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People were working so hard because they didn't know that war could break out.

If I ever found out that I had to fight the Count Desmond, my lord, I would throw away my house and everything and run away.

But once you have your own home and your life becomes stable, people's reactions are bound to change.

'At that time, he will want to protect his property. Other territories will not treat him as well as our lord. He will have no choice but to fight to protect Fenris. … … Surely that is not what he is aiming for?'

Jiselle didn't start out with that goal in mind. She simply did it because it was necessary for the development of the territory.

But when these actions overlapped, unexpectedly good results were achieved.

Claude looked at Giselle with eyes that were half admiration and half suspicion, then muttered words filled with concern.

"For now, the wood problem has been solved, but… … . A few months later, a similar problem will arise again. Aside from wood, other materials are also becoming increasingly scarce."

"But we've secured the amount we need for the work right now. We can just get the other things. What else is missing besides wood?"

"Of course it's iron. It goes into various places. Since we are preparing for war, most of it is being used to make weapons… … The amount set aside for the daily necessities and buildings of the people of the territory is already running low."

"I guess it will be difficult to secure iron ore?"

"Yes, iron ore is hard to obtain even if you have money. Most of the quantity distributed in the North is controlled by Count Cavaldi… … ."

Jiselle nodded several times and muttered.

"Yeah, I guess it's time to get ready for the next step."

"Yes? What are you preparing? I'm already so busy preparing this and that, what else are you preparing?"

When Claude asked in horror, Giselle answered nonchalantly.

"If we don't have it, we should get it. Iron in particular is an essential resource in war."

"You said you cut down the trees in Ferdium, but how did you get the iron ore? There are no iron mines there either."

"It's okay, I have a plan. I'll tell you soon."

"Oh, the plan… … . Yes, I suppose so."

Claude nodded, not hiding his expression of dismay.

Clearly, Giselle always had a plan.

The problem was that the plan seemed really strange, absurd, and unconventional to others.

'Please, don't let this be a life-threatening plan this time. I wish our lord would become a man of common sense.'

Claude prayed fervently to the goddess in his heart.

* * *

While Yeongji was busy, the subordinates from her previous life that Jiselle was looking for began to arrive one by one.

Mercenaries, soldiers, butchers, executioners, hunters… … Their occupations and specialties were all varied.

Those who were doing difficult work due to poor circumstances readily accepted Claude's offer of employment.

It seemed strange that he didn't go, since the permanent resident guaranteed good wages and stable jobs.

Claude, who was looking over the list of new arrivals, asked Giselle a question.

"The information you gave me wasn't all correct, but it was pretty accurate. How did you know the locations and identities of these people? They didn't even know who the Lord was."

Claude was genuinely curious. How could a noble young man who lived in the countryside know a butcher from another kingdom?

But no matter how many times Claude asked, Giselle did not give a satisfactory answer.

"Well, I just happened to find out."

Even if she told him honestly that she knew it in her past life, he wouldn't believe her anyway, so Jiselle just let it slide every time.

Claude's suspicions could not help but deepen.

What's even stranger is that whenever those people came, Giselle was very happy to see them.

It's like seeing a friend you haven't seen in a long time.

It was the same when welcoming the people who came this time.

"You came! It's so nice to see you! I missed you!"

Those who arrived looked bewildered by the lord's excessive hospitality.

It is true that I had come with high expectations for the good conditions, but I couldn't help but be taken aback when the lord I was meeting for the first time was so welcoming.

Every time she saw the reactions of the people who were nervous, Jiselle smiled as if she had known it would happen.

'I know you're going to be shocked, but I'm so happy I can't stand it.'

We were close friends in our past lives, but now we're complete strangers.

But when did Jiselle ever care about what other people thought? She expressed her joy without filtering, rationalizing that good things were good things.

Claude, who was standing next to Giselle with a look of contempt on his face, as if he was looking at a crazy person, said.

"This is the end. Of the 128 people you listed, 92 have agreed to come here."

