Episode 46 is just as I thought. (4)
The messengers kept their mouths shut and were unable to answer.
There was nothing to refute.
“Uh, Your Highness. Because of Your Highness, my relationship with Leipold has already deteriorated, so the situation in the territory is a bit difficult… .”
“So you’re saying that’s not enough?”
Of course it is not enough.
For Ferdium, a steady inflow of money was more important than a lump sum.
Because there was no way to make money here.
It was embarrassing to ask for money while getting angry and saying it was my fault.
Since the person holding the money is Jiselle, the roles have been completely reversed.
‘Well, should we start pioneering too?’
Homer was deep in thought, sweating profusely.
But the Runestone has already been secured by Giselle, and finding other resources will only lead to the same conclusion as before.
I had to take a risk and be prepared to lose money.
‘Damn it! How did such a precious resource end up in his hands! There’s no way he can take it away!’
Strictly speaking, the Forest of Demons is not Ferdium’s territory.
It was simply a territory that was conventionally recognized because it was attached to a territory.
So, there was no way to obtain the runestone that Giselle had other than taking it by force.
While everyone was at a loss as to what to do, Jiselle opened her mouth again.
“Hmm, it seems like everyone is having a bit of a hard time. As the Grand Duke, I can’t pretend not to know about the difficulties of the territory.”
Although his tone was playful, the people who passed still looked at him with slightly expectant eyes.
Zwalter also listened to his son’s words with a curious expression.
Jiselle smiled at everyone’s reactions and continued speaking.
“The reason I brought the runestones to you in the first place was for the sake of the territory. I will support you in what you have lost in Leipold.”
The people who heard Jiselle’s words nodded as if they were glad.
If he had made a fuss about using it all by himself, I would have had to fight to get it taken from him, but since he said he would give me even a little bit, I felt relieved for the time being.
“However, there are some conditions.”
The people who heard the following words could not hide their nervous expressions.
I was so scared of what kind of conditions that dirty-tempered archduke would put forth.
“I haven’t seen the guard’s Skoban. I heard he’s been locked up in prison. Is that true?”
Then Homer nodded.
“I have thrown you in prison for falsely reporting to the lord. I will also be stripping you of your knighthood. It is a grave sin for a knight who has sworn allegiance to lie, sin. Ahem ahem!”
Homer’s voice was definitely more subdued than before.
Because I realized that pushing and pulling with Giselle would only result in loss.
But his answer subtly conveyed the tone that it was his fault that Skoban was taken away.
Jiselle nodded and said, holding up a finger.
“First, please release Skoban. I forced him to do it, so he had no choice. He probably wants to die because he is so resentful.”
“Umm… … .”
The attendants looked slightly uncomfortable.
Forgiving the sin of lying to the lord was a matter of the lord’s authority.
However, it is not without excuses, and it is a minor issue compared to the management of the estate, so I did not express any particular objection.
Jiselle continued speaking when the others said nothing else.
“Second, the construction of the garrison will now be officially underway. We need to have workers and troops staying there.”
This time too, the guests nodded, saying that the conditions were acceptable.
“Third, the Forest of Demons is off-limits as before. I do not wish to see victims emerge from the territory due to unnecessary greed.”
For a moment, the eyes of the departed wavered.
‘This bad boy! He wants to eat it all by himself!’
‘Why can’t we get in!’
‘I told you not to go in, but you did!’
Of course, I only complained to myself and didn’t dare to say it out loud.
As everyone remained silent, Jiselle brought up her final condition.
“Lastly, I will be responsible for replenishing and moving the security forces, including mercenaries, regardless of the territory. I will need to receive that level of authority, as interference will be inconvenient whenever I move my troops within the territory.”
The people who went began to sweat coldly.
Now, Jiselle has declared that she will continue to command private soldiers within the territory.
‘The Archduke wants to have a private army… … .’
‘You held onto the money and now you’re just going out of your way to do it!’
‘That troublemaker is leading the troops?’
The deceased already felt a chill down their spines.
If the Archduke, whose behavior is becoming increasingly erratic, were to lead the troops, there is no telling how much bigger trouble he would cause.
Isn’t it difficult to touch him now because of the mercenaries he leads?
“I, Your Highness. I don’t know about anything else, but leading separate troops… … .”
One of the servants mustered up the courage to speak, but Giselle responded curtly.
“Then let’s pretend this never happened. Should I just leave now?”
“I mean, I agree. I agree.”
The horse immediately turned its tail and went back into its seat.
“Oh, I almost got a little hurt because I thought you were going to object. You know I’m shy, don’t you? I almost just left.”
‘Nimiral, you’re going to do whatever you want anyway!’
Those who heard the subtle threat bowed their heads and cursed inwardly.
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“Is there anyone who objects?”
Jiselle raised her hand slightly and asked, but no one answered.
There was no bullying like this, but it was not good to go against the Grand Duke’s wishes.
After waiting for a moment, Giselle looked back at her father with a satisfied smile.
“It seems like everyone agrees with my opinion. Now, Father, please make the decision.”
For some reason, that smile seemed evil. Zwalter smiled bitterly.
‘You’ve really changed.’
When the protest came from Leipold, I thought that they had finally caused a major accident. This time, I was not going to let it go.
But Giselle’s bold actions were enough to offset all those mistakes.
Of course, it’s still hard to believe. This time, I guess I was just lucky.
How many people have considered pioneering the Demon Forest over the years?
Zwalter also knew this well, having weighed the risks and the effectiveness.
It must have been a stroke of luck that the resource was discovered so quickly.
