The Head butler of Perdium, Homerne, was enjoying a rare elegant tea time.
"How peaceful this is."
Perdium was currently experiencing the most peaceful period in its history.
Zwalter and Randolph had departed for the northern fortress. Leaving it unattended for too long risked an attack by the barbarians.
Deploying to the northern fortress was grueling for both the soldiers and their commanders. The estate's poverty meant those who risked their lives fighting the barbarians often returned without proper food or rest.
Soldiers returning empty-handed often wore haggard, gray faces.
But this deployment was different.
Everything from food to equipment was sufficiently prepared, so the soldiers heading to the fortress looked optimistic.
'To think we could receive support like this every year, how wonderful.'
Not long after Perdium had barely stabilized thanks to the rune stones they received from Ghislain, they also received royal support.
Even though Perdium only received half the promised support funds, for an estate always on the brink of poverty, even that was a blessing.
Albert, the treasurer, was so consumed by the joy of managing finances that he barely left his office.
'Who would've thought the young lord would achieve so much? Perhaps I've been too harsh on him.'
Homerne reminisced about Ghislain's younger days with a touch of sentimentality.
Ghislain was the son of his lifelong sworn brother and the heir to the estate—like a nephew, closer than blood.
Because of this, Homerne had spared no affection for Ghislain in his youth.
But Ghislain, behaving more like a scoundrel than the heir of the estate, caused endless trouble, and the fondness Homerne once held for him completely evaporated.
At some point, the boy Homerne had once cherished became someone he detested and despised.
'Yes, perhaps it was because he was so extraordinary. We just didn't understand him. Who would've hated him if we knew he'd grow into someone so capable and dedicated to the estate? Sure, he's a bit greedy, but that's just his youth speaking.'
The deep resentment Homerne held for Ghislain began to melt away, like snow under spring sunlight.
Not that Homerne suddenly adored everything about Ghislain. His actions were still far too reckless and precarious.
But in terms of results, things had turned out well.
With the rune stones and royal funding, Perdium had finally reached a level comparable to other estates, and its circumstances were steadily improving.
'Yes, I suppose with proper guidance and teaching, the deficiencies can be addressed. That's what adults are for, after all. He's still young, full of vigor.'
Homerne smiled kindly and nodded to himself, memories of the past flooding back.
The days spent educating Ghislain, preparing him to become a fine heir and lord.
It wasn't too late to guide him once more.
If only that unbearable personality could be corrected, Ghislain would become a great lord.
'After all, he's destined to inherit Perdium. Let's mend my relationship with Ghislain.'
As the resentment dissipated, Homerne felt a profound peace.
'How did I live all this time without realizing? Hating him only caused me pain as well.'
With this newfound clarity, Homerne rose from his seat, filled with hope and affection for Ghislain.
It was time to set out for his estate inspection.
"Today, I'll begin with the eastern village."
At Homerne's command, knights and soldiers quickly prepared themselves.
As acting lord in the absence of the count, his responsibilities were heavy. He had to be even more diligent in managing the estate.
But in Perdium's current state, what could possibly go wrong? Homerne was at ease.
Even as he rode his horse, a smile never left his face.
"Hahaha, what a peaceful day. A sky without a cloud, radiant sunlight, chirping birds, a forest that… wait, what? What happened to the forest? Where are the trees?"
There had been a small forest on the way to the eastern village.
Now, all that remained were tree stumps—every tree had been cut down.
Homerne's voice trembled as he spoke.
"W-What on earth is this? What happened to the forest? Am I seeing things? Hurry, let's go check!"
The closer they got, the clearer it became that this wasn't a mirage. The forest had been utterly ravaged.
"Where's the forest keeper? Bring me the forest keeper! Explain this madness!"
At Homerne's bellowing, the forester quickly appeared.
"T-The Head butler! You've come."
"What is the meaning of this? Who dared to do this? Speak immediately!"
In any estate, destroying a forest indiscriminately was a grave crime.
In the north, where resources were scarce, estates relied heavily on forests and mountains, making their management even stricter.
Neglecting this could severely damage an already fragile economy.
Perdium had stationed people specifically to oversee and protect its forests.
Who would dare commit such an audacious act?
The forest keeper prostrated himself and immediately named the culprit.
"The young lord took it all!"
"What? Young Lord? Why would he cut down our trees instead of using his own?"
"He said his estate was short on timber and asked to borrow some…"
"Agh, ugh!"
Homerne clutched his neck, staggering as his blood pressure spiked.
'I knew that brat wasn't normal.'
Even if it was his father's estate, raiding another territory for timber out of desperation was outrageous!
He had to catch him immediately and punish him.
"Where is that lunatic? Where is he!"
The forest keeper, still lying prone, cautiously raised his hand and pointed.
"He's… uh, fleeing over there."
Sure enough, in the distance, an enormous convoy of wagons laden with timber could be seen.
They even had the audacity to fly the Fenris flag as they fled, as if proud of their plunder.
"Seize them—catch that scoundrel immediately!"
With those words, Homerne fainted, a nosebleed streaming down his face.
His body couldn't withstand the spike in blood pressure.
As his consciousness faded, Homerne thought bitterly.
'Forget mending relationship…'
I hate him. I hate him so much I could die!
