The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations - Chapter 205

Chapter 205: A Territory Like Family (2)

Family.

A word that warmed the heart just by hearing it.

No noble had ever used such a word to recruit talent. To them, administrators were disposable—mere tools to be used and discarded.

Hearing such a word was impossible unless you were someone who had sworn loyalty and spent years by their side.

Yet the Chief Overseer of Fenris had brought up the term “family” even before they had started working together. It felt as though he was extending a hand, asking to be together forever.

The thought of becoming part of that “territory like family” filled the students with overwhelming emotion.

Marlon, too, gripped the contract tightly, holding back tears.

‘Mom, Dad! I’ve finally earned the chance to become an administrator of a great territory! It’s the end of our struggles! The salary is enormous, so I’ll make sure to give you a life of luxury!’

Of course, it wasn’t something he could decide on the spot.

He needed time to discuss it with his family and sort through his thoughts.

With his gentle smile unwavering, Claude continued speaking.

“If you make your decision, come find me. I’ll be staying at the Seiron Academy for the time being. For those with families living far away, just let us know—we’ll send soldiers to safely escort them to the territory.”

The students beamed with bright smiles.

Those with family nearby wouldn’t have much trouble moving together. But for those whose families lived far away, relocating to another kingdom with them was no small feat.

Yet, Fenris was offering to handle everything, ensuring their safety with soldiers. The territory’s benefits were indeed extraordinary.

Marlon, who had been fretting over how to convince his parents to move, felt even his last bit of concern melt away.

‘Amazing. Their support is on a completely different level. I can’t wait to get home and… huh? What’s this?’

Marlon’s eyes caught a small clause written in the corner of the contract.

“Duration… 20 years?”

At Marlon’s murmur, the other students also checked their contracts for the same clause.

“Why would they explicitly state this?”

“Isn’t it obvious that we’d stay until retirement?”

Normally, becoming an administrator was the hard part; deciding when to retire was up to the individual.

Continuing to work unwillingly usually happened because the lord was too intimidating to refuse or because it was hard to turn down their earnest request.

If someone betrayed the territory or acted as a spy, they’d lose their head anyway. It wasn’t common to see an explicit duration like this written down, even for merchants.

Claude, sweating slightly, explained with a nervous laugh.

“Ahaha, that’s just to guarantee your employment for that period. It’s a promise that, as future family members, we’ll take full responsibility for you.”

Marlon and the other students immediately accepted the explanation and nodded in agreement. The assurance of stable responsibility truly gave off a familial vibe.

The inability to leave for another place might seem like a drawback, but in times like these, such concerns were negligible.

As the atmosphere completely shifted in their favor, Claude leaned in and whispered to Wendy.

“What do you think? Not bad, right?”

“……”

The territory was struggling due to a lack of manpower, so Wendy couldn’t oppose Claude’s actions.

However, being around someone so devious made her feel as though she was becoming just as bad.

In the end, Wendy chose to remain silent.

‘At least he’s not exploiting them recklessly.’

Ghislaine’s principle was to reward workers generously, even excessively. This was why the administrators of Fenris territory earned several times more than their counterparts in other territories.

The problem was, even if they didn’t want such high compensation, they had no choice but to accept it.

‘Besides, these people don’t have many alternatives outside our territory.’

Without Fenris, the majority of these students would struggle to find stable employment.

It was better to endure some hardship in Fenris than to starve elsewhere.

‘Everything is falling into place almost too perfectly.’

If not for these circumstances, even leveraging Claude’s academic connections wouldn’t have brought in so many people.

Wendy couldn’t help but feel that the Lord always had an uncanny knack for timing things just right.

* * *

A few days after the recruitment presentations, Marlon, whose home was nearby, was the first to approach Claude.

“My family has decided to move as well. I look forward to working with you, Chief Overseer.”

“Oh, a wise decision. By the way, what do your parents do for a living?”

“Yes! My father is a carpenter, and my mother works in dye production!”

At Marlon’s reply, Claude sharply turned his head and bit his lip.

Recruit one new administrator, and it turns out you’re also getting two skilled workers as a bonus?

Suppressing the urge to grin, Claude composed himself and spoke with a calm expression.

