As soon as the topic of the Runestone came up, everyone looked at Ghislain with expectant expressions.
Their eyes sparkled to the point of being overwhelming.
It was a bit embarrassing to be holding out my hand for a reward instead of receiving one as the top contributor, but I had no choice. Receiving the Runestone was essential to breathing some life back into the estate's finances.
It wasn't something to refuse just because it was embarrassing.
That didn't mean I could outright ask for it, either. The Runestone was something Ghislain had earned entirely on his own.
In the end, the vassals could only rely on an age-old method that had been passed down through the generations: flattery, also known as the praise relay.
Homerne, after gauging the mood, was the first to step forward and loudly exclaimed,
"Your achievements will be remembered in history forever, Young Lord! The victory in the Ferdium Defense was entirely thanks to you! Every bard across the continent will sing praises of your accomplishments, spreading the word far and wide! The late Count Dante Ferdium, who was the former lord of Ferdium Estate…"
As Homern's words began to stretch on, Albert quickly cut in.
"Young Lord, it's extremely rare for a war hero of your age to have accomplished so much. No one in any other estate can even compare to you."
"Ahem, well, the Young Lord certainly did accomplish something great. Fought well too," Randolph added reluctantly, though it sounded more like a compliment forced out of him.
As Randolph's hesitant praise was added, the rest of the vassals began chiming in, one after another.
"It's an extraordinary feat."
"Even the people of the estate are in awe."
"Rumors about the Young Lord have spread across the entire estate. Truly remarkable."
In truth, the rumors had become so exaggerated that the vassals who hadn't witnessed Ghislain's exploits firsthand had difficulty believing them completely.
However, those who had been on the battlefield all praised in unison that "the Young Lord played a decisive role in the victory."
So, there was no harm in offering some praise since it didn't cost them anything.
In this harmonious atmosphere, the compliments continued without end.
Smiling as he soaked in all the flattery, Ghislain seemed satisfied, as if his hunger was sated, and finally spoke up.
"I don't have the Runestone right now."
It was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on them. The vassals who had been flattering him immediately fell silent.
Homerne, as if he hadn't heard correctly, asked again.
"What did you say? What don't you have?"
"The Runestone. I don't have it."
The vassals assumed the Young Lord was playing a joke again.
Some of them shot suspicious glances at Ghislain, clearly wondering if he was backing out at the last minute because he was reluctant to hand it over.
Feeling frustrated, Homern urged him on.
"No, but you said you'd give it. What do you mean you don't have it? Didn't you secretly take plenty before the war?"
"Oh, that? I don't have it."
"…Why?"
"You didn't know? They all blew up. Boom!"
Ghislain spread his arms wide, emphasizing the explosion with an exaggerated motion.
"Blew up?"
All those Runestones… blown up? Where on earth had they used them?
Albert, whose mind worked a bit faster than the others, asked in a trembling voice.
"Don't tell me? That fire you used for the trap… was that with the Runestones?"
The magic fire that Ghislain had unleashed was awe-inspiring just by description alone.
Many had wondered how he had managed to cast such a powerful spell.
Finally, the truth was being revealed.
"Yes, I buried a bunch of Runestones underground and then set them off."
He spoke as if it was as trivial as burning a few logs of firewood.
The vassals were all dumbfounded, mouths agape, unable to say a word.
As Ghislain briefly explained the mechanism of the trap, the vassals staggered in disbelief.
Has there ever been a case in history where someone blew through an entire cache of Runestones just to create a trap? Likely not, even across the entire continent's history.
It was already a shocking feat, but to think that he had used up such a vast quantity of them!
It was akin to saying that he had set fire to several cartloads of gold coins.
With that much wealth, even the grand lords could live comfortably for years.
For Ferdium, it could have easily sustained them for over ten years, maybe even twenty, if they spent it wisely like they were now.
Even Zwalter, who thought he had grown used to his son's eccentricities, turned pale.
Homerne, frustrated, clutched his chest and cried out.
"How could you use all of that for a trap?! Wouldn't it have been better to give half of it to Raypold or Desmond and secure their support? That would have been far more practical! If you offered them that many Runestones, other lords would have rushed to help you!"
"It was Desmond who attacked."
"…What?"
More shocking than the news of the Runestones was what followed. Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.
"How could an impoverished estate like Digald muster that kind of force? Desmond supported them."
"Why would a grand lord like Desmond target us?"
"Probably for the Runestones."
There were other reasons, of course, and it wasn't Desmond but Duke Delfine pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
But Ghislain decided not to mention that for now to avoid causing further confusion.
Zwalter, his voice trembling, asked again.
"Are you sure? Was it really Desmond?"
"It was. I'll show you the proof."
Ghislain nodded to Gillian.
A moment later, Gillian brought forward three knights, all bound tightly in chains.
They were Desmond's knights, who had been captured after infiltrating Ferdium.
Ghislain had deliberately spared their lives at the time, intending to use them later.
"These are the knights of Desmond who infiltrated during the war."
The knights wore expressions of utter defeat, looking exhausted and broken.
The mana-suppressing shackles made from Runestones weren't that effective, to begin with.
They didn't work properly on those with powerful abilities.
And the ones Ferdium had were the cheapest of the cheap, so they didn't even suppress half the knights' mana.
To subdue them, multiple mana-suppressing devices had been attached, in addition to tightly binding them with chains. No matter how strong a knight might be, it was impossible for them to remain unharmed in such a condition.
"Go ahead, ask them yourselves," Ghislain said.
Zwalter, his face adopting a mask of anger, questioned them.
"Who are you?"
One knight, his lips dry and cracked, spoke.
"We are knights of Desmond."
"Is that the truth?"
"It is."
