Marquis Branford narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Ghislain as if to gauge the truth behind his words.

Ghislain, undeterred, held his head high and met the marquis’s gaze confidently.

‘Why waste resources on an incompetent fool? Hand over everything you’ve prepared for me instead.’

Ghislain knew that Duke Delphine’s faction had been spreading its influence, which had pushed the royalist faction to hastily increase their hold on the northern regions, particularly the Brivant estate.

‘The only problem is, Brivant is already under Delphine’s control.’

In his previous life, the royal family and their faction had poured significant resources into Brivant, even going as far as transferring a portion of the royal domain’s population.

However, Duke Delphine had anticipated this move well in advance, weakening the Red Flame Tower as part of a long-term strategy to diminish the royalist faction’s strength.

‘I’ve kept the Red Flame Tower afloat with runestones, but there’s no point if the whole estate is under Delphine’s thumb.’

Most of the vassals and retainers of Brivant had already been bought by the duke. Supporting Brivant any further would be like pouring water into a bottomless pit.

But if the royalist faction shifted their support to Ghislain?

All of the time and money that Duke Delphine had spent on Brivant would be for nothing—wasted effort.

‘Don’t waste time grooming someone slowly. Hand over everything you’ve prepared, and I’ll do the fighting for you. That’s my specialty.’

Marquis Branford, watching the confident Ghislain, found himself deep in thought.

The Count of Brivant was kind, but lazy and timid. To Branford, he was nothing more than a parasite, leeching off the taxes and expertise provided by the Red Flame Tower.

‘But this kid…’

Branford had initially thought Ghislain was just another noble looking to use power for convenience, asking for patronage to make life easier.

Now, however, it was clear that Ghislain had considered Branford’s position as the leader of the royalist faction and made his request accordingly.

There would undoubtedly be some resistance, but it wouldn’t be difficult to redirect the royalist faction’s resources toward Ghislain.

After all, the Brivant estate hadn’t been chosen because it was ideal. The other northern estates were in far worse condition, leaving little choice but to focus on Brivant.

‘So that’s why he’s been pushing so hard. He’s willing to risk his life for this.’

Branford found himself increasingly impressed. Ghislain was far more promising than the idle Count of Brivant. If he was going to throw his weight behind someone, it should be someone like Ghislain.

But even if he liked the idea, moving the entire faction was not a decision he could make on his own.

And there was also the matter of trust.

‘What if this kid is a spy for the duke?’

If the royalist faction invested everything into Ghislain and he turned out to be a traitor, it would only strengthen Duke Delphine’s position.

“I understand what you’re asking for,” Branford said carefully, “but it’s too risky to trust you completely and give you that much support.”

Ghislain replied bluntly.

“Do you trust the Count of Brivant?”

“I’ve thoroughly investigated him.”

“And you know all about me as well, don’t you?”

“…I can see that the assessment of you has changed.”

The real reason Branford hesitated was because Ghislain had hidden his true self for so long. It was difficult to understand why he had kept his abilities concealed.

‘Should I just tell him I came from the future?’

Suppressing his frustration, Ghislain calmly responded.

“If you can’t trust me, then perhaps you can trust my father. I am the heir and vassal of Count Ferdium.”

“Hmm.”

The marquis stroked his chin, falling into deep thought.

Count Ferdium was certainly trustworthy. For years, he had quietly defended the northern borders and remained loyal to the crown.

Some within the royalist faction had even suggested that supporting Ferdium would be a better option than backing Brivant, given his sense of duty.

However, the Ferdium estate had been dismissed from consideration because it was too poor to benefit from additional resources.

‘Ridiculous. Here I am, rethinking the entire faction’s strategy because of one kid.’

Branford couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. The absurdity of the situation was undeniable, but what made it even more ridiculous was that he was genuinely tempted by Ghislain’s proposal.

As Branford mulled over his options, Ghislain spoke again.

“I assume you’ve heard the reports about the war between Ferdium and Digald.”

“Why bring that up now?” Branford asked, curious.

“You seem uneasy. That war wasn’t entirely unprovoked. I don’t have solid proof, but I believe Count Desmond supported Digald with troops.”

While Ghislain didn’t lack evidence—he still had one of Desmond’s captured knights—he wasn’t ready to reveal that piece just yet. It was a card he intended to use later.

Still, even a suspicion of Desmond’s involvement would be enough to plant doubt in Branford’s mind.

“…You think…”

“Count Desmond is a suspicious character. We may share a common enemy.”

Sooner or later, word would spread that Ghislain had allied himself with the royalist faction. There was no reason to hide the fact that he was at odds with Duke Delphine.

Branford gestured to his butler.

“Bring me the reports on the war in Ferdium.”

The butler quickly retrieved the documents, and Branford meticulously reviewed them.

