Chapter 225
Chapter 225: Tastes Good (1)
Upon hearing Ghislaine’s large-scale road construction plan, all the retainers nodded their heads in agreement.
Seeing this, Ghislaine asked in confusion, “Why aren’t you opposing it this time?”
Claude replied with a nonchalant shrug. “A road that’s wide and smooth is good for everyone. A road is like the lifeblood of a territory.”
No one is unaware of the importance of roads. When roads develop, commercial exchanges between regions flourish, and the economy can grow.
From a military perspective, roads are also extremely vital. If roads are well-maintained, troop movements and supplies can be executed swiftly.
The people in the northern regions simply had their hands full with survival, so they couldn’t focus on road construction.
Claude glanced at the map, estimating something roughly before continuing. “The scale of the construction is so large that it will take some time. Connecting all the way to the Northern Fortress won’t be easy.”
“I know. Still, we have to connect it somehow. That way, we can collaborate organically with Perdium. There shouldn’t be any problem starting the work, right?”
“There are enough people who aren’t busy. But this will eat up a lot of food and money. When exactly are we going to save up money?”
“I’m optimized for spending, not saving. I much prefer spending.”
“………”
There’s nothing to say when he’s so blunt about it. After all, the money from cosmetics and food payments is coming in fine, and soon we would have plenty of meat to sell, so we would be making more than we spend.
However, acquiring the materials needed for road construction meant we’d have to spend more money at once than usual.
“I’ll summon the merchants again. While we may be struggling to sell meat, we do have a lot of food. The food prices haven’t dropped yet, so we can use that money to procure more materials for construction.”
“Good, don’t skimp on money. Speed is the priority, got it?”
“Ah, don’t worry. I know the Lord’s style now, you know?”
Claude grumbled about the same scolding he always got and stepped back.
To align with the suddenly decided plan, Claude called the merchants earlier than planned.
The best place in the north was the Territory of Penris. At Claude’s gesture, the northern merchants gathered like clouds.
“Ah, this is power. This is why I enjoy being the Chief Officer.”
It wasn’t just that they rushed over at the call. They also paid their bribes readily and bowed their heads respectfully.
Claude pressed them to acquire resources in bulk again. With food and iron ore abundant, they could get anything they wanted.
If there were territories or merchants without resources to offer, he would cunningly procure people and engineers.
After all, there were many things needed for territory development besides roads. Given the rapid pace of development, buying materials slightly ahead of schedule was not an issue.
While busily carrying out trades, a relatively large merchant leader approached him.
“Greetings. My name is Brandel.”
After a brief greeting, Claude tilted his head as he reviewed the information on the merchant. “Hmm? This is your first trade with us, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I tend to operate more in the eastern region. Though I have made a few significant trades in the north as well.”
Indeed, this was noted in the information Lowell had brought. Once Claude had a basic understanding, he inquired further.
“Right, we don’t block incoming merchants. You’ve come to trade food, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’ve heard rumors that there’s an excess of food here. So, we’d like to initiate a trade this time.”
“Hmm, we might be a bit pricey… so how much are you looking for?”
At Claude’s words, Brandel flashed a sly smile and handed over a sheet of paper.
“Can you manage this much?”
“……What?”
The quantity Brandel demanded was the highest level among all the transactions done thus far.
One single transaction amount exceeded the total of ten other merchant transactions combined.
Claude couldn’t believe it and asked again. “Seriously… are you really willing to trade this much?”
“Yes, I’ve heard that you’re purchasing a lot of materials. So, just let me know what you need, and I can provide it. Money in gold coins works too.”
Seeing Brandel’s relaxed smile, Claude swallowed hard. If he could procure resources in such bulk, it would make things easier for them.
With their workload increasing, resources were being consumed rapidly.
“It’s post-payment, right?”
“Of course. Our merchant group has a solid reputation. You can verify the items we bring and hand over the food. However, there’s one condition.”
“A condition?”
