Chapter 212 Just Went Up. (2)
Food prices have already skyrocketed, and iron ore is naturally an expensive resource.
Enduring a 30% increase is tough enough, but now they want to charge an additional 50%? Just for themselves? This was truly an unfair move.
“W-where do you get off? Did you not hear me? We are a merchant group that has had longstanding transactions with Perdium…”
“Double it.”
“…What?”
“I just said it went up 2x. What makes you think you can bring up Perdium here?”
“Please, don’t joke around, Lord. Even so, to joke about a transaction right now…”
Seeing Pharil flustered, Ghislaine couldn’t help but smirk.
“Joke? Do you think what the Lord is saying right now is a joke?”
Under the icy pressure, Pharil began to sweat. He couldn’t understand why Ghislaine was acting so recklessly.
As he racked his brain, he suddenly recalled the past dealings with Perdium.
‘Bringing up Perdium, huh? Could it be that…’
Confronted by a sense of impending doom, Pharil exclaimed in a panicked voice.
“Is it because of the past deal with Perdium? I believe there’s a misunderstanding. At that time, transport and labor costs to the far reaches of the North were factored in, and the price was set justly…”
“Triple it.”
“L-Lord…”
“Do you still think this is the poor Perdium that let you guys play tricks on them?”
Pharil couldn’t hide his despair.
It was clear. The lord before him had not forgotten the past when his father had been severely cheated by the merchant group.
Food and iron ore were firmly in Baron Penris’s grasp. Plus, Marquis Branford, a powerful figure, claimed to be his guardian.
Baron Penris was being recognized as the kingdom’s rising star and the frontman for the Crown Prince Faction in the North, enhancing his reputation rapidly.
Being at odds with someone like that meant the merchant group’s future was bleak.
“P-please, my Lord. I apologize. I beg you to revert to the original price of 30%…”
“Guess it’s pointless to talk. Just drag him out.”
With a dismissive nod, Ghislaine signaled to the soldiers, who approached and dragged Pharil away.
“My Lord! Please! I was wrong! Please reconsider!”
“There’s no reconsideration. From now on, you will charge Pharil’s group 3 times the price.”
‘You bastard!’
Dragged out, Pharil regretted his confrontation. Now he was left with greater losses.
But alongside that regret, a deeper rage started to boil within him.
“Damn it, damn it! That punk! At that time, that was a fair price! Do you think Perdium would’ve even secured goods without us? That vile rat!”
Pharil cursed Ghislaine endlessly.
Regardless of how precious food and iron ore were, he couldn’t afford to buy them at three times the price. It’d be cheaper to buy from another group at a premium.
There couldn’t be a greater loss than this. He gritted his teeth and made a vow.
There was never a loss like this. He gritted his teeth and made a vow.
“Just you wait! Desmond definitely moved the army, right? I will surely cling to that and bring your downfall!”
There was no other way for the merchant group to survive anyway. Ghislaine had to either die or be ruined for him to live.
So, he had no choice but to seek out the enemy’s enemy.
Ghislaine smiled as he watched Pharil being dragged away.
It was obvious without looking. The merchant groups that he had dealt with this time would definitely pull some tricks.
But it didn’t matter. As long as he conquered the North, he planned to devour them all.
He just needed to quietly gather the necessary resources until then.
Ghislaine immediately called Claude and said,
“While handing over the food, sweep up all the loan documents from the merchants and territories that owe debts to Perdium. Leave not a single one behind. For now, just release a small amount of iron ore.”
“Understood. Count Perdium will surely be pleased. Now we won’t have to pay interest.”
“And I can collect that interest again, right?”
“Of course, just leave it to me.”
Claude efficiently handled the job. First, he sold cheap food at high prices and retrieved all the loan documents.
Although he didn’t raise prices any further, he imposed quantity limits. If they wanted to buy more, he cleverly accepted bribes to pocket the extra cash.
The merchants were taken aback. They had also profited off others, but they had never encountered someone so vicious and corrupt.
“That Chief Officer thinks he can wield his power recklessly?”
“Did he really think he’d get away with all those bribes?”
“It’s already absurdly expensive and annoying, so I should just get rid of him.”
Countless merchants sent complaints to the Lord’s Castle, but it had zero effect.
