"Waaaah! Baron Fenris has won!"
The nobles at the so-called "Investment Victims' Association" cheered loudly upon hearing the news of Ghislain's victory at the banquet hall.
They didn't care whether it was luck or skill. What mattered was that Ghislain had won and wasn't ruined.
"Amazing! The cosmetics business is safe!"
"I think I'll invest more!"
"Let's do it! With Marquis Branford guaranteeing it, what's there to fear?"
That's human nature. When everything seems doomed, and an unexpected success happens, it builds even greater confidence.
The nobles at the banquet swarmed around Rozalin, clamoring to make additional investments.
With a poised smile, as if this were all expected, Rozalin reassured them.
"There's no need to worry so much in the future. Baron Fenris has Marquis Branford's support, after all. Haven't I always told you there's nothing to be concerned about?"
The nobles responded with equally confident smiles.
"Of course, we believed in it all along."
"Why get worked up over a small frontier skirmish?"
"Didn't I say a good opportunity was coming? Hohoho."
Amid the cheerful atmosphere, Rozalin discreetly wiped the cold sweat off her brow.
'Damn… I survived. I really thought I was finished.'
Though she had tempered her temper since recovering from her illness, brushing death's door had brought out the curses from deep within.
The stress from the nobles' constant demands had been so intense that her hair had started falling out in clumps. The fact that she hadn't cursed aloud was a miracle in itself.
'I nearly ended up confined to my home again. But to win a siege that quickly… He's truly an unpredictable person.'
She didn't know how he'd done it, but the outcome was undeniably fortunate.
Moreover, defeating Count Cabaldi proved that Fenris had some military strength.
No matter how weakened by hunger the Cabaldi forces were, Count Cabaldi was no pushover.
'Phew, but the Duchy won't sit still. I'll need to come up with a plan before they act.'
Count Cabaldi was an openly acknowledged member of the Duke Faction. Even though there was an agreement not to intervene publicly, they were surely sharpening their knives in the shadows.
To protect the cosmetics business, Fenris needed to be safeguarded at all costs.
'I never thought I'd be dragged into this like this. I should visit Fenris soon and learn more about their cosmetics manufacturing techniques.'
Just in case Fenris fell, she needed to ensure the production of cosmetics could continue.
Otherwise, she might not be able to handle another crisis. One experience like this was enough to last a lifetime.
While Rozalin pondered this, Meriel approached with a bright smile.
"This is such a relief! Things turned out even better, didn't they? We're flooded with inquiries from people wanting to invest more."
"Yes, it's fortunate. Nobody expected them to win so quickly."
"Exactly. My little brother always bragged about his fighting skills, but who'd have thought he'd actually live up to it?"
"Well… he's the type to think he's always right about everything."
Thinking back to her time under his care, it was true. Everything had to go his way, and he was always right.
She had never met anyone so unyielding, but somehow, in the end, he always turned out to be correct.
Hearing Rozalin's genuine comment, Meriel burst into laughter but soon added wistfully.
"If we had known, we wouldn't have spent so much money hiring people to help him. Don't you think?"
"That's true. Those people must have pocketed the money and are probably heading back, feeling lucky."
Rozalin let out a bitter laugh.
To save Baron Fenris, they had spent a fortune hiring priests and troubleshooters, but their efforts had turned out to be unnecessary.
It wasn't as if they could ask for a refund. Doing so would only tarnish their reputation and spread bad rumors.
'Sigh… He's such an unpredictable man. What a waste of money.'
For someone like Rozalin, who rarely wasted money, this was an exceptionally rare occurrence.
She sighed heavily, trying to soothe her frustration.
***
Before news of the victory reached the capital.
After beheading Count Cabaldi, Ghislain turned to face the knights and soldiers.
As he surveyed the silent battlefield, Ghislain let out a faint chuckle. Now was the time to savor their victory.
No grand speech was necessary. Ghislain simply raised his hand and clenched his fist tightly.
The knights were the first to respond, rushing to his side with jubilant cheers.
"We won! We've claimed victory!"
"Count Cabaldi is dead!"
"Waaaah!"
The surviving soldiers also erupted in celebration. The once-silent battlefield was now filled with the triumphant cries of the Fenris forces.
Watching the scene, Ghislain smiled in satisfaction.
'This was the perfect experience for them to have.'
The victory in this war was immensely significant, and not just because of the iron ore.
The knights had endured hellish training, risking their lives. But until they faced real combat, they couldn't be sure their strength would hold up on the battlefield.
No amount of preparation could completely erase fear.
'Turning fear into confidence requires faith in oneself.'
By overwhelming one of the North's so-called strongest, Count Cabaldi, they had proven their might.
The confidence gained from this experience would greatly aid the knights' growth.
By now, Belinda, who had removed her mask, couldn't hide her excitement as she approached.
"What a relief! Our losses are minimal. Do you see how high the soldiers' morale is? They'll adapt to the territory in no time."
"Yes, this was an important battle for the soldiers as well."
The soldiers, who had suddenly joined the Fenris territory and been thrust into battle, must have been terrified.
But through this war, they would find pride and develop loyalty to the territory.
Belinda was busy showering Ghislain with praise.
"Our young master can truly do no wrong. From now on, do whatever you please, my lord. Shall we go straight to that so-called Count Almond or whatever his name is and take him down? Hahaha!"
She had been vehemently opposed to the war earlier, but now her attitude had done a complete 180. Watching her laugh so boisterously, Ghislain couldn't help but smirk.
'She's so different from her stoic demeanor when cutting down enemies.'
Her duality was fascinating. Taking advantage of the mood, Ghislain casually inquired.
