Ghislain took two more days to rest and regain his strength, then immediately summoned his mercenaries.
He wasn't in peak condition, but just being able to move this soon meant a significant reduction in downtime.
As Gillian helped organize the mercenaries, he suddenly paused and looked back at Ghislain. Puzzled, Ghislain quickly realized the reason. Belinda was slowly making her way toward them from the manor.
"What's this? Are you here to see me off?"
Belinda snorted, shaking her head. "See you off? I'm coming with you."
Ghislain frowned slightly. Though her mana had mostly stabilized, she hadn't completely recovered.
"Belinda, maybe you should rest a bit longer. There's no need for you to come along."
"No way. What if you run into bandits along the way? Anyone who catches sight of those rune stones will be sure to attack. I'd be too worried to rest if I didn't come," she replied sharply, pulling her robe on.
Ghislain sighed, resigning himself to her stubbornness. Despite everything, Belinda had looked after him since he was a child, and he couldn't bring himself to insist.
"Fine. But if it gets too hard on you, make sure to tell me."
"Got it. Are we heading straight out of the estate?"
"No, we're stopping to pick up something first."
Leading his mercenaries, Ghislain returned to the Forest of Demonic Beasts to collect the Dirus Ent bark and what remained of the Blood Python's carcass.
Unlike their previous venture into the forest, the party rode swiftly on horseback this time.
"Will you be gathering more rune stones while we're there?" Gillian asked. Ghislain shook his head.
"No, we don't have time for that. We'll just grab the carcasses and head out to sell the rune stones."
Hearing that they would finally be selling the stones, the mercenaries cheered, knowing they'd receive their fair share soon enough.
"Let's get moving, everyone."
Well-rested, the mercenaries were full of energy. In just half a day, they gathered the monster carcasses and returned to the estate.
"Keep the bark in storage since it won't rot, and preserve the Blood Python's venom, flesh, and skin separately to avoid spoilage."
After assigning the workers to manage the storage, Ghislain led the mercenaries out of the estate, moving with a sense of urgency.
The mercenaries, following him enthusiastically, were equally excited.
"Looks like the Captain has got ants in his pants!"
"Can't blame him. Selling all these rune stones is going to bring in a mountain of gold. Just thinking about it would get anyone's heart pounding."
Though the mercenaries seemed thrilled, Gillian had a more concerned look.
"Young lord, is there really a need to move at such a rushed pace? You're still recovering; there's no need to push yourself so hard."
Gillian understood the urgency of the situation, thanks to Ghislain's explanation, but he hadn't expected him to be in such a rush. He was riding at such a fast pace that the wagons carrying the rune stones were struggling to keep up.
"Maybe, but time is never on our side, so it's best to remember that," Ghislain replied without slowing down.
He only eased his pace reluctantly whenever the carts fell too far behind.
"Maintain this speed. Let's move as quickly as possible."
The mercenaries, motivated by the thought of being paid sooner, followed him diligently.
"Man, the Captain rides like a centaur!"
"Yeah, he could put most knights to shame."
While riding was an essential skill for nobles, Ghislain's horsemanship was beyond mere courtesy. Even the seasoned mercenaries, who had seen countless warriors on horseback, had rarely seen anyone with such skill.
Ghislain remained silent, focused on riding southward, barely noticing the admiration behind him.
The mercenaries, however, soon realized something strange.
"Wait, why are we going this way?"
"Yeah, if we're planning to find a major merchant guild, then heading to Rayfold would be quicker."
"Maybe he's just riding wherever he wants?"
In the north, Rayfold was the wealthiest estate, with a high concentration of large merchant groups. Selling goods there would be the fastest and easiest option.
Yet Ghislain was bypassing Zimbar's estate and continuing further south.
Over the course of a few days, the murmurs among the mercenaries grew louder.
Finally, Kaor approached Ghislain on behalf of the group.
"Young lord, where exactly are we headed? We've already passed several estates with large merchant guilds."
Ghislain smirked slightly. "We're going to the Bribant estate."
The mercenaries stared at him in shock, Kaor among them.
"Why go all the way there?"
"Is there a big merchant group in Bribant?"
Though Bribant was a small estate in the north, it was well-known across the kingdom. Remembering why, the mercenaries began to murmur with awe.
"Bribant… wait, could it be?"
"Are we going there?"
Ghislain nodded. "Yes, we're heading to the Magic tower."
The mercenaries instantly understood his intentions.
"So that's it! You're planning to sell directly to the Magic tower for a better price."
"Smart move, young lord. You're savvier than we thought."
Only a few merchant guilds in the north had the resources to buy such a large quantity of rune stones, and they would take a cut of the profit for themselves.
But if they sold directly to the Magic tower, it would be a different story.