"Then explain why you attacked our estate!"
At Zwalter's enraged demand, the knight slowly began to explain.
Although he didn't know the exact reason, it seemed to be about the Runestones. Most of the lords were still unaware of Ferdium's Runestones, so it appeared Desmond wanted to seize them first…
The knight shared what little he knew without resistance.
Since they had been promised their release if they cooperated, they clung to that hope, enduring in the meantime.
I didn't even have the courage to lie, afraid of Ghislain from the start.
Once the interrogation ended, Zwalter and the vassals all wore heavy expressions, unable to utter a word.
Even though they had won the war, standing against a great lord like Desmond was extremely unsettling and burdensome.
No, honestly, it was terrifying enough to make my hands tremble.
Ghislain, who had been slowly surveying the main hall, finally spoke.
"From now on, we must keep as much distance from Desmond as possible. We cannot fight him. Officially, it was Digald who attacked us, after all."
In the end, it was nothing more than a superficial trick.
Since Desmond disguised his own forces as Digald's soldiers, they had no choice but to overlook any inconsistencies, even if they were obvious.
"The other lords aren't fools either. Eventually, they'll get a sense of what happened. While they won't side with Desmond, they won't actively help us either."
Desmond was one of the most powerful great lords in the North. The only territory capable of opposing Desmond was Raypold.
But the relationship between Raypold and Ferdium had already deteriorated to its worst.
The vassals remained silent, and Ghislain continued speaking.
"If offering up the Runestone could guarantee peace, then we should do it. However, once we ask for help, the other side will only grow greedier. Whether it's Raypold or Desmond, it'll be the same. As hard and difficult as it may be, we must protect ourselves with our own strength."
In his calm voice, everyone quietly nodded their heads.
It wasn't wrong—though there were numerous practical difficulties.
"I'll gather a new batch of Runestones and present them. Since they all know I have access to the Runestone, they'll wait for some time. If we announce that relief supplies will soon be distributed to the residents, we can quickly restore public sentiment."
Zwalter looked at Ghislain with a hint of admiration in his eyes.
Though it was disappointing that they couldn't receive the Runestone right away, seeing this new side of his son was both surprising and pleasing.
He had always thought of him as a mere child, but how could he have become so dependable?
The vassals, too, wore expressions similar to Zwalter's as they observed the young lord's reliable demeanor.
However, Baron Homerne felt a mixture of joy and a tinge of fear at Ghislain's growth.
'Now, there's no one left who can stop the young lord.'
In the past, he had only needed to humbly ask the young lord for some money.
But with his remarkable achievements in the recent war and his discovery of the mastermind behind it, the atmosphere in the main hall had now begun to revolve around Ghislain.
Even now, none of the vassals could refute his words, merely nodding in agreement.
Of course, this time, Ghislain wasn't wrong, so Homerne stayed silent as well…
But he didn't want to see the situation where everyone blindly followed whatever Ghislain said.
It was good that the young lord had changed. However, not knowing why he had changed meant there was always a chance he could revert to his old self at any time!
Baron Homerne's theory was that people did not change easily.
'But… now, I suppose there's no way to stop or control him.'
Ghislain was no longer just influential—he was wielding absolute power over the estate.
Gulp.
Homerne swallowed dryly, feeling nervous. He wanted to understand why the young lord had changed so much.
Was it the war that had rapidly shaped him into this? Or had he always been like this, hiding his true nature until now? Has there been some kind of trigger?
It was truly frustrating not to know the reason for the change or grasp his way of thinking.
In the tense silence, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, Ghislain raised his voice again.
"Send another message to Count Rogues and solidify our alliance. As long as Desmond is our enemy, this won't be the end."
At the mention of a powerful great lord being their enemy, unease spread across the faces of the vassals.
But Ghislain continued without concern.
Now that their enemy had become clear, the estate had to adapt.
"And besides Desmond, we don't know if someone else might emerge. Ferdium can't handle everything on its own, so we need allies."
They couldn't keep focusing solely on the North while neglecting their rear, so it was essential to secure other allied forces.
Zwalter nodded heavily.
"Understood. I'll send another messenger and have a serious discussion with Count Rogues."
After a brief pause to consider, he spoke again.
"As for rewarding those who remain, I will delay that for now. Once Ghislain brings back the remaining Runestones, we will distribute them to the estate's people first and only then issue rewards."
Some of the knights showed slight disappointment, but most bowed their heads in agreement.
At this point, arguing against the decision would only get them stoned and dragged away.
Besides, without the Runestones from Ghislain, there was no money for rewards anyway.
Once everyone agreed, Zwalter turned to Ghislain and spoke.
"I had promised to give you 2,000 gold, but it seems like you'd just be taking it and then giving a portion of it back. I doubt you need much money. Is there anything else you might need?"
Ghislain nodded, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
Of course, after all the hardship he had gone through, he had no intention of just letting it slide.
Even though they were family, a mercenary had to be compensated for their work.
There was no way he was going to settle for a reward of a mere 2,000 gold.
Moreover, he needed many things to prepare for the future.
"Before that, I have one question. What do you intend to do with the Digald County?"
Zwalter stroked his chin in thought. With their territory having suddenly expanded, there was no detailed plan in place.
"Hmm, for now, I plan to send officials to manage it as a direct domain. Later, I'll divide the land among the vassals who have contributed significantly. Of course, we'll accept those who swear loyalty to us."
"Understood. In that case, I'll tell you what I want as my reward."
"Haha, alright, go ahead. Tell me whatever you wish."
Zwalter smiled warmly as he spoke, and Ghislain responded with a soft smile of his own.
"I will need half of that land."
The faces of Zwalter and everyone else were instantly filled with shock.