The barbarians gathered for the negotiation using food as bait all agreed. There was some resistance, but the eloquent persuasion of Waroka ultimately swayed them.
After all, his tribe was the strongest, and opposing him would bring no benefit.
At a follow-up negotiation held a few days later, Waroka spoke confidently.
"All the allied tribes have agreed. For five years, we will cease attacks and raids against the Kingdom of Lutania. I will personally ensure that the small unaffiliated tribes will also refrain from raiding."
"You better manage them well. If I see your face here again, you'll regret it. Send the agreed supplies to the Northern Fortress annually."
Waroka's lip twitched at Ghislain's arrogant tone. He wanted to split the cocky man's head open with his axe right then, but the idea of fighting him was daunting.
No, to be honest, he didn't even want to think about the names Perdium and Fenris.
'To think there'd come a day when I feared the name of Perdium.'
He never imagined such a day would come. He hadn't feared Perdium, nor had he paid any attention to them, being solely focused on unifying the tribes.
Yet now, he found himself bowing his head to those he hadn't even considered worthy of notice.
Of course, he had no intention of letting things end like this.
'Just you wait. If I can unify the North... I won't just leave Perdium and the Kingdom of Lutania alone. I'll never forget today's humiliation.'
Seeing Waroka's discomforted expression, Ghislain chuckled. He could tell exactly what the man was thinking.
'Tsk tsk, you won't get the chance.'
Running a tribe and managing a nation were completely different. In his previous life, Waroka had indeed established a unified nation, but he couldn't manage the accidents occurring everywhere.
Lacking not just food but infrastructure as well, the nation could not function properly.
If Ghislain hadn't started a war back then, Waroka would've collapsed on his own and resorted to attacking the Kingdom of Lutania.
'Then he would've lost his head to Duke Delphine.'
Back then, the Kingdom of Lutania, wielding absolute royal authority and subjugating all nobles, was a fearsome powerhouse, capable of swift decisions and executing them with overwhelming power.
Only someone as strong as Ghislain, one of the continent's Seven Strongest, could challenge such a kingdom. With Waroka's abilities, he'd never have survived.
'If only I'd had more time, I'd have wiped him out completely. A bit of a shame.'
Wiping out all the tribes, not just those allied with Waroka, would take months.
But Ghislain couldn't afford to waste more time here because of Harold. It was regrettable but necessary to wrap things up and return.
'Well… it's not like this is my only chance.'
Once the civil war ended, Waroka would face a clear choice: complete submission or total annihilation.
In any case, the negotiations concluded smoothly. Zwalter was glad to end the exhausting battles with the barbarians, while Ghislain was pleased to secure a large number of horses and stabilize his rear.
Meanwhile, Claude was sulking because Wendy didn't carry him on her back.
Ghislain returned to his territory leading over 10,000 horses, including the ones obtained as war trophies.
As the horses filed into the castle, the territory's residents were astonished. None had ever seen so many horses in their lives.
"Wow! Incredible!"
"There are so many horses? Is this even real?"
"Amazing! Truly, our lord is amazing!"
With the price of a single horse being astronomical, few territories could boast such numbers.
The territory instantly fell into a festive mood. Roads had often been inadequate for proper transportation due to a lack of horses.
Now, there were more horses than they knew what to do with. Even after setting aside a portion for military use, thousands could be used for transportation.
Gathering his vassals, Ghislain boasted about his achievements.
"Look! After tightening the reins a bit, we've got an unbelievable number of horses!"
The most delighted, of course, was Belinda. Her excitement wasn't just about acquiring horses but also about the brutal beating the barbarians had received.
"As expected of our young master! I wish I could've gone to help smash them too!"
As the territory developed, Belinda had less time to spare due to managing the increasing number of servants. Ghislain planned to only involve her in major battles moving forward.
The other vassals, on the other hand, nodded as if this result was a given.
'He's turned into a complete bandit now.'
'Taking whatever he needs from others has become his thing.'
'But since the victims are barbarians, no one can complain.'
If he needed iron, he took over mines. If he needed horses, he took horses. They couldn't help but wonder what he'd seize next.
However, his actions always came with plausible reasons and justifications, so there was no stopping him.
A lord who did whatever he wanted while minimizing criticism—a rare combination.
"Now that we have horses, let's revolutionize transportation!"
Ghislain spoke confidently, but Claude immediately spoiled the mood.
"There's a problem."
"..."
"I'm saying, there's a problem."
"...Do you have some kind of problem spirit attached to you? Why is there always a problem? Did you get cursed somewhere?"
"It's your fault! It's always you! You're the reason everything moves in such a rush!"
Claude held back his frustration and calmly explained.
"...Anyway, there's a problem."
"All right, what is it?"
"There are too many horses. I didn't object to the expedition because having more horses is good, but you've brought back far more than we can handle."
"Isn't more always better?"
"There's a limit to how much is beneficial. Right now, we can't properly manage this many horses. We lack stables and people to care for them."
Claude had a point. Simply bringing in the horses wasn't enough. Over 10,000 horses required substantial resources to maintain.
But Ghislain dismissed it as a minor issue.
"Build more stables and hire more people. Problem solved, right?"
"...And where do you think the money for that will come from? Right now, we're already pouring enormous funds into territory development and military expansion. Maintaining this many horses will require even more money."
Despite earning enormous profits from selling food and cosmetics, there were limits. Much of the income was spent on acquiring resources.
Furthermore, food and cosmetics sales were finite. Especially food, which was needed not just to pay workers but also to feed the people of both Fenris and Perdium territories.
In short, they needed an additional source of income. Claude proposed a solution.