"You were using techniques I've never seen before. Did you learn them from my mother's family? Could my mother use them too?"
Belinda narrowed her eyes teasingly at him before answering in a playful tone.
"Oh, haven't I told you not to pry into a lady's past? If you do this elsewhere, you'll get called petty. Don't forget that. I'll be off to tidy up now."
Leaving behind a cheeky remark, Belinda disappeared. Ghislain shook his head with a resigned laugh.
Next, Gillian approached and offered a slight bow.
"You've worked hard. Leave the rest to us and take some rest."
It was a brief but heartfelt commentâ€"just like Gillian's unchanging demeanor.
"Thanks, Gillian. You've worked hard too. Once we've cleaned up the battlefield, let's head to the lord's castle."
Thanks to Gillian's immense destructive power, the operation had gone much more smoothly. Acquiring him had been an excellent decision.
Then Kaor sauntered over, eager to brag.
"Hey, my lord, did you see my skills today? Did you see how I was the first one up the wall? Ha! I'm really something, aren't I?"
Ghislain clicked his tongue but humored him. Despite his flaws, Kaor had proven useful in battle.
"You actually did well today. Been training hard?"
"I've always been great at fighting!"
Kaor grumbled his self-praise, then burst into laughter.
"By the way, our lord sure is lucky. Who buys up food and thenâ€"bam!â€"a drought hits? You're a man of fortune, I'll give you that."
Even someone as skeptical as Kaor had to admit the timing was extraordinary. The drought was too convenient to be anything but luck.
Rumors about Ghislain using astrology to predict the future were circulating, but Kaor didn't buy them.
'There's no way he'd bother studying something like that. He'd probably shut the book after the first page, complaining it's too much effort.'
His intuition was sharp, as expected from a hunting dog. Ghislain, reading Kaor's insolent expression, chuckled.
'I can see exactly what he's thinking.'
Just as Ghislain was about to retort, other knights rushed over to boast about their own exploits.
"Did you see me take out ten men with one swing?"
"Only ten? You didn't even break a sweat. I took down a hundred."
"Hah, you amateurs are pathetic. I took out five hundred by myself and only hurt my pinky!"
Even with blood still dripping from their lips, the knights competed to tell the biggest tale. Being mostly former mercenaries, their tall tales were as extravagant as their skills.
While Ghislain enjoyed the lively atmosphere, praising the knights, Belinda returned.
"Young master, someone is here to see you."
"Who is it? Cabaldi's vassals?"
"No, they say they've come from the capital."
"From the capital?"
Ghislain turned his head, puzzled. The battle had just ended, and they were still securing prisoners and gathering weapons from the field.
It seemed too soon for news of their victory to have reached anyone in the capital.
As Ghislain pondered, a man approached.
The man had a solid build and scars all over, exuding the aura of a mercenary.
"Congratulations on your victory. My name is Max. I'm a troubleshooter. I've come with a team of ten troubleshooters and a priest."
Behind him, a group of similarly rugged individuals bowed their heads to Ghislain.
"Troubleshooters? You're just mercenaries, aren't you? No need to dress it up."
Max hesitated, lowering his head awkwardly. Ghislain clicked his tongue and continued.
"So, what do you want from me?"
"We were sent by the Countess Ailesbur and the young lady of House Branford. They instructed us to rescue you by any means necessary if you were in danger."
That was a considerate gesture. Likely motivated by the cosmetics business, but still, they'd spent considerable money and risked political backlash to send reinforcements.
"Hmm, but aren't you a bit late? We've already won."
Max gave an embarrassed smile and replied.
"We hurried as much as possible, considering the risks, but we didn't expect the war to end so quickly. Truly remarkable, my lord."
"Well, life doesn't always go as planned."
"Still, it's fortunate that you're safe. We'll return and deliver this joyous news to our clients."
Max smiled brightly and bowed again. He was genuinely relieved that the situation had resolved without incident.
But that relief was premature. Max didn't know Ghislain.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Pardon? The situation is resolved, so we'll head back to report to our clients…"
"What are you talking about? Who said it was resolved? If you've been paid, you should earn your keep."
Max, confused, hesitated before asking.
"I'm not sure I understand, my lord."
"It's simple. You're mercenaries, so you should do the work you've been paid for."
"We're not mercenaries; we're troubleshooters…"
"Tsk, same difference."
"Ahem, our task was to ensure your safety if you were in danger. Since you've already won and are safe, our mission is complete."
"I was in danger. Why didn't you rescue me then?"
"Uh, well, that's because…"
Max and the troubleshooters were flustered. They had arrived to find the war already over. There had been no opportunity to "rescue" anyone.
But Ghislain didn't care about their excuses. To him, the issue was whether they had earned their pay or not.
"Ah, so you're con artists, huh?"
As Ghislain gestured, the surrounding knights and soldiers immediately surrounded the troubleshooters.
"If you don't want to work, then refund the payment and pay a penalty. Otherwise, this won't end well."
Max and his team exchanged uneasy glances.
They had planned to leave amicably, but now they found themselves surrounded and accused of fraud. It felt like a bolt from the blue.
'What's wrong with this guy? What kind of noble is this reckless? Couldn't we have just discussed this quietly? And why does he think he's entitled to the refund and penalty fees?'
As Max reeled from shock, Ghislain grinned meaningfully.
"You got paid but didn't do anything? That doesn't fly here. And let me tell you, I don't take kindly to con artists."
If you were paid, you did the work. That was the principle Ghislain had lived by as the King of Mercenaries.
There was no way he'd let this gifted workforce simply walk away.
[T/L: Please support me and read 115 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]