The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 168: Let’s Do Our Best! (2)

Upon hearing that the dwarves had arrived, Ghislain’s face lit up, though he couldn’t help but grumble.

Finally, you’re here! Let’s see how many you brought with you to justify being this late.”

Lately, various minor issues had been causing subtle delays in the schedule.

He had purposely set a tight timeline from the outset, accounting for such small setbacks. Still, with time being of the essence, he was increasingly irritated by the growing number of obstacles.

Ghislain promptly went to greet the slave traders.

“It’s been a while, my lord.”

The slave trader, his face showing clear signs of exhaustion, greeted Ghislain.

Considering the high value of the slaves, he hadn’t been able to get much sleep throughout the journey, his nerves stretched thin the entire time.

On top of that, Ghislain had been persistently badgering him about their arrival, to the point where he felt like he was losing his mind.

‘Ugh, I wonder how much more he’ll push us next time.’

This wasn’t the end of their dealings. Just the thought of being harassed by the lord again when transporting the remaining slaves made him feel like he’s going to faint.

After briefly acknowledging the slave trader’s greeting, Ghislain went straight to inspect the dwarves.

“Oh….”

There were no fewer than a hundred dwarven slaves.

Despite their small stature, they had sturdy, muscular builds and looked around with surly expressions.

The slave trader, speaking with a hint of concern, asked,

“But can you really keep them under control? Dwarves don’t only use hammers for smithing. With so many of them gathered, it could be dangerous.”

At the moment, all of them were restrained with handcuffs and shackles. But to make them work, those bindings would have to be removed.

That was the concern the slave trader was raising.

If this many dwarves took up weapons and resisted all at once, the damage could be significant.

However, Ghislain waved it off with a nonchalant expression.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. We’ll handle it all.”

The slave trader looked around, trying to understand Ghislain’s confidence.

‘Does he mean to control them with the estate’s forces?’

But the scene that greeted the slave trader as he observed the Fenris Knights was deeply unsettling.

“Cough! Cough!”

“Urgh….”

They looked so emaciated they appeared skeletal, as if even lifting a weapon would be a struggle.
Some knights coughed relentlessly, their exertion so severe that it brought on nosebleeds.
They all seemed sick. Calling them a fighting force was a stretch; they looked more like an infirmary ward.

‘Is the lord here… a necromancer?’

If he’d pulled corpses from graves and revived them, this would be the exact result.

With the estate’s forces in this state, he felt his own mercenary forces could easily take control of the entire territory.

‘I wonder if I’ll even get my money. Is this place on the verge of collapse?’

Growing uneasy, the slave trader asked urgently.

“My lord, have you prepared the payment?”

“Oh, of course. I don’t skip out on payments.”

Ghislain replied confidently, motioning to Claude.

Claude opened a massive chest, revealing it was filled to the brim with gold coins.

The slave trader quickly pulled a few coins out to verify their authenticity, then loaded the chest onto his carriage.

“Good, then I’ll be off.”

“Alright, don’t go too far. And next time, I’d like you to come faster.”

“Ah, yes, of course. I’ll come as quickly as possible.”

The slave trader answered with genuine sincerity.

‘Looking at those so-called knights he’s got… this estate is going to crumble soon. That’s certain. Even the Marquis of Branford wouldn’t be able to protect a territory like this. I’d better wrap things up and collect my remaining dues before some other territory sweeps in.’

Still, Ghislain was a valuable client, so he offered one last piece of advice before leaving.

“Dwarves have a lot of pride. They may technically be slaves, but you shouldn’t treat them carelessly, understand?”

Ghislain nodded in agreement.

“I know. They’re notoriously hard to manage.”

“You’ll need to pay attention to the quality of their meals and provide a steady supply of liquor. They’re such picky creatures; they rarely work if they are not satisfied.”

While dwarves were legally classified as slaves, even nobles didn’t handle them recklessly.

Although a few despicable individuals might hold their families hostage and treat them harshly, most preferred to stay in their good graces.

This wasn’t just because of their high price. When dwarves were unhappy, they didn’t produce quality goods.