"How about selling half the horses? Even with half, we'll have enough for transportation and cavalry training. Selling the rest will provide funds."
"No."
Ghislain's firm refusal made Claude sigh inwardly.
'...I knew it. You never listen to reason!'
Still, Claude held back his frustration. Ghislain hated unnecessary expenses, which he intended to exploit.
"We can manage to maintain them for now if we overextend ourselves. We'll just have to sell more food to secure funds. But these horses will be of no immediate use to us."
"Why?"
"Because we lack riders. What's the point of building roads and acquiring so many horses if we don't have enough people to actually use them?"
"Hmm..."
"On top of that, there's already too much work in our territory. Transporting materials, food, and meat is already delayed. The extra horses will just sit idle in the stables, eating, sleeping, and doing nothing. Honestly, I'm jealous!"
Horses alone wouldn't solve the problem. Skilled handlers were required to manage them, but few among the territory's impoverished population knew how to ride.
Even the soldiers were mostly infantry, offering little help in this regard.
To date, transportation efforts relied on scraping together anyone who could handle carts or ride horses. Even knights had occasionally been roped into moving supplies when the situation grew desperate.
"Because of these two issues, we can't handle all these horses right now. They'll just become a drain on our finances. We should sell the ones we don't need immediately and expand gradually."
Claude smiled confidently, certain that even the lord couldn't dismiss this logic.
Growing for the sake of growth wasn't always wise. Expansion without immediate utility would only lead to losses. It was common sense.
But Ghislain was not a man bound by common sense. If a situation didn't suit him, he simply reshaped it to fit.
Can't use all the horses now? Then create circumstances where they can be used.
"Build more stables, hire more caretakers, and train more riders."
"And when exactly are we supposed to train them?"
Riding a horse well required specialized equestrian skills. It wasn't just about mounting and moving; it demanded swift, fluid maneuvering.
This made training skilled cavalrymen a lengthy process. The plan to train cavalry had already been in place for some time, and other vassals were aware of it.
However, even with this plan, half the current number of horses would suffice for now. There was no need for so many immediately.
Yet Ghislain ignored Claude's reasoning and cut in with his own thoughts.
"This kind of issue is nothing. I've got a plan. I can solve all of it."
"What plan?"
"First, I'll start a new business using the roads."
"Roads… a new business?"
Claude and the other vassals eyed Ghislain warily. Every time he proposed a solution or a business venture, it was anything but conventional.
Ghislain ignored their skepticism and continued.
"The roads within the territory are nearly complete, right?"
"Yes. Except for some small villages and remote areas, most cities, castles, and towns are already connected. Not just within our territory, but even to Perdium."
"Then we'll extend and connect those roads to the capital, pro-royalist territories, and the lands of neutral lords. We'll leave out the duke faction and any suspicious nobles."
This was an enormous public works project, the kind of thing emperors attempted in history. Even with abundant resources and manpower, it wasn't a task to be undertaken lightly.
"…It might take years to connect all those lands and the capital."
"Not necessarily. Road construction is simple work. Simple tasks can be solved quickly."
"How?"
"By throwing money and manpower at it. You all know that from experience."
"…"
The vassals had no response. After all, the Fenris territory had indeed developed at an astonishing pace by pouring in money and labor.
But the real problem lay elsewhere.
"Even if the timeline isn't an issue, will the lords even agree? We can't just build roads wherever we want."
"Why would they refuse a free road? And if they do, what will they do about it?"
"Uh… what could they do?"
"If the royal family and Marquis Branford order it, what choice do they have?"
That was a fair point. Marquis Branford was unlikely to refuse Ghislain's request. Well-built roads could also serve military purposes.
Some lords might fear roads being used for invasions, but if all pro-royalist territories were connected, it would actually make summoning reinforcements easier. Most would have little choice but to agree.
Hearing Ghislain's grand plan, Claude felt dizzy. How much money would such a massive project require?
"What about the money? Where are we going to get the money and manpower? Even with all our resources, we can't handle something of this scale."
"The manpower will come from the lords themselves. Each territory will supply workers. We'll provide the funding, and in return, we'll charge tolls. We'll get toll collection rights through the royal family. Can you imagine how much money that would bring in?"
Gulp.
Claude swallowed unconsciously.
Properly constructed roads were rare. Transporting goods and people was always time-consuming.
But if a network of efficient roads was established and tolls were charged...
The flow of goods and travelers would directly turn into revenue for Fenris.
The concept was groundbreaking—if it could be realized.
"…Let's say other lords supply workers. Do we even have enough money to fund this?"
Ghislain smirked confidently, as if this were no big deal.
"We'll use some of our funds and offer stakes in the project to Miss Rozalin and Older Sister Meriel. I hear there's an investment group running these days. We'll pull in all the nobles' money. The Juana Church will help too. You know how much faster construction is with priests on-site."
The Church of Forisco would have to send priests to support the fatigued workers—or risk being labeled heretics and burned at the stake.
"…"
Ghislain's boldness left the vassals speechless. For most people, such a plan was impossible. But for a lord with his connections, it might just work.
As they stared at him in shock, Ghislain grew serious.
"And that's just the first part. Toll collection isn't the endgame. Once the roads are built, we'll use the surplus horses to start a delivery service."
"A delivery service?"
"Exactly. I even have a name ready."
"What's it called?"
The vassals, filled with equal parts hope and dread, watched him closely. Ghislain grinned and declared:
"Fenris Arrow Delivery. What do you think?"
Everyone frowned at the blatant and vulgar name.
[T/L: Please support me and read 295 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]