"You idiot."
Amelia ground her teeth the moment she received Harold's letter.
There is a time for everything. Being cautious is good, but seizing the right moment is also a skill.
Harold was undoubtedly a capable person, but his characteristic caution was now holding him back.
"This isn't the time for hesitating like this. We told him we'd handle Jürgen, didn't we? Bernaph, what do you think? Bernaph?"
Amelia, glaring at the letter, frowned and raised her head at the lack of response.
Bernaph was staring at her face with an enraptured expression.
Amelia pressed her forehead, closed her eyes, and let out a deep sigh.
'Sigh, this is my fault. It's all my fault.'
In truth, Bernaph wasn't this much of an idiot from the start. When they first met, he was actually rather sharp.
But these days, he doesn't think at all.
In some ways, it was partly Amelia's fault. She was the one making all the plans, leaving Bernaph to act only as she instructed.
After losing the need to think, Bernaph spent all his time staring at Amelia's face.
He said it was because he liked her, so she couldn't bring herself to scold him.
"Bernaph!"
"Meow!"
"Yes? Yes, my lady!"
Startled by Amelia and Bastet's scolding, Bernaph wiped the drool from his mouth.
Amelia sighed again before speaking quickly.
"Since Harold is being an idiot, we need to act first."
"Doesn't Count Desmond hate deviating from his plans? Even if we succeed, he won't let it slide if we act on our own."
"That's why we need to get his permission first."
"How?"
"We'll send Harold false information. Once Father gathers all his forces, it'll be too late to act. Harold is likely aware of the timing, so if we send him false information when things are critical, he'll have no choice but to fall for it."
"Ah, then he'll be too panicked to oppose it. That's a good idea."
"Exactly, and then…"
Amelia's gaze turned cold as she continued.
"Once we succeed, we need to bypass Harold and establish direct contact with the duchy."
At those words, Bernaph swallowed nervously.
Harold had never hidden his condescension toward Amelia. There was no way their relationship could be good.
For now, they were on the same side, and the duchy stood behind Harold, so it wouldn't escalate to outright war. Politically sidelining him, however, wouldn't be easy.
But Amelia seemed to have a plan.
Bernaph hesitated over whether to ask her about it but quickly decided against it.
'If I ask, I'll just end up with a headache and more work.'
As he kept silent, Amelia picked up another report and asked,
"There's no issue with the deal on Ghislain's side, right?"
When the Actium Merchant Guild asked if it was okay to trade with Ghislain, Amelia had permitted it without much hesitation.
Right now, hindering Ghislain wasn't important. The priority was ensuring the rebellion's success and growing the guild.
Amelia was the kind of person who could collaborate with enemies without a second thought if it served her purpose.
Although she asked casually for confirmation, Bernaph hesitated slightly before replying.
"Yes, as expected, they're purchasing food, materials, and daily necessities. But…"
"But?"
"They keep haggling for a discount of exactly 1 gold coin."
"What? 1 gold coin? Not hundreds of gold coins?"
"Yes, 1 gold coin."
"Why?"
"I don't know. They just insist on it—exactly 1 gold coin."
"…"
Amelia was speechless for a while.
'Is this guy mocking me?'
In reality, this was all a scheme by Claude for his personal amusement, but there was no way Amelia could know that.
Who could have imagined a single territory would be full of lunatics?
She rubbed her temples to stave off an oncoming headache and shook her head.
"Leave it for now. Also, send someone to the capital to buy a few of Ghislain's cosmetics."
"Huh? Those? Why?"
"I want to try them. They say they're effective."
Amelia had already gathered information on Ghislain's evaluation of the duchy and the events in the capital.
Though the thought of him made her blood boil, she couldn't deny that Ghislain had become a big shot, enough to gain the support of Marquess Branford.
"If I'd known he was this capable, I'd have given him 200,000 gold, not just 20,000. Annoying bastard, but impressive."
Amelia's comment carried a subtle nuance, making Bernaph slightly anxious as he asked,
"Then… are you thinking of resuming the engagement?"
Amelia was someone who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.
If she truly valued Ghislain's abilities, she might propose the engagement again.
Hearing Bernaph's nervous tone, Amelia chuckled.
It wasn't easy for someone to wear their emotions so openly.
"No. Even if he's capable, he's still an insufferable bastard. I don't like people who defy me to my face. Besides…"
Amelia paused briefly before continuing softly.
"There's no need to hurt my people over someone like him."
At those words, Bernaph's face lit up. His heart pounded, and his cheeks flushed.
It wasn't often, but when she said "my people," it felt like it was a phrase meant only for him.
Amelia sat down, cradling Bastet, and poured herself a glass of wine.
"What are you doing? Get moving. Make sure the preparations for the operation are flawless."
"Yes, my lady! Understood!"
Bernaph saluted with a beaming face and left.
Watching him leave in high spirits, Amelia shook her head.
"Is it that thrilling? Good grief… Bastet, what about you?"
Meow.
Bastet rubbed its head against her chest, purring contentedly.
With a mysterious smile, Amelia savored her wine.
***
After helping the trainee knights with their basics, Ghislain wasted no time before nagging Claude.
The next phase of their plan was urgent.
"Have the slave traders contacted us yet? What's taking so long? Did they run off with my money?"
"You asked me this yesterday too. They sent word it'll take longer. With the price you're offering, they're being cautious."
Transporting even a single non-human slave was costly.
