CHAPTER 49: It's a bit dangerous right now (3)

Upon hearing about the forces Ghislain planned to recruit, Belinda and Gillian couldn't help but show skeptical expressions.

The plans Ghislain spoke of were always outside the bounds of conventional thinking.

'Honestly, it's hard to believe… but it's the first time he's ever explained anything to us.'

'If the young lord says so, then it must be true.'

They weren't fully convinced, but they had no other choice but to follow him. After all, Ghislain was only explaining out of courtesy; he'd already decided on his course of action.

Since when has Ghislain ever acted according to conventional wisdom or listened to others?

"Well, it seems the young master has his own plans," Belinda said.

Gillian nodded. Just as Ghislain had treated his daughter, Rachel, he was certain there was something only Ghislain knew.

"Yes, so hurry up and recover. We'll need to sell the Rune Stone right away."

Having finally managed to escape Belinda's grip, Ghislain lightly patted Gillian's shoulder.

"Gillian, you should go rest too. Take some time to see Rachel."

Thanks to the care of the maids, who'd prepared her medicine, Rachel's health had improved significantly. Even Elena, who was around the same age, often visited her as a friend.

"She's doing well, thanks to you, young lord."

"No, you should see her while you have time. Things will only get busier from now on."

Gillian gave a faint smile.

"Understood. Please get some rest yourself, young lord. You still need to finish your treatment."

"Don't worry, I will."

After Gillian left, fatigue washed over Ghislain, but he didn't go straight to bed.

Although everyone was delighted by the Rune Stone, Ghislain couldn't let his guard down.

"I wonder how long it will take…"

Word had already spread among the vassals about the Rune Stone, causing quite a stir. By tomorrow, the news would be widespread, and soon, everyone in the estate would know.

Which meant that Amelia and Duke Delphine would hear of it too.

As Ghislain had told Belinda and Gillian, they'd undoubtedly planted spies in Perdium.

"Amelia might be in league with Duke Delphine… but she'll likely act independently."

The primary threat to Perdium was Duke Delphine. They would likely move to seize or weaken Perdium.

But Amelia's target wasn't the estate; it was Ghislain himself.

While he had to prepare to face Duke Delphine, Amelia's interference would be a constant thorn in his side.

"Amelia's moves could be a major variable."

Even now, he hadn't expected her to act so quickly. When she found out he'd secured the Rune Stone, she would likely escalate her methods.

"Maybe… in a fortnight? No, within a week at the earliest, everyone will know."

The worst-case scenario would be war, but even if that happened, it wouldn't be tomorrow. They would need some justification.

If they acted hastily, the lords who weren't yet on their side might become alarmed. They'd need to concoct some pretext before launching a surprise assault, but even then, it would take at least two to three months to invade, as Gillian had estimated.

For an estate as poor as Perdium, preparing for war wouldn't take long.

"Now would be the most opportune time."

Even with the newfound wealth, building up the estate's strength would take time. Despite the Rune Stone, Perdium was still poor and insignificant, making it the ideal time for anyone to try to take it.

"I'll likely have to use all the Rune Stone we've gathered."

No matter how much he prepared, only time would tell if things went according to plan. As he paced the room, Ghislain felt a mix of anticipation and worry.

"Speaking of which, there's still no word from Kane?"

Thinking about preparations for war and potential buyers for the Rune Stone reminded him of an unpaid debt.

Suddenly frustrated, Ghislain stopped in his tracks.

The agreed deadline had passed, and there was still no payment, meaning Kane probably had no intention of paying.

If there was one thing Ghislain absolutely loathed, it was being cheated out of his money.

He'd spent years as a mercenary king, so naturally, he took money very seriously.

To a mercenary, not getting paid was as good as being put out of business.

Of course, Ghislain had a particularly strong love for money… which was part of what made him a "king."

'That guy's got some nerve, trying to cheat me out of my money.'

After all the fear Ghislain had instilled, if Kane dared to withhold payment, he must've thought he could get away with it.

Resolving to find an opportunity to meet Kane again, Ghislain finally lay down to sleep.

It took him until dawn to quiet his thoughts enough to sleep, so he woke up unusually late.

Though he'd been recovering quickly, his body was still weak.

When he finally woke up, he was surprised by the sight before him.

"What… what is all this?"

Dazed, he looked around, and two maids standing nearby responded.

"That was sent by the treasurer."

"And this is from the master of arms."

