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Chapter 333: I Really Wanted to Try This.

Of course. This guy wasn’t the type to just sit idle. It seemed he had caught a disease that made him feel like he was dying if he didn’t do something.

After calming his mind, Claude asked, “Why are you forming a mercenary group?”

“Because we need it.”

“That’s not necessary, you know? Why would we do such a thing?”

As Claude spoke, his frustration began to boil over.

There weren’t no territories doing mercenary work at all. It was rare, but sometimes a lord and their territory would actually jump into mercenary work for another country.

Typically, those territories were small, poor, and nearly resource-depleted.

However, Penris was currently known as the strongest territory in the North. Just considering food production alone, it was immense; factoring in the resources gained from this new development, it was financially on par with any lord in the kingdom.

So why are we forming a mercenary group? What the heck is that about?

Despite Claude’s outburst, Ghislaine confidently answered, “I’ll have all the mercenaries in this kingdom under my command.”

“Wow… what ambition…”

“We’re already running a road business and shipping business, right? If we bundle the mercenary business together, it’ll make us money.”

“Hmm… while that might be true, I can’t help but wonder if it’s really necessary. It feels like it’ll just create more headaches.”

Honestly, most mercenaries are those who dislike being tied to any one place.

They refuse stable jobs. They engage in mercenary work because they’re aiming for a windfall. Not everyone, but most of them are like that.

In short, they enjoy their freedom.

Also, they’re a rowdy bunch who don’t listen to orders. It’d be better to train a few elite troops instead.

“Doing anything is good. Having more is good. But that also takes money and time. Couldn’t we use it for something more efficient?”

Ghislaine wasn’t unaware of Claude’s objections. Even if each mercenary had outstanding individual skills, they were generally weaker in group battles compared to regular armies.

However, there was still a reason to acquire mercenaries.

“Our military strength has hit a limit now. At this point, no matter how much we train, progress will be sluggish. And we’re still in need.”

“Aren’t we enough with this?”

Having taken Desmond and accepted all the prisoners, Penris’s troops were nearing 20,000.

Though unified, Ghislaine was a high noble who now held the territories of Penris, Cabaldy, and Desmond, along with three titles.

It’s rare for a lord to have this level of territory and military strength.

On top of that, her technological and financial capabilities weren’t anything to scoff at. But still, she felt it was insufficient?

Ghislaine continued, looking as though she was still hungry.

“With this, we can never defeat the Duke House. We need to gather a little more.”

Ghislaine made a firm assessment.

People truly don’t understand just how powerful the Duke House is.

Even if she and the Crown Prince Faction teamed up, they couldn’t take down a single Duke House. And when you add the other lords following the Duke House, a direct confrontation would end in absolute defeat.

To grow further from here, they needed to conquer another territory. Of course, they would do that someday, but it wasn’t feasible right now.

‘The Duke House wants to take the kingdom with as few losses as possible.’

It was definitely like that in her previous life. The situation favored the Duke House, allowing them to achieve their goals.

But not now.

‘Because of me, they can only act more aggressively now.’

The Duke House would be preparing to take the kingdom by force.

Yet, their tendency to avoid losses wouldn’t go away. They would surely try to prepare thoroughly and minimize damage.

‘Until then, we need to strengthen our power as much as possible and be ready.’

Ghislaine briefly explained the situation to Claude.

Everyone knew the Duke House was the strongest in the kingdom. Yet, no one truly grasped just how large the gap was.

Hearing Ghislaine’s explanation, Claude wore a look of disbelief.

“Really… is the gap that huge? You’re saying they can mobilize over a hundred thousand just from the Duke’s territory?”

“Yeah, just the soldiers. If you factor in the high-ranking knights and mages under them, their military might is colossal.”

If you add the great lords under the Duke House, they could easily summon an army of several hundred thousand.

Even if the Crown Prince faction nobles gathered all the territory residents, they wouldn’t be able to contend with such an army. Having fought in his previous life, he didn’t even think otherwise.

Claude still couldn’t believe it, but as a lord, what he said can’t be dismissed, even if it sounds absurd.