“Since this is our first transaction and the amount is substantial, I would like to meet the Lord directly for the trade.”
“Why?”
Claude asked with a bewildered expression. After all, all trades must go through him. To insist on dealing directly with the Lord was an insult to him.
At this, Brandel subtly glanced around and replied, “Well… given the amount at stake… the rumors about the Chief Officer… However, if we continue trading in the future, I promise to go through you next time.”
Claude found himself speechless. He had received more than enough bribes for filling the territory’s warehouses over the years.
If Ghislaine was known as the ‘Food King of the North’, then Claude’s nickname was the ‘Lord of Bribes’.
‘Damn it… honestly, this feels unfair… I haven’t even eaten anything…’
Regardless, no one else knew this. Claude shook his head a few times, then put on a sullen expression.
“Please wait a moment. I’ll inform the Lord.”
Having no retort regarding his reputation, Claude reported to Ghislaine immediately.
There was nothing bad in Ghislaine’s eyes about it. As long as resources could be procured quickly and in large amounts, it was a good deal.
If such a significant trade was being proposed, it would be courteous to make an appearance at least once.
“By the way, that name sounds familiar… Bring me some information.”
Ghislaine checked the information about Brandel’s merchant group and flashed a smile as she nodded.
“Oh, I remember. It’s this place?”
“Do you know it?”
“Well, sort of.”
With a continued smile, Ghislaine crumpled the document and threw it behind her as she said, “Go ahead and agree to it. I’ll personally go out when the materials arrive.”
Hearing Ghislaine’s promise, Brandel left in great delight.
A few days later, Brandel indeed brought an astounding amount of resources needed for the territory.
Seeing this, Claude was taken aback. He never imagined they could procure that much in just a few days.
Brandel chuckled inwardly as he watched Claude’s surprise.
‘Heh, take a good look before you die.’
He was the one sent by Count Desmond to assassinate Ghislaine. Naturally, the resources he brought were goods that the Desmond Territory had stockpiled in various places.
Count Desmond was willing to discard everything just to ensure Ghislaine’s death.
Brandel said to the dazed Claude, “Well then… we’ll wait here. Will the Lord check the items personally?”
“Umm, I’m not sure… I’ll report to the Lord that Brandel has arrived.”
Brandel had stacked the resources a little distance from the castle. Given the amount, it would take all day to move them into the castle.
In such cases, trades are often conducted outside as the manpower for moving items and the time taken are both money.
Brandel aimed to maximize the resources he could gather.
Once Claude disappeared into the castle, Brandel set up a negotiation table in the open and gestured to the dozens of laborers accompanying him.
Most of them were knights of Desmond, hired assassins for this operation. In truth, only a few were actual laborers.
Four stood around Brandel in a guard formation, while the others spread out to ensure an escape route.
‘Let’s see how many people they bring.’
No matter how many come, it would be useless. In the end, to sign the contract, they would have to stand close to him.
‘They say their skills are quite solid? I wonder how long they can hold out?’
Brandel wore a confident smile.
He was a knight who had reached a high level. Even if Ghislaine was as strong as the rumors suggested, he believed that attacking suddenly with the surrounding assassins would ensure victory.
After finishing all preparations and waiting a while, Ghislaine appeared with just a few guards.
And Brandel was certain of his plan’s success.
‘This guy is really insane! So reckless, bringing such a small entourage!’
Surrounding Ghislaine were only a few knights, including Gillian. Even with just the nearby assassins cooperating, it felt like they could easily kill her.
Still, Brandel forced himself to calm his racing heart. He had a more certain way to kill her, so there was no need to rush.
He was careful and composed, which was why Harold entrusted him with this significant task.
“Welcome, My Lord. I am Brandel.”
“Oh, you really brought a lot! This will add a great trading partner.”
“Of course. Let’s check the goods first.”
As Ghislaine nodded, several administrators came to inspect the items. With so much quantity, it took quite a bit of time.
Brandel politely gestured to the table. “Please take a seat. In the meantime, you can also verify the contract.”
