CHAPTER 21: You crazy idiot, why would you do that! (1)

Upon returning to the estate, Ghislain and his party couldn't hide their sense of relief.

Though the journey had been short, it was hard to feel at ease and comfortable outside as they did in the Perdium estate.

Only Gillian, expressionless as always, glanced around the estate, observing it closely.

As they headed towards the lord's castle, Ghislain asked Gillian,

"This is Perdium estate. How do you feel about it now that you've seen it in person?"

"…It seems fine," he replied.

"No, no. Not a formal answer like that. I'd like an honest assessment, from an outsider's perspective."

Gillian hesitated momentarily, then decided to answer truthfully. He wasn't one to simply cater to the sentiments of those he served.

"…All the buildings are old and worn down. It doesn't look like they're being maintained. This suggests that the estate must be impoverished."

In the north, Rayfold was the wealthiest estate.

Although Gillian himself had become poor, having spent all his money treating his daughter, he'd seen how the people of Rayfold lived while coming and going.

During his years as a mercenary, he'd traveled widely, personally visiting many estates.

To Gillian's eyes, Perdium was no more than a poor, rural backwater estate.

Ghislain nodded without any hint of anger.

"You're right. It really is a poor estate. The lord, the people, everyone here lacks money. They earn and eat just enough to get by each day."

"You hardly see any young men around. With this situation, there's no room for development, even if they wanted to."

"Exactly. Do you know why?"

Gillian thought for a moment before answering.

"I've heard that the Perdium estate is practically always at war because of the northern barbarians. It must mean frequent recruitments, which naturally results in a shortage of young people."

"You know quite a bit," Ghislain remarked with a bitter smile.

"Even near the lord's castle, which should be the most developed area, it's like this. I don't even need to mention the state of other villages."

"Hmm…"

"With no one left to farm, taxes decrease, and the estate grows poorer. It's a vicious cycle."

Listening to Ghislain, Gillian realized that the state of the estate was worse than he had imagined.

The current situation in Perdium was like pouring water into a bottomless jar.

With taxes not being collected properly, there was no way the estate and army could function smoothly.

Ghislain let out a self-deprecating laugh as he slowly guided his horse.

"As always, the biggest issue is money. The knights' and soldiers' equipment is outdated, but without funds, we can't replace it. Even supplies don't arrive on time. If it weren't for the support from other estates, we would've fallen long ago."

"The situation is dire," Gillian commented.

"Yes, at this rate, we'll probably starve to death before we die in battle."

In his previous life, Ghislain had been quick to complain about being born into a poor estate, not realizing how immature his attitude was until now.

"It's not like we fight all year round. It's more like fending off attacks and pushing them back periodically. The problem is that even with so many people recruited into the army, we're barely managing to hold the line."

"But we can't simply disband the army, can we?"

"No. With no source of income, we have to maintain the army, so escaping poverty is out of the question."

In Gillian's view, it wasn't solely an issue of geography.

The Perdium estate's climate was moderately cool, not unfavorable for farming. But there were no people to farm; all available labor was being absorbed by the ongoing conflicts.

Ghislain then brought up another issue apart from the barbarians.

"Did you see the forest to the northwest of the estate on the way here? It's called the Forest of Demonic Beasts. Have you heard of it?"

"Yes, I've heard it's filled with monsters," Gillian replied.

"Since we never know when a monster might emerge, we have troops stationed there as well. It's essentially another front. Just maintaining the forces drains our resources."

With so little money and few people, even those who could work were all enlisted for guard duty.

At this rate, they might as well launch an all-out charge and die fighting—it seemed a preferable alternative.

Simply maintaining the army was a money pit.

Though other estates were supporting them, the collapse of Perdium didn't seem far off.

With a sense of pity, Gillian asked,

"Wouldn't it be possible to request more support from other estates? Money or food, perhaps. If we distributed it to the impoverished people…"

"They don't want us to grow stronger. They provide just enough support to keep the army barely afloat. There's no way they'd allow resources to be distributed among the people."

Without realizing it, Gillian nodded.

Ghislain was an exception; typically, nobles didn't care about the welfare of their people.

It was unthinkable that they'd willingly pour their wealth into feeding another estate's people.

They were merely providing the bare minimum of support to keep Perdium defended.

The people of the north were strong-willed by nature, which was likely the only reason they were able to endure this poverty.

"Has there been any other approach?"

Ghislain nodded.

"My father, his father, and even his grandfather all tried to break this vicious cycle, but they failed. Without money, they had no means to try anything new."

"It's a difficult situation."

"Even if the land is barren, as long as there's a single drop of water, new life can sprout. But we don't even have that single drop of water."

"To be honest, I think it would be better for you, young lord, to be knighted in another estate. Taking over this estate would only bring you hardship."

Gillian voiced his frustrations.

Ghislain smiled.

"I will fix it."

"What? You, young lord?"

It sounded like a vow. When Gillian questioned him, Ghislain nodded.

