NOVPUBWhen Amelia thought back to the way Ghislain had presented himself when he approached her, it became clear that even during his days as the "Northern Scoundrel," known for his poor behavior, he had been concealing a significant portion of his abilities.
However, knowing about the Forest of Beasts had nothing to do with swordsmanship skills.
“It’s not something he could have figured out on his own. That’s not the kind of place where luck plays a role.”
Even the current Marquis of Ferdium, who was just a Count at the time, knew nothing about the Forest of Beasts. If he had, he would have started developing the area much sooner.
This meant one thing: Ghislain had acquired information from somewhere else.
One thing was certain—at least when it came to the outskirts of the Forest of Beasts, he had access to accurate information.
The difference between having information and not was monumental. Amelia mused that if she knew what kind of monsters to expect, she might have been able to pioneer the forest herself.
She reviewed Ghislain’s recent actions. His achievements, from developing the Forest of Beasts to his other ventures, weren’t things a single individual could come up with alone.
Some developments, like technological advancements, could have been aided by the dwarves. Predicting the drought could have been chalked up to luck. But most of his feats would have been impossible without access to critical information.
“Does he have a benefactor? Or did he uncover some ancient texts?”
Perhaps he had come across records of past attempts by the Ferdium lineage to pioneer the Forest of Beasts, attempts that had been abandoned and forgotten by the Northern lords. That seemed like the most plausible explanation for now.
Otherwise, it was possible he had someone by his side, like a mage or a sage, advising him.
“One thing is clear—his intelligence network is far superior to what others can access.”
Even predicting her rebellion and acting on it wouldn’t have been possible without such information.
Whether it was a hidden organization or a secret intelligence network, one thing was evident: Ghislain had access to something extraordinary.
If Amelia could discover the source of his intelligence, it could greatly benefit her. She could either exploit it or wrest control of it for herself.
“I’ll need to be careful. He might already be monitoring my every move.”
Of course, the possibility that Ghislain was a regressor never crossed Amelia’s mind. Still, recognizing his impressive intelligence network was a significant realization.
When reframing all the seemingly miraculous coincidences and good fortune as results of superior information, everything made perfect sense.
That said, having information didn’t necessarily mean one could execute such feats. That part still puzzled her.
“He’s an infuriatingly curious man, isn’t he?”
Amelia let out a faint, irritated smile. Moving forward, she had to assume Ghislain was keeping a close eye on her every action.
“Well, then, I’ll have to make my moves unpredictable.”
If her opponent defied common sense, she’d have to do the same.
Not now, of course. Picking a fight with Ghislain at this stage would yield no benefits.
Amelia had no interest in becoming the strongest in the North. Her ambitions lay far beyond such trivial titles.
For now, it was enough to be cautious of Ghislain without wasting resources on countering him.
“It should be about time.”
Ghislain wasn’t the only one keeping her under surveillance. The Duke’s faction, having lost Harold, was not just monitoring her but trying to control her outright.
She’d have to make her actions unpredictable for them as well.
“First, I’ll deal with the envoy they sent.”
A cold, murderous intent spread across Amelia’s face.
“Lord Ghislain, you’re amazing!”
Claude practically screamed with delight the moment he saw Ghislain.
The news of their successful expedition had already reached him via a messenger. When he heard about the resources they had acquired, he’d nearly fainted.
“We’re saved! Finally, we’re saved!”
They had run out of runestones, and their cash reserves were drying up. Despite earning significant income from selling cosmetics, food, and operating delivery and road-building businesses, it hadn’t been enough.
The rapid growth of Fenris was starting to slow due to a lack of funds. Their many ongoing projects were draining resources faster than revenue could keep up.
But now, with such a vast influx of resources, they finally had some breathing room.
Ghislain chuckled softly as he watched Claude practically bouncing with joy.
“Happy, are you?”
“Of course! Do you have any idea how much stress I’ve been under as our funds dwindled?”
As Claude exaggerated his frustrations, Ghislain responded calmly.
“That’s good to hear. Now, let’s start by rewarding everyone who participated in the expedition.”
“Of course. I’ll calculate appropriate amounts—”
“No need. I’ve already decided.”
“...How much?”
Claude’s face turned apprehensive. He knew Ghislain’s penchant for being extravagant when spending.
Sure enough, Ghislain grinned and dropped the bombshell.
“Three years’ worth of pay for the expedition team. And triple bonuses for the laborers.”
“...”
“Make it happen quickly.”
“...But we don’t have that kind of cash right now.”
“We brought back plenty of resources. There’s more to come. We’ve got enough to pay them, don’t we?”
“But those are in-kind assets... We’d have to convert them to cash to make payouts...”
“Not my problem. Just get it done.”
“....”
Ghislain left after casually issuing the order, leaving Claude stunned.
Grabbing his hair in frustration, Claude muttered bitterly.
“Why can’t I just enjoy being happy for once?!”
Even after acquiring such valuable resources, he was now faced with the daunting task of paying out a massive amount in rewards.
To make matters worse, the payments had to be immediate. As the lord himself had promised, any delay would damage trust in Ghislain and could lead to resentment from the workers.
Reluctantly, Claude called his administrators and barked out orders.
“Contact the merchant guilds and the Scarlet Tower immediately!”
As the steward of Fenris, the North’s most powerful and prosperous territory, Claude’s summons sent the local merchants scrambling.
When the guild leaders arrived, Claude crossed his legs and, with a smug expression, declared:
“This time, I won’t be taking a ‘service fee.’”
