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“Ah, I must’ve lost my mind. Why did I do that?”

Logically speaking, no matter how exceptional the Young Lord’s swordsmanship was, entering the Forest of Beasts and surviving was impossible.

If it were that easy, the estate would have long since sent out a party for exploration.

But because the Young Lord spoke so confidently, Skovan couldn’t help but believe him without realizing it.

“Not that there was any real reason to trust him, either.”

Due to his false report, the troops sent to pursue the Young Lord had moved out later than they should have.

That was likely the Young Lord’s plan all along when he made his request… But as a result, Skovan ended up imprisoned like this.

“All because of the Captain… What am I even doing here, sigh…”

Ricardo, the handsome man sitting next to Skovan, muttered gloomily.

He had also ended up imprisoned simply because he was Skovan’s lieutenant.

“Ahem, I’m sorry. But we’ll be released soon.”

Given that people were scarce in the Ferdium estate, they generally didn’t impose severe punishments on knights or soldiers unless they’d committed a grave crime.

Rather than imposing strict penalties to instill fear, the estate found it more beneficial to impose light punishments and maintain its workforce.

“Well, what’s the point of being released? You’ll be stripped of your knightly title, and I’ll be sentenced to forced labor.”

For the lazy Ricardo, forced labor was a genuinely dreadful sentence.

“That’s assuming everything goes well. Things won’t end that easily if the Young Lord dies in the forest. We’ll be dead too.”

“Ahem, surely the Young Lord didn’t die, right? If you think about it, he’s always been lucky, getting out of trouble despite causing so much havoc. He doesn’t seem like someone who’d die easily.”

If the Young Lord had indeed perished, Skovan would have no choice but to take responsibility for his false report, which would be akin to treason against the lord.

“We don’t know that. All we can do is hope the people chasing after him manage to bring him back safely.”

Ricardo clicked his tongue as he replied.

Skovan, feeling just as frustrated, could only let out deep sighs in response.

After a long while of sighing, Ricardo, seemingly curious, asked a question.

“So, Captain, what do you plan to do once you’re released?”

“Uh… Maybe I’ll just go back to my hometown and take up farming? Being a knight here doesn’t pay well; it’s hard, and I’m exhausted.”

“Where’s your hometown?”

Skovan awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

“Actually, my hometown is here. Ferdium.”

Ricardo shot him a look of pure disbelief.

“…Yeah, sure, like they’ll let you farm in peace. In an estate already lacking manpower? After a few years as a soldier, they’ll probably reinstate you as a knight.”

“Ugh, I’ve been here in Ferdium my whole life and just stuck around. But to be honest, I’m sick of it. Sick of everything. I’ve got no wife, no savings.”

Ricardo responded with confusion.

“What’s so hard about getting married? People marry even when they’re broke. I’m the one who’s worried that women would start fighting over me if I did get married.”

Skovan unknowingly made a face of disbelief.

Looking over at Ricardo, Skovan soon frowned as he spoke.

“…What a lucky bastard.”

For the handsome Ricardo, marriage might indeed be an easy task.

‘Ha, if only I had been born with that face. Come to think of it, that guy doesn’t even work hard, does he?’

While the soldiers of Ferdium were struggling with low wages, Ricardo lived comfortably, lacking nothing.

The women who liked him even formed a social club to take care of him and give him gifts regularly.

Skovan couldn’t help but think that the world was incredibly unfair.

He, too, had some talent and had endured grueling hardships just to become a knight barely.

But that Ricardo guy could get by without doing anything.

If looks were a talent, then it was truly a blessed one.

As Skovan debated whether to vent his jealousy by smacking Ricardo on the back of the head, a commotion began to stir near the prison entrance.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

As Skovan pressed his face against the bars, Ricardo followed suit.

The group that had been talking to the guard at the entrance began approaching the cell where the two were confined.

When they saw the face of the person at the front, Skovan and Ricardo’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Y-Young Lord!”

“Young Lord, you’re alive!”

Ghislain stood before the bars, waving his hand with a grin.

“Lying Skovan! How’ve you been? And Ricardo, your face still shines even in prison. If being handsome were a crime, you’d have been executed, not just imprisoned. Hahaha!”

