Chapter 180: Finally, the Time Has Come. (3)
Before the drought arrived, Ghislaine sent a letter to Marquis Branford.
[Considering how hot the weather is, it seems a drought is coming soon. Please stock up on food and prepare. I won’t know if you regret not doing so.]
Straightforward. Without any lengthy pleasantries, it was more like a note than a letter.
Naturally, the feeling of Marquis Branford upon receiving the letter was also succinct.
“…Is this guy going crazier by the day?”
He abruptly advises gathering supplies. Just because it’s hot.
How many people would take such a statement at face value? Anyone who does would be lucky not to get scammed by a fraud.
‘What kind of trick is he pulling this time?’
Marquis Branford shook Ghislaine’s letter and asked his butler.
“Has he sent this to other nobles as well?”
“According to what we’ve gathered, it seems he sent it to Count Ailzbur’s household too.”
“What was their response?”
“Count Ailzbur ignored it, but his lady has been using her own wealth to stock up on supplies.”
“Hm… Does she trust Baron Penris to that extent?”
Marquis Branford’s worries deepened.
Meriel was no ordinary noblewoman. The fact that she acted directly was a signal not to be dismissed.
Even so, following Ghislaine’s proposal was a matter to consider. If they gather supplies and nothing happens, it would not only be a loss but also a source of immense ridicule.
If it were someone else’s message, he would have dismissed it and torn the letter apart. But since it was Ghislaine—a guy with an oddly rich array of useless knowledge—he felt uncomfortable just ignoring it.
“…Prepare a meeting. I need to hear what others think.”
His butler was slightly startled by that remark.
Marquis Branford usually doesn’t call meetings over trivial matters. It showed confidence in his judgment, and indeed, he was usually right.
However, whenever Baron Penris was involved, he found himself in a constant headache. No matter how you slice it, a fool is still a fool.
After a while, the retainers gathered in the conference room and, upon hearing the situation, mostly showed a sour reaction.
“There are no signs of a drought. The harvest season is almost here; surely nothing will happen in between, right?”
“Exactly. This just seems like a bit warmer weather. It’s nothing to worry about a drought.”
“Baron Penris is probably just making a fuss out of fear.”
As the negative responses erupted here and there, Marquis Branford’s mind began to tilt.
To prepare for a drought, they would need to stockpile enormous amounts of food.
Buying food now, when prices are about to drop, meant risking significant loss if Ghislaine was wrong.
‘But it’s also unsettling to just ignore it…’
While Marquis Branford was stuck in his indecision, Rosalyn, who had been quietly listening, stepped forward.
“I think it’s better to purchase the supplies.”
“Why’s that?”
“Baron Penris is a strange person, but… he wouldn’t play such a nasty prank on us just to humiliate us. There must be a solid reason for him to say that.”
“He’s just one person… but he wouldn’t play such a nasty trick just to embarrass us. There must be a reason he said that.”
“The likelihood of it being nonsense is high. It’s impossible to accurately predict the weather.”
“However, he’s the one who cured my illness and created that amazing product. That’s why Count Ailzbur’s wife trusts him enough to buy food from him.”
“I don’t really like taking action based on gut feelings without solid evidence.”
“…I can’t deny that. But your father must feel uneasy about simply dismissing him, right? That man is as unpredictable as the weather.”
That was true. It was hard to consider him sane.
After a moment of contemplation with his eyes closed, Marquis Branford spoke again.
“If we buy at the current prices, we might incur a huge loss.”
“I’ll proceed using the funds from the merchant group I run. Then, even if he turns out to be wrong, your father won’t be embarrassed. And just in case, I’ll secure some of the royal reserves ahead of time.”
“You?”
“Yes, with the investment funds I just received.”
Rosalyn flashed a confident smile. She had already reclaimed the 300,000 gold she had given to Ghislaine.
This was done by transferring some ‘profit rights’ for cosmetics to the nobles for ten years.
As she expanded her branches starting from the capital, cosmetics sales were rapidly increasing. It was truly a reliable investment that wouldn’t fail.
With the Marquis’ guarantee and the product’s immense popularity, countless nobles had invested.
Not only had Rosalyn quickly reclaimed her principal, but she was also reinvesting the remaining funds and turning a profit.
The Marquis’ retainers were busy praising her talents, and whenever money-related discussions came up, everyone deferred to her judgment.
Taking measures against the drought was, in a way, an investment, and because of that, Rosalyn’s comments gained even more weight.
