Chapter 167
Chapter 167: Let’s Do Our Best! (1)
“Foolish idiot.”
As soon as Amelia received Harold’s letter, she gritted her teeth.
There’s a time for everything. Being cautious is good, but seizing the right moment is also a skill.
Harold is undoubtedly competent, but his trademark caution was now dragging him down.
“It’s not the time for this kind of worrying. Jurgen said we would handle things ourselves. Bernap, what do you think? Bernap?”
Staring at the letter, Amelia frowned as she raised her head, noticing Bernap’s silence.
Bernap was just gazing at her face with an ecstatic expression.
Amelia pressed her fingers to her forehead, closed her eyes, and let out a big sigh.
‘Sigh, this is my fault. It’s my mistake.’
In truth, Bernap wasn’t always this thick-headed. He was rather sharp when they first met.
But these days he didn’t seem to think at all.
In a way, it was Amelia’s fault too. She crafted all the plans, and Bernap only moved as she instructed.
Since he no longer needed to think, Bernap would spend his time just staring at Amelia’s face frequently.
He claimed it was because he liked her, but she couldn’t really scold him for it.
“Bernap!”
Meow!
“Yes? Yup!”
Startled by Amelia and Bastet’s reprimanding, Bernap snapped back to attention and wiped his saliva.
Amelia sighed again and quickly spoke.
“Since Harold is acting foolishly, we need to move first.”
“Doesn’t Count Desmond hate deviating from his plans? If we act recklessly, even if we succeed, he won’t just sit back and watch.”
“Exactly, we need to get his permission first.”
“How?”
“I’m going to send Harold false information. Once my father gathers all the troops, it’ll be truly impossible to act. He’ll probably have an idea of the timing, so if we send the false info just at the critical moment, he’d have no choice but to fall for it.”
“Ah, then he’ll be too anxious to stop us from proceeding. Good thinking.”
“Right, and…”
Amelia continued with a chilling gaze.
“After we succeed, we’ll need to find a way to contact the Duke directly, skipping Harold altogether.”
At this, Bernap swallowed hard.
Harold never hid his disdain for Amelia, so there was no way their feelings for each other could be good.
For now, they were on the same side, backed by the Duke, so it wouldn’t escalate to war; however, politically sidelining him wouldn’t be easy.
But it seemed Amelia had a plan in mind.
Bernap pondered whether to ask what her plan was but quickly dismissed the idea.
‘Listening will only give me a headache and increase my workload, right?’
As he stayed silent, Amelia picked up another report and asked.
“Is there no problem with trading with Ghislaine?”
When she casually asked if it was alright to trade with Ghislaine through the Actium Merchant Group, Amelia had permitted it without much thought.
Right now, it was essential to succeed in the rebellion and grow the merchant group, not hinder Ghislaine.
She was the kind of person who could easily shake hands with the enemy if needed.
Amelia asked without deep thought, but Bernap hesitated momentarily before responding.
“Yes, as expected, we are purchasing food, materials, and necessary items for living. However…”
“However?”
“They keep insisting on reducing the price by 1 gold.”
“What? 1 gold? Not a few hundred gold?”
“Yes, 1 gold.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. They just keep insisting on lowering it by exactly 1 gold.”
“…….”
Amelia spent a long moment in silence.
‘Is this guy trying to mess with me?’
In reality, this was Claude’s doing to satisfy his personal greed, but Amelia had no way of knowing that.
Who could have imagined that such crazies would be gathered in a single territory?
She shook her head, rubbing her temples as a headache approached.
“Leave it for now. And send someone to the capital to fetch a few of Ghislaine’s cosmetics.”
“Huh? Why that?”
“I just want to check them out. They say they’re effective, so I want to try some myself.”
Amelia already had information regarding Ghislaine’s evaluation from the Duke’s family and events in the capital.
Although she couldn’t deny her frustration when thinking of that person, the fact that Ghislaine had become a significant figure, even with Marquis Branford’s backing, was undeniable.
