The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 147

Chapter 147- All of These Belongs to Me. (2)

Zwalter carefully observed the approaching group.

‘They have flashy banners, but there aren’t many of them. They’re carrying too much cargo… Did the vanguard bring supplies? But they just came here without even declaring war? No matter how powerful the royal family is, this is going too far, isn’t it?’

Despite his bold declaration in front of his retainers, Zwalter was actually on the verge of losing his mind with anxiety.

He was even considering whether it would be better to just run out there and beg for forgiveness.

What kind of mistake had he made that prominent high-ranking nobles, known for their reputations, had banded together to send soldiers?

As they drew closer, his heart pounded, and his hands were soaked in sweat.

Then, the allied forces that had been approaching suddenly stopped when they saw Zwalter’s troops.

Zwalter also halted and observed the opposing side.

“My lord, it would be best to meet their commander and talk to find out what’s going on first,” suggested Homerne.

Zwalter nodded and stepped forward.

At that, a few people on horseback broke away from the other side and came forward as well.

‘They ride pretty well. Let’s see who they are… huh?’

The people approaching seemed somewhat familiar. And the young man leading them looked even more so.

‘That guy… he’s as handsome as my son…?’

Zwalter, after recognizing the approaching man’s face, was startled and shouted out.

“Hey! What are you doing here?!”

The one at the front was Ghislain. The ones riding alongside him included Belinda and other close aides of his son.

Why on earth was his son appearing amidst the group bearing those noble flags?

Zwalter was so bewildered that he couldn’t even speak. Meanwhile, Ghislain, who had come closer, also looked perplexed and asked,

“Father, what are you doing here?”

“I’m… preparing for battle.”

“With whom?”

“With you…?”

“…?”

“…?”

Both of them were dumbfounded, and silence lingered around them for a moment.

Homerne broke the silence by interjecting urgently.

“Y-Young Lord! Are you alive? What in the world is going on? What happened in the capital?!”

“I just came back from selling some cosmetics.”

His tone was so casual, as if nothing had happened, that Homerne pressed him further.

“If it was nothing, why did the royal family and nobles send troops?!”

“Oh, I think there’s a misunderstanding here…”

Zwalter, regaining his composure, asked as well.

“I-I heard a rumor that you got into a conflict with the Marquis of Branford. Isn’t that why the troops were dispatched?”

“Ah, now I understand what’s going on. It’s really nothing. I just made a decent deal with the Marquis.”

“A deal? But the rumor was that you were imprisoned by the Marquis of Branford. Weren’t you taken as a hostage?”

It was true that I had been confined for half a month, but that was to treat Rosalyn.

Well, if I had failed, I wouldn’t have been able to escape, and things would’ve escalated… But since I succeeded, there was no problem.

Ghislain shook his head and continued speaking.

“Since it seems confusing, I’ll explain quickly.”

Ghislain briefly explained what had happened in the capital.

As the story progressed, Zwalter and his retainers’ expressions became filled with shock.

“The Marquis of Branford agreed to become your guardian in return for treating his daughter?”

“Yes.”

“And Counts Aylesbur and Norton, among others, are sponsoring and supporting you?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ve become a member of the Royal Faction?”

“Oh, and so have you, Father.”

“Why me?”

“That’s how it turned out.”

Zwalter swallowed dryly, trying to make sense of the confusion in his head.

From the start, he was loyal to the royal family, so it wasn’t as if he was different from the Royal Faction anyway.

It was just that they hadn’t included him before and had ignored him.

‘Is… is this even possible?’

No matter how much he thought about it, it didn’t make sense. So, he took another look at the army standing behind Ghislain.

The banners of the royal family and the high-ranking nobles still fluttered in the wind.

If all of that had been fabricated, his son wouldn’t have enough lives to survive.

‘Is this really real? Can this be true?’

Seeing an unbelievable situation unfold before his eyes, he felt like he was losing his mind.

Even good news needs to be within a certain limit to be purely joyful. When something good goes too far, it instead breeds suspicion and anxiety.

