If the Delphine Duchy and the Salvation Church were wiped out in the kingdom, Ghislain and the Northern Army would be free to assist other kingdoms.
The envoys understood this argument.
"This is why you called us here, isn't it?"
'It's not entirely wrong. If the Lutania Kingdom falls, everyone will be shaken to their core.'
'They must continue supporting us from this side. To do that, they must ultimately win the civil war.'
Though they wanted to object, they had already received too much help. If they opposed, even the current support would be cut off.
After finishing his calculations, the envoy from the Grimwell Kingdom reluctantly opened his mouth.
"We will provide 10,000 troops. However, resolve the civil war as quickly as possible and come to our aid."
Ghislain's argument was not wrong. One way or another, it was necessary to decisively settle at least one issue.
When he agreed first, the envoys of other kingdoms followed suit.
"We will also support with 10,000 troops."
"We can provide 5,000 for now. We'll confirm upon returning to the homeland and possibly send more."
"We'll offer 8,000 troops."
The envoys each declared the forces they could negotiate within their authority.
Ghislain smiled with satisfaction. It would be even better to borrow superhumans, but they were still unwilling to part with them.
Even in his previous life, the continent's seven strongest and other superhumans only gathered when the situation became much more dire than it was now.
Thus, Ghislain managed to secure considerable military support as he had hoped. After roughly calculating, the numbers reached nearly 200,000. Indeed, the power of the alliance was remarkable. Including the Northern Army and the Fenris Corps, the total approached 300,000.
'Good, this should be a great help.'
If it were only the duchy, it would be manageable, but the high priests of the Salvation Church were comparable to superhumans. Facing them would require overwhelming military force.
With the discussion on support concluded, they even agreed to draft a treaty soon, lightening the heavy atmosphere a bit.
The Royalist faction nobles, who had been preparing for a battle with the duchy, were especially elated.
An army sent from various kingdoms! They felt confident they could crush the Delphine Duchy in an instant.
Feeling pleased, Maurice laughed brightly and pointed to Ghislain.
"He's my nephew, my nephew."
"Hohoho, is that so? The marquis' family is truly blessed."
"Handsome, with an extraordinary presence."
"I hear you're a master. Remarkable at such a young age."
The envoys showered him with praises, though their words were tinged with flattery. After all, the commander-in-chief of the Lutania Kingdom's army was a significant figure of power.
"...."
Ghislain remained silent.
Thinking it was all settled, the envoy from the Grimwell Kingdom, smiling, brought up another topic.
"By the way, this Fenris Mercenary Corps... isn't the count taking too many mercenaries? A significant number from our kingdom have already crossed over."
"That's right. Many of our kingdom's mercenaries have also gone over."
"We need mercenaries, too, but they're vanishing. Could you refrain from taking so many?"
Though they exaggerated, there was some truth in their words.
Because of the benefits of the Fenris Mercenary Corps, mercenaries were flocking to the Lutania Kingdom. It had gone beyond being a mere joke.
Nodding, Ghislain responded.
"Hm, you're saying it's difficult because all the mercenaries are coming to us."
One envoy seized the opportunity and replied eagerly.
"Exactly. This is the prime time for mercenaries to shine, but they're abandoning their homelands. It's quite troubling. Shouldn't there be proper regulations under our alliance's name?"
Leaning comfortably against his chair, Ghislain spoke.
"Why make it so complicated? You can just hire our mercenary corps."
"Excuse me? Hire... them?"
Looking around meaningfully, Ghislain spoke with a sharp glint in his eyes.
"The solution to preventing more mercenaries from coming over is simple."
"And what might that be?"
"I'll establish Fenris Mercenary Corps branches in each kingdom."
"Branches...?"
"Yes, have all mercenaries join and work under these branches. Isn't that simple?"
"..."
In essence, he was saying he'd take control of all mercenaries across the continent.
Everyone had the same thought.
'What is he? Is this guy insane?'
While the envoys blinked in confusion, the Royalist faction nobles of Lutania thought differently.