The "King of Bribes" refusing bribes was so unusual that the merchants exchanged confused glances.
“In return, buy as much as you can.”
When they saw the items Claude offered, their jaws dropped.
In addition to the usual food supplies and iron ore, there was an array of medicinal herbs—an impressive haul.
Even with the urgent need for cash, Claude refused to sell runestones or Fairy’s Blessing, as they were strategic resources for Fenris.
Satisfied with their purchases, the merchants left, marveling at Claude’s unexpected generosity.
Meanwhile, news of Fenris acquiring a large quantity of runestones reached the Scarlet Tower, delighting the tower elders.
Yet, when the elders tried to persuade the Tower Master, Hubert, to visit Fenris, he grimaced and shook his head.
“No. I’m not going.”
“But why?!”
“He’s a count now. And the strongest lord in the North. I’d have to show him proper respect...”
“That’s it?!”
“Of course! That’s not a small thing!”
Hubert, notoriously petty and immature, could not bear the thought of acknowledging Ghislain as his superior.
“No way. I’m not going. I have my pride!”
The elders sighed in exasperation, knowing well that reasoning with Hubert was a lost cause.
The Fenris Count, the very man who had saved the Scarlet Tower from collapse, continued to butt heads with them. Hubert’s stubbornness and pride, despite Ghislain’s pivotal role in their survival, were almost impressive in their consistency.
Still, the elders knew they couldn’t let Hubert’s antics jeopardize their relationship with Fenris. If they wanted to continue acquiring runestones and maintaining a positive rapport, they needed to take action.
Thus, the Scarlet Tower elders packed up numerous magical tools as gifts and personally visited Fenris to deliver their congratulations.
Thanks to Claude’s impressive management skills, Fenris swiftly amassed a staggering amount of liquid capital. Much of this success could be attributed to Claude’s carefully cultivated network of merchants and trade contacts.
“Hurry up and take it!” Claude snapped as he distributed the rewards to soldiers and laborers involved in the expedition. Some opted to receive a portion of their compensation in food rations.
With the rewards finally settled, the entire territory erupted into a festive atmosphere.
“Wow! I’ve never seen this much money in my life!”
“Seriously, following the lord was the best decision I ever made.”
“Our territory is the best! Long live the lord!”
The soldiers and laborers from the expedition couldn’t stop singing Ghislain’s praises, cheering his name daily.
Just a few years ago, such scenes were unimaginable.
Some had struggled to survive day-to-day. Others, despite working tirelessly, were never compensated fairly. The people of the North had lived hopelessly, scraping by with little to no expectation for a better future.
Everything changed when Ghislain became their lord. To them, it felt like the entire world had shifted.
This transformation had far-reaching effects.
“I’ll protect this land with my life.”
“This is our only hope. There’s nowhere else like it.”
“All we need to do is follow the lord until the end.”
As the people began receiving fair compensation, their wealth grew, and so did their quality of life. Naturally, their attitudes changed as well. People with something to protect—whether it was money, family, or pride—tended to grow stronger.
Loyalty to Ghislain soared to unprecedented heights.
Those who received large sums of money spent freely within the territory. Merchants brought luxury goods and fine liquor, eager to capitalize on the newfound wealth circulating in Fenris.
The economy boomed, and Fenris became more lively than ever.
“Our lord is incredible! He fought through an army of a million enemies all by himself!”
“A million monsters, really? Is that even possible?”
“Of course! I was there, fighting alongside him!”
As stories circulated, they inevitably became more exaggerated. Ghislain was now being hailed as a superhuman who singlehandedly cut through an army of a million monsters.
The soldiers, unsure of how many Grex had actually attacked, only knew that the numbers had been overwhelming. In their retellings, they simply threw out increasingly absurd figures, and the rumors spread like wildfire.
While the rest of the territory thrived on this excitement, Claude’s face grew darker and darker.
“Money... we’re out of money...”
The rush to pay out the expedition rewards had drained their cash reserves yet again.
Resources remained abundant, and more would continue to flow in over time. Selling these resources would eventually bring in significant funds again. The issue was time. The immediate lack of cash was causing headaches for Claude.
“Ugh! This is so annoying! Everyone’s just going to have to tighten their belts for the rest of the month! We’re broke!”
Even as Claude grumbled and snapped at everyone, the likes of Belinda, Gillian, Vanessa, and Galbarik couldn’t help but tread lightly around him.
"Only in Fenris could you have so much wealth and still run out of money! It’s absurd!" Claude muttered, poring over documents.
“Hm... well, it’ll all work out somehow. In a month or two, we’ll have enough cash flow again.”
With resources in abundance, time was the only real obstacle. Claude resolved to endure the short-term strain and buckle down.
“Now that our businesses are stabilizing, surely the lord won’t come up with any more crazy ideas for a while...”
Fenris had already absorbed Desmond’s territory and was steadily bolstering its military strength. Production across the board was increasing, and the improvement of people’s livelihoods and culture was a long-term project. For now, all they needed to do was maintain this steady progress.
Surely, the lord wouldn’t demand anything else, right?
“Good. Now the lord can just quietly observe the territory and—”
Claude’s thought was interrupted as Ghislain suddenly flung the office door open.
“It’s time to begin the next phase.”
“...What now?”
“We’re founding the Fenris Mercenary Corps.”
Claude buried his face in his hands and let out a deep sigh.
