Hubert asked in a trembling voice, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Are you serious? Are you really a lord now...?"
"Yes, during the recent war, Ferdiem captured the Digald County, and for my contributions, I was granted the Fenris Barony. I've now consolidated three baronies, which is almost the size of half a county."
"Hah, so you're really a lord now...?"
Being a tower master meant that the title of baron was of little significance, but regardless, if someone had gained land and a noble title, one was obliged to treat them with respect.
But given their informal relationship thus far, suddenly showing formal courtesy felt a bit awkward.
If they had met when the title was already in place, it would be different. Now, it just felt silly to suddenly start acting polite.
"Ahem, well, in any case, congratulations."
Though flustered, Hubert decided to continue treating him as usual since, as a master of the mage tower, his status was equivalent to that of a count.
However, Ghislain was not one to ignore the subtle shift in tone.
He crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, wearing a smug expression.
"Even though I'm a lord now, you can still treat me like before. I'm not some high-ranking count, and I'm still young. Until I become one, please act as you always have."
It sounded more like a threat that if Hubert didn't maintain their familiar relationship, things wouldn't go so smoothly when Ghislain eventually ascended higher in rank.
With a slight pout, Hubert replied.
"Alright, let's continue as we were. Just like always."
He only hoped that Ghislain's rise in status would stop at baron and go no further.
"In any case, we're now truly in the same boat. Let's work well together."
"You've made a good choice. You won't regret the decision."
They shook hands.
There was a chance they could get swept into another war, but the Crimson Tower didn't have many options left. Rather than wither away, betting on this young man didn't seem like the worst option.
Even though he couldn't fully trust what Ghislain said, he had, after all, won a war with a bold strategy.
The fact that Ghislain blew up the valuable runestone was still infuriating no matter how many times Hubert thought about it. However, coming up with such an idea was impressive in itself.
Having gotten what he came for, Ghislain stood up without further delay.
"Well, I'll be off then. Let me know when everything's ready."
"Got it. We'll prepare right away. Take care."
As he left the tower, Ghislain smiled wryly to himself.
"They might think it's a gamble, but this is the only way for the Crimson Tower to survive."
In his previous life, the Crimson Tower had fallen victim to the schemes of the Scarlet Tower. Ultimately, it had been ruined by the hands of Duke Delphine.
It was no coincidence; after all, the Duke's household had raised the Scarlet Tower's master, Delmud.
Upon returning to Ferdiem, Ghislain immediately packed his things and summoned his people.
That included Vanessa, who had mostly recovered, and the mages.
He quickly addressed them all.
"Gillian, lead the others and head to Fenris first. Leave the administration to the current officials and focus on maintaining security with Kaor."
The people, expecting Ghislain to finally head to the Fenris territory, were puzzled by the unexpected command.
"My lord… aren't you going with us?"
"No, I have a quick stop to make. I'll only take a few mercenaries as escorts and return soon."
"Where are you going this time? Are you abandoning the territory altogether?"
"I need to handle something critical for running the land. I have to deal with this first."
"And where exactly are you headed?"
"To the Austen estate in the kingdom of Ceylon."
Ceylon was a kingdom bordering Lutania to the west. It was a nearby country, with only a mountain range separating it from Digald to the southwest.
However, the Austen estate wasn't on the outskirts. On the contrary, it was much closer to the capital of Ceylon.
Belinda, folding her arms, stared intently at Ghislain after hearing his sudden declaration.
Instead of going to the newly acquired land, now he was going abroad? She had no idea what he was thinking.
After a brief moment of thought, Belinda exclaimed, as if something had clicked in her mind.
"Oh! The Austen estate... that's where that famous gambling city is! Don't tell me you're going there to gamble? You used to love gambling back in the day."
The word "gambling" immediately made the mercenaries stir with excitement, while the mages clicked their tongues in disdain.
Ghislain shook his head, chuckling.
"No, I'm going to bring someone back."
"Who?"
"Someone to manage the estate. A very clever fellow I know."
"You're entrusting the administration of your land to someone from abroad? Do you know this person well?"
"Yes, I know him very well."
Ghislain's eyes held a hint of nostalgia as he spoke.
Belinda raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
To her knowledge, Ghislain had never been abroad. It made no sense that he would know someone from a foreign land.
Just what was he up to now?
"Lord, didn't you recently imprison someone named Lowell for questioning about estate management?"
"Oh, leave that guy in jail for a while longer. He deserves it. I'll deal with him later."
Gillian nodded and shifted the topic.
"I'll accompany you to Austen, then. I've been there before."
"You need to stay and manage things."
"Torran can handle it."
Torran was an older mercenary who had been with them since the Beast Forest.
"Come to think of it, the two of them are of a similar age."
It seemed that Torran and Gillian had grown quite close after the war.
"If Gillian is confident, there shouldn't be any issues."
"Alright, then. Gillian, you and a few others will come with me. We can't draw too much attention at the border by traveling in a large group."
"Me! My lord, I want to go abroad too!"
"This isn't a vacation."
"Then I'll come to make sure you don't gamble!"
Belinda quickly left to pack, leaving Ghislain shaking his head.
But he didn't stop her. Once Belinda set her mind on something, there was no stopping her.
Torran, under Gillian's orders, began organizing the mercenaries.
Ghislain turned to Vanessa.
"If anyone bothers you, tell me immediately. Don't hold it in, okay?"
"Yes, I understand," Vanessa responded, bowing her head deeply.
Since the war, no one had dared treat her poorly. Even Alfoi avoided her nervously.
