Actions that defy common sense can sometimes open up unforeseen breakthroughs.
However, there's no guarantee they'll always succeed.
The Lord is confident after a successful farming venture, but the chances of another success may not be high.
That's my thinking, anyway.
Logic says to take a gamble and overturn the situation, but since I suffered heavily in a similar circumstance before, I can't shake off this uneasy feeling.
Claude, being cautious, tried to pull Alpoi into it.
"Can we throw in Alpoi too?"
"You crazy bastard! Why are you putting me in this?"
"No, I mean split it over ten years. If we succeed, you're free, and even if we lose, it only adds ten years instead of twenty. I'm ready, but what do you think, Alpoi?"
"Shut up! I'm done with gambling!"
"Oh, he sobered up faster than I thought. Guess it's because he's a mage—surprisingly rational."
Claude shook his head and raised his hands.
"I'm sitting out this time. My funds are a bit short, you see."
Honestly, it's not that he hasn't thought about it, but the thought of twenty years makes his hands tremble.
Ghislain then lowered the stakes a bit.
"Then, how about ten years? I'll be generous."
"No thanks. This time, I'd rather just die."
Claude muttered under his breath, "All bluster."
But he didn't step forward to participate.
It wasn't long ago that he thought it was all bluster and lost a bet.
Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Ghislain handed him a new set of documents.
"Prepare these too."
"Hah, can't you cut down on the work a bit?"
Claude grumbled, knowing it wouldn't help.
The documents were filled with unfamiliar names, with blueprints of peculiar facilities on the back.
"What… is this?"
"What else? They're herbs. Contact all the merchant guilds in the North and sweep them all up. Then pass the blueprints to the blacksmith so he can make them."
"What are you planning to do with so many herbs?"
"I've been saying it all along; we're going to create a specialty product. Stop yapping and just get everything ready."
Ghislain intended to make a product that had been incredibly popular in his previous life.
He didn't know the exact method, but he clearly remembered the key points.
The cost of development was trivial compared to the profit once it was completed.
Of course, selling food and rune stones would be the easiest way to make money, as Claude suggested.
But unlike the rune stones, food needed to be stored for the future.
Nobles don't bother with common goods.
To sell something to them, it needed to be more unique than mere food.
"Sigh, if we sell some strange concoction, we'll probably just be called quacks."
But Claude, unaware of Ghislain's plans, just sighed and flipped through the documents.
Most of it was about improvements to the estate that were left out of the last plan or enhanced versions of previous ideas.
'…I just want to escape.'
But he is nothing more than a bound servant.
Claude drooped his head. Thinking of the work ahead made everything seem bleak.
Ghislain looked around at Alpoi and the mages and said,
"Split into teams and head to the areas for digging canals and building water supply and reservoir facilities. Check if any old wells are drying up and cast purification spells in areas with poor water quality. We're overhauling everything. Alpoi, you're in charge of the operation."
"Why… there?"
"What else? If the workers are going to dig, someone needs to blast away any obstructing rocks with magic. You may as well dig up the ground while you're at it."
Construction work requires a lot of manpower and time.
If the mages used their power, they could drastically cut down on the construction time.
Naturally, Alpoi protested.
"We're mages! We're not laborers, so why are you making us do this? Just get the workers to do it!"
They'd been forced into large-scale projects several times before.
Back then, it was forceful, but at least there had been a pretense of asking for cooperation… but now, Ghislain was openly ordering them around.
Ghislain, unaffected by Alpoi's complaint, answered with a bored look.
"Did you think you'd just sit around elegantly? You agreed to work diligently for ten years. Now, actively participate in building up the estate."
"I won't! I'm a grand mage! How dare a mere country lord order me around!"
"Shall I just sell you to a slave market? There's a contract, so it'd be legally sound… Mage slaves are rare, so slave traders would love it. Imagine the gossip—being able to enslave an heir of the Magic Tower? Oh, that'd be a laugh."
"I'm sorry! I'll work hard!"
Before he even finished speaking, Alpoi bowed at a perfect right angle. His swift shift in attitude was remarkable.
'Ugh, just you wait. Do you think I'll keep putting up with this?'
