“Governor!”

The knight standing next to Homerne quickly grabbed him as he staggered. Though he managed to regain his balance, his legs were still shaky, and it looked like he might collapse again at any moment.

“There are countless places in the territory that need money right now… and you spent all of it? On this useless group of mercenaries…?”

Even if a war were to break out, what difference would adding a mere three hundred men make?

It would have been better to offer the Runestones to other lords and request reinforcements.

Alternatively, they could agree to surrender some of the Runestones in exchange for peace. Winning a territorial war wouldn’t necessarily mean the annihilation of the lord and his vassals.

“You should’ve spent that money on knights and soldiers instead!”

Judging by the looks of things, it seemed Ghislain had not only hired the mercenaries but also equipped them with top-of-the-line gear.

This fool had squandered a fortune, thinking he could strengthen his own forces with it.

Homorne’s pale face was filled with disappointment. Ghislain, smiling, responded casually.

“I’ve set aside 5,000 gold coins to give to my father. I’ll bring more Runestones soon, so don’t worry too much.”

Yet, Homorne’s expression remained grim.

Even if Ghislain could secure more Runestones, there were far too many urgent expenses that required immediate funds.

He had counted on the money Ghislain would bring back, and now the disappointment was overwhelming.

‘As I thought, this brat can’t be trusted with money. I’ll have to find a way to control the Runestone resources in this territory.’

Unable to even continue the conversation, Homorne stood there with a sorrowful expression.

At that moment, a carriage appeared in the distance.

Pulled by eight white horses, the carriage was large and opulent, the kind only the wealthiest of nobles could afford.

It stopped in front of Ghislain, and as the door opened, several people cloaked in black robes stepped out, one by one.

The last man to emerge looked at Ghislain and greeted him with a smirk.

“Oh, the young lord himself came to greet us? You’re finally starting to show some noble decorum. Haha.”

The one speaking so arrogantly was Alfoi from the Tower of Crimson Flame.

Ghislain had instructed them to time their arrival to coincide with his, and they had indeed arrived in Feridium about a month after their departure, right on schedule.

Seeing the smug look on the wizard’s face, Ghislain let out a deep sigh.

“They just never listen.”

He had explicitly told them to travel discreetly, but the carriage was anything but inconspicuous. Many would surely remember its passage.

The only saving grace was that the entire group was cloaked in black robes, keeping their identities somewhat concealed.

Homorne, alternating glances between Ghislain and Alfoi, asked in confusion, “Who are these people?”

“They’re mercenaries I hired.”

“Mercenaries… in black robes? And with a carriage like that…”

Homorne looked between the mercenaries and the carriage, shaking his head.

“Fine, enjoy your little war games. Looks like it’ll be fun.”

With that, Homorne staggered back inside the castle. If he stayed any longer, he feared he might collapse from the sheer frustration.

Shrugging, Ghislain turned his attention to Vanessa, who was standing awkwardly behind the wizards.

“You made it safely. No trouble on the way?”

“N-no, my lord. I was fine…”

“Did anyone bother you?”

“N-no, no one.”

“That’s good. Let’s head inside.”

The wizards climbed back into the carriage while the mercenaries followed Ghislain through the outer walls and toward the lord’s castle.

As they arrived at the castle, Ghislain instructed Belinda to handle the arrangements for the wizards.

“Belinda, get rooms ready for the wizards. I’ll take the mercenaries to their quarters.”

“Understood. I’ll take care of it, and I could use the chance to organize a few things myself.”

As Ghislain prepared to lead the mercenaries, something caught his attention, and he scowled.

“Ugh, these guys…”

The wizards were walking around leisurely, hands behind their backs, casually admiring the architecture of the lord’s castle and making snide comments among themselves.

“Hm, this castle’s design is quite interesting. It seems to suit the local climate well.”

“It’s not exactly flashy, but it has a practical, classical charm.”

“The layout shows a keen understanding of harmony and proportion…”

While the wizards’ pretentious chatter was annoying, Ghislain could have ignored it. What truly bothered him was what he saw behind them.

Vanessa, struggling under the weight of several heavy bags, was unloading their belongings from the carriage all by herself.

It was obvious the load was too much for her, and she couldn’t hide her discomfort. Each time she managed to unload a few bags, she’d have to climb back into the carriage to grab more, as there were plenty.

Ghislain, his expression cold, walked over to the wizards.

“What do you think you’re doing? I told you not to mistreat Vanessa.”

“She’s good at that kind of work. It’s best to leave such tasks to those who do them well,” one of the wizards retorted, smirking.

It seemed that, during the past month, the Tower had forgotten its place.

Clearly, after Ghislain left, they had returned to treating Vanessa like a servant, using her as they pleased.

Calling out to Vanessa, who was struggling with the bags, Ghislain said sternly, “Vanessa, stop and come here.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll finish unloading the—”

But Ghislain cut her off, his voice icy.

“Who do you think your master is? You only need to listen to me.”

Vanessa, torn between Ghislain and the wizards, looked hesitant, unsure of what to do.

Ghislain raised his hand and beckoned her over. Bowing her head, she reluctantly obeyed, shuffling toward him.

“Listen carefully. From now on, you only take orders from me. No one else. Understood?”

“Yes, I understand.”

After making sure she understood, Ghislain turned to Alfoi, his tone firm and unyielding.

“Vanessa is no longer your servant. She belongs to me now, so don’t treat her like you used to. I’ll forgive you this time, but if it happens again, you’ll be betting your neck on it.”

“How dare you speak that way about some lowly wench…” Alfoi gritted his teeth, seething with humiliation.

That Ghislain was paying more attention to a former servant than to him, the future successor of the Tower, was beyond comprehension.

The sheer insolence of it filled him with rage.

