"Ugh, why are we gathering this early in the morning?"
"I heard our employer is a complete rookie. Isn't he that spoiled young lord from the Ferdium estate?"
It was still early before dawn broke, yet the mercenaries were already gathered in large numbers.
These were the men Ghislain had recruited through the Zimbar Mercenary Guild.
They gathered in the vast open space behind the Mercenary Guild building, whispering to one another about their employer.
"A rookie, huh? Guess we can just take it easy on this one."
"Yeah, seems like some clueless brat who wants to make a name for himself. Let's show him how scary the world really is."
"How about we just pretend to fight and then slip away with the money?"
They all underestimated Ghislain, thinking they'd just do the bare minimum while making it look like they were working.
Not all of the mercenaries knew Ghislain, but a few had heard the rumors about the pathetic young lord.
And those rumors spread quickly among the group.
"I heard the Count of Ferdium is often away from the estate, right?"
"Even better. You think that rookie brat can manage a bunch of mercenaries?"
"They say he's a troublemaker. Should we show him what real trouble looks like, coming from the experts?"
While the mercenaries laughed and joked around, a large man with a bald head and a muscular frame stepped forward and shouted loudly.
"Hey, listen up. If we want to deal easily with this rookie employer, don't we need a leader?"
The bald giant's name was Gordon.
He was a well-known mercenary in the area, famous for his strength.
He was so obsessed with training that he earned the nickname "Muscleman Gordon."
His dedication to building muscle was extreme—he wouldn't even drink alcohol, claiming it would cause muscle loss, and he never shed a tear for the same reason.
He was solely focused on making his muscles more prominent and harder.
Gordon flexed his chest muscles as he spoke proudly.
"If we want to handle the employer properly, we need to unify our opinions. If everyone acts on their own, it'll divide the group. How about I act as the 'wrangler,' and you all back me up? You'll get your fair share once the job's done."
A "wrangler" was a mercenary term for someone stepping up as the representative and pressure the employer.
If the job became easier as a result, it was customary for the other mercenaries to reward the wrangler with a bit of money.
The mercenaries nodded in agreement to Gordon's suggestion, one by one.
"Hmm, 'Gordon of the Muscles'? Not a bad choice."
"I'm in. A rookie like him would probably be terrified just looking at Gordon's muscles."
"Shouldn't we try to get a little extra money out of this?"
"Sounds good! Let's also teach that rookie employer a bit about the harshness of the world!"
"Hahaha, right? Since we're the ones giving him life lessons, we should charge him some tuition!"
The mercenaries clapped in excitement, clearly entertained by their own plans.
A few mercenaries frowned at this behavior and didn't join in, but the majority had already decided to elect Gordon as their representative.
Even the leaders of small mercenary groups quietly supported Gordon, thinking that this wouldn't be a loss for them either.
With everyone backing him, Gordon grinned confidently.
"With this many men, the employer won't be able to act recklessly."
There were about 160 mercenaries gathered.
If they rebelled as a group, they could be quite a headache for the employer.
In such cases, the employer is usually forced to compromise, adding more money or loosening the terms of the contract.
For example, allowing them to withdraw without paying penalties if they deem the situation too dangerous.
Such things happen all the time in this field. The more lenient the employer, the worse the demands became.
Although mercenaries were aware that their credibility and reputation were on the line, they didn't always go too far. Most of the time, they just engaged in a bit of psychological warfare.
"Hey, at the very least, let's make sure we get the terms for canceling the contract in writing."
"Yeah, if it really gets dangerous, we need to be able to run away."
"But isn't that place not even a big deal? No one's actually seen any monsters there; there are just rumors spreading around, right?"
The Forest of Beasts was rumored to be dangerous, but in reality, no one knew the truth.
Some mercenaries thought it would just be a simple monster hunt, while others were gathered with the intent to flee if the fight got too dangerous.
Then, there were those who had come with no thoughts other than to earn some money.
While the mercenaries were banding together, two figures on horseback began approaching slowly, cutting through the morning mist.
"Oh, finally, the young employer shows up. As expected of a noble, taking his sweet time. Guess it's time to teach him a lesson, ha ha."
At Gordon's words, the mercenaries burst into laughter.
They were starting to look forward to how Gordon would handle the employer.
Behind the two figures, a group of about thirty more appeared, all on foot.
