CHAPTER 99: You should have left when you were told to go (3)

"Urgh! What the–?"

Claude stepped back in shock as Kaor suddenly charged at him. He hadn't actually thought he would go through with it.

'This estate has no sane people.'

Not just Ghislain, but every single one of his subordinates seemed out of their minds.

Kaor's sword came at him with enough force to cut off his arm in one blow.

Clang!

But somehow, Gillian's axe blocked the sword mid-air.

"What the hell, old man? Get out of my way. I'm gonna teach that bastard some manners! Or are you asking for a hit yourself?"

"Don't act up. Drawing a sword in front of the lord, are you asking to die?"

"And that axe of yours is allowed?"

"I'm using it to stop you, so yes, it's allowed."

The two started growling at each other.

Belinda, feigning shock, covered her mouth with her hand but was clearly smirking.

Claude let out a dry laugh as he watched them.

They had somehow forgotten about him entirely and were now bickering amongst themselves.

"Enough."

Ghislain calmly spoke, throwing a sword towards the two who had been locked in their standoff.

Thud!

Both of them retreated simultaneously, with no one moving first.

The sword embedded itself deep into the ground where they had been standing.

"There are a lot of people around, aren't there? Take your fight outside if you want to brawl later."

Even as he scolded them, Ghislain couldn't hide his grin.

As lord, he knew he needed to maintain authority and stop them, but in truth, he enjoyed the free-spirited atmosphere.

It reminded him of the mercenary corps he had once been with in his past life.

Ghislain glanced at Claude.

'Looks like his true nature is finally starting to show. In our past life, too, he got smacked more than a few times for flipping me off.'

Claude had a strong pride in his abilities.

And he was just as blunt in his speech.

He had clashed countless times with mercenaries who were as rough and crude as him.

'Ah, those were some fun times.'

Claude would constantly taunt the mercenaries, provoking people like Kaor into anger and charging at him.

Then other members would join in, and it would turn into a full-on brawl, only for everyone to eventually end up drinking together as if nothing had happened.

Ghislain would sit in the back, laughing as he drank, and, if he felt an itch to fight, would even join in.

There was no decorum or order, but at that time, he could laugh without a care.

'But I suppose things can't be like that anymore.'

Feeling a bit wistful, Ghislain shook his head.

While Ghislain recalled these memories with no comment, the officials who had been working in the Fenris estate didn't handle it as calmly.

'What kind of mess is this? Drawing swords and fighting right in front of the lord!'

'I heard his subordinates were all mercenaries. They're unbelievably crude.'

'And he just laughs it off? The lord must be insane!'

The officials, used to rigid etiquette, couldn't understand Ghislain and his subordinates' casual attitudes.

The previous lord may have exploited the people, but he had at least maintained a certain level of dignity.

The other vassals had also argued eloquently in front of the lord, never in such a vulgar manner.

'We're practically overrun with bandits. This lord is no different from a lowly mercenary.'

'This estate is truly done for now.'

They kept their heads down, pretending not to see anything and breaking out in a cold sweat.

No one had the courage to raise a word of etiquette with a lord who had already taken several heads.

Misunderstanding their unease, Ghislain spoke calmly.

"I understand the concern of entrusting so much to an untested individual. But he'll do well, so don't worry. Isn't that right, Claude?"

"Uh… yeah…"

Claude got up, dusting himself off, and glanced around.

Everyone in the hall was pretending not to look but was sneaking glances at him.

Feeling oddly defeated, he shut his eyes.

Where have things gone wrong?

Ghislain had said such grand words back then.

—"Come to the Fenris estate in Lutania. I'll give you wings so you can spread your abilities."

He did get wings. It was just that these wings were awfully heavy.

'Damn it, I can't exactly back out now.'

After being called a gambling addict, an idiot, and told his mind was wrecked, there was no way he could suddenly refuse now without looking like a fool.

And he did owe Ghislain a lifelong debt, so all he could do was throw himself into it.

Claude hung his head, defeated.

"I'll… do my best…"

For now, he'd have to stick with it, but he thought he could lighten his load if he handled it strategically.

Ghislain smiled and added one more comment.

"Great. It seems like a lot of work, but that's just at the beginning. I know you can handle it."

He meant it sincerely.

In his past life, Claude handled this much work every day, sometimes more.

Given how ruined the estate was, everything needed to be meticulously checked and developed.

There weren't many people who could manage the finer details, make quick judgments in unexpected situations, and handle things independently within the larger framework Ghislain had in mind.

"You're capable of this much, aren't you?"

Claude might feel a little overwhelmed now, but he'd adapt quickly.

Ghislain looked at him with an easy smile.

In the end, Claude let out a heavy sigh and nodded.

If the lord was putting that much faith in him, it would be embarrassing to do a half-hearted job.

"Well, I'll try it out, and if it's too much, I'll let you know."

"Good. Anything else you need?"

"No. Just please… just don't add anything more."

Claude waved his hands in alarm. Ghislain turned to the existing officials managing the estate to ask about the state of things.

"How many knights are left?"

"Most were killed in the war, and the few survivors have left the estate."

Once the lord they had sworn allegiance to died, those freed from their vows had little reason to stay in such a harsh estate.