Humiliation shot through him, making the back of his neck tingle. Alpoi, tearing up, clenched his teeth.
'The Elder will arrive soon. Once he hears what I've gone through, he won't let you off!'
The branch of the Magic Tower was nearly complete.
Soon, an Elder would arrive as the new branch head, along with more mages. Alpoi planned to appeal to the Elder to annul his slave contract.
'Just hold out until then. Ugh!'
Claude and the other mages, burdened with work, slumped and trudged outside.
Before the door even closed, Alpoi jabbed his finger at Claude.
"This is your fault! We ended up like this because you lost that stupid bet! Why did you bet when you didn't know what you were doing? Lying about being the top of the academy? You lousy gambler!"
Claude sneered with a look of disbelief.
"How is this my fault? Did I threaten you to make the bet, or did I beg you to?"
"You acted so confident that, of course, we trusted you!"
"Who told you to trust me? And besides, this isn't even normal farming; we used magic. How was I supposed to know if it'd work? Are you really mages?"
"What? Are you saying this is all our fault now?"
"Isn't it? If you're mages, you should've figured that out quickly. If you'd noticed halfway, we could've at least settled for a draw. Ugh, incompetent mages."
"Incompetent? You little—daring to mock a mage of the Magic Tower!"
"Yes, next in line to be a slave. And I'm still the head butler of this estate, you know?"
"Oh, so head butlers are immune to magic, huh?"
"Oh, now, are the freeloaders threatening me? Go ahead, try me."
"What? Freeloader? You bastard!"
Alpoi trembled in anger, gathering his mana.
The other mages behind him glared at Claude, channeling their mana in unison.
"Oh wow, are you really going to use magic? Wendy, what are you doing? They're bullying me!"
Clicking her tongue, Wendy drew a dagger. Claude quickly retreated behind her.
"Bring it on! Come at me, you jerks!"
The two sides glared at each other, searching for an opening, poised for an imminent clash.
Ghislain, who had leisurely stepped outside to survey the estate, clicked his tongue at the sight.
"Tsk, tsk. Instead of doing your jobs, you're brawling? Settle it with words, not violence. Don't make me get involved; help me stay a nonviolent peace advocate."
At Ghislain's words, both sides grimaced and withdrew.
They could hardly believe they were hearing this from the Lord and felt humiliated enough to cry.
"What are you doing? Have too much time? Short on work?"
"We're going now!"
Claude and the mages, alarmed by the thought of Ghislain assigning more tasks, quickly retreated.
Watching their dejected figures, Ghislain smirked and went on with estate inspection.
***
Even after successfully cultivating wheat, Ghislain didn't stop buying food from other estates.
The vassals were horrified by the relentless stockpiling, as if a starved ghost had latched onto him.
When the wheat harvest finished, the Fenris estate would have a massive stockpile of food.
"We won't have to worry about survival anymore. With the Lord taking such care, let's keep up our efforts."
"Growing even in winter? It's amazing! Our Lord seems to know everything."
"They say it can be harvested in just three months! To think we can harvest this amount four times a year!"
Every day, the estate residents praised Ghislain and diligently focused on their work.
With the constant flow of money from the Lord, people seeking work continued to flock to the estate.
The Fenris estate was rapidly advancing, full of a new vitality never seen before.
Thanks to the laborers' hard work, the branch of the Magic Tower was also completed swiftly.
Soon, one of the five Elders from the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower arrived at Fenris, leading a group of twenty mages.
Upon seeing Ghislain, the Elder greeted him with a warm smile.
"Haha, have you been well? You seem to be in fine spirits."
Though he had spoken to him informally when they first met, the Elder now showed him formal respect in this public setting.
Since he would be staying in the Fenris estate, he had to observe basic courtesy toward its Lord.
Ghislain also welcomed the Elder of the Magic Tower warmly.
While mages could aid in defending the estate, they were invaluable for large-scale construction projects.
"I didn't expect you to come in person, Elder."
"Haha, someone needs to lead the branch here. And I also have to oversee the rune stone trade."
The Elder's expression was somewhat gloomy.
In truth, this matter had caused a lot of talk in the Magic Tower. No one wanted to volunteer to come here.