“If I had known he had such capabilities, I would’ve given him not just 20,000 gold, but even 200,000 gold. Annoying as he is, it’s a shame.”
At Amelia’s subtly nuanced statement, Bernap grew slightly anxious and asked.
“So… um, are you thinking of re-engaging with him, by any chance?”
Amelia was someone who would stop at nothing to get what she desired.
If she truly thought highly of Ghislaine, she might consider proposing engagement again.
At Bernap’s anxious tone, Amelia couldn’t help but chuckle.
It wasn’t easy for someone to express their emotions so freely.
“Forget it. It’s true that even if he has talent, he is still an unlucky fellow. I don’t particularly like those who flaunt their power in front of me. And…”
After a brief silence, Amelia continued softly.
“There’s no need to hurt my people over someone like him.”
Hearing that, Bernap’s face brightened. His heart raced and heat rose to his cheeks.
Although he rarely heard words like that, “my people” felt like a special term just for him.
Amelia sat down, holding Bastet in her arms, poured wine into a glass, and said,
“What are you waiting for? Move quickly. Make sure the preparations for the operation go flawlessly.”
“Yes! Understood!”
With a lively face, Bernap saluted and then left.
Watching him go off with excitement, Amelia shook her head.
“Is it really that good? Goodness… Bastet, what about you?”
Meow.
Bastet also nuzzled her head against Amelia, making pleasant sounds.
Amelia savored the wine with an inscrutable smile.
*
Ghislaine, having laid the groundwork for the apprentice knights, was hounding Claude without a moment’s pause.
He was in a rush to proceed with the next planned task.
“Have the slave traders still not contacted us? What’s going on? Did those guys run off with my money?”
“Oh, you asked about this yesterday as well. They sent a message saying it’s taking longer. Considering the price, I suppose they’re moving cautiously.”
Other races like to have only one slave at a time due to high costs.
There are countless bandits and lords targeting them. If they manage to capture just one, it could mean a substantial profit, so it makes sense.
Thus, the slave traders had little choice but to ensure the safety of the slaves they transported.
Moreover, Ghislaine had requested not just one, but a few other race slaves.
It was a matter that required gathering from numerous branches, which understandably takes time.
“That’s why I specifically urged you to gather the dwarves quickly and send them out first. Delay the others if you have to.”
“Well… sigh. For those individuals, credibility is their lifeline, so they should arrive soon.”
Claude, who was about to say something more to the sulking Ghislaine, held his tongue and comforted him instead.
“Send someone out to check how far they’ve come and hurry them along. We don’t have time.”
“Ugh, understood.”
Having been scolded all too well by Ghislaine, Claude left weakly.
“I will have to ask again tomorrow.”
With a grin, Ghislaine headed to the training grounds.
He was the busiest in the territory, but he never neglected his training whenever there was a chance.
Knowing the strength of his enemies, he couldn’t afford to waste even a single moment.
Thud!
“Huff, huff.”
Fully armored, Ghislaine wielded his sword with heavy breaths.
This armor was something he specially ordered, crafted from solid steel much thicker than normal armor, weighing several hundred kilograms on its own.
Clank clank clank!
That wasn’t all. Ghislaine’s body was bound with chains.
At the end of those chains hung weights that were heavy.
Wrapped in a weight that would crush normal people and make it hard to breathe, he practiced swordsmanship in that state.
Thud!
With every step, a deep sound reverberated around him.
As Ghislaine felt the weight pressing his entire body, he slowly swung his sword.
He didn’t swing carelessly for the sake of it.
This was not training; it was simply torturing his body.
Swish!
Paying attention even to the movement of his fingertips, he moved the sword steadily into the optimal position without wavering.
Once one motion concluded, he would follow up with the next, repeating that movement dozens or even hundreds of times if there was any sign of disruption.
It was a training method that normal people could never replicate, but for Ghislaine, it had always been routine.