After a brief deliberation, Marquis Branford nodded.
“Alright, go ahead and purchase food as you deem appropriate. If necessary, you can use my name.”
“Thank you.”
“What if Ghislaine’s warning turns out to be just nonsense? How do you plan to handle the food?”
“As long as we are at odds with Duke Delphine, it wouldn’t hurt to stockpile provisions. If we have any surplus, we can distribute it to the poor and build the Marquis’ reputation.”
“Hmm, that isn’t bad… but it’s certainly bound to incur some loss.”
“Or we could push it as support supplies for Perdium for a few years. We would be receiving the royal and Crown Prince faction’s support funds instead. It won’t do much for Perdium since we can only accept food, but that’s something Baron Penris will have to take responsibility for.”
As various strategies flowed from her lips effortlessly, Marquis Branford smiled with satisfaction.
Ever since her illness was cured, her business acumen had been shining even brighter.
Her keen insight into the situation and the follow-up measures were impressive.
Thanks to Rosalyn, the power of the Marquis household was continuing to grow stronger.
Truly, it was fortunate that Ghislaine came to see us…
‘Oh, what am I thinking right now?’
Startled, Marquis Branford shook his head several times before speaking in a solemn tone.
“I will leave this matter to Rosalyn, so everyone should understand that. Butler, convey the words of Baron Penris to the nobles of the Crown Prince faction. Make it clear that it’s not an imposition, but left to their own judgment.”
“Understood.”
Following the Marquis’ orders, information was relayed to the nobles of the Crown Prince faction, but in reality, very few ended up purchasing food.
Unlike the North, nobles belonging to the Crown Prince faction had rarely dealt with food shortages. So, they didn’t take Ghislaine’s opinion too seriously this time either.
Aside from a handful of nobles who had originally planned to stockpile provisions, only Rosalyn and Meriel were actively purchasing food.
While most of the nobles laughed at Ghislaine, real problems began to arise soon after.
It began to unfold.
“The weather is getting increasingly strange.”
“It’s a heatwave! The rivers are drying up!”
“The entire kingdom is suffering from drought!”
“A famine is certain! We need to take measures!”
Even the royal ministers started to panic and move around.
But they couldn’t change the weather, and with the rivers already dried up, what could they do?
Even with the harvest season right around the corner, everyone was just pacing around with no plans in sight.
In the midst of this, the retainers of Marquis Branford let out a sigh of relief.
If Ghislaine hadn’t told them, if Rosalyn hadn’t believed and prepared for it, they too would have faced a tremendous loss.
In fact, they regretted not being more proactive.
“How on earth did Baron Penris know about this?”
“Even farmers, who have spent their lives farming, didn’t have a clue. The weather changed too suddenly.”
“There are rumors that he’s a master of astrology. They say he can read the stars!”
As the retainers fussed among themselves, Marquis Branford narrowed his eyes and fell into thought.
Numerous mages and scholars also failed to predict this drought. It changed that abruptly.
‘How in the world… did he know this?’
He knew Penris was a strange fellow, but he never imagined he had the ability to foresee the future.
Even in disbelief over the situation, a chilling thought crossed the mind of Marquis Branford.
‘We could have all… been doomed.’
Had they not prepared in advance, the Crown Prince’s territories would have been plunged into food shortages, and the Duke would not have missed that opportunity.
But thanks to Ghislaine, they gained at least a bit of strength to endure.
The Duke, with abundant resources, could manage with minimal losses, but the lords following the Duke would certainly be weakened for a while.
‘Thank goodness. We bought some time to regroup.’
If they could just endure this disaster, they could slightly recover from the trends that were increasingly favoring the Duke.
‘I should have ordered to purchase food, even if by force.’
The nobles of the Crown Prince faction largely ignored Ghislaine’s words, but it was understandable. It was hard for anyone to believe such a story, and even the Marquis had his doubts.
Still, with the royal family, the marquis house, and Count Ailzbur’s family stockpiling enormous amounts of food, it wouldn’t come to starving to death.
‘Surely he couldn’t have predicted even this, right?’
The regret of not properly seizing the excellent opportunity Ghislaine had provided kept surfacing.
If all the nobles of the Crown Prince faction had been thoroughly prepared, they might have established parity with the Duke faction.
This fact was incredibly regrettable and disheartening.
The realization that, despite hearing from that guy in advance, they had only managed to prepare this much.
‘No, no. Ghislaine probably had doubts too. If he truly foresaw this situation, he would have acted more decisively.’
