The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Ghislain responded with a playful smile, pretending not to know, even though he clearly did.

Belinda sighed in exasperation, clutching her chest as she spoke.

“Me too! Give me those cosmetics! Give me plenty of them. I’m at an age where I really need to take care of myself.”

“You said you didn’t need them before.”

“What are you talking about? I applied for them, too. It was those ruffians who stopped me from getting them. Hohoho, there really isn’t anything our Young Lord can’t do, is there?”

Belinda shamelessly retorted.

Ghislain chuckled and picked up a few of the cosmetics piled beside him, tossing them over to her.

He had prepared plenty anyway, intending to test them on various people.

“Eek! Thank you!”

She beamed as she hugged the cosmetics tightly to her chest and quickly left the room.

Following her, Kaor and the mercenaries boldly stepped forward.

“We would like some, too.”

“I thought men didn’t use these things. And you guys never seemed interested in grooming yourselves before.”

Most of the mercenaries, except for a few peculiar ones, weren’t particularly concerned about their appearances.

Even if a rough-looking guy groomed himself, he’d just become a well-groomed but still rough-looking guy.

Perhaps feeling a bit offended at being lumped together like that, Kaor jabbed the mercenary next to him with his elbow.

“…It’s to seduce someone.”

“I want to give it as a gift to a woman to try and woo her!”

“Well… I appreciate your honesty.”

Ghislain shook his head at the blatant desire radiating from them.

“Take as much as you need, and share it with the other mercenaries. But make sure the recipients report any side effects.”

“Yessir!”

Ghislain handed over a few boxes of the samples.

The mercenaries cheered the moment they received the cosmetics and rushed out in a flurry.

“Wendy, distribute some to the other staff in the castle as well. Make sure they report their results clearly.”

“Understood.”

Ghislain handed a few more boxes to Wendy.

The other retainers, who had been watching, each took one or two containers, happily taking their leave.

Only Claude and the mages stood there, nervously biting their nails.

Ghislain looked at them and spoke firmly.

“You guys can’t have any. We’re still in the middle of a bet.”

“Ugh… that’s so unfair.”

The wager’s outcome had not been determined yet.

However, rumors had begun to spread about how effective the products were for Gillian, leaving Claude and the mages feeling uneasy.

They had rushed over, hoping to grab some cosmetics and see for themselves, but there was no chance of that happening.

“Let’s head back. There’s no need to be scared just yet. We still have plenty of time.”

Claude comforted the mages as he led them away.

It was only one person who had shown results. Gillian was someone who could manipulate mana, so it could’ve been something else that improved his condition.

The mages nodded, calming down at Claude’s words.

After the people had swept through the office, Gillian came to see Ghislain.

Ghislain greeted him warmly.

“Oh, Gillian. Come on in.”

He was the one who had volunteered to show the effects when everyone else had hesitated.

Thanks to him, more people had volunteered, making the testing much easier.

“Your skin definitely looks better. How is it? Worth using?”

“Yes. I feel much younger.”

Gillian let out a confident smile.

Compared to before, his skin appears smoother, almost gleaming with a radiant sheen.

“So, what brings you here? You should still have some of the cosmetics left. Are you here to report on your training?”

“…I’d like one more, please.”

“Hm?”

“I’d like to send it to my daughter.”

“Ah, I see. So, this is what it means to have a parent’s heart.”

Since Rachel was in Ferdium with Elena, it had been quite a while since he’d last seen her.

Wanting to send a good gift to a daughter he couldn’t care for in person must be a parent’s way of expressing their love.

Ghislain handed him several more, encouraging him to use them freely, and smiled.

“Thanks to you, we’ve gotten many people to participate. You deserve the credit, Gillian. Once the estate’s situation improves, I’ll bring Elena and Rachel here, so just wait a little longer.”

“Thank you. I’m sure everyone else will be just as satisfied once they try it.”

Gillian spoke with a tone full of confidence.

Ghislain smiled back at him.

With so many people participating, they’d now be able to confirm the effectiveness properly.

“Hm, come to think of it… should I bring some to Vanessa, too? She’s been training non-stop lately.”

Ghislain decided to personally visit Vanessa, who had secluded herself in the training grounds, dedicating herself solely to training and research.

She was currently isolating herself, trying to break through to the level of a 6th-circle mage.

When he arrived unannounced, she was startled, her face flushing red.

“Ah, L-Lord… What brings you here all of a sudden…?”

“Wow, you…”

Ghislain was taken aback when he saw Vanessa.

She had been so engrossed in her training and research that her appearance was a mess.

