The price of food was already high, and iron was naturally a costly resource. A 30% increase was already difficult to manage, but now 50%—and only for him? This was outright unfair. "How can this be? Haven’t you heard me? Our trading company has had a long-standing relationship with Ferdium—" "Double." "...What?" "It just doubled. And don’t bring up Ferdium again." "Come on, Lord Ghislain. Surely, you don’t mean this trade to be a joke...." Ghislain smirked at the sight of Paril’s shock. "A joke? Do my words sound like a joke to you?" Under his icy glare, Paril broke out in a cold sweat, unable to understand why Ghislain was acting so ruthlessly. Thinking hard, Paril suddenly recalled the trades he had with Ferdium in the past. "Don’t bring up Ferdium? Could he really be...?" A sinking feeling filled Paril, and he stammered nervously. "Are you doing this because of our past deals with Ferdium? There seems to be a misunderstanding. At that time, we only set prices based on transportation, labor costs, and market rates—" "Triple." "L-Lord Ghislain...." "Do you still see this place as that impoverished Ferdium that once bowed to your tricks?" Paril couldn’t hide the despair on his face. It was clear now. The lord standing before him hadn’t forgotten how the trading companies had exploited his father. Ghislain now held an iron grip over food and iron in the Fenris Barony, with a formidable backer in Marquis Branford. Fenris was rapidly rising in renown across the kingdom, celebrated as the banner-bearer of the Northern Royalist faction. To be blacklisted by such a figure was a death sentence for Paril’s trading future. "Lord Ghislain, please, I apologize. Please reconsider the 30% rate...." "It seems we’re not getting through to each other. Escort him out." Ghislain gave a dismissive nod, and soldiers moved in to drag Paril away. "Lord Ghislain! Please! I beg you, reconsider!" "There will be no reconsideration. The Paril Trading Company will pay triple from now on." ‘This... this bastard!’ As Paril was hauled out, he was overcome with regret. He’d only come here to argue, but he’d ended up worsening the situation. But his regret quickly gave way to a fury burning even stronger. ‘Damn it, damn it! That upstart brat! Back then, that was the fair price! Without us, Ferdium wouldn’t have had supplies! This rotten piece of—!’ Paril cursed Ghislain over and over. Even with the high demand for food and iron, paying triple was unthinkable. It would be cheaper to pay a premium to another company for the supplies they bought. This was a major loss. Gritting his teeth, Paril made a silent vow. ‘Just wait! Desmond supposedly mobilized his army, right? I’ll join him and see to your ruin!’ His trading company had no other option. Either Ghislain had to fall, or Paril’s business would collapse. So, he would seek out his enemy’s enemy. Ghislain watched Paril being dragged out with a faint smile. No need to guess. Every trading company that felt wronged would certainly retaliate. But that was fine. Once he’d secured the North, he planned to consume them all anyway. He only needed them to bring in resources quietly until then. Turning to Claude, Ghislain issued instructions. "Start by reclaiming all the promissory notes owed to Ferdium by trading companies and estates that borrowed food. And release iron ore in limited quantities only." "Understood. I’m sure Count Ferdium will be pleased to be free of interest payments." "And we can even reclaim those interest payments, can’t we?" "Leave it to me." Claude executed his tasks efficiently. First, he sold the companies overpriced food, gradually reclaiming all their promissory notes. He didn’t hike prices further, but instead set quantity restrictions, taking bribes from those wanting to purchase more. The merchants were dumbfounded. They’d scammed plenty in their day, but they had never met anyone as ruthless or as corrupt. ‘This “administrator” is abusing his power to no end!’ ‘Does he think he can just take all these bribes and get away with it?’ ‘If they won’t cut the costs, at least we’ll get rid of him!’ Letters of complaint flooded the lord’s estate, but they had no effect. After all, Claude was taking bribes with the lord’s approval, making those complaints meaningless. Claude took in the bribes and filled the estate’s stores, while Ghislain watched in satisfaction. * * * Belinda and Fergus were overjoyed when they learned that Ferdium’s debts had been completely paid off. To them, Ferdium was still a beloved homeland, despite its painful memories. "It’s such wonderful news! Our young lord is truly impressive, isn’t he? This has to be my influence, right?" "Haha, well... You really did raise him... ahem! My heart...!" Fergus turned away, unable to finish his sentence. No matter how pleased he was, it was hard to say something so against his true feelings. Meanwhile, Homern, Ferdium’s Chief Administrator, held up the reclaimed promissory notes and threw them in the air. "We’re free! Finally free from debt! Hahaha! I thought the young lord was insane for going to war, but not only did he win, he cleared our debts too! Living this long has its rewards!" Albert, the treasurer, and other vassals cheered alongside him. "No more interest payments! We can finally start saving!" "On top of that, the food we got from the young lord has skyrocketed in value! Our wealth has grown significantly!" "A gift we never expected! Who would’ve thought the young lord would suddenly clear our debts!" For once, they couldn’t praise Ghislain enough. When he caused trouble, they wanted to strangle him, but when he pulled off something like this, they were thrilled. They’d been through so many ups and downs that they decided to simply curse or praise him as the situation demanded. At the Northern Stronghold, both Zwalter and Randolph were equally thrilled when they heard the news. "Brother... we’ve finally repaid all our debts...." Randolph whispered, his eyes brimming with tears. Zwalter felt a lump in his throat and couldn’t find words. The years of hardship caused by their debt had been tough. And now, his son had cleared it all. Pride welled up inside him, making him miss his late wife more than ever. It was painful not to have her by his side at such a time. 