They all nodded knowingly.
"He's at it again."
Indeed, he wasn't one to let any opportunity slip by.
The envoy from the Grimwell Kingdom, flustered, cautiously spoke again.
"I-I might not fully understand. Are you saying you'll take in all mercenaries from every kingdom?"
"You said mercenaries coming over to us is a problem, didn't you?"
'What I meant was, stop taking them all!'
Feeling that they were talking past each other, the envoy carefully explained again.
"We also need mercenaries. They are essential not only for battles but also for transport and disaster recovery efforts."
"Then use our mercenaries."
'Why doesn't this guy understand?!'
"Didn't we already conclude the military support agreement? And now you're suggesting we hire additional mercenaries?"
"Have you ever seen mercenaries fight for free?"
"..."
The envoys gritted their teeth inwardly. Of course they knew that. But this wasn't the time for such discussions. Ghislain seemed to view the kingdom and his private mercenary corps as completely separate entities.
Though infuriating, it was hard to outright oppose him. Breaking the agreement now was out of the question, as they were the ones in more dire need.
Meeting Ghislain for the first time, the envoys seethed inwardly.
'Ugh... This guy is really taking advantage of the situation.'
'What on earth is happening here?'
'Are we really going to have to go along with this?'
When they asked him to stop absorbing mercenaries, he proposed making all mercenaries his own.
They had never seen such a greedy person in their lives.
The envoy from the Grimwell Kingdom wiped his sweat and laughed nervously.
"Hahaha... Are you planning to become the king of mercenaries or something?"
Ghislain's eyes sparkled.
"That's an excellent idea."
This guy didn't seem normal at all. Could they really strike a deal with someone like him?
Even Marquis Branford, though used to Ghislain's antics, coughed awkwardly, slightly embarrassed.
"Ahem. Must we go that far? Military support will be necessary once the civil war is over. Is this truly necessary?"
'Mercenaries don't move without money. And we can't just let all mercenaries flock to the Lutania Kingdom, can we?'
"That's true, but..."
"That's why it's better to establish proper management through branches. Since we're forming an alliance army, it's better to have someone manage the mercenaries as well. In the current situation... having them all under the Fenris Mercenary Corps is the most efficient. During the war, we could even legally restrict mercenary activity to only the Fenris Mercenary Corps."
As Ghislain grinned, the envoys were left speechless.
It didn't make sense, yet it also did. To overcome the current difficulties, consolidating military power under one command was logical.
But what would happen if one person owned all the mercenaries on the continent?
A chill ran down the envoys' spines at the thought. Essentially, that person would become no different from a king.
'Is this really okay?'
'This is dangerous. He is a dangerous insane guy. Or is he dangerous because he's insane?'
Mercenaries performed more tasks than one might think. While combat came to mind first, they were more often involved in escorting, transporting, and constructing—everyday activities essential to society.
If all those mercenaries belonged to one massive organization? Their owner could wield unimaginable influence over any nation.
When no one could respond, Ghislain laughed casually.
"Why are you so worried? You all know mercenaries are an unruly bunch. Do you think such a massive organization would even last after the war?"
"Uh..."
"Right now, we have a clear enemy, but once the war is over, everyone will start pursuing their own interests, and withdrawals will follow all over the place. Isn't it enough to unite them until then?"
That argument made sense. There was no way such a massive organization could easily maintain itself after the war.
Especially since costs were an issue. For now, each kingdom needed to hire many mercenaries, so it was sustainable, but after the war, regular commissions wouldn't be enough to cover the upkeep.
"Then... for now, let's proceed as you suggest."
When the envoy from the influential Grimwell Kingdom spoke, the others agreed as well.
For now, they were receiving much from the Lutania Kingdom and needed to stop the outflow of mercenaries.
By incorporating them all into the Fenris organization and providing them benefits, the mercenaries wouldn't need to relocate. They could continue operating in their current regions.
If they did try to leave, Fenris would handle the coordination.
As everyone agreed, Ghislain smiled and spoke.
