The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 267: Time to Prepare for War Again (2)

Ignoring his retainers’ weary expressions, Ghislain pressed forward.

“What’s the current state of our military?”

The retainers had already anticipated much of Ghislain’s plan. They knew his habits well: he was a noble who prepared meticulously, often by toughening up his forces with rigorous training—or an occasional beating.

Realizing that any protests were pointless, the retainers quietly complied.

“All soldiers are now outfitted in Galvanium armor as per your orders, and we’ve intensified their training in horsemanship, archery, and various combat skills.”

“We’ve constructed military facilities, including training centers and barracks, in every city and fortress. However, they currently outnumber the troops, so many of them remain vacant.”

“Additionally, we’ve initiated basic training for civilians in case we need to conscript them.”

The Fenris estate currently boasted around 4,000 soldiers, including knights. This was already a larger force than the one held by Ghislain’s father in Ferdium and was impressive by the kingdom’s standards.

Still, while they had trained knights and elite troops, they couldn’t compensate for the numbers they lacked. Fewer soldiers meant fewer strategic options and higher casualties in battle.

Ghislain frowned and turned to Claude.

“Why are we lagging on recruitment? You’ve been enlisting regularly, haven’t you? Are people unwilling to join?”

“Well, we’ve focused on developing the estate and hiring laborers, rather than bolstering the army. Besides, most people here prefer regular work over military service. Not everyone is fond of the army.”

“Hmm, then we’ll need to find a solution. Regardless, you all know that a civil war is inevitable, right? We need to be thoroughly prepared, especially in terms of soldier training and securing military supplies.”

The retainers all understood the unspoken urgency.

Ghislain, aligned with the royal faction, had already clashed with Count Cabaldi, a prominent member of the ducal faction, and claimed his lands. It was clear the hostility between the royalists and ducal factions was rapidly escalating.

Claude scratched his head. “We’ve always been mindful of war preparations. The real question is how we’ll maneuver when the time comes.”

With the estate’s growing prosperity, many of its projects served the ultimate purpose of military reinforcement, and Claude had come to see constant vigilance as the norm.

“Good. What about the surrounding territories?”

“Count Desmond is openly rallying forces, seemingly preparing to attack us. But he won’t likely move until the royalists and ducal factions openly clash. He can’t act alone, not with the Marquis Branford watching.”

“What about Amelia?”

“She’s still in a standoff with Baron Valois. It looks like she’s cautious, with northern lords watching her closely.”

Ghislain chuckled. His intervention had disrupted Harold’s plans, pushing Amelia’s rebellion forward and allowing Daevon to survive. No doubt, she was in a challenging position.

Now that Daevon, who held a stronger claim, was alive, lords previously aligned with the former Count Rayfold could use this as a pretext to encroach on Rayfold’s lands.

By northern custom, nearby lords would never accept a female lord.

Amelia was already embroiled in a war with Baron Valois, and other lords were likely eyeing Rayfold’s wealth, eager to seize it.

“And the royalists and ducal factions?”

“The ducal lords seem upset that the royalists are building roads, especially now that the royal faction has stationed soldiers along their borders, ostensibly to protect the roads.”

“Things are getting tense, huh?”

“Yes, just a minor spark, and they’ll be at each other’s throats. All thanks to your meddling, I mean... because of you, my lord.”

Ghislain laughed. The ducal lords bordering the royal faction must be on edge. Once the roads were completed, the royal faction could mobilize its troops quickly and launch an attack at any moment.

Thanks to Ghislain’s interference, everything was advancing faster than in his previous life. A small incident would be enough to trigger civil war now.

Both factions were unknowingly dancing to his tune.

‘I’ll start the fight once we’re ready.’

While confronting the ducal faction head-on was still premature, Count Desmond was the immediate target. Once he was dealt with, the royalists would naturally take care of the rest.

In his past life, the royal faction had faltered due to famine and ultimately failed in the civil war. But now, they’d endured the famine, thanks to Ghislain, and would likely hold off the ducal faction long enough for him to crush Desmond.

The Fenris troops, hardened by relentless training, were transforming into an elite force. The estate’s production of weaponry and provisions had also increased significantly.

‘Still, it’s not quite enough.’

Ghislain wanted a decisive victory, not a costly one that would leave them vulnerable to the ducal faction.

He needed more troops and equipment to not only defeat Desmond but to dominate the North entirely.

Only then would he have a solid foothold to contend with the duke.

Smiling sharply, Ghislain issued his order.

“Begin massive recruitment. The target is 10,000 soldiers.”

It was time to prepare for the civil war in earnest.

Recruitment notices went up across the estate. Since enlistment was ongoing, the locals weren’t particularly disturbed by the news.

Accustomed to Ghislain’s persistent drive to increase military strength, they went about their lives without much concern.

With recruitment underway, Ghislain turned his attention to Galbaric, heading out to see if the equipment he had commissioned before his monster-hunting trip was complete.

“What? Still not ready? Have you all been slacking?”

“J-Just a bit longer, my lord. The mages are working on it, as well.”

