The next morning, Anna stood nervously in front of the inn, glancing around anxiously as if searching for someone. Her face was tight with worry, and she held a 500-gold credit note in her hand, tapping her feet nervously. Beside her stood Gordon and five other mercenaries.

She exchanged a few words with Gordon, then suddenly grabbed his arm and collapsed onto her knees, pleading desperately. But Gordon only shook his head repeatedly, unmoved by her tears. Finally, she broke down, sobbing.

Claude, hiding nearby, observed the scene with a bitter smile.

Belinda, furrowing her brow in confusion, asked, “Why don’t you just go with her? She’s clearly looking for you so desperately.”

Claude remained silent for a moment before answering with a self-deprecating tone, “Anna knows it’s not entirely my fault. We’re all victims here.”

“Then you can both move on and live happily together! Our territory has good air and water, perfect for a fresh start.”

But Claude slowly shook his head.

“I love Anna, but every time I see her, I’m reminded of all the painful memories. I’m sure it’s the same for her.”

“She knows it wasn’t your fault. It’ll be fine.”

“Even if she forgives me… how can I, the man who caused her father’s death, have the right to stay by her side?”

“You couldn’t help it! It wasn’t your fault, just a… dumb mistake on their part… Oh, sorry.”

Belinda covered her mouth, surprised by her blunt words.

Claude wasn’t angry, though. He chuckled softly. “You’re right. I’ve always been foolish. My master wanted me to become a great scholar, but here I am… a gambling addict and a ruined man.”

“But isn’t running away like this just giving up? Wouldn’t it be better to work hard and do your best moving forward?”

Despite Belinda’s criticism, Claude just bowed his head, letting out a quiet sigh.

After a long pause, he whispered, “Maybe it’s better to bury our memories and move on. With time, perhaps even the pain will become bearable. I just hope Anna can find peace too.”

Belinda turned her head, feeling unsatisfied, but she could see Anna still crying in the distance.

Though she didn’t like it, she could understand Claude’s reasoning.

Even if you love someone deeply, could you live every day with the man responsible for your father’s death? Even if you think you’ve forgiven them, wouldn’t moments of bitterness still rise up unbidden?

Claude would suffer from guilt for the rest of his life. It was a pain that no one could fully understand unless they had experienced it themselves.

That’s why Belinda couldn’t bring herself to criticize him further.

From the window, Ghislain asked quietly, “Do you regret it?”

“Of course. I regret it every night, promising myself I’ll never be so foolish again. I’ll never fall for such shallow schemes in the future.”

“That’s enough. I’ve been there too.”

“Really? Sounds like you’ve made a few mistakes yourself, my lord. You’ve got the face of someone who’s caused a lot of trouble.”

“Well, now I’m working to fix all those regrets, doing my best.”

Claude shrugged, the bitterness gone from his expression, and said with a smirk, “This conversation’s gotten too heavy. I’m not the kind of person who ruins the mood like this.”

Ghislain chuckled, nodding. “I know. You complain a lot, but you’re good at what you do. I’m counting on you in the future.”

“I don’t know what you’re counting on, but don’t expect me to back out later. I’m broke.”

“Don’t worry, I have plenty of ways to make use of you.”

“Scary… You’re scary.”

Claude watched as Anna and the mercenaries departed, heading toward the Ceylon Royal Academy, where she would dedicate her life to compiling its history. It was her father’s dying wish and, once, it had been Claude’s mission too.

Now, he could no longer walk that path with her. It was a sad realization, but he didn’t worry too much. Many professors at the academy had respected her father, and they would look after her.

“I feel lighter. It’s like I can finally take a step forward now.”

Claude glanced one last time at Anna’s retreating figure, wishing her happiness and hoping he would eventually fade from her memory, along with all the regrets and mistakes of the past.

As soon as Anna left, Ghislain and his group prepared to return to Fenris territory. They had been away from the estate for too long and needed to get back to manage it as soon as possible.

Claude tried to lift his spirits, imagining what the estate he’d be living on might be like. ‘If he’s willing to throw around thousands of gold like it’s nothing, he must come from a wealthy family.’

He glanced at the back of Ghislain’s head. ‘And at such a young age, he’s already the lord of a territory. His father must’ve handed it over to him, meaning he’s probably a count at least, maybe even a duke.’

Even if Ghislain wasn’t a duke, Claude was certain he was from a very powerful noble family. He mentally listed all the high-ranking nobles of Luthania, but none of the names seemed to fit.

‘It’s a bit intimidating. If he comes from such a prestigious family, there must be many talented people serving him.’

Claude was a little worried but not overly so. While he had wasted time living as a gambling addict, he was now free from all his past burdens. All he had to do was focus on work moving forward.

Curious to know more about the territory, Claude asked Ghislain questions, but Ghislain avoided answering, telling him he would see for himself soon enough. He tried asking Belinda, but she gave him a similar response.

“Oh, the place has good air and water,” she said.

“Please, tell me more. I’m looking forward to seeing how grand this estate is.”

“Hmm, you’ll see it soon enough. I don’t know much about it either.”

Uncomfortable with his persistent questions, Belinda made an excuse and left.

Claude laughed softly to himself. ‘What do you mean you don’t know? They must be hoping I’ll be impressed by how prosperous the estate is. Do they think I’m some country bumpkin?’

It was obvious to him. They were setting him up to be amazed by the vast and wealthy estate, hoping for a reaction.

‘Such confidence. Let’s see just how impressive this place really is.’

Claude clenched his fists, determination shining in his eyes.

Belinda, watching him from a distance, quietly asked Ghislain, “He seems… off. Is he okay?”

“Leave him be. He’s a stubborn guy. Don’t provoke him unnecessarily.”