Weapons and crafts made by dwarves fetched exorbitant prices, and any workshop under a dwarf’s command saw a significant boost in production speed.

Thus, it was actually more profitable to treat them well and receive quality goods.

“Well, I’ll take my leave, then. It should take another five or six months for the next shipment.”

“What? Why so long?”

“That’s already the fastest we can manage. There are many who target elf slaves, you know. Even moving one from the branch requires extreme caution. You understand, don’t you?”

“Hmm, do your best to speed it up. I’ll be away for a while, and I’d like them all here by the time I return.”

“…When do you expect to return?”

“Not sure… things are a bit unpredictable. But you’ll know when it’s time. You’ll hear some remarkable news by then.”

‘Remarkable news, huh… more like news of this place collapsing.’

The slave trader sneered inwardly as he bowed deeply. After hearing Ghislain’s words, he felt an even stronger urge to return and finalize his business as quickly as possible.

“That way, we can get the balance before the territory collapses.”

Watching the slave trader hurry back, Ghislain marveled.

“Look at that. The way he’s rushing around—has he figured out we plan to take over the Cabaldi Estate? Those dealing with big money sure have sharp senses.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason….”

Just like the slave trader, Claude glanced around. Skulls were scattered all around, spitting blood.

“My Lord, you didn’t forget our deal, right? If the knights-in-training can’t use mana, there’s no war, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Stop complaining and get back to work. You agreed to prepare thoroughly until we get the results.”

Ghislain, annoyed, waved a hand toward the dwarves.

“Release them quickly. We have a mountain of work to put them to.”

Once freed from their restraints, the dwarves, though puzzled, began to stretch out lazily.

The dwarf at the front, sporting a thick, bushy beard, sneered as he spoke.

“Is it because the Lord is young? You sure are fearless. Your forces seem rather pitiful—are you really letting us all go?”

Ghislain made an effort to hide his delight at the sight of the dwarf who had stepped forward.

‘It’s been a while, you legendary blacksmith. Must be the race’s long lifespan, but you look exactly the same as you did in my past life.’

During his previous life, when he fought against the catastrophe that swept across the continent, this very dwarf had helped him immensely.

Recognizing the dwarf’s exceptional skills, Ghislain had strictly instructed the slave traders to make sure this particular one was brought to him.

However, there was no benefit in showing any friendliness here.

If they thought him insane, he’d be lucky; if they pegged him as an easy mark, handling the dwarves would only become that much harder.

Feigning a derisive snort, Ghislain taunted him.

“So, what? Want to try fighting me?”

“Well… given our standing, it’d be best to avoid trouble whenever possible… but seeing as we’re already at the farthest northern edge, running off into the mountains might not be a bad option. Looking at you, I think I could take you all down on my own.”

Before Ghislain could respond, a knight beside him stepped forward.

This knight, taking the place of Gillian and Kaor at the training grounds, was tasked with guarding the Lord.

“You scoundrel! How dare you, a mere slave, speak to our Lord with such insolence! Kneel down and apologize at once, or… ugh! Cough…!”

The knight, a former mercenary, began to cough up blood and fell to his knees before he could even finish. Having aimed to flaunt his newfound status as a knight, his body was clearly not yet up to the task.

“….”

The dwarves remained silent, unable to find words. This estate seemed profoundly strange.

Ghislain sighed, rubbing his temples.

“…Take him away and let him rest.”

As the knight was carried away, Ghislain continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

“You know there’s no point in running, right? The moment word spreads that non-human slaves have escaped, the slave traders will hunt you down relentlessly. Isn’t it better to stay here comfortably?”

“…….”

Ghislain’s words weren’t wrong. The continent had long become human territory.

While rumors circulated about some non-humans gathering in remote regions, the Ritania Kingdom was entirely a human domain.

Living in hiding from human eyes in Ritania was impossible. And even if they fled to another kingdom, they didn’t know where their kin might be hiding, so the result would be the same.

The dwarf clicked his tongue openly, looking visibly annoyed.

“Seems you’ve got some brains. Well, escaping would indeed be to our detriment. But working hard is another matter. The quality of our work depends on how we’re treated, and judging by the state of this estate, I doubt we’ll be treated all that well.”