‘It’s true that you’ve accomplished a great thing, but… … .’
Zwalter thought for a moment.
This time it was successful, but there was no guarantee that things would continue to go smoothly and safely in the future.
Even if you have enormous wealth, what good is it if you die young?
Besides, the son was the successor to the estate and the family. His life should not be taken lightly.
If you want to stop it, you have to stop it by taking away all authority from now on.
But as a father, he didn’t want to trample on his son’s potential that was just beginning to change.
‘It may be a bit too much to ask, but it doesn’t mean I can’t grant it.’
Ultimately, it’s a question of whether you trust Giselle or not.
His behavior has been such a mess that it’s hard to completely believe him just by seeing his slightly different appearance now.
If you don’t believe it and force it, the situation could turn out to be the worst.
Even now, Jiselle is bringing troops and making harsh conditions for her father and his retainers.
It means that they came prepared to even resort to armed conflict.
‘Is that the kind of personality my son had?’
Zwalter took a fresh look at his son.
Jiselle stood there proudly, as if it didn’t matter what decision he made.
Zwalter didn’t know, but in fact, Giselle was still trying her best to be polite and smooth things over.
During the time of the Mercenary King, he used to act more cruelly and aggressively than he does now.
Zwalter, who had been thinking for a while, finally exhaled deeply and said.
“Okay. I’ll do whatever you want, so do whatever you want.”
“My lord!”
“older brother!”
All the vassals looked at Zwalter in surprise.
I never thought that he would readily accept all the conditions.
Zwalter looked around at the surprised vassals and said in a nonchalant tone.
“If you’re going to give authority, it’s better to give it with certainty and trust. If you’re going to give it half-heartedly, it’s worse than not giving it at all.”
Before Giselle could even say her thanks, Zwalter continued speaking with a strong momentum.
“However, if you cause damage to the territory or interfere with the defense of the North… … I will strip you of all your authority and confine you in the tower until you come to your senses. Never forget that this is your last chance.”
With that level of power comes greater responsibility. That’s why Zwalter sent a clear warning.
At those words, which were a mixture of expectations as a father and concerns as a lord, Jisel smiled and lowered his head.
“Thank you. Don’t worry.”
“What do you plan to do with the rest of the money?”
“I have thought about it. Once the urgent matters are somewhat resolved, I plan to use it for the spiritual land as well.”
It was an urgent matter. It was a remark that left a strange aftertaste.
Although he was curious about what was more urgent than the situation in the territory, Zwalter did not ask any more questions.
“Okay, I get it. You’ll do well. I’ll trust you.”
Although his usual blunt tone of voice returned, it was filled with a different emotion than before.
No matter what, I am proud and happy to see my son doing such a great thing.
In this way, only the deceased became embarrassed.
In particular, Homer, Randolph, and Albert pushed Giselle hard, putting him in a more difficult position than the other vassals.
Homer rolled his eyes and became lost in thought, his head steaming.
‘Damn, this is a big deal. Now I’m going to have to live with that troublemaker. How did things end up like this?’
When Giselle said she was going to pioneer the Forest of Demons, the person who opposed it the most was Homer.
If only they had actively pushed and supported me back then, I could have gotten a stake.
It was such a pity.
‘No, who would have thought that you could just go ahead and succeed? That’s ridiculous!’
Who would have expected that the Grand Duke, whom they thought was a darling, would show such action and truly succeed? They still couldn’t believe it.
But now that the situation has changed, I can’t act as stiffly as I used to.
Homer suddenly spoke with a big smile on his face.
“Oh my, you are truly great. You are truly great. Doesn’t that mean that one Archduke is equal to the Leipold Estate? You have really grown up well. Belinda must have taught you well. Hahaha.”
Albert stepped forward, leaving Homer’s words, which did not contain even a shred of sincerity, behind him.
“I knew very well that Your Highness is usually very strict about money. Please discuss the subsidy with me later. There are many places that need it urgently… … . Ahem ahem!”
Randolph’s face was strangely distorted, but sweet words poured out of his mouth.
“I believed that Your Highness would achieve great results one day with his bold actions! You know that the territory is short on troops, right? Of course, you can only protect the territory if you have a strong military force. Hahaha. Those guys out there are really… .”
Seeing the three people who had completely changed their expressions and were blatantly flattering each other, Jiselle slightly distanced herself and smiled.
“I don’t know what to do with myself when you three say that. I will take good care of you from now on, so don’t worry too much about Yeongji.”
Only then did the three of them open their faces and laugh.
To be honest, my heart just melted when he said he would take care of me anyway.
I feel like I’ve been completely taken advantage of by Aesong, but what can I do?
There was nothing they could do since Jiselle was the one with the most power at the time.
All we can do is pretend to be friendly and save face.
Homer said, holding Giselle’s hand tightly as the representative.
“I look forward to the future. Oh my, what a blessing it has bestowed upon our land. What a blessing.”
Giselle slowly pulled her hand away from Homer and looked at Zwalter.
“Don’t worry too much about your territory in the future. I will take care of it so that you can focus on defending the north as you have done so far.”
“Haha, you know how to say that.”
Zwalter nodded with a satisfied expression.
It was amazing to see my son grow so much compared to a few months ago.
Of course, he didn’t take Giselle’s words seriously.
I just thought of it as a courtesy.
But the face of Giselle, who turned around and left, was more serious than ever.
‘It went as planned. Now it’s time to prepare for the next step.’
There is nothing more urgent than developing the territory.
Now it was time to prepare for war.
