The price of food had already skyrocketed, and iron ore was an inherently expensive resource.
Raising the price by 30% was already hard to bear, but asking for an additional 50%? And only from him? This was truly unjust.
"How can this be? Did you not hear what I said? We've been trading with Perdium for a long time as a trusted merchant guild..."
"Double."
"...What?"
"It just went up to double. Why are you even bringing up Perdium?"
"Y-you must be joking, my lord. No matter what, this isn't the kind of deal to make a joke of—"
Ghislain smirked mockingly at the flustered Paril.
"A joke? Do the words of this lord sound like a joke to you?"
Under the cold pressure, Paril broke into a cold sweat. He couldn't understand why Ghislain was behaving so recklessly.
As he racked his brain, Paril suddenly remembered the past dealings he had with Perdium.
'Don't bring up Perdium, you say? Could it be because of the deal from back then...?'
Faced with an ominous premonition, Paril shouted in a panicked voice.
"Is this because of the deal we made with Perdium in the past? I think there's a misunderstanding. Back then, the transport costs to the northern edge, the labor fees, and the market price at the time were all factored into setting a fair price—"
"Triple."
"M-my lord..."
"Do you still see this place as the poor Perdium that used to be dragged around by your schemes?"
Paril couldn't hide the despair on his face.
It was clear. The lord before him hadn't forgotten how the merchant guild had gouged his father all those years ago.
Food and iron ore were tightly controlled by Baron Fenris. On top of that, a powerhouse like Marquis Branford was acting as his guardian.
Baron Fenris was rapidly gaining fame as the rising star of the kingdom and the flag-bearer of the Northern royalist faction.
Having incurred the wrath of such a figure, the future of the guild looked bleak.
"M-my lord, I apologize. Please, let's settle for the original 30% increase..."
"You don't seem to understand. Just drag him out."
At Ghislain's indifferent nod, the soldiers approached and dragged Paril away.
"M-my lord! Please! I was wrong! I beg you, reconsider!"
"There will be no reconsideration. From now on, the Paril Merchant Guild will be charged triple."
'You bastard!'
Dragged out, Paril regretted his actions. Coming to argue had only led to greater losses.
But just as much as he regretted it, if not more, a wave of anger surged within him.
'Damn it, damn it! That brat! Back then, that was the fair price! Without us, Perdium couldn't even have gotten their hands on those goods! You wretched little devil!'
Paril cursed and reviled Ghislain endlessly.
No matter how scarce food and iron ore were, there was no way to afford them at triple the price. It would be cheaper to buy from another guild even if it meant paying a premium.
The loss was unparalleled. Gritting his teeth, he made a vow.
'Just wait! I heard Desmond mobilized his army. I'll side with him and destroy you!'
If the guild was to survive, there was no other option. Ghislain had to die or be ruined for Paril to live.
With that, the only choice was to seek out an enemy of an enemy.
Ghislain chuckled as he watched Paril being dragged away.
It was obvious. The guilds that had suffered under him would surely try to pull some tricks.
But it didn't matter. As long as he secured the Northern region, he intended to devour them all.
For now, all he needed was for them to obediently supply the resources he required until then.
Ghislain immediately summoned Claude and gave him an order.
"Gather all the loan certificates held by the merchant guilds and estates that took loans from Perdium for food supplies. Don't leave a single one behind. As for the iron ore, release it in small quantities for now."
"Understood. Count Perdium will be delighted. They won't have to pay any more interest now."
"And we'll still collect all that interest back, right?"
"Of course. Leave it to me."
Claude executed his duties efficiently. First, he sold cheap food at high prices to recover all the debts.
Then, while he didn't raise prices further, he limited the quantity available for purchase. If someone wanted more, he accepted bribes and pocketed the extra money.
The merchants were dumbfounded. They, who had made a living scamming others, had never encountered someone as ruthless and corrupt as him.
'Abusing his authority as head butler like this?'