“I mean, he’s the kind of person who would challenge a noble to a duel, so I guess that makes sense.”

Belinda shook her head with a sigh. “Are you sure he won’t run off after seeing the state of the estate?”

“I told you, he’s prideful. If you needle him just a little, he’ll dig in his heels and refuse to back down. No worries.”

Ghislain chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Belinda sighed inwardly. She couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Claude, who was full of enthusiasm but had no idea what he was walking into.

After several days of riding, they finally crossed into Luthania.

At first, Claude didn’t think much of it. ‘So what if it’s a powerful nation? The outskirts are just like anywhere else.’

The areas near the border were always underdeveloped, so he wasn’t surprised. However, the further they traveled, the more uneasy he became.

‘Something’s not right. Why does it feel like we’re heading further north? And the deeper we go, the more desolate it seems.’

Claude had no idea where Fenris territory was located. In fact, they were already within its borders, but he just assumed they were passing through other lands.

The small villages they passed along the way looked even poorer than the slums of Austern.

Claude’s brows furrowed involuntarily.

‘How could a territory be this impoverished? What is the lord even doing? No, this isn’t governance, it’s exploitation.’

Feeling a pang of sympathy, Claude turned to Ghislain and said, “Once we have the chance, we should consider conquering this territory.”

“What?”

In his previous life, Claude had always been known for speaking his mind without restraint.

Ghislain, who had always appreciated Claude’s bluntness, couldn’t help but smile.

“This lord is a piece of trash. I’d spit in his face if I ever saw him.”

“……”

“The people here are so poor—clear evidence of his incompetence. Naturally, his military is probably weak too. Even the existing infrastructure is in ruins. There’s little to gain here, but the empty lands could be useful as a supply base for the rear.”

“I see…”

“Of course, we’d need to gradually improve the living conditions. It’d take a lot of money and effort initially, but in the long term, it would be beneficial.”

“Oh, yes… I agree. You and I seem to think alike.”

“I’m glad to hear that. We should seize the opportunity and cut off this lord’s head.”

“Uh… I’m not sure about that.”

Claude’s eyes shone as he passionately argued his case, while Ghislain could only offer a troubled smile.

The head he was suggesting to cut off was Ghislain’s own.

“You must have been raised in luxury, my lord. A place like this is probably beneath your notice. But a great lord should never overlook even a single grain of rice.”

“I wasn’t raised that wealthy, actually.”

Ghislain tried to argue, but Claude was too busy talking to notice.

“If you just give the word, I’ll come up with a justification for the war.”

Claude was eager, but Ghislain had no words.

“Well… I’ll keep that in mind.”

Claude grew impatient with Ghislain’s lukewarm response and tried even harder to convince him, continuously insulting the lord of the land.

At that moment, Belinda stretched her arms and cheerfully announced, “Oh, we’re almost there!”

Claude whipped his head around, startled. “Almost where?”

Belinda answered matter-of-factly, “We’re almost at the lord’s castle. Ever since we crossed the border, we’ve been in our territory. Didn’t you know? The Fenris estate is pretty large, after all—it’s made up of three baronies combined.”

“We’re here? This is the estate?”

Belinda nodded silently.

Claude, unable to comprehend, asked again, “Why?”

“Well… because this is our land,” she said, confused.

Claude turned to Ghislain with a look of disbelief. “You’re joking, right?”

“Nope. This is my estate.”

Ghislain grinned mischievously.

Claude exploded in frustration, “This makes no sense!”

“What doesn’t make sense?”

“How can you be so rich when your territory is this poor? Are you telling me you’re the one squeezing the life out of your people?!”

“No, no. That’s not it.”

Claude, panicking, looked around at the group for support.

But Belinda, Gillian, and the other mercenaries just stood there quietly, watching him.

They didn’t seem to be joking.

Trying not to show it, Claude’s voice began to shake. “So… what does your father do?”

“My father? He’s the Margrave of Peredium, further north.”

Claude breathed a small sigh of relief. A margrave was a high-ranking noble, almost like a marquis. Margraves held more military power and autonomy than most other lords.

“Ah, a margrave… Then Peredium is more developed than this place, right?”

Ghislain scratched his chin thoughtfully, then smiled brightly.

“It’s a little better than here, but not by much. It’s notorious for being poor due to the Forest of Beasts and the barbarian raids.”

That’s when Claude finally understood what Belinda had meant earlier.

— "Oh, it’s a place with good air and water."

‘Of course it is! There’s nothing else here!’

Cold sweat poured down Claude’s back.

The fact that he had mistaken this place for a prosperous estate was embarrassing, but that wasn’t the real issue.

The real problem was that he had spouted off nonsense about the lord being corrupt and incompetent, right to the lord’s face.

‘Ah, I still have so much to learn.’

He had thought he had learned how harsh the world could be, but it seemed his wisdom wasn’t complete yet.

Claude let out an awkward laugh and slowly started backing away.

‘Now’s the time to run. The gambling den is better than this. Anna, wait for me! I’m coming back!’

Ghislain, seeing through his intentions, smirked.

He didn’t mind Claude’s complaints about the territory or his bold suggestion to execute him. After all, Ghislain agreed that the estate was in terrible shape.

‘But running away? That’s not going to happen.’

With a simple gesture from Ghislain, the mercenaries subtly moved to surround Claude.

If he tried to move left, Gillian blocked the way. If he turned right, Belinda stood in his path.

Claude, drenched in sweat, realized there was no escape. Ghislain strolled over and casually slung an arm around his shoulders.

“I appreciate your enthusiasm. I’m really looking forward to working with you.”

Claude bowed his head in defeat at the devilish whisper in his ear.

‘I should’ve left when I had the chance. Anna, I miss you already.’