Chapter 151: It’s Nice to Be Back. (3)
As soon as Vanessa saw Ghislaine, she started wailing again.
“I’m so sorry! Huhuhuh! I destroyed the building and scattered a ton of runestones and caused huge damage to the territory… Uwaah.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. That can happen. No one was hurt, so it’s really fine. Hahaha.”
Ghislaine continued to chuckle cheerfully. Now that they had a 6th Circle Mage in the territory, what were a few buildings compared to that?
To recruit a 6th Circle Mage, they could build hundreds of those buildings and still be short.
People with that level of skill couldn’t be lured in just with money.
She was right; her judgment of Vanessa as the greatest talent in the history of the Tower of the Bloody Flame was spot on.
“Huhuhuh, no. The territory is poor, and there’s no money, so everyone is struggling… I should save every penny to help the territory… From now on, I’ll only eat one meal a day… Uwaah.”
As Vanessa’s words continued, Ghislaine’s smile began to fade.
“No, we’re not that poor anymore.”
“I’ll work hard my whole life to repay you. Huhuhuh…”
“No, if you do the laundry, that will be more harmful.”
It was a valid point, but to her, it only sounded like, “If you do the laundry, it’ll ruin the clothes.”
“Of course, right? Someone like me should just die. Please kill me. Uwaah.”
Ghislaine sighed. Vanessa was great, but her damaged self-esteem and timidness were a problem.
After living a life of being ignored and struggling, it seemed she was overly sensitive to even small mistakes.
If she had a personality like Belinda, she’d be like, “I’m a 6th Circle Mage, what do I care about a few buildings? Just give me more money!”
After all, the accident this time was serious enough that if she were still stuck in the position of doing menial tasks, she’d never be able to repay it even if she worked her whole life, so Ghislaine understood her reaction.
Ghislaine lifted the weeping mess that was Vanessa.
“I’m really okay, you know? More importantly, elevating to 6th Circle so quickly is impressive. That’s a bigger help to me. I’ll build you a new research lab, so don’t worry about money and just focus on your training. That’s the most important thing. Got it?”
“Huhuhuh, Lord!”
Upon receiving the soft-spoken compliment, Vanessa shed tears of joy and buried her face in Ghislaine’s chest.
Ghislaine gently patted her shoulder a few times before pulling back slightly to look her over.
It was obvious she hadn’t seen the sunlight in ages, as the soot on her pale face stood out.
Her clothes were stained here and there, clearly showing that she had been holed up in a corner, solely focused on research and training.
Ghislaine felt like she could almost see the musty smell approaching as she forced a smile and patted Vanessa’s shoulder.
“…Training is good, but now that you’re a 6th Circle Mage, you should wash up, take a walk, and have some fresh air.”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Realizing her appearance, Vanessa blushed and quickly stepped back.
Ghislaine turned to Lowell and spoke.
He looked and said.
“Let’s build the laboratory sturdier and wider. Set up a stack for magic use in the large open space.”
“Understood. Since this place is well situated, let’s go ahead and…”
At that moment, Ghislaine leaned on Lowell’s shoulder and whispered.
“Build it far, far away. Drop it further from the Lord’s Castle, somewhere safe without people around. You understand what I mean?”
“……Yes.”
Only after hearing Lowell’s firm answer did Ghislaine turn to the others and say,
“Let’s keep the fact that Vanessa is a 6th Circle Mage a secret for now. There’s no advantage in spreading rumors.”
Everyone nodded absentmindedly.
No matter how talented she was, to reach the realm of 6th Circle already was surprising.
The close associates around them could only agree in amazement with Ghislaine’s words.
The territory residents were all too far away to catch the conversation, making secrecy an easy task.
‘This absolutely must remain a secret.’
‘A 6th Circle Mage commanding grand dukes is unheard of.’
‘A powerful card that others don’t know about!’
6th Circle Mages are exceedingly rare. Many dedicate their lives to magic yet never reach even the 5th Circle and die in vain.
Once you get there, being the exclusive mage of grand dukes is a given, and you might even eye the position of tower master at the Mage Tower.
Although Vanessa is a half-baked 6th Circle due to lacking magic power, it can still be put to good use.
Those who provoke without knowing will likely feel the shocking heat of strong magic in an ambush.
While handling the people’s lips and organizing things, Alfoy and the mages came rushing in, panting.
“Was there a fire? What happened with the fire? I feel like other spells were cast too!”
Looking at the panicking Alfoy, Ghislaine waved her hand with a smile.
“Hey, Alfoy, long time no see. You’ve been doing well, right?”
