Sometimes, unconventional actions can lead to unexpected breakthroughs.

However, there's no guarantee that such methods will always succeed.

The lord was brimming with confidence after the success of the farming experiment, but the chances of it working again seemed slim. At least, that's what Claude thought.

Reason told him he should gamble again to overturn the situation, but the memory of a recent loss kept nagging at him, making him feel uneasy.

Claude, trying to be cautious, dragged Alpoi into the conversation.

“How about we put Alpoi up as collateral too?”

“You crazy bastard! Why involve me?!”

“No, I mean, split the risk. If we win, we’re free, and if we lose, we only add another ten years, not twenty. I’m ready. What do you think, Alpoi?”

“Shut up! I’m done with gambling!”

“Wow, that was fast. Must be the magic in you that makes you think so clearly.”

Claude shook his head and raised his hands.

“I’m sitting this one out. The stakes are a bit too high for me.”

He wasn’t entirely unwilling to gamble, but the thought of risking another 20 years made his hands shake.

Ghislain, sensing Claude’s hesitation, sweetened the deal a little.

“How about just 10 years? I’ll be generous.”

“No thanks. I’d rather die this time.”

It was a bluff.

Claude mumbled the words under his breath, but he wasn’t willing to take the risk. He had lost his previous bet thinking it was just a bluff.

Ghislain, disappointed, clicked his tongue and handed over a new set of documents.

“Prepare these too.”

“Ugh, can you stop giving me more work?”

Even though Claude knew it was futile, he still grumbled.

When he looked at the papers, they were filled with unfamiliar names and, on the back, strange schematics for various facilities.

“What… What is all this?”

“What do you think? Herbs. Contact the northern trade guilds and buy them all up. Then hand those blueprints over to the blacksmith to get them made.”

“And what are you planning to do with so many herbs?”

“I told you earlier, didn’t I? I’m going to make a specialty product. Now stop whining and just get everything ready.”

Ghislain had plans to create a product that had been hugely popular in his previous life.

Though he didn’t remember the full recipe, he knew the essential parts.

The money that the final product would bring in would easily cover any development costs.

Sure, selling rune stones or grain, as Claude suggested, would be the easiest way to make money.

But while rune stones could be sold, the grain had to be stockpiled for future needs.

Nobles wouldn’t even glance at common goods.

To sell to them, something more unique and luxurious than mere grain was required.

“Ugh, if you end up selling some weird herbal concoction, people will just call you a quack.”

Claude, of course, had no idea what Ghislain had planned. He sighed as he looked through the documents.

Most of it outlined improvements for the territory’s infrastructure that hadn’t been addressed in the previous plan or expanded upon the original ideas.

‘...I just want to run away.’

But I’m not free. I’m a slave.

Claude’s head drooped in resignation as he imagined all the work he had ahead of him.

Ghislain turned to Alpoi and the mages.

“You guys, divide yourselves into teams and get to work on the waterways, the aqueducts, and the reservoirs. Make sure to check the old wells to see if they’re drying up, and purify the water with magic if necessary. Everything’s getting an overhaul. Alpoi, you’re in charge.”

“Why us?”

“Why? You need to help clear rocks blocking the way with your magic. And while you’re at it, dig up the ground.”

Construction required a lot of manpower and time.

With the mages’ magic, the work would be significantly faster.

Naturally, Alpoi protested.

“We are mages! We’re not laborers! Why should we be doing this? Just leave it to the workers!”

They had already been forced to use their magic for large-scale construction projects several times in the past.

Back then, there had at least been a pretense of cooperation, but now it was just blatant exploitation.

Ghislain responded to Alpoi’s protest with a bored look.

“What, did you think you were going to sit around and watch? You agreed to work hard for ten years. Now, fully commit to building up the territory.”

“No way! I am a great mage! How dare a mere country lord like you treat me like this!”

“Should I sell you in the slave market then? There’s a contract, so it’s perfectly legal. I bet the slavers would love to get their hands on a rare mage slave. Imagine the rumors—‘You can own the heir of the Magic Tower!’ Now that’s something they wouldn’t want to miss.”

“I’m sorry! I’ll work hard!”

Alpoi bowed his head at a perfect right angle before Ghislain had even finished his sentence. His change in attitude was astonishingly quick.

‘Damn it, just wait. Do you think I’ll put up with this forever?’