It was unfortunate, but Ghislain had expected it and nodded without much comment.

"And the soldiers?"

"Only thirty-two are left. The rest were all conscripted for the war."

After a brief consideration, Ghislain sighed.

"We'll determine who will take charge of the military later, given the shortage. Belinda, you'll be the head maid and manage the servants. As for a tutor… I think we'll do away with that for now."

"Understood."

Belinda smiled sweetly in response.

'It's a little sad to give up teaching, but managing the lord's servants is important, too.'

Ghislain assigned Gillian and Kaor to continue training and managing the mercenaries as they had been doing.

He had other plans for them.

After settling things with his close aides, Ghislain turned back to Claude.

"Then let's start working right away."

"What? Already? I don't even understand the estate's situation yet."

"You'll figure that out as you work."

"But… shouldn't I at least know something…"

Before Claude could protest further, Ghislain issued a command.

"Start with a population census. This estate has been heavily exploited, so there are likely many villagers hiding in the mountains. Find every one of them and bring them back down to the villages."

"Yes, sir…"

"The people are starving, so we'll need to import food in large quantities. Make sure to buy enough to feed them for at least six months."

"But I'll only know how much to buy once the census is done… How much should I buy?"

"You'll need to figure that out yourself."

"Me?"

"Or would you like me to do it?"

"…"

With that kind of response, Claude was left speechless.

Administrative tasks were entirely his responsibility now.

Ghislain only needed to give the general direction.

It was all necessary work anyway, so Claude sighed and nodded.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Orders poured out of Ghislain's mouth like a flood.

"We'll also need a food supply plan. Check the arable land and see if we can secure more."

"Identify which old facilities need repairs and fix the urgent ones first…"

"Reinforce the walls and gates. They were a mess when we came in. Start with the main access points for the troops…"

"Upgrade the roads connecting all the towns and villages in the estate. Link it all the way to the Forest of Demonic Beasts in Perdium…"

"Assess the current state of military supplies and replace old equipment…"

"Count the functioning wells and start constructing water systems. Build reservoirs…"

"Improve the sanitation in the estate. Overhaul the toilets, inspect the drainage system. Set regulations for the pit sizes. Ensure they're only installed in designated areas…"

"Build storage facilities… Start stocking materials like herbs, minerals, and resources including the Rune Stone…"

"Do this… Do that…"

As the tasks kept piling on, Claude turned pale.

The other officials listening were no different.

Everyone kept their heads down, fearing they might be dragged into it.

Ghislain was practically ordering Claude to overhaul the estate from top to bottom.

And he was assigning all of it to one person—Claude.

Ghislain's list of commands showed no sign of stopping.

Driven by a survival instinct, Claude raised his hand, interrupting the lord.

Better to take a scolding now than die under the weight of this work!

"It's way too much for me to handle alone!"

Ghislain looked at him, raising one eyebrow.

"Didn't I give you the authority to hire? Hire people and get them to do it."

"Oh."

Claude glanced around.

A moment ago, everyone had looked at him like trash, but now each one was avoiding his gaze.

He picked one person at random and asked.

"What was your job?"

"I just handled the stables…"

"Ah, so you can help with military supplies, then! Work with me…"

"I-I think my old illness is acting up. I was just planning to retire… Cough, cough!"

Claude glanced around at the others and shook his head.

Ghislain had told him to hire whoever he needed, but there was no one to hire.

All the high-ranking officials had already been executed by Ghislain for participating in the war.

And he couldn't exactly appoint lower officials to these high positions—they'd be useless without proper knowledge.

And even if he did, someone would still need to fill their previous roles.

'Of course. If there had been capable people here, he wouldn't have dragged me over!'

He'd expected a lot of work when Ghislain handed him all these positions.

But this was beyond imagination.

Even a royal chancellor would struggle with the workload Ghislain had assigned him.

In the end, Claude couldn't hold it in and yelled.

"Damn it! So I'm supposed to do everything myself? I can't do it!"

Ghislain smiled brightly.

"Come on. How do you know? I'm sure you can do it. Try first and then tell me."

"There are way too many things to do at once! Give them to me one at a time. I'm only human!"

"No, we don't have time for that."

Ghislain cut him off decisively.

With the Delphine Duchy focusing on the royal family, he needed to build power as quickly as possible.

But Claude, unaware of this context, felt his initial determination vanish.

"No, I can't do it either! I'd rather die than work myself to death! If you're going to kill me, then just cut my head off!"

Claude shouted defiantly. Ghislain narrowed his eyes at him and motioned to Kaor.

Kaor grinned and began twirling his sword.

"W-Wait, you're actually going to cut me?"

Claude backed up in panic.

He frantically looked around for help, but all the officials avoided his gaze, while the mercenaries blocked his escape.

'This isn't a joke! Is he really human?'

He thought he'd already acknowledged that Ghislain was insane, but it seemed Ghislain kept pushing the boundary.

With his debt to this madman, Claude's life was as good as over.

He'd be forced to work like a slave and die here on this cursed estate.

Thud!

With that thought, Claude felt something snap in his mind.

'This estate is doomed. My life is doomed.'

Confronted with this shocking reality, Claude fainted on the spot.

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