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The Marquis’s retainers did not bother to hide their displeasure; it was plain on their faces.

‘How arrogant! Just because he made a bit of money, he acts like nothing else matters.’

‘Why did you choose to become the patron of such a person?’

However, unlike his retainers, the Marquis of Branford did not seem particularly displeased. Instead, he asked with a hint of curiosity.

“I don’t understand. This shouldn’t be a bad proposal for you, either. It would earn my trust and be beneficial to your family, wouldn’t it?”

Ghislain shook his head.

During his days as the King of Mercenaries, he had lamented countless times over his failure to protect his family and those dear to him.

After returning, his goal was singular: to protect his family, his estate, and his people.

But selling out his family just to obtain what he needed at the moment would be contradictory.

“I have no intention of selling out my family to get what I want.”

“Huh…”

However, those who didn’t know what Ghislain was thinking could only look at him in disbelief.

Marriage for political advantage was a given in this era. It was the easiest and most reliable way to strengthen a family’s power.

The Marquis’s proposal was an opportunity so great that a struggling family like Ferdium could hardly even dream of it. They should have accepted it when it was offered.

And yet, here was the family’s heir, spouting such naive thoughts. Was he still too young to understand how the world worked?

The Marquis of Branford, with an amused smirk, asked again.

“Marriage is decided by the head of the family, not by the individual. What do you think would happen if I were to send a letter to Count Ferdium right now? I doubt your father would refuse.”

“If my sister doesn’t want it, I’ll stop it.”

“Even if your father permits it?”

“Yes.”

“Even if it means you won’t get what you want?”

“I’ll just find another way.”

His answer was so confident, so full of conviction.

‘He dares to say he’ll defy the head of the family’s orders?’

The Marquis’s retainers all looked at Ghislain as if he were out of his mind.

Except for one person—Rosalyn.

‘So, there are people who think like that.’

It was an offer that any noble would have found difficult to resist. Yet he had rejected it so easily.

‘…He’s an idiot, but he’s impressive.’

Turning down such a golden opportunity was undeniably foolish. Her head understood that, yet his confidence was enviable and impressive.

No matter how much money one had or how capable one was, there were barriers that could not be overcome. Even Rosalyn couldn’t get past such barriers.

But Ghislain didn’t seem to care about any of that. His bold response had stirred something deep within Rosalyn.

The Marquis of Branford quietly watched Ghislain before speaking.

“You’re really not like a typical noble.”

“I hear that quite often.”

“Alright, I’ve heard your convictions.”

The Marquis of Branford spoke in a low voice.

“If you dislike it that much, there’s nothing I can do. But if you ever change your mind, let me know at any time.”

“Yes, well… understood. Then about the request I made…”

‘What a shameless guy.’

The Marquis shook his head.

As annoying as his attitude was, he was definitely different from the people of the Delfine Duchy.

This made him worth trusting.

If there were even the slightest hint of suspicion, he could simply cut off support and crush them with military force.

“I’ll grant your request.”

The Marquis’s words shocked the retainers. They hadn’t expected him to actually agree to such an absurd request.

But Ghislain, as if he had anticipated this, just smiled and nodded.

The Marquis of Branford continued, his expression turning cold.

“Don’t forget. The world you’re stepping into now is different from what you’ve known. A single mistake could devastate your estate and cost you your life. Not just yours, but your family’s as well.”

At the sharp warning, Ghislain lowered his head slightly.

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Officially, the support will be directed to Ferdium, as your father is the head of the family.”

“Understood.”

“It’s a plan that involves pouring in the royal army’s resources. I’m placing my trust in you to see this through, so don’t let me down.”

As long as Raypold and Ferdium could hold their ground, they could keep the power of the duchy in check in the North.

It was a strategy focused more on defense, but with the royal faction gradually losing ground to the duchy, it was difficult to adopt an offensive approach.

The Marquis of Branford continued without hesitation.

“I’ll redirect the support initially planned for the Brivant Estate to Ferdium. First, we’ll handle military supplies and food. The residents of the royal demesne will be relocated in phases over time.”

“Thank you.”

“Judging by the way you’re talking, it seems the numbers from the royal demesne alone won’t be enough. I’ll also talk to the lords to see if they can provide additional residents. Keep that in mind.”

Ghislain smiled. It was a much better outcome than he had anticipated.

But the one who was most delighted wasn’t Ghislain—it was Belinda.

“This is really great news!”

For her, Ferdium was like a home of the heart.

She had developed a deep affection for the place after coming there with Ghislain’s mother and have been staying there ever since.

‘How did our young master manage to pull this off? I’m glad I didn’t try to stop him.’

The heart can be so fickle. Before, she had been willing to beat some sense into Ghislain to stop him, but now that things were working out, she was relieved that she hadn’t interfered.

The Marquis of Branford continued.

“We’re looking at a timeline of about five years for the population relocation. That’s relatively fast considering the scale, but it still won’t meet the numbers you want right away.”

At least several tens of thousands of people would need to be relocated.

There was a need for time to select and organize those who would be migrating.

Ghislain had anticipated as much, so he immediately brought up the proposal he had prepared.

“Then I’d like to purchase slaves in bulk. Not just from the capital, but from other regions as well.”

“Hmm, slaves…”

The Marquis of Branford nodded. If one had the means to buy them, using slaves could be a better way to compensate for the shortage of labor.

