The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Every word of it sounded utterly preposterous.

Food, iron ore, cosmetics, and runestones—any one of these would be enough to mark a territory as prosperous. But if all of these came from a single territory, the sheer amount of wealth it could generate was unimaginable.

Rumor had it that the territory was already raking in an astronomical sum of money in real time.

On top of that, there was so much food that no one ever went hungry, and there was such an abundance of funds that taxes were barely collected.

It was nothing short of paradise—a utopia among utopias.

A place everyone dreamed of. If someone managed to secure an administrative role there, their life would be set for good.

Malon furrowed his brow even deeper. He had known the man was a fraud, but the exaggerations were simply too much.

‘Does he really expect us to believe that? No matter how desperate things might be right now, he’s taking us for fools. Even a novice with the barest understanding of politics wouldn’t fall for such nonsense….’

The other students seemed to feel the same. As they sat in uncomfortable silence, one of them suddenly raised a hand and shouted.

“I can’t believe it! What kind of place like that could possibly exist?”

Malon turned to look at the student. He was someone who usually earned high marks—a rather sharp individual.

Not that Malon liked him. The student was arrogant and loved to argue, which made him unpleasant company.

‘Still, it’s nice having someone else take the heat for once. He’s good at picking fights, so let’s see him embarrass himself. I’ll just enjoy the show and leave feeling satisfied.’

The other students seemed to share Malon’s thoughts. If the situation weren’t so desperate, none of them would have attended this meeting in the first place.

As the tension in the room thickened, Claude wore an expression of mild indifference as he spoke.

“My, my. You don’t believe me? Why would I have any reason to lie? I’m simply here to help you as a senior of this academy, offering guidance to my juniors.”

Claude wasn’t exactly lying. He was merely embellishing the positives and omitting the negatives.

Even with Claude’s shameless reply, the student didn’t back down.

“I’ve heard about the northern region of Ritania! It’s a barren land, plagued by food shortages and frequent barbarian invasions! I can’t believe that Fenris Territory in the north is as prosperous as you claim!”

‘That guy? Has he been studying this stuff?’

The student’s statement wasn’t entirely wrong, though not for the reasons he gave. It was true that Fenris Territory’s situation could hardly be described as ideal.

The Fenris Territory was plagued with problems, not least because it lacked sufficient administrative personnel. Issues were cropping up everywhere as a result.

But how could they verify any of this? This whole event was meant to lure them in despite these issues. What could they do about it? What did that student think he could accomplish?

Claude raised his chin arrogantly and asked, “Have you been there?”

“What?”

“It’s just a rumor, isn’t it? I’m asking if you’ve been there and seen it yourself.”

“Well, no, but…”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You call yourself a scholar, pursuing knowledge, and yet you blindly believe hearsay without firsthand verification? How can someone like you claim to seek truth, reason, and the betterment of society?”

The student who had asked the question wore a frustrated expression. Frankly, he felt it was unfair. If they were supposed to believe Claude’s claims, why hadn’t those been confirmed yet either?

Just as he prepared to argue further, Claude preempted him.

“You’ve seen the food supplies I brought, haven’t you? That’s your proof. Even after donating generously to the academy, there’s still plenty left. That’s because we intend to distribute it elsewhere as well. Is there another great lord in the Kingdom of Seiron who can so casually share such abundance?”

The murmuring among the students grew louder, and several nodded in agreement at Claude’s words. Even Malon, recalling the mountains of food piled up earlier, felt his resolve waver slightly.

‘That’s true. Unless it was before the Great Famine, sharing that much food in these times isn’t easy. Could it really be… such a wealthy territory?’

With no immediate rebuttal, the student decided to challenge something else instead.

“Fine! I’ll believe you about your lord’s wealth. But 400 knights? That’s completely ridiculous!”

The other students began murmuring again.

They, too, knew well how many knights a typical noble could command. Even though Ritania was a powerful kingdom, there were still limits to how many knights any lord could feasibly maintain.