Typical of a dwarf, his attitude was brimming with pride.

Ghislain responded to the grumpy remark.

“Galbarik, are you the representative here?”

“Hmm? How do you know my name… Ah, you must have received a list in advance. Anyway, yes, for now, I’m the representative.”

Becoming a representative among dwarves was straightforward: you simply had to be the best.

Galbarik, who in his past life had even earned the moniker “Legendary Blacksmith,” was expectedly elected as their representative. It was no surprise to Ghislain that he held the position.

Ghislain raised a finger and addressed Galbarik.

“Ten years.”

“What do you mean?”

“Give me your full cooperation for ten years, and I’ll establish an autonomous zone for dwarves within this estate and release you from your status as slaves. You’ll be free to live here as residents. Doesn’t that give you some motivation?”

It was an unprecedented offer. Releasing dwarves who’d been purchased for a considerable price was no trivial matter.

On top of that, the promise to free them after just ten years was remarkable. For dwarves, who lived much longer than humans, a decade was but a brief span.

It was undoubtedly an appealing proposition for dwarves enduring life as slaves.

Yet, Galbarik merely scoffed at Ghislain’s proposal.

“Are you planning some kind of slave liberation movement? Do you think that’s even remotely possible?”

“I’m the Lord here, so there’s nothing stopping me from making it happen.”

“You think we haven’t heard such sweet lies from humans before? We’re not falling for that empty talk anymore.”

However, Ghislain took the dwarf’s sharp retort in stride, as if it didn’t bother him at all.
“Even if I were lying, the worst that happens is that nothing changes from how things are now. You’ve got nothing to lose by trusting me. Ever heard that fortune favors the bold?”
“Tch, what nonsense….”

At Ghislain’s brazen response, Galbarik scoffed and gritted his teeth.

“Don’t spout nonsense. We’re slaves, you understand? The kingdom’s law defines us as such. Just because some rural lord decides not to treat us like slaves doesn’t mean the entire kingdom will change its views.”

“Ah, the kingdom’s law, right? What’s the big deal about it? It’s just something people came up with. If needed, it can be changed. Leave it to me. I’m not someone who breaks promises.”

Anyone overhearing could easily accuse him of treason for those words. Galbarik glanced around, alarmed.

The people beside the Lord seemed so used to his antics that they all stared blankly at the sky, acting as if they hadn’t heard a word.

‘Is this guy insane?’

Ghislain shrugged at Galbarik’s stunned expression.

Fighting against the Duke’s family would already mean upending the kingdom, so changing a few minor laws along the way wouldn’t be an issue.

“Of course, it’s not something you’ll feel right now, nor is it something you’ll believe. So, let me make you an offer that might be more appealing right now.”

“W-What would that be?”

“Aren’t you tired of making the same things day in and day out?”

“Well… I suppose….”

Nobles forced dwarves to craft only luxury goods that made them look more impressive.

To the dwarves, who valued both artistry and practicality, it was nothing short of torture.

Many dwarves would have rather been confined to workshops mass-producing gear for knights and soldiers. The lack of opportunities to create anything new stifled their creativity and ultimately eroded their desire to work, leaving most of them to live listlessly, merely passing each day.

But what choice did they have? That’s how the world worked.

Ghislain zeroed in on this point.

“And most of it’s useless junk anyway. Just frivolous luxury goods—it’s boring, isn’t it?”

“So what are you suggesting? That we make gear instead of luxury items?”

Galbarik glanced at the knights still struggling to stand on their feet.

“Well, they certainly look like they could use some better equipment.”

Making weapons and armor was far preferable to crafting useless trinkets.

Watching a knight make a name for himself wielding a weapon he crafted was one of the joys of being an artisan.

At the thought, a faint, bitter smile appeared on the faces of several dwarves.

Ghislain nodded several times.

“Of course, you’ll make plenty of weapons. But that’s not all.”

“If it’s not just that, then what else?”

Ghislain tapped his forehead, grinning.

“My head is full of interesting ideas. Things that have never been seen in the world before. You’ll be satisfied once you see them.”