"Kyah!"

Claude screamed as he was knocked back, letting out a strange shriek.

"Hey, why are you hitting me! Wendy, what are you doing!"

Claude yelled, sprawled out on the floor.

Despite being his bodyguard, Wendy didn't even flinch when Belinda attacked him.

Regardless of Claude's grievances, Belinda pointed at him and shouted loudly.

"How dare you try to build such a vulgar facility on our young master's land!"

This was the first land that Ghislain, whom she had cared for so dearly, had received.

And what? A gambling den?

As Ghislain's former tutor, she would never allow such a facility to be built.

"Look at him! His mind is completely consumed by gambling! The moment he becomes the chief administrator, he wants to build a casino!"

"No, no! Wait, listen to me! I'm not saying I want to gamble! I told you, I quit!"

"Quit? What quit? The first thing out of your mouth is that you want to build a casino! A dog would sooner give up its poop!"

At Belinda’s sharp words, even the retainers' faces filled with doubt.

Claude frantically waved his hands in protest.

"That's not it! Listen to me. We should turn this place into an entertainment city like Austen. If we advertise well, the nobles will flock here and spend tons of money!"

"......"

Belinda remained skeptical, but she didn’t speak up this time.

It was true that many nobles frequented Austen. Thanks to that, even Baron Austen had become filthy rich.

Seeing that the others seemed to consider his idea, Claude enthusiastically continued.

"To put it nicely, it would be a cultural city and a tourist destination. Even the townsfolk could make money by catering to visitors."

"Hmm, sounds somewhat reasonable."

Belinda stroked her chin, nodding slightly.

Indeed, if done well, it could bring in a lot of money.

However, calling gambling "cultural life" was something she couldn’t agree with.

"I checked, and there's no such city in the Rutania Kingdom. We could be the first to create a grand, well-planned city right from the start. Austen grew naturally, so it's a bit rough around the edges."

Austen, much like Fenris, had originally been barren land.

No special products, no resources—just a desolate wasteland.

People who enjoyed gambling and those involved in illegal activities had gradually gathered, causing the city to develop by chance.

A place unlike any other on the continent—a vulgar city that grew without any particular policy.

That was the city of indulgence, Austen.

"Even though nobles act all proper, they're always looking for entertainment behind closed doors. Not just nobles, but mercenaries and adventurers will flock here too. More people means more money, and more people will settle down."

Claude confidently explained.

The retainers, who had been shocked at first, were now beginning to show expressions of understanding.

Now that he had swayed public opinion, Claude turned to Ghislain.

"What do you think? If we tidy up the city, we'll be able to make money without lifting a finger. Who can resist money rolling in on its own?"

Ghislain, who had been quietly listening, leaned back in his chair with a chuckle.

"Well, it’s an interesting idea. We can consider a small city like that later."

"Later? Then what about now?"

"Isn’t it obvious? Stick to the original plan."

"But my lord! I'm saying, don't waste money uselessly!"

For other lords, Claude's proposal would have been quite tempting.

If they spent all their runestones, they could indeed create a city rivaling Austen.

But for Ghislain, who would eventually have to face the kingdom's strongest ducal family, it wasn’t a good option.

"I know there are a lot of issues with the territory. What’s the most urgent problem?"

"Everything is an issue... but the most pressing problem is food. We don’t have enough to eat, so we’re buying it. We can’t keep buying food forever. Once the money runs out, we’ll all starve."

"Food, huh... I’ve actually been thinking about that. Perfect timing. I’ll take care of the food situation. Just make sure you secure some land to cultivate."

"Oh, come on..."

Claude looked at Ghislain with frustration.

He had already explained that the land was barren and couldn’t produce more food!

Had this man even been listening?

"My lord, I’ve told you repeatedly that crops can’t grow on this land. No one can bring this place back to life, not even the gods. The goddess herself would give up, saying this land is too filthy."

"It’s fine. I’ll handle it."

Claude’s expression turned more disrespectful.

"My lord, have you ever farmed before? Do you know much about farming techniques?"

"No, not really."

After all, Ghislain had spent his life fighting, not farming.

"Are you secretly the god of farming? Is there some secret about your birth?"

"Of course not."

"Then how exactly are you going to increase food production? Do you think other lords aren’t doing it because they don’t want to? It's not that they don't want to, it's that they can't! That’s why I’m saying, let’s make a lot of money first!"

As Claude persisted, Ghislain grinned and made an unexpected proposal.

"What if we make a bet? Let’s see if I can increase food production or not."

"What?"

"Let’s bet. If I can’t increase the food supply, you win. But if I can, you’ll follow my orders without a word."

Claude scoffed.

How could Ghislain, of all people, dare to challenge him, a seasoned gambler? And in such a one-sided bet at that!

"What’s a bet without some stakes?"

"You don’t have any money. Oh, I know. If I win, you’ll work as my unpaid servant for 10 years. I’ll feed and house you, but you’ll have to do whatever I say without complaining."

