Chapter 111: What Are You Making Now? (2)
Sometimes, actions that defy common sense can lead to breakthroughs that no one expected. However, there’s no guarantee of success every time.
The lord is brimming with confidence after a single success in agriculture, but the odds of that happening again are probably not very high.
That’s the prevailing thought.
Rationality screams that a gamble is needed to turn the tables, but having faced a major loss in a similar situation, it felt a bit unsettling.
Claude hesitated and pulled Alfoy into the fray.
“Can we maybe bet on Alfoy too?”
“You crazy bastard! Why involve me!”
“No, I mean, let’s split it into ten years. If we succeed, we gain freedom; if we lose, it’s just ten more years instead of twenty. I’m ready, but what do you think, Alfoy?”
“Shut up! I’m done with gambling!”
“Oh my, you’ve sobered up faster than I thought. Is it because you’re a mage? You’re surprisingly cool-headed.”
Claude shook his head and raised his hands.
“I won’t go along this time. My stake is a bit lacking.”
Honestly, it’s not that he had no thoughts on it, but twenty years was a bit shaky.
Then, Ghislaine lowered the condition a bit.
“How about ten years then? I’m being generous.”
“No. This time I think I’d rather just die.”
What a boast!
Claude merely mouthed the words in a sulk, yet he didn’t step forward to challenge it entirely.
He had recently realized just how foolish it was to think that way when he’d just lost a bet not long ago.
Ghislaine clicked his tongue in disappointment and handed over a new document.
“Prepare these too.”
“Ah, please, no more work.”
Claude grumbled, knowing it wouldn’t change a thing.
Looking at the papers, he noticed a bunch of unfamiliar names scribbled all over.
On the back page, there were blueprints for bizarre facilities.
“What on earth is this?”
“What do you think it is? Herbs! Contact all the merchant groups in the North and sweep them up. Then hand over the blueprints to the blacksmith for crafting.”
“What are you planning to do with so many herbs?”
“I told you earlier. We’re going to create a specialty product. Quit the chit-chat and just get ready.”
Ghislaine was planning to make a product that had immense popularity in his previous life.
He didn’t know the production method perfectly, but he definitely remembered the crucial parts.
When he thought about the money he’d earn upon completion, the costs of development seemed trivial.
Of course, selling food and runestones was the easiest way to make money, as Claude pointed out.
But for food, he needed to stock up for the future, even if runestones could be sold without worry.
Nobles wouldn’t even look at common items.
To sell something to them, it needed to be a little more special than just food.
“Ugh, if I sold some weird medicine, I’d just be called a quack.”
Yet Claude, oblivious to Ghislaine’s plans, could only sigh as he flipped through the documents.
Most of it was about improving territories that had been missing from the previous plan or reinforcing existing ideas.
‘……I want to run away.’
But alas, I’m a slave without freedom.
Claude let his head droop. Just thinking about the hard labor ahead made everything seem bleak.
When I thought about being overworked, my vision darkened.
Ghislaine looked at Alfoy and the mages and said,
“You all split the personnel appropriately, dig the waterways, and head to the area where the water supply and reservoir facilities are to be constructed. Check if the old wells are dry, and cast purification magic on any places with bad water. We’re going to refurbish everything. The work supervisor is… Alfoy.”
“Why there…?”
“Why? If the workers are going to work, you need to break up any rocks blocking the path with magic. While you’re at it, dig the ground too.”
Civil engineering requires a lot of manpower and takes a long time.
If mages exert their power, they could greatly shorten the construction time.
Naturally, Alfoy objected.
“We’re mages! Why should we do something like that when we’re not even laborers? Just have the workers handle it!”
They had been forced to exert their power in large-scale construction several times before.
Even then, it was coercive, but at least they pretended to ask for cooperation… Now they were outright using them.
In response to Alfoy’s protest, Ghislaine replied nonchalantly.
“Then what did you plan to do? Just watch elegantly? You promised to work hard for ten years. Now you have to actively participate in the construction of the territory.”
“I won’t do it! I’m a great mage! How dare a rural lord like you command me, the heir to the Mage Tower!”
“Should I just sell you off to the slave market? The contract is legal, so there’s no issue… Mage slaves are rare, and I think slave traders would love it. If it gets out, it would be hilarious. The heir to the Mage Tower can be used as a slave? Oh, I can’t stand it.”
“I’m sorry! I will work hard!”
Alfoy bent at a perfect right angle before Ghislaine finished speaking. It was an astonishingly quick change of attitude.
‘Ugh, just you wait. Do you think I’ll just sit back and take this?’
