"Hey, hey, let's hurry up and go."
"Ugh, this godforsaken estate. I swear I'll never step foot in the North again."
"Such a disgusting lord and an even more disgusting estate."
Grumbling as they packed their belongings were Max and the troubleshooters who had been detained since the Cabaldi War.
They had worked in the estate to pay off their debts but couldn't easily gain freedom. No matter how much they worked, their wages barely covered the daily laborer fees, making it hard to reduce the owed amount.
Even so, they weren't about to give back the money they had already received. The sums they'd gotten from Rozalin and Meriel were far too large to return.
Stuck in this limbo, suffering through their predicament, the war with Desmond broke out.
Max and the troubleshooters, serving as commanders of the Labor Assault Corps, finally earned their freedom.
"We're free!"
"Hurrah!"
At Max's shout, the troubleshooters cheered loudly. At last, they were done with this wretched estate.
Today was a special day. While Max and the troubleshooters were cleaning themselves up and shaving their overgrown beards, Claude came to visit.
"Hey, so you're leaving now? You've all worked hard."
"Oh, uh… head butler, you're here?"
Max greeted Claude with a reluctant expression. Though it was Ghislain who had detained them, it was Claude who had mercilessly worked them to the bone at the construction sites.
He had driven them so hard that they'd even considered assassination. But fearing they'd be caught and enslaved for life, they never dared attempt it.
Despite Max's sullen expression, Claude spoke warmly.
"So, what's next for you after you leave?"
"We've been through so much, so I'm planning to find some less taxing work for a while."
Though the comment had a pointed edge, Claude pretended not to notice.
"Ah, with skills like yours, isn't it a waste to do petty jobs?"
"I'm thinking of saving up a bit more and retiring. I'll buy some land and live peacefully."
"Hm, that sounds a bit disappointing."
In truth, Max and the troubleshooters were quite skilled. That's why they had been entrusted with missions like rescuing Ghislain and leading the Labor Assault Corps during the war in place of Kaor.
Feigning regret, Claude subtly planted the seed.
"Well, you'll need a fair bit of money for that. How about earning a fortune in one go?"
"A fortune? How?"
"Well, you see, the lord has made something recently…"
Claude, just as he had with Alpoi, began passionately explaining the absurd product. Max and the troubleshooters agreed that it sounded ridiculous.
But they were also wary of the lord's proven track record. While they hadn't witnessed the development of the improved wheat or cosmetics, they'd heard plenty of rumors.
Seeing Ghislain fight on the battlefield had been another shock to them. Part of the reason they hadn't dared escape was their fear of him.
And now they were being asked to wager against such a lord? Max immediately shook his head.
"No, we'll just leave. We don't want any more ties to this estate."
It was an expected reaction. Claude nodded as if he had anticipated this.
"Twenty thousand gold."
"…!"
"If you win, each of you will walk away with 20,000 gold."
The astronomical figure made Max and the troubleshooters' eyes widen. With that amount, they could retire immediately.
Though tempted by the staggering sum, Max didn't give in easily. He was a seasoned leader of troubleshooters who had seen it all.
"Why… are you offering this to us?"
The strange powdered food Ghislain had made seemed likely to fail, but why would they offer such a golden opportunity to outsiders like them?
Seeing Max's suspicious gaze, Claude spoke in a soft tone.
"You've resented me a lot, haven't you?"
"…A little."
"I had no choice. The estate lacked manpower. I had to play the villain. I've always felt sorry for you."
"Head butler…."
"You lead a small group, so you must know how hard it is to guide people. How difficult it is to bear the weight of leadership."
Max nodded silently. Though Claude had a bad reputation, he had pushed people for the estate's sake, hadn't he?
Now that it was time to leave, Max could somewhat understand his perspective.
Claude clasped Max's hand and continued.
"It's nothing special. I just want to give you all a chance to leave with a fair amount of money. Without an excuse like this, I couldn't give you such a sum."
"Head butler…"
Max and the troubleshooters were unexpectedly moved. Their noses stung with emotion. They'd thought Claude was a bad man, but he was actually someone with a warm heart.
