Claude's voice trembled as he begged.
A moment ago, he had seemed as if he'd given up on life, acting cocky. Now, he was entirely different.
Ghislain looked at him with a sympathetic gaze.
Baron Auston, eyeing him suspiciously, motioned him forward.
"Let's see it."
Claude, still on his knees, shuffled closer and handed over the letter of credit for 2,000 gold.
After confirming the amount and the name of the guarantor guild, Baron Auston's eyes filled with greed.
'Where did this fool get so much money?'
The baron shot a quick glance at the well-dressed young man standing next to Claude.
He hadn't been properly introduced, but it was clear he had something to do with this money.
After a moment's thought, Baron Auston tossed the letter of credit back at Claude.
"I'm not returning it."
"What are you saying? I've brought you 2,000 gold, just as you asked!"
Despite Claude's cry of despair, the baron only grinned, showing his yellowed teeth.
"Do you think the price is still 2,000 gold? Do you know how much prices have risen? I'll need 3,000 gold now."
"What kind of nonsense is that! People aren't merchandise! What does inflation have to do with this?"
"I set the price for my goods, not you. It's not your place to argue."
Truthfully, even 2,000 gold was a profitable deal for Baron Auston.
But if he could squeeze a bit more, why settle for just 2,000 gold?
After all, he was holding all the cards.
'Actually, I could just take it all.'
Then he could keep this 2,000 gold as well as the next 3,000 Claude might manage to scrape together.
'Yes… that would be even better.'
At that moment, Claude, near tears, pulled out another letter of credit from his coat.
"I'll give you another 500 gold. Any more than this is impossible. This is everything I have."
"Oh? So you had even more money?"
The baron asked, grinning maliciously.
"Where did you come across such a large sum?"
"I was hired for a job and paid in advance."
The baron narrowed his eyes.
"A few coins, I'd believe. But who in this kingdom would pay you so much? Tell me the truth."
"I'm leaving for the Kingdom of Lutania. I'm going to work there."
"What?"
The baron flinched, surprised by the unexpected response.
Leaving for another country hadn't even crossed his mind.
"Fine. Whether you leave or not is none of my concern. Either way, this amount isn't enough, so go back. Come back when you have the full amount."
"Keep your word!"
"I told you, the price has gone up. So, the man next to you—is he the one who gave you this money? What's your relationship? Are you living together?"
Claude's eyes flashed in anger, having caught on to the baron's intentions.
At that moment, Ghislain, who had been silently watching, stepped forward.
"This is disgusting. Hey, Baron Auston. Why don't you show a little restraint?"
Ghislain's overwhelming presence filled the room in an instant, pressing down on everyone around him.
The knights near the baron, alarmed, drew their swords.
Their faces were pale.
A presence strong enough to oppress everyone in the room like that was only possible for someone of extraordinary skill.
Though these were only baronial knights, they weren't so weak as to fail to recognize the difference in power.
Still, they couldn't simply back down in front of their lord.
The knights pointed their swords at Ghislain.
Normally, they'd have rushed in and forced him to his knees, but they didn't dare make a move.
"You! Do you have any idea who you're speaking to?"
"How dare you behave this way before the lord!"
"We'll kill you!"
The knights' voices were tinged with fear.
But the oblivious Baron Auston failed to notice this.
He glared at Ghislain, full of bravado.
"And who are you? How dare you act so arrogantly in my presence."
"What would you do with that information?"
The baron's eyes glistened with greed.
This was the perfect opportunity to accuse him of defaming a noble and extort him.
Ghislain chuckled at his expression.
"People like you only learn by feeling it firsthand."
"What?"
"Never mind. I'm tired of explaining."
The baron frowned, sensing something was wrong.
Boom!
Ghislain's eyes turned crimson.
Releasing the second stage of his mana core, Ghislain extended his hand, and a thread of mana shot out like lightning.
"Ugh!"
The thread wrapped around the knight who'd just declared he'd kill Ghislain.
He felt an immense force pulling him forward, and he tried to resist, drawing on his mana.
"Oh, impressive."
As expected, being a knight with mana, he wasn't easily dragged forward.
Ghislain clicked his tongue and released the third stage of his core.
Boom!
A surge of immense energy exploded from Ghislain's hand, surging along the mana thread.
The knight could no longer resist and was helplessly pulled into Ghislain's grasp.
The other knights, unable to comprehend the display of power, froze in shock.
"Put down your sword for a moment."
Ghislain grabbed the knight's wrist and twisted it with his other hand.
Crack!
"Aaargh!"
The knight, contorted in agony, dropped his sword.
With his crimson gaze, Ghislain turned to the baron.
"Drawing your swords means you want to fight, right? Think carefully. I never forgive anyone who challenges me. I could kill everyone in this castle."
It was no idle threat.
If Ghislain and his mercenaries decided to, they could wipe out every knight and soldier in the castle in an instant.
The knights' faces turned ashen.
'Damn it, this isn't someone we can handle!'
'Is it even possible to drag a knight with mana alone?'