“Hmm… if we gather mercenaries from all over the kingdom, wouldn’t it be difficult to close the gap?”

“True. But mercenaries have their own usefulness. And whether the disparity is large or small, we should increase our military strength, even if only a little.”

“Really… is winning possible?”

At that, Ghislaine suddenly flashed a smile full of purpose.

“We have to win. That’s why I’m here. Only I can take down the Duke House in this kingdom.”

It was a pretty arrogant statement. But Claude strangely felt that it might just be the truth.

Ghislaine gripped Claude’s shoulders and asked, “Claude, how do we deal with a stronger enemy? If we can’t strengthen ourselves here quickly? If it’s hard to become stronger than the Duke House right now?”

“Uh…”

Caught off guard by Ghislaine’s assertive demeanor, Claude couldn’t say anything. Then Ghislaine continued with a fierce grin.

“Then we weaken the enemy. Make it so we can fight. We have to lower their overall strength by picking them off one by one, right?”

“T-then… our next target is Marquis Roderick’s territory? You can’t mean you’re thinking about the mercenary group operating there?”

“Exactly, that mercenary group is our primary goal.”

Only then did Claude finally grasp Ghislaine’s meaning.

Marquis Roderick’s territory was Ghislaine’s first major target during the civil war. A crucial hub in the West where numerous merchant groups come and go, generating tons of money.

Naturally, it was also where the most mercenaries operated in the kingdom. They had plenty of work, from escorting merchant groups to subduing bandits and escort missions.

Although Perdium Territory had many mercenary-type jobs fighting against barbarians, the territory lacked money, leading to fewer mercenaries gathering there.

“I see. It’s probably where the kingdom’s largest mercenary group is. Wait a second, how are you planning to poach that mercenary group? They’re rumored to have a close relationship with Marquis Roderick.”

“There are always methods. Don’t worry about that. You’ll focus on absorbing the small to mid-sized mercenary groups in the North for now. Can you do that?”

“Got it. I’ll do that. The mercenary groups in the North are mostly weaklings anyway, right? Just leave it to me.”

Claude agreed, his eyes shining.

After all, fighting the Duke House was inevitable. Still, Claude believed that by teaming up with the Crown Prince faction, they could hold their ground against the Duke House to some degree.

But listening to Ghislaine’s words, that no longer seemed to be the case. Although he didn’t want to believe it, he couldn’t just let it slide.

In any case, it was true that the stronger this territory became, the higher their chances of survival would be.

Seeing the enthusiastic Claude, Ghislaine grinned. “Alright, let’s get busy again from now on.”

* * *

Once a goal is set, the People of Penris act immediately.

It wasn’t always this way, but being with Ghislaine had led to this.

Claude handed a stack of papers to Lowell and said, “You know we’re starting a mercenary business, right?”

“Uh… of course.”

Lowell nodded vigorously. Ghislaine’s close associates were all informed of the upcoming plan.

Although he didn’t want to deal with it because he was busy, if the lord says to do it, then it must be done.

“It’s going to take time to get the royal approval. So for now, we’ll prioritize establishing a mercenary group under the lord’s command.”

Nobles handle mercenary groups in two ways. One is to personally fund or command the mercenaries, which is the most common method.

Nobles using such methods treat the mercenary group as their own proxy, deploying them for tasks or various businesses, even using them for dirty work sometimes.

The other way is when the lord and their territory’s military operate as a mercenary group themselves.

This is an uncommon approach, but very poor or resource-depleted territories sometimes resort to this. Or it could be because the lord is a battle-crazed lunatic.

To use this method, they need the royal sanction and guarantee. If the entire territory operates as a mercenary group, the lord can earn money and engage in wars for foreign countries.

Severe restrictions are placed to prevent easy involvement in domestic conflicts. If left unchecked, they could meddle and cause trouble everywhere.

To acquire permission for a mercenary group in the Penris territory, various documents had been prepared and sent to Marquis Branford.

However, it would take time to process those, so Claude decided to first proceed with absorbing the mercenary groups.

“I’ll take a round and return, so manage the territory well.”

“But… do you think the Chief Officer can convince all the mercenaries to join us?”

