Chapter 103
Chapter 103: Want to Make a Bet with Me? (3)
In front of the Lord’s Castle, countless tents were set up, and just as many people were passing by.
The faces of people walking around looked familiar. They were all residents of the territory from before. It seemed they had been gathered from everywhere, just as the rumors said.
Yet, considering they had been captured, they all appeared quite cheerful. The firewood farmers were confused, unable to comprehend the situation, as they were led away by Ghislaine.
Claude, who was busy moving about, spotted Ghislaine and clicked his tongue in dismay.
“There are quite a few today. You really are impressive at catching them, aren’t you? Not like a fisherman at all.”
“Chasing, ambushing, annihilating—that’s my specialty. I’m also good at laying ambushes.”
“Yes, yes, perfect talent for a slave trader. If you had started down that path earlier, you could have made a name for yourself across the continent. Ouch!”
After taking a hit for his prattling, Claude swiftly retreated.
Knowing exactly when to add another remark and getting in trouble for it could also be considered a talent of sorts.
“Quit the nonsense and handle this quickly. I’m busy.”
“Understood!”
He quickly recorded the details of the firewood farmers and recited them in one breath.
“They will stay here for a while. Those who wish to return to their original homes will be sent back, and if not, we’ll provide housing in the new village being established. We are also recruiting laborers for construction, so feel free to sign up at any time.”
The firewood farmers nodded their heads.
After all, their homes had been destroyed, and they didn’t have much luggage. The offer of a free house was more than welcome.
“Food will also be provided for the time being. This is a personal offering from the Lord, so be thankful.”
Claude quickly spilled out his words and signaled to the soldiers.
Soon, soldiers arrived carrying sacks filled with wheat, meat, and vegetables.
The firewood farmers widened their eyes in shock.
The food was in such abundance, far beyond what they had been surviving on in hiding in the mountains.
As they swallowed their saliva, Claude continued speaking.
“It’s the Lord’s command. If you run out, we’ll give you more, so please eat heartily without holding back. Don’t be stingy and end up eating spoiled food. If you get a stomach ache, I’ll be the one in trouble.”
Claude pointed to one side. The gaze of the firewood farmers followed his gesture.
Piled high on that side were countless sacks of food.
As if that still wasn’t enough, new sacks continued to be brought in without pause.
The firewood farmers turned to Ghislaine with perplexed expressions.
So they really are giving out houses, jobs, and food?
“If you had come along quietly from the start, you wouldn’t have been treated like this.”
Ghislaine clicked her tongue and gestured.
As the soldiers untied the firewood farmers, they lay flat on the ground, repeatedly offering their thanks.
“Thank you, thank you, Lord.”
“I won’t do it again.”
“I will work hard.”
The firewood farmers, who had been trembling in fear at the thought of losing their heads, breathed a sigh of relief.
Although they couldn’t fully trust yet, they began to think that this Lord was a bit different from the other nobles.
“Okay, soon I’ll guide you to the new village. Until then, don’t cause any trouble and behave yourself.”
One of the lower-ranked officials guided the firewood farmers to temporary tents.
Among the group moving quietly, one child turned back to look. It was the same child who had been biting their lip, trying to hold back tears in the mountains.
Ghislaine met the child’s eyes and winked with a playful smile.
“See, I’m a good person, right? I’m right, aren’t I?”
Claude, overhearing, rubbed his ears as if he had heard hallucinations. Ghislaine snorted in disregard.
The shy child deeply bowed. Ghislaine tossed an apple she was holding to the child, laughing.
“Eat this by yourself. Don’t share it.”
The child bowed again in gratitude and followed the adults.
Similar events transpired repeatedly afterward.
They went out to find the territory residents who had fled, provided them with homes, and steadily handed out food.
The homes of the remaining residents were repaired or rebuilt, so there were no complaints.
Rumors began to spread that the new Lord seemed to be a good person, mixed with expectations.
In response to those rumors, Ghislaine kept herself busy.
Fighting against mountains of paperwork, she trained diligently without skipping a day, while also surveying the territory.
“You should take a break, Young Master! If only you had studied like this earlier!”
Belinda exclaimed in shock at the sight of him working as if there was no tomorrow.
While she was concerned for his health, there was another reason.
“What about agriculture? Why are you only focusing on other things? It’s already been a month!”
He had been working hard, but it felt like the important matter had been pushed aside.
Wasn’t the only thing they had accomplished in a month simply capturing people and giving them homes and food?
“Oh, that? There’s plenty of time, so don’t worry. Now that we have enough people, I was just about to start.”
As the territory residents had regained their spirits and arranged for housing, it was time to commence the important work.
“We’ll clear the cultivated land.”
Upon hearing the news of recruiting laborers, the territory residents gathered excitedly.
The news had spread that those who participated in building houses received decent pay.
Even the elderly and children were eager to participate, forcing them to send some back.
Seeing the excited expressions of the territory residents, Ghislaine smiled brightly.
“Oh, everyone’s filled with energy. This is a good sign. We’ll finish up in no time.”
Claude had already handled the location for the newly cleared land and the procurement of farming tools.
Ghislaine just had to lead the territory residents around.
As they plowed the land behind her, the territory residents couldn’t help but express their concerns.
“Wait, why are we clearing this unusable land?”
