"Please spare us!"
"We can help stabilize the territory!"
"You can't do this!"
The vassals of Count Cabaldi wailed desperately, but Ghislain didn't bat an eye.
Neither did Gillian or the knights of Fenris, who were used to such situations.
They had already experienced large-scale purges when they took over Count Digald's territory.
"Aaaaaah! Please, spare me!"
"I'm a noble, you fools! Let me go! Release me at once!"
"You lawless brat!"
The vassals screamed and thrashed as they were dragged away. Once Gillian and the knights left, Belinda cautiously spoke up.
"Young Master, are you sure about this? This territory is much larger than Fenris, and we're severely lacking in administrative manpower."
"It doesn't matter. Keeping them around would only lead to bigger problems down the line."
If Claude or other Fenris administrators had been present, they would have been horrified and tried to stop Ghislain.
Belinda was rightâ€"managing a county required far more personnel than a barony.
But Ghislain had no intention of sparing them.
All of Count Cabaldi's vassals were essentially pawns of Count Desmond.
Keeping them around would only result in betrayal at the first opportunity. It was better to eliminate them now, even if it caused short-term difficulties.
"For now, Belinda, lead the team and confiscate all the vassals' assets. Claude can handle the rest once he gets here. Also, make sure the soldiers don't harass the townsfolk."
"Understood."
The people of Cabaldi County were trembling with fear and anxiety. Their lives depended on the temperament of their new ruler.
Given how much they had suffered under Count Cabaldi, their apprehension was understandable.
However, their fears were unfounded. The Fenris occupying forces merely went about their tasks in silence.
They cleaned up the battlefield, secured the wealth of Count Cabaldi and his vassals, and stood guard.
Days passed, and finally, Claude arrived with a team of administrators.
"Hey, Claude! You're here!"
"Hahaha! We actually won! I can't believe we really won! Amazing!"
Claude, who had been worried sick every day, was ecstatic when he saw Ghislain.
Ghislain smirked at his reaction.
"You happy?"
"Of course! We've taken a whole county! And the largest iron ore mine in the north is ours!"
"Didn't you oppose this at first?"
"Well, I was afraid we'd lose. And I was terrified of the repercussions from the duke family."
"Are you not scared now?"
"Honestly, I'm still scared, but what's done is done. I'll worry about tomorrow when it comes."
Claude responded cheerfully. Ghislain had already been at odds with the duke family before this.
There was no repairing the relationship now, so Claude decided to simply enjoy their gains.
Expanded territory, resources, and populationâ€"any administrator would be thrilled.
Ghislain chuckled at Claude's antics.
"So, do you believe in my abilities now?"
"Yes, I do. Two battles, two victories, a 100% win rate. Go ahead and do whatever you want, my lord."
Ghislain clicked his tongue. Claude's tone sounded mocking, but he let it slide, given the celebratory mood.
"Alright, start assessing the state of the territory. We need to stabilize and develop it as quickly as possible. Belinda has already secured the assets of Count Cabaldi and his vassals."
"Leave it to me! I'll start immediately!"
Eagerly replying, Claude led his team to survey the territory.
When he first inspected Count Cabaldi's personal wealth, Claude's jaw dropped.
"T-this is insane! It's incredible!"
The treasury was overflowing with gold coins and artwork. The wealth accumulated from monopolizing northern iron ore was staggering.
Claude instinctively stuffed his pockets with gold coins, muttering to himself.
"I-I'm rich now! No, our territory is rich… Gah! What am I doing?!"
Startled, he turned around to find Wendy and other administrators staring at him with disdain.
"It's not what it looks like! Don't look at me like that! I've just been poor for so long that I acted out of habit…"
Wilting under their scornful gazes, Claude reluctantly returned the coins and issued orders.
"Make sure to account for every last coin. If anyone is caught skimming even a penny, I won't forgive them."
"…Understood."
Low-level administrators began cataloging Count Cabaldi's wealth, while Claude moved on to inspect the confiscated assets of the vassals.
"What a bunch of bastards."
Even the vassals' hidden wealth was considerable.
The amount of exploitation and bribery it would take to amass such riches was appalling.
As someone who had worked tirelessly without pay for years, Claude couldn't help but feel envious.