Claude didn't appeal to logic or reason. Instead, he stirred Max and the troubleshooters' emotions.
Looking at Max with warm eyes, Claude shifted his gaze to the distance and said, "And this is for the lord as well."
"For the lord?"
"Yes. Our lord is extraordinary. He has overcome hardships and achieved great things. But… his lack of failure is a problem."
"How… is that a problem?"
"He's growing more arrogant by the day. When you're young, experiencing failure and hardship is what helps you grow. Better he takes a major loss now."
"Why now?"
"To be honest, even if he fails this time, it'll just be a bit embarrassing for him. But losing a large sum of money will make him snap out of it. It'll curb his arrogance."
"Hm…"
"Think about it. What happens if he stays arrogant and another war breaks out? War is a place where a single mistake can cost your life. We need to correct his mindset now. Losing some money is a small price to pay."
"Ah…"
Max and the troubleshooters understood Claude's point. It was no longer a secret that Ghislain had drawn the ire of the Duchy.
If such a powerful enemy lay in wait and Ghislain remained overconfident, it would surely lead to disaster.
Max, having seen such cases often in his work as a troubleshooter, knew that arrogance ultimately led to ruin. Especially for someone with many enemies.
Claude's reasoning was sound.
'A loyalist!'
'We misjudged him!'
'Of course, a man like him is the head butler of such a grand estate.'
Max and the troubleshooters were moved. Claude had borne all the blame and criticism for the sake of the lord and the estate.
It was only now, as they were leaving, that they understood his heart. They felt a pang of guilt.
Still, a bet was a bet. Claude's logic was sound, but if they lost, it would be a disaster.
Sensing Max's hesitation, Claude smiled.
"The mages from the magic tower have agreed to participate as well. The mages have already verified it. There's no need to worry."
"Oh!"
The troubleshooters exclaimed in awe. If the mages had already verified it, there was nothing more to say.
These mages had once belonged to the Scarlet Flame Tower, renowned as the best in the North. Among them, Vanessa was a 6th-circle mage.
Mages of that caliber joining the bet? It would be foolish not to participate.
Claude had deliberately convinced the mages first for this very reason. Troubleshooters, with their vast experience, were hard to sway. Highlighting the mages' involvement was crucial.
Of course, Claude conveniently left out the fact that Vanessa was no longer with the tower and wouldn't be participating in the bet.
"I'll do it!" Max declared boldly, and the troubleshooters unanimously agreed. Thus, Claude successfully roped in both the mages and the troubleshooters.
'Phew, now it's underway. Don't worry, we'll win anyway.'
Despite this, Claude showed some growth.
After persuading them, he didn't go straight to Ghislain. Instead, using his authority as head butler, he pilfered a small sample of the powdered food and mixed it for himself with a determined expression.
"Hm… the taste's not bad."
Though it left his stomach feeling slightly uneasy, it wasn't too uncomfortable. In fact, he even felt a slight sense of fullness.
With that, he worked until evening as usual.
"I'm hungry."
After drinking the powder mixed with water, hunger was inevitable. He ate another portion, rested briefly, and returned to work.
"Ah, I'm starving. This is useless."
He was hungry. He wanted to eat something delicious, something he could chew. Thinking about it only made the hunger worse.
Deciding to quit the powdered food experiment, he ate a hearty meal and said, "It's barely enough to stop you from starving to death. You definitely can't fight on this stuff. Hahaha!"
He gave up after just one day. The hunger, coupled with the constant craving for real food, was unbearable.
This time, he was certain the lord had failed.
Seeing Claude so overconfident, Wendy cautiously spoke.
"But isn't it a bit rash to decide after just one day? Shouldn't you try it for at least three days?"
"Ugh, forget it. I'm too hungry to live on just this stuff. It's a failure, a failure."
"…The lord has always delivered unexpected results."
"Not this time, and even if I lose, it doesn't matter."
Wendy looked surprised. For someone who wanted freedom so desperately, how could losing not matter?
Was he really trying to warn the lord about his arrogance?