"That one was brought personally by the head butler…"

"This came from the secretary…"

"And the magistrate…"

"And that one is from the knight commander…"

Before him was a large assortment of gifts: wine, meat, animal furs, and various fabrics. While he'd been sleeping, several people had come to leave gifts.

The names of nearly every person of influence in the estate were coming from the maids' lips.

Since Ghislain was asleep, they'd left the gifts and gone.

"Well, life never ceases to surprise me."

Ghislain scratched his head, chuckling at the pile of gifts.

Everyone was so eager to curry favor with him that they'd even come while he was sleeping to leave their offerings.

Considering how he'd been treated before finding the Rune Stone, his status had changed immensely.

'I can't exactly blame them for approaching me now that I have money.'

It must be awkward for the vassals, who'd previously dismissed him, to suddenly be fawning over him.

He'd created this situation himself. If he tried to resist, it would only make things worse. Better to just let it be.

"Interesting. The gifts are quite… modest."

Ghislain looked through the gifts with a smirk.

In an impoverished estate, how much money could the vassals have? They'd likely emptied their coffers to bring him what they could, but none of the items were particularly valuable.

Compared to what he'd enjoyed as a mercenary king, these gifts were underwhelming, but he appreciated their sincerity.

"Bring me a list of everything."

A maid handed him a piece of paper with a list of everyone who had brought gifts and what they'd given.

It was customary among nobles to return gifts, as it was a matter of honor.

The maids had meticulously recorded every item.

After reviewing the list, Ghislain nodded and gave instructions to the maids.

"Give the wine and meat to the mercenaries, and distribute the fabrics and other necessities to the servants."

The maids, beaming with delight, asked him, "Is there nothing you'd like for yourself, my lord?"

"No, nothing. You can have it all."

"Thank you very much!"

The maids bowed repeatedly.

Though the gifts held little value to him, to the maids, who were as impoverished as the estate, these were luxuries they rarely saw.

'The young lord has really changed. He must've really come into money!'

'Money does make people generous.'

They exchanged pleased glances, barely able to contain their excitement.

It was hard to believe the young lord, who had stopped yelling and tormenting people recently, was now even giving out gifts.

Though a lingering fear remained that he might revert to his old ways, for now, they were simply overjoyed.

"Let everyone who brought gifts know that I received them and will visit them personally soon."

"Yes, my lord."

After clearing up the issue of the unexpected gifts, Ghislain checked his physical condition.

"This is strange."

He looked at himself in the mirror. The sickly purple hue from his poisoning had faded.

His cheeks were still gaunt, and his face was pale, but he was in far better shape than expected.

Curious about his recovery, he sat down and began a mana cultivation session.

Focusing on the three cores and observing his body, he opened his eyes a moment later with a puzzled expression.

"The nature of my mana… has changed."

Mana's characteristics are influenced primarily by the cultivation technique, personality, and physical constitution of its wielder.

Each person's mana behaves differently depending on how it's trained and used.

Ghislain's mana had always been wild and intense, difficult to control. Even in battle, its ferocity was unmistakable.

But now, an eerie, dark energy had crept into that intensity.

This was something he'd never experienced, not even in his past life.

"The nature of mana can change?"

Once mana accumulated within a body, its nature rarely changed.

Even mages, who could transform mana to produce various spells, did so by altering the external output rather than changing its inherent nature.

This was why some mages were particularly suited to fire or ice magic, depending on their mana and constitution.

"Could it be… that the venom of the Blood Python has mixed with my mana?"

It was an absurd theory, but there was no other explanation.

Raising his hand, Ghislain tried to manipulate the strange energy.

But the energy was so subtle that it was difficult to control, especially with his current condition.

After a few attempts, he sighed and gave up.

"Let's not be hasty. I'll need to rest to fully recover, so I'll investigate this slowly. This might even be the reason for my accelerated recovery."

Though the mystery left him with a lot to ponder, he couldn't afford to get bogged down in questions.

"Well, at least this means I can get moving sooner."

He'd expected to be bedridden for at least two weeks, so this was a welcome development.

While the strange energy in his mana was concerning, it wasn't very strong, so he could deal with it after handling the pressing issues.

Just as he resolved to get moving, someone came to see him.

"Hahaha! Our young lord has finally come back to life! You look far better than yesterday. You must have the constitution of a true knight, an heir of the estate! Truly a man among men. Hahaha!"

The man, laughing boisterously and lavishing him with strange praise, was Randolph, the knight commander of Perdium.

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