Chapter 171

Chapter 171: Sufficient Validation (1)

The dwarves cried out in alarm simultaneously.

“Lord! One month is far too short!”

“Ah, come on. Why are you acting like this? Aren’t you the dwarves hailed as the best craftsmen? Didn’t you say you’d do anything I wanted? It’s a bit troublesome if you’re going to go back on your word now.”

“Ugh...”

The dwarves wore expressions of genuine distress.

Typically, humans would make demands that stayed within what they considered reasonable bounds. The dwarves, confident in their skills, had made bold promises, assuming they could easily meet such expectations.

In truth, they admitted that they had gotten carried away and boasted a bit too much. But they hadn’t expected someone to latch onto their words so literally.

‘I mean, normally, if you ask nicely, nobles would show some modesty and accept less, right? Especially nobles!’

This was the first time they’d encountered someone who shamelessly took everything as promised.

Now, they’d have to work like mad, cutting into their time for eating, sleeping, and even resting.

‘Damn it, I should’ve kept quiet. Why did I have to open my mouth?’

The dwarves looked dejected. Regardless, they had already made a promise, and judging by the look on the lord’s face, it was clear he wasn’t going to accept any excuses.

Even so, since they’d never worked under such extreme conditions, Galbaric decided to complain a little and test the waters with Giselle.

“Lord, this is too much work. If we try to finish everything within a month, we’ll all die from overwork.”

“You’ll die anyway if you don’t.”

“What? What do you mean? Are you planning to kill us?”

Legally, they were slaves, so even if they were killed for disobedience, they wouldn’t have much to argue against.

Giselle shook his head and replied, “We’ve been marked by Desmond, the Count of the North. A war is going to break out soon. If the work I ordered isn’t finished in a month, we’re all dead.”

“...”

“To be honest, you’ve been living comfortably under noble patrons all this time, haven’t you? With that lazy mindset, you won’t survive in the harsh Northern lands.”

However, the mention of Count Desmond’s name didn’t faze the dwarves much.

‘Even if a war breaks out, we probably won’t be in danger...’

The dwarves didn’t fear wars between humans. Lords wouldn’t kill the expensive and skilled dwarves. Unless they directly picked up weapons and joined the fray, they’d typically end up as war spoils and put to work by whoever captured them.

But Giselle wasn’t ignorant of this fact.

“If the preparations aren’t done within a month, even the dwarves will be sent to the frontlines as a vanguard in the war.”

‘Wow, is this guy seriously insane?’

The dwarves sighed deeply and glared at Giselle.

‘Do you have any idea how much we’re worth? No lord would be reckless enough to send us to war. This has to be an empty threat.’

Despite the suspicious gazes of the dwarves, Ghislain grinned widely.

“You’ve just arrived, so you don’t know much about me yet, do you? I’ll give you some free time today. Once you figure out what kind of person I am, you’ll know what you need to do. I’d like to handle things amicably, but people don’t seem to trust my words.”

With that, Ghislain left the room.

The dwarves watched his retreating figure in confusion before bursting into laughter one by one.

‘Did he really think that kind of threat would work on us?’

Having dealt with all sorts of nobles, the dwarves weren’t intimidated at all.

“Hm, hm. Even so, since we’re not yet familiar with the atmosphere here or the details of the estate, let’s take a look around,” Galbarik suggested.

Agreeing, the dwarves began exploring the estate and asking about the lord.

The townspeople willingly shared what they knew.

“Oh, the lord? Once he decides on something, he charges forward without looking back.”

“He secretly gathered troops behind his father’s back and went into the Forest of Beasts. They say he even left the battlefield on his own to crush the enemy. A few days ago, he looted the forest in his father’s estate too.”

“Right, right. And even when Count Digald and his retainers surrendered, he just killed them all.”

“You know the Marquis of Branford, right? He even risked his life to gamble with him.”

The more the dwarves listened to the stories from the locals, the more they realized something was off.

Every tale they heard was abnormal. No sane person would behave that way.

Sure, the results were good, so the locals praised him, but if one examined the process, it was downright unsettling.

Finally, they witnessed the mages working at the construction site, which left them deeply shocked.

