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It was already hard to endure a 30% increase, but now they wanted to charge 50% more? And only to him? This was outright unfair treatment.

“W-what do you mean by that? Didn’t you hear me? Our guild has conducted long-standing trade with Ferdium since the past…”

“Double.”

“…What?”

“It just doubled. Who gave you the nerve to bring up your relationship with Ferdium?”

“L-Lord, please don’t joke around. No matter the circumstances, don’t treat business transactions like a joke…”

Ghislain sneered as he looked at the flustered Paril.

“A joke? Does it sound like I’m joking?”

Under the sudden chilling pressure, Paril broke into a cold sweat. He couldn’t fathom why Ghislain was acting so unreasonably.

As he wracked his brain, Paril suddenly recalled a past deal with Ferdium.

‘Why did he react like that to Ferdium being mentioned? Don’t tell me…’

Faced with an ominous premonition, Paril cried out in a panicked voice.

“Is this about that past transaction with Ferdium? There seems to be some misunderstanding, lord. Back then, the prices were fairly calculated, factoring in transportation costs to the northern outskirts, labor fees, and the market rates of that time…”

“Triple.”

“M-My Lord…”

“Do you still think this place is the impoverished Ferdium that once bowed to your schemes?”

Paril couldn’t hide his despair.

It was clear now. The Lord before him had not forgotten how Paril’s guild had shamelessly overcharged his father in the past.

Food and iron ore were now tightly controlled by Baron Fenris. On top of that, the influential Marquis of Branford had publicly declared himself Fenris’ patron.

Baron Fenris was being hailed as the rising star of the kingdom and a leader of the northern Royal Faction, with his reputation rapidly growing.

To have offended someone like him meant the future of the guild was undoubtedly grim.

“M-My Lord, I’m sorry. Please, let’s settle for the original 30%…”

“You’re not making sense. Just throw him out.”

At Ghislain’s dismissive gesture, soldiers approached and began dragging Paril away.

“M-My Lord! Please! I was wrong! I beg you to reconsider!”

“There’s nothing to reconsider. From now on, the Paril Guild will be charged triple the price.”

‘That… that bastard!’

As he was dragged out, Paril was consumed with regret. Coming to argue had only made things worse.

But alongside the regret came an even greater surge of rage.

“Damn it, damn it! That brat! Back then, that was the fair price! Without us, Ferdium wouldn’t have even been able to get supplies! That petty bastard!”

Paril continued to curse and hurl insults at Ghislain.

No matter how rare food and iron ore were, it was impossible to buy them at three times the normal price. It would be cheaper to pay a premium to other guilds for their stock.

This loss was catastrophic. Grinding his teeth, Paril made a firm resolve.

“Just wait! Didn’t they say Desmond once mobilized an army? I’ll make sure to side with him and bring you to ruin!”

The guild’s survival depended on one thing—Ghislain had to either die or fall from power.

In that case, finding an enemy of Fenris was the only solution.

Ghislain chuckled lightly as he watched Paril being dragged out.

He didn’t need to see it to know what would happen. The guilds he had crushed would surely try to stir up trouble.

But it didn’t matter. Once he consolidated the North, he planned to devour them all.

Until then, they just needed to obediently supply the resources he required.

Ghislain immediately summoned Claude and issued an order.

“Start with collecting all the promissory notes from the guilds and estates that borrowed from Ferdium when we supplied them with food. Don’t leave a single one behind. Release only a small amount of iron ore for now.”

“Understood. Count Ferdium will be pleased. They won’t have to pay any more interest.”

“You think I can’t squeeze that interest back out of them?”

“Of course you can. Leave it to me.”

Claude handled the matter decisively. He began by selling cheap food at exorbitant prices and reclaimed all the promissory notes.

Afterward, he didn’t increase prices any further but placed restrictions on the quantities sold. For anyone wanting more, he collected bribes, raking in additional profit with ease.

The merchants were left speechless. They had seen their fair share of greed, but this level of cunning and corruption was a first.

“He thinks he can wield his authority as Chief Overseer however he pleases?”

“He’s stuffing himself with bribes—does he really think he’ll get away with it?”

“The prices are already infuriating, and now he’s unbearable. Someone’s got to take the fall, so let’s start with him.”

Complaints and petitions poured into the lord’s manor from countless merchants, but they had no effect whatsoever.

After all, the bribery was done with Ghislain’s approval to fill the estate’s coffers, so such protests were destined to fail.

