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He wasn’t sure if the man was bold or simply lacking common sense, but he was definitely intrigued.

Unlike the fools who begged for sympathy or clung to tradition, this one immediately presented his usefulness.

That alone set him apart from the others.

Moreover, he seemed to have considerable confidence in his abilities.

Ghislain chuckled, gesturing toward Gillian with a nod.

“Keep him on hold for now. Lock him up.”

Since Lowell had been involved in administrative duties and troop management, he was likely well-informed about the war preparations and the ongoing situation. Ghislain planned to interrogate him later to determine whether he truly had value.

“Th-thank you!”

Lowell, feeling as if he’d been dragged out of hell, sobbed uncontrollably while bowing his head.

It might be temporary, but for now, he has saved his life.

As Gordon dragged him away, he whispered in awe, his tone low.

“I’ve never met anyone who thinks as fast as you. With that kind of quick thinking, a few mistakes won’t even matter! You’ve got to teach me how you calculate things so well someday.”

“….”

Gordon seemed genuinely impressed.

Lowell couldn’t bring himself to respond and simply kept his mouth shut.

If he chimed in now, he felt like he’d really end up on the same level as the fool in front of him.

After Lowell was taken away, the sorting of the prisoners continued for a while longer.

Many died, and even those who survived were trembling in fear.

Skovan couldn’t stop Ghislain. He just kept pacing back and forth, muttering to himself,

‘This isn’t right, this isn’t right…’

but he did nothing else.

“The Forest of Beasts’ garrison will remain here to maintain order. My father will send reinforcements soon. As for Digald’s remaining soldiers, lock them up for now and keep a close watch.”

“Y-yes, understood.”

There weren’t many soldiers left, so it wasn’t much of a problem.

Skovan quickly responded, sneaking glances at Ghislain.

It seemed clear that Ghislain had intended to bring them all here from the start.

Once the prisoner sorting was finished, Ghislain spent the day checking the remaining assets and supplies within Digald Castle before resting for the night.

The mercenaries were exhausted, and Ghislain himself wasn’t in the best condition, so they needed at least a minimal break.

The return to Ferdium Castle wasn’t as urgent as when they were chasing Tamos, so they moved at a slower pace.

Two days later, when they arrived at the castle, the atmosphere in the Ferdium Estate had completely changed from when they had left.

“Waaaaah!”

As soon as Ghislain and the mercenaries appeared, the estate’s residents rushed out to greet them with cheers.

Although their appearance was still shabby and ragged, their faces were filled with joyous smiles.

“The Young Lord has returned!”

“Long live Ferdium! Long live the Young Lord!”

“Young Lord! Please look this way!”

“The mercenaries are amazing too!”

“The Young Lord and the mercenaries have protected us!”

The mercenaries were taken aback by the unexpected reaction.

During their stay in Ferdium, the estate’s residents had usually avoided the mercenaries or whispered behind their backs.

The mercenaries had grown accustomed to such treatment. After all, mercenaries were rarely welcomed anywhere they went.

However, seeing the estate residents cheering with genuine joy made the mercenaries naturally puff out their chests, wearing proud expressions.

“Hmm, well, this doesn’t feel too bad,” one remarked.

“We were just doing what we were told,” another added.

“We didn’t even know what was happening half the time, just fighting and running around like madmen. Haha,” a third said with a chuckle.

Unlike the bewildered mercenaries, Ghislain waved calmly, even smiling as if he were used to the attention.

In his previous life, he had received this kind of praise more times than he could count, so there was no reason to be flustered.

Only three days had passed since the war had ended, but rumors about how the Young Lord had brought an end to the conflict had spread throughout the estate.

Surviving soldiers had been spreading the word everywhere they went.

At first, the estate residents couldn’t believe it, but as the same stories echoed from multiple places, they couldn’t help but accept it.

Since the details couldn’t be shared with the public, the rumors had been greatly exaggerated.

— “I heard the Young Lord has been secretly learning magic all this time. He’s a 100th-circle mage! 100 circles!”

— “You idiot! There’s no such thing as 100 circles. No, I heard he made a deal with a demon and sold his soul. That’s why he used to act so crazy. They say he’s like a demon himself!”

The rumors were ridiculous, but people were eager to elevate Ghislain, even knowing it was all nonsense.

After all, thanks to the Young Lord, they had won the war, and their families had returned alive.

“How are you feeling, my Lord?” Gillian asked with a smile.

Ghislain nodded nonchalantly, feigning modesty.

“Well, not bad. They could praise me a bit more, actually.”

“Haha, looks like you’re back to your old self now that the war is over.”

It wasn’t bad at all.

A sense of unknown exhilaration slowly filled him. This felt different from the victory parades he had experienced in his past life.

‘Is it because it’s been a while since I’ve been welcomed like this? It’s nothing special, yet it feels oddly satisfying.’

Ghislain pondered for a moment about what felt different, then shrugged and waved again to the estate residents.

Gillian observed him with a fresh sense of awe.

‘It really is happening just as he said.’

When they first arrived at the estate, there wasn’t a sliver of hope to be found.

The estate was in such bad shape that it was hard to know where to even begin improving it.

‘— I will put an end to this estate’s poverty. Not with a single drop of water, but with a downpour.’

When Gillian first heard those words, he dismissed them as nothing more than the bold claims of a young man.

But Ghislain’s grand promises were gradually turning into reality.