This was a man who had just subdued a knight with his bare hands.
Even if every knight in the castle joined forces, they'd still lose.
At last, Baron Auston realized that something was seriously wrong.
'These fools are all terrified.'
He glared at his immobilized knights, then ground his teeth as he glared at Ghislain.
"You think you'll get away with insulting a noble like this?"
"What a joke. What are you going to do about it? Go ahead, try something."
The baron's threats, which had sounded strong at first, quickly faltered as he felt his courage drain.
It felt as though he was staring at a monster; his legs felt weak, and a chill ran down his spine.
Ghislain let out a dry laugh.
"If you want to survive, you'd better pay attention. Instead of worrying about me, you should be more concerned about yourself."
"If you release my knight and beg for forgiveness, I might let this slide."
"No thanks."
"You think you can handle the knights and soldiers of this entire castle?"
"Try me if you're curious. I'd welcome it. It's the simplest solution."
Ghislain was serious. If the baron crossed the line, he'd have no reason to hold back.
"If you harm me, the kingdom won't stand idly by."
"You think the kingdom cares about a low-ranking baron like you? Who would miss someone running an estate off taverns and gambling dens?"
"You… you bastard…"
Ghislain wasn't wrong.
The other nobles in the kingdom looked down on Baron Auston, thinking it vulgar to profit off gambling and alcohol.
They didn't consider him a true noble, so his death would hardly cause a stir.
Ghislain kept pressing on the baron's weak points.
"Even if they cared, what would they do? If I kill everyone here and disappear, it's over."
"This estate has five hundred soldiers! They'll hunt you down!"
Ghislain scoffed.
'For a barony, that's quite a lot. I guess money really does help.'
But he wasn't intimidated by that number.
"If you think you can, go ahead and try. Who's stopping you?"
"…"
Even with such a large force, Ghislain knew he could easily evade them.
Or, if it came to it, he could just eliminate them.
Assessing Ghislain's expression, Baron Auston finally ground his teeth and backed down.
"...What do you want?"
"What do you think? I didn't think anyone could be this slow…"
Ghislain clicked his tongue. The baron ground his teeth but couldn't respond.
He was not the type to risk his life in a fight.
All he wanted was for Ghislain to be intimidated enough to leave.
But such cheap threats didn't work on Ghislain.
Biting his lips, Baron Auston finally spat out.
"Fine, I'll accept the 2,000 gold. Now get out."
Ghislain sighed, feigning disappointment.
"I was hoping for a good workout, but fine. Let's leave it at that… now, what about him?"
"What?"
Ghislain glanced at the knight still held in his grip, then smirked.
"If you're going to threaten someone's life, you should be ready to lose yours."
Ghislain tightened his hold.
"Ugh!"
The knight gasped, choking and struggling as Ghislain's grip threatened to snap his neck.
If Ghislain exerted any more pressure, the knight would die.
Panicked, the baron shouted.
"What are you doing? The deal's already been made!"
"Over? Who said it's over? That's that, and this is this. If you want me to spare this knight, give me 3,000 gold. Then I'll let him go."
"3,000 gold?! Don't be absurd!"
"You were the one being absurd first. Do you have any idea how much it costs to train a knight? 3,000 gold is a bargain. Or… is he not worth that much?"
"Y-you…!" Baron Auston started to speak but stopped.
3,000 gold could recruit a much better knight than the one currently in Ghislain's grasp.
Of course, he wanted to refuse… but too many people were watching.
If he declined and this knight ended up dead, the other knights would likely turn their backs on him as well.
No one wants to serve a lord who values loyalty with a price tag.
Ghislain had anticipated this reaction, crafting his offer to exploit this exact weakness.
A devilish, inescapable trap.
Grinding his teeth, Baron Auston finally accepted Ghislain's terms.
"Consider the 2,000 gold as paid. I'll provide the remaining amount."
"I'll need the other item as well, won't I?"
At this, the baron turned to a nearby knight and spat out an order.
"Bring it."
The knight nodded silently and left the room.
Ghislain strode over to Claude, grabbed his arm, and lifted him to his feet.
He didn't forget to pick up the 2,000-gold letter of credit that had fallen to the floor, tucking it back into his own pocket.
"Huh?"
Claude looked stunned, and Ghislain grinned.
"It's mine, isn't it?"
Worried he'd lose the remaining 500 gold, Claude quickly pocketed it himself.
Ghislain didn't stop him. The 500 gold wasn't part of the price for the knight, and he understood why Claude needed it.
With Baron Auston looking visibly defeated, Ghislain threw out a final remark.
"We'll be waiting outside the castle, so make sure to send over what we're owed. I don't want to stick around here, and I'm sure you'd rather not see my face."
"…Fine."
Ghislain pulled Claude along as they walked out of the audience chamber.
Just before stepping out, he glanced back at Baron Auston and smirked.
"If you have any complaints, feel free to visit the Fenris estate in the Kingdom of Lutania. I'll give you a proper reception."
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]