“I-I’ll just take the slave contract.”

“Smart choice. Hey, let him out.”

The guard approached and unlocked the door.

Claude was overjoyed that he finally had someone to help with the work.

“Looking forward to working with you. Let’s get things done, bro!”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘getting things done’...?”

Lowell instinctively took a step back, trying to avoid Claude, who patted him on the shoulder. Every time Claude got closer, Lowell got goosebumps. He had a gut feeling that getting involved with this man wasn’t going to end well.

On the way back to the Fenris territory, Lowell felt a bit more at ease after hearing why Ghislain had sought him out.

This is my last chance! I have to prove that I’m useful, or I won’t survive!

Determined to show his worth, Lowell enthusiastically shared his opinions on various matters.

Claude, listening to Lowell’s extensive knowledge, was astonished.

Lowell seemed to know every trick in the book: how to exploit the peasants, how to use criminal organizations, how to make money from shady deals, and even how to manipulate other nobles and drive them to bankruptcy.

It was as if he had mastered every underhanded method and immoral practice imaginable.

Although Claude occasionally cut corners, he had never gone as far as Lowell had.

“Wow, you’re really a piece of garbage. I’ve never met someone like you before. This is what true corruption looks like.”

Lowell smiled proudly at Claude’s words.

In Digald, being called trash was the highest compliment. The more money you squeezed from the people, the more likely you were to gain the lord’s favor.

“Thank you! I’ll work even harder to wring every bit out.”

“There isn’t a single normal person in this territory…”

Claude shook his head.

It seemed that Lowell thought Ghislain intended to run Fenris the same way Digald had been run.

Listening to their conversation, Ghislain smiled at Claude and issued a warning.

“You’d better straighten him out. Unless you want both of us to lose our heads.”

“...Understood.”

Claude sighed heavily.

But he saw potential. Lowell’s mindset might be twisted, but he had experience in managing a territory, and any experienced hand was valuable.

If they could wash away his corrupt practices and properly train him, Lowell could be a great asset.

Lowell, still completely unaware of his own faults, was confused by their conversation.

Once I’m in charge, I’ll start squeezing out money. Even that monster of a lord will change his tune once he gets a taste of profit.

Lowell followed Ghislain with confidence.

But that confidence shattered the moment they arrived at Fenris territory.

“W-What? Why does the territory look like this? Is this really Fenris? Are we in the right place?”

There was a line of merchants entering through the gates. What was going on?

And why were there mountains of food supplies stacked up?

The newly constructed buildings stood out immediately, and the residents of the territory looked surprisingly cheerful.

This can’t be right…

Lowell, still struggling to calm down, was busy taking in the sight of the territory.

For someone from Digald, this scene was utterly foreign and strange.

Claude, noticing Lowell’s shock, smugly patted him on the shoulder again.

“All thanks to me.”

“Stop touching me… Wait, really? You made all this happen?”

Lowell’s astonishment was so over-the-top that Claude felt a bit embarrassed and shyly corrected himself.

“Well, it’s me and the lord’s work.”

The rapid development of the territory was due to Ghislain’s financial resources and driving force.

Even Claude, shameless as he could be, couldn’t deny that.

But still! I’m the one who’s been cleaning up after the lord’s impulsive decisions. I deserve at least half the credit.

Claude thought he was entitled to at least half the recognition for the territory’s progress.

“How… How is this even possible…?”

Lowell stared blankly at the territory.

As a child, he had grown up in poverty, struggling just to find food.

He had studied and learned to read and write in hopes of making something of himself.

He had dreamed of becoming an excellent administrator and creating a land where no one would go hungry.

He had once had such dreams.

I thought it was impossible…

Although he had risen to a relatively high position as a commoner, he couldn’t change anything.

Unless the lord had the will, a territory would never improve.

Lowell had eventually accepted reality and done whatever the lord wanted to survive.

He thought everyone lived that way.

But now…

“Why are you so stunned? How do you feel, seeing it after all this time?”

Startled out of his thoughts by Ghislain’s voice, Lowell quickly shook his head.

“It’s… incredible. I can’t believe this place has changed so much…”

He had visited Fenris a few times during his time managing the Digald County.

Back then, the lord of this land had been nothing short of a devil.

The people had been too broken to even consider fleeing. Their lives were so miserable that the idea of leaving wasn’t even on the table.

And yet, in just a few months, the place had transformed beyond recognition. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

“You’d better shape up. If you try to manage this territory like you did before, I’ll personally behead you.”

Ghislain’s cold gaze bore into Lowell as he spoke. Lowell, visibly tense, nodded firmly.

“I’ll do my best to contribute to the territory’s development.”

“Even though you had no choice but to obey Count Digald’s orders, it doesn’t absolve you of your guilt. Work hard for the sake of the people here.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

It was what Lowell had always wanted. He had dreamed of working for a territory like this.

More than that, he was too scared of Ghislain to even think about doing anything corrupt.

Ghislain narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Lowell, before turning to Claude.

“So, how do you plan to use him?”

Claude thought for a moment before decisively answering.

“Well, since he seems to know all the bad tricks, I think he’d make a good spy. I’ll also have him assist with administrative work as my secretary.”

A spy needed to be sharp, familiar with criminal tactics, and quick-witted.

