Chapter 153

Chapter 153: Feeling a Bit Uncomfortable? (2)

Claude scratched his ear with his pinky finger and asked again.

“War? You mean the kind where people carry swords and shields and fight in large groups?”

“Yes. It’s about time we started preparing for war. Oh, and of course, we have to keep developing the estate without stopping. As quickly as possible. You know, right? We don’t have much time.”

Claude was left speechless, his mouth opening and closing in disbelief.

It was absurd. Preparing for war wasn’t some child’s play, and how could they simultaneously prepare for war and develop the estate?

Still, he had to ask why Ghislain was suddenly bringing up something so insane.

“Why are you suddenly talking about preparing for war out of nowhere? And why don’t we have time?”

Ghislain internally sighed.

‘Ah, how should I explain this?’

If he said he knew the future, they’d definitely think he was crazy.

So, he had no choice but to bring up topics one by one to draw their interest.

He started with the nearest and most definite threat.

“As everyone knows, Count Desmond is targeting us.”

At those words, the retainers’ faces darkened.

Even those present here were roughly aware of the circumstances surrounding the war that took place in Ferdium.

Since they were in a hostile situation with Count Desmond, the great lord, there was no way they could avoid feeling concerned.

However, Claude, who had joined the estate after the war, shook his head without showing any sign of worry.

“I’ve thought about that as well, but the situation is a bit different now.”

“What situation?”

“We are now part of the Royal Faction. It would be risky enough for him to make a move even if they were at full strength, so why would he pick a fight with us when his forces are cut in half? That would be absolutely absurd.”

The more passionately Claude spoke, the brighter the retainers’ expressions became.

A sense of hope was rapidly spreading that they could trust in the Royal Faction and build their strength while Count Desmond was recovering his forces.

But Ghislain simply smirked and shook his head.

“If Count Desmond decides to ignore the Royal Faction and gathers the remaining forces to attack us right now, can we stop him?”

Claude responded with a troubled expression.

“We... probably cannot stop him.”

They had only won before thanks to the traps Ghislain had set. The same tactic wouldn’t work twice, and if they fought again, they would surely lose.

The difference in power was like a child fighting an adult.

“That’s right, we can’t stop him. But what will you do if he acts crazy and attacks us?

Claude answered confidently.

“To launch an attack here, he would have to scrape together all the troops left in his territory. If he does that, the other great lord, Count Raypold, would attack him from behind. Count Desmond isn’t stupid enough not to realize that. So, we have plenty of time to build our strength.”

Claude’s assessment was logical.

If Count Desmond recklessly starts a war, the greedy Count Raypold would never sit by idly.

But that was just how things appeared on the surface. Claude still didn’t know what was truly going on behind the scenes.

Ghislain crossed his arms and glanced around at the retainers.

“Well, I have something to say about that. Lowell, bring that over.”

Lowell, who had been watching the situation carefully, quickly brought over a stack of documents.

Ghislain handed the documents to Claude and spoke.

“Before I left for the capital, I instructed Lowell to keep an eye on Desmond’s movements. Take a look.”

Claude swiftly examined the documents.

The intelligence-gathering capabilities of the Fenris territory weren’t yet advanced enough to provide detailed information.

The documents Lowell brought were mostly gathered from rumors shared by merchants passing through Desmond’s lands and from the common folk.

But even this was enough to get a sense of Desmond’s movements.

His actions were blatantly obvious.

“Large-scale conscription and training... purchasing herbs in bulk... bows and arrows... recruiting free knights...”

The flow of funds on Desmond’s side had several irregularities, but there was one particularly noteworthy detail.

There was information that Desmond had been purchasing large quantities of iron ore from the Cabaldi County, which lay between Fenris and Desmond.

“Iron ore, this much?”

The iron ore from Cabaldi County was known for its high quality. Because of that, it was treated as a strategic resource and wasn’t easy to obtain, even if one had the money.

Yet, such a precious resource was flowing heavily into Desmond’s side.

“Why would he need so much...?”

Claude’s mind grew tangled.

The most essential resources for war preparation were food and weapons. And iron ore was a critical resource for manufacturing and maintaining weapons.

The amount he was acquiring was far too excessive for merely replenishing depleted forces.

Other measures were just as excessive. Pouring so much money and manpower into this would make it difficult to properly manage his territory.

“Is he seriously.... planning to go to war?”

There was no doubt that he was preparing for war. Though the exact target was unclear, they couldn’t afford to be complacent.

Since they already had a grudge against Desmond, the chances were high that this place would be his target.

Seeing Claude’s increasingly stern expression, Ghislain asked.

“Well? The situation’s a bit uncomfortable, isn’t it?”

Claude nodded without hesitation.

Even though they had joined the Royal Faction, it would be difficult for reinforcements to arrive as soon as the war broke out.

Upon hearing the six-month timeframe, Claude nervously glanced at Ghislain and spoke hesitantly.

“We won’t be able to win a war with just six months of preparation. We might not even finish training new recruits.”