These items involved the estate’s most advanced technology, so it wasn’t just a matter of crafting armor and helmets.

They had to embed various runestones and inscribe matching magic circles, but the rough schematics Ghislain provided were proving difficult to interpret.

If they could create a single working prototype, they could easily replicate it. But for now, they were struggling to achieve the desired performance with the first model.

To make matters worse, they had indeed slacked off while Ghislain was away, an oversight they now regretted as he visited them daily.

“Not finished yet?”

“Just a bit longer...”

“How about today?”

“Another few days...”

“When will it be done?”

“Soon...”

The craftsmen worked tirelessly, and their urgency grew each time Ghislain arrived with questions.

‘I should’ve known better than to slack off.’

‘This is more complicated than I expected.’

‘I must’ve been out of my mind to think we could relax.’

Galbvaric, the dwarves, and the mages threw themselves into their work with a vengeance, sacrificing sleep to complete the project.

Even Alfoy, who had been overworked by Vanessa during the hatching facility project, was now taking orders from the dwarves, much to his frustration.

“Hey! Do you think we’re your lackeys? I’ve got my own work to do, so stop ordering me around!”

“What? We helped with your hatching facility, working overnight! Besides, you slacked off just as much, you ungrateful idiot!”

“That was by the lord’s orders, so I had no choice!”

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“This is also by the lord’s orders!”

As Alfoy and Galbaric bickered, Vanessa stepped in to mediate.

“Please, Alfoy. The dwarves were a tremendous help to us before. Let’s do our part here. Besides, the magic circles are our responsibility.”

With Vanessa’s intervention, Alfoy grudgingly complied, muttering to himself.

“I’m just saying... this isn’t coming together. We might need more people. I’m not sure if we can manage this...”

With Alfoy pacified, the work continued smoothly.

During this time, Ghislain visited the workshop every day, keeping up the pressure. After several days of this, the craftsmen were at their wits' end.

“Still not ready? I need it soon!”

“It’s done! Finally done, damn it!”

“Oh?”

Galbaric’s shout of triumph caught Ghislain by surprise. He hadn’t expected progress, but it felt like receiving an unexpected gift.

Before him lay a suit of black armor and helmet, representing the pinnacle of the estate’s craftsmanship and resources.

With a gleam of satisfaction, Ghislain inspected the armor, his expression one of pure delight.

Galbaric, however, looked more serious.

“To be honest... now that it’s complete, it seems dangerously powerful...”

Ghislain’s smile only grew.

“Exactly. It’s a masterpiece.”

This armor was designed for elite knights, crafted to face the monstrous threats that arose during times of crisis.

Galbaric looked at him, a trace of concern in his expression.

The specifications Ghislain had handed over were far from simple. While they were only rough blueprints, the runestone and magic circle configurations achieved highly efficient, powerful effects.

The armor required Galvanium and a mage skilled in sixth-circle magic or higher to construct.

‘And conveniently, we have both the Galvanium and Vanessa, a sixth-circle mage, here. It’s almost as if the lord planned it this way.’

Galbvaric couldn’t help but feel uneasy about Ghislain’s foreknowledge.

“Until now, I assumed you were just incredibly well-studied. But the more I see, the stranger it feels... It’s as if you’re preparing for things before they even happen.”

Ghislain only smiled, knowing the truth would be dismissed as madness.

Without a word

, he donned the armor and infused it with mana.

A faint hum filled the air as light emanated from the armor’s crevices.

“Perfect.”

The armor’s interior cooled to a comfortable temperature, and Ghislain felt lighter, as though gravity had eased. His strength increased, and his senses sharpened.

With only a small amount of mana, the enhancements were already impressive. Any knight wearing this armor would become significantly stronger in combat.

It was practically a miracle, allowing even a novice knight to match the strength of an elite one.

“Distribute these to the knights. They’ll need time to adapt to the enhanced sensitivity. We’ll also need to send a few to our allies in the Turian Kingdom.”

“And if any of the knights rebel or cause trouble, this armor could pose a serious threat. With this, even a single knight could easily massacre hundreds of soldiers.”

“No problem. I’ll handle any necessary special training to ensure their focus.”

Ghislain clenched his fist with a grin, and Galbaric shook his head. As impressive as the armor was, he doubted it would give the knights an edge over Ghislain himself.

With the conversation over, Galbaric turned to leave, determined not to linger in Ghislain’s presence.

“Well, I’ll be going now.”

He’d just turned when Ghislain stopped him with a firm grip on his shoulder. Startled, Galbaric shouted in protest.

“Ah! What now?”

“We’re not done yet.”

“What else?”

“We need a new type of bow.”

“We already have plenty of bows. The soldiers are constantly training in archery.”

For regular bows, they didn’t need the dwarves. Other craftsmen could produce high-quality bows efficiently.

But Ghislain shook his head.

“No, not ordinary bows.”

“Then what kind?”

“Bows that anyone can fire easily while mounted. The elves will be the main users.”

Ghislain had no intention of keeping the elves confined to horse-rearing. Now, he planned to introduce a new weapon and create a unique mounted archery unit for his forces.