“Uh… Is the Lord here…?”
As Alfoy broke into a cold sweat and stepped back, Ghislaine turned to Lowell and asked,
“Have the tasks given to the mages gone well?”
Glancing at the mages, Lowell began to snitch.
“Ahem, they’ve been falling behind more and more, so we couldn’t keep to the schedule properly.”
“Really?”
Alfoy waved his hands frantically and shouted.
“No! They worked hard! It was just that I wasn’t feeling well!”
“It’s okay. People can take a break when things get tough.”
“Uh…? Really?”
Ghislaine nodded sweetly, seeming genuinely okay with it.
“As long as you work harder for the time you took off. There’s a lot to do ahead.”
Alfoy felt a shiver run down his spine with an uneasy premonition. That lord wasn’t someone who would let things slide just like that.
Moreover, the mention of having a lot of work was very suspicious.
Could it be that there were even more tasks beyond what they were already doing?
Ghislaine looked at the anxious mages and smiled slyly.
“Prepare yourselves.”
*
Before returning to the Lord’s Castle, Ghislaine first visited the mercenary’s fortress.
“Grand Duke, you’re back!”
Randolf, who was training the mercenaries, greeted Ghislaine with great joy.
Standing beside him was Fergus, grinning widely.
“Hoho, Young Master. Did you have a good trip?”
Ghislaine replied with surprise.
“No, I told you to rest comfortably in the Penris Territory. Why did you come to the fortress?”
“I was helping the Knight Commander.”
Fergus, recuperating from health issues in Perdium, had come with Randolf when he visited the Penris Territory.
Although he couldn’t participate in training due to his stamina, he had provided considerable help in training the mercenaries by utilizing his wisdom suited to his age.
Ghislaine shook her head and said worriedly.
“Still, take it easy for a while. I’ve told you that coming back from the dead isn’t as easy as it sounds.”
“Hoho, I’m fine. Thanks to you, Young Master, I’ve improved a lot.”
Because Ghislaine had frequently visited Perdium to provide him with medicine, Fergus’s health had significantly improved compared to his previous life.
Ghislaine’s frequent visits to Perdium to provide him with medicine had greatly improved Fergus’s health compared to his previous life.
However, Ghislaine was still not satisfied.
“I wish he would rest more.”
Despite Ghislaine’s numerous attempts to persuade him, the old knight stubbornly refused to budge. With a sigh, Ghislaine greeted Randolf, albeit a bit late.
“Have you been well?”
“Well? These idiots are not even human!”
As soon as Ghislaine finished her sentence, Randolf launched into a tirade, his face dark and morose.
After dealing solely with disciplined soldiers and knights, handling mercenaries was truly proving to be a nightmare.
It wasn’t just that they didn’t listen; many of them lacked even basic common sense.
They followed Ghislaine only because she had somehow taken charge, but they were the scum of the earth.
Even when they practiced tactical training, they could only charge as Ghislaine had trained them; they couldn’t do anything else.
“How on earth did you manage to fight a war with these fools?”
“Why? Are there problems?”
“It’s not just a few problems! These guys have no sense of discipline whatsoever!”
In the military, the most important thing is to obey your superior’s commands. Moving as one to fulfill the objective is the essence of being a soldier.
But the mercenaries behaved like complete wildcards, busy insisting that their knowledge was the correct one. The mere fact that they had survived until now was proof in their eyes that they were right.
“I managed to shove in the absolutely necessary basic knowledge, but this is really pushing it. Ugh, I just want to kill them all.”
Randolf shook his head, pressing his temples as if he had a headache. Before his complaints could fully finish, the mercenaries burst out, cheerfully welcoming Ghislaine.
“We’re alive! The Lord has come!”
“Ah, I was so tired of it!”
Looking closely, they all had bruises all over their bodies.
They were the results of Randolf beating some sense into them due to their disobedience.
“Anyway, I’ve taught them roughly what you asked, so I’ll be heading back now.”
Randolf shivered at the thought and insisted on returning quickly.
Ghislaine nodded, somewhat reluctantly.
“Ah well, I was planning to ask you to take a bit more responsibility… I guess I’ll have to manage on my own from now on.”
Still, upon checking, it seemed he had taught them the basics of etiquette and at least some military knowledge.
The basic training status of the newly recruited soldiers wasn’t too bad either.
Honestly, it was true that Randolf had taken care of the most annoying parts.
“Anyway, thanks for your hard work. I’ll make sure the payment is satisfactory.”
At Ghislaine’s words, Randolf replied, a bit proudly.