It was a standard regional conflict, typical of the skirmishes that occurred in the northern territories.

The only thing that stood out was the size of the forces Digald had deployed.

‘They sent far more troops than we had anticipated…’

It had been explained as excessive conscription and a reliance on mercenaries, but the report also noted unusual activity in Desmond’s territory.

If Count Desmond had truly aided Digald, everything started to make sense.

The royalist faction had already suspected that Desmond might have sided with Duke Delphine.

Branford closed his eyes, pondering his next move.

Everyone in the room remained tense, waiting in silence. Claude, in particular, was biting his lip in nervous anticipation.

‘The biggest problem we’ve been unable to solve is the lack of manpower. If Marquis Branford agrees to help, we can solve in a few years what would take decades otherwise. This is a huge opportunity.’

Even though they had recruited some settlers from the mountains, there still weren’t enough workers. No matter how much money they made, it couldn’t solve the population problem.

‘Most of the peasants are bound to their lands. Unless they’re freed, they can’t move to our estate.’

Even though there were rumors that the Fenris estate was a better place to live, serfs couldn’t simply leave their current lords without permission. And it was difficult to reclaim the peasants who had fled the Fenris estate previously. The neighboring lords were reluctant to return them.

‘How does he even know all this when he rarely leaves the estate?’ Claude thought, staring at Ghislain in bewilderment.

After a long moment of deliberation, Branford opened his eyes and spoke.

“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

“Yes. The Ferdium estate is still recovering from the war. No matter how much money we earn, stabilizing the land will take time.”

“And?”

“I’d like you to grant Ferdium and its vassals a three-year tax exemption.”

“…”

The vassals began murmuring amongst themselves, their expressions darkening.

Even though Ferdium had been raking in money, Ghislain was now asking for a tax break? No lord, no matter how powerful, would simply refuse to pay taxes. If they didn’t pay, they would be harshly criticized by nobles and officials alike.

Not only would it be a blow to their reputation, but the royal family wouldn’t tolerate it either.

Branford, perplexed by Ghislain’s intentions, inwardly clicked his tongue.

So far, Ghislain hadn’t seemed like the type to make foolish demands. But there hadn’t been enough time to fully grasp his motivations.

However, Claude, who had been caught off guard by Ghislain many times before, instinctively realized that things were about to get more complicated. His face turned pale.

‘He’s saying he won’t pay taxes?’

Ghislain wasn’t the type to pinch pennies. If he was asking for a tax exemption, it meant he had something huge in mind. Something that would require so much money that he couldn’t even afford to pay taxes.

‘Oh no, this is going to be a nightmare. Just when I thought things were getting better with the cosmetic sales, he’s off starting another project.’

Why can’t I ever catch a break? Claude thought miserably.

Seeing Claude’s face grow darker by the second, Branford couldn’t help but chuckle.

If his subordinate was this alarmed, then there probably wasn’t a reasonable explanation for Ghislain’s request.

By this point, Branford was genuinely curious to see how far Ghislain was willing to push things.

“Anything else you need?”

“For now, that should be enough. If you agree to my requests, I’ll be able to handle the rest.”

The only other thing Ghislain needed was protection from the inevitable backlash.

Bringing in royal subjects and requesting a tax exemption would provoke complaints from other nobles. But if Marquis Branford backed him, no one would dare challenge him.

There was no need for Ghislain to explicitly ask for that protection.

Understanding Ghislain’s intent, Marquis Branford let out a quiet laugh.

‘So that’s why he came to me.’

Convincing the royal family and the faction to change their support, granting a tax exemption, and shielding Ghislain from noble criticism—only Branford could make all that happen.

It was clear that Ghislain intended to keep using the marquis’s influence as a shield.

‘He’s certainly got guts.’

Whether it was for a major lordship or even greater power, Ghislain was determined to use Branford to achieve his goals.

Even if it hadn’t been for Rosaline, Ghislain would have found another way to make his demands.

And knowing the young man in front of him, he would have succeeded.

The marquis stroked his chin, deep in thought. Now that things had reached this point, it would be better to strengthen their relationship even further.

“I hear you have a younger sister,” Branford said.

“Yes.”

“What do you think about arranging a marriage with a prominent noble from the royalist faction? It wouldn’t hurt for your family to be connected to ours. If you agree, I’ll find someone suitable from a cadet branch.”

Everyone in the room was shocked.

Marquis Branford, known for his aloof and cold demeanor, was offering to personally arrange a marriage? For a small, impoverished family like Ferdium, this was an incredible honor.

Everyone expected Ghislain to accept immediately.

But instead, Ghislain bowed his head, covering his face with his hand as he shook with laughter.

Of all things, he hadn’t anticipated this. It was as if Branford was trying to hold his sister hostage.

Ghislain raised his head, still chuckling, and responded.

“I appreciate the offer, but I must decline.”