CHAPTER 126: I'll give it a try (2)

"What?"

The Marquis Branford narrowed his eyes, thinking he must have misheard, glancing around him. 

Every person in the room looked like a statue, lips slightly parted, frozen in disbelief. Even the normally unflappable butler of the house wore an expression of shock.

To dare to ask something of the Marquis? Even the prime minister, the second most powerful man in the kingdom, cannot speak so openly, and figures of similar status would only ever hint at their desires subtly. No one had ever made such a blatant demand of the Marquis.

The Marquis turned fully to face Ghislain, his gaze piercing.

"Say that again."

Ghislain met his gaze confidently and repeated himself.

"I understand that you wield considerable influence in this kingdom, Lord Marquis. If I succeed, wouldn't a single favor be reasonable to ask?"

"Are you seriously trying to use my daughter's weakness as leverage in a deal with me?"

"Yes, Lord Marquis. Surely, a favor isn't too much to ask in return?"

Indeed, it wasn't too much for the Marquis. Almost anything Ghislain could ask would likely be within his power. But seeing his daughter used as a bargaining chip was intolerable.

A hint of killing intent appeared in the Marquis's eyes.

"It's a very merchant-like offer, but it shows a complete lack of calculation. To think curing my daughter would merit a reward? Do you truly believe this holds such immense value?"

Ghislain remained unaffected, even in the face of the Marquis's icy tone.

"Yes, I believe it does. After all, what's the point of power if you can't protect your own family?"

"You insolent…!"

Everyone around them gasped, hardly able to breathe. Only the Marquis's thunderous voice filled the room.

Belinda, her face pale, tugged desperately at Ghislain's sleeve.

'You know how terrifying the Marquis is! Why are you provoking him?'

Claude, also looking terrified, grabbed his other sleeve.

'Please stop, you madman…!'

Cold sweat trickled down his face, but Ghislain shrugged off their hands and spoke.

"Let go. Lord Marquis, what will it be? Are you really going to give up on healing her?"

Ghislain stood tall, passing the decision to the Marquis.

'This man… is he truly insane?'

The Marquis found himself chuckling at the absurdity. The situation was so unexpected, his anger momentarily subsided.

No provocation had ever been so bold.

Since assuming power, the Marquis had never encountered such an astonishing challenge.

"Heh… hahahaha!"

The Marquis smirked, a strange laugh escaping him.

"Fine. Go ahead and try. If you succeed, I'll grant you anything you wish. However…"

He looked at Ghislain with an icy stare.

"Daring to make demands of me comes at a steep price. Your life alone isn't enough to balance this deal. You'll need to wager more."

"Name your terms."

The Marquis sneered and spoke slowly.

"Bet your entire family line."

Ghislain's entourage went pale, faces drained of all color.

The Marquis's words felt like a crushing weight around them.

To stake his family line meant that if Ghislain failed, the entirety of Perdium would suffer.

This was now far beyond a responsibility Ghislain could bear alone.

But Ghislain, as if unaware of the gravity, responded calmly.

"That sounds fair. Consider it done."

The Marquis's lips twisted into a cruel smile.

"And how much time will you need?"

"Two weeks will be enough."

Things only continued to spiral.

The Marquis's household had been searching for over a year with no results, and yet this man claimed he'd solve it in two weeks?

Suppressing a laugh, the Marquis turned to his butler.

"Butler."

"Yes, my lord."

"Inform the Royal Treasurer to halt all support to Perdium in two weeks."

Though not a king, the Marquis spoke as if his word were law.

And with his authority, he had the power to make it so.

"Understood, sir."

The butler nodded without a hint of surprise. Orders like this were nothing new.

The Marquis's brutal instructions were not yet finished.

"Master of Arms."

A large, armored man bowed in response.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Surround Baron Fenris's mansion in the capital. Effective immediately, no one is allowed in or out."

"Understood, sir."

"No one in Baron Fenris's company is to leave the premises until the two-week deadline. I'll decide their fate then."

Belinda and Claude turned ghostly pale.

What had started as an ordinary visit had turned into a nightmare.

If the royal family got involved, Baron Fenris and Perdium would be crushed, and everyone involved would likely lose their heads.

'How did I end up in this mess, just because of this lunatic!'

Claude looked ready to cry but held back, understanding this was no time for his usual jokes.

Gillian, who had remained silent behind Ghislain, lowered his gaze and sighed heavily.

'I'd better look for an escape route from the capital, just in case.'

If Ghislain noticed the inner turmoil of his followers, he showed no sign, staring impassively at the Marquis.

The Marquis, noting that Ghislain didn't show an ounce of fear, spoke dryly.

"Do as you wish, Ghislain Perdium."

***

With the Marquis's forces surrounding his mansion, all sales of Ghislain's cosmetics were immediately halted.