Even though it was a prestigious position to manage a branch, who in their right mind would want to be buried in a desolate place like this?
Ultimately, the Elder had been chosen by drawing lots, and he seemed to be showing early signs of depression.
Sensing the Elder's discomfort, Ghislain spoke gently to soothe him.
"Is there really any need for that? This place…."
Just then, someone came running, screaming.
"Ahhh! Elder! Elder! It's me, Alpoi!"
"Hm? Alpoi?"
The Elder tilted his head, surprised.
The arrogant, insolent heir of the Magic Tower had greeted him so enthusiastically.
Alpoi, rushing over, quickly exclaimed to the puzzled Elder,
"Elder! Please save me! This Lord is making me a slave…!"
Standing beside Ghislain, Belinda swiftly stepped forward, grabbed Alpoi's head, and twisted his neck.
Crack!
The shock sent Alpoi straight to unconsciousness mid-sentence.
"Ah, no! What is going on…?"
At that moment, Ghislain casually put an arm around the Elder's shoulders, naturally blocking Alpoi from view.
"Haha, it seems he's been working hard and got a bit exhausted."
"No, his neck just…."
"It's fine. He's been doing some research lately, and something must have gone wrong. He's been acting strangely, and he asked to be knocked out whenever that happens. Hey, what are you doing? Get him out of here."
Belinda swiftly carried Alpoi away.
Not understanding the situation, the Elder blinked in confusion as Ghislain whispered smoothly.
"Does someone like you really need to stay in a rural place like this? It's still quite lacking as an estate, after all."
"Well, that's true…."
"Why not appoint Alpoi as the branch head instead, and you can just visit occasionally for inspections?"
"Would that be alright?"
"Of course. With twenty mages around, we won't have any issues."
Having a fifth-circle mage would certainly help protect the estate, but that was about it.
After all, Vanessa was much more knowledgeable. It made more sense to have Alpoi as the branch head and use him to the fullest.
"Honestly, the estate has been quite noisy lately. In this state, it's hardly suitable for an Elder. I feel uneasy about it. Please don't worry and just head back. Right now, even."
The Elder felt a chill.
Though the words were polite, the atmosphere felt oddly threatening.
Ghislain's seemingly friendly yet unsettling gaze seemed to say, "If you don't leave, you'll regret it."
"Should I, then? I suppose I'll just return. I'm not sure if this is really alright, but…."
"Yes, I'll sell you a portion of the rune stones we recently mined, so you can take them back. I'll charge only the market price as agreed. By the way, prices have risen a bit, you know?"
Due to the Crimson Magic Tower's stockpiling, the price of rune stones kept climbing.
The Scarlet Flame Magic Tower was barely hanging on, thanks to Ghislain.
Since they couldn't find other sources of rune stones, they had no choice but to comply with Ghislain's demands.
Relieved, the Elder's face lit up.
"Agreed. Then I'll report everything to the Tower Lord. I'll pass the branch head position to Alpoi under my authority."
He had no real option to refuse.
The Elder accepted the terms and hurriedly left.
From experience, he knew that dealing with someone like Ghislain for too long was a loss.
He hadn't wanted to come in the first place, so being pushed to leave was a blessing.
"Phew, now I have enough numbers."
With the Elder gone, Ghislain smiled.
In total, twenty-six mages remained on the estate under the guise of branch work—a number that even major lords would struggle to maintain.
Though their skill levels weren't particularly high, that made them more convenient to use in various tasks.
The newly arrived mages, though surprised by the Elder's sudden departure, weren't too concerned.
They had a strong confidence in themselves as mages from the top Magic Tower in the North.
Seeing these arrogant mages, Ghislain couldn't help but smirk inwardly.
But he hid his true feelings, spreading his arms wide and smiling warmly.
"Thank you for making the long journey. Welcome. I look forward to working together for the estate."
Thinking they were being honored by being greeted by the Lord, the mages smiled, feeling pleased.
They probably thought they'd enjoy a peaceful rural retreat, but Ghislain had other ideas.
'This will speed up the construction.'
These mages would make excellent labor for the estate.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]