'Does he really think he can get away with taking so many bribes?'
'Prices are already outrageously high, and now he's adding insult to injury. Someone's going to get rid of him sooner or later.'
Countless petitions from merchants flooded the lord's castle, but none of them had any effect.
After all, the bribes were a joint venture with the lord himself. Such complaints would never work.
Claude diligently accepted bribes to fill the estate's warehouses, and Ghislain smiled in satisfaction as he watched.
***
When Belinda and Fergus heard the news that Perdium's debts were completely cleared, they were overjoyed.
To them, Perdium was still a cherished hometown and a painful reminder of the past.
"This is truly wonderful! Isn't our young master incredible? It must be because I raised him so well, don't you think?"
"Hahaha, indeed... The head maid really did an excellent job rai—cough! Suddenly, my chest..."
Fergus couldn't finish his sentence and turned his head away. No matter how proud he felt, it was hard to say such things out loud without meaning them.
Meanwhile, Perdium's head butler, Homerne, threw the debt notes into the air and shouted.
"We're free! Finally free from debt! Hahaha! I thought the young lord would get himself killed starting a war, but he won and cleared all our debts! Living long really lets you see everything!"
The treasurer, Albert, and Perdium's vassals also cheered alongside him.
"No more interest payments! Now we can start saving!"
"And the food we received from the young lord is now worth a fortune! Our wealth has grown immensely thanks to him!"
"This is an unexpected blessing! Who would've thought the young lord would suddenly clear our debts!"
For the first time in ages, they couldn't stop praising Ghislain.
When he caused trouble, they wanted to kill him, but when he did something good, they adored him.
Having swung between extremes so many times, they decided to just follow their hearts—praise him when he deserved it and curse him when he didn't.
Even Zwalter and Randolph, stationed at the Northern fortress, were thrilled by the news.
"Big Brother... We've finally paid off all our debts..."
Randolph muttered, tears welling up in his eyes.
Zwalter, overcome with emotion, couldn't even respond and closed his eyes.
The long years of hardship caused by debt had been a source of sorrow and struggle.
Hearing that his son had resolved those debts filled him with indescribable gratitude.
His chest swelled with pride. Today, he missed his late wife more than ever. It pained him that she wasn't there to see their troublesome son's success.
'My dear... Why did you leave so early, missing all this?'
His son was soaring to prominence, gaining fame with each passing day. It was truly a proud moment.
When he first heard of the war, it had sent a chill through his heart.
Attacking the lands of Count Cabaldi, a renowned powerhouse in the North, without consulting anyone seemed reckless and unbecoming of a noble.
However, his initial anger gave way to concern.
He had assumed that Ghislain, despite his potential, couldn't defeat Count Cabaldi.
As he hastily prepared to mobilize Perdium's forces to support his son, a surprising victory announcement arrived.
— "The young lord has emerged victorious! No losses! The Cabaldi territory is now ours!"
That moment remained etched in Zwalter's memory.
'Incredible. It's hard to believe. How did he grow so powerful in such a short time?'
No longer could Ghislain be considered a mere baron. At his young age, he had already amassed influence and territory surpassing many counts.
With Marquis Branford's support, it wouldn't be surprising for him to achieve even greater heights.
'He's far surpassed me already.'
This was a truth Zwalter had long known but tried to ignore.
Even in his prime, he doubted he could defeat Count Cabaldi in a siege battle.
Ghislain's financial acumen and military strategies were beyond his years.
'Now I'm curious to see how far you'll go.'
Zwalter is still worried about his son's risky ventures.
But such concerns were a father's burden. At this point, he realized it was time to let go and trust him.
After all, no amount of interference would change Ghislain's ways. It was better to conserve his strength and let faith guide him.
Zwalter sighed and offered a wry smile. Still, today was a day to celebrate without reservation.
Perdium had finally shed the shackles of debt—a milestone moment.
He gathered the knights and soldiers and announced loudly.
"Our debts are paid off!"