“We’re so relieved you’re alive!”

Skovan and Ricardo offered their heartfelt greetings.

Now, there would be no punishment for letting the Young Lord die.

The two were already relieved by that, but Ghislain had no intention of leaving them in the cell.

He turned to the guard who had followed him from the entrance and gave an order.

“Hey, open this.”

“Excuse me?”

The guard blinked in confusion.

He hadn’t received any orders to release the two prisoners.

“It’s fine. I’ve already got permission. You trust me, right?”

“But…”

The guard hesitated.

He couldn’t move because the Young Lord had caused trouble by lying so many times before.

After all, wasn’t it because of Ghislain that Skovan and Ricardo had been caught for lying in the first place?

Seeing the guard unsure of what to do, Ghislain let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Wow, that’s harsh. You’re treating me like I have bad credit.”

With a shrug, Ghislain stepped back, and Gillian took over.

Crack!

Gillian grabbed the lock and smashed it to pieces with his hand.

Even though the door was open, Skovan and Ricardo hesitated to step out.

Skovan, who could have escaped using mana anytime he wanted, had stayed put for a reason.

Breaking out would have only made things worse.

“I told you, it’s fine. Come on out. You’ve both been pardoned.”

As Ghislain urged them, Skovan and Ricardo exchanged awkward smiles before finally stepping out of the cell.

“Thank you.”

“Are we really free?”

“Yes, both of you can return to your duties.”

Ghislain patted them on the shoulder a few times and then pulled out two pouches from his coat.

“Here, take these.”

Curious, the two opened the pouches and looked inside.

Inside the pouches, they found them filled with gold coins.

“W-why are you giving us this?”

“Are you really giving this to us?”

Both men were shocked by the sudden display of generosity, but Ghislain responded as if it was nothing.

“Thanks to you, I was able to enter the Forest of Beasts without any interference. This is your reward. It’s only natural to receive compensation for a job well done.”

Unlike other nobles, Ghislain didn’t control his subordinates solely through loyalty.

Much of this was due to his identity as a mercenary, but regardless, he believed that loyalty would follow if there were proper rewards for accomplishments.

“Thank you!”

“We’ll use it well!”

Skovan and Ricardo repeatedly bowed their heads, grinning from ear to ear.

They were already thrilled to be released without any trouble, and now, receiving a large sum of money on top of that made them even more ecstatic.

“Alright, then. Let’s meet again sometime. I’ll call for you when I need you.”

“Yes, please call us anytime!”

“Take care, my Lord!”

The two bent at a right angle, bowing deeply in respect.

After all, the person who pays well is the good one, right? Ghislain chuckled to himself as he left the prison.

Homerne might nag him once he finds out about the broken door, but that’s why he should have opened it when told to.

Even after Ghislain left, Skovan kept fiddling with the pouch of gold coins until he asked Ricardo,

“There’s a lot of money in here. What are you going to spend it on?”

Ricardo thought for a moment before replying with a bright smile.

“I’ve been getting treated to food every day, so I was thinking of throwing a party for the social club members. I need to return the favor somehow. With this much, I bet we could have an amazing time.”

“Aren’t you going to save any?”

“What’s the point of saving? I’ll ask the social club if I need something later.”

“…You lucky bastard.”

Feeling once again how unfair the world was, Skovan’s lips twitched in frustration.

While Skovan was caught between joy and despair, Ghislain was on his way to visit Belinda, who was lying in bed.

Though her complexion was still pale, she greeted Ghislain with a smile when he arrived.

“You haven’t washed yet? How’s your body feeling?”

Ghislain responded with a laugh to her comment.

“I’m fine, so focus on getting better, Belinda.”

Belinda was currently in a state where her mana had backfired, preventing her from moving properly.

She had drawn out more mana than her body could handle to block the Blood Python’s attack, but she hadn’t fully mitigated the impact.

Her injuries were severe, but the more significant issue was that the sudden surge of mana had damaged her internal system, leaving her in disarray.

In situations like this, all she could do was rest until her mana stabilized.

“Have you eaten? What did the Lord say?”

