The news that Count Fenris had arrived made Count Grafton narrow his eyes.
"Hm."
It was obvious why the Northern Army, which was fighting the rifts, had come. They were here to confiscate the medicinal ingredients and the medicine.
Smirking, Count Grafton rose from his seat.
"The most famous man these days has come, so I must meet him. Bring him inside."
"He said he will meet you outside directly."
"What?"
"They have already set up a place outside."
"Hah, how impatient."
Count Grafton paused for a moment before standing up.
Count Fenris was now famous throughout the kingdom. Especially for his rumored master-level strength, and his reckless personality.
If that lunatic got angry and tried to kill him, there would be no stopping it.
After a moment of hesitation, he asked the knight who delivered the news, "How many troops did he bring? Is the entire Northern Army here?"
"No. The Northern Army is waiting outside the outer walls. He only brought a few knights and several dozen soldiers with him."
"Really?"
Count Grafton stroked his chin for a moment before asking his vassals,
"What if Count Fenris throws a fit here because we didn't distribute the medicine? They say he's crazy."
"....."
Seeing his vassals unable to answer, Count Grafton clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk, do you have no thoughts at all? How pathetic. Even if Count Fenris is a Master, if his force is that small, couldn't we capture him?"
At that, the vassals' faces turned pale.
"Lord! Absolutely not!"
"Masters are said to be able to face thousands of soldiers alone!"
"There's nothing to gain by going against the Northern Army! We'll all die."
Count Grafton shook his head at their reactions.
"You're scared without even fighting… I don't intend to fight either. I was just asking. No matter how mad that lunatic is, he wouldn't cause trouble here without reason, right? It's not like we broke the law or anything."
At his words, the vassals nodded.
Count Grafton wasn't wrong. He was clever enough to have prepared for this situation already.
Count Grafton stood up.
"Let's go. We can't keep such an honored guest waiting. And everyone, watch your mouths, understood?"
"Yes, my lord."
When the vassals bowed their heads, Count Grafton smiled with satisfaction and walked out.
When Count Grafton and his vassals exited the castle, a table and chairs—like those used in military strategy meetings—had indeed been set up in front of the castle gates. Other than that, there was nothing.
Ghislain sat there with his arms crossed. As they had heard, he only brought a small force.
The simplicity of the scene made Count Grafton click his tongue as he sat down across from Ghislain.
"Tsk, tsk, bring out some refreshments. We can't welcome such an esteemed guest like this, can we?"
As the maids moved, Count Grafton finally turned his gaze to Ghislain and asked, "Welcome. I've heard much about your recent exploits. What brings you here today?"
Ghislain replied expressionlessly,
"I assume you've already received the official notice. The plague is spreading rapidly."
"Such unfortunate news. That's why I've been doing my best to produce and distribute medicine."
"Yet, it's far too little. The people living on the outskirts of your territory are all suffering from the plague. The same goes for the neighboring territories."
"There's nothing I can do about it. The medicine is scarce, so what can I do alone? I don't know what the other lords were doing instead of preparing in advance... Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Ghislain stared at Count Grafton's shameless face for a moment before continuing.
"I don't want to forcibly take someone's property or rights. If you hand over the stockpiled medicine and ingredients now, I will compensate you fully with food and money equivalent to the purchase price. The royal family guarantees this."
"Ha, but what can I do when I really don't have anything left? Bring the documents here! I must prove this properly."
At his command, one of the vassals brought out several documents. These were inventory reports that had been thoroughly falsified.
Ghislain received the documents and scanned them. The discrepancies with the information he had gathered were glaring.
Looking at Count Grafton with cold eyes, Ghislain said, "I'll ask one last time. Please cooperate. Many people are dying. The compensation will be sufficient."
"Can't you see? I truly have nothing left. What more can I give you?"
It was clear that reasoning wouldn't work. Finally, Ghislain raised his hand and said to Gillian, "Search everything thoroughly. Find the medicinal ingredients and medicine."
"Understood."
The small force that Ghislain brought scattered in all directions. Seeing this, Count Grafton's face contorted with rage.
"Count! What is the meaning of this, barging into my territory like this! What do you take me for to commit such an outrage?"
Ghislain said nothing. He simply sat there with his arms crossed, eyes closed, silently waiting.
Seeing that, Count Grafton sneered.
"I will not forget this. I've heard rumors about how reckless you are, but I didn't expect you to distrust others so blatantly. You'll pay the price for tarnishing my honor. The other nobles will not overlook this either."
It was a clear threat. He was saying that he would obstruct Ghislain's actions in the future, and that the other nobles wouldn't look favorably upon him either.
Still, Ghislain waited silently.
After a few hours, Gillian finally returned, his expression dark.
"Other than the reported amounts… there are no additional medicinal ingredients or medicine."
At those words, Count Grafton smiled again, and his vassals let out sighs of relief.
Meanwhile, the soldiers Ghislain brought looked confused. Nothing Ghislain had done so far had ever gone wrong like this.
Count Grafton smirked openly as he said, "The remaining ingredients, by the laws of the kingdom, can be taken if you need them. We'll settle accounts later. But is there any need for this? We'll also diligently produce the medicine and distribute it to the surrounding areas. Besides, there's no prohibition on selling medicine yet, nor an order for confiscation, so I'll use it as I see fit."
Hearing that, Ghislain looked up at the sky.
'Ha…'
These kinds of people were the most problematic. Those who walked the fine line between legality and crime, extracting their own profit.