From the start, he was in cahoots with the lord, making additional income through bribes, so there was no way that would work.
Claude diligently accepted bribes and filled the territory’s storerooms, while Ghislaine watched with a pleased smile.
*
Belinda and Fergus were overjoyed to hear the news that Perdium’s debts were all cleared.
For the two of them, Perdium was both a nostalgic home and a painful reminder.
“It’s wonderful! Our young master is so impressive, don’t you think? I must have raised him well!”
“Hahaha, indeed… the butler really raised him well… cough cough My heart suddenly….”
Fergus couldn’t finish his sentence and turned away. No matter how pleased he was, it was hard to say something he didn’t truly mean.
And the Chief Officer of Perdium, Baron Homern, received all the loan documents and threw them into the air, shouting,
“I’m free! Finally released from debt! Hahaha! I thought the Grand Duke would die after starting that war, but he won and paid off all our debts! Truly, life is full of surprises!”
Treasurer Albert and Perdium’s retainers also cheered alongside him.
“We don’t have to pay interest anymore! Now we can save up!”
“And didn’t the food prices soar significantly after we received those from the Grand Duke? Thanks to that, our wealth has skyrocketed!”
“This is an unexpected gift! I didn’t think the Grand Duke would suddenly pay off debts!”
They praised Ghislaine enthusiastically after a long time.
When the Grand Duke caused trouble, they wanted to kill him, but when he did something good, they were overjoyed.
After bouncing between hot and cold emotions, they decided to just express their sentiments as they came.
Zvalter and Randolf, staying in the Northern Fortress, also rejoiced upon hearing the news.
“Brother… we’ve finally paid off all our debts….”
Randolf murmured with teary eyes.
Zvalter felt something welling up inside, unable even to respond, and closed his eyes.
How sorrowful and difficult it had been because of the debts?
To think that their successful son had come forward to clear all those debts filled him with indescribable emotions.
The common son stepped up and paid off all the debts, leaving me feeling immense joy.
My heart swelled with pride. Today, I missed my wife even more. It felt truly sorrowful not having her by my side during such moments.
‘Honey… why did you have to leave so soon? You missed witnessing that troublemaker’s success.’
My son was rapidly gaining fame and success, and I couldn’t be prouder.
In fact, when I first heard news of the war not long ago, my heart sank.
He launched a surprise attack on Count Cabaldy’s Territory without even consulting me. It certainly lacked the dignity and courtesy expected of nobility.
But as soon as I heard that news, worry replaced my anger.
I thought it would be tough for Ghislaine to defeat the powerful Count Cabaldy from the North.
I hurriedly prepared to withdraw troops from the northern fortress and summon Perdium’s soldiers. I decided to help Ghislaine first and worry about the rest later.
Just as I began the withdrawal, a sudden victory announcement reached us.
― Grand Duke has achieved victory! There were no casualties! The Count Cabaldy’s Territory has been secured!
Zvalter still couldn’t forget the emotions he felt at that moment.
‘Incredible. It’s hard to believe. How did he grow so powerful in such a short time?’
He could no longer be called just a mere baron. At such a young age, he had cultivated more power and territory than most counts.
With the strength of Marquis Branford backing him, promotion to count wouldn’t be a problem at all.
‘He has already surpassed me by a long shot.’
This was a truth I had known but pretended to ignore.
Though I might manage on the battlefield, I had no confidence in sieges against Count Cabaldy.
From military strategy to earning money, his age group possessed talents that could hardly be underestimated.
‘Indeed, I’m now curious about how far you can go.’
I still worried due to the risky and precarious path he was taking.
But that was the heart of a father. Now was the time to trust and watch over him rather than intervene.
After all, he wouldn’t listen to my warnings anyway, so there was no other choice. Rather than wasting effort on impossible matters, it was better to believe with a peaceful mind.
Zvalter sighed in resignation and put on a wry smile. But today was a day to celebrate without worry.
It was a monumental day for Perdium, finally freed from the shackles of debt.
He gathered the knights and soldiers and shouted loudly.
“We have paid off all our debts!”
“Waaaaaah!”
Cheering erupted from the knights and soldiers. Everyone knew well the hardships we endured due to the heavy debts plaguing our territory.