They were prime targets for bandits and lords alike. Stealing even one could yield a fortune, making them high-value prey.
Thus, the slave traders had to take every precaution to protect their cargo.
On top of that, Ghislain had requested a large number of non-human slaves.
It required gathering them from various branches, inevitably causing delays.
"That's why I told them to gather the dwarves quickly and send them first, even if the others are delayed."
"Well… sigh. Their reputation depends on trust. I'm sure they're on their way."
Claude held back a retort and tried to reassure Ghislain.
"Send someone to check their progress and hurry them up. We're out of time."
"Fine, fine."
Grumbling, Claude reluctantly left to carry out the order.
"I'll ask again tomorrow."
Ghislain smirked and headed to the training grounds.
Despite his busy schedule in the territory, he never missed an opportunity to train.
He knew the enemies' strength too well to waste even a moment.
Thud!
"Huff, huff."
Clad in heavy armor, Ghislain wielded his sword, breathing heavily.
The armor was custom-made, crafted from solid steel far thicker than standard armor, weighing hundreds of kilograms.
Clang, clang.
Moreover, chains were wrapped around his body.
Attached to the chains were heavy weights that dragged him down.
For most people, simply standing under such weight would be impossible, let alone moving or training.
Thud!
Every step he took resounded with a heavy thud.
Ghislain moved his sword slowly, enduring the oppressive weight on his body.
He didn't swing haphazardly.
Every movement was deliberate, precise, and efficient, leaving no room for waste.
If his posture wavered even slightly, he repeated the move dozens or even hundreds of times until it was perfect.
For ordinary people, this kind of training was unthinkable. But for Ghislain, it was a daily routine.
Through such rigorous effort, he had surpassed his natural talent and broken his limits.
'Again.'
Ugh.
Every movement brought excruciating pain. His muscles screamed in protest, unable to bear the weight.
'Endure!'
Ghislain gritted his teeth and endured.
He knew that tearing and rebuilding his muscles was the key to growing stronger.
Thanks to his newfound regenerative powers after his reincarnation, most wounds healed almost instantly.
In other words, his body was growing rapidly even as he trained.
Of course, the more serious the injuries, the more mana he consumed. But Ghislain balanced his training with administrative duties during recovery to avoid overexertion.
He pushed himself only to the edge of his limits, always stopping just short of breaking.
His extensive experience guided him instinctively to the most effective stopping point.
'A little more.'
However, even though the results were certain, the agonizing training was something that could not be endured with mere willpower and determination.
Every time he wanted to stop and give up, Ghislain reminded himself of why he needed to grow stronger and kept pushing himself relentlessly.
In his previous life, he had gritted his teeth and endured every pain with the sole purpose of revenge.
But now…
The resolve not to lose what was precious to him supported him.
There were countless people targeting him.
The first opponent he had to face was Harold Desmond.
To seize dominance over the North, he would inevitably have to confront him. Conversely, Harold would target Ghislain to take control of the North.
Though Harold couldn't move immediately, it was clear he was gnashing his teeth in frustration.
And Amelia Rayfold—she, too, would be targeting Ghislain.
'Amelia is the most critical variable in dominating the North, a double-edged sword.'
In terms of potential alone, she might be an even more dangerous foe than Harold, but eliminating her immediately wasn't an option. Targeting Amelia right now would be more of a loss.
It was essential to divert the enemies' attention to her and buy time.
'If she can't be eliminated, the only choice is to use her as much as possible.'
In his previous life, after crushing Rayfold County, he had inadvertently learned about Amelia's ambitions and plans.
If he could exploit that knowledge, she could be a significant asset in the future. Eliminating her could wait until later.
'They're not the only enemies.'
Even if he managed to eliminate them, there were more dangerous foes lurking in the background.
For now, the Delphine Duchy.
The duchy faction, the kingdom's most powerful group, was also an unavoidable enemy for Ghislain.
It was certain that Raul and Count Balzac had already deemed him a threat.
And then… Idun.
A member of the Continent's Seven Strongest, who had also driven the Mercenary King to his death in Ghislain's previous life, would one day come looking for him.
And Idun wouldn't come alone but with the mysterious powerhouses he referred to as "we."
'I need to regain my previous life's strength as soon as possible.'
To stand against so many enemies, Ghislain required immense power.
Seizing the Cabaldi County and obtaining its iron ore were merely steps to laying the foundation for continuous battles.
'I must grow stronger if I want to save even one more person.'
That's why Ghislain couldn't abandon this painful training.
The mana cultivation technique he used boasted explosive power. Its instability and the limited amount he could control were weaknesses he had greatly mitigated by ingesting the Blood Python's venom.
Now it was time to train his body to withstand that explosive power.
"Hooo!"
He swung his sword again.
He could feel his muscles tearing, having reached their limit.
'I'll stop here for today.'
As he set his sword down and took a moment to catch his breath, his regenerative abilities quickly repaired the torn muscles.
Though he gritted his teeth to endure the pain, he clicked his tongue inwardly.
He sorely missed the dedicated training facility he had created in his previous life as the Mercenary King, even hiring mages to enhance it.
A facility designed to make the entire space heavier, stimulating every muscle in the body, would have significantly improved his training efficiency.
'I'll ask Vanessa later to set up a wide-area gravity spell.'
After several days of pushing Claude, tearing his muscles, reviewing documents, and pushing Claude some more…
At last, the news Ghislain had been waiting for arrived.
"The dwarves have arrived!"
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