Chapter 151

Chapter 151 – It’s Nice to Be Back. (3)

As soon as Vanessa saw Ghislain, she began to wail again.

“I’m sorry. Huh-uhhng.... I destroyed the building, used up a bunch of Runestones, and caused huge damage to the estate... Ughh-uhhhng.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. It happens. Besides, no one got hurt, so it’s really fine. Hahaha.”

Ghislain still laughed cheerfully. Now that there was a 6th-circle mage on the estate, what did a building matter?

To recruit a 6th-circle mage, even building hundreds of structures like that wouldn’t be enough.

Mages of that caliber couldn’t be lured in with just money.

It confirmed once more that his judgment was right; he hadn’t been wrong in thinking she was the greatest talent in the history of the Crimson Flame Tower.

“No, it’s not okay. The estate is poor, and there’s no money, so everyone is living a hard life... I should save every penny to help the estate... From now on, I’ll only eat one meal a day... Uhhuh-uhhhng.”

The more Vanessa spoke, the more Ghislain’s smile faded.

“No, we’re not that poor anymore.”

“I’ll work hard and do laundry for the rest of my life to repay it, I swear. Uhhuh-uhhhng...”

“No, if you did the laundry, that would be even more of a loss.”

It was a logical point, but to her, it sounded like, “If you do the laundry, you’ll just ruin the clothes.”

“Of course, right? Someone like me should just die. Please kill me. Ughh-uhhhng.”

Ghislain sighed. Vanessa was great, but her problem was this terribly low self-esteem and shyness.

She had been ignored and struggled for so long that she became overly sensitive to even the smallest mistakes.

If she had a personality like Belinda’s, she would have haughtily said,

“I’m a 6th-circle mage, so what’s the big deal about a building? Just give me more money!”

Well... considering the accident this time, if she were still in her old position doing menial tasks, she wouldn’t have been able to repay it even if she worked her whole life, so he could understand why she reacted this way.

As she continued to sob with tears and snot streaming down her face, repeatedly apologizing, Ghislain helped her stand up.

“I’m telling you, it’s really fine. More than that, reaching the 6th circle already is incredible. That helps me more. I’ll build a new lab for you, so don’t worry about money and just focus on your training. That’s the most important thing. Got it?”

“Uhhuh-uhhhng, my Lord!”

At his gentle praise, Vanessa burst into tears of gratitude and buried her face in Ghislain’s chest.

Ghislain patted her shoulder a few times before gently stepping back and taking a good look at her.

Her pale face, streaked with dark smudges, stood out, as if she hadn’t seen sunlight in a while.

Her clothes were stained in various places, clearly showing that she had been holed up, devoting herself solely to research and training.

Ghislain forced a smile as he patted Vanessa’s shoulder, feeling as if he could almost see the musty smell emanating from her.

“...Training is good, but now that you’ve reached the 6th circle, you should also wash up a bit and take some walks.”

“Y-Yes, yes, yes, sir!”

Only then did Vanessa realize the state she was in, and, blushing, she quickly backed away.

Ghislain turned to Lowell and spoke.

“Rebuild the lab to be sturdier and more spacious. Also, make sure to set up dummies in a large open area for her to use magic on.”

“Understood. The ground here is well-prepared, so we can build it here again...”

But then, Ghislain draped his arm over Lowell’s shoulder and whispered.

“Build it far away, very far away. Make sure it’s even farther from the lord’s castle, in a place where there are no people around and it’s safe. You understand, right?”

“...Yes.”

Only after receiving Lowell’s firm agreement did Ghislain turn to address the others.

“Keep the fact that Vanessa is a 6th-circle mage a secret for now. There’s nothing to gain by letting rumors spread.”

Everyone nodded absentmindedly, still in shock.

Even with talent, who would have expected she would reach the level of a 6th-circle mage so soon?

The close aides were surprised but had no choice, but to agree with Ghislain’s decision.

The residents of the estate were far enough away that they hadn’t heard the conversation, so keeping the secret wouldn’t be difficult.

‘This has to be kept a secret.’

‘A 6th-circle mage, something only the great lords have, now exists here.’

‘It’s a powerful card, unknown to others!’

6th-circle mages were extremely rare. Many spent their entire lives devoted to magic and couldn’t even reach the 5th circle, let alone the 6th.

Once someone reached that level, it was a given they would be a private mage for great lords, and they could even aspire to become a Tower Master of the mage towers.

Although Vanessa was a half-formed 6th-circle mage, lacking sufficient mana, her abilities were still something that could be put to use.

Anyone foolish enough to pick a fight without knowing this would find themselves on the receiving end of a sudden and powerful burst of flames.

