultivation technique couldn’t be taught without the head of the family’s permission. Breaking this rule was a serious offense, even punishable by death.
Though Ghislain was the family’s legitimate heir, he wasn’t the head yet.
And now, he was offering to teach this technique to hundreds of people, not just one or two. It sounded more like a joke than reality.
One apprentice knight nervously asked, "Is it really alright for you to teach us this? Won’t it be dangerous for you if it gets out?"
Every family had a separate, watered-down version of their mana cultivation technique for their subordinates. These versions were far inferior to the original, but for people like the apprentices, it was more than enough. They never dared to hope for anything more.
But Ghislain answered bluntly, "There’s no reason I can’t teach it. If I want to teach it, I will."
"But... but isn’t that dangerous? What if someone betrays you or misuses the technique?" the apprentice stammered.
"What’s more dangerous is losing the war. To win, I need all of you to become stronger."
While it was true that making them stronger would increase their chances of victory, it still seemed like overkill.
The risk of betrayal and the potential misuse of the technique were real concerns.
Ghislain, seeing the uncertain expressions around him, let out a small chuckle.
"I don’t want any of you to die in battle."
Those who had fought alongside him in the Forest of Beasts clenched their jaws. They had seen how Ghislain fought firsthand and knew that he meant every word.
In the solemn atmosphere, Ghislain smiled and added, "And I also want to keep fighting alongside all of you."
At that moment, they understood.
Their lord was putting his trust in them first.
These were people who had lived lives looked down upon, despised for selling their lives as mercenaries. Even the newly joined knights were no different.
No matter how much they had wanted to escape that life, their circumstances had never allowed them to.
But now, their lord was giving them the opportunity they had always dreamed of.
When you receive something, it’s only right to give something in return.
That principle applied to both mercenaries and knights.
Without anyone saying a word, they each placed their hand over their heart.
Though they were newly made knights, and their actions were clumsy and far from perfect, their sincerity was unmatched.
Slowly, one by one, they knelt on one knee and pledged their allegiance with all their hearts.
"We swear to serve you loyally!"
This was the only thing they could offer Ghislain in return.
And to Ghislain, it was more than enough.