To some extent, he could understand. Everyone prioritized their own gains. But the problem came when they crossed the line excessively.
Ghislain had no desire to clean up the world entirely. In fact, as Fenris grew larger, the number of officials taking bribes under the guise of gifts also increased.
Ghislain didn't interfere in such matters. Those issues were left to Claude and other administrators.
'That's just how people live.'
Having experienced life at rock bottom himself, Ghislain knew that human greed could never be completely stopped.
That was why he firmly established the laws and systems within his territory. As long as people didn't cross the line, he turned a blind eye. Besides, he didn't have the time to scrutinize every minor transgression.
However, if anyone crossed that line, he would never forgive them. He made sure to set a clear example.
That was Ghislain's governing belief.
Having steeled his resolve, Ghislain looked at Count Grafton and spoke.
"Count Grafton, it seems I now need to 'persuade' you."
"Ha, ha, persuade? Well then, go ahead. If you need my help, try to convince me. If I can, I'll assist you."
Count Grafton smirked arrogantly. He even felt a thrilling pleasure.
The so-called strongest man in the North, Count Fenris, was trying to persuade him, seeking his help.
That fact alone gave him an indescribable satisfaction.
Ghislain extended his hand to the side, and a spear from Black King's saddle flew into his grip.
"Oh?"
Count Grafton watched the spectacle with curiosity. It seemed that reaching the level of a Master allowed one to perform such feats.
But then Ghislain stood up, gripping the spear, and spoke with a cold glare.
"Let's begin the persuasion."
"What do you mea—"
Crash!
The table between Ghislain and Count Grafton shattered instantly, flying to both sides.
Now, nothing stood between them.
Ghislain approached the shocked Count Grafton and drove the spear directly into his shoulder.
"Arrrghhh!"
Count Grafton screamed in surprise and pain, but Ghislain didn't bat an eye. Pulling the spear out again, he drove it into the Count's thigh, pinning him to his chair.
Crack!
"Arrghhh!"
Count Grafton roared in agony, his bloodshot eyes wide. He couldn't move, now fused with the chair.
His vassals, witnessing this, were equally horrified.
"Lord!"
"Lord Commander! What are you doing!"
"Pull back your spear immediately!"
For someone to suddenly resort to force like this, within another lord's territory, was an act that could provoke war.
It was beyond reckless. Everyone stood there, dumbfounded.
The Count's escort knights finally came to their senses and drew their swords, and soldiers from the castle began to pour in.
However, even as they gathered, none dared attack Ghislain.
"Sir! Stop this!"
"This is unacceptable!"
"Pull back your spear and leave!"
All they could do was surround Ghislain, flustered and unsure.
Count Grafton, overwhelmed by the pain, screamed,
"What are you doing! Attack him! I said attack!"
Half-crazed from the agony, he desperately ordered his men to strike Ghislain.
But the knights, knowing Ghislain's reputation, didn't dare move against him.
Ghislain glared coldly at Count Grafton and spoke.
"Gillian."
"Yes, my lord."
"Kill anyone who obstructs my work."
"Understood."
Clang!
Gillian drew his sword, and the other Fenris knights followed suit simultaneously.
The Northern Army soldiers raised their spears as well. Though Count Grafton's forces far outnumbered them, the Northern soldiers showed no sign of fear.
In fact, they looked almost relaxed. Such was the difference in combat strength between them and Grafton's troops.
As the Northern Army prepared to fight, Count Grafton's forces hesitated and stepped back slightly in fear.
Ghislain smiled grimly as he continued.
"I know scum like you very well. People who refuse to listen to reason."
"Ugh… You… Do you really think you'll get away with this? The other nobles won't stand idly by!"
Count Grafton shouted desperately through his pain. But Ghislain's expression remained indifferent.
"So what? If we don't stop the rifts and the plague now, everyone will die anyway. What does it matter?"
Ghislain grabbed Count Grafton by the collar and pulled him close.
Seeing Ghislain's burning eyes up close, Count Grafton momentarily lost his voice. The raw malice and hatred radiating from him were overwhelming.
What in the world was this man fighting for?
Before that question could even solidify, Ghislain growled.
"I don't care if you hoard everything for yourself. But at least during times like these, don't harm others. You could have stopped at a reasonable point, but no—you had to make me get involved, didn't you?"
Ghislain pulled a hand axe from his belt and drove it into Count Grafton's other shoulder.
Thud!
"Arrrghhh!"
"Speak. Where are you hiding it? Unless you want your head to roll right here, right now."
"I-it's not here! I told you, that's all of it, you madman!"
Count Grafton raged, still resisting. He had heard the man was crazy, but he hadn't expected him to act without evidence like this.
The clever Count didn't give in easily. He knew that if he confessed under the current pain, he would face punishment anyway.
To survive, he had to keep the hiding place a secret.
Instead, he retaliated with a threat.
"Is this how you treat a noble of the kingdom? Aren't you afraid of the consequences? All the nobles will turn against you! Stop this madness at once!"
Hearing that, Ghislain laughed. Clearly, Count Grafton was bold enough to make such threats.
In truth, if he conducted a thorough investigation, he was confident he would find everything eventually. But he had no intention of wasting time on such trivial matters.
Pulling the axe from Count Grafton's shoulder, Ghislain straightened up.
"Right, you couldn't have done this alone."
Taking a deep breath, Ghislain extended the axe forward and addressed the gathered vassals.
"Who here is the head butler and the treasurer? Step forward."
The blood dripping from the axe made the vassals' faces turn pale.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]