He had predicted the war and achieved a miraculous victory. The Runestone was still in their possession, so the estate could develop rapidly from here.

Now, Gillian was curious just how far this young lord could go.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this excitement.’

At first, he had sworn loyalty simply out of a sense of repayment.

But now, beyond that, he wanted to see the future that Ghislain envisioned.

* * *

After passing through the welcoming crowd and arriving at the front of the castle, they were greeted by an even more astonishing sight.

“The Young Lord has returned!” a knight shouted loudly.

Soldiers from the entire estate were lined up on either side of the knight.

Ghislain, caught off guard by this unexpected situation, widened his eyes in surprise.

“Raise your weapons!”

As the knight, clad in armor, unsheathed his sword and shouted, the soldiers on both sides gripped their spears with both hands, lowering them forward as if presenting them.

Over a thousand soldiers lined up on either side, creating a path, which in itself was a magnificent sight.

The soldiers still bore the marks of war, their appearances untidy, but their spirit was unrivaled in its gallantry.

“Wowww!”

The estate’s residents, who had followed behind Ghislain’s group, began to cheer once again at the sight.

Ghislain slowly moved forward.

Behind the lined-up soldiers, the knights of the Ferdium family awaited.

There weren’t many of them, but they were the core strength of Ferdium and its most prideful class.

These were the ones who had always disregarded Ghislain, treating him as though he didn’t exist, yet not a single one of them was absent.

“Glory to the heir of Ferdium!”

The knight at the front raised his sword before his chest and shouted.

Chuk! Chuk! Chuk!

The other knights followed suit, mirroring the action and repeating the words.

“Glory to the heir of Ferdium!”

It was the highest honor a knight could offer to someone they respected.

Upon hearing that the Young Lord had returned, everyone had come out of their own accord, without being ordered, to pay their respects.

For a moment, silence lingered, and then a loud cheer erupted from between the rows of soldiers.

“Wowww!”

“Glory to Ghislain Ferdium!”

The defense of Ferdium would go down in the annals of war.

They had annihilated the enemy’s overwhelming forces, turning a war everyone thought was unwinnable into a victory.

It was a feat no one could belittle, a contribution everyone had to acknowledge.

Now, all that was left was to revel in the joy of this exhilarating victory and to praise the hero who had brought it.

The Young Lord was no longer the estate’s troublemaker or disgrace.

The nasty rumors of the past had now vanished and lost their meaning. Everyone offered their heartfelt, united respect.

The shouts that had begun with the knights and soldiers soon spread to the estate’s residents.

“Wowww! Amazing!”

“Long live Ghislain Ferdium!”

“Goddess! Bless the Young Lord!”

“The sword that protects Ferdium!”

“The true wolf of the North!”

The mercenaries’ faces turned even more flushed than when they had first been welcomed by the estate’s people.

To think that those who had once been treated as lowly were now receiving the honor of knights’ respect!

Though the knights’ respect was directed at Ghislain, the mercenaries felt they, too, were receiving praise no less deserving.

“Ah, it’s good to be alive.”

“To be welcomed like this!”

“It really feels incredible.”

As Ghislain looked around at the excited and overjoyed people, he closed his eyes.

‘It’s different.’

In his past life, he had received countless cheers and praises. He had even experienced greater and more splendid victory ceremonies than this.

As the King of Mercenaries, he had been treated with the highest honors, no matter where he went or who he met.

But the end of all that had always been filled with overwhelming loneliness and emptiness.

He had saved people from danger, protected them, and fought for their sake…

But in those moments, there had been nothing of his own.

He had already lost his beloved family, his friends, and the people of his estate.

Nothing could fill that void.

But now, things are different.

People with dirty, disheveled faces were smiling brightly, waving their hands.

It wasn’t as grand as the celebrations from his past life, and there were far fewer people, and their appearances weren’t much to look at either.

‘…’

Yet this humble gratitude touched his heart much more than the lavish praises he had once received.

“Brother!”

“Young Lord!”

Elena and Rachel, who had run ahead to the lord’s castle, waved their hands with bright smiles.

The servants who had followed behind them also waved their hands, warmly welcoming him.

There was no fear in their faces as they looked at Ghislain. They now knew that the Young Lord had changed.

“Oh! Young Lord! You’ve finally returned!”

Baron Homerne approached, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Even he, who always grumbled and nagged at Ghislain, greeted him with a joyful smile.

“Saving the Runestone wasn’t just luck. The rumors have been endless.”

“When I saw you fight, you looked like a monster. I always thought you were just playing around, but you’ve been secretly training, haven’t you?”

Albert, who had been nothing but cold before, was now smiling, and Randolph couldn’t hide his look of pride.

And then, from inside the castle, the person Ghislain had missed the most and felt the most sorry toward slowly stepped forward.

“Welcome home. You’ve returned safely.”

Zwalter greeted his son with the brightest smile of all.

Ghislain suddenly felt a lump in his throat, and he took a deep breath. No words came to mind.

In this moment, he felt a sense of fulfillment that he had never experienced in his past life.

The very wish he had longed for, wished for all his life, had finally come true.

‘The reason I’ve returned.’

The people he loved were welcoming him back with open arms. It was the scene he had always dreamed of.

He had returned to protect them.

And from now on, he would continue to do so, for all of them.

Now, he could finally say it—the words he had always wanted to utter but had never had anyone to say them to.

Ghislain’s lips formed a bright smile, one he had never worn in his past life.

“I’m home, Father.”