Ghislain looked down at Lowell with a smirk. He wasn’t sure if Lowell was brave or just foolish, but there was no denying the man piqued his curiosity.

Unlike the other fools who begged for mercy or invoked customs, Lowell emphasized his usefulness. That alone set him apart from the others.

And he seemed confident in his abilities, which intrigued Ghislain.

Chuckling, Ghislain nodded toward Gillian.

"Put him on hold for now. Lock him in the dungeon."

Not only had Lowell handled administrative tasks, but he had also managed the troops and acted as a strategist. He likely knew a great deal about the war's preparations and strategies. Ghislain planned to interrogate him later to determine his true value.

“Th-thank you!” Lowell, overwhelmed with relief, bowed repeatedly, tears streaming down his face. While it might be temporary, he had secured his life for now.

As Gordon led him away, he whispered in awe, "I’ve never seen anyone calculate that fast. Being a little off is nothing compared to that speed! Teach me how to calculate like that later!"

"…"

Gordon looked genuinely impressed, but Lowell stayed silent. If he responded, he feared he’d lower himself to the same level.

After Lowell was taken away, the process of sorting the captured people continued. Many were executed, while those who survived trembled in fear.

Skoban, unable to intervene, merely paced around, muttering to himself, "This isn’t right, this isn’t right," but there was nothing he could do.

"The Forest Beast Guards will stay here to maintain order. My father will send reinforcements soon. For now, imprison the remaining soldiers from Digald and keep a close watch on them."

"Y-yes, understood!" Skoban replied quickly, glancing nervously at Ghislain. It seemed Ghislain had planned this from the start.

After completing the task of sorting the people, Ghislain spent the rest of the day inspecting the remaining assets and supplies of Digald before taking a much-needed rest. Both he and the mercenaries were exhausted, and even Ghislain’s body wasn’t in great condition, so some recovery time was necessary.

The journey back to Peridum Castle was slower and less urgent than the pursuit of Thamos. After two days, when they finally arrived, the atmosphere in Peridum was completely different from when they had left.

“Waaaaaah!”

As Ghislain and his mercenaries appeared, the citizens of Peridum rushed out to greet them, cheering.

Their clothes were still shabby, and their appearances were far from polished, but their faces were filled with joy.

“The young lord has returned!”

“Long live Peridum! Long live the young lord!”

“Young lord! Look over here!”

“The mercenaries are so cool!”

“The young lord and the mercenaries saved us!”

The mercenaries were stunned by the unexpected reaction. While staying in Peridum before, the citizens had mostly ignored them or whispered behind their backs. The mercenaries were used to such treatment. Wherever they went, they were rarely welcomed warmly.

But seeing the citizens genuinely happy and cheering for them made their chests swell with pride.

“Huh, well, it’s not a bad feeling.”

“We were just doing what we were told.”

“Didn’t even know what was going on half the time, just fighting like madmen. Heh.”

While the mercenaries were bewildered, Ghislain casually waved at the crowd with a smile, looking entirely at ease. He had experienced such celebrations countless times in his past life, so there was no reason for him to feel flustered now.

It had only been three days since the war had ended, but rumors about how the young lord had ended the war had spread throughout the territory. The surviving soldiers had shared stories of the victory far and wide.

At first, the citizens hadn’t believed the tales, but as they heard the same story from multiple sources, they had no choice but to accept it. And with no clear details available, the rumors only grew more exaggerated.

“I heard the young lord secretly learned magic! He’s a 100th-circle mage!”

“You idiot, there’s no such thing as a 100th-circle mage! No, he made a pact with a demon and sold his soul. That’s why he was acting crazy before—because he’s a demon-like scoundrel!”

The rumors were outlandish, but no one cared. All that mattered was that the young lord had won the war and saved their families.

“How do you feel about all this, young lord?” Gillian asked with a grin.

Ghislain nodded smugly. “Not bad. They could praise me a little more.”

“Haha! It seems you’re back to your old self now that the war is over.”

It truly didn’t feel bad. A subtle sense of elation filled his chest. Though he had experienced victory celebrations before, this one felt different.

‘Maybe it’s just been a long time since my last one. It’s not even that grand, yet it feels… good.’

Shrugging, Ghislain continued to wave at the citizens.

Gillian watched him with a newfound respect.

‘It really came true.’

When he had first arrived in this desolate territory, there hadn’t been a shred of hope. The situation was so dire that it was hard to know where to even begin fixing things.

— I’ll break the cycle of poverty in this land. I’ll become more than just a drop of water; I’ll be the rain.

When Ghislain had said those words, Gillian had thought it was just youthful bravado.

But now, those bold claims were becoming reality.