Claude diligently collected bribes to stockpile the estate’s warehouses, while Ghislain watched with a satisfied smile.

* * *

Belinda and Fergus were overjoyed upon hearing that Ferdium’s debts had been entirely cleared.

To them, Ferdium was still a beloved yet painful memory—a cherished homeland and a lingering wound.

“This is such wonderful news! Isn’t our young lord so impressive? It must be because I raised him so well, don’t you think?”

“Hahaha, indeed… The head maid has done an exceptional job of… uh… hrrm! My heart suddenly…”

Fergus couldn’t finish his sentence and turned his head away. No matter how proud he was, saying something he didn’t truly mean was too difficult.

After receiving all the promissory notes, Homerne, the Chief Overseer of Ferdium, threw them into the air and shouted:

“Freedom! We’re finally free from debt! Hahahaha! I thought the Young Lord would just stir up trouble with his reckless wars and die, but instead, he won and even paid off all our debts! This is truly something to see before I die!”

Albert, the Treasurer, and Ferdium’s retainers joined in with cheers.

“We don’t have to pay interest anymore! We can finally start saving!”

“Not to mention, the food we received in abundance from the Young Lord is now being sold at skyrocketing prices. Our wealth has grown immensely thanks to it!”

“What an unexpected blessing! Who could’ve thought the Young Lord would suddenly pay off all our debts like this?”

For the first time in ages, they showered Ghislain with endless praise.

When he caused trouble, they wanted to kill him, but whenever he accomplished something like this, they were overjoyed.

After experiencing such highs and lows so often, they decided to simply go with their feelings—praising or cursing him as the situation demanded.

Meanwhile, Zwalter and Randolph, staying at the Northern Fortress, were overjoyed when they heard the news.

“Brother… We’ve finally repaid all our debts…”

Randolph murmured tearfully, his voice trembling with emotion.

Zwalter, overwhelmed by an indescribable surge of emotion, couldn’t even respond. He closed his eyes, deeply moved.

How much suffering had they endured due to their debts?

Now, his son had stepped forward and cleared all of it. It was a moment of overwhelming gratitude.

His chest swelled with pride. On this day, he missed his late wife more than ever. The absence of his partner at such a moment felt unbearably lonely.

“My dear… Why did you leave so soon? You didn’t even get to see how our troublemaker succeeded like this.”

His son’s fame and achievements were growing by the day. Zwalter couldn’t help but feel immense pride.

In truth, when he first heard of the recent war, his heart had sunk.

Without consulting anyone, Ghislain had boldly launched a surprise attack on Count Cabaldi’s estate. It was a move devoid of any aristocratic decorum or courtesy.

But rather than being consumed by anger, Zwalter was overwhelmed by concern.

He didn’t think Ghislain could win against Count Cabaldi, who was known as one of the North’s strongest figures.

He immediately began preparing to withdraw troops from the Northern Fortress and mobilize Ferdium’s forces, thinking to help Ghislain first and deal with the consequences later.

However, just as he was about to commence the retreat, a sudden report of victory arrived.

— “The Young Lord has won! No casualties! He has seized Count Cabaldi’s territory!”

Zwalter could still vividly recall the emotions he felt at that moment.

“Remarkable. It’s unbelievable. How did he grow so strong in such a short amount of time?”

At this point, he could no longer be considered just a baron. At such a young age, Ghislain had established a power and territory greater than that of most counts.

Borrowing the power of the Marquis of Branford, achieving success would not be an issue.

‘He has already far surpassed me.’

This was a truth I had long known but pretended not to acknowledge.

Even Zwalter himself had to admit that while he might hold his own in the field, he could not defeat Count Cabaldi in a siege battle.

From his knack for making money to his mastery of mercenary tactics, these were capabilities that someone of his age should not easily possess.

‘Yes, now I’m curious to see just how far you can go.’

Despite the perilous and precarious path ahead, worry still lingered in his heart.

But that was simply a father’s perspective. At this point, it was time to trust and watch rather than intervene.

After all, no amount of advice would sway someone who never listened. There was no point in wasting energy on something that would never work. It was better to put his mind at ease and trust instead.

Zwalter let out a resigned sigh and offered a bitter smile. Still, today was a day worth celebrating wholeheartedly.

It was a monumental day when the Ferdium family was finally freed from the shackles of debt.

Gathering his knights and soldiers, he declared loudly:

“We’ve paid off all our debts!”

“Woooaaahhh!”

The knights and soldiers erupted in cheers. They all knew how burdensome the estate’s debts had been, making life difficult for everyone.