"Woaaaaah!"
The knights and soldiers erupted in cheers. Everyone knew how hard it had been to live under the weight of debt.
Not only were they debt-free, but there was an abundance of food, thanks to the surplus of grain received earlier. Everyone expected Zwalter to reward them generously with the newfound surplus.
True to form, Zwalter didn't disappoint. He was a lord who never hesitated to share.
"From today, everyone's wages will be significantly increased. On top of that, I'll distribute additional food, so there's no need to worry! You've all endured so much hardship!"
"Woaaaaah!"
The cheers grew even louder. Zwalter looked at them with heartfelt gratitude.
This surreal reality left him emotional. He had thought a day like this would never come.
What countless ancestors of the family had failed to achieve, his son had finally accomplished.
Zwalter choked back his emotions and addressed them once more.
"I sincerely respect your loyalty through these trying times. And... don't forget that it was Ghislain, the heir of our estate, who resolved all these difficulties."
"Understood!"
Their booming voices echoed across the surroundings.
The knights were especially jubilant.
Since adopting the new mana cultivation technique, they had endured rigorous, almost torturous training, fighting barbarians while pushing through their limits.
While the technique made them stronger, it left them physically and mentally drained.
Hearing this good news brought renewed energy. When times were tough, good treatment was the best motivator.
Ghislain, as always, knew how to break them down and build them back up.
***
Ghislain reviewed the profits from recent deals and couldn't suppress his admiration.
"Wow, food prices have risen even higher than before the war. This is like clearing debts for free."
Just by giving away surplus food, Perdium's debts had vanished.
Not only that, but resources like lumber, herbs, and textiles needed for estate development kept pouring into Fenris.
Despite all this, Fenris's wealth showed no signs of depletion, thanks to the unending supply of grain piling up at an extraordinary rate.
The iron ore being sold in small quantities was merely a bonus. Most of it was used internally within the estate.
"Hmm, but it's still not enough."
No matter how much he gathered, it was always tight compared to the pace of development.
Still, as long as he kept scraping together resources, things would improve over time.
Gathering resources and developing the estate wasn't the end goal. It was all groundwork for building a powerful military.
The soldiers' training and welfare needed to be maintained at peak condition.
"I should check on the tactical training as well."
Finishing his paperwork, Ghislain headed straight to the training grounds.
The soldiers recruited using food as leverage were still adjusting to the estate. Yet Ghislain wasn't worried about the training itself.
Morale and loyalty had soared after the recent victory, and Gillian, a seasoned expert in training, was in charge.
Thus, Ghislain had focused on post-war recovery and estate development.
However, while observing the training, Ghislain noticed a serious issue.
"Ugh...!"
"I-I can't move anymore."
"I feel like I'm going to vomit..."
Groans of exhaustion echoed everywhere.
While Fenris's training regime was harsher than most, it wasn't as grueling as the knights' regimen.
Yet, most soldiers struggled to keep up.
"How do you plan to defend the estate if you can't even handle this?"
Even Gillian, usually taciturn, seemed frustrated, urging the soldiers repeatedly. But they could only stand with trembling legs.
"Ugh... This training is too hard. My body just can't keep up..."
"The last place I was at wasn't this tough. We're not knights, you know."
"We won the war easily, so do we really need to get stronger?"
Northern lords didn't train their soldiers to this extent. It was enough if they maintained discipline to manage their subjects.
But things were different in Fenris. The goal was to mold elite soldiers through intense training.
For soldiers unused to such regimens, it was only natural to feel overwhelmed.
'It's tough, but it's not impossible.'
Ghislain and Gillian's standards were high, but they weren't foolish enough to push people beyond their limits.
Their training schedules were meticulously designed to ensure progressive growth.
Yet, if most couldn't keep up, there had to be another issue.
Observing the soldiers closely, Ghislain soon nodded as if realizing something.
"They've been malnourished for too long."
[T/L: Please support me and read 185 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]