Frightened servants from other noble houses couldn't even voice complaints and simply left.

This caused an uproar among the nobility who'd come to rely on the products.

Growing impatient with the rumors of limited stock, some nobles even went to confront the soldiers blocking access to the estate.

"Who are you to block our way? Do you know where you are? Open the doors now, you imbeciles!"

One noble pointed and shouted at the soldiers encircling the mansion.

However, the knights ignored the shouting, silently raising a flag featuring a roaring lion—the symbol of the Marquis Branford.

"…"

The nobles, recognizing the crest, quickly shut their mouths.

Had they known Branford's forces were involved, they would never have dared raise their voices.

Clearing their throats, the nobles forced polite smiles.

"It seems the Marquis has some business with the Baron. Carry on with your duties."

With that, they hastily departed.

Once the nobles were gone, not even a mouse approached the estate.

News of Ghislain's wager with the Marquis spread rapidly, and nobles reacted with disbelief.

What fool from the countryside would dare challenge the Marquis?

The Marquis was infamous for his ruthlessness. Should Ghislain fail, he'd lose his head.

The nobility quietly hoped that Ghislain's gamble would succeed—not out of concern for him, but because they weren't eager to lose access to his excellent products.

As Ghislain's business partner, Meriel was particularly distressed.

"Why did he go straight to the Marquis? If he'd talked to me, this could've been avoided!"

Meriel had introduced Ghislain to numerous nobles, helping him build connections.

Although Meriel had significant influence in the capital, it was nothing compared to the Marquis Branford.

"Ahh, the man is practically impervious to reason! What on earth was he thinking?"

Mobilizing the city's noblewomen might help Meriel save Ghislain, but it would put her at political odds with the Marquis.

And when it came to noble dealings, favors had to be repaid.

Frustrated, Meriel chewed her nails, glancing at her remaining supply of Ghislain's products.

"Only five left?"

The promotional gifts Ghislain had initially provided had been mostly distributed. Now, only a small amount remained.

With a gloomy expression, she ordered her maids to buy back whatever products they could from the capital's servants.

Similar scenes played out across the city.

With the sales completely cut off, nobles scrambled to buy back products that had already been opened and used.

As the capital buzzed with talk of Ghislain and his products, Kaor found himself confined within the mansion, grinding his teeth in frustration.

"Damn it, I'm going to go insane from the boredom."

Normally, he'd have tried to fight his way out, but this time was different.

"Has to be the captain's doing again."

Not being with Ghislain this time had been a choice. As the estate's security chief, Kaor was responsible for overseeing the guards and managing the mercenaries.

But he knew well enough by now that whenever something absurd was happening, it was Ghislain's doing nine times out of ten.

"This time feels more serious, though."

Kaor scowled.

The soldiers surrounding the mansion weren't ordinary guards; they were seasoned, disciplined men.

If they had sent troops of this caliber, it meant the captain was in serious danger.

One of the mercenaries approached him with a worried expression.

"Seems like the captain got himself in trouble again. Should we try to rescue him?"

"Tch. Rescue him? Do you think we stand a chance against those guys?"

"Well, not exactly, but…"

"They're just standing guard for now, not attacking. Besides… do you really think he'd just sit there and take it?"

"…Hasn't he been sitting there, though?"

"That's exactly my point. If he's letting them surround him, it's either because they're really strong or…"

"Or what?"

"Or he's pretending to be beaten to screw with them."

"I see…"

Kaor, who'd been with Ghislain for a while, was surprisingly close to the truth.

But speculation was still just that, and the situation was serious enough to warrant preparation.

"So, what should we do?"

"Hm…"

After a long pause, Kaor finally answered with a serious expression.

"We drink."

"…What?"

"Let's drink. I'm done thinking. Who cares? The captain will sort it out. If things go south, we'll deal with it then."

The mercenaries grinned, nodding eagerly at Kaor's idea.

"Let's do that! We can strategize over a drink!"

"I'm in! No point in stressing over this!"

"If worst comes to worst, we'll just beat our way out of here! Hahaha!"

They decided to enjoy the present moment.

Before long, carts loaded with barrels of alcohol rolled up to the mansion, and soon after, a grand feast began inside.

The Marquis's knights looked on with disbelief as the mercenaries drank and reveled.

'…They're drinking and partying while surrounded? Are they out of their minds?'

But regardless of what the Marquis's knights thought, a grand celebration was in full swing within the estate.

Kaor raised his glass high and shouted,

"Who will solve today's troubles?"

"Tomorrow's me!"

"And who will solve tomorrow's troubles?"

"The me of the day after tomorrow!"

"Then let's worry about it all later… a toast to the captain's safe return!"

"To the captain!"

And with that, the carefree mercenaries clinked their glasses and laughed heartily.

[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]