"Is there really no one else coming?"

"Yes, there's nothing we can do about those who couldn't find it at all or those who refused to come even if we did find it."

"Yeah… … It's a shame I couldn't bring them all."

"This alone is a miracle. People who don't even know your face have come all this way because they are all in difficult circumstances. How on earth did you pick out only those who are having a hard time?"

Claude asked with a sincere voice.

Most of them would leave their hometown without hesitation if given just a little money.

I was curious as to how they knew these people, but I was also curious as to how they could all be in such bad shape.

Jiselle answered nonchalantly.

"Life isn't easy, so everyone risked their lives like that."

"yes?"

"There is something like that. If there is no one else coming, call everyone. I need to see it one more time."

"All right."

Giselle looked moved as she saw the people who had been quickly gathered.

Seeing them all gathered like this, it felt like seeing a mercenary group from a previous life.

It felt completely different when I saw them one by one.

As I looked at it like this, an emotion that was difficult to describe welled up in my chest.

'I can't believe I can be with you guys again… … .'

Although he was praised as the King of Mercenaries, not all of the mercenaries that Jisel led were loyal and righteous.

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Rather, most of the mercenaries were rough and dirty guys by nature.

That's why I put a lot of effort into making the list.

Among the subordinates I remember, these are the ones I chose after careful selection.

These were the people who could be called true 'comrades', the ones who were with Jiselle until the very end, through life and death.

A bunch of pathetic guys who choose loyalty over money when it comes to mercenaries.

Hot guys who didn't run away even when faced with death.

In the final battle, we all died together… … .

Because of them, he was able to dream of revenge and move forward.

Jiselle slowly approached them and hugged them one by one, saying:

"sorry."

The people were confused. The lord had been acting strangely since he first came, and he called everyone over and started talking incomprehensibly.

'This estate… … is it okay?'

Whether people were anxious or not, Jiselle never stopped hugging each and every one of them and apologizing.

As much as I was grateful to them, I also felt sorry.

It's not that I lost my life while helping myself. Death is something you always have to be prepared for as long as you live as a mercenary.

What matters is how you die.

'We failed.'

There is only one thing I regret. It is that I was so consumed by revenge that I was unable to make sound judgments and hastily went into war.

The strongest mercenary group that had ravaged the continent was annihilated by Jiselle's impatience.

'sorry.'

Their bravery and pride became the laughing stock of their enemies, and Giselle's mercenary band left behind no trace of honor or name.

All that's left is the stigma of being a loser and the ridicule.

Of course, that's not happening now.

But as the one who led them, I really wanted to apologize to my colleagues from those days who passed away so quickly.

This was his final apology to them as the king of mercenaries.

And it was also a pledge not to repeat the same mistake.

'There will be no second defeat.'

Yes, there is no such failure anymore.

They will become stronger faster than in their previous lives and their names will become widely known.

I will definitely make it happen.

Jiselle chuckled as she looked at the people with bewildered expressions.

For a moment, I felt a surge of emotion as I reminisced about the past, but that was the end of my sentimentality.

Jiselle, who quickly gathered her thoughts, told the people what they had to do next and what benefits they would receive.

"You must have heard the details in advance. As promised, I will guarantee you high salaries and provide housing."

Because they had lived a difficult life, they were the ones who wanted a stable job more than anyone else.

Unlike the immigrants, they were all recruited into Fenris' standing army.

Since they had promised much better treatment than other territories from the time they were brought here, everyone's expectations were evident.

After Giselle finished giving a brief explanation, she introduced those in charge of them.

"You must know the general, Claude, since you met him first… … This is Gillian. He is the instructor who will be in charge of your training from now on."

Gillian bowed slightly to Giselle, who had introduced her, then stepped forward and glanced around at the people.

'The smell of blood is vibrating everywhere.'

He clicked his tongue inwardly, hiding his nervousness.

The people in front of me had a fundamentally different vibe from the existing mercenaries.