Through this effort, he surpassed his own talent and broke his limits.
‘Once more.’
Clatter!
With every movement, pain surged through him, as if his muscles were screaming under the weight.
‘Endure!’
Ghislaine gritted his teeth and persevered.
He understood that in the process of tearing and healing muscles, they grew tougher and stronger.
Moreover, thanks to the regeneration he acquired after his return, most wounds healed almost instantly.
This meant that even in this moment, Ghislaine’s body was growing at an astonishing rate.
Of course, the larger and more numerous the injuries, the greater the amount of mana consumed, but Ghislaine balanced his training with managing territory affairs while his body recovered.
He knew that if he relied solely on his regenerative abilities without resting, his body would eventually break down, so Ghislaine always pushed himself only to the brink.
His accumulated experience instinctively told him when and where to stop for the most efficient effects.
‘Just a little more.’
However, even if the effects were definite, this was a pain training that could not be accomplished with regular perseverance and willpower.
Every time he wanted to stop and give up, Ghislaine reminded himself why he needed to grow and continuously whipped himself onward.
In his previous life, he bore all pain with the determination for revenge.
And now.
The promise to not lose what was precious supported him.
Countless were those who aimed for him.
The first enemy to confront was Count Harold Desmond.
To seize the northern power, he had no choice but to clash with him. Conversely, Harold would be gunning for Ghislaine to secure the north.
Given Harold’s current inability to act, he would undoubtedly be seething.
And Amelia Raybold was also surely targeting Ghislaine.
‘Amelia is the most crucial variable in the conquest of the north, a double-edged sword.’
In terms of potential, she might be a more dangerous foe than Harold, but eliminating her right now would be counterproductive.
For now, the priority was to keep their attention fixed there while buying time.
‘If I can’t get rid of them, I’ll just have to make the best use of them.’
In his previous life, when he trampled Raybold, he accidentally learned of Amelia’s ambitions and plans.
If he used that point well, it could be a significant factor in his future strategies. Eliminating her would be the next step.
‘Of course, there are more dangerous foes lurking behind them.’
Even if he disposed of those two, more formidable enemies would be hiding behind them.
First, the Duke Delphine Faction.
The Duke’s faction, being the kingdom’s most powerful group, was also an unavoidable enemy for Ghislaine.
Raoul and Count Balzac would undoubtedly view him as a threat.
And… Aiden.
The one who had once ranked among the top seven in the continent and pushed the king of mercenaries, another top player in the continent, to death would eventually come for Ghislaine.
He would come alongside those mysterious powerhouses he referred to as “us.”
‘I must rise to the level I had in my past life as soon as possible.’
To face this many enemies, he needed powerful strength.
Seizing Count Cabaldy’s Territory and acquiring iron ore was merely a way to build a foundation for ongoing battles against them.
‘If I grow stronger, I can save at least one more person.’
Thus, Ghislaine could not afford to give up this painful training.
The Mana Circulation Method he practiced boasted explosive power. The downside was the unstable amount, making it hard to control, but thanks to his consumption of Blood Python’s poison, it had been significantly alleviated.
Now it was time to toughen his body to withstand that explosive power.
“Huuh!”
Once more, he swung his sword.
He felt his muscles tearing as they reached their limit.
‘It’s unfortunate, but I guess this is it for today.’
As Ghislaine set down his sword and took a moment to catch his breath, his regeneration quickly kicked in, healing the torn muscles.
He endured the pain while grinding his teeth, secretly regretting the training space he had created with the help of a mage during his past life as a mercenary.
If he had made that space heavier to stimulate all his muscles, he could have significantly boosted his training efficiency.
‘Later, I’ll have to ask Vanessa to lay a broad gravity spell.’
For several days, he hounded Claude, tore his muscles, organized documents, and then hounded Claude again.
Finally, the news Ghislaine had been waiting for arrived.
“The dwarves have arrived!”