Seeing this, Gordon whistled.
"Of course, he's a noble. He's got quite a lot of soldiers with him."
"Still, we outnumber them, right?"
"Ha, how about we circle them and give them a little scare?"
Encouraged by Gordon's words, the mercenaries began creeping forward.
With intimidating expressions, they intended to overwhelm the newcomers with their presence.
But Gordon, laughing, waved his hand dismissively.
"Now, now, let's not overdo it. You don't want to scare them too much right from the start. Let me handle this first…"
Gordon, who had been boasting confidently, suddenly fell silent as he saw the faces of the approaching riders emerging from the mist.
He rubbed his eyes and looked again, carefully scrutinizing the people approaching, but he hadn't seen wrong.
A voice filled with shock escaped his mouth.
"T-the Mad Dogs?"
Every mercenary froze in place, stiffening where they stood.
Clip-clop.
Leisurely riding his horse, Ghislain approached Gordon and glanced down at him with a smirk.
"Are you the one herding these fools?"
"W-what? Me?"
"Your name?"
"Gordon…"
"Figures. You're just as simple-minded as you look."
Ghislain chuckled and rode past Gordon.
It was apparent what was happening just by looking at the mercenaries' positions. Having done the same thing countless times in his past life, Ghislain could easily recognize the situation.
Seeing it from the receiving end, it felt like a childish move. But still, it brought back old memories, so he wasn't angry.
Following Ghislain, Kaor passed by Gordon, glaring at him with cold eyes.
While Gordon was sweating nervously and stumbling over his words, one of the Cerberus Mercenary Corps mercenaries, following behind their leader, spoke up.
"Gordon, it's been a while. Are you seriously not lowering your eyes?"
In the end, Gordon hung his head low.
If it was purely a matter of skill, he was confident he could take down at least one member of the Cerberus Corps.
However, the Mad Dogs fought with such reckless ferocity that provoking them would only be akin to stirring up a hornet's nest.
The other mercenaries, seeing the appearance of the Cerberus Corps, also averted their gazes and began whispering amongst themselves.
"Why are the Mad Dogs with the employer?"
"I don't know. Why is Gordon just standing there?"
"What else could he do? If those mad dogs come at him, it's gonna be trouble."
The mercenaries who had been plotting to squeeze money out of Ghislain started to become wary after seeing the Cerberus Mercenary Corps. They figured it wouldn't be too late to act after understanding why they were following the employer.
Gordon, too, couldn't say a word and backed off for the moment.
Ghislain crossed his legs as he sat down on a chair in the clearing, with the Cerberus Mercenary Corps standing behind him like guards.
That alone was a rare sight, but there was something strange about how the Cerberus Corps members behaved.
"Why do those Mad Dogs look so cautious?"
"Could it be they're afraid of the employer?"
Indeed, the entire Cerberus Mercenary Corps seemed to be watching Ghislain's every move.
Especially their leader, Kaor, who visibly flinched every time Ghislain so much as gestured.
"Looks like the Mad Dogs are practically groveling to the employer."
"Does that mean the employer has that much power? Is the Ferdium family really that influential?"
"Either way, we can't mess with them now that the Mad Dogs are siding with the employer. Fighting those guys would be a nightmare."
The mercenaries quickly realized their plans to exploit Ghislain were doomed.
If they caused trouble now, things would certainly escalate into a fight. While both sides would take damage, it was obvious they'd come out worse.
Almost as if waiting for Ghislain to arrive, the mercenary guild manager emerged from the building and handed out contracts to the mercenaries.
"Alright, this is His Grace, the Young lord of Ferdium. Make sure to check your contracts and follow the instructions carefully."
The mercenaries hesitated to proceed with the contract.
The Cerberus Mercenary Corps was so notorious that joining forces made everyone uneasy.
Not long after, as the mercenaries stood around, exchanging uneasy glances, Gordon finally snorted and stepped forward.
He didn't want to admit that he was intimidated by the Mad Dogs.
"I'm Gordon. Nice to meet you."
He gave a curt nod to Ghislain and immediately stamped his seal on the contract without even reading it.
Tilting his head, Ghislain asked Gordon, "You're not going to read it?"
Before Gordon could answer, the guild manager snickered and replied on his behalf.
