Claude’s voice trembled as he pleaded.

He was a completely different person now compared to the defiant, reckless man from earlier. Seeing this, Ghislain looked at him with pity in his eyes.

Baron Austen, however, remained suspicious and gestured to Claude.

"Let’s see it."

Claude, still on his knees, crawled forward and handed over the letter of credit worth 2,000 gold. After confirming the amount and the reputable merchant group backing the credit, the baron’s eyes gleamed with greed.

‘How did this fool manage to get such a large sum?’ he thought.

Baron Austen glanced briefly at the well-dressed young man standing beside Claude. He hadn't properly introduced himself, but it was clear he was somehow involved with this money.

After a moment of deliberation, the baron tossed the letter of credit back to Claude.

"I can’t return it."

"What are you talking about? I’ve brought the 2,000 gold as promised!" Claude’s voice cracked with desperation, but Baron Austen merely grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth.

"Do you think the price has remained the same since then? Have you any idea how much prices have risen? I’ll need at least 3,000 gold now."

"That’s absurd! People aren’t goods! How can you justify that with inflation?" Claude protested in a near scream.

"The price of my goods is set by me. It’s not up to you."

In truth, even 2,000 gold was more than enough for the baron. But seeing the opportunity to squeeze more, he saw no reason to settle for just that. After all, he held all the cards.

‘Actually, why not just take everything?’ he thought.

If he played his cards right, he could steal the 2,000 gold and still demand another 3,000 from Claude. Both sums would end up in his pockets.

‘Yes, that would be even better,’ the baron mused, a malicious grin forming.

But then, Claude pulled out another letter of credit from his pocket.

"I’ll add another 500 gold. That’s the best I can do. It’s all I have left."

"Ho! So, you had more after all." The baron’s smirk widened as he eyed Claude curiously.

"And just where did you get all this money?" he asked.

"I earned it by agreeing to work," Claude replied, his voice shaky but resolute.

Baron Austen narrowed his eyes.

"Someone in this kingdom paying you such a large sum? That’s hard to believe. Tell me the truth."

"I’m leaving for the Kingdom of Lutania. I’ve agreed to work there," Claude admitted.

"What?" The baron was taken aback. He hadn’t expected that.

Leaving for another kingdom hadn’t crossed his mind.

"Fine, go if you want. That’s none of my concern. But you still don’t have enough. Come back when you’ve got the full amount."

"Honor the deal!" Claude cried, his voice desperate.

"The price has gone up," the baron sneered. "Besides, who’s the man next to you? The one who gave you the money? What’s your relationship with him?"

At this, Claude’s eyes flashed with anger. He had finally caught on to the baron’s scheming.

Just then, Ghislain, who had been silently watching from the sidelines, stepped forward.

"I’ve had enough of this disgusting show. Hey, Baron Austen, why don’t you cut the crap?"

Ghislain’s aura surged, filling the room with an oppressive force that made everyone around him tense up.

The baron’s knights immediately drew their swords, their faces pale with fear.

They could feel the overwhelming difference in power. While they were just knights of a minor barony, the gap between them and Ghislain was clear. Yet, bound by duty, they had no choice but to confront him, even though none of them dared to attack.

"You insolent wretch!" one of the knights shouted. "How dare you speak to the baron like that!"

"Kill him!" another knight added, though his voice quivered.

Baron Austen, oblivious to the fear in his men’s voices, glared at Ghislain, his own greed blinding him.

"And who are you to speak so boldly in front of me?" the baron demanded.

"What does it matter to you?" Ghislain replied nonchalantly.

The baron’s eyes glinted with opportunity. If he could accuse Ghislain of insulting a noble, it would be the perfect chance to extort more money.

Ghislain chuckled at the baron’s calculating expression.

"People like you never understand unless they experience things firsthand," Ghislain said.

"What?" the baron sneered.

"Never mind. Explaining it would just be a waste of breath."

Sensing something wrong, Baron Austen frowned.

In an instant, Ghislain’s eyes turned crimson as he unleashed his second-stage core, sending threads of mana shooting out like lightning.

"Kuh!" a knight, the one who had threatened to kill Ghislain, suddenly felt an immense force pulling him forward. He tried to resist, gathering his mana, but it was no use.

"Oh, not bad," Ghislain remarked as the knight put up a decent fight, likely due to his own proficiency with mana. But Ghislain simply clicked his tongue and unleashed his third-stage core.

Boom!

A tremendous surge of energy flowed through the mana threads, overwhelming the knight, who was helplessly dragged toward Ghislain.

The other knights stood frozen in shock, unable to process what had just happened.

"Drop your sword," Ghislain ordered, his hand gripping the knight’s wrist as he twisted.

Crack!

"Arrgh!" The knight screamed in agony as his sword clattered to the ground.

Ghislain, his eyes still glowing red, turned his gaze toward the baron.

"So, you drew your swords. That means you want to fight, right? You should know, I don’t go easy on people who come at me. I’ll slaughter everyone in this castle."

There was no hint of exaggeration in his voice.

Between Ghislain and his mercenaries, they could easily wipe out every knight and soldier in the castle in a matter of moments.

The knights paled even more, realizing the hopelessness of their situation.

‘Damn it! This guy’s on a whole different level!’

‘Is it even possible to pull a knight with just mana?’

