The thick tension and murderous intent that filled the air disappeared, replaced by an awkward silence. Belinda glared at the newcomers and spoke sharply, "What’s wrong with you all? Do you want to get kicked out as soon as you arrive? Do you think our lord's territory is a joke?" "No, no, it’s not like that...” “Not like that? You were practically ready to start a sword fight! Should I just throw you all in jail instead?” Belinda had finally had enough. She realized that, with how chaotic things were in the territory, someone had to step up and bring order. After all, the head steward wasn’t just responsible for housekeeping. Her role extended to overseeing noble etiquette and managing people's behavior. She decided it was time to fully exercise her authority. “What are you waiting for? Get back to your places! Or do you want to find out what punishment feels like?” Faced with her fierce reprimand, the new recruits backed off with embarrassed expressions. They knew she was in a position of great authority, and it wouldn’t be wise to get on her bad side before even getting accustomed to the place. Belinda continued to glare at them like a strict teacher scolding her students. “From now on, if anyone dares to act disrespectfully in front of the lord, I won’t forgive it. Got it? Show each other at least a little respect.” “Yes, ma’am! We understand!” they shouted in unison, their voices loud and clear. Kaor, standing nearby, couldn’t help but chuckle. Feeling like Belinda had just stood up for him, his chest puffed out in pride. “See? Doesn’t everyone look much better when they behave and keep their heads down? Keep it that way...” But before he could finish, Belinda spun around and snapped at him. “And you! Why do you keep picking fights with everyone, huh? Do you think you’re some kind of unbeatable warrior? You want to try fighting me first? Because from where I’m standing, you look like nothing but a weakling!” Kaor was taken aback, stumbling over his words, “W-wait, why are you—why are you talking like that all of a sudden?” He was genuinely surprised. Although he and Belinda often bickered, she had never been this openly furious before. He missed his usual chance to make a snide retort. On top of that, with Belinda pulling rank as the head steward, it was hard for a mere contracted mercenary like him to argue back. Looking at Kaor, flustered and speechless, Ghislain and Claude exchanged bewildered glances. Belinda rarely got this angry, which made the situation more intimidating... but also a bit disappointing for Ghislain. ‘Ah, this could’ve been so much fun,’ Ghislain thought to himself, sighing inwardly. He had already imagined the matchups in his head, but now the tension was completely defused. Most of the newcomers had fiery tempers, so it was only a matter of time before someone had to step in and assert control. Gillian would have handled it eventually, but since the recruits had volunteered to settle things, there was no reason to stop them. Belinda, noticing Ghislain’s lingering expression, asked, “Lord, what’s with that look? Are you disappointed or something?” “No, not at all. I’m just thinking, maybe there wasn’t a need to stop them. Establishing a hierarchy... you know...” “Gillian will handle all of that during training. Do you think I wouldn’t know that?” “Uh, right. Gillian will take care of everything.” Belinda narrowed her eyes at Ghislain and gave him a suspicious look. “You weren’t already setting up the arena, planning the matchups, and betting with the steward, were you?” “Of course not. I’ve always told you, I’m a pacifist at heart.” “Hah, I wish we could live a normal life just once. I’ll get back to work. And everyone else—watch yourselves. I’ll be keeping an eye on you.” Belinda sighed and shook her head a few times before walking away, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence once again. “Uh-hum.” “Uh-hum.” 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎 Everyone cleared their throats awkwardly, avoiding each other’s eyes. Even Gillian, who had initially wanted to step in, simply crossed his arms and pretended nothing had happened. Claude leaned in to whisper in Ghislain’s ear, “A bit of a shame, isn’t it? I was planning to bet on a good five-year extension.” “Oh, yes, we missed out on a chance to extend their contracts.” “I’m assuming you meant that you’re relieved you didn’t shorten the contract period, right? Still, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the head steward that furious before. Was she always this scary?” “Yeah, she was always terrifying when she got mad. And trust me, this is just the start. If she gets even angrier, out comes the sword, and then the poison.” “Oh, I’ll make sure to stay on her good side.” “As long as you don’t cross the line, you’ll be fine.” Claude nodded but then tilted his head in confusion. “Wait a minute... how do you know what comes after the sword and poison?” “Good question. How do I know?” Ghislain said, reminiscing with a distant look before quickly snapping back to focus. “Anyway, it’s time to move on to the next task.” “Huh? What task? We’re already swamped with work, and you’re adding more?” Claude, visibly alarmed, protested. They were all barely keeping up as it was, and any additional burden might push them to the brink. But Ghislain smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. You won’t have to do much for this one.” “Really? You’re not adding to my workload?” “Honestly, you’re way too suspicious. Trust me, I’ve never overworked you, have I?” ‘Is he serious right now?’ Claude’s face clearly showed his disbelief. If this wasn’t overworking, then what was? It seemed like Ghislain wouldn’t realize it until Claude literally dropped dead from exhaustion. Claude almost argued further but held his tongue. He didn’t want to say anything that might get him assigned more work. “Alright, fine. So what’s next?” “We need to start preparing to secure more iron ore. You said we were running low, right?” “...And how exactly do you plan to do that?” “I’ve got a plan. Just prepare for a meeting.” Despite Ghislain’s confident tone, Claude felt his anxiety growing. When you rush things, problems inevitably arise. In a resource-starved territory like Fenris, securing supplies was always a challenge. Iron ore, in particular, was a critical resource, not easily acquired even with money. It was in high demand, and most of the northern region’s supply was controlled by Count Cavaldy. Yet Ghislain wasn’t worried. He had already figured out a solution to the iron problem long ago. Once all his retainers had gathered, Ghislain got straight to the point. “We’ll attack Count Cavaldy’s domain.” The sudden, outrageous statement left everyone staring blankly at him. They had expected a discussion about resource acquisition, but this? It was completely out of left field. Count Cavaldy was a key figure among the duke’s faction, and his domain was the largest producer of iron ore in the north. He also supplied much of that iron to Count Desmond, Ghislain’s enemy. Claude cracked his neck and rubbed his ears before asking again. “Uh, weren’t we here to discuss how to secure more iron ore?” “That’s right. And that’s why we’re attacking Cavaldy.” Once again, Ghislain’s absurd response left Claude exasperated. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Claude tried to keep his composure. They were barely managing to fortify the territory and prepare for Desmond’s inevitable attack. Starting a war with another noble house was completely out of the question. Not to mention, Cavaldy’s territory was not an easy target. Even if they could attack, there was no guarantee of victory. “Lord, could you explain your reasoning? The conclusion seems a bit... sudden.” Realizing that no one had followed his logic, Ghislain began to explain. After all, he needed everyone on the same page. It was no trouble for him to take a few moments to clarify. “Count Cavaldy is supplying iron ore to Desmond. He barely sells any to us.” “That’s true... but are you saying you want to attack just because he’s helping Desmond?” “Who goes to war just because they don’t like someone?” Ghislain shot Claude a look of disappointment. ‘But I was just saying that to match your level of reasoning!’ Claude thought, feeling wrongfully accused but unable to argue back. “If we seize Cavaldy’s lands, Desmond loses his iron supply, and we gain an abundance of it. It’s a strategy to weaken our enemy and strengthen ourselves at the same time.” “So, you want to attack Cavaldy just to steal his iron ore?” “In simple terms, yes.” ‘Are you a bandit?’ Claude staggered, gripping his head in disbelief. Ghislain’s logic was both ridiculously simple and terrifyingly audacious. Sure, cutting off Desmond’s iron supply and bolstering their own would be a smart move. But attacking a neutral third party just to do that? Only a madman would come up with such a plan. “Lord, can’t you try thinking more rationally? Count Cavaldy hasn’t done anything to provoke us. We can’t just attack someone unprovoked.” “He may not be a direct threat now, but Cavaldy is ultimately our enemy.” “Why? Because he’s part of the duke’s faction? There’s no solid evidence that the duke’s faction is behind Desmond’s attacks.” “Trust me. Cavaldy and Desmond will join forces to attack us. So, we should take him out first and secure his iron.” Ghislain’s knowledge of the future made his reasoning sound obvious to him, but to the others, it was a shockingly bold statement. Claude paced back and forth, visibly distressed. “Think about it, Lord. There are people you’ve never even met, and you’re saying you want to attack them just because you think they might attack you later? Does that make any sense?” “Well, when you put it like that, it sounds strange. But it’s still true.” “Do you have some kind of personality disorder?” Claude blurted out, unable to hold back his frustration. Before Ghislain could respond, Belinda jumped in to defend him. “How dare you insult our lord! He’s a kind, gentle soul!” “Kind and gentle? You just said he’s the type to beat people up whenever something doesn’t sit right with him!” “Yes, he’s sweet, but if he’s upset, he’ll take action right