"He doesn't know how to read. His brain's all muscle. Whatever job he's told to do and however much money he's promised, he just believes it and goes along with it."
"If I study, I lose muscle! Don't you know the laws of the universe? You gain one thing; you lose another!"
The guild manager gave Gordon a pitiful look as he fumed, glaring at him.
"Look at this idiot, making excuses just because he doesn't want to study. What would you even lose from studying, huh?"
"I don't care! That's just how I am!"
Because he couldn't read, Gordon had been scammed countless times.
He often thought he should study, but he never had the time between exercising and resting.
Ghislain chuckled as he watched Gordon.
He'd also commanded many subordinates who couldn't read in his previous life, just like Gordon.
Gordon felt oddly familiar to him for some reason, so he decided to say a few words.
"When this is all over, and if we get the chance, I'll make sure someone teaches you."
"Thank you!" Gordon shouted enthusiastically as he returned to his spot.
Seeing this, the other mercenaries, who had been hesitating, slowly came forward one by one to proceed with the contract.
After all, they had come here knowing they'd be fighting monsters.
The Cerberus Mercenary Corps was known for its competence, and as long as the employer could properly control them, it would actually make things safer for everyone.
The only regret was that they couldn't exploit the employer as they'd originally planned.
A small mercenary group that had always had a rough relationship with the Cerberus Mercenary Corps decided to drop out, and the contract process was finally completed.
The guild manager organized the contracts and handed them to Ghislain.
"A total of 148 men."
Including the Cerberus Mercenary Corps, which brought the total to around 180.
It was the sort of number one would typically see employed for territorial wars, which comforted the mercenaries.
The more allies they had, the better.
After checking all the contracts, Ghislain surveyed the mercenaries.
"I am Ghislain, Young lord of Ferdium. As you've heard from the guild manager, we intend to pioneer the Forest of Beasts. I'll explain the specifics once we reach the estate. I look forward to working with you."
He immediately ordered the mercenaries to prepare for departure.
For those without horses, he purchased horses or arranged rentals, and he also bought plenty of supplies necessary for camping outdoors.
As soon as the preparations were complete, they set off toward the Ferdium Estate.
People who saw the rough-looking mercenary group from the morning hurriedly cleared out of their way in fear.
'This reminds me of the old days.'
Watching the noisy mercenaries following behind him, Ghislain momentarily sank into nostalgia.
In the past, he had also led mercenaries across the continent like this.
'I'll be able to meet them again, right?'
Now that he has returned to the past, his former subordinates must be living somewhere.
One of Ghislain's goals was to find them again if the opportunity arose.
—
The group soon arrived at the Ferdium Estate's borders, but the mercenaries had to stay outside it.
If they marched in with an armed force without permission, it would inevitably cause conflict with the estate's retainers, so they had no choice.
After leaving the mercenaries to wait, Ghislain and Gillian headed straight to see Belinda.
"Belinda, how's the preparation going?"
"You're later than I expected. But everything you asked for is ready."
"Of course, I knew you'd handle it."
Belinda puffed up proudly, but then her expression turned into one of concern.
"But we've already spent more than half of the money we got from Raypold. Considering the cost of maintaining the forces and the additional materials we'll need, I'm worried we won't have enough to cover everything. Are you sure this is okay?"
"It can't be helped that the initial costs are high. We need to start soon."
Although 20,000 gold was a significant amount—enough for a person to live comfortably for the rest of their life—it was nowhere near sufficient for a large-scale project like pioneering an estate.
Ghislain had already expected that the initial setup would consume most of the funds he extracted from Amelia.
They needed to start generating revenue as quickly as possible to sustain the operation.
"Tell the workers we'll start the construction tomorrow."
"Young Master, you need to stop this now. The remaining money would be better spent elsewhere. If you keep going, we won't be able to do anything. Once construction starts, the money will drain away quickly."
"No, we can't stop. This project is absolutely essential for the estate."
From Belinda's perspective, no matter how she looked at it, it seemed impossible to develop the Forest of Beasts with the funds they had left.
Seeing that Ghislain had no intention of backing down, she eventually raised her voice in frustration.
"We've already spent over 10,000 gold just preparing people and supplies! No matter how you think about it, there's no way we can carry out this pioneering!"
At her words, Ghislain's lips curled into a peculiar smile.
"It's fine. We're not going to pioneer the forest."