This man had single-handedly subdued a knight in seconds. Even if they all attacked together, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

Finally, Baron Austen realized something was very wrong.

‘My knights… they’re all terrified!’

Seeing his men frozen in fear, the baron grit his teeth and glared at Ghislain.

"Do you think you’ll get away with this after insulting a noble?" he growled.

Ghislain only laughed.

"Pathetic. And what are you going to do about it? Go ahead. Try me."

Though the baron had started out strong, his words faltered as fear gripped him. Standing before Ghislain felt like standing before a monster. His legs trembled, and he could feel sweat trickling down his back.

Ghislain smirked at the baron’s obvious fear.

"If you want to live, you’d better figure out where your priorities lie. Worrying about me isn’t going to help you. You should be more concerned about your own survival."

"S-spare my knight, and I’ll overlook this!" the baron stammered.

"No," Ghislain replied coolly.

"Do you think you can take on all the knights and soldiers in this castle?" the baron demanded, his voice rising in desperation.

"Why don’t you try me? I welcome the challenge. It’s the easiest solution, really."

Ghislain meant every word. If the baron wanted to escalate things, he would have no qualms about wiping out everyone in the castle.

"Do you think the kingdom will sit idly by if you harm me?" the baron threatened.

"The kingdom? They won’t care about a lowly baron like you. Do you really think anyone gives a damn about a man who runs a territory based on gambling and taverns?"

Ghislain’s words cut deep. Baron Austen wasn’t highly regarded among the other nobles. They looked down on him for his vulgar ways of making money.

Even if the baron were to be killed, no one would make a fuss.

Ghislain continued, driving the point home.

"And even if they did care, what would they do? If I kill everyone in this castle and disappear, that’ll be the end of it."

"I-I have five hundred soldiers in this territory! They’ll come after you!" the baron shouted, his voice cracking.

Ghislain snorted.

‘Five hundred soldiers for a barony? Not bad. I guess money really does buy power.’

But that wasn’t nearly enough to make Ghislain reconsider.

"Then let them come. I’m not stopping them."

The baron was left speechless. Five hundred soldiers were indeed a lot for a barony, but it wasn’t enough to pose a real threat to Ghislain.

Sensing that he was losing ground, the baron finally ground his teeth and backed down.

"…Fine. What do you want?"

Ghislain clicked his tongue in disappointment.

"You really are slow, aren’t you? I told you already—2,000 gold. And I’m taking Claude with me."

"Fine, take the 2,000 gold and leave," the baron muttered bitterly.

Ghislain sighed as if disappointed.

"I was hoping for a real fight to loosen up," he said, then gestured to the knight he was holding. "But what about this one? You threatened to kill me, so shouldn't you be prepared for the consequences?"

Ghislain tightened his grip on the knight’s neck.

"Urgh!" The knight choked, gasping for air, writhing in Ghislain’s grasp. One more squeeze, and his neck would snap.

Baron Austen, panicking, shouted, "What are you doing! The deal is done, let him go!"

"The deal is the deal," Ghislain said coolly. "But this is a separate matter. If you want me to spare him, pay me 3,000 gold. That's the price."

"Three thousand gold? That’s absurd! You’re being unreasonable!" the baron barked.

"Unreasonable?" Ghislain chuckled. "You were the one who first made unreasonable demands. Besides, do you even understand how much it costs to train a knight? 3,000 gold is a bargain for this one’s life."

"Ridiculous!" the baron began, but then stopped. He realized he was trapped.

Three thousand gold was indeed an exorbitant amount, but he knew the consequences if he didn’t pay. If his knight were killed, it wouldn’t just be the money. His other knights and soldiers would lose faith in him. Who would remain loyal to a lord who didn’t value their lives?

Ghislain had him cornered.

After a long moment, Baron Austen gritted his teeth and reluctantly nodded.

"Fine, I’ll pay the additional amount."

"Good. I’m glad we could reach an understanding," Ghislain said, his tone still casual but dripping with authority. "Make sure to deliver the full amount."

The baron ground his teeth in frustration and spat orders at one of the knights, "Bring the rest of the money!"

The knight nodded, quickly leaving the room.

In the meantime, Ghislain released his grip on the knight he had subdued. The man fell to the ground, gasping for air and clutching his throat.

With the negotiation settled, Ghislain strolled over to Claude, who was still standing in shock. He grabbed Claude by the arm and pulled him up.

"Let’s go. We’ll be waiting outside for the rest of the payment."

He also bent down to pick up the 2,000-gold letter of credit that had fallen to the floor earlier, slipping it back into his pocket.

"Huh?" Claude looked confused.

Ghislain grinned. "That’s mine, remember?"

Claude, realizing what was happening, quickly snatched up the remaining 500-gold letter of credit and stuffed it into his own pocket, not daring to argue further.

Ghislain let it slide, knowing that the 500 gold wasn’t part of the knight’s ransom. He knew why Claude needed that money, and he didn’t mind.

Turning back to Baron Austen, Ghislain offered one last remark.

"We’ll be outside. Make sure to send the goods properly packaged. I don’t intend to linger here, and I’m sure you don’t want to see my face any longer either."

Baron Austen clenched his fists but said nothing, clearly unwilling to push his luck further.

As they left the hall, Ghislain turned to flash one final smile.

"If you have any complaints, feel free to visit the Fenris territory in the Kingdom of Lutania. I’ll be sure to give you a warm welcome."