345

Episode 345 I guess I should prepare in advance. (1)

Claude just snorted at the sight of the painters creating the statues.

'Well, if I push through, I'll be able to do it somehow. Our lord has everything, right? What can't I do?'

One of the things Claude has learned from following Giselle around is to push through no matter what. That's probably the aspect that Claude is most like in the territory.

But he is not a regressor. So he just became a guy who cries.

People have been feeling it lately. They act like lords, but they feel very different from lords.

'Ha, that kid seems to be getting crazier.'

'Why do you keep imitating the Lord's style?'

'Oh, I did this for nothing.'

The painters were annoyed, but they did not protest or argue, but remained quiet. It was inevitable.

Recently, Penris has been investing heavily in the cultural and artistic sector. As an artist, I had no choice but to look good to the director who handled the investment funds.

Fenris had prioritized war efficiency, so he had not paid any attention to such matters. To put it nicely, it was simple to the point of being crude, and to put it badly, it was a territory that had no aesthetic sense at all.

But people cannot live on bread alone. The desire of the people of Yeongji for cultural life began to grow with each passing day.

Fortunately, after taking over Desmond's estate this time, I was able to recruit quite a few artists. As expected of a nobleman, Earl Desmond was also well-versed in such things.

Even Giselle could not have guessed that this would become the foundation for Claude to start a 'business'.

Wendy bit her nails faster as she listened to Claude and the painters' conversation.

'This won't work. We have to stop it now.'

More and more of the manpower of the estate was being invested in Claude's personal business. It's okay for now, but it will become a problem as time goes on.

She had no choice but to take out her dagger. She couldn't win against that kid through arguments anyway. If she tried to talk him out of it, he'd get involved. She thought it would be better to just subdue him with force so he wouldn't be able to resist.

As Wendy was about to stab Claude, the door to the workshop suddenly burst open.

The faces of the workers who saw the person coming in turned pale. The color drained from Claude's face as he looked back.

"Who are you suddenly here in the middle of the night… … Your Majesty?"

Jiselle came in with her sleeves rolled up and a murderous expression on her face.

Claude was startled, but, like the master of shamelessness, he quickly fixed his expression.

"When did you come back? And why are you here all of a sudden?"

So, even Jiselle couldn't help but pause for a moment. She was too calm.

But that guy is not someone you can trust at face value. Jiselle stopped walking and looked around as she asked.

"Hmm, is everyone working overtime?"

"Yes. There are a lot of official documents to send to each city, and there is quite a bit of paperwork piling up. I was having a meeting with the painters to discuss improving the appearance of the estate."

This is the office where the scribes work. Claude always did this openly, linking it with the affairs of the estate, to avoid suspicion.

Jiselle snickered and introduced the person who had followed her in. It was Dominic, who was smiling awkwardly.

"Do you know this guy?"

"No. I don't know."

Of course he doesn't know, because Claude has never seen Dominic in person.

Then Giselle called someone else.

"Hey, you come in too."

A man came in with his head bowed and his steps slowed down. Giselle touched his shoulder and asked.

"Then who is this guy? He's from the Drake Mercenaries."

The one with the same awkward smile was Dominic's subordinate. He was the mercenary who had come to Fenris's territory in person to participate in the auction.

The mercenary bowed his head slightly when he saw Claude and said.

"Your Majesty, it's been a while."

Claude recognized the face at once and turned his head away, sweating profusely.

"Mom, I don't know. Who are you to pretend to know?"

Claude, who didn't want to die, decided to stick his flippers out for now.

In fact, there's no way I wouldn't know. He's a big spender who buys a lot of things, so I've seen his face often and even talked to him in person.

The mercenary scratched his head and said apologetically.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm all caught up."

"I told you I don't know you. What's wrong with you?"

The mercenary conveyed this clearly to Claude, who still turned his head and spoke in a cold tone.

"Selling Count Fenris's stuff. Auction house and all. Anyway, it's all gone."

At those words, Claude grabbed Wendy and shouted.

"Let's go! Hurry up and pick me up!"

Wendy closed her eyes. She knew this day would come. And Giselle rolled up her sleeves and approached Claude.