"I guess this is why people turn to crime."
Shaking off his temptation, Claude ordered the assets to be assessed and planned disciplinary actions for the former vassals.
Leaving them to rot in prison would be satisfying, but manpower was too scarce. Even the smallest contribution could be valuable.
Afterward, Claude inspected the military warehouses.
"Unbelievable… It's this much?"
The gold and treasures were astonishing, but the sheer volume of stored iron ore and ingots was even more so.
This was indeed the largest iron ore mine in the north. Even other lords wouldn't have realized how much Count Cabaldi had stockpiled.
Despite possessing such wealth and resources, the territory had been starving during the drought. Life was truly unpredictable.
Stunned, Claude soon broke into laughter.
"Look at all this high-quality equipment! Our soldiers won't have to wear rags anymore! Amazing!"
There was enough armor to outfit the entire army as heavy infantry.
After checking other warehouses, Claude moved to an improvised office to review administrative documents.
"Wow, this is even better than I expected."
The territory's advanced metallurgy meant it had far more blacksmiths and skilled workers than other domains.
Count Cabaldi had clearly understood the importance of iron ore, as he had meticulously tracked and managed miners and blacksmiths.
"Bring me the other documents!"
Sifting through the growing pile of records, Claude couldn't stop marveling.
Even in the barren north, a county was still a county. Cabaldi's territory had a significantly larger population than a small barony.
The expanded land was great, but the increased population was even more valuable. It meant more labor and the potential for a much larger army.
"Damn! Bring on Desmond and the duke family! Let's go!"
Claude's confidence swelled with the additional resources and manpower.
In reality, they'd likely be crushed in a direct conflict, but the surge of newfound wealth had him brimming with optimism.
Once he had a clear overview, Claude rushed back to Ghislain.
"My lord! My brilliant lord! We'll begin stabilizing the territory immediately!"
"Good. What's your assessment?"
"It's incredible! We can significantly enhance the territory's strength! With more land, we can build more facilities! First, I'll improve the conditions for miners and townsfolk to boost productivity!"
"Good. You know time is always against us. Handle everything quickly."
"Understood! By the way, where are the vassals? Those greedy bastards hoarded so much wealth! I'd like to turn them into laborers and teach them a lesson."
"Why?"
"Well, they know the territory's workings, so I thought I'd keep them around. There's no way we can manage a county of this size with Fenris's current administrative capacity."
"…Right. The low-level administrators are in prison. No signs of treachery, so I'll release them for you to use."
"What about the senior vassals? The butlers, treasurers, and military commanders?"
"…."
"My lord?"
"They're dead."
"…Pardon? Dead as in they had to be killed? Or dead as in you killed them?"
"I killed them."
The blunt response left Claude cautiously inquiring further.
"…Why?"
"They were all in Desmond's pocket. That's why they were so wealthy."
"Ugh…"
Scratching his head, Claude sighed and hung his head.
If they were loyal to Desmond, killing them was the right choice. But with Fenris already stretched thin administratively, running a county would be an impossible task.
"We're screwed. We're completely and utterly screwed."
Claude muttered in despair.
They were already overwhelmed, and now they had to manage an entire county?
His earlier joy evaporated, replaced by the crushing weight of reality.
Seeing Claude writhing in frustration, Ghislain spoke.
"Let's focus on immediate priorities first. Now isn't the time to wallow in worry, is it?"
"…You're right. I'll start by distributing food and calming the townsfolk."
Claude withdrew with a heavy heart.
While it was ironic to hear such advice from the man who caused this situation, Ghislain was right. They didn't have the luxury of time.
They could only forge ahead.
***
"Wow, this is a total mess. Seriously, how could they have managed this place so poorly?"
Claude clicked his tongue as he looked at the emaciated miners before him.
While the warehouses were bursting with riches, the people of the county were on the brink of death.
The miners stared at Claude with a mix of fear and resentment.
More precisely, they were eyeing the carts behind him.
'Food… It's food…'
'Did they steal it from somewhere else?'
'We have nothing left for them to take…'
The miners, at least, were treated better than other residents.
After all, the miners who extracted the iron ore were the backbone of the county's wealth.
But once the drought hit and the war broke out, their supplies were cut off. Whatever they had left was confiscated by the military.