‘Should I just kill him?’

He was sorely tempted to unleash his magic right there and wipe that arrogant smirk off Ghislain’s face.

With the elders of the Tower nowhere in sight, controlling his emotions was becoming increasingly difficult.

‘It would be easy enough to claim it was an accident back at the Tower, right?’

Consumed by anger, Alfoi’s presence grew increasingly menacing.

The mercenaries nearby, sensing the growing hostility, reached for their weapons, their faces showing clear displeasure.

It was apparent that Alfoi, pampered as he had been in the Tower, was completely unaware of the danger he was in.

Ghislain let out a dark chuckle.

“Looks like you don’t listen to words, do you?”

“What?”

Frowning, Alfoi watched as Ghislain approached one of the guards at the castle gate.

“Give me your spear.”

“Excuse me?”

Without waiting for a second reply, Ghislain grabbed the spear from the soldier’s hand and snapped it in two.

Crack!

Due to Feridium’s poverty, the spear shafts were made of cheap wood, making it easy to break.

Tossing aside the spearhead, Ghislain now held a makeshift club that fit comfortably in his hand.

He slapped the wooden staff against his palm and walked back toward Alfoi.

“Some people… they’re only good for one thing.”

“What?”

“This.”

“You bastard!”

Enraged by the insult, Alfoi began gathering his mana, the circle in his heart spinning rapidly as he prepared to cast a spell.

Wham!

“Ugh!”

But before he could even release the magic, pain exploded in his head, and his vision blurred.

‘What the…?’

He hadn’t even seen the strike coming. He had no idea how he had been hit or why his magic had failed.

“I… I’ll kill you!”

Alfoi tried again to summon his mana, but Ghislain was faster.

Smack!

“Argh!”

The blow was even louder this time, and Alfoi instinctively clutched his head with both hands.

Soon, the pain spread beyond his head, engulfing his entire body.

Thwack! Thwack!

“Aagh!”

Like the wizards had done earlier, Ghislain stood there leisurely, hands behind his back, as he calmly beat Alfoi with one hand.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

“Stop! Wait!”

Alfoi was going mad.

Each time he tried to channel his mana, something inside him seemed to block the flow at just the right moment, cutting him off.

Thwack! Thwack!

“Ugh, gah!”

What made it worse was that Alfoi couldn’t even fall to the ground. Every time he tried to collapse, another strike from Ghislain's club would hit him, forcing him back upright.

“Aaargh!”

“Stop this at once!”

The other wizards, unable to watch any longer, began to gather their mana to intervene.

Clang!

However, before they could move, the surrounding mercenaries swiftly placed their weapons at the throats of the wizards. The wizards froze, unable to lift a finger.

“Ugh…”

The rest of the wizards looked on in horror as Alfoi was beaten senseless.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

“Stop! I’m sorry! I was wrong!”

This was the first time Alfoi had experienced such pain in his life.

He had always been treated with the utmost respect at the Tower of Crimson Flame, doing whatever he wanted. He had never imagined being subjected to such humiliation.

“Hmm, I think that’s enough,” Ghislain said, finally stopping his beating. Alfoi collapsed to his knees, groaning in agony.

“Ugh… ack…”

Squatting down in front of the trembling Alfoi, Ghislain spoke, his voice full of disdain.

“Are you really that stupid? You’re a mage, right? This is my territory. Do you think you’d survive if you attacked me here? Do you think you could even escape?”

If Ghislain had been injured or killed by Alfoi’s magic, the mage would have been executed on the spot. But Alfoi had been too blinded by his rage to think that far ahead.

Looking around, Alfoi finally began to grasp the situation. His fellow wizards were being held at knifepoint by the mercenaries, completely at their mercy.

“Ugh…”

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Alfoi realized he had no choice but to back down. The mercenaries numbered in the hundreds, and the six wizards, no matter how powerful, wouldn’t last long in a full-on fight.

“Y-you bastard…”

Alfoi stood, staggering to his feet. Though his entire body screamed in pain, the wound to his pride was far more excruciating.

“You’ll regret treating us like this! I’ll make sure you pay for this disrespect!”

Shouting in frustration, Alfoi’s face was flushed with rage. Ghislain, however, only chuckled at his outburst.

“Go ahead and report me. Do you think your master will side with you? Have you already forgotten the contract you signed? Do you want to return to the Tower now?”

“Ugh…”

Hubert had warned Alfoi countless times not to cross Ghislain.

— That guy isn’t normal. Don’t even talk to him, just do as he says. The more you argue, the worse it’ll be for you.

Faced with the harsh reality, Alfoi clenched his teeth so hard they might crack. As he stood there, fuming, Ghislain's mocking voice reached him again.

“If anything happens to me, do you think you’ll be left unscathed? If we lose the war, your master will disown you and toss you aside.”

At that, Alfoi and the other wizards froze as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over them.

Ghislain was right.

If anything went wrong, the Tower would distance itself from them, claiming their actions were rogue decisions. The Tower would sever all ties to avoid any consequences.

Even if that wasn’t the case, if the Runestone supply was cut off, the blame would fall entirely on them.

Finally realizing the full gravity of the situation, Alfoi and the other wizards had no choice but to fall silent.

“If you want to return safely, you better do your job properly. And if you don’t want to lose your contract, make sure you behave yourselves.”

Despite their humiliation, Alfoi, the heir of the Tower of Crimson Flame, couldn’t endure this treatment any longer.

“No noble has ever treated us this way! We deserve proper respect! Treat us with the honor we’re due!”

Alfoi shouted, his voice shaking with indignation.

But Ghislain simply responded with a dismissive remark.

“You’re nothing more than backups. Think of yourselves as auxiliary mana reserves. If you want to be treated better, then stay quiet and do as you’re told.”