The fact that Ghislain was specifically asking him for help was likely because it would be difficult to visit all the slave traders individually.

“Very well, I’ll send official notices to the slave traders in each region. Since the goal is to increase the population of your estate, we can look for entire households.”

“Thank you. But… since you’re helping, could you also procure some special slaves for me?”

“Special slaves?”

“Yes, I’d like to buy as many elf and dwarf slaves as possible.”

“…”

Up until now, the Marquis of Branford had readily accepted any request, but he hesitated to respond to this one.

Elf and dwarf slaves weren’t something one could simply acquire just because they wanted to. They were subjects of special management, and it was difficult to obtain them unless you were a high-ranking noble or the royal family.

Even if they could be acquired, their numbers were extremely limited, making them extraordinarily expensive.

The cost of a single non-human slave could be equivalent to purchasing more than a hundred ordinary human slaves.

“You have quite the demands. High-ranking nobles struggle to get even a few of those non-human slaves, and you want to acquire them in bulk?”

“Yes, it’s not easy to find sellers.”

“It would be cheaper to buy slaves trained in advanced skills instead.”

“I’m planning to use that method as well. But wouldn’t it be beneficial to have more non-human slaves too?”

Elves and dwarves had qualities that, due to their racial traits, surpassed those of humans.

Ghislain had already thought of various ways to utilize them.

If he couldn’t increase the quantity, then why not improve the quality?

Of course, this was only feasible if one could afford the cost.

The Marquis of Branford pointed out precisely this issue.

“Do you have the money for that? I’ve heard you’ve made some money recently, but it won’t be enough to get as many as you’d like.”

Ghislain responded as if to assure him not to worry.

“To be honest, it’s hard for me to secure that much cash immediately. But I do have a method.”

“And what might that be?”

With a sparkle in his eyes, Ghislain confidently looked at the Marquis of Branford.

“Please act as my guarantor…”

“Denied.”

“…”

The Marquis of Branford cut him off with a swift refusal before Ghislain could even finish his sentence.

The others who had been listening nearby showed expressions of disbelief.

Rosalyn, in particular, was once again deeply shocked.

It was impressive enough that he carried out such grand schemes without batting an eye, but the fact that he intended to do it using someone else’s credit was especially bold.

‘…He’s such a fool, but he’s cool.’

As the room fell into silence, Belinda tugged on Ghislain’s sleeve again.

‘Damn it, this is driving me crazy. The other requests are already overwhelming, but why are you doing this?’

She immediately regretted not stopping him earlier.

This should have ended at the first verse, but he seemed intent on going on for who knew how many more.

Ghislain brushed off Belinda’s hand and spoke again.

“The amount is large, so I understand your concern. But there’s no need to worry. I can pay it all back.”

“……”

The Marquis of Branford was at a loss for words.

People who asked for someone to act as their guarantor always said things like that. He had never met one who didn’t.

“Is it really not possible?”

Ghislain asked again, his eyes sparkling, wearing an innocent expression.

The Marquis of Branford couldn’t help but chuckle.

Even if he had agreed to be Ghislain’s patron, it felt like the man was asking him to follow him to the ends of hell.

Asking for a guarantee now, of all things? This guy was truly something else.

“I refuse. Don’t ask me again.”

“Oh, come on.”

Ghislain clicked his tongue in disappointment at the cold, firm tone.

‘As expected, this isn’t going to work.’

He had tried to throw it out there since it was such a costly endeavor, but of course, it didn’t take.

As he turned his head in disappointment, his eyes landed on someone.

The person who had once shown up with flair and promised to be his sponsor.

Swish.

The moment Rosalyn made eye contact with Ghislain, she immediately pulled out her fan to cover her face.

Ghislain, with a gaze brimming with melancholy, called out to her.

“Milady.”

Startled by his call, she nearly stumbled but quickly regained her balance and spoke to the maid beside her.

“I don’t think my condition has fully recovered yet. I need to return to my room. Let’s go, quickly, quickly.”

With the assistance of her attendants, Rosalyn exited the hall.

She kept her face hidden behind her fan the entire time.

Ghislain urgently called after her.

“Excuse me, Milady? You said you’d be my sponsor.”

‘I said I’d be your sponsor, not your guarantor!’

Acquiring a large number of non-human slaves would cost as much as the kingdom’s annual budget.

No matter how well cosmetics were selling, there was no way to pay back that kind of money.

Agreeing to be a guarantor was like scheduling a bankruptcy in advance.

“Baron, I’m not feeling well right now… I’ll see you later.”

“Milady! Milady!”

Rosalyn vanished, pretending not to hear Ghislain’s desperate calls.

“Hmm…”

Ghislain couldn’t hide his disappointment as he glanced around the room.

But everyone who met his gaze quickly turned their heads away, avoiding him.

‘I really can pay it back, but no one believes me. There’s just so much I need money for. Sigh.’

There was no helping it. He’d have to scrape together every last coin he could earn. It seemed he’d have to live frugally for the time being.

Having come to terms with reality, Ghislain accepted it.

“Understood. I’ll arrange the funds myself.”

As the discussion came to a close, the Marquis of Branford spoke in his usual dry tone.

“It seems there’s nothing more you need to ask. It will take a few days to organize everything you’ve mentioned.”

“Understood. I’ll come back once you notify me.”

“Do you have any other business in the capital?”