'Bastards…'
'If only they hadn't invaded…'
'Damn invaders!'
While the miners eyed the invaders warily, they also ground their teeth in resentment.
It was natural for them to have blamed the corrupt Count Cabaldi until now.
However, the invaders had worsened their already dire situation, stirring up feelings of hostility.
The thought of receiving any of that food for themselves didn't even cross their minds. The drought was severe, and everyone knew even the nobles were struggling.
From their perspective, the invaders were likely going around the territory, taking what little remained.
Seeing their reactions, Claude smirked.
'Ah, it's always like this at first.'
The people of Fenris had shown the same powerless expressions and resentment-filled gazes in the past.
It was simply the plight of people suffering under a corrupt lord.
Breaking the awkward silence, Claude signaled to the soldiers behind him.
"Distribute the food. Be generous with it. Oh, and there's almost no meat. That stuff's really hard to come by these days."
The miners looked at the sacks of flour and small portions of provisions they were given with stunned expressions.
In such desperate times, they were being given food? Weren't invaders supposed to take it all away?
As the miners stood frozen, unable to comprehend, Claude playfully teased them.
"What's the matter? Is it not enough? Hey, give them another sack each. Let's not skimpâ€"we don't want it all to rot."
"Gasp!"
At Claude's words, the miners audibly inhaled in shock.
It was hard enough to believe they were being given food at all, but the idea of getting more was beyond their imagination.
However, when the soldiers handed them an additional sack of flour, the miners fell to their knees, clutching the ground.
"Thank you! Truly, thank you!"
Heartfelt gratitude poured out from all sides.
Claude clicked his tongue as he watched. How much had Count Cabaldi squeezed these people for them to be reduced to such a state of abject servitude?
"Tsk tsk tsk. No wonder the northern nobles have such a reputation for cruelty. Makes you appreciate Count Perdium all the more. He managed to endure such hardships without resorting to exploitation."
Count Cabaldi hadn't deliberately turned them into slaves.
After all, he needed them to keep paying taxes. He must have used his soldiers to apply relentless pressure instead.
If this was the result, the man was not just ruthless but extraordinarily so.
"From now on, this land will be under the guidance of your new lord. Things will be very different. All you need to do is keep doing your work diligently. You'll be properly compensated, so don't worry about that."
Despite Claude's reassurances, the miners didn't immediately show trust.
Instead, they clung to their sacks of food, warily eyeing those around them.
Their fear of someone stealing their share was evidence of just how low the social trust had fallen.
Claude, who had seen such situations countless times, furrowed his brows and issued a stern warning.
"Anyone caught stealing another person's food will be executed on the spot. Don't even think about it."
In a situation like this, kindness wouldn't be effective. Setting an example with severe punishment would work better.
Claude's chilling declaration made the miners lower their heads.
"Understood."
They weren't foolish. None of them wanted to provoke the occupying army.
While desperation might drive them to steal if they were starving, they could endure as long as their bellies were full.
Similar scenes unfolded throughout the territory. Claude and his administrators visited even the smallest villages to distribute food.
The reactions of the villagers were no different from the miners.
Given the severity of the drought, no one expected the food distributions to continue.
"Tsk, this is going to take a while."
While the release of food had stabilized the unrest, it couldn't completely alleviate the underlying anxiety.
Even in Fenris, it had taken months of successful harvests and food distributions to build trust.
Uniting the entire territory to stand against powerful foes would require consistent support and a growing belief in their new lord.
When Claude reported back, Ghislain nodded in agreement.
"They've lived under exploitation for so long, it's no surprise they're wary. Once they see food is abundant and their lives improve, they'll come around, just like the people of Fenris."
"Yes, this will take time, so we'll continue providing steady support."
"Good. Now, shall we move on to the next task? We've gained resources and increased our population, haven't we?"
"You mean that, right?"
At Claude's question, Ghislain nodded.
"Of course. Even though Count Cabaldi's territory has more than most, it's still not enough. We need to increase production severalfold."
Expanding residential areas, farmland, and public facilities would require consistent investment over time.
However, now that they had secured this territory, there was something far more critical to focus on.
The large-scale forges and smithies needed to mass-produce iron tools and weapons.
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