"I will end this estate's poverty. I won't just be a single drop of water; I'll bring rain."

Gillian thought it was an unrealistic dream born of youthful ambition. From any angle, saving the estate seemed impossible in its current state.

But Ghislain had a genuine confidence that he could solve Perdium's issues.

It was a certainty no one else could understand, something only he could believe.

***

Upon arriving at the lord's castle, Ghislain moved quickly upon confirming his father's return.

"Belinda, prepare accommodations for Gillian and Rachel. I'm going to see my father soon, and we'll need medicinal supplies for her daily treatments."

"Understood. I'll also handle some of the backlog."

Ghislain looked at Gillian.

"Stay at the castle for now, Gillian. I'll arrange a more permanent residence soon."

"Thank you."

Ghislain praised his escort knights for their efforts and took Gillian along as he went to see his father.

'How long has it been?'

For Ghislain, the heir of Perdium, it had only been a few months. But for the Mercenary King, it had been decades since he last saw his father.

Standing in front of the door, he took a moment to calm his fluttering heart.

Inside, he could hear the tired voice of Count Perdium, likely in a meeting with his vassals.

"Reduce the number of troops?"

"Yes. It's getting difficult to maintain the current numbers. The support funds have been reduced," answered Albert, the Treasurer, in a dry tone.

There was a momentary silence, followed by the heavy voice of Randolph, the knight commander.

"Big brother Albert, if we reduce any further, we won't be able to maintain the front lines."

As the knight commander, Randolph was understandably sensitive to maintaining the front against the barbarians.

Frustrated, he asked,

"Where was the funding cut from? Wouldn't it be better to request more support from Rayfold? They surely have the resources."

Head butler Homerne sighed deeply at Randolph's suggestion.

"That's unlikely. The reason we need to cut costs is…because Rayfold, our main source of support, has reduced its contributions. It seems the Count Rayfold has been increasing his military spending, gathering soldiers, and stockpiling food."

Randolph asked, somewhat surprised,

"Why would Count Rayfold be expanding his army? There's nowhere else in the north for them to wage war."

"I don't know. We're so focused on the northern castle that it's difficult to keep track of what's happening elsewhere."

"We can't cut the forces. If we do, the barbarians will overrun us. We have fewer than thirty knights left. Without funds, they're leaving, and people like Jamal or Phillip turn traitor," Randolph argued emphatically.

Yet Albert, still devoid of emotion, replied,

"We may have to cut even the knight order's strength. That would require us to reduce the northern front as well."

Randolph shouted, clearly frustrated.

"If we pull back the front line, there's no point in holding it! The barbarians will find every opening and flood in!"

Everyone fell silent, unable to counter his argument.

The core vassals of the estate were few—just the head butler, the knight commander, and the treasurer. They had held things together despite the estate's poverty.

Homerne, Albert, and Randolph were the heart of Perdium's leadership.

Listening from outside the door, Ghislain gave Gillian an awkward smile and said,

"It's a bit embarrassing. The estate's state is so bad that it creates a different atmosphere than other estates. They're like sworn brothers to my father."

"It's fine. Honestly, it's amazing the estate is holding up. The only thing keeping it going must be the bonds between its people," said Gillian.

"Yes, they've endured all this hardship out of loyalty and devotion. They're good people, even if they're a bit stubborn."

'Though they see me as an enemy,' Ghislain thought to himself.

Since he'd been prone to causing trouble, he hadn't exactly gotten along with the three of them.

Taking a deep breath, Ghislain prepared himself to face these stubborn men.

"Let's go in."

He pushed open the doors to the lord's office with determination.

There stood Head Butler Homerne, half-bald, Treasurer Albert with his ever-serious expression, and Knight Commander Randolph with his thick beard.

As soon as they saw Ghislain, they frowned.

But from the moment Ghislain saw his father, he couldn't see anything else.

'Father!'

His father, Zwalter Perdium, wore his usual stern and unexpressive face.

Ghislain's heart pounded.

While he was happy to see the others, his father held a special place in his heart.

In his previous life, he'd never seen his father again after leaving, barely able to recall his face.

Now, seeing his father once more, he took in every detail, every line.

'I never thought it would take this long.'

When he'd left the family, he'd thought he could always come back. It was a childish thought.

Only after his family had been destroyed did he realize that things he'd taken for granted weren't guaranteed.

It was only after experiencing the pain and misery of being unable to see those he longed for that he came to understand the value of what he once had.

"Father…"

Ghislain opened his mouth with a trembling voice but couldn't finish his sentence. Words of greeting or asking if he'd been well wouldn't come. He simply looked at his father with misty eyes.

But Zwalter, unaware of Ghislain's emotions, grew slightly tense seeing his son act out of character.

'What's with him? Did he get into trouble again? And why are his eyes so unnecessarily wet?'

When Ghislain remained silent, Zwalter finally spoke up.

"Ahem, I heard you went out. What happened with Count Rayfold's young lady?"

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