Now that the debts were cleared, there was an abundance of food that had previously been paid with timber. Given Zvalter’s character, everyone secretly hoped he would take care of their living conditions now that he had some leeway.
Zvalter did not betray their expectations. He was a lord who generously shared his possessions.
“From today onwards, I will provide everyone with much higher salaries than before. Besides your wages, I will also distribute extra food, so there’s no need to worry! You’ve all worked incredibly hard!”
“Waaaaaaah!”
The cheers grew even louder than before. Zvalter looked on with heartfelt emotions.
For some reason, I was choked up in this dream-like reality. I never thought such a day would arrive.
Our family’s ancestors had all failed in what my son proudly accomplished.
Zvalter cleared his throat several times before continuing to speak.
“I truly honor your loyalty for enduring the tough times. And… let us not forget that it was Ghislaine, the heir of our territory, who resolved all these difficulties.”
“Yes, understood!”
A mighty voice echoed around.
The knights, especially, had every reason to rejoice.
Since mastering the new Mana Circulation Method, life had been a true struggle. They couldn’t even rest while fighting against the barbarians.
It was absolutely torturous. Even while fighting against the barbarians, I couldn’t take a break from training.
I was definitely getting stronger day by day, but my body and mind were getting worn out. No, it felt like my very soul was being depleted.
Hearing good news at a time like this somehow gave me renewed energy. When things get tough, at least I should be treated well to endure it.
Ghislaine was truly remarkable at playing the game of giving and taking.
*
As Ghislaine calculated the prices from past transactions, he couldn’t help but admire the results.
“Wow, food prices have risen even higher than before the war. It’s like dealing with debts for free.”
He had only given a little surplus food, and suddenly Perdium’s debts vanished into thin air.
But that wasn’t all. Resources needed for territory development—timber, herbs, fabrics—were continuously being funneled into Penris.
Yet, there was no noticeable change in the value of Penris’s assets. It was all thanks to the food that was being harvested at an insane rate.
The small amounts of iron ore being sold were just a bonus. They were being used a lot within the territory, so he wasn’t selling much.
“Still, it’s not enough yet.”
No matter how many resources he gathered, it was always tight compared to the speed of territory development.
Still, he was scraping by somehow, so he expected things would get much better in time.
Gathering resources and developing the territory wasn’t the end goal. All of it was just the foundation for securing a powerful military.
The condition of the soldiers, including training and welfare, had to be maintained at the highest level.
“I should check the tactical training too.”
As soon as Ghislaine finished with paperwork, he headed straight to the training grounds.
The soldiers who had come in exchange for food still had a long way to go to adapt to the territory. But Ghislaine didn’t worry even a tiny bit about the training situation.
After winning the war, morale and loyalty had significantly increased, and Gillian was also quite experienced in training people.
So, recently, he had only focused on post-war affairs and territory development…
However, while watching the training situation, Ghislaine discovered a serious problem.
“Ughhh!”
“I-I can’t move anymore.”
“I feel like I’m going to throw up from exhaustion.”
Groans and moans escaped from the soldiers here and there.
Sure, the training intensity in Penris was higher than in other territories, but it wasn’t so harsh they couldn’t survive.
Still, most of the soldiers were struggling to keep up with the training.
“How can you expect to defend the territory if you can’t even handle this much!”
Even the usually taciturn Gillian seemed frustrated, urging the soldiers repeatedly. But all they could do was tremble on their feet.
“It’s… this training is too hard. My body just won’t cooperate…”
“When I was in my last place, we didn’t train this much. We’re not knights, you know.”
“We easily won the war, but do we need to get stronger here?”
Lords from the North didn’t train their soldiers this hard. They just needed enough training to maintain some discipline.
Controlling the territory residents took precedence over anything else.
But in Penris, things were different. They had to become elite soldiers through intense training.
So, it was natural for soldiers experiencing such demanding training for the first time to look like they were about to die.
“It’s tough, but it’s not so hard we can’t manage it.”
Ghislaine and Gillian’s standards were high, but they weren’t dumb enough to overwork people.
They designed a training schedule based on their own experiences to help soldiers grow step by step.
Despite that, the fact that most of them couldn’t keep up meant there was another issue at play.
Observing the soldiers quietly, Ghislaine soon nodded as if realizing something.
“They’ve been starving for too long.”
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