The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 148

Chapter 148: All of These Belongs to Me. (3)

Baron Homerne burst out in fierce opposition.

“What do you mean by that! The support is coming from the royal family to Ferdium, so by what right does the Young Lord get to decide the distribution?”

“It’s a decision from the royal family.”

Baron Shear pulled out another document from his coat and showed it to the people.

It was an appointment letter naming Ghislain as the administrator in charge of distributing military supplies in the North.

The royal seal, about the size of a fist, was stamped at the bottom of the letter.

Zwalter and Ferdium’s retainers repeated pointless questions, bewildered.

“The Young Lord managed to secure an official royal position?”

“Th-then, what does that mean?”

Among the northern territories, Ferdium was the only one receiving support from the royal family, so even though the title of “Northern Administrator” seemed nominal, it was actually a position with great power within Ferdium, which received the supplies.

Baron Shear spoke again to the astonished crowd.

“Please be aware that Baron Fenris is an official from the royal palace who has received approval from the royal family. In fact, the supplies were originally supposed to go to Baron Fenris, but it didn’t look good, so officially, they decided to channel it to Ferdium. I hope you understand.”

In other words, they were preserving Zwalter’s honor, but all the actual benefits were handed over to Ghislain.

Their mouths gaped open, but the retainers were too stunned to say anything coherent.

Barely regaining his senses, Homerne stammered a question.

“Th-then, does that mean the Young Lord will be the one to distribute the supplies that are supposed to come every year…?”

The answer came from Ghislain.

“Yes, I’ll be the one distributing them.”

“Th-then, how much will you be giving?”

“The estate is still not stable, so for now, I’ll give you half this time.”

Ghislain spoke as if he were being generous.

Homerne’s expression became sullen. It wasn’t as if they were taking back what was given, but having the gift he thought was all his cut in half diminished his joy by just as much.

And the phrase “for now” bothered him as well.

“Wh-what about next year?”

“Well, who knows? I’ll have to see how things are then before I decide how much to distribute.”

It was clear that if things didn’t go well, he might not give anything at all.

No one failed to understand the meaning behind Ghislain’s words.

The faces of Ferdium’s people grew even gloomier.

There was nothing they could say even if they weren’t given anything at all since it was something secured by the Young Lord’s power. Even receiving half was an enormous amount… yet it was clear they’d remain at the mercy of the Young Lord, unable to escape his grasp.

Ghislain then turned to Albert and asked.

“Ah, Treasurer. Are you sure you don’t need any food supplies? Should I just not give you any?”

“No… I must have misspoken.”

Albert, who had been so confident earlier, now muttered in a subdued tone, as if he’d never been that self-assured.

Ghislain sought Zwalter’s consent as well.

“Father, is it all right? I think it would be better if I handled the distribution.”

“Y-Yes, that’s fine… I don’t mind. Since you’re the one who acquired it, you should take care of it….”

Zwalter nodded, already considering how he might siphon off a portion when the supplies arrived next year.

At that moment, as if reading his thoughts, Baron Shear spoke up.

“Oh, and from next year onward, the supplies will be sent directly to the Fenris Estate. They will be distributed there before being sent to Ferdium.”

“……”

Homerne could only let out a hollow laugh, too drained to even feel disappointed anymore.

Once the situation had mostly been resolved, Baron Shear sidled up to Ghislain, trying to act friendly.

“Baron Fenris, it’s been a real honor, even if it was brief.”

“Haha, what are you saying? It was you who did all the hard work, Baron. I took a bit of extra time buying some supplies needed for the estate along the way, and I appreciate your patience.”

Baron Shear and Ghislain exchanged smiles and shook hands.

Watching this, Zwalter cautiously asked,

“Um… Baron Shear, you seem to be quite close with this man’s son.”

Baron Shear nodded with a warm smile.

“Yes, we became acquainted when the Marquis of Branford introduced us at a gathering hosted by the Goddess. During the journey here, we had many conversations, and I was truly impressed by his bold spirit.”

At those words, the Ferdium retainers all had blank expressions.

Of course, a reckless fool like the Young Lord might look bold at a glance.

But that’s only because you don’t know his true nature!

While everyone else stood dazed, Ghislain and Baron Shear continued their conversation effortlessly.

“Will you be staying here for a few days? I can arrange for you to have the best guest room.”

In response to Ghislain’s question, Baron Shear shook his head.

“No, Count Norton has instructed me to return as quickly as possible. I’ll rest for just one day before heading back. You know how things are in the capital these days.”

“That’s true. Still, you’ve traveled a long way and must be exhausted, yet you can’t even rest properly… I truly appreciate all your efforts.”

“What’s this about gratitude between us? I’m really fine. Oh, and this is a gift I separately brought for you..”

Baron Shear handed a small jewelry box to Ghislain.

“You didn’t need to go to such trouble. I didn’t expect this.”

Despite his words, Ghislain’s hand naturally accepted the box and passed it to Belinda. It was clear he had done this more than once.

“How could I come all this way empty-handed? If you ever get the chance to meet with the ministers later, I’d appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me.”

“Oh, of course. Since you’ve shown such consideration, I must repay you.”

“Thank you very much.”

Seeing the friendly exchange between the two, Zwalter broke into a cold sweat.

“A bribe? Is my son being bribed right now? And by a royal administrator, no less?”

Moreover, Ghislain was leading the conversation with such ease and confidence.

It was hard to believe this was the same son who used to get into trouble and was only good at fighting.

“I don’t understand. Even though he’s my son, I truly don’t understand him.”