Zwalter closed his eyes.

‘This is a dream.’

“Father?”

‘If I open my eyes, I’ll return to reality.’

“Father!”

‘Begone! You deceitful things!’

Flash!

Zwalter opened his eyes, channeling even his mana.

His eyes shone brightly, filled with vitality.

Yet, the scene before him remained unchanged.

“Ah, it’s still the same. It’s real.”

Ghislain grumbled in frustration at the lack of proper conversation.

“Father, what’s wrong with you?”

“…I’m sorry. It’s just too hard to believe.”

“It’s the truth, so just accept it.”

“…Alright.”

Zwalter wasn’t the only one who couldn’t believe Ghislain’s explanation. Homerne, the Chief Overseer, quickly blurted out, almost spitting in his haste.

“Y-Young Lord, is that lie really true?”

“Why would I make such a pointless lie that would be easily exposed?”

“No, but still… can this really be true…”

Homerne’s mind was spinning.

The Marquis of Branford became his guardian? That man, who was called the most powerful figure in the kingdom?

And now, all the prominent figures in the kingdom were offering their support and backing?

If it were true, it meant that Ghislain had officially become a more influential noble than his father, Count Ferdium.

This was the power of political maneuvering that went beyond mere titles.

Previously, he had been just a wealthy troublemaker, but now he had returned as a troublemaker with solid backing.

He had already been untouchable because he controlled the flow of money, but now he had gained a formidable backing.

A few of the retainers who had followed Zwalter rolled their eyes and broke out in a cold sweat.

‘Why? Why would such powerful figures back that troublemaker?’

‘Have they all gone mad, collectively?’

At that moment, Zwalter’s eyes lit up, and he spoke.

“Then, all those wagons… surely….”

“Yes, you’re thinking correctly. They were organized by the Marquis of Branford and given to us….”

“It’s a Dowry!”

“…Pardon?”

“He treated the daughter and even became the guardian, so naturally, the next step is marriage! You must have impressed him with your various skills. Hahahahaha!”

Zwalter pieced the situation together into the most understandable scenario he could think of.

No matter how much Ghislain had treated his daughter, there were simply too many gifts for it to just be a token of appreciation.

Thus, there was only one answer: it is a dowry.

Homerne, standing beside him, was so overjoyed he almost burst into laughter.

“Oh my, congratulations! After the broken engagement, we were so worried, but now we’re to be in-laws with the Marquis of Branford! This is truly a blessing for the family! A celebration!”

“Haha, you’re making too much of a fuss. But honestly, isn’t my son quite a catch? They must have recognized that on their side.”

“Of course, of course. He’s got money, he’s got skills—what more could he lack? Sure, he’s a bit rough around the edges, but once he’s married into that family, they’ll straighten him out. Hahahaha!”

“Right? Hahaha!”

The people from the Ferdium Count’s family couldn’t hide their joy.

Their previous tension seemed misplaced now that it turned out not to be a major problem. And on top of that, hearing that Ghislain would become the son-in-law of the Marquis of Branford—how could they not be elated?

“…….”

Ghislain and his close aides clicked their tongues as they watched this scene.

They had been so skeptical at first, but now that they believed it, they were going way overboard.

They needed to correct the misunderstanding, but everyone was so delighted that it was hard to figure out the right moment to cut them off.

Ghislain sighed deeply and spoke to his cheerful father.

“It’s not a dowry.”

“Hahaha… It isn’t?”

“No.”

“Really?”

“It’s not.”

The atmosphere turned icy cold in an instant.

Zwalter, feeling awkward, cleared his throat a few times before asking.

“Ahem, ahem… Then what are they?”

“They are supplies sent to Ferdium. A royal scribe came along with them, so you should hear the rest of the explanation.”

“From the royal family?”

Zwalter was astonished. Had the royal family actually sent someone all the way here?

As Ghislain turned around and gestured, a dignified-looking middle-aged man approached with a smile.

“I greet the brave wolf of the North, Margrave of Ferdium. I am Baron Andy Shear, a scribe of the royal family.”