Alpoi was gritting his teeth so hard it made his scalp tingle. He blinked back his tears.

‘The Elder will be here soon. When he hears what’s happened to me, he won’t let this stand!’

The branch of the Magic Tower in the territory was almost complete.

Soon, one of the elders from the tower, along with additional mages, would arrive. Alpoi planned to beg the elder to annul his slave contract.

‘I just need to endure until then. Ugh!’

Claude and the mages, weighed down by their new workload, slumped their shoulders as they left the room.

Before the door even closed, Alpoi pointed an accusing finger at Claude.

“This is all your fault! If you hadn’t made that stupid bet, we wouldn’t be in this mess! You didn’t even know what you were doing, and you made us bet! I bet you lied about being the top of the Academy, you fraud gambler!”

Claude, wearing an incredulous expression, retorted sarcastically.

“How is this my fault? Did I force you to gamble? Did I beg you to?”

“I only trusted you because you acted so confident!”

“Who told you to trust me? Besides, this wasn’t a normal farming method. Magic was involved! How was I supposed to know if it would work or not? Aren’t you supposed to be a mage?”

“What? Are you blaming this all on us now?”

“Why not? You mages should have figured it out halfway through. If you had, we could have at least called it a draw. Ugh, incompetent mages.”

“Incompetent? How dare you speak like that to a mage from the Magic Tower!”

“Yeah, right. I’m still the General Manager of this territory.”

“Oh, so does that title make you invincible to magic?”

“You freeloaders want to threaten me? Go ahead.”

“What? Freeloader?! You little—”

Alpoi, trembling with rage, began gathering magic power.

The other mages behind him also started glaring at Claude, their magic flaring up as well.

“Oh no, are you seriously going to use magic? Wendy, what are you doing? They’re bullying me!”

Wendy clicked her tongue and pulled out her dagger. Claude quickly ducked behind her.

“Come at me! Come on, you bastards!”

Both sides glared at each other, ready to attack in this tense standoff.

Ghislain, who had been leisurely touring the estate, walked by and clicked his tongue when he saw the scene.

“Tsk, tsk. Instead of doing your work, you’re brawling. Great job. Don’t use violence; solve your problems through words. Don’t make me get involved. Help me maintain my commitment to peaceful, non-violent solutions.”

At Ghislain’s words, both sides grumbled but backed off.

Hearing such words from their lord was so frustrating that it almost brought them to tears.

“What are you standing around for? Got time to kill? Do you not have enough work? Need more?”

“We’re going now!”

Claude and the mages, fearing that Ghislain would assign them more tasks, quickly scattered.

Ghislain chuckled to himself as he watched their defeated figures and continued his tour of the estate.

Despite his success with the wheat cultivation, Ghislain hadn’t stopped buying grain from other territories.

He hoarded so much food that even his vassals were shocked. It was as if he was haunted by the ghost of someone who had starved to death.

By the time the wheat harvest was complete, the Fenris territory would be overflowing with food.

“There’s no need to worry about food anymore. The lord has taken care of everything, so let’s all work a little harder.”

“Isn’t it amazing? The crops are growing even in the winter. Our lord must know everything.”

“They say we’ll be able to harvest in three months. We’ll get four harvests like this in a year!”

The territory’s people, constantly praising Ghislain, focused diligently on their tasks.

Since Ghislain was continuously providing them with money, workers from all over flocked to the territory in search of jobs.

The entire Fenris territory was buzzing with energy, its growth accelerating rapidly.

Thanks to the hardworking laborers, even the branch of the Magic Tower was completed in no time.

Soon after, one of the five elders of the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower arrived in Fenris, leading a group of twenty mages.

The elder greeted Ghislain warmly as soon as he saw him.

“Haha, how have you been? You look radiant.”

When they first met, the elder had been dismissive, but now he was showing respect in a formal setting.

Since the elder was now residing in the Fenris territory, he had to show proper manners to the lord.

Ghislain, in turn, greeted the elder with equal warmth.

While the mages would help defend the territory, their primary value was in speeding up large-scale construction projects.

“I didn’t expect you to come in person, Elder.”

“Haha, well, someone has to lead the branch. We also need to manage the rune stone trade.”

However, the elder’s expression darkened.

In truth, the Magic Tower had debated extensively about this. No one had wanted to come.

Even though managing a branch was a significant responsibility, no one in their right mind wanted to be stuck in this desolate place.

