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Chapter

28. This is the Best Option. (2)

“What did you say?”

Belinda felt dizzy.

She had known Ghislaine since he was young, but at some point, he had become completely incomprehensible.

‘He’s lost it, it’s not just about ambition growing bigger; he’s gone mad.’

Belinda, with a blank expression, turned to Gillian, who was standing beside Ghislaine.

“Gillian! Please say something!”

Gillian, who shared the same feelings as Belinda, finally spoke up.

“Your Highness, perhaps it would be best to stop here. Belinda is right. There’s still quite a bit of money remaining, and if we can just secure that, we can use it for other matters later.”

Despite Gillian’s persuasion, Ghislaine shook his head.

“I think we need a bit of explanation. Call Kaor as well.”

Once Kaor arrived, Ghislaine began to voice his thoughts.

“As you all know, we’re nearly out of funds even before we’ve started. At this rate, we won’t last long, so I plan to prioritize making a profit quickly.”

The three of them wore expressions of disbelief.

Exploration means securing areas that have never been tread upon.

Therefore, there was no way to know where or what might yield profits right away.

Belinda couldn’t hold back any longer and stepped forward again.

“Let’s just back out now! If we spend all the remaining money, we truly won’t be able to do anything. Once we enter the forest, we’re bound to get caught. We could even get expelled from our territory!”

More than a hundred mercenaries were loitering near the territory. The retainers were surely on high alert.

And with laborers gathered around, it was obvious everyone was casting suspicious glances.

Belinda had fabricated a story about creating a new training ground and a Grand Duke’s villa, but that lie would collapse the moment Ghislaine stepped into the Forest of Monsters.

Gillian and Kaor couldn’t help but chime in.

“If His Highness is determined to proceed, then we will follow, but… realistically, it’s impossible. Ultimately, you’ll face the consequences from our Lord.”

“We can fight for money, but when it comes to those who might die, even a significant amount won’t cover that. Well, at least you’ll become more famous. Known as the foolish heir who did something stupid. Hahaha.”

Everyone assessed Ghislaine’s plan negatively.

None of the previous Counts of Perdium had succeeded in tasks that had been given up; how could a single individual succeed with merely 20,000 gold?

Ghislaine nodded his head, as if he understood their thoughts.

“What you say has merit. Of course, I also believe that exploring in that way will be impossible. It will probably fail.”

“Then why do you keep insisting on it?!”

“Because I’m not going to do it that way.”

“What do you mean?”

Belinda asked in confusion. Instead of answering, Ghislaine unfolded a map.

“Here’s the Forest of Monsters, and we’ll be entering from this side.”

Following Ghislaine’s gestures, the three began to carefully scan the map.

The Forest of Monsters was only roughly drawn on the map.

Ghislaine took out a pen, started drawing a line from the entrance of the forest, and suddenly veered sharply to the side.

“About this much. We’ll ignore everything else and make our path straight through here. That’s our primary goal.”

“Huh?”

“We’re not securing territory; we’re securing the fastest route to the target.”

“Didn’t you say we’re going to explore?”

“Typical exploration is impossible. I planned to acquire resources that would allow us to earn money as quickly as possible from the start. After all, this is the place closest to our territory.”

“Do you know what’s here?”

Ghislaine couldn’t help but chuckle at Belinda’s question.

“Something extremely profitable.”

“….”

Everyone was at a loss for words.

To them, it seemed like Ghislaine was just throwing a random spot on the map and insisting that it held something valuable.

Gillian, managing to regain his composure, asked, “Your Highness, what’s here that makes you so confident it will make money? And how do you know about it?”

At that question, Ghislaine gave an awkward smile of uncertainty.

“It’s high-level information that only I know.”

“So how did you acquire that information? No one has returned from the forest alive until now!”

Belinda slammed the table as she pressed him for more. Gillian and Kaor nodded in agreement.

Ghislaine pondered for a moment before responding with a serious expression.

“Alright, don’t be surprised and listen carefully. Actually, I died and was brought back to life…”

“Stop joking; this is a serious situation! How did you know?!”

“No, really…”

“Your Highness! This is about people’s lives!”

“Ugh….”

Belinda’s fury made Ghislaine clamp his mouth shut.

He tried to reveal the truth this time but, as expected, no one listened. He felt a bit lonely.

In that case, he had no choice but to cover it up.

“I heard it through rumors. There is supposedly something extremely profitable here.”

“What?!”

Belinda glared at Ghislaine, her eyes blazing. Gillian wore a dumbfounded expression, while Kaor chuckled to himself.

The Forest of Monsters was shrouded in speculation with no clear facts.

In particular, there were countless rumors about expensive medicinal herbs inside that could make money.

Some explorers still ventured into the forest despite knowing the dangers because of these tales.

But who would have thought Ghislaine would align himself with such reckless individuals?

Kaor couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer.

“Our employer is truly insane. There’s someone even crazier than us! Hahaha.”

To believe in mere rumors, defying the lord’s orders, and spending all their funds was something only a complete madman would attempt.

Ghislaine did not care how others reacted and continued to lay out his thoughts.

“One day, we will drive out the monsters and utilize all the resources in the forest. But not now. It’s going to take too long for that. We’re going in because we need cash right away; we must choose the quickest way to earn money.”

Belinda, managing to suppress her escalating anger, trembled as she asked, “So according to this ‘rumor,’ there’s ‘something’ here?”