“Oh, oh, welcome. What brings you all the way here?”

“I have come to convey the words of His Majesty, the wise King.”

“P-please, go ahead.”

He tried to remain composed now that he had a rough idea of the situation, but his voice trembled for no reason.

It was one thing for the Marquis of Branford to be involved, but he still didn’t quite understand why the royal family was also stepping in to support Ferdium.

Seeing the nervous and awkward expressions of the people from Ferdium, Baron Shear couldn’t help but feel a bit suspicious.

‘Were they… plotting a rebellion or something?’

It seemed quite odd, but digging into such potential threats was the job of an inspector, not his. Like the skilled administrator he was, he soon unrolled a luxurious scroll and began to read.

“…In recognition of the commendable efforts in defending the kingdom’s borders, we are sending supplies to Count Ferdium. …Furthermore, at the proposal of the Minister of the Interior and with unanimous agreement from the Advisory Council’s nobles following proper procedure, future support for Ferdium shall be increased beyond the current levels… We have no doubt in your loyalty to the royal family….”

The message continued with an endless stream of ornate phrasing, long enough to be tiresome. To put it simply, it meant that they would be providing Ferdium with a bit more support in the future.

Once the message concluded, Baron Shear smiled warmly and said,

“Next year, the scale of support will decrease slightly. This time, it was meant to make up for the previous shortcomings.”

Zwalter and his retainers were left speechless, their mouths agape.

They couldn’t even begin to process what Baron Shear was saying.

‘The Marquis of Branford became Ghislain’s guardian, and now this immediate support…!’

“Woohoo!”

Unable to contain himself, Homerne shouted out in delight, and the other retainers burst into laughter and cheers.

“Our troubles are finally over! With this much, we can focus solely on the northern defenses for the entire year!”

“And we’re getting support from other estates, too. We can finally rest easy!”

Everyone was so overjoyed that they didn’t know what to do with themselves.

Things had improved a bit after Ghislain provided support with the Runestone, but not enough to completely put their minds at ease.

Most of all, it was extremely uncomfortable to always have to pester Ghislain, begging him to share whatever he had.

But now, with official support directly from the royal family, the situation was entirely different.

Zwalter beamed and said with a satisfied smile,

“Hahaha, now the estate’s finances will truly flourish. Well done, Ghislain.”

‘Now I won’t have to make any more humble requests to my son. I can regain my authority as a father.’

Homerne chimed in as well.

“The Young Lord has truly accomplished something great. Haha. We struggled with budget management, having to scrape by with small amounts of Runestone here and there, but things have turned out well. In any case, you’ve worked hard, Young Lord. Uhehehe.”

‘Did you really think we’d be at your mercy forever, you rascal? Heheh.’

Homerne’s expression even showed a hint of defiance, a resolve that he wouldn’t be making any more groveling requests.

With this kind of annual support, what was there to be regretful about?

Albert, the Treasurer, who usually maintained a stoic demeanor, was now fussing excitedly.

“We need to check if the supplies sent match the list and sort everything out. We should take care of what’s ours, after all. Oh, Young Lord? That promise you made to distribute food in a few months… I don’t think you need to do that anymore. Hahaha!”

‘If you want a share of the supplies, Young Lord, you’ll have to ask us for it.’

Zwalter and Homerne burst out laughing heartily.

“Hahaha, exactly! It’s all ours now!”

“Let’s finally use it without worry!”

Just as everyone was basking in their happiness, Baron Shear scratched his cheek awkwardly and spoke up.

“Um… this isn’t all going to Ferdium.”

“Huh?”

Zwalter’s eyes widened in surprise. What kind of nonsense was this? They said the supplies were sent to Ferdium, so why weren’t they getting all of it?

Baron Shear hesitated, clearly uncomfortable, before continuing.

“The distribution… will be handled by Baron Fenris.”

The faces of Zwalter and the people of Ferdium turned as stiff as statues.

They slowly turned their heads, only to see Ghislain standing with his arms crossed, a wry smile on his face.