Though Claude owed Ghislain 2,500 gold coins, he still received a salary.

He still had his own life and would naturally need to spend a little here and there.

But if he lost, it meant giving all that up and living like a true slave.

Claude, who had been dumbfounded, suddenly smiled slyly.

"And how long will this bet last? It’s not fair if it’s too long."

"I'll give you three months."

"Wait, what did you say?"

Claude’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

Not three years, but three months?

It was currently the dead of winter. Even if they planted something, they’d be lucky to see even a sprout.

Barely suppressing his laughter, Claude confirmed the terms of the bet.

"And if I win?"

"What do you want?"

Claude’s heart raced, but he tried to stay composed.

"Well, since I still owe you, it’s a bit awkward for me to say... but you know what I want."

"Then how about 5,000 gold? You could go visit Anna again."

Everyone around them was shocked at the mention of 5,000 gold.

That amount would let Claude live a life of leisure for the rest of his days.

"Come on, don’t do this!" Claude protested.

"My lord, this is absurd! This bet makes no sense," Belinda and Gillian quickly interjected.

Though they trusted Ghislain’s judgment, the three-month timeframe was too short.

Even he couldn’t possibly bring the dead land back to life in that time.

They couldn’t stand by and let their lord take such an unfair bet.

“Hold on, you can’t interfere with our lord’s great endeavor,” Claude said, feigning solemnity.

His smug expression only made Belinda angrier, and she scolded the retainers.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you stopping the lord!”

Her forceful demeanor prompted the retainers to step forward one by one.

“My lord, this is a reckless bet. Please reconsider.”

“The chief administrator is right. This land is mostly rocky, and even where there is soil, it’s too rough and dry for crops to grow.”

While everyone tried to dissuade him, Kaor just grinned, showing no intention of stepping in.

For him, it would be entertaining no matter who won.

Belinda glared at him, but Kaor just shrugged as if to say, “What difference would my words make?”

Ignoring the protests, Ghislain turned to Claude and asked once more.

“So, are you in or out? If you’re scared, you can always back out.”

“Hah!”

Claude let out a hollow laugh, still unwilling to give a definitive answer.

‘Why is he so confident? There’s no way he can do it.’

He didn’t believe for a second that he would lose.

But Ghislain’s confidence made him uneasy.

Having spent years in the gambling scene, Claude knew that Ghislain’s attitude wasn’t just bluffing.

He truly believed he could win.

‘What could he be planning? Is there any crop that can grow in three months?’

Claude racked his brain, trying to recall everything he had learned at the academy.

There weren’t any crops that could grow in three months, and certainly none that thrived in winter. But still, better safe than sorry.

“What crops are you planning to grow? Wheat, right? You can’t just plant something weird and force us to eat it.”

“Wheat is fine.”

Claude clenched his fists.

‘Great! There’s no way to grow wheat in three months.’

He suppressed a grin as he thought to himself.

‘I must have overestimated our lord. It seems like he doesn’t even know how wheat grows. Or maybe he’s counting on me to lose on purpose to save face? Well, he’s got another thing coming.’

Claude looked at Ghislain with a slight smile.

“Well, I did quit gambling... but fine. I’m in.”

“Good. The bet is made. Everyone here is a witness. If I win, you’ll work for me without pay for 10 years. If you win, you’ll get 5,000 gold and go home.”

Claude nodded with a bright smile, but the others frowned deeply.

Why was their lord making such a reckless bet?

Belinda, unable to stop Ghislain, glared at Wendy and drew her hand across her throat in a signal.

Wendy nodded with a grim expression.

Of course, Claude wasn’t oblivious to what was happening.

With an annoying voice, he addressed Ghislain.

“My lord... If I win but something happens to me before I can leave... what’s the point of the bet?”

Ghislain chuckled.

“As the chief administrator of this estate, Claude’s safety will be everyone’s responsibility. If anything happens to him, I’ll hold you all accountable.”

Hearing that, Wendy looked at Belinda and shrugged.

Belinda stomped her foot in frustration.

“Aagh! This is infuriating!”

Even Gillian, who had been considering intervening, frowned at the way things were turning out.

Since the lord himself had given orders, there was nothing he could do now.

If the bet were to be retracted, Ghislain’s reputation would suffer.

Claude’s face was beaming with joy.

“Haha! Well then, I’ll go secure some land. There’s plenty of unused space, so it won’t take long.”

As Claude happily turned to leave, Ghislain’s low voice stopped him.

“However, if I see you slacking off, waiting for the three months to pass, I’ll consider it my victory. I’ll be keeping a close eye, so don’t think about cutting corners.”

“Of course! I’m not that kind of person. Don’t worry about me. Hahaha!”

Claude nearly danced out of the room.

Wendy sighed and followed him.

The remaining people stared at Ghislain in bewilderment.

They couldn’t fathom what their lord was thinking.

Ghislain, unconcerned, stood up calmly.

“Well then, I suppose it’s time for me to get to work.”