“So?”

“If Count Desmond ignores the Royal Faction and starts a war... let’s run away.”

“What?”

Before Ghislain could respond, Belinda, who had been silent, spoke up.

“I agree that running away would be a good idea if a war breaks out. But there’s no need to do that right now.”

Everyone turned to her in surprise.

Hadn’t both the lord and the Chief Overseer said that a war was likely? So why was there no need to flee?

As all eyes focused on her, Belinda raised her chin proudly and spoke.

“If we just take off Count Desmond’s— or Count Almond’s—head, then there’s no problem, right? I’m good at that. I’ll finish it quickly and come back.”

Knowing what was on her mind, Ghislain felt a twinge of sadness.

If the target were an ordinary noble, she could certainly succeed in an assassination without much trouble. Her skills were top-notch.

But Count Desmond, as a great lord, was different.

Just finding him inside a well-guarded lord’s castle would be no easy task.

Even if she managed to locate and kill him, escaping the castle afterward would be even harder.

Not even someone as skilled as Belinda could expect to survive.

“Sometimes, assassination is the most effective and quickest method, but... it’s too dangerous. We can’t do it.”

“Oh, please. It might be difficult alone, sure. But if Kaor and the mercenaries go with me, we can pull it off.”

Kaor, who had been yawning and listening as if the topics of estate development or war preparations were someone else’s problem, suddenly looked startled, as if wondering what on earth he was hearing.

“What? Me? Why me?”

“You should take a few mercenaries and cause a commotion in front of the lord’s castle. While everyone’s attention is on you, I’ll slip in and neatly take off the Count’s head.”

“Are you insane? That’s just asking us to go there and die!”

“If your lives can prevent a war, that would be a noble sacrifice! Besides, you love fighting!”

“I don’t want to die a pointless death like that!”

“A fight’s a fight! What does it matter?”

“Ah! Why don’t you go instead?”

While the two bickered, this time it was Gillian who stepped forward with a determined expression.

“My lord, if we can’t avoid war, please entrust the mercenaries to me for a while. I will try to delay the onset of war as much as possible. Meanwhile, strengthen our forces and seek help from the Royal Faction.”

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“I’ll raid the merchant guilds supplying the war materials. Initially, it will disrupt their supply, causing delays in their preparations, and if they divert forces to catch me, it will slow them down even more. Please leave this to me.”

At those words, Ghislain smiled faintly.

It was a tactic he had often used in his past life. For someone who wasn’t ex-mercenary to use a similar approach was quite impressive.

“That’s not a bad plan, but... if you do that, Gillian, you’ll end up being branded as a bandit. I don’t want such infamy to be attached to someone who serves me.”

Ghislain shrugged and continued.

“I understand the concern you both have for the estate... but I’ll just take it as your good intentions.”

Though their reasons differed, both Belinda and Gillian were willing to risk their lives for the estate. That much was commendable.

Unlike the two, Kaor seemed to have no particular thoughts on the matter, so Ghislain asked him.

“Kaor, do you have any other ideas?”

“If they come charging in, shouldn’t we just go out and fight? I’ll be at the forefront. But you’ll have to pay me more.”

“Oh, you reliable bastard.”

Ghislain let out a hollow laugh and shook his head at Kaor’s bold and simple stance.

Seeing that none of the four seemed inclined to avoid a fight, Claude asked again.

“Do you really have no intention of fleeing?”

“No.”

“Sigh, that’s just my luck. Then, I think it would be best to mobilize all our resources and start preparing the fortifications right now.”

“Fortifications... you mean a defensive siege?”

“Yes. The greatest advantage of our estate is the massive amount of food we produce. If we fortify the castle to a stronghold level and hold out, we can endure until the Royal Faction’s reinforcements arrive.”

Gillian frowned and asked.

“But even if we build the fortifications, we’ll still need some troops to fight. Won’t we lack manpower?”

“We can request the immediate reinforcements of soldiers and knights from Ferdium. We should also train more conscripts. If they don’t want to die, they’ll have to find a way to fight.”

The retainers all nodded. Out of all the suggestions so far, this was the safest and most realistic approach.

Ghislain also nodded and said.

“Alright, let’s go with that for now. Start stockpiling supplies so we can respond to enemy attacks at any moment.”

Outwardly, it seemed as though he had accepted Claude’s proposal, but his true feelings were entirely different.

‘It looks like everyone’s feeling a bit tense now. I need to keep things running at this level for the time being.’

Claude’s plan was indeed the most realistic and reliable course of action for the current situation.

But it wasn’t enough to confront the Duke’s forces.

To outmaneuver the enemy, he needed a method that would go beyond their imagination—something they could never anticipate.

No matter the method, failure would mean death in the end. Therefore, the only way to survive was to increase the chances of success, even if just a little.

‘This time, I’ll make the first move.’

Ghislain had no intention of just waiting for the enemy.

Soon, an opportunity would present itself. He intended to use that chance to strike a heavy blow to Count Desmond and inflict substantial damage.