Rune stones were indispensable for magic research, so even if Ghislain had a large quantity, the mages would eagerly buy them all. They'd also pay a higher price than any merchant guild.
The mercenaries, most of whom had only ever lived in the remote north, were excited to visit the famous Magic tower. Laughing among themselves, they congratulated themselves for following Ghislain.
Kaor, however, thought for a moment before asking, "Young lord, Bribant's Magic tower is the Scarlet Flame Tower. Wouldn't the Crimson Magic Tower pay more?"
"Oh, right. Why don't we go there instead?"
"Exactly. The Crimson Magic Tower is the top choice in the north these days. They'll pay the best price for sure."
Hearing Kaor's suggestion, the mercenaries began to chatter again.
If they were going to a Magic tower, then it made sense to sell the rune stones to the one offering the highest price.
Small towers couldn't absorb such a large quantity, so they'd need to visit one of the more prominent towers.
In the north, the Crimson Magic Tower held the most influence, offering the best prices and buying the largest quantities. Most merchant groups in the area primarily traded with the Crimson Magic Tower.
Yet Ghislain shook his head.
"No, we're heading to the Scarlet Flame Tower."
"Huh? Why?"
Kaor and the mercenaries were stunned.
The Scarlet Flame Tower was once the most prosperous and influential in the north. However, when Delmud, the master of the Crimson Magic Tower, became a 7th-circle grand mage, he turned the tables on the Scarlet Flame Tower.
Though the Scarlet Flame Tower was struggling to reclaim its former glory, it would be no easy feat to catch up to the Crimson Magic Tower, which had already established itself as the largest power.
"You're not making a mistake, are you?"
"The one in Bribant is the Scarlet Flame Tower, not the Crimson Magic Tower."
"With this quantity of rune stones, we need to go where we'll get the best price."
The mercenaries thought Ghislain must be confused. Why accept a lower price when they could easily get more?
Watching their chatter, Belinda frowned, displeased with their rude, informal tone toward Ghislain.
She discreetly nudged Gillian in the side and gave him a pointed look, silently urging him to teach them some respect.
However, Ghislain didn't seem bothered by their lack of decorum.
"It's not a mistake. We're going to the Scarlet Flame Tower. I have my reasons, so just follow along."
The mercenaries couldn't understand his reasoning but decided not to press further. Half of them trusted that he had some strategy, just as he had in the Forest of Demonic Beasts, while the other half simply didn't care, figuring it wasn't their problem if he lost out.
After passing several more estates, a tall tower finally appeared in the distance.
The mercenaries, thrilled by the sight of the Magic tower, began chatting excitedly among themselves.
Ghislain chuckled and urged his horse onward.
***
Meanwhile, at Count Harold Desmond's residence, Harold clutched a document tightly, his gaze trembling as he read it.
It was a report from one of the spies he had planted in the Perdium estate.
With a sigh, Harold tossed the report onto his desk.
"Rune stones… rune stones? And in such large quantities?"
Just as Ghislain had anticipated, news of his acquisition of the rune stones had reached Harold within days.
Harold closed his eyes and ran his fingers over his mustache, deep in thought, his expression grave.
"My plans have gone completely off track."
His initial plan had been to gradually weaken the Perdium estate, but now that they'd secured the rune stones, that approach wouldn't work.
"Damn it, maybe I should have forced the conflict from the beginning."
Though the corpse of Gilmore Digald had gone missing, he could have still orchestrated a conflict.
But the mystery surrounding the corpse's disappearance had held him back, and now he was paying the price.
"I thought he'd lost his mind, bringing mercenaries into the Forest of Demonic Beasts."
When he lost contact with Frank, Ghislain's name had come up, leaving him unsettled.
Since then, Harold had closely monitored Ghislain's movements. Though Ghislain's personality had changed somewhat, there hadn't been any reports indicating he'd grown powerful enough to defeat Frank.
When Harold heard Ghislain had entered the Forest of Demonic Beasts with mercenaries, he'd written him off, thinking he'd perish there.
But now, hearing that Ghislain had returned with the rune stones, his unease had turned into full-blown anxiety.
'That brat wasn't supposed to have this kind of potential.'
Harold had spent years surveying the northern estates in preparation for his plans to expand his influence.
He'd researched all the key figures, and by all accounts, Ghislain had seemed unremarkable—hardly someone worth paying attention to.
Yet in a matter of weeks, he'd heard Ghislain's name twice, suggesting there was a serious flaw in his intelligence.
Turning to his adjutant, Harold issued a new order.
"Gather fresh intel on the key figures in the north. Ignore any previous assessments; start from scratch."
"Understood."
The new adjutant was more skilled in information gathering than intrigue, so he was well-suited for the task.
Feeling a growing sense of foreboding, Harold turned to look out the window.
As the red sunset cast shadows across his study, he stood there, contemplating what might lie ahead.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]