Not only were the debts cleared, but there was now an abundance of supplies obtained from a prior trade involving timber. Knowing Zwalter’s character, everyone had quiet hopes that he would use this surplus to improve their living conditions.

Zwalter did not betray their expectations. He was a lord who knew how to share his resources generously.

“From today onward, everyone will receive a significantly higher salary than before. In addition to your wages, extra food supplies will also be distributed, so there’s no need to worry! You’ve all endured so much hardship!”

“Woooaaahhh!”

The cheers this time were even louder. Zwalter looked at them with deep emotion.

The overwhelming joy made his throat tighten. It felt surreal, as if this day would never come.

The task that every one of his ancestors had failed to accomplish had now been proudly achieved by his son.

Clearing his throat several times to steady his voice, Zwalter continued:

“I sincerely honor your loyalty in persevering through these difficult times. And… never forget that it was Ghislain, the heir to this estate, who resolved all these troubles.”

“Yes, my lord!”

The resounding voices echoed throughout the surroundings.

The knights, in particular, had more reason to rejoice.

Ever since learning the family’s new mana cultivation technique, it had been grueling. Even while battling barbarians, they couldn’t neglect their training.

Although their strength grew visibly by the day, their bodies and minds were growing weary. No, it felt as if even their spirits were being worn down.

Hearing such good news during times like this gave everyone an unexpected surge of energy. When things are tough, being well-treated is the only way to endure.

Ghislain truly had a knack for “breaking things and then mending them” in the most spectacular way.

* * *

Ghislain couldn’t help but marvel as he calculated the prices of the recent trade transactions.

“Wow, the price of food has risen even higher than before the war. This is basically clearing the debt for free.”

By simply handing over some surplus food, the Ferdium estate’s debt had vanished.

And that wasn’t all. Timber, herbs, textiles, and other resources needed for the estate’s development were continuously being funneled into Fenris.

Yet, the estate’s overall wealth had not decreased one bit. The ever-growing stockpile of harvested food had ensured that.

The iron ore sold in small quantities was just a bonus. Most of it was being heavily utilized within the estate, so they couldn’t afford to sell much.

“Hmm, but it’s still not enough.”

No matter how many resources were hoarded, it was always tight compared to the speed of the estate’s development.

Still, with efforts to scrape together every last bit, things would improve considerably over time.

But gathering resources and developing the estate wasn’t the end goal. All of this was just the foundation for building a powerful military.

The soldiers’ condition, including training and welfare, had to be maintained at the highest level at all times.

“I should also check on tactical training.”

As soon as Ghislain finished his paperwork, he headed straight to the training grounds.

The soldiers brought in with promises of food hadn’t yet fully adjusted to life in the estate. However, Ghislain had zero concerns when it came to the state of their training.

After their recent victories in war, morale and loyalty were high, and Gillian, an expert in training men, was overseeing them.

So recently, Ghislain had been focusing entirely on postwar management and estate development.

But as he observed the training session, he noticed a serious problem.

“Uurgh!”

“I… I can’t move anymore.”

“This is so hard I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

Groans erupted from soldiers all over the training grounds.

While the training intensity in Fenris was higher than in other estates, it wasn’t as harsh as the regimen imposed on the knights.

Even so, most of the soldiers struggled to keep up with the training.

“How can you hope to defend the estate if you can’t handle even this much?”

Even Gillian, normally stoic, seemed frustrated as he repeatedly pushed the soldiers to keep going. But all they could do was stand shakily, legs trembling.

“Ugh… the training here is too hard. My body just can’t keep up…”

“We didn’t do anything like this where I came from. We’re not knights, you know.”

“We won the war easily enough; why do we even need to get stronger?”

Northern lords didn’t train their soldiers to such extremes. It was enough for them to be disciplined and capable of maintaining order over the estate’s residents.

Their primary role was internal control rather than preparation for battle.

But Fenris was different. Here, the goal was to forge elite soldiers through rigorous training.

Naturally, soldiers who had never experienced anything like this before looked as though they were facing death.

‘It’s tough, but not impossible.’

While Ghislain and Gillian’s standards were indeed high, they weren’t foolish enough to overwork their men.

Drawing from their own experiences, the two had designed a meticulously tiered training schedule to ensure steady growth for the soldiers.

If most of them were still failing to keep up, it meant there was an entirely different issue at play.

As Ghislain carefully observed the soldiers, he soon nodded as if he had realized something.

“They’ve been malnourished for too long.”