A wave of self-loathing surged, sending a shudder down his spine. Alfoy gnashed his teeth, tears welling up.
‘The Elder will be here soon. If he learns what happened to me, he won’t let you off easy!’
The branch of the Mage Tower was nearly complete.
Soon, more mages would arrive with the Elder, who would assume the position of Branch Leader. Alfoy planned to ask the Elder to annul the slave contract.
‘I’ll hold out until then. Ugh!’
Claude and the mages, inundated with work, slumped their shoulders and stepped outside.
Before the door closed, Alfoy jabbed a finger at Claude.
“It’s your fault! We lost because of that stupid bet! Why make a bet when you don’t even know what you’re talking about? You’re not even the top of the Academy, are you? You gambling fool!”
Claude looked incredulous and retorted mockingly.
“How is that my fault? Did I threaten you to make the bet or beg you?”
“You were so confident, of course, I believed you!”
“Who said I could be trusted? Besides, that’s not even normal farming. We used magic, so how would I know if it worked? Are you really a mage?”
“What? Are you saying this is all our fault?”
“Isn’t it? If you’re a mage, you should’ve figured that out quickly. If you had caught on earlier, we could have at least called it a draw. Ugh, useless mages.”
“Useless? You’re speaking arrogantly to a mage from the Mage Tower!”
“Yeah, next slave. I’m still the Chief Officer of this territory, you know?”
“Just because you’re the Chief Officer it doesn’t mean you’re immune to dying from magic, right?”
“Oh, you pathetic little brats, are you threatening me? Go ahead, try it.”
“What? Pathetic? You little punk!”
Alfoy trembled with rage, drawing on his magic.
The mages behind him glared at Claude, channeling their magic as well.
“Whoa, are we really going to use magic? Wendy, what are you doing? They’re bothering me!”
Wendy clicked her tongue and drew her dagger. Claude quickly stepped back behind her.
“Let’s go! Let’s go, you punks!”
Both sides stared each other down, looking for an opening in a tense standoff.
The tension in the air was palpable as both sides glared at each other, searching for weaknesses.
Ghislaine, who had come out leisurely to survey the territory, clicked his tongue at the sight.
“Tsk tsk, instead of doing their jobs, they’re just squabbling. What a great pastime! They should resolve things through conversation, not violence. Make it so I don’t have to throw a punch. Help us aim for non-violent pacifism, will you?”
At Ghislaine’s words, both sides grimaced and stepped back.
It was maddening to hear such a thing from the Lord; tears almost sprang to their eyes.
“What are you doing? Are you free? Got too much time on your hands? Running low on work, I see?”
“I’m coming, I’m on my way!”
Claude and the mages scrambled away, startled that Ghislaine might toss them yet another task.
Seeing their dejected backs, Ghislaine chuckled softly and set off to inspect the territory.
*
Despite succeeding in wheat cultivation, Ghislaine didn’t stop purchasing food from other territories.
He was hoarding supplies with such fervor that even his retainers were terrified. It felt like a ghost starved to death had latched onto him.
At this rate, once the wheat harvest was over, Penris Territory would be stacked high with food.
“We won’t have to worry about living anymore. The Lord is doing so much for us, let’s just push on a little more.”
“It’s amazing that things are growing like this even in winter. Our Lord must know everything!”
“They say we can harvest in three months? To think we can get this massive amount four times a year!”
The territory residents praised Ghislaine every single day, focusing on their tasks.
As the Lord kept pouring money in, people eager for work kept flocking in.
The entire territory was brimming with a vitality that couldn’t compare to before. Penris Territory was developing rapidly.
Thanks to the diligent laborers, the branch of the Mage Tower was completed in no time.
Soon, one of the five Elders of the Tower of the Bloody Flame arrived in Penris Territory, leading twenty mages.
The Elder smiled warmly upon seeing Ghislaine and greeted him.
“Ah, how have you been? You look quite radiant.”
The Elder, who had spoken casually the first time they met, was now respectful in a formal setting.
Now that he was staying in Penris Territory, basic courtesy to the lord was a must.
Ghislaine readily welcomed the Elder.
The mages were helpful in defending the territory but were particularly invaluable for large-scale construction projects.
“I didn’t expect you to come personally, Elder.”
“Ah, well, someone needs to take charge of the branch, don’t they? We must also manage the Runestone transactions.”
The Elder’s expression darkened a bit.
In fact, there had been much discussion in the Mage Tower about this issue. Nobody wanted to go.
Even if it was a significant position to oversee a branch, who would be crazy enough to want to get stuck in such a dreadful place?