“Are we going to regret it later when nothing grows here?”
Having spent their lives farming, they knew better than anyone what kind of land the Territory of Penris was.
Didn’t the former lords before them consider clearing new fertile land?
They hadn’t done so because the soil was poor and didn’t yield enough return for the effort put in.
“Let’s just do what we’re told for now.”
“It seems there’s no one around who knows about farming. Tsk tsk… We can’t just say no either.”
“Sure, they’re giving us money and food, but honestly, it’s a bit scary. What will we hear later?”
“Have you heard the rumors? This is a bet between the Lord and the Chief Officer. They’re wagering whether crops will grow here or not.”
“Oh dear, our Lord seems to be in big trouble. Looks like he didn’t know this is some land where crops don’t flourish.”
The laborers muttered with anxious expressions.
They worried that if they lost the bet, the Lord might take it out on them.
However, none of them had the courage to step forward and offer advice to the Lord.
For now, everyone simply began digging the land as instructed by the Lord.
Naturally, if you offer food and money to those who had been starving, they would work hard.
As the territory residents competed fervently, the clearing work was completed in just a few days.
Now, as the seasons passed, sowing seeds would soon reveal the truth of the Lord’s folly.
Foreseeing the future that was about to arrive, the territory residents’ faces darkened, but a smile never left Ghislaine’s lips as she surveyed the newly cleared land.
“It looks like the once useless lands will finally become useful.”
While watching her smile, the territory residents felt restless.
Why was the Lord so happy about overturning the worthless land?
Would he become angry when he realizes his thinking was wrong?
Unable to share their concerns, they could only stare off into the distance without smiling.
However, a short while later, as the work finished and Ghislaine summoned everyone, the territory residents looked at each other with glimmers of expectation in their eyes.
“Thank you for your hard work. You’re getting more and more diligent; it’s wonderful to see.”
Satisfied with the faster pace of work than expected, Ghislaine smiled, patting the workers on the shoulders.
The people began whispering among themselves.
“Again today?”
“Probably. He seems to be in a good mood.”
For ordinary people, working alongside the Lord could be quite a burden.
Even so, the territory residents prioritized signing up for the areas supervised by Ghislaine over Claude or others.
There was a reason for that.
Claude was the one the territory residents most avoided since he was constantly nagging them while they worked.
He had a habit of insisting everything must be done before leaving.
He was so finicky and grumpy that it drove them to the brink of despair.
Belinda, sitting listlessly and watching the laborers work, suddenly started to get annoyed by herself.
Unable to figure out her mood, those who approached her did their best to pretend to be unaware and simply worked.
She kept muttering about wanting to kill someone, and those who heard her nearby speculated that the Chief Officer had likely offended her.
Gillian and Kaor had such overwhelming presences that it made it hard to breathe just being in their vicinity, so the territory residents instinctively began to avoid them.
It was ironic that someone who was clearly the most intimidating presence in the territory turned out to be the easiest to work with.
Of course, there was a decisive reason why the territory residents preferred working with Ghislaine.
“You can enjoy a drink and relax with this. Keep working hard, just like today.”
If the residents worked hard, Ghislaine generously rewarded them.
She swiftly finished the work and added a few silvers on top of their existing wages.
The territory residents received their money with delight.
“Thank you, Lord.”
“I’ll make good use of it!”
“Just call for me anytime!”
Even though there was a fixed wage, Ghislaine had a clear reason for providing extra pay to those who worked hard.
She understood that providing appropriate rewards was the biggest driving force that moved people.
In reality, those working with her were putting in more effort than others.
Seeing the pleased expressions of the territory residents, Ghislaine narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Why are they being so stingy when I told them to spend freely? Time is of the essence. Tsk tsk…”
Even though she had budgeted extra funds for rewarding diligent workers, they still didn’t seem to spend much.
It appeared they were so steeped in poverty that it had become a part of them.
Their mentality that they needed to conserve the territory’s funds prevented them from even considering spending money to save time.
In a situation where work speed was more important than money, this caused a disconnect.
“I can’t keep nagging them. Sigh.”
While it might improve things if she caught each one and lectured them, it wasn’t a good method.
If she entrusted the work, it was also important to trust them.
After all, Ghislaine wasn’t the type to kindly teach her followers anything.
She could only emphasize and remind them occasionally.
It was as if Ghislaine was determined to spend the money that her followers weren’t, as she continuously poured gold into the territory.
“Alright, everyone, bustle about. There’s a lot of work to do.”
The territory was overflowing with tasks.
Many facilities had been neglected and fallen into disrepair.
Fixing up the facilities that needed repairs and expanding the farmland lifted the previously anxious atmosphere of the territory, filling it with vigor.
For the territory residents, even just this amount was a tremendous relief.
“Our Lord might not know much about farming or all that, but it seems he’s trying to save this place somehow.”
“I heard he was a troublemaker? Apparently, he was quite a handful.”
“Well, that would have been when he was young. He’s pouring out money and providing work now, isn’t he? A troublemaker wouldn’t do this; he’d just drink and play around.”
Being well-fed makes one’s heart feel good.
The territory residents, who had once feared Ghislaine, quickly began to develop fondness for their new Lord.
Just when the territory residents began to sing praises for their new Lord in unison, Ghislaine called for the Wizards.