Moreover, Fenris’s lord had only recently expanded his territory. Until then, he’d been the ruler of a mere barony.

Commanding 400 knights wasn’t something even the most influential families in the kingdom could manage easily. It was an incredible force, far beyond what a young lord should be able to field.

But Claude dismissed the challenge with a scoff, as if it was laughable.

“Even the escort knights I brought here number fifty. And every single one of them is a fully-fledged knight capable of using mana.”

“What?! That’s unbelievable!”

In the Kingdom of Seiron, a high-ranking noble like a count would typically command no more than about 20 knights.

Even in Ritania, where knights were more numerous, the average count’s territory boasted around 50 knights. It was only the greatest lords—those at the level of a great duke—who could command more than a hundred knights.

The estates in the barren northern regions were known to have fewer knights than elsewhere.

But fifty knights as escorts for a mere Chief Overseer, not even a high-ranking noble? This was utterly baffling.

Doubt crept into the hearts of not only Marlon but the other students as well.

Sensing the insolent gazes, Claude snapped his fingers and addressed Wendy.

“Have all the knights come in.”

Soon, alongside Gillian, fifty knights entered the room.

Marlon swallowed dryly, nervous at the sight of them.

‘Are those… really knights?’

The other students shared Marlon’s reaction.

‘No matter how you look at them, they seem more like mercenaries or bandits…’

‘Couldn’t they just be pretending to be knights?’

‘I’ve never seen knights acting like that before.’

Their attire confirmed they were knights, but their demeanor said otherwise.

One was leaning on one leg, shaking the other restlessly. Another lazily nodded his head with a smirk. One squatted on the ground as soon as he entered, while others glared around for no reason. Their behaviors varied widely.

‘There’s even one spitting on the floor! How could they do such a thing in the sacred academy?’

‘Disgusting! Vulgar! How can they call themselves knights?’

‘They’re total frauds! Con men, no doubt!’

The students cast skeptical glances at the group, seeing no trace of the dignity a knight should embody.

Claude grimaced as he looked at the unruly knights.

‘Seriously, these bastards are useless. Completely useless. How could you act like this even here, you untrained fools?’

Gillian shared a similar sentiment as he glared at the knights.

By now, they’d grown used to being disciplined; no matter how much they were beaten, their proper behavior lasted only briefly. Their habits were hard to break.

Since punishing them here was out of the question, Gillian could only glare threateningly at them.

Fortunately, the knights, albeit reluctantly, adjusted their postures and straightened up.

Clicking his tongue at the sight, Claude turned to Gillian.

“Gillian, show the students the knights’ mana. What are you waiting for? Hurry up!”

Gillian’s lips twitched a few times before he gestured toward the knights. Soon, a blue glow of mana began emanating from their swords.

The students gasped in awe at the display.

“They’re real. They’re all knights. But why do they act like that…?”

“This is unbelievable. Fifty knights as escorts for a Chief Overseer, not even the lord himself…”

“There must be even more knights left at the estate! That territory must have incredible military power.”

Seeing the students’ reactions, Claude hastily turned to the knights and barked out orders.

“Alright, that’s enough! Stop it, stop! You’re going to scare our juniors. That’s enough—put it away now!”

If someone started vomiting blood and collapsed, everyone would truly be shocked. I had to ensure I didn’t push myself too hard.

“How is it? Does this convince you now?”

After witnessing such an overwhelming display of power, anyone who still doubted would be a fool. Even the students who had been questioning things earlier now fell silent.

What was the greatest dream of scholars?

It was to become a high-ranking official in the royal court or a grand estate, where they could pursue their aspirations and ideals.

For the students here, an unbelievable opportunity had just presented itself.

Marlon, who had seen the knights with his own eyes, could no longer contain his excitement.

To maintain that number of knights, the cost would be astronomical, but the treatment must also be exceptional.

All doubts were now cast aside. With evidence so clear, to continue doubting would mean believing in nothing.