And thus, one of Perdium's forests was completely stripped bare by Ghislain.
***
"Wow… What is all this?"
The people of Fenris stared in awe at the endless procession of wagons entering the estate.
Word had already spread that construction had been delayed due to a lack of timber.
No matter how wealthy their lord was, this time seemed insurmountable. Yet, once again, Ghislain had miraculously resolved it.
Claude, who had rushed over upon hearing about the timber, was similarly dumbfounded by the sight.
'That's an absurd amount. It's like an entire forest has been cleared out. Perdium would never willingly part with so much timber in their condition…'
Ghislain had boldly claimed he'd raid them for resources, and he had done exactly that.
'Wow, he really is someone with no sense of consequences. If I keep working with him, I'm not going to live a full life.'
Even if the situation was urgent and critical, this was beyond the pale.
Perdium was bound to raise complaints later.
Claude briefly worried about the fallout, but then his expression brightened as he came to a realization.
'Wait a second. Thanks to us, the royal family is supporting Perdium anyway, so this is just fair trade, right? Let's call it mutual cooperation, Head butler Homerne.'
Deciding to adopt a carefree attitude, Claude brushed off his concerns. It wasn't worth stressing over what was already done.
Meanwhile, rumors spread among the people of Fenris.
"The lord raided his father's estate for the timber?"
"I heard the Count Perdium is away on an expedition to the north, so he doesn't know yet."
"Tsk, tsk. This is going to cause a huge rift. What if it escalates into war between father and son?"
Everyone knew their lord was infamous for being unfilial, but no one expected him to raid his father's estate for resources.
The people, uneasy, could only hope no major trouble would arise.
Claude, noticing the darkened expressions of the residents, encouraged them and resumed construction.
"Alright, let's get back to work. Summon the laborers again."
The shortage of resources had halted construction, delaying everything significantly.
Even with work resuming, lost time couldn't be recovered.
Building houses wasn't easy. Even simple structures needed essential facilities like kitchens and bathrooms.
There was only so much time that could be saved.
Surveying the construction site with a grim expression, Claude eventually went to find Ghislain.
"We have a problem."
"Oh, what now? Everything's always a problem with you. Are you causing these problems on purpose?"
"I'm not, but—"
"Isn't thinking something's a problem when it isn't the real problem?"
"Ugh, these constant issues happen because your plans are so detached from reality."
Ghislain clicked his tongue at Claude's outburst.
"What's the issue? We have timber now, so what's missing this time?"
"Time."
"That's been an issue from the start. Why bring it up again?"
"This is different. I don't think we can meet the timeline for building the housing."
"Why?"
"There are too many houses to build. We need to construct in multiple villages simultaneously. We've recruited as many laborers as possible, but we're still short on skilled workers."
Ghislain tilted his head, puzzled.
With thousands of people recently arrived, even excluding the elderly and sick, there should be plenty of manpower. Why the shortage?
"Why are we short on people? There's a huge crowd of them."
"We lack skilled builders and carpenters. You can't just throw bricks together and expect a house to pop up."
"Hm, so we have the muscle but not enough supervisors to direct them?"
"Exactly. Hiring more laborers won't help because one supervisor can't handle dozens of projects alone."
Building without skilled oversight would result in substandard housing, prone to collapse in storms and wasting precious materials.
"Hmm…"
Ghislain folded his arms and began pondering.
More laborers wouldn't solve the issue if no one knew how to build properly.
A more efficient construction method was needed, one that allowed a single supervisor to handle more projects.
After some thought, Ghislain muttered to himself.
"There is a way, but…"
"What was that?"
"Hmm, I wasn't planning to build houses like that, but it might be the best option."
"What option?"
Ghislain sighed and nodded decisively.
"We have to stabilize housing before anything else can move forward. I'll handle this."
Claude looked at him skeptically.
"My lord… Do you know how to build houses? When did you learn that?"
"I have some experience in construction, though I'm better at tearing things down than putting them up."
Claude rolled his eyes, certain Ghislain was bluffing. How could someone with Ghislain's notorious reputation have any legitimate construction experience?
"....Even if you help, it won't magically speed things up."
"I have an idea. We'll designate a model village and try it out. Call all the architects and carpenters. You come too."
Claude reluctantly followed Ghislain, dread weighing heavily on him. Whatever Ghislain was planning, it couldn't be anything sensible.
When Ghislain's summons reached the overseers and project leads, they all gathered.
Standing before them, Ghislain confidently declared.
"I'll teach you a construction method that will allow us to build faster and house more people!"
"Ooh!"
The crowd's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Even if his methods seemed odd, their lord had always found ways to resolve problems.
From groundbreaking farming techniques to revolutionary cosmetics, Ghislain had introduced remarkable innovations.
A new construction method from such a lord? Expectations were high.
Seeing their eager faces, Ghislain announced proudly.
"We'll just build bigger houses!"
"…."
The room instantly fell silent, the excited expressions wiped clean. Facing their cold stares, Ghislain quickly backpedaled.
"Let me show you what I mean. From now on, I'll personally oversee the project!"
With a confident smile, Ghislain recalled a concept he had seen in his past life—a new kind of housing that would change everything.
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