"Alright, I'll see you in a few days."
"I'll be waiting at the estate."
With that, Ghislain mounted his horse, barely acknowledging the farewells. Belinda hurried to his side, surprised by his haste.
"What's the rush? Did you set up a meeting or something?"
"I have to meet that guy before he loses a hand. He's in a bit of trouble."
"A hand...? What do you mean?"
"He lives in a gambling den. It's only a matter of time before he gets caught."
Belinda was baffled.
"Wait, you're entrusting your estate to a gambler? What if he gambles it away?"
"Don't worry, aside from gambling, he's an excellent guy."
Belinda looked like she had a lot to say but simply shook her head in disbelief.
"Just trust me. He's good at everything except gambling."
Ghislain laughed as he reassured her. There was a faint smile on his lips.
He had delayed recruiting this talent due to pressing matters, but now he had to bring him on board.
'I'll see you soon, Claude.'
Claude had been his strategist in his previous life.
Under the Mercenary King, there were many mercenaries. But none were as trusted with strategy and administration as Claude.
During the war, he had devised brilliant strategies, so much so that even the enemy coveted him as a tactician.
Though Claude couldn't fight, he never hesitated to scold even the roughest mercenaries, and he constantly bickered with Ghislain himself.
It was thanks to him that a mere mercenary company managed to drag on a war with a kingdom for a year.
'He didn't get to fully use his abilities in the past.'
No matter how excellent a strategist you are, there's a limit to what you can do without resources or a proper base of operations.
But this time, things were different. Ghislain had land and a growing influence.
If Claude could perform that well under such dire circumstances, this time he would be able to achieve even greater things.
'Don't waste your life on gambling this time.'
In his past life, when Claude had joined the mercenary company, he had already lost one hand and had the tendons in one ankle severed.
Even then, he couldn't stop gambling.
Although in the past, nothing could have been done to reverse Claude's condition, this time Ghislain could prevent it from happening altogether.
After several days of travel, they arrived in Austen.
Without delay, Ghislain headed straight for the largest gambling hall in the city.
His companions, having gotten used to his habit of acting without explanation, followed without question.
[Kraken Casino]
The sign featured a large, glowing octopus.
The fact that they had adorned their sign with such expensive magical lighting showed just how much money this place raked in.
This was the heart of the gambling city of Austen.
Belinda and the mercenaries gazed around in awe. The area around the grand casino was lined with taverns and bars.
"My lord! This place is incredible! It looks like the perfect spot to have fun!"
Even Gordon, who had been lured along by the mention of gambling, rubbed his hands together eagerly.
"Haha, just seeing this place makes my blood boil. Should I show off my skills after all this time?"
Ghislain shook his head.
"Don't bother. No matter how skilled you are, it won't work here. They're all swindlers."
"How do you know that? Have you been here before?"
"Once, a long time ago."
"You've never left the estate. When did you come here?"
"I've been here. A long time ago."
In his past life, Ghislain had come to this very place to resolve Claude's issue.
Although he couldn't restore the lost hand, he had tried to address the cause.
Since he was here, he had taken some time to relax and enjoy the gambling himself.
That day, the Kraken Casino had been destroyed.
Who could complain after the Mercenary King, one of the Seven Strongest, had been swindled?
Even the Kingdom of Ceylon had no choice but to let it slide.
Remembering the incident, Ghislain smiled nostalgically.
"Now, let's go find him."
Belinda nodded, asking, "Do you know what he looks like? Remember when we were searching for Gillian and you didn't know what he looked like? It took forever."
"Just wait over there. He might still be inside right now."
In his previous life, Claude had practically lived in the Kraken Casino.
When he ran out of money, he'd take on odd jobs like scribe work or tutoring, earn a little money, and then lose it all again in the casino. It was a vicious cycle.
Before joining the mercenary company, he had lived in this very place. So Ghislain figured that if they waited around, Claude would show up sooner or later.
The group entered the casino.
But something felt off.
People were murmuring all around, and there were workers packing up various things.
"Hm, was there a fight?"
Ghislain muttered as a staff member approached and greeted them with a bow.
"Welcome. May I show you to a seat? Would you prefer the VIP room?"
The staff, seeing Ghislain's attire and his armed escort, quickly assumed he was a noble. Their sharp eye for detail was impressive, as expected from casino workers.
Ghislain glanced around and shook his head.
"The atmosphere seems a bit off. Is something going on?"
"Nothing major. There was a little disturbance, but that's a common occurrence in places like this."
"That's true."
Where there's money, there's bound to be trouble. It would be strange if there wasn't any.
Just as Ghislain was about to let it go, he overheard some people talking nearby.
"That Claude bastard, I always knew he'd get himself into this kind of trouble."
"They'll definitely take his hand."
"Of course. He picked the wrong guy to mess with. But you've got to admit, the guy's got guts. Haha!"
"Still, I didn't think Claude was the type to cheat. He seemed like an educated fellow."
"Eh, you never know with people. Even educated types can fall to gambling."
Hearing the name of the person he had come to find, Ghislain's face hardened. He turned to the staff member.
"Is the troublemaker Claude by any chance? Smart-looking guy with dead-fish eyes?"
The staff member looked uneasy as he nodded.
"Yes, that's him. Do you know him?"
"What kind of trouble did he cause?"
"He was caught cheating one of the local gang leaders and has been taken away."
"By any chance, is that leader named... Crank?"
"Yes, he's known as Crank."
As soon as Ghislain heard the name, he muttered in disbelief.
"Was that supposed to be today?"