"You come here. Are you doing something else without me knowing? Man, you're really amazing in a way. Everyone is busy, and you're splitting up the manpower again."

"Now, wait a minute! This is a misunderstanding!"

"Misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding is that? It's the first time I've found out that there are strange people who collect things like that."

Dominic lowered his head with an embarrassed expression. Claude pointed at him and shouted.

"Hey, if that crazy guy bought it, I don't care if he gets caught! After all… … . Oh, no! Anyway, I'm short on cash, so I made an emergency fund of my own! It's all for the territory… … . Gyagyagyagyaggy!"

Giselle's fist was faster than Claude's excuses.

"Eww! Gently! Gently!"

He was dragged to a corner and was only able to be released after meeting everyone from his deceased parents to his great-great-grandfather, whose faces he had never seen before.

Giselle said to the sobbing Claude.

"Where is the money I earned from selling my stuff?"

Claude gestured and the adjutants came carrying a chest.

thud!

When Jiselle opened the box, she was surprised. At first glance, it looked like it was filled with gold coins worth thousands of gold.

"Hey… … . You really… … ."

Even though Desmond has taken over and things have become a bit more relaxed than before, it's still a busy territory. But how can you make money like this using the gap?

I even felt a little bit strange.

"I sold all of these, so can I take them?"

"Sniff… … Or so it is."

Claude sniffled and rubbed his eyes.

I didn't think I'd get caught, but I did. Of all the places, I had to go all the way to the west to meet the auctioneer. I couldn't have been more unlucky.

Giselle clicked her tongue a few times as she looked at the crying Claude, then said.

"Everyone worked hard to increase the 'income of the territory.' It was the fault of the person who ordered it, so I won't hold him responsible. And I will give you enough compensation for your work up to today, so from now on, just focus on the work of the territory."

Anyway, I did it because the director told me to. If you do your work and don't get paid properly, you can't help but feel dissatisfied.

If that happens, it will also cause problems when carrying out other tasks in the future. After all, it's money that can be given to Claude as an emergency fund.

The workers' expressions brightened as the lord generously forgave them. To be honest, they also enjoyed making money, but they also felt a little wronged.

Because Claude almost forced me to do it.

"Go, thank you!"

The workers repeatedly thanked the lord for his generosity and withdrew. All that was left were a sobbing Claude and a bowed Wendy.

Wendy, who had been bowing her head, let out a small sigh.

'It's better this way.'

As the days passed, the business grew bigger. I also felt anxious every day about when it would end.

It was only because the lord was away that they were able to hide for so long, but if they had continued on like this, they would have been discovered eventually.

'The General doesn't know what 'moderate' means.'

Now it's all resolved. As expected, it was unsettling when doing something bad. It's a relief that everything has come to light.

That was how Claude's ambitious venture ended.

* * *

Wendy did not step down from her role as surveillance and escort, considering that she had been deceived.

However, he was only cautioned to control Claude more thoroughly in the future.

And Claude, true to his optimistic personality, returned to his original form in just one day.

'I'll try something different next time.'

Like a gambler, he no longer cared about the game he had lost. He just had to win the next game.

Anyway, Claude's strange business(?) was sorted out, and the Drake Mercenary Group, the largest mercenary group in the West, joined Fenris.

They arrived in Fenris and were astonished. They had heard rumors, but the North really was different than it used to be.

"Wow, I've been here before, but it's never been this lively. There are so many people."

"Why are there so many buildings? They all look like they were built at precise angles and planned out. Look, they all look the same."

"As I was coming, I saw that there was a lot of construction going on here and there. It really seems like it has become a rich man's estate."

The mercenaries seemed to be delighted with their new home and could not help but exclaim in admiration. It was rare to see such a lively and busy territory.

Most of the mercenary groups in the North also came under Giselle thanks to Claude's efforts(?). However, there was still no news from the royal family.

"Why haven't I heard from you yet? Do you not want to give me a guarantee?"

When Giselle asked, Claude answered with a calm expression.

"It seems the Marquis of Branford is having second thoughts. He is worried that the royal family will guarantee the mercenary group, and then his lord will get into trouble again."

"It's no use in a war within the kingdom anyway, right?"

"That's the problem. I'm afraid I'll go to another country and cause an accident."

