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The plans Ghislain mentioned were always far beyond common sense.

‘Honestly, it’s hard to believe… but this is the first time Young Lord has explained anything.’

‘If the Young Lord says so, then it must be true.’

Though the two couldn’t fully accept it, they had no choice but to follow along. After all, Ghislain had only explained things out of consideration for them, but it was practically a notification that this was what he intended to do.

When had Ghislain ever acted according to common sense or properly listened to others?

“Well, it seems like the Young Lord has his own plan,” Belinda remarked.

Gillian nodded in agreement.

He thought, just like when Ghislain treated his daughter, there must be something only Ghislain knew.

“Yeah, so hurry and pull yourself together. We’ll be heading out to sell the runestone right away.”

After finally escaping from Belinda’s hold, Ghislain patted Gillian’s shoulder lightly as he spoke.

“Gillian, you should go and rest as well. You haven’t seen Rachel in a while.”

Thanks to the maids who had prepared medicine and cared for her, Rachel’s health had significantly improved.

Elena, who was of a similar age, frequently visited her and spent time with her like a friend.

“She’s been doing well thanks to you, Young Lord. It’s fine.”

“No, you should see her while you have time. Things are going to get busier from now on.”

Gillian faintly smiled.

“Understood. You should rest as well, Young Lord. You need to complete your treatment.”

“Got it. Don’t worry.”

After Gillian withdrew, an overwhelming sense of fatigue swept over Ghislain, but he didn’t go to bed right away.

Even though they had obtained the runestone and everyone was overjoyed, Ghislain couldn’t relax.

“How long will it take?”

The news about obtaining the runestone had already caused quite a commotion among the retainers.

By tomorrow, rumors would start spreading, and it wouldn’t take long before no one in the estate was unaware of it.

This meant that Amelia and the Duke of Delfine would also hear about it.

Just as he had told Belinda and Gillian, they had likely planted people in Ferdium.

“Amelia may be in league with the Duke of Delfine, but… I should assume she’s acting independently.”

The greatest enemy of Ferdium was the Delfine Duchy. Without a doubt, they would move to either take over or weaken Ferdium.

But Amelia wasn’t after the estate. She was after Ghislain.

For someone like Ghislain, who had to fight against the Delfine Duchy, Amelia was like a thorn in his side, constantly irritating him.

“Amelia’s actions could become a significant variable.”

Even this time, he hadn’t expected her to move this quickly.

She would resort to even more extreme measures if she found out that he had obtained the runestone.

“A fortnight? No, if it’s quick, everyone will know within a week.”

The worst possible outcome was, of course, war. But even if war broke out, it wouldn’t be tomorrow. They’d need a justifiable reason to fight.

If they weren’t careful, the lords who weren’t yet allied with them would grow suspicious, so they would likely fabricate some flimsy pretext.

Even if they launched a surprise attack afterward, they’d still need at least some time to prepare for war.

As Gillian had predicted, they would take around two or three months to launch an attack.

While an estate like Ferdium, lacking funds, might take longer, preparing for war wouldn’t require much time for wealthier estates.

“It’s probably the ripest time to strike, too.”

Even though they now had more money, it would still take time for the estate to prosper. Despite the acquisition of the runestone, Ferdium was still a poor and insignificant estate, making it the perfect time for someone to seize it.

“I’ll have no choice but to use all the runestones we got this time.”

No matter how much he prepared and predicted for the future, the outcome would only become apparent after he faced it head-on.

Would things go as he planned? With a mix of anticipation and anxiety, Ghislain paced around the room.

“Wait, come to think of it, why haven’t I heard anything from that Kane yet?”

As thoughts of preparing for war and selling the runestone filled his mind, he suddenly remembered the money he hadn’t collected yet.

Ghislain suddenly felt a surge of anger and froze in the middle of the room.

The deadline had already passed, and the fact that Kane hadn’t sent the money yet meant he had no intention of doing so.

Ghislain really hated being cheated out of his money.

Having worked as a mercenary long enough to earn the title of ‘King,’ it was only natural. For a mercenary, losing out on payment was as good as saying they should quit the business.

Of course, Ghislain was exceptionally obsessed with money for a mercenary… but that was also part of what made him a ‘king.’

‘That guy sure is bold. How dare he try to cheat me out of my money?’

Despite instilling fear into Kane, the fact that he still dared to withhold the money meant he must have some confidence or security.

Determined to create another opportunity to meet with Kane, Ghislain went to bed.

Even after lying down, he couldn’t stop thinking, and it wasn’t until dawn that he finally fell asleep, sleeping in for the first time in a while.

Though he had recovered quickly, it was likely because his body wasn’t fully healed yet.

When he woke up, Ghislain was shocked by the scene before him.

“What is all this?”

Still dazed, he asked, and the two maids standing nearby answered.

“That was sent by the Treasurer.”

“This came from the Master of Arms.”

“That was personally delivered by the Chief Overseer…”

“This is from the Secretary…”

“The Magistrate sent this…”

“And the Knight Commander…”

Piles of gifts, including alcohol, meat, animal skins, and various fabrics, were in Ghislain’s presence.