“We’ll send soldiers to assist with the move, so don’t worry about anything. And unlike here, there’s plenty of work in Fenris. As long as your parents are willing to work, they’ll be able to earn a lot of money.”

“Thank you so much!”

Over the next few days, numerous other students also came forward.

Most had decided to follow Claude. With the drought making survival difficult and opportunities in great territories being rare, the offer was too tempting to refuse.

Staying behind would have only allowed a small handful of exceptional talents to secure good treatment.

“I’ll work hard! My family has decided to come with me!”

“My family decided to stay, but are you sure the pay is really as good as you say? I need to send money back to them every month.”

Claude greeted them with a bright smile, embracing each one as they arrived.

“Don’t worry about anything. The estate will take care of everything. You don’t need to be concerned about the livelihood of the families left behind either.”

This time, it wasn’t a lie.

Those who became administrators of Fenris would earn several times more than others.

Moreover, the estate would take full responsibility for the livelihood of the remaining families and even for those who wished to relocate.

Of course, they would all have to dedicate the rest of their lives to the Fenris estate.

‘I’m sorry, juniors. I have no other choice if I want to survive. Let’s truly live like a family for a long time. I’ll pay you well. That’s good enough, right?’

A faint tear glimmered in Claude’s eyes as he embraced the students.

* * *

Claude was exceptionally busy.

It wasn’t just the students; he also needed to meet the seniors and peers who had been disciples of their master.

For him to seek out each person individually was utterly inefficient.

“Find everyone on the list as quickly as possible and bring them here. If we offer them food, they’ll come even if they don’t want to. If they refuse, drag them here!”

Under Claude’s increasingly demanding orders, resembling Ghislain more and more, the soldiers moved swiftly.

For those who had returned to their hometowns, he sent letters full of heartfelt pleas along with supplies. Those who were relatively nearby were easy to meet, as the supplies served as leverage.

Most of them had lost their positions or were treated poorly due to their involvement in the master’s rebellion.

Some looked at Claude with resentment, others with joy, and still others with a mix of envy and curiosity.

Each time they came, Claude persuaded them to join him.

“There’s no hope left if you stay here, right?”

“Well, that’s true, but… leaving my hometown all of a sudden feels a bit….”

“Then you’ll starve to death here. No one will hire you. What can you even do here?”

“Ugh….”

Leaving one’s hometown wasn’t an easy decision. But those who had already been abandoned had little choice.

The seniors and friends, yielding to Claude’s persuasion, reluctantly decided to head to Fenris.

After all, staying here meant barely scraping by in poverty.

One of Claude’s friends, Billy, who acted as the representative of the gathered group, posed a question to him.

“We appreciate that you’ve succeeded and are offering us a place… but why are you seeking us out instead of people from Ritania?”

Claude answered with a deliberately sorrowful expression.

“Even if it wasn’t directly my fault, the truth is I was the spark that started it all. Thinking about how difficult things have become for all of you has weighed heavily on me.”

Billy and his friends wore slightly skeptical expressions.

“You… You’re not the type to do this.”

‘This bastard?’

As expected, those who had known him for a long time weren’t easily fooled. But Claude kept his composure and continued.

“I’m not who I used to be. I’ve really been grinding my teeth and working through unbearable pain. To the point where I wanted to die… No, anyway, now I’ve become the Chief Overseer of a great estate. All of it… Can you believe it if I say it’s for you?”

Billy momentarily covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes trembling.

“You… Why would you go that far…?”

The Claude he knew wasn’t this type of person. While he had good grades, he was more like a lunatic in daily life.

Who would have thought that such a person would harbor such deep friendship and guilt over the past?

Claude looked warmly at Billy and spoke.

“Because we’re… friends.”

“Claude!”

Unable to hold back his rising emotions, Billy embraced Claude. Claude, too, with tears brimming, hugged Billy tightly.

“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry….”

“Don’t apologize, you bastard! It’s not your fault! It’s fine! We’re fine!”

The other friends, watching the scene, teared up and joined in, hugging the two. Regardless of gender, they all gathered together.

“Don’t cry, Claude! You didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Just the fact that you’re thinking of us and looking out for us now is enough!”

“Don’t you dare feel sorry for this!”

As the overwhelming reactions of his friends continued, Claude thought to himself.

‘No, it’s not that I’m sorry for this… I feel guilty about dragging you all to my estate….’