Ghislain had foreseen the war and led them to a miraculous victory. And with Runestones still in reserve, they could develop the territory even further.

Gillian was excited to see how far this young lord could go.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve felt my heart race like this.’

At first, his loyalty had been out of a sense of repayment. But now, he wanted to see the future that Ghislain was striving for.

As they passed through the cheering crowd and reached the castle gates, an even more impressive sight awaited them.

“The young lord has returned!”

A knight shouted in a booming voice.

Flanking the entrance were rows of soldiers, standing in formation.

Even Ghislain was caught off guard, his eyes widening at the sight.

“Raise your weapons!”

At the command of the knight, the soldiers raised their spears in unison, creating an archway. Over a thousand soldiers stood at attention, forming a path. Though they were still dirty and battle-worn, their presence was formidable.

“Waaaah!”

The citizens behind Ghislain and the mercenaries began cheering once again.

Ghislain walked slowly through the formation, taking it all in.

Behind the soldiers stood the knights of Peridum. Though their numbers were small, these were the elite warriors who represented the pride of Peridum.

The knights, who had always dismissed and ignored Ghislain, were now all present, standing in full armor, awaiting his arrival.

“To the heir of Peridum, we give honor!”

The knight at the front saluted, holding his sword upright before his chest.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

In unison, the other knights followed suit, their voices echoing through the courtyard.

“To the heir of Peridum, we give honor!”

This was the highest form of respect a knight could offer.

Upon hearing of the young lord’s return, no one had ordered them to gather—they had done so of their own accord.

A brief moment of silence followed before the soldiers joined in, their cheers ringing out once more.

“Waaaaah!”

“Glory to Ghislain Peridum!”

The Peridum defense had become a legendary battle, destined to be recorded in the annals of history.

They had annihilated an overwhelmingly superior enemy force and achieved victory in what had been thought to be an impossible war.

No one could dismiss such accomplishments, and everyone was eager to celebrate the hero of this victory.

The young lord was no longer the black sheep or the troublemaker of the territory.

Old rumors faded into obscurity, replaced by a shared reverence for their hero.

The cheers that had begun with the knights and soldiers quickly spread to the citizens.

“Waaaah! You’re the best!”

“Long live Ghislain Peridum!”

“Blessings from the Goddess upon the young lord!”

“The sword that protects Peridum!”

“The true wolf of the North!”

The mercenaries, who had been considered nothing more than scum, found themselves basking in the same glory. Though the knights had saluted Ghislain, the mercenaries were caught up in the wave of praise as well.

“Oh, it’s good to be alive.”

“I’ve never been welcomed like this.”

“This is amazing!”

Ghislain looked around at the excited, joyous faces and closed his eyes.

‘It’s different.’

In his past life, he had received countless cheers and praise, grander and more elaborate than this.

As the Mercenary King, he had been treated as the best, no matter where he went.

But those celebrations had always ended in bitter loneliness and emptiness.

He had saved people, protected them, and fought for their sake, but…

In the end, nothing ever filled that void inside him.

He had already lost his loved ones, his friends, his people.

Nothing had been able to fill that emptiness.

But this time, it was different.

The people smiling and waving at him were alive.

Though this celebration wasn’t as grand or polished as the ones he had experienced before, it meant more to him now.

‘…’

This modest gratitude was more heartfelt than any of the elaborate praises he had once received.

“Brother!”

“Young lord!”

Elena and Rachel ran forward, waving at him with bright smiles.

The household staff followed, waving and cheering as they welcomed him back.

Their faces showed no fear, for they knew that the young lord had changed.

“Oh, young lord! You’ve finally returned!”

Homern wiped the sweat from his brow and approached with a relieved grin.

Even the ever-complaining Homern was happy to see him.

“Finding the Runestone was no fluke. I’ve heard the rumors more times than I care to count.”

“You’re like a monster when you fight. I thought you spent all your time slacking off, but you must’ve been training in secret.”

Even Albert, usually cold and distant, smiled, and Randolph couldn’t hide his pride.

And then, from within the castle, the person Ghislain had missed the most, the one to whom he felt the most guilty, slowly stepped forward.

“You’re back. You’ve returned safely.”

Zubaltor, his father, was smiling more warmly than anyone else as he welcomed his son.

Suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, Ghislain took a deep breath, struggling to find the right words.

For the first time, he felt a sense of fulfillment he had never known in his previous life.

The reason he had come back.

The people he loved were greeting him with open arms. It was a sight he had only ever dreamed of.

He had returned for them.

And he would continue to fight for them, always.

Now, he could finally say what he had never been able to say before.

Ghislain smiled—genuinely smiled—something he had never done in his past life.

“I’m back, Father.”