Whoosh!
Gillian's axe descended on the knight's neck, stopping just short.
"Hold it."
At Ghislain's command, the axe halted.
Drip, drip…
The axe stopped precisely in front of the knight's throat, but a thin cut had been made, and blood was dripping down from it.
"Hah… ah…"
The knight, still on his knees, took deep breaths.
'They're insane!'
If Ghislain hadn't stopped it, his head would have been off his shoulders.
He looked at the blood trickling down his neck and soaking the ground, shivering uncontrollably.
'What… what is going on?'
He couldn't comprehend the situation.
Although the young lord had been troublesome and annoying, he had never been frightening.
But now…
'He's terrifying.'
The intense authority Ghislain exuded filled the entire space, making it clear that the mercenaries were loyal to him.
'This isn't the person I thought he was. What happened?'
The young lord had always lacked the capability and character to command, even earning disdain from the lowest soldiers.
The fact that these rugged mercenaries were now willing to risk their lives for him was beyond comprehension.
Step, step.
As Ghislain leisurely approached, the soldiers around him froze.
The soldiers, who had once dismissed him as a joke, threw down their weapons and knelt, overwhelmed by the atmosphere.
"Looks like things almost got out of hand. Did I scare you?"
Ghislain smiled and helped the knight to his feet, patting him on the shoulder as he continued.
"I'm a pacifist, but my people can be a little rough after everything they've been through. So let's keep things peaceful from now on, alright?"
"Y-yes… of course."
In other words, he was saying, "Don't mess with me."
'I think he got the message.'
Ghislain knew there would be many more clashes in the future, but for now, this was enough.
"Anyway, my father has summoned me, so I suppose I should fulfill my duty as a son and go. Are you going to tie me up? I don't have a particular interest in that."
When Ghislain held out his arms, the knight shook his head.
Originally, he had intended to bind him tightly and drag him back in humiliation, but now he didn't dare. With the mercenaries watching him with fierce eyes, he only wanted to get away quickly.
"Well, that's a relief. Now, make sure there's a place for the mercenaries to rest when we arrive, and have someone ready to treat Belinda—she's sustained some severe internal injuries."
The knight glanced briefly at the unconscious Belinda and the worn-out mercenaries, then nodded.
"Understood. I'll arrange it right away."
At his gesture, a few soldiers ran over and carefully took the cart with Belinda.
Soon, the knight led the way, with soldiers surrounding Ghislain.
The mercenaries followed casually, but their earlier sharp edge had faded.
As Ghislain and the mercenaries exited the forest, a crowd had gathered, including laborers and villagers. They had heard from the soldiers that the lord had ordered the young lord's arrest.
Seeing Ghislain, people began to murmur.
"What happened? What kind of trouble did the young lord get into this time?"
"They say the lord forbade anyone from entering the Forest of Demonic Beasts, but the young lord went in anyway."
"Half the group is missing—did they all die?"
"What were they thinking, trying to explore the forest?"
The crowd continued to grow, with people eager to see what was happening, whispering among themselves about Ghislain and the mercenaries.
It was understandable. The mercenaries were fewer in number than before entering the forest, and those who remained looked battered, as if they'd been through a war.
Most people felt it was a miracle they had survived at all.
Being brought in by the lord's order, they assumed Ghislain would finally face punishment.
As they walked, Ghislain turned to the knight beside him and asked, "I don't see Skovan among the guards. What happened? Is he on leave?"
"He's been imprisoned for lying to the lord and will soon be stripped of his knighthood," the knight replied.
"Ah, what a shame. I would've preferred if it were just a vacation. It seems he got punished because of me."
Ghislain's nonchalant response made the knight's mouth tighten.
Skovan had been jailed for filing a false report about Ghislain and the mercenaries' whereabouts.
It wasn't a secret that could have been kept forever. While it did buy Ghislain some time, Skovan was likely cursing his fate in a cell at this moment.
Ghislain nodded and headed toward the castle with the knight.
He was dirty and worn, but he walked confidently toward the audience hall.
After giving Gillian some instructions, Ghislain entered without hesitation.
Boom!
Inside, nearly all the vassals were gathered, frowning as they watched him.
He looked like a ragged survivor barely clinging to life, like a defeated soldier returning from the battlefield.
But that was irrelevant to them.
There was a much more pressing issue at hand.
"I've returned, Father."
At Ghislain's greeting, the lord, Zwalter, did not respond, merely glaring at him with an intense expression.
After a long, silent glare, Zwalter spoke in a low, furious voice.
"I distinctly told you I do not permit the exploration of the Forest of Demonic Beasts."
"I apologize, Father. But I believed it was a necessary action."
At this, several vassals stepped forward and shouted.
"Defying the lord's order is a grave offense! How could you act so thoughtlessly?"
"He explicitly told you not to! What would you have done if a monster had attacked?"
"And to think you coerced a knight into filing a false report! Are you in your right mind?"
As the vassals' voices grew louder in rebuke, Zwalter raised his hand to silence them.
"Disobeying my order is a crime that will be punished accordingly. You've been apprehended, though it's a bit late. However…"
Zwalter suppressed his anger as he glared at Ghislain.