After the storm of emotional declarations of friendship had subsided, Billy, looking a little embarrassed, cleared his throat and asked.

“Ahem, but about the contract… The pay’s great, the provisions for our families and housing are amazing, but why is our term 30 years? I heard the juniors only have 20 years?”

“Well… That’s because I want you to work stably and comfortably for a long time. From now on, stop worrying about making ends meet and just focus on using your talents to the fullest.”

‘The more educated you are, the longer you should work. Let’s just die together at the estate. Use your talents until your last breath.’

“Claude, you…”

Billy looked at Claude again with trembling eyes. Once more, Claude met his gaze with a warm expression.

“Because we’re… friends.”

“Claude!”

Another round of heated embraces ensued. Wendy, watching from the side, let out a deep sigh and looked up at the ceiling.

Claude spent two more months at the academy, recruiting a significant number of talents. It was an immensely successful endeavor.

Even among those too far away to meet and who had only received his letters, some were sure to come.

“Alright, now let’s head to Fenris Estate!”

Claude was followed by a multitude of people. Not only his friends and students but also their families were moving with him.

By offering food as bribes to the surrounding lords and nobles, they managed the migration without significant friction.

For those unable to migrate this time, Fenris would send additional forces to assist them.

Before departing, Claude stood for a long time, gazing at the main gates of the academy.

“Anna, are you doing well?”

He hadn’t been able to meet Anna. She had been dispatched to another academy for a project on compiling historical records.

He had left behind a substantial amount of money and provisions through the headmaster, so she would be pleasantly surprised when she returned.

“……”

Though he felt some regret, Claude also found some relief in the situation as he turned away.

* * *

At last, the massive procession crossed into Fenris’s borders.

Everyone looked a little tired but healthy. The large number of people slowed their pace, but the journey had encountered no major issues.

Ghislain welcomed the arrivals with a beaming smile.

“Claude’s really reeled in a big catch—no, welcome, everyone! I am Baron Fenris, the lord of this land. I consider you all my family and will always provide you with the best treatment!”

“Waaaaah!”

The crowd erupted in excitement at his words. Encouraged, Ghislain went further with his speech.

“From now on, we are family, one and the same! Never forget this—we live together, and we die together!”

The people were truly moved. Never had they even heard rumors of a noble speaking such words to ordinary residents.

With the lord himself proclaiming a “family-like domain,” the worries they had about settling in a foreign place seemed to vanish.

Of course, they were unaware of how serious he was about the “live together, die together” part, which made his words all the more impactful.

Regardless, Ghislain delivered on his promises, treating them to the best conditions. Not only did he provide homes and land, but he also handed out advance wages generously.

“To think we’d receive such treatment! It feels like a dream!”

“Coming here was the right choice! This land is full of opportunities!”

“The lord seems like such a good person! He’s nothing like other nobles!”

People felt as though they were walking on clouds every day.

Although they were a bit concerned about the region’s underdeveloped state, ongoing construction projects throughout the area reassured them that rapid development was underway.

In fact, the families accompanying the scholars were particularly pleased, as there was no shortage of work.

Compared to life in the Kingdom of Seiron, their newfound prosperity was beyond comparison, leaving them utterly satisfied.

The newly recruited officials began to occupy key positions throughout the territory, taking charge of critical administrative tasks.

Claude’s friend Billy initially didn’t think much of the workload.

“It seems like there’s a lot to do, but… I can manage. That rascal, if it was this much, he should’ve asked for help earlier.”

Marlon and the other graduates were brimming with enthusiasm as well.

“We must repay the lord’s grace! I’ll become an administrator worthy of this treatment!”

They took on grueling schedules, teaching at Fenris Academy during the day and handling administrative duties in the evenings.

Naturally, they began to hold considerable power within the domain.

With both high salaries and authority, they were highly motivated and managed to endure the workload.

But their responsibilities didn’t end there.

Billy, who was overseeing a fairly large region, began to notice something unusual as he delved deeper into his work.

“What… What is this? Is this even a territory?”

The more he investigated, the less it resembled a normal domain. Fenris seemed grotesquely distorted in its management and structure.

“This… this is insane…”

As the stack of paperwork beside him grew taller in real-time, Billy’s face turned pale as he stared at the overwhelming mess.