"I'll arrange for the Fenris Mercenary Corps to be deployed in all regions. Spread the word and encourage them to join the Fenris branches. Legal regulation will tidy things up quickly."
"Ugh, understood."
New, unplanned measures kept being added. Bound by the leash of support and unfamiliar with such aggressive negotiation, the envoys had no choice but to keep getting swept along.
"Now, since the alliance has been formed, shouldn't we also select a representative?"
At this, the Grimwell envoy, flustered, responded.
"Uh, as we proposed earlier... but if that's unsatisfactory, we can discuss it further..."
"When will we have time to discuss it when the situation is so urgent?"
"Even so, there is a process..."
"If you focus on such formalities, the response will be delayed. Let's appoint Marquis Branford as a temporary leader for now."
'You bastard! Can't you compromise on at least one thing?!'
The Grimwell envoy turned red with frustration but could only swallow his anger.
"Ugh..."
The other envoys hesitated once again. Marquis Branford simply observed Ghislain's antics with amusement.
"Let's put out the immediate fire first and hold a vote later. Isn't that better?"
Ghislain pressed them forcefully. In his past life, these sorts of political delays had been more exhausting than the battles themselves. Everyone had tried to reach compromises, and everything dragged on.
This time, that couldn't happen. He needed to take as much as he could now.
Under Ghislain's relentless pressure, the envoys finally surrendered.
The Grimwell envoy, in particular, gritted his teeth and decided to plan for the future.
"Fine. Since the alliance organization isn't fully formed yet, let's make Marquis Branford the 'temporary' leader. Once things are settled, we'll hold another election."
"Let's do that."
With decisions flying by as quickly as lightning, the Lutania nobles were left stunned.
Such meetings among nobles rarely proceeded this way. Normally, there would be more refined discussions to align interests and conditions.
But Ghislain was relentless. He even conveyed an unspoken threat to overturn everything if his demands weren't met.
Still, they were Lutania nobles. They understood how much this would benefit them, so they pretended not to notice and kept silent.
'Ha, as expected of my nephew. I'll treat him to a feast of roasted duck.'
'If we seize this opportunity, we can truly become the leading power on the continent.'
'I made the right choice listening to my wife and supporting him.'
While they were all quietly celebrating, Marquis Branford looked at Ghislain and spoke.
"Don't you have any intention of taking the position?"
Everyone was startled. How could he suggest that such a major role as representative of the allied forces be given to Ghislain?
The envoys, in particular, looked especially shocked.
'No way! That lunatic can't take this position!'
Fortunately, Ghislain declined.
"For now, your reputation and influence are still necessary, Lord Marquis."
Marquis Branford smirked. Ghislain was openly stating he intended to use him.
If Ghislain were to become the chairperson, other kingdoms would raise objections. No matter how much fame he had gained, his authority didn't yet extend beyond Lutania.
"Very well. Let me know when you need me."
"Thank you."
The conversation left the envoys uneasy. It felt like everything was going in directions they didn't want.
But they had accepted far too much food and medicine to argue. It was clear they were being tightly controlled.
'Damn it, so this was the plan all along? They really have us by the neck.'
'I'm going to get scolded when I return home.'
'There's nothing we can do right now. We need their food, medicine, and army to stop the rifts.'
The Grimwell envoy, now uncomfortable, spoke up.
"Then, regarding the specifics, we should convene working-level staff to draft the details through meetings..."
"Ah, but that will take time. When will those staff members gather, draft the details, and wait for approvals? That alone will take days."
"Yes? But we need to establish a proper system."
"Of course, we do. That's why I have something to show you. Hey, bring them in."
At Ghislain's command to a knight beside him, the door opened, and several people entered.
The person leading them, smiling brightly, spoke.
"Greetings. I'm Claude, the head butler of the Fenris estate. Beside me are the administrative officers of Fenris. We've prepared something to help build a truly 'family-like' alliance."
[T/L: Hahaha.]
"Hm?"
As someone with an annoyingly smug demeanor entered, the envoys all looked puzzled.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]