As she gazed at him curiously, Claude turned his head away.
Staring out the office window, he muttered, "I've got nothing to bet… my life's already ruined, so I've got nothing to lose."
"…"
Claude had nothing left to wager. That's why he had dragged in other people's lives to bet on instead.
Wendy, who briefly thought he might have improved, simply stared at the office ceiling.
***
The contracts were quickly signed. The mages and troubleshooters wagered their lives, demanding freedom and money in return if they won.
It was only natural for Ghislain to readily agree.
Gaining an extension on 46 mages' contracts and recruiting 10 new troubleshooters was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
Claude looked at Ghislain confidently and said, "I'll handle the oversight. Can't let anyone sneak food to them."
"Do as you please."
"Haha, don't regret it."
"You, on the other hand… Well, you have nothing to regret."
News of the wager between the lord and the head butler quickly spread through the estate.
This time, even Ghislain's close aides like Belinda and Gillian, who usually tried to dissuade him, didn't bother.
They had learned through repeated attempts that trying to stop him was pointless.
Besides, there was genuine curiosity about whether Ghislain would succeed again this time.
The longtime residents of the Fenris region, familiar with such wagers, predicted Ghislain's victory.
Their belief wasn't based on any concrete knowledge—just that Ghislain always won. So, they assumed he would win this time too.
"They say the head butler challenged the Lord again?"
"Tsk, tsk, why does he keep doing this when he always loses?"
"But I hear this time's different. Even the mages are participating."
"Pfft, like that makes a difference. The mages joined before too."
Ghislain's popularity was so overwhelming that mockery of Claude only grew.
But Claude didn't care. He was genuinely confident in his victory this time—or so he told himself.
The participants, however, didn't share his optimism.
"What is this?!"
"You expect us to survive on just this powder for a month?!"
"And then participate in mock battles?!"
"How are we supposed to do that?!"
The knights and soldiers selected for the test looked at their powdered rations with sheer horror.
What was the one advantage of this estate? Despite the tough training, they could always eat their fill.
Food was abundant, especially recently. The people of Fenris had even started developing various sauces to make their meals more enjoyable.
This wasn't a change Ghislain had pushed for; it was a natural result of their abundant food supply.
And now, in such a food-rich environment, they were being asked to subsist on powdered water while continuing their rigorous training. Of course, they were furious.
Among the knights, the senior members Gordon and Lucas were the first to express their anger.
"I'm not training on this crap! It'll ruin my muscles!"
"This is a conspiracy from those jealous of my genius! I won't stand for it!"
Even the elves reacted similarly. Ascon, unfortunately one of those selected, exploded with rage.
"You bastards! At my age, you expect me to survive on this?! $#@%! $@#%! $#@%! %$#%!"
His cursing was so intense that it was hard to listen to.
Though they tried to rebel, they were swiftly subdued by Gillian and the other knights stationed to oversee them.
The non-participating knights worked even harder to suppress the participants, fearing they might be dragged into the experiment themselves.
The participants, filled with resentment, shouted in unison.
"They say this was the head butler's idea?!"
"Damn it! What does this have to do with us?!"
"Why does everything have to be so extreme?!"
Even without the wager, the experiment would have happened. But it wouldn't have been conducted this way.
Ghislain had originally planned to gradually test the effects, monitoring the participants' conditions over several days. After all, this wasn't regular food but emergency field rations.
It could have been tested safely while balancing other tasks.
But Claude, aiming for victory in the wager, had pushed things to the extreme. Seizing on Ghislain's mention of a one-month timeline, he had exaggerated the conditions.
As a result, all the participants' resentment was directed at Claude. They were truly forced to survive on just water and powder for an entire month.
Despite the outcry and criticism, Claude didn't bat an eye.
'I'm not hungry.'
He was a man of unyielding mental fortitude.
The wager had begun. To secure his victory, Claude started preparing even more meticulously.
Meanwhile, Ghislain, taking advantage of the ongoing bet and experiment, decided to try a training regimen he had been pondering for a while.
[Invisible Sword Master]
It was inspired by a book written by Gordon.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]