Chapter 248

Chapter 248: Let’s Secure Some Investment (2)

The Marquis of Branford would likely accept the proposal, as it benefited the Royal Faction, but he intended to curtail Ghislain’s growing influence even slightly.

After all, he wanted to prevent the emergence of a new ducal family following their victory in the civil war.

He was confident in his ability to avoid such a scenario, but... when it came to that man Ghislain, he couldn’t afford to make hasty assumptions.

‘His military power is growing too quickly. For now, leaving him unchecked benefits us, but... the issue will arise after the civil war. We cannot allow funds to continue flowing to him unchecked.’

If the royal family and I back the project, the road construction initiative will undoubtedly succeed. The profits must be siphoned off to bolster our military, ensuring Ghislain cannot act recklessly even after the civil war ends.

“How much of a stake would you consider acceptable?”

At Lowell’s question, the