Lowell was perfect for the role.

And since he had experience in administration, he could easily adapt to the territory’s system with a little guidance.

Even delegating just some of these tasks to Lowell would make Claude’s work much easier.

Ghislain nodded in agreement.

“He did all sorts of dirty work under Count Digald, so he’s probably an expert. Let’s go with Claude’s plan.”

“Thank you!”

Lowell bowed his head again.

He had made up his mind. This time, he would work hard and live an honest life.

“For now, we need to ensure that no information leaks from our territory.”

“Understood.”

Before the crops sprouted, Ghislain had thoroughly cleaned up the territory.

He had weeded out spies and blocked any unauthorized trading companies from entering.

Essential external personnel were practically under house arrest, kept within the territory with the promise of extra pay.

He had even gone so far as to build a wall around the new farmland and station guards to monitor the residents.

“Best to keep things hidden as much as possible.”

Desmond, preoccupied with supporting Amelia, wasn’t paying attention to Ghislain at the moment.

This lockdown had resulted in complete information control within the territory.

Ghislain also gave Claude strict instructions.

“We’ll be ready to ship the first batch in about two weeks. Make sure to train this guy properly so everything runs smoothly, and gather the necessary supplies in advance.”

“Got it. Hey, come on. You’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Claude casually draped his arm over Lowell’s shoulder, pretending they were suddenly close friends.

He had been feeling isolated ever since his falling-out with the mages, with no one to talk to. Now, he finally had someone sharp under him, and it was a relief.

“Ugh, why do you keep hanging on me?”

“I’m not ‘hanging on you,’ I’m just trying to be friendly. You’re acting suspicious. What are you hiding?”

“I’m not hiding anything! It’s just… uncomfortable.”

As the two bickered their way out, Ghislain watched them with a contented smile.

As the territory grew, so did the amount of information that needed to be managed.

At some point, they would need someone to handle information full-time, and Claude had recognized that well.

If he doesn’t train him properly, he’ll just end up making his own life harder. Now that he has help, maybe I can pile on more work for him.

Smiling to himself at the thought of Claude’s reaction, Ghislain turned away.

There was still plenty of work to finish before heading to the capital.

Claude came to Ghislain before the two weeks were up, his face filled with concern.

Before Claude could even speak, Ghislain beat him to it.

“You’re running out of money, aren’t you?”

“We’re running out fast… Wait, how did you know?”

“It’s that time. Don’t worry. Once we start selling the cosmetics, everything will be resolved.”

“I’m worried we’ll run out before then.”

“Until then, we can mine more runestones and sell them.”

Claude clutched his chest in frustration.

“No, I mean we’re out of money right now. Even if we mine more runestones, you need to account for the time it takes to sell them. Shouldn’t we pause a few projects or delay the trip to the capital?”

“No.”

Claude clenched his fist and trembled with frustration, before finally letting out a sigh.

“You can’t just say no! How are we supposed to manage everything without money?”

“Come with me.”

“…What for? You’re not going to hit me, are you? I’m not wrong about this.”

“I’m giving you money.”

“What?”

Claude was confused but followed Ghislain nonetheless. Where on earth had Ghislain found money?

They headed to Ghislain’s private storage room attached to his office, which was filled with large wardrobes and chests.

“You said you’d give me money, but… did you just bring me here to show off your clothes?”

Ghislain gave the room a cautious glance before leaning in to whisper seriously.

“Listen, don’t tell my father about this. If word gets out, we’re dead.”

Without another word, Ghislain opened the wardrobes and chests wide.

Inside, they were filled with dazzling jewels, priceless ornaments, and piles of gold coins.

“Take half of it. That should tide you over for now. Since we have so many trading companies coming through, you’ll have no trouble converting this into cash.”

Claude stared at the wealth in the room, his voice filled with shock.

“Wh-What is this? When did you stash all this money?”

As far as Claude knew, Ghislain’s only source of wealth was the runestones.

Granted, that made him rich beyond measure, but there was no way to have secretly accumulated such a fortune.

Ghislain shrugged casually.

“Oh, these are spoils. Personal assets from Count Digald and his retainers.”

“...What? Spoils?”

“When I took over the territory, I looted everything. Searched through the vassals’ mansions and storerooms and took it all. I was planning to use it as an emergency fund.”

Claude felt dizzy, swaying on his feet.

Suddenly, it all made sense why Ghislain had been so insistent about keeping this a secret.

The rightful owner of all this wealth was Ghislain’s father, Count Perdiem.

Even though Ghislain had been a key figure in the war effort, he was still only a commander, not the lord of the land.

What Ghislain had done was, in essence, secretly embezzling from the occupied territory.

“If you get caught, you’ll be executed, you know that, right?”

Stealing from the lord’s assets was considered on par with rebellion.

Even as the young lord, Ghislain wouldn’t be able to avoid punishment entirely.

Before Claude could finish, Ghislain’s sharp glare cut him off. The look in his eyes made it clear he wouldn’t tolerate such talk.

“What are you talking about? Do you know how many runestones I’ve given to Perdiem? I didn’t steal this; I traded for it. Who in the world gives away runestones for free?”

Claude couldn’t even laugh at the absurdity and silently closed his mouth.

No matter how clever he thought he was, Ghislain was always one step ahead.