It is a kingdom that is already divided into two factions. Even if you have the excuse of being a mercenary, it is difficult to carelessly intervene in the war of another territory. After all, it is like covering your eyes and pretending not to know.

But wars in other countries are different. If the royal family guarantees it, you can confidently get involved and receive money.

It is possible to participate as a private mercenary group of Jisel, but there is a risk that it will develop into a national conflict. This is because other kingdoms may think that they are just making a fuss without taking responsibility.

"Hmm, it's not urgent, so let's wait for now."

Anyway, this is a bit of a ploy to prepare for the time of turmoil. When it is time to move, it will move, even without royal guarantees.

Giselle gave new orders to Dominic, who had just joined.

"Some of you will work in the North and the royalist territories, and then gather some trustworthy people and go to the East. Then, absorb the mercenary groups there. Can you do it?"

"Just leave it to me. I will make sure that everyone comes under Fenris."

Dominic spoke confidently. He already had experience raising the largest mercenary group in the West. There were some famous mercenary groups in the East, but he was confident he could take them all.

The reason he didn't go to the south when he planned to unite the kingdom's mercenary corps was simple. In the first place, there were hardly any mercenaries there because the dukedom had strict control over it.

This is because the work of mercenaries is also being carried out by the upper echelons and armed groups under the Duke.

Giselle looked at Claude again and continued speaking.

"The people who came with us this time, please classify them well and give them a place to live. There are some innocent people, but there are also real prisoners, so investigate them well."

Most of those who escaped from prison followed Giselle, since they would not be able to survive safely in the city anyway.

"And come up with a plan to improve the welfare and treatment of mercenaries."

"Huh? What kind of welfare are you talking about all of a sudden? We already have plenty of work to do and plenty of money."

Claude tilted his head.

The mercenaries who joined the Fenris Mercenary Corps are currently doing a lot of work. There are countless jobs for them to do, including security, escort, transportation, road construction, and land development.

As before, if you receive work and do the work, you just have to pay. There was no need to give anything more.

But Giselle shook her head.

"The mercenaries are also those who will join us in the future. It would be no good to treat them like strangers. We must make them want to fight together under the flag of Fenris."

Even though they have joined the Fenris Mercenary Corps, they still don't feel like they are one. Even though they are mercenaries, they need to be given a clear sense of belonging.

Otherwise, you'll be busy running away when fighting a really strong enemy.

Even though we were bound by a contract, we had to approach them first to give them that sense of belonging.

Claude also nodded in understanding.

'Well, our lord likes things like 'Let's all charge together!' the most.'

If there's someone who doesn't do what I told them to do, I'd get really upset.

And there are still many mercenary bands left in the wealthy West. Even though the Drake Band is the largest, they are not the only mercenary bands in the West.

Now that the Drake mercenaries have come north and are doing a lot of good, word will spread to the west.

This was an opportunity to promote and persuade more mercenaries to join the cause.

Jisel and her entourage discussed ways to recruit and expand the mercenary group and made various plans.

Once the framework was established, this time Jiselle asked something different.

"How are the peacock's movements?"

"Suddenly, there is no activity. The army has only been called up in the territories bordering the royalist lords."

"What about the prince's faction?"

"They are also mustering troops. I heard that the Marquis of Branford is furious at being threatened by the dukedom."

Jiselle calmly recalled her memories from her past life.

At that time, the Duke completely isolated the remaining nobles of the Prince's faction and drew his sword. But now, the situation is a little different.

This is because, unlike in the previous life, the majority of the prince's faction is still alive. As a duke, you must prepare thoroughly to minimize damage.

The North would obviously try to block Amelia by empowering her, and it was obvious that they would try to quickly pacify the remaining areas.

'There's still some time left. I have to do everything I can before then.'

Amelia is not the type of person to listen to others obediently. The Duke will surely have a hard time dealing with her.

'Then the next thing we need to deal with is... ... .'

There is still one more sword left in the Duke's possession that no one knows about. We need to destroy it before the civil war breaks out and weaken their power.

This is the place where the 7th circle magician, who is on the same level as the Sword Master, is the tower master.

'I guess I'll have to get rid of the Crimson Tower first.'

A cool smile spread across Giselle's face.