Claude snickered and made a circle with his finger. “With money, nothing is impossible. Besides, the Northern mercenaries are mostly working for us anyway, right? Many are willing to be laborers, so it shouldn’t be difficult.”

Claude had a point. If they were offered a lot of money, they’d work for Penris. That’s what mercenaries do.

Ghislaine had hired numerous Northern mercenaries before. It was all settled with money back then too.

But incorporating them into the Penris mercenary group was a different matter.

“There might be some who will join for money, but there will be plenty who refuse, right?”

“Ah, well. Since they won’t be part of the Penris military, but rather under the mercenary group, we’ll recognize their autonomy and independence as much as possible.”

“Yeah, but who would believe that? Autonomy and independence mean they have to tumble when called upon and pay their dues. Plus, they’re folks who love their freedom, so they won’t like even the slightest restrictions. There will definitely be quite a few who refuse.”

Claude said with a haughty expression. “I used to think the same way initially. But if you express sincere intentions, everything connects.”

At those words, Lowell wore an uneasy expression.

‘That guy’s idea of sincerity isn’t exactly normal.’

Unaware of Lowell’s inner thoughts, Claude left the territory work to him and moved right away.

The Northern mercenary groups were all small and impoverished. They reacted positively to Claude’s proposal.

“The Penris Mercenary Group? The Count of Penris is forming a mercenary group?”

“Yep, it’s all registered already. We are the strongest in the North, you know?”

“But why would you create a mercenary group and recruit us from such a place?”

“Well, we want you all working hard for us… No, we’re expanding into various businesses, right? Now we’re getting into the mercenary business too, on a grand scale.”

“Ooo….”

Everyone knew that the Count of Penris was the kingdom’s most active noble in diverse businesses.

With the development of the Forest of Monsters, food sales, cosmetic sales, road construction, and shipping businesses, he had already made a name for himself.

“You all know that almost all the Crown Prince’s territories are connected by the roads we built, right? Plus, the shipping business is booming. So we need a lot of manpower. Especially for escorting and transportation, mercenaries are just right, right?”

The mercenaries nodded at Claude’s words. Escorting and transporting were their most common jobs.

They fight, build, and wherever there’s a need for people, mercenaries will go for the money.

“Hmmm, sounds good. We’ll join in too. But the condition is that our mercenary group remains intact, right?”

“Of course. You’ll just need to operate together with the Penris command when needed. And when you receive payments, just pay a set tribute. In return, we’ll look after you and find various jobs for you.”

“Alright. We’ll join the Penris Mercenary Group.”

Since small mercenary groups could rarely find other gigs besides the drudgery, joining the Penris Mercenary Group would give them access to richer and better opportunities.

Penris Territory was already involved in many undertakings, so they would prefer to funnel good projects toward their subordinate units.

Of course, if war broke out, they’d be dragged into it too, but they didn’t worry about that.

‘We’re the strongest in the North, so what could go wrong? Plus, we have the backing of the influential Marquis Branford from the Crown Prince faction.’

Ghislaine’s reputation and authority had soared to unprecedented heights compared to before.

Very small-scale mercenary groups would easily succumb to just a few good conditions. They didn’t think they’d be losing their freedom.

In fact, the benefits were better. They’d gain a firm backing.

But not all mercenary groups would think that way.

Jake, the leader of the “Bigfoot Mercenary Group,” which consisted of over fifty mercenaries, firmly expressed his intention to refuse Claude’s proposal.

“Haha… We appreciate the offer, but we’d rather not.”

He was massive in size. Particularly his feet were so big that they earned him the nickname “Bigfoot.” With his great size came great strength, and he had made quite the name for himself lately.

Always acting manly, he was known as the man among men, but he was just as arrogant.

Seeing him speak with that conceited expression, Claude thought, ‘How dare he reject my proposal?’

Among the snobbish types, Claude found Jake’s immediate and insolent rejection of his offer unappealing.

‘I’m going to teach this guy a lesson.’

If someone doesn’t listen, you’ve got to teach them. That’s what Claude learned from Ghislaine most assuredly.