As Ghislain and the others were busy ensuring everyone kept quiet and managing the situation, Alfoi and the other mages came running over, panting.

“Was there a fire? What happened to the fire? I thought I saw some other magic being cast, too?”

Ghislain waved his hand with a smile at the panicking Alfoi.

“Hey, Alfoi, it’s been a while. You’ve been doing well, I hope?”

“Ugh... Lord, you’re back...?”

Alfoi began to sweat nervously and tried to back away, prompting Ghislain to turn and ask Lowell.

“Were the tasks given to the mages proceeding smoothly?”

Lowell glanced at the mages before starting to tattle.

“Ahem, the pace has been slowing down, and they haven’t been able to keep up with the schedule.”

“Is that so?”

Alfoi frantically waved his hands and shouted.

“No! We’ve been working hard! It’s just that my health hasn’t been the best lately!”

Gordon then pulled out a small book from the waistband of his trousers and waved it.

“Of course! I’m even writing my own stuff here now!”

“Really? What, are you writing a novel or something? I’m curious, can you show it to me?”

Wanting to see how well Gordon had learned to write, Ghislain asked. But Gordon shook his head.

“No, I’m not showing this to anyone.”

“Well, suit yourself.”

Ghislain answered nonchalantly, but the mercenary next to Gordon didn’t share the same attitude.

“What is it, anyway? Even the lord is curious, so let us see it. You’re always scribbling something in secret.”

“Ah, I said no. I’m not going to show it.”

“Come on, let us see.”

The mercenary next to him grabbed Gordon’s arm and tried to snatch the book away.

Of course, it was impossible to easily take something away from Gordon, whose body was packed with muscle.

As the two started to struggle, a few other mercenaries joined in, finding it amusing.

“Damn it! Let go of me! I’m going to kill all of you!”

Even someone as strong as Gordon couldn’t hold out when five or six men piled on him.

He struggled desperately to keep them from seeing it, but he was on the verge of losing it.

“Ugh!”

Gordon let out a strange scream, wildly flailing his arms, and ended up dropping the book.

Thud.

The book fell, coincidentally landing right in front of Ghislain.

Curious, Ghislain picked it up and opened it to a random page.

[April 2nd, clear weather]

“Once again, Knight Commander Randolph kept nagging at me to do this, do that. It’s like his obsession with my life is getting worse.

I’ve already mastered all my skills, but he just keeps on with the lecturing, and I’m seriously at my limit.

It’s cold because the multiplication chill is here, but he keeps glaring at me, telling me to train.

He must’ve learned how to harass people from some melon molesting device because he keeps trying to teach me things. He’s definitely not someone fit to be a mentor.

My dream is to become a great knight, but I’m not going to be like someone with such a boring personality as his......

Today’s journal ends.”

Snap.

Ghislain immediately closed the book and shut his eyes.

He couldn’t continue reading someone else’s diary.

Whether it was an invasion of privacy or an obsession with it, it was still the same behavior.

‘Well, at least he learned how to write.’

There were some serious spelling issues, but the fact that he could read and write even this much was an accomplishment.

Considering how things were before, this was a significant improvement, something to be appreciated.

As he was lost in these mixed feelings, Gordon, who had roughly beaten down the other mercenaries, rushed over in a panic.

“Please give it back!”

“Oh, right... Here.”

Ghislain handed the diary over without hesitation.

“You read it, didn’t you?”

“...No.”

“You read it! Who reads someone else’s diary like that?”

“...I’m sorry.”

Gordon, still on the verge of tears, quickly tucked the diary back into his pants.

He kept glancing nervously at Randolph, probably worried because he’d written so many complaints about him.

Feeling both amused and a bit sympathetic, Ghislain decided to change the subject.

Since Gordon had learned this much, there was no need to check further.

“Let’s continue with the inspection.”

Lowell, who was acting as the temporary supervisor, led them around the estate.

There were significantly more houses for the residents and improved infrastructure.

While many buildings were still under construction, estate development wasn’t something that could be finished quickly, so they had to get used to it.

“Alright, for now, let’s head back to the castle to discuss the future construction plans. Now, let’s go to the most important site.”

Following Ghislain’s words, the group exited the outer walls once again.

Lowell, who had been leading the way, looked emotional as he spoke when they arrived at their destination.

“It really... turned out just as you said.”

The aides who had been absent during Ghislain’s time away couldn’t help, but gasp at the sight before them.

“W-Wow... This is no joke.”

“I expected it, but... to this extent...”

“Even seeing it in person, it’s hard to believe.”

They rubbed their eyes, doubting whether what they saw was real.

A rippling wave of golden light.

Towering stalks of wheat, far taller than a person, covered the entire land, an immense sight that no one could have imagined.