"What kind of madness have you been up to?"
Ghislain tilted his head, pausing in thought.
It didn't sound like he was referring to the incident in the Forest of Demonic Beasts.
That, Zwalter said, could be punished—so he must be talking about something else.
Wondering if there was some trouble he'd forgotten about, Ghislain replied.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
At his calm reply, Homerne, one of the vassals, stepped forward, shouting.
"A few days ago, an envoy from the Rayfold estate arrived! They announced that they would be cutting off all support to the Perdium estate—because of you!"
Ghislain cocked his head slightly, then asked, "And what reason did they give?"
"They said you visited Lady Amelia Rayfold and extracted 20,000 gold from her, claiming it was for estate support. When Count Rayfold found out, he was furious and called off the engagement and support! They say you took the money in advance!"
Homerne's anger was evident, while Ghislain raised his eyebrows, impressed.
The fact that Amelia had a secret business operation wasn't supposed to be public knowledge.
To keep Ghislain quiet, she'd willingly handed over the 20,000 gold.
But the fact that she had publicized it now meant she was no longer concerned about the rumors spreading.
'Amelia… She's no pushover.'
Ghislain admired her. In that short time, Amelia had likely made arrangements to withstand any backlash.
Then she'd turned the situation around to get him in trouble.
Rayfold estate now had a reason to sever ties with Perdium, so they certainly wouldn't let go of the opportunity Amelia had handed them.
As Homerne's frustration grew, he continued.
"What were you thinking? Answer us! You've committed a serious crime!"
This time, Albert, the treasurer, spoke in a cold tone.
"Even with reduced support, Rayfold remains our largest benefactor. Without their help, the estate will be in severe difficulty."
Still, Ghislain said nothing, so Randolph, unable to contain himself, shouted.
"Ah! This cursed brat! Big brother, don't stop me today! I'll break his spine myself! No need for prison—he'll learn his lesson here and now!"
The other vassals and soldiers restrained Randolph, but the tense atmosphere prompted others to add their thoughts.
"This is a grave offense! Anyone else would face execution!"
"He claimed he was saving the estate by exploring the Forest of Demonic Beasts, but he's only driven it to ruin!"
The vassals, their tempers flaring, didn't stop shouting.
For them, the real issue was no longer Ghislain's defiance in entering the forest.
The monster threat hadn't materialized, and Ghislain had returned alive, so locking him away should have been the end of it.
But Rayfold cutting off their support wouldn't be solved by punishing Ghislain.
Already anxious about managing a struggling estate, the vassals were now reaching their breaking point.
'Amelia… She sure knows how to squeeze people with money. Ruthless. Scary.'
Ghislain thought to himself, observing the vassals, whose faces showed a mixture of anger and fear.
Albert, the treasurer, kept calculating desperately, thinking of ways to retrieve even a portion of the 20,000 gold.
They would need it to keep the estate running.
Finally, he spoke with icy calm.
"Young lord, how much remains of the 20,000 gold?"
With a faint smile, Ghislain replied.
"I used almost all of it to hire mercenaries and laborers, and for materials and provisions."
"All that money… already spent?"
"Yes. I do tend to go big," Ghislain replied with a chuckle.
"Ugh! That… lock him up right now!"
Even Albert, who rarely showed emotion, trembled in fury.
Without funding, the estate would crumble under external threats.
They'd have to abandon the estate or flee if they wanted to survive.
Homerne looked to Zwalter and pleaded urgently.
"My lord, we must send him to Rayfold immediately to apologize. Otherwise, we're all doomed! This brat… he's no son of man; he's a wretch! Apologies, my lord, I meant no insult to you."
The vassals, bewildered by the mess Ghislain had created, were at a loss for a solution.
Stealing money from his fiancée under the pretense of estate support, then spending it on his own plans?
They'd never encountered such a lunatic.
Ghislain had crossed a line they couldn't ignore.
Zwalter listened silently to his vassals, then glared fiercely at his son.
"Is all this true?"
"Yes, it's true. I did have other reasons for taking the money, but I suppose an explanation won't matter."
At his son's response, Zwalter closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
Had it been anyone else, he would have ordered their immediate execution.
'I should have raised him more strictly and straightened him out sooner. This is my own fault.'
Always preoccupied with affairs beyond the estate, he had neglected his children.
And now, the consequences were almost too big to fix.
As Zwalter remained silent, Homerne stepped forward and shouted.
"You are no longer the young lord; you are a criminal! Kneel!"
Ghislain responded nonchalantly.
"I'm not too fond of kneeling. And really, this isn't such a huge offense, is it?"
"You wretch! Do you even understand the gravity of your actions?"
"Of course. I know exactly what I did."
"To think you're still holding your head high…! I'll break your neck!"
Just as Homerne was about to explode with anger, Ghislain snapped his fingers and called toward the door.
"Bring it in!"
At his command, Gillian entered, carrying a large chest.
Thud!
With a heavy sound, the massive chest was placed on the floor.
Ghislain placed a hand on the chest, flashing a mischievous grin.
"Now, everyone, let me show you what real investment looks like."
With that, he opened the lid.
A brilliant blue light flooded the hall.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]