away. What’s wrong with that?” “So, which is it? Is he gentle or violent? And if that’s his personality, why didn’t you teach him to change?” “It’s incredibly rude to criticize someone else’s upbringing!” “I don’t care!” As their voices escalated, Ghislain stepped in to calm them down. “Honestly, it’s not like I’m attacking Cavaldy just because I don’t like him. Claude, don’t you see the evidence? Cavaldy is sending massive amounts of iron ore to Desmond. Doesn’t that prove they’re on the same side?” Claude had indeed noticed that, which made him suspicious of the connection between Desmond and the duke’s faction. But launching a full-blown invasion based on suspicion? That was far too reckless. Taking a soothing tone, Claude tried to reason with Ghislain. “I understand what you’re getting at, Lord. But Count Cavaldy is a member of the duke’s faction.” “And?” “If we attack him, we’ll be making the duke’s faction our open enemy. Even the royalist faction hasn’t gone to war with them yet!” “We’re already enemies with the duke’s faction. We agreed on that, didn’t we?” “But we’re not openly at war yet! If we attack Cavaldy, the duke’s faction will have every reason to retaliate! How are we going to handle that?” Ghislain sighed, clearly frustrated. “Why are you so worried about that? We’re going to fight them eventually. There’s no point in delaying. We can deal with it when the time comes.” Claude was speechless. Ghislain continued, “Let me put it simply, Claude. Imagine you’re in a fight.” “I’m a scholar. I don’t get into fights.” “Hypothetically, if you were in a fight. Is it better to wait and get hit first, or to strike first?” “Well... it’s better to strike first, I suppose. There’s a saying: ‘The first strike wins.’” “Exactly. So, wouldn’t it be better to strike Cavaldy before he strikes us? No matter how you look at it, this is the smarter move.” ‘He’s finally lost it,’ Claude thought, staring at Ghislain with a dazed expression. Before he could decide whether to curse or shout, Ghislain continued. “We need a steady supply of iron ore to survive the upcoming wars. We have to take Cavaldy’s land. Desmond won’t expect us to make the first move, so he won’t be prepared.” Desmond was currently more focused on Amelia’s rebellion, trying to solidify his control over the remaining northern territories. He saw Fenris as a minor threat, one that could be dealt with easily once the opportunity arose. There was no way he’d expect Ghislain to launch a preemptive strike. Ghislain knew he had to seize this small window of opportunity. If they didn’t secure the iron now, they’d lose their chance. ‘It’s just a brief moment. I can’t let this opportunity slip. Without this iron, we can’t sustain a long-term fight.’ Amelia’s rebellion had bought them some time, but that wouldn’t last forever. Once Desmond captured Count Rayfold’s territory, he’d turn his attention to Fenris. Ghislain was determined to take advantage of this moment while he could. But with no way to explain his future knowledge, he simply pressed on with his logic. Claude, looking utterly defeated, spoke in a tired voice. “Lord, we’re barely managing to fend off Desmond. Why make things even riskier? We could all die if this goes wrong.” “I know. One mistake could mean the end of us all, not just us, but everyone in my father’s domain as well.” “And yet... you still plan to attack Cavaldy?” Claude’s voice had taken on a resigned, almost mournful tone. Belinda and Gillian, sensing the weight of the situation, chimed in carefully. “Lord, I think the steward has a point. This seems too dangerous to pursue right now.” “I agree with Claude. Openly making an enemy of the duke’s faction is far too risky at this stage.” The other retainers were in complete agreement. “It might be better to focus solely on defending against Desmond for now.” “We could try to source iron from somewhere else, even if it takes more time.” Despite the chorus of opposition, Ghislain remained resolute. “I understand, but we have to do this. If we don’t start preparing now, we’ll miss our chance.” Claude clutched his throbbing head. They were already overwhelmed with defending the territory and developing it at the same time. Now, adding a preemptive attack to the mix? Fenris wasn’t in any position to take such risks. “I understand your reasoning, Lord. But there’s another problem.” “And what’s that?” “Even if we agree to attack, can we actually win? The difference in strength between us is enormous.” Count Cavaldy’s territory was wealthy, and while it had its own challenges, it compensated with ample resources. There was one other crucial factor, too. “Cavaldy’s soldiers are equipped with the finest gear in the northern territories.” It was only natural that a region rich in iron would excel in blacksmithing and equipment production. Cavaldy was famous for providing his troops with top-tier weapons and armor. How could they hope to overcome such a well-equipped force? In response to Claude’s question, Ghislain looked genuinely surprised. “You don’t trust me?” The others didn’t respond, but they subtly averted their eyes.