Her hair was completely greasy and disheveled, and her clothes looked like they hadn’t been changed in who knows how long, ragged and unkempt.

Clearing his throat, Ghislain handed her the cosmetics.

“Have you heard the rumors? These are the cosmetics. Try using them when you have some time.”

“Y-Yes! Thank you.”

“And, well… while research is important, make sure you get some sleep, eat your meals, and, you know, wash up occasionally.”

Vanessa lowered her head, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

She didn’t really care what the item was for, but it was the first time she had ever received a gift.

As Ghislain was about to return to his office, he paused before closing the door to the training grounds and peeked inside.

She gently set the cosmetics down in a corner and slipped back between the piles of books.

And then she sank down among the hundreds of books, resuming her focus on research.

“Wow, how does she read all of that? Does she really absorb all of it?”

Mages could use cleansing spells to maintain a minimum level of hygiene.

Thus, most of them found it embarrassing to appear disheveled in front of others.

But Vanessa was so immersed in her research that she didn’t even care about maintaining her cleanliness.

“Well, I guess she’s never had such a serious opportunity to study before. Still, it’s really impressive.”

Even while doing menial tasks at the magic tower, she had never neglected her studies.

Now that she could dedicate all her time to training and research, it must have been a joy for her.

“Soon, I’ll have to find a way to boost her mana as much as possible. She’s truly reliable.”

With a satisfied smile, Ghislain returned to his office.

And he issued new orders.

“Tell anyone who didn’t get any but needs it to come and find me.”

Ghislain’s order quickly spread throughout the castle.

Soon, people who had heard the rumors started flocking in, and the samples ran out fast.

The response was overwhelming.

“Did you try the one the Lord gave us? It’s amazing! Everyone’s going crazy over it right now.”

“Hey, look at my skin after just two days. Doesn’t it look ten years younger?”

“Oh, come on… but it does seem like you’ve gotten at least ten hours younger.”

“This is something only nobles usually use. When else would we get a chance to try something like this?”

“I heard the ingredients are super expensive. We should use it sparingly. If I’d known, I would’ve asked for more.”

Whenever people gathered, they couldn’t stop talking about the cosmetics Ghislain had created.

Since most of them had never bothered with skincare before, the effects were visibly impressive.

For several days, Ghislain continuously received progress reports from those who had used the cosmetics.

“Good, most of the feedback is positive.”

The results were overwhelmingly favorable.

Not a single person had anything bad to say, and instead, there was a steady stream of requests for more.

The perception that they were experiencing something usually reserved for nobles also played a role in the cosmetics’ popularity.

After all, no one dislikes luxurious things.

As the atmosphere in the castle became more excited, Claude and the mages grew increasingly anxious.

“Damn it! Have you seen everyone’s faces lately? They’re all looking smoother! Are you sure this stuff doesn’t actually work? What are we going to do?”

Alfoi shouted nervously. Claude responded with a calm expression.

“Relax. The final results aren’t out yet, are they? Why are you in such a hurry? In gambling, impatience is your worst enemy. No one knows the outcome until the last card is revealed.”

“But everyone’s praising it! They’re all saying their skin actually looks better!”

“That’s just because they’re getting swept up in the mood. They probably just got a good night’s sleep and think they look better. Besides, you might not know this, but that stuff is packed with really expensive, high-quality herbs. So, it might seem to improve things temporarily.”

“What? So it really does work then!”

Claude smirked and let out a derisive snort.

“If just throwing a bunch of good stuff together could guarantee success, the magic tower would have figured it out long ago. You can’t just mix any herbs together and expect your skin to get better. Even good things can turn into poison when combined recklessly. That’s why even nobles are careful.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“So stop worrying and just relax. I mean, think about it logically. It’s not you or me, but the Lord who’s supposedly succeeding? That doesn’t make any sense, does it?”

“Y-yeah, that’s true.”

Despite his unease, Alfoi nodded.

Claude slammed his hand down on the desk with authority as he continued.

“We are intellectuals, intellectuals! We judge everything with cold reason and intelligence! We can’t be swayed by such ignorant and irrational people.”

Hearing Claude’s words, Alfoi seemed to regain his confidence, nodding as he left.

Though he still felt a bit uneasy, he couldn’t deny that Claude’s reasoning made sense. The Lord wasn’t an expert in any particular field, nor someone with extensive knowledge in multiple areas. There was no way he could succeed twice in a row at something so seemingly impossible.

As Alfoi departed, the other mages followed, leaving Claude to shake his head with a sigh.

“Phew, this is exhausting. Why do they even bother gambling when they’re all so faint-hearted… If they were scared, they shouldn’t have bet in the first place. Tsk tsk tsk.”