Ultimately, they drew straws to decide who would go, and the Elder who was assigned looked like he was showing early signs of depression.
Noticing the discomfort on his face, Ghislaine spoke gently.
“Is it really necessary for you to do this? This place is…”
Just then, someone came sprinting in, screaming.
“Ahhh! Elder! Elder! It’s me, Alfoy!”
“Hmm? Alfoy?”
The Elder tilted his head.
He never imagined that the arrogant and insolent heir of the Mage Tower would greet him so enthusiastically.
Out of breath, Alfoy quickly yelled to the surprised Elder.
“Elder! Please save me! This Lord is trying to make me his slave…!”
In a flash, Belinda, who was beside Ghislaine, rushed over and twisted Alfoy’s head with a swift motion.
Crack!
The shock of his neck snapping caused Alfoy to faint mid-sentence.
“Ah, no! What’s going on here…!”
At that moment, Ghislaine casually enveloped the Elder with an arm and stepped in front of Alfoy.
“Hahaha, it seems he’s just a bit tired from working hard lately.”
“Haha, it seems like you’ve been working hard lately and are a bit tired.”
“No, it’s just that my neck is twisted…”
“It’s okay. I’ve been doing some research lately, and for some reason, I’ve been acting strangely. Each time, Alfoy has been the first to ask me to knock him out. Hey, what are you doing? Hurry up and take him away.”
Belinda dashed off with Alfoy in tow.
Ghislaine whispered subtly to the Elder, who was just blinking in confusion.
“Isn’t it a bit unusual for someone like you, Elder, to be living in such a rural area? This territory is still lacking in many ways.”
“That’s true, but…”
“How about we make Alfoy the Branch Leader and you just come by occasionally to check in?”
“…Is that really okay?”
“Of course. With twenty mages around, what could possibly go wrong?”
Having a 6th Circle mage would definitely help in defending the territory. But that’s about it.
After all, given that Belinda has a much higher level of knowledge, it’s better to have Alfoy as the one responsible rather than favoring someone without ambition as the Elder.
“It seems the territory has been quite noisy lately. In this state, it would be lacking to have you here, Elder. My heart feels uneasy. Please don’t worry and just go back.”
“Hmmm, but it was a decision made by the Mage Tower…”
“Well, I can visit later and explain it well to the Tower Master, can’t I? Just leave the rest to me and go back right now.”
The Elder felt a chill run down his spine.
The words themselves were polite, but the atmosphere felt like a subtle threat.
While Ghislaine’s tone was friendly, his strangely glossy eyes seemed to say, “If you don’t leave, it could get quite exhausting for you.”
“Uh, should I? Then I’ll just head back. I really… don’t know if this is acceptable.”
“Sure, take some of the Runestones we recently obtained with you when you go back. I’ll only accept the market price as promised. But the price has gone up a bit lately, hasn’t it?”
The price of Runestones had been steadily rising, possibly because the Tower of the Bloody Flame was hoarding them.
Thanks to Ghislaine, the Tower of the Bloody Flame had barely managed to catch its breath.
Until Ghislaine could find other sources for Runestones, it seemed he would have to continue following orders.
The Elder, who had been pondering how to bring up the topic of Runestones, brightened up.
“Alright then. I’ll speak well of it to the Tower Master. I’ll delegate the Branch Leader position to Alfoy with my authority.”
After all, he didn’t have the power to refuse.
The Elder accepted the conditions and hurriedly left.
From experience, he knew that talking longer with Ghislaine would only lead to trouble.
He didn’t want to come in the first place, and being told to leave worked out well for him.
“Phew, now the numbers are more or less correct.”
Ghislaine smiled after sending off the Elder.
A total of twenty-six mages would now be sticking around under the guise of the Branch. That’s a number that even most great lords would struggle to muster.
Each of their realms wasn’t high, but that actually made them more versatile for use here and there.
The newly arrived mages were a bit flustered at the Elder’s sudden departure, but they weren’t too worried.
Thanks to their confidence in being mages from the north’s number one tower.
Seeing the mages openly displaying their arrogance made Ghislaine chuckle inwardly.
But he hid his true thoughts and greeted them with a friendly smile, arms wide open.
“Welcome! You’ve traveled a long way. Thank you for your help in the territory moving forward.”
The mages felt their spirits lift thinking they were being graciously received enough to be welcomed by the Lord himself.
They had probably come expecting a peaceful retreat in the quiet countryside, but Ghislaine had different plans.
“The construction will finish even faster now.”
These mages would become valuable labor for the territory.
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