Marquis Branford shook off his feelings of regret.
If things had gone differently, the Crown Prince faction could have been completely overshadowed by the Duke faction, but it ended with only this much, so it was something to be thankful for.
As he concluded this, a smile naturally appeared on his face.
‘Duke Delphine must be feeling quite disheartened. It seems like the heavens are on our side, sending us such a strange fellow.’
*
The atmosphere in the Ruthania Kingdom plummeted to its worst.
Due to abnormal weather, most territories had ruined their crops. It was so bad that they cried it was the worst famine in the history of the kingdom.
Few places, like Penris, were perfectly prepared for the drought.
Food prices skyrocketed, and the despairing voices of the people echoed throughout the kingdom.
This was the beginning of the “Great Famine,” which would even be recorded in history books, before Ghislaine’s return.
‘Hmmm…’
Ghislaine pondered as he received a report from Lowell.
Some called it a calamity, others referred to it as a catastrophe, while everyone across the continent fell into suffering.
In his past life, many claimed that this drought was the precursor to the disaster.
Many people claimed that.
This disaster didn’t only occur in the Ruthania Kingdom; similar events were happening all over the continent.
Still, he couldn’t guarantee that statement was true. There were definitely places that had suffered no damage at all.
As he recalled the Age of Turmoil, a strange chill ran down his spine.
“I can’t let my guard down for even a day. I need to prepare even more thoroughly until that day comes.”
As far as he knew, ‘that day’ would come a little later, secretly and suddenly.
To withstand the shock, he had to be more certain and thorough in his preparations than he was now.
Of course, he had to survive the Duke Delphine’s clutches first.
After finishing his regular report, Lowell was quietly asked by Ghislaine.
“How is the food situation for the Crown Prince Faction?”
“The royalty along with Marquis Branford and Count Ailzbur have secured a decent amount… but it seems the other nobles haven’t prepared well at all.”
“That’s somewhat disappointing.”
It was the outcome he had somewhat anticipated. Even if he told them such a monumental event was happening, no one would readily believe him.
Ghislaine himself had no confidence in convincing others, so he’d just jotted down a rough conclusion and sent it.
At least he thought Rosalyn and Meriel would move under the pretense of being deceived. Those two were quite sharp when it came to benefits.
His prediction proved to be spot on, but still, it was disappointing nonetheless.
However, due to this incident, the other nobles would likely think twice about easily disregarding his words in the future, so things weren’t entirely bleak.
“Nobles affiliated with the Dukes will recover quickly.”
In his previous life, after this drought, the Crown Prince Faction had greatly found themselves in a corner.
Even if the same disaster struck, the Duke’s side had an enormous stockpile, allowing them to recover swiftly.
They quickly filled in any shortages through trade with other kingdoms.
In fact, the Duke seized good opportunities, pressing the Crown Prince Faction hard as soon as the threat from that faction stabilized, even at the cost of taking some losses.
While the Crown Prince Faction was struggling for recovery and stability, their power diminished rapidly.
From that point, the balance of power tipped completely in favor of the Duke’s faction.
“This time, the Crown Prince Faction might last a bit longer. The Duke will surely deliberate on things.”
Thanks to Ghislaine, the Crown Prince Faction also ended up with a substantial amount of food. Thus, the Duke couldn’t press them as quickly as he had in his previous life.
Now it was a race to see who could recover their losses first.
Because of this, the Duke and Marquis Branford were busy distributing food to their factions to manage the situation.
The friction between the Crown Prince Faction and the Duke Faction simmered down briefly.
Finally, the board Ghislaine wanted was laid out.
“I can’t let this opportunity slip away. I need to move at a timing no one else expects.”
He had no intention of sitting idly and waiting until the enemy completed their preparations.
After Lowell left, Ghislaine found himself smiling unconsciously.
It was indeed correct to strike first while the enemies were in chaos, aiming for the iron mines. It was also part of his long-term goals.
But he wasn’t just moving for that grand purpose.
“Count Cabaldy.”
In his previous life, the Duke ordered Count Desmond to destroy Perdium.
And Count Desmond utilized other lords to save his own troops.
One of those lords was Count Cabaldy.
To annihilate Perdium, he sent troops to Desmond and prevented Perdium from acquiring iron ore.
One of his previous life’s enemies and a definite foe in the future.
Recalling the past, the smile etched on Ghislaine’s face twisted into something increasingly cruel.
“Finally… it’s time to kill.”
Yes, it was time to methodically take down one enemy at a time.
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