‘It—it’s real! There’s no way to fake being a knight! Even if everything else was a lie, just the food supplies and the knights alone are amazing! What an incredible estate! I want to go there! I want to work in that paradise of an estate! I want to showcase my abilities! I want to fulfill my dreams!’

But as his faith grew, so did his anxiety. There was no way they would be recruiting many people in times like these, which meant the competition would be fierce.

‘W-what should I do? Everyone will apply for this. People are starving to death; no one will even consider going to another kingdom.’

A sharp fear arose that missing this chance would mean living without any dreams or hope in the future.

When he glanced around, every other student was gazing at Claude with flushed faces. It was clear they all wanted to join Fenris Estate.

Marlon lacked confidence in beating the others in this competition. Summoning his courage, he raised his hand and timidly asked,

“Um… how many people are you planning to recruit?”

The other students perked up at the question, their eyes gleaming.

From this moment on, everyone was a rival. To get selected, they would need to do whatever it took to impress this man.

Sensing the atmosphere of growing tension as students began eying one another, Claude arrogantly tilted his chin upward and said,

“Everyone who wants to.”

“What?!”

Everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief. Marlon, wondering if he had misheard, asked again.

“Do you mean it? Everyone who wants to join your estate?”

“Yes. As I mentioned earlier, Fenris Estate is quite large, with a significant population. The more people we have to manage it, the better.”

“But why would you choose us? We lack experience, and our abilities haven’t been proven yet. Surely there are more capable talents here in the Ritania Kingdom…”

In response to Marlon’s timid voice, Claude offered a gentle smile and spoke warmly.

“Didn’t I already mention it? I, too, am a graduate of the Seiron Academy. I hope to see my juniors succeed more than those from other academies. By helping each other grow, the reputation of our academy itself becomes a source of strength. You all understand what I mean, right?”

“Ooooh…”

The students were in awe. So, this was the famed network of alumni ties they had only heard about. No wonder everyone placed such importance on connections.

Marlon, who had never been among the top-ranking students, still spoke hesitantly, lacking confidence.

“Even so, my abilities are still insufficient…”

“Tsk! Abilities don’t matter at all! If you don’t know something, just go and get beaten to a pulp while rolling around… No, I mean, go and learn diligently on the spot. Gaining experience in the field is the real deal. Grades are not important!”

“Then what is important?”

“What matters is an unyielding will and passion! That’s all I look for! Without those, you’re no better than a dead person!”

In Fenris Estate, breaking under pressure meant death, and a lack of passion also meant death. For the first time, Claude spoke a complete truth.

And the naive students once again exclaimed in admiration at his words.

“The Chief Overseer is right! It’s only through doing that you truly prove your abilities!”

“To give everyone a chance without discriminating against talent! What an excellent policy!”

“As expected of the Chief Overseer of a great estate—his character is truly different!”

The hall quickly filled with an atmosphere of fervent excitement. Taking advantage of the moment, Claude swiftly began distributing contracts to the students.

“Now, now, have a look at these and decide. I’m confident you’ll find the terms satisfactory.”

As the students skimmed through the contracts, they were once again astonished.

“The pay is incredible!”

“And they’ll even provide for our families’ housing and livelihoods?”

“Indeed, a great estate truly is different from the rest.”

The pay was unparalleled, far exceeding what any estate in the Kingdom of Seiron could offer, and the benefits were extraordinary.

The students, unsure if they were dreaming, blinked in disbelief. Marlon unconsciously muttered as he looked at Claude.

“Why…? Why go to such lengths for new administrators? I’ve never heard of an estate offering such treatment before…”

The other students nodded quietly, sharing his sentiment.

In times like these, being able to work for a grand estate was nothing short of a miracle.

And yet, the treatment being offered was beyond amazing. The pay alone was better than what mid-level officials in the Seiron royal court received.

Watching the dumbfounded Marlon, Claude responded in a soft voice.

“Our estate have a motto, it is ‘An estate like family.’”

The students’ faces lit up with emotion, touched to their core.