In the end, the elder had been chosen by lottery, and he was showing early signs of depression from the assignment.

Sensing the elder’s discomfort, Ghislain spoke in a gentle voice to soothe him.

“There’s no need for you to stay here, Elder. This place—”

Before he could finish, a loud cry interrupted him.

“Elder! Elder! It’s me, Alpoi!”

“Hm? Alpoi?”

The elder tilted his head in confusion.

He never imagined that the arrogant heir of the Magic Tower would be so thrilled to see him.

Panting heavily, Alpoi rushed up to the elder and shouted frantically.

“Elder! Please save me! This lord has made me a sla—!”

Before he could finish, Belinda, who had been standing next to Ghislain, swiftly grabbed Alpoi by the head and twisted his neck.

Snap!

Alpoi’s neck cracked, and he fell unconscious mid-sentence.

“Wh-what just happened?!”

At that moment, Ghislain gently placed a hand on the elder’s back and subtly blocked his view of Alpoi.

“Haha, he’s been working hard lately, so he’s a bit tired.”

“No, but his neck just—”

“It’s fine. He’s been acting strangely due to some experiments we’ve been conducting. Alpoi himself asked us to knock him out whenever this happens. Hey, what are you doing? Take him away.”

Belinda quickly carried the unconscious Alpoi away.

Still bewildered by what he had just witnessed, the elder blinked in confusion as Ghislain leaned in and spoke in a more persuasive tone.

“Elder, don’t you think it’s a bit beneath someone of your stature to live in such a rural place? The territory is still lacking in many ways.”

“Well, that may be true, but…”

“Why not let Alpoi handle the branch as its head, while you occasionally check in to oversee things?”

“…Is that really alright?”

“Of course. We now have twenty mages. What could possibly go wrong?”

A 5th-circle mage would certainly be useful in defending the territory, but that was about it.

Besides, Vanessa was far more knowledgeable. There was no point in keeping an elder with little motivation around. It was better to make Alpoi the branch head and exploit him to the fullest.

“This territory has been quite restless lately. It’s really not suitable for someone of your caliber. It would weigh heavily on my heart to keep you here. Please, don’t worry, and return home.”

“Hmm, but the Magic Tower decided…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll personally visit the Tower Master and explain everything. Leave the rest to me and return at once.”

The elder felt a chill run down his spine.

Ghislain’s words were polite, but something about the atmosphere felt threatening.

The look in Ghislain’s eyes was kind, but they seemed to say, ‘If you don’t leave, things will get very uncomfortable for you.’

“Well, I suppose I’ll just head back then. I’m not sure if this is the right thing to do…”

“Yes, I’ll sell you part of the rune stones we collected, as promised. I’ll charge you market price, of course, though it has gone up a bit recently.”

The price of rune stones had been steadily rising, likely due to stockpiling by the Crimson Magic Tower.

Fortunately, the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower had been able to keep up, thanks to Ghislain’s support.

Before the elder could raise the topic, Ghislain had brought it up, which caused the elder’s face to brighten.

“Excellent. I’ll report back to the Tower Master. In the meantime, I’ll leave Alpoi in charge of the branch.”

Not that he had any choice.

The elder quickly accepted the terms and hurriedly left.

Through experience, he had learned that prolonging conversations with someone as unpredictable as Ghislain only led to loss.

He hadn’t wanted to come here in the first place, so being told to leave was a relief.

“Phew, now the numbers are just right.”

Ghislain smiled as the elder departed.

A total of twenty-six mages would now remain in the territory under the guise of the branch.

It was a number that even the most powerful lords would struggle to maintain.

Although none of them were especially strong, their relatively low rank made them versatile for a variety of tasks.

The new mages were initially surprised by the elder’s sudden departure, but they didn’t dwell on it for long.

They were, after all, filled with confidence as mages from the most prestigious tower in the north.

Watching these arrogant mages, Ghislain suppressed a chuckle.

Keeping his true intentions hidden, he welcomed them warmly, spreading his arms wide in a gesture of hospitality.

“Welcome. It’s a pleasure to have you here. I look forward to your contributions to the territory.”

The mages, feeling honored to be personally greeted by the lord, smiled in satisfaction.

They had expected a relaxing stay in a quiet countryside, but Ghislain had other plans.

‘Looks like the construction will get finished even faster.’

These mages were about to become an excellent workforce for the territory.