They gave off a smell closer to that of hungry beasts, rougher than a pack of rabid dogs who listen to the barking of mad dogs.

'You must be getting tired.'

It will take a while of countless acts of violence and fighting spirit to get these guys to follow you.

Jiselle then introduced other subordinates one after another.

"This is Belinda. I am the head butler of the castle. I will be responsible for your lives and comfort, so if anything is inconvenient, please let me know."

"Please take good care of me. Oh my, everyone looks so happy."

Unlike Gillian, Belinda smiled brightly even in the face of such ferocity.

For her, it wasn't a bad thing since there were many more people willing to fight and work hard in Giselle's stead.

"And this is Kaor. He's a mercenary and is currently in charge of security in the territory."

Kaor looked around, fumbling. It would have been nice if it had ended like that, but the problem was that he felt the same way as Gillian.

There was no way good things would come out of his mouth, which usually boasted of a crazy personality.

"I'm the crazy dog in this neighborhood. Don't cause any trouble and keep your eyes open. If you have any complaints, come at me anytime. I'll really beat you to death."

The atmosphere immediately became tense due to the provocative remarks.

Gillian shook her head and Belinda covered her face with one hand as if embarrassed.

All of these people have lived rough lives and have experienced both bitter and sour tastes.

Although they did not immediately object because it was in front of the lord, they did not hide their displeasure and showed a fierce attitude.

Kaor chuckled as a tingling murderous aura surrounded him.

"That's ridiculous. You want to do it right away? Yeah, we have to establish a hierarchy when we first meet. Come on, you little shi*s. Who wants to go first?"

Kaoru stepped forward, breathing life into him.

In the world of mercenaries, rank is determined solely by power. Now that Kaor is a mercenary, the others have no trouble dealing with him.

A few large, dirty-looking men stepped forward and asked Jiselle.

"It's a bit embarrassing to fight right after arriving here… … but can I give it a try?"

"If you allow us, we can decide the order among ourselves."

"If I win, will you swap seats with that guy?"

Kaoru also laughed fiercely at the impressive response. My body has been feeling stiff lately, so this is a very good development.

In times like this, taking the initiative is important. If you beat up a few guys, they'll all fall to the ground.

"Hey, my lord. You'll need training anyway. I'll make sure you get the training you need. Leave it to me."

The atmosphere became even more heated with Kaor's words.

The man who came forward first tilted his head and spoke first.

"I don't know if it's okay to kill people as soon as you get here."

"Kids like you who rush in without knowing what they're doing are the ones who die first. You know how to use mana, don't you? I don't want to bully the weak."

Kaor said, fidgeting.

Most people who know how to use mana are knights. And if they had that kind of skill, they wouldn't be here.

In a word, it has entered into a state of preemptive strike.

But the other person just laughed and revealed his teeth.

"You can't fight without mana? You're a mercenary, right? Then you can fight without mana with 'Moriana's Recognition'. I'll tear you to pieces right in front of your nose. If you're scared, run away now."

"This kid… … ."

Kaor frowned. Hearing that name brought back painful memories of the time he had been beaten up by Giselle.

The two people stood face to face with each other, their faces leaking out murderous intent.

If only he had Giselle's permission, he would have drawn his sword at any moment.

Gillian, who was watching from the side, grimaced as the murderous aura emanated from her.

"These guys dare to stand before your lord… … ."

Even though they are such reckless bastards, they dare to show off their killing intent in front of the lord.

It was extremely rude of Jiselle to always act so casually.

I couldn't forgive them at all. I had to drag them all to the training ground and correct their habits.

"You guys, follow me right now… … ."

Just as Gillian was about to step forward, Belinda, who had been quiet, suddenly had a seizure.

"Aaaah! I can't stand it anymore! Are we some kind of bandit gang? Why do you start fighting as soon as you see me! Shouldn't you have some basic manners! You guys are truly pathetic!"

The anger she had been holding back for so long burst out like a firework.