“Exactly. We’ll first gather resources that could make money, and use that money to further expand our territory. It’s using money to make money. Simple plan, right? Hahaha.”

Belinda struggled to suppress the urge to hit him. Gillian sighed with a somber expression.

Kaor maintained an attitude of taking money and having fun, no matter what happened.

Looking at her confused followers, Ghislaine spoke decisively.

“You might not understand this now, but it’s something that must be done. If any problems arise, I’ll take full responsibility.”

Seeing his resolute gaze, Belinda and Gillian could no longer object.

“Everyone, trust me and follow me. If everyone does their best, we will surely succeed.”

Belinda murmured with a defeated expression, “I hope this is the last rebellion of adolescence. I’m too old for this.”

“I’m not sure if that rumor is true… but since you’re saying it, I’ll do my best to help,” Gillian said with a firm resolve on his face. Kaor continued to laughter.

“It’s bound to be amusing to see the heir of the territory locked up in prison. Just make sure to settle the balance first.”

Everyone was half resigned, but only Ghislaine secretly smirked.

‘If things go according to plan, a tremendous amount of money will come rolling in.’

The place Ghislaine aimed for was the closest point at the entrance of the forest, where it was easiest to cash in on resources.

Although he couldn’t reveal the source, the information he had acquired in his previous life wasn’t mere nonsense; it was solid data.

‘The resources were discovered by the Delphine Duke in my past life.’

The Delphine Duke, who overthrew the kingdom and established a new dynasty, had begun a large-scale exploration of the Forest of Monsters by pooling the strength of the entire kingdom.

Ghislaine, with a grudge against the Delphine family, also researched the Forest of Monsters.

He wanted to find out why they were so invested, hoping to uncover any opportunities to impede or harass them.

‘The Duke didn’t initially know about the existence of the resources. Entering the Forest of Monsters must have had another purpose.’

He never did discover that reason, but instead managed to procure a map and log detailing the locations of crucial resources within the forest.

He never thought he would end up using the information he memorized in his past life this way.

‘I’ll make good use of the information you suffered to obtain.’

In his previous life, the Delphine Duke amassed tremendous wealth while exploring the Forest of Monsters.

This time, Ghislaine himself planned to claim it all for himself.

The wealth would be a significant aid in thwarting the plots surrounding Perdium.

“Alright, then let’s get started right away.”

At Ghislaine’s words, everyone returned to their respective posts.

Gillian managed the mercenaries nearby the territory, training them simply to avoid obstructing one another.

Belinda oversaw the laborers, focusing on the construction of the fortress.

Though Ghislaine provided instructions, their hearts were not at ease.

Especially for Belinda, each night was filled with worry, leaving dark circles under her eyes.

“If the rumors are true, who knows what kind of monsters could appear? If the Young Master dies there… he’ll earn scorn even in death.”

In fact, every time Ghislaine was insulted, she felt angry and pained.

To her, he seemed only cute, yet others failed to understand that charm.

After receiving so many insults, she occasionally felt that she hadn’t taught Ghislaine well as a tutor.

However, if he were to lose his life in a dangerous place… she couldn’t bear to face the late Countess Perdium, who entrusted him to her care.

“If things get even slightly dangerous, I’ll forcibly drag him out.”

Belinda examined all the poisons she had collected so far.

“Now, let’s see… what can I apply to ensure our Young Master just faints instead of dying?”

Ghislaine seemed to have improved since the past, so she needed to choose the poison carefully.

Belinda meticulously selected the poison, applying it with great care to the dagger.

Her plan was to stab him from behind once the report signaled urgency and then escape with him.

She fully understood that others were worried, but Ghislaine did not retract his orders.

He, who was always confident and composed, couldn’t loosen his nerves this time.

The Forest of Monsters was dangerous. The powerful Delphine Duke had experienced several failures because of it in the past life.

It was practically impossible for Ghislaine to succeed with his current strength.

The only thing he could rely on was his experience and information from his previous life.

Based on that, he reviewed the plan repeatedly and assessed its feasibility, selecting the quickest, safest, and most certain route.

‘But information is just information… there could be any number of variables in reality.’

Yet, even so, this was the best method to save the territory.

All other methods didn’t allow for enough time.

The Delphine Duke was already in motion. If they responded with leisure, everyone would die.

They had to act quickly, even if it meant risking their lives.

‘No matter what… I must succeed to protect the territory and my family.’

While Ghislaine continuously reviewed and revised his plans, time passed swiftly.

Once Belinda and Gillian completed their preparations, they sought out Ghislaine.

They had intended to try and dissuade him one last time, but upon seeing Ghislaine’s face, they swallowed their words.

His expression was devoid of the usual playful spirit.

His face, cold enough to chill, seemed to reveal a determination willing to embrace death.

Reluctantly, they reported the current situation and the progress of their tasks.

“Your Highness… the fortress is now at a level where we can provide accommodations and meals. But I don’t think we can afford to delay any longer.”

“The training of the mercenaries is the same. The lord’s retainers have begun to mobilize troops to apply pressure.”

“Hmm.”

Ghislaine contemplated for a moment.

It would be good to prepare further, but for now, this was the limit. It was only thanks to being the Grand Duke that they could hold out this much.

He sighed bitterly and slowly rose from his seat.

“Indeed, we can’t afford to delay any longer.”

Time was always the most regrettable part.

Once this plan succeeded, it would buy them a certain amount of time.

Taking a long breath, Ghislaine soon spoke assertively.

“Gather the mercenaries.”

 

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