'My love... why did you leave so soon, missing your son’s success?' His son was growing more renowned by the day, achieving impressive feats. Not long ago, when he’d heard about the sudden war, Zwalter’s heart had stopped. Without consulting anyone, Ghislain had launched a surprise attack on Kabald. It was hardly a noble act. But worry had overtaken anger; he’d feared Ghislain wouldn’t be able to defeat the powerful Count of Kabald. He’d even begun preparing to withdraw forces from the stronghold to support him. But just as he was about to mobilize, news of victory arrived. ― The young lord has won! No casualties! He’s taken the Kabald County! Zwalter could still vividly recall the emotion of that moment. 'He’s remarkable. It’s hard to believe. How did he grow so strong so quickly?' At his young age, Ghislain had amassed more power and land than most seasoned counts. With Marquis Branford’s support, victory was almost assured. 'He’s far surpassed me.' It was a truth Zwalter had long suspected but tried to ignore. Zwalter knew that while he might hold his own in battle, he couldn’t hope to win a siege against Count Kabald. From strategic maneuvering to earning wealth, Ghislain possessed an exceptional talent for someone his age. 'I wonder how far he’ll go.' He still worried about his son’s risky path, but that was a father’s concern. Now, he had to trust and observe. Ghislain wouldn’t listen to anyone’s advice anyway, so it was better to simply believe in him. Zwalter let out a resigned sigh, a wry smile crossing his face. Today, at least, was a day for celebration. The house of Ferdium was finally free of its debt. Zwalter gathered his knights and soldiers and raised his voice. "We’re debt-free!" "Yaaaah!" The cheers of the soldiers and knights echoed. They all knew how much the estate had struggled under its debts. Now, they were debt-free, and the warehouses were filled with food, thanks to the wood they had traded. With some relief, they anticipated that Zwalter would improve their living conditions as well. Zwalter didn’t disappoint. He was a lord who shared his resources generously. "From today, your pay will be increased significantly. You’ll receive additional food supplies as well! I know you’ve all worked hard through these tough times!" "Yaaaaah!" The cheers were even louder this time, and Zwalter watched them, deeply moved. It was a dream come true. He had thought this day would never come. The debts that had bound his ancestors had now been cleared by his son. Zwalter composed himself several times before he spoke again. "I honor the loyalty you’ve shown through all the hardships. And remember, it was our heir, Ghislain, who made all this possible." "Understood!" Their voices echoed across the grounds. The knights, in particular, were elated. Since they’d learned the new mana training techniques, training had been grueling. Even in the heat of battle against barbarians, they’d never stopped. They were indeed growing stronger daily, but the physical and mental strain was immense. Hearing such joyous news filled them with newfound vigor. When things are tough, it’s fair treatment that keeps you going. Ghislain truly had a knack for balancing punishment with reward. * * * Ghislain reviewed the profits from recent trades, impressed with the results. "Wow, food prices have risen even higher than they were before the war. It’s like we wiped out Ferdium’s debt for free." With just a small portion of his abundant food supply, he’d managed to eliminate Ferdium’s debt entirely. Beyond that, resources essential for developing the territory—wood, herbs, textiles—were flowing steadily into Fenris. And still, his estate’s wealth remained unaffected, thanks to the seemingly endless harvest. Iron, sold in modest quantities, was just a bonus. Most of it was needed internally and wasn’t sold in large volumes. "Hmm, but it’s still not enough." No matter how many resources he gathered, they always seemed to barely keep pace with the rapid development. But as he continued to gather resources, it would only be a matter of time before things improved further. Gathering resources and developing the territory was only a foundation. The ultimate goal was to ensure a powerful military force. From training to welfare, his soldiers’ conditions needed to be maintained at their peak. "Time to inspect the tactical training." Finishing his paperwork, Ghislain moved to the training grounds. The conscripted soldiers were still adjusting to life in the territory, but he had little worry about their training progress. With their recent victories boosting morale and loyalty, and with a skilled trainer like Gillian in charge, Ghislain felt confident. But as he observed, he noticed a troubling sight. "Urghhh!" "I can’t move another step." "I feel like I’m going to throw up." The soldiers groaned and staggered, clearly exhausted. Although Fenris’s training was intense, it wasn’t to the point of breaking them. Yet most soldiers struggled to keep up. "How do you plan to defend the territory if you can’t handle this much?" Even the usually silent Gillian seemed exasperated, urging the soldiers on. Yet they could only stand there, legs trembling. "This training is too much. My body can’t keep up...." "Where I trained before, it was never this hard. We’re not knights." "We won the war easily, so do we really need to get any stronger?" Northern lords typically didn’t train their soldiers this rigorously. As long as they could maintain basic order, it was enough. But things were different in Fenris, where soldiers were expected to become elite through intensive training. Naturally, these soldiers, who had never experienced such demands, were struggling. ‘It’s hard, yes, but not unmanageable.’ Ghislain and Gillian’s standards were high, but they weren’t foolish enough to push their men past their limits. The training was designed from their experiences, aimed at developing the soldiers’ strength gradually. That most of them were struggling now indicated another issue. Observing the soldiers closely, Ghislain soon realized the problem. "They’ve been underfed for too long."