“I even taught some of them how to read!”
Though it was Fergus who had taught reading, Randolf spoke as if he had done it himself without a hint of conscience. After all, distributing the education hours was Randolf’s responsibility, so it wasn’t entirely a lie.
“That’s great! They at least need to know how to read.”
Ghislaine had insisted that Randolf also teach the mercenaries how to read, knowing that even soldiers who follow orders should at least be able to read and write to carry out broader operations.
It was also something she had promised to do for the mercenaries who couldn’t read.
Among the gathered mercenaries, “Pee-Pants Gordon” proudly announced,
“I can now read and write well too!”
For Gordon, who always lost out on contracts for not being able to read, this was something to brag about.
“Oh, really? Congratulations! Can you read the contracts by yourself now?”
Ghislaine asked with a smile, and Gordon pulled out a little book from his trousers, waving it around.
“Of course! I’m currently writing my own story in here!”
“Really? Are you writing a novel or something? I’m curious about the content; can I see it?”
Curious about how well he had learned to read, Ghislaine asked, but Gordon shook his head.
Gordon shook his head.
“No way. No one will see this.”
“Well, that’s that.”
Ghislaine replied nonchalantly, but the mercenary next to Gordon didn’t agree.
“No, what the heck is that? The Lord is curious too, let’s take a look. What are you writing secretly every day?”
“Ugh, I said no. I’m not showing it.”
“Just let me see it!”
The mercenary grabbed Gordon’s arm and tried to snatch the book.
Of course, Gordon, packed with muscles, wasn’t going to lose it easily.
As they began to tussle, a few other mercenaries jumped in, finding it amusing.
“Hey! Let go! You’re all gonna die!”
Even Gordon, strong as he was, couldn’t hold out against five or six of them.
He struggled desperately to keep it from their sight, but he was on the verge of losing it.
“Ahhhh!”
Gordon screamed, flailing his arms around and finally dropped the book.
Thud.
The book fell right at Ghislaine’s feet.
Curious, Ghislaine picked it up and opened it randomly.
[April 2nd Weather Report]
Today, Knight Commander Randolf is harping on me about working again. His obsession with my private life is serious.
My skills are impressive, yet he keeps nagging me. Honestly, it’s too much now.
A cold multiplication is coming, and he’s angry that I’m supposed to practice archery in this freezing weather.
He keeps trying to teach me like he learned from a watermelon-snatching loser. He’s definitely not the kind of person you’d want as a mentor.
My hope for the afterlife is to become a great knight, but with a boring personality like that, it’s not gonna happen…
Today’s diary ends here.
Thud.
Ghislaine quickly closed the book and shut his eyes.
He couldn’t keep reading someone else’s diary.
Whether it’s an invasion of privacy or just plain rudeness, it was definitely crossing a line.
‘But hey, at least he did some studying.’
There seemed to be severe issues with spelling, but it was something to be able to read and write at all!
Good things are good things; when compared to before, this was quite an achievement.
While lost in his strange thoughts, Gordon, who had mercilessly knocked out the mercenaries, rushed over.
“Give it back!”
“Uh, okay… here.”
Ghislaine handed over the diary without a fuss.
“You read it, didn’t you?”
“…No.”
“You did! How is reading someone’s diary even allowed!”
“…I’m sorry.”
Gordon still looked like he was about to cry as he hurriedly tucked the diary back into his pants.
He kept glancing worriedly at Randolf, who was probably getting angry about the number of insults written in there.
Seeing him was both funny and sad, so Ghislaine pretended not to notice and turned away.
If Gordon has gotten that used to it, there was probably no need to check the rest.
“Let’s check out other places too.”
Lowell, the temporary leader, took the lead and guided them throughout the territory.
The houses where territory residents lived and the facilities had definitely increased noticeably.
There were still plenty of buildings under construction, but developing a territory was no short-term task, so they had to get used to it.
“Alright, let’s have a meeting about the next construction plans back at the castle. Now, let’s head to the most important place.”
At Ghislaine’s suggestion, the group exited the outer castle.
When they reached their destination, Lowell, who had been leading the pack, had a look of overwhelming emotion as he spoke.
“Wow… it’s just as you said.”
The close associates of Ghislaine, who had been away for some time, could not help but express their admiration at the sight before them.
“Whoa… this is insane!”
“I expected it, but… not like this…”
“I can’t believe it even seeing it with my own eyes.”
They all rubbed their eyes, double-checking if what they saw was real.
Waves of shimmering golden wheat.
Giant stalks, taller than a person, filled the land in a way no one could have ever imagined.
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