After finishing the conversation, Ghislain looked around for someone to escort Baron Shear. However, the people from Ferdium were all spaced out.

Ghislain, unable to hide his frustration, scolded them.

“First, let’s escort the secretary to the castle. We can’t have them standing here forever, can we?”

“Y-Yes, right. I was so preoccupied that I didn’t think of it. Let’s head inside.”

“Ah, I’ll sort out the supplies and then head straight back to the estate.”

“What? You’re leaving already?”

“Yes. There’s still a lot to do.”

“No, wait… Hey, someone, escort our royal guests to the guest rooms! I’ll finish up here and follow shortly.”

A few retainers, along with some knights, escorted Baron Shear.

After the officials and guards who had accompanied him entered the castle, Zwalter let out a deep sigh.

“Ugh, I’m losing my mind.”

Now that the royal guests were out of sight, the tension began to ease a little.

Thankfully, since the guests were only staying for a day, there wouldn’t be much need to keep up appearances.

Feeling slightly more at ease among familiar faces, Zwalter carefully asked a question. He was happy, sure, but there were things he needed to confirm clearly.

“Um… now that Baron Shear is gone, I need to ask once more… The amount is quite large, even if it’s just half. Are you sure it’s okay to accept this? There’s no issue, right?”

“Yes, there’s no issue, so just accept it. Isn’t this a good thing?”

“It is, but to be honest, it all feels so sudden. I don’t quite understand what’s going on.”

“Father, there’s no need for you to worry. It’s true that the royal family and the nobles haven’t been very supportive up till now, hasn’t it? We’re just receiving what we should have been getting all along.”

“Well… that’s true.”

“Even if you did take half for yourself,” he thought, though his expression remained complex.

Ghislain smiled as he spoke to Zwalter.

“Don’t worry. No one will be able to look down on this place anymore.”

Zwalter nodded without saying a word. He wanted to speak, but strangely, his throat tightened, and no words came out.

Ghislain’s voice was firm, filled with confidence.

Why did that one short sentence pierce his heart so deeply?

It was clear that his son had changed from before.

‘This is good…’

His son was being praised even within Ferdium. And now, he had grown to a position recognized by the royal family and high-ranking nobles.

His heart swelled with emotion. It felt as though the years of suffering from being ignored, the hardships caused by poverty, were melting away.

‘Even after achieving something so big, he remains calm, just like his mother.’

It would have been nice if his wife could have seen their son like this, too.

‘My dear, why did you have to go so soon…’

Zwalter rubbed his eyes, feeling a sudden warmth around them.

‘Come to think of it, that reckless behavior is something he got from you, too.’

Remembering all the trouble Ghislain had caused so far, his tears suddenly vanished.

The memory of when he heard that Ghislain had been caught by the Marquis of Branford sent a chill down his spine, even now.

‘If he was going to mature, he could’ve done it a bit sooner.’

Judging by Ghislain’s recent accomplishments, he had done more than most lords could dream of.

He felt proud and pleased. His son’s growth, that ability which was reviving their estate after such a long period of hardship.

But what his son was doing still seemed reckless and dangerous.

The bet with the Marquis of Branford, where his life had been on the line, was a fact that couldn’t be ignored.

‘Ugh, I don’t know how much longer my authority as a father will hold… But if I let go, he’s bound to act even more recklessly.’

If nothing else, he would keep holding off the northern barbarians to prove that his father was still capable.

Lost in his own thoughts, Zwalter was brought back by Ghislain’s voice.

“Then I’ll be off. Father, please head inside. The aid supplies have been pre-sorted by cart, so distributing them shouldn’t take long.”

Zwalter, coming to his senses, held onto Ghislain.

“Why are you in such a hurry to leave? You haven’t been here in a while. Stay, have a meal, rest a bit. Spend some time with your siblings.”

“No, I’ll make time to visit later. We need to send Captain Randolph back quickly, too, don’t we?”

“You keep saying you’ll visit later, but you only come when you need something.”

“…Ah, it’s just that I’m busy.”

“Is there only one busy person in this world? Other people manage to take care of their families even when they’re busy. It’s not like you have a wife or children, either.”

“…”

“Now that we’re on the topic, let’s talk about it. When are you going to get married? You’re not seeing anyone, are you?”

His father hadn’t been like this before, but as he aged, he seemed to nag more.

It appeared that the earlier mention of dowry had triggered thoughts of marriage, making him more eager to see it happen.

Right now, Ghislain had no intention or time to think about romance or marriage.

He lowered his gaze, pretending he hadn’t heard anything.

But even the retainers chimed in, making their opinions known.

“Lord Zwalter is absolutely right! You must find a bride quickly.”

“The sooner you marry, the better. We need to secure the succession.”

“Now that your reputation has improved, this is the perfect time. If you miss this opportunity, who knows when your reputation might plummet again, given your nature, Young Lord.”

Taking advantage of the topic, Zwalter decided to push further, speaking firmly.

“Since it seems you’re not seeing anyone, I’ll find a suitable match for you.”

“I have no intention, absolutely none, of getting married right now.”

Ghislain emphasized every word clearly, but the others had no intention of listening.

“Whether you intend to or not, it must be done. Marriage isn’t something decided by your feelings.”

In noble families, the decision to marry always rested with the head of the household.

Ghislain let out deep sighs, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction.

“Father, why don’t you consider finding someone to remarry? You seem a bit lonely lately.”

Zwalter replied with a serious expression.

“I’m not popular with women.”

“…”

Faced with such an earnest yet sorrowful confession, Ghislain found himself at a loss for words.