“Sure, let’s do that.”
Ghislaine sat down to review the contract. The neatly drafted contract aligned with what he had expected.
“Hmm, it seems fine. I look forward to working with you in the future.”
“Is that even a question? I also look forward to working with you. Getting food has been really difficult lately.”
Brandel chatted casually, making small talk that allowed Ghislaine to nod and laugh along.
“Oh, it’s an honor to meet you today. Let me treat you to a wonderful drink. Consider it a celebration of our successful trade.”
“Drink? What kind?”
“It’s the continent’s finest specialty, ‘Red Dragon’. Would you like to see it?”
“Oh, really?”
‘Red Dragon’ was a high-end liquor that even high-ranking nobles could rarely drink. It was not only expensive but also extremely scarce.
Rejecting such a drink would be rude. Ghislaine nodded readily.
‘Hehe, he’s such a simpleton. He must think anything expensive is good.’
Brandel smiled as he prepared the poisoned drink.
In fact, poisoning is a method of assassination that has a surprisingly high failure rate.
The biggest issue is getting someone to consume the poison. A powerful poison that could kill instantly would be obvious.
Odd colors or smells are also problematic, and often the toxins can char the food itself.
Even if those issues were resolved, nobles typically wouldn’t just gulp down something given to them. Their servants would taste it first, making successful poisonings rare.
However, this poison was different.
‘Even if the servants taste it first, it won’t matter.’
It has little effect on regular people. It only reacts to mana.
The more mana one has, the more potent the poison becomes. Even reaching the level of a high-ranking knight, controlling the poison took considerable effort, hindering their true power.
The downside would be its strong smell, but he mixed it with an even stronger liquor to solve that issue.
This poison was created with great care within the Duke faction. They had only successfully produced a little over five bottles of it.
It was difficult to create and required a lot of resources, so it couldn’t be mass-produced.
Harold handed over such a precious poison to Brandel without hesitation, solely harboring the intention of killing Ghislaine.
“In front of the Lord, I’ll drink first.”
To avoid suspicion, Brandel filled a glass with brown liquor and drank it all in one go. Since he had taken the antidote beforehand, one glass wouldn’t harm him.
He then poured the liquor into Ghislaine’s glass while speaking politely.
“This tastes wonderful. If you find it bothersome, don’t feel obligated. I’ll leave it as a gift for you; please check it separately.”
Brandel thought it didn’t matter if Ghislaine didn’t drink. After all, at this distance, he was confident of successfully ambushing her without using poison.
If the knight next to her drank first and sensed something amiss, he planned to launch an attack then.
As Ghislaine silently gazed at the glass, she chuckled.
“It does look tasty.”
Ghislaine lifted the glass and slowly began to drink.
The knights nearby merely stood with indifferent expressions.
Watching this, Brandel unconsciously clenched his fist.
‘Hehe, how foolish. They say discipline is in disarray, and it seems to be true. Your master is drinking something without even knowing what it is while you just watch.’
After finishing every drop of the drink, Ghislaine set the glass down and said, “Wow, this is the second most poisonous thing I’ve ever tasted in my life. What is this?”
Brandel’s gaze shifted to one of alarm. The laborers beside him shared similar expressions.
At that moment, Ghislaine poured herself another glass and quickly drank it down.
“Still, it does taste good.”
Witnessing such a foolish action of drinking more without knowing what’s in it, Brandel silently rejoiced.
‘You’re dead now! Things are going so smoothly! Heaven is helping us!’
Even if Ghislaine was a high-ranking knight, she wouldn’t be able to handle two drinks of poison. He had taken the antidote beforehand, yet he already felt a bubbling sensation in his stomach.
As he slowly raised his hand to signal for an attack, Ghislaine unexpectedly filled Brandel’s glass with liquor and said, “You should drink another glass too.”
“Wha—?”
“Drink another glass.”
Brandel’s complexion turned stiff with unexpected circumstances.