Despite her condition, Belinda couldn’t stop worrying and nagging Ghislain.

She was concerned that he might be punished for defying the Lord’s orders and being dragged away.

“Everything’s been sorted out. Don’t worry.”

Belinda finally seemed at ease, closing her eyes after seeing Ghislain’s relaxed smile.

She might faint from the shock if she knew that he had brought mercenaries and staged a show of force.

Ghislain decided to keep his mouth shut about that for now.

He soon took her hand as he examined Belinda’s condition for a moment.

“I’ll help you recover faster.”

“Huh? How are you going to help me, my Lord?”

Belinda looked at him, puzzled.

Without saying a word, Ghislain merely shrugged his shoulders and then forcefully channeled his mana into Belinda’s body.

“Why are you suddenly… Stop. It’s dangerous.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

As his foreign mana entered her body, Belinda’s own mana began to resist.

Sweating profusely, she struggled to suppress the sluggish mana within her. Ghislain could get hurt if their mana clashed, so she had no choice but to try.

In the meantime, Ghislain’s mana gently enveloped her turbulent energy, pressing it down.

Ghislain, now also drenched in sweat, was fully focused.

Gillian, standing nearby, was tense and kept a sharp lookout. In this precarious situation, any disturbance could put Ghislain and Belinda’s lives in danger.

Fssssh!

Soon, a red mist rose from Ghislain’s body and dispersed into the air.

At the same time, Belinda’s complexion visibly improved.

Amazingly, Ghislain had succeeded in stabilizing her reverse-flowing mana.

“H-how did you…? What on earth…?”

Belinda, whose face had regained its color and now blushed, stammered in astonishment, her eyes wide.

She could clearly feel the change since it had happened within her own body.

Ghislain’s control over mana was unbelievably delicate.

To manipulate mana with such precision was impossible for most people, even those at a high level.

Carefully withdrawing his mana, Ghislain released her hand.

“Whew, it worked. You should be up and moving again after a few days of rest. You feel better now, right?”

Belinda gazed at Ghislain with a mix of emotions before slowly speaking.

“What you’re practicing isn’t the family’s mana technique, is it?”

The mana techniques of the Ferdium family didn’t emit a red aura.

Not only was the color of the mana different, but the atmosphere it gave off was as well.

The Ferdium method was rugged but stable, while Ghislain’s mana was laden with a distinct killing intent.

It was natural for mana’s nature to vary depending on the technique practiced, but Belinda couldn’t comprehend where Ghislain had learned a technique that wasn’t from the Ferdium family.

His rapid growth and refined mana control must surely be thanks to whatever technique he had mastered.

After rubbing his chin a few times, Ghislain spoke with a hint of awkwardness.

“Well, I kind of made it myself. More accurately, I modified the family’s technique to suit me.”

“Haa, if you don’t want to tell me, just say so. You don’t have to make up excuses.”

Modifying a mana technique to fit oneself? Even a genius would find such a task impossible.

The very concept of a mana technique was something that had been refined over countless years of gradual development.

If mana techniques were so easy to tamper with, families or organizations that possessed them would not keep them so closely guarded.

“I’m serious. Once I have more time, I’ll teach it to you too, Belinda. I’ll even help refine what you’re practicing now. Then you’ll believe me, right?”

“Oh, please. What I’m practicing now is perfectly fine.”

“Alright, alright. Just take care of yourself and recover quickly. We’ll be moving again soon.”

“Yes, now that we have plenty of money, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy life without worrying about it for once.”

At her words, Ghislain shook his head.

“No, we’re resting briefly and heading right back out.”

“Huh? Where are we going? Oh, are you going to sell the runestone?”

“That too, but… there’s more to prepare. Time is always tight, so we need to move quickly.”

Belinda blinked a few times, then asked again.

“Entering the Forest of Beasts, all this rush… What are you trying to do now? Can’t you stop whatever it is already?”

“I’d like to take a break too, to be honest. But the situation isn’t great right now.”

“What situation? Tell me.”

Belinda’s voice was filled with concern. Ghislain gave her a slight smile as he responded.

“Unfortunately, our estate is in grave danger right now.”