The area surrounding the small spring near the fortress was barren, with the rest of the surroundings nothing but desolate wasteland.

For centuries, the Ferdium family had defended this forlorn stronghold against barbarian invasions.

This constant defense left Ferdium in a perpetual state of poverty.

Nevertheless, the heads of the family, who upheld honor, endured these losses and protected the fortress, turning it into a source of pride for the lineage.

Zwalter Ferdium, who safeguarded the Ferdium family’s symbol of honor, stormed out upon hearing of Ghislain’s arrival, visibly furious.

Following him was Randolph, the Knight Commander, who looked equally enraged.

The moment Zwalter laid eyes on Ghislain, he raised his voice.

“Ghislain! I’ve already heard the news! I tolerated your actions because of the merits you’ve achieved, but now you’ve crossed the line! How dare you strip the forest in my domain without permission!”

Though Homerne had slightly exaggerated the reports he sent, it was true that Ghislain had looted the forest in Ferdium’s territory.

This time, Zwalter had no intention of forgiving him.

No matter how capable Ghislain was, Zwalter could not condone any act that undermined his authority as both lord and head of the family.

Maintaining that authority was essential to leading the people and defending the North.

Zwalter’s hand moved to the hilt of his sword as if he were ready to draw it.

Ghislain, however, offered a faint smile and replied, “I apologize for that. I urgently needed the timber. In exchange, I brought some extra food supplies.”

The wagons Ghislain had brought were loaded with an extraordinary amount of provisions.

There was so much food that the entire garrison of the fortress could eat heartily every day and still have enough to last several years.

“I also sent food supplies to the estate. The people there should have enough to live without worrying about food at least until next year.”

Ghislain spoke with a relaxed smile, causing Zwalter’s eyebrows to twitch.

“Do you think you can simply brush this off with food!”

...It was too much food to criticize as “just food.”

But accepting the food and immediately flipping attitudes like turning one’s hand over wasn’t an option. Especially in a place where many eyes were watching—doing so would shred his authority to pieces.

That didn’t mean he could outright refuse the food either. The hunger was unbearable. He was sick of it.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime crisis.

But who was Zwalter? A seasoned veteran who had fought countless battles against savages.

Without hesitation, he gave Randolph a meaningful glance.

Randolph, having spent decades alongside Zwalter, understood him instantly without words.

With a bright smile, Randolph suddenly clasped Ghislain’s hand.

“Oh my, our Young Lord. How could you bring us so much food? The weather’s gotten quite chilly here, hasn’t it? Let’s head inside before you catch a cold. Ah, brother, what are you doing? It’s not like we have any use for lumber anyway, right? Eating comes first, don’t you think?”

“Hmm, should we just let it go this time?”

“Of course! Even if we sold all that lumber, we couldn’t buy this much food. Besides, you gave us a fair deal because you’re family.”

“Ahem, very well. I’ll let it go this time, but be more careful in the future. Let’s head inside for now.”

With those words, the two men nonchalantly strode into the fortress.

As Ghislain shrugged his shoulders, the knights and soldiers nearby stifled their laughter.

Unfortunately, everyone had spent so much time together that the act fooled no one.

Once Zwalter reached his office, he got straight to the point.

“All right, what brings you here? Doesn’t seem like you’re just here to bring food and apologize. Don’t tell me you’ve found a marriage prospect?”

The nagging started as soon as they sat down. Ghislain sighed deeply and replied.

“...It’s not that. I have something important to discuss.”

At those words, both Zwalter and Randolph flinched instinctively. Whenever something “important” came out of Ghislain’s mouth, it always led to major trouble.

Zwalter spoke in a serious tone.

“Whatever it is, can’t you just not say it? I really enjoy this peaceful life right now.”

His voice was filled with sincerity.

They could finally live decently, without constantly struggling. He wanted this calm life to continue without any disturbances.

He had endured too many hardships to crave anything more. A person needs to know their limits.

Ghislain cleanly ignored the heartfelt plea that revealed his father’s life-long struggles and modest hopes, and he opened his mouth.

“We need to change the family’s mana cultivation technique.”

Zwalter’s face crumpled instantly.