Watching him from behind, Wendy stared at Claude with a look of shock.

‘You’re the one who roped them into it!’

If nothing else, his shamelessness and smooth talk were undeniably impressive.

Wendy shook her head and urged Claude forward. She might have found him contemptible, but for now, he was still the Chief Overseer of the Fenris Estate.

“Chief Overseer, there’s a backlog of work. The next item is to check the status of the construction on the military warehouse…”

But suddenly, Claude started fidgeting, biting his nails nervously.

Wendy fell silent. Judging by his behavior, it seemed like he couldn’t hear a word she was saying.

‘Damn it, what do I do? It really seems like this stuff is working. Ugh, this is driving me crazy. Is he seriously going to succeed at this too?’

Wendy was with Claude every day.

She could see the changes in his skin condition from day to day, and it was clear as day that he was losing his mind over it.

‘There’s no way to sabotage it now!’

Honestly, she had considered interfering.

After all, she was on the same side as the mages, and there were countless ways to do it.

She could simply cut off the water supply so no one could wash, or use decay magic to pollute the air, making the whole place unpleasant.

‘If I get caught, I’ll be in prison for at least 30 years.’

But knowing Ghislain’s nature, if he sensed something was off, he’d likely throw her in prison without hesitation, even without concrete evidence.

By now, so many people had taken the cosmetics that disrupting things was practically impossible.

It wasn’t just the castle staff—mercenaries and retainers had all received them. To stop everyone, she’d have to interfere with the entire estate.

Unless she was an Archmage, there was simply no way to pull it off.

‘Ah, damn it. What do I do?’

Claude paced around anxiously, and when his eyes met Wendy’s, he grumbled.

“What? What’s with that look, you traitor? I saw you using cosmetics, huh? Ugh, just look at how smooth your face has gotten.”

Wendy turned her gaze away, her expression a mix of contempt and pity.

From what she’d gathered from spending time with him, arguing with that smooth talker would only end up being a losing battle.

Still looking anxious, Claude shook his head.

‘Right, there’s bound to be some side effects for a few people. Cosmetics aren’t that simple. There’s no way the Lord could’ve made a product like that. I’ll just wait until the last day to confirm it.’

Even if only a few people experienced side effects, he could stubbornly push for a draw.

Nobles would reject any product that posed even a slight risk, which would be enough to ruin its value as a commodity.

‘There’s no need to get scared just because we don’t have the results yet. This kind of tension is the thrill of gambling, but I’ve definitely become too soft. Heh heh.’

It was the kind of denial common among gamblers, but Claude didn’t realize it.

“Let’s go, let’s go. We still have work to do.”

If he slacked off because of a bet, he would surely face a terrifying backlash.

Despite his seemingly bold demeanor, the Lord had a surprisingly tenacious side.

While Claude was desperately trying to deny reality, Ghislain, on the other hand, was looking at the growing pile of paperwork with a satisfied smile.

“Zero cases of side effects.”

Despite so many people using the products for more than two weeks, there hadn’t been a single instance of adverse effects.

He had anticipated that it would take a long time, expecting to only remember the details of the manufacturing process bit by bit, but he had succeeded much faster than he had prepared himself for.

It was wonderful to have succeeded in making the cosmetics, but even better was seeing people enjoy using them. It meant they had found some peace of mind.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Ghislain issued a new order to the retainers.

“Everyone’s been working too hard lately, without a break. I’m planning to hold a banquet soon. Even if time is tight, taking proper rest is essential if we want to keep fighting.”

The retainers were all taken aback.

The Lord, who had never even hosted a simple dinner before, was suddenly announcing plans for a banquet.

‘What’s gotten into this workaholic Lord?’

Seeing their astonished faces, Ghislain continued.

“I’ll set the banquet for the last day of the bet. Prepare drinks and meat so that all the castle staff and the people of the estate can enjoy it. Since some will have to work, the banquet will run for two days.”

He intended to use the opportunity to both reveal the outcome of the bet and allow everyone to relax.

In truth, it was almost a foregone conclusion that this bet would end in the Lord’s victory.

When it came to farming, the results were uncertain until the crops sprouted, but cosmetics were different.

He could observe the faces of those who used them daily, so the effectiveness was immediately apparent.

Hearing that even the servants could attend the banquet filled everyone with excitement, except for Claude and the mages, who wandered around in a gloomy daze.

They were so desperate that they found themselves praying to the goddess every day.

“Please, let the world end. Send us a Demon King or something.”

To them, it seemed better for everything to be destroyed than to lose another bet.