While he was sleeping, several people came to deliver these gifts.

The maids listed off the names of the most influential figures in the estate, all of whom had left these gifts for him.

Since Ghislain was asleep, they had just left the presents and gone on their way.

“Well, I’ll be damned. You live long enough, and you see everything.”

Scratching his head, Ghislain chuckled as he looked at the gifts.

Everyone was desperate to curry favor with him, their eyes practically bulging out, leaving gifts even though he was asleep.

Compared to how he was treated before obtaining the runestone, the change in his status was staggering.

Back then, people either avoided or outright ignored him.

‘It’s not like I can complain about them approaching me for money now.’

Not long ago, they probably found it troubling to have to flatter someone who was once nothing but a nuisance.

After all, Ghislain had dug his own grave. If he carelessly stirred things up, he might poke a hornet’s nest, so it was best to stay quiet.

“But the gifts are all quite cute.”

As Ghislain inspected the gifts one by one, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

How much money could the vassals of a poor estate possibly have?

They had likely scraped the bottom of their coffers to bring these gifts, but none of them were particularly valuable.

To be honest, these items were hardly satisfying compared to the luxuries he had enjoyed during his time as the King of Mercenaries. Still, he could see the sincerity of those who had brought them, so he couldn’t simply dismiss the gesture.

“Bring me the list.”

A maid handed Ghislain a sheet of paper.

It was a list that recorded the names of the visitors and the gifts they had presented.

Among nobles, returning a gift in response to receiving one was a matter of honor.

That’s why the maids had made sure to record every single gift.

After reviewing the list, Ghislain nodded and spoke to the maids.

“Give the wine and meat to the mercenaries and divide the fabrics and other necessities among the rest of the servants.”

The maids, their faces brightening, asked,

“Is there nothing you need, Young Lord?”

“No, there’s nothing. You can take it all.”

“Thank you.”

The maids bowed their heads repeatedly.

While the items held no value to Ghislain, for the maids, who were just as poor as the estate itself, they rarely even got a chance to see these things.

‘What’s gotten into the Young Lord? I heard he made a lot of money—maybe it’s true!’

‘Of course, being generous is easier when you’ve got money.’

The maids exchanged glances, unable to hide their delighted expressions.

Recently, the Young Lord had stopped yelling and causing trouble, so they had already noticed a change in him, but to receive gifts like this was almost unbelievable.

Though they still harbored some anxiety, fearing that he might return to being a tyrant at any moment, for now, they were simply happy.

“Tell the visitors that I’ve received their gifts well. Let them know I’ll visit each of them soon.”

“Understood.”

Having dealt with the issues that had arisen while he slept, Ghislain checked his physical condition.

“This is strange.”

Ghislain stood up, wincing from the soreness in his body, and looked at himself in the mirror once more.

The dull, purplish hue that had darkened his face when he had been poisoned was now gone.

He was still gaunt, and his complexion was overly pale, but other than that, there were no major issues.

Puzzled by how much better he felt than expected, he decided to sit down and begin circulating his mana.

After rotating the three cores slowly and observing his body for a long while, Ghislain opened his eyes with a bewildered expression.

“The nature of my mana… has changed.”

Mana is heavily influenced by the training method one uses, their disposition, and their physical constitution.

The nature of mana can differ from person to person depending on the mana cultivation technique one practices and how one wields it.

Originally, his mana was wild and fierce—so uncontrollable that its volatile nature became clear even during battles.

But now, a subtle and insidious energy had crept into that wildness.

It was something Ghislain had never experienced, even in his past life.

“Can the nature of mana really change like this?”

Once mana has accumulated in the body, it is exceedingly rare for its nature to change.

Even mages, who process mana to cast various elemental spells, are no exception.

While mages may use spells to alter the nature of the mana they release forcefully, the intrinsic nature of the mana in their bodies remains the same.

That’s why some mages are naturally better suited to fire magic, while others excel at ice magic, depending on their mana and constitution.

“Could it be… that the poison from the Blood Python mixed with my mana?”

It was an absurd hypothesis, but there was no other explanation.

Ghislain raised his hand, attempting to isolate and move that insidious energy.

However, the energy was so faint that it was difficult to sense unless he concentrated fully, and his physical condition was far from optimal, making it hard to control.

After several more attempts, Ghislain gave up and sighed.

“Alright, no need to rush. I need rest to recover anyway, so I’ll figure it out slowly. Is my improved recovery related to this, too?”

His mind was cluttered with confusion over the unknown phenomenon, but there was no use dwelling on it right now.

“Well, my recovery’s sped up, so that’s a good thing. I’ll be able to move sooner than expected.”

He had thought he’d be bedridden for at least half a month, but things were going better than expected.

Although a strange energy had mixed with his mana, it wasn’t overwhelming, so he figured he could take care of urgent matters first and investigate them later.

Just as Ghislain resolved to take action, someone came to see him.

“Hahaha! So, our Young Lord has finally cleared his throat! You look much better than yesterday—what excellent health! As expected of a true knight among knights, the heir of the estate! Truly manly! Hahaha!”

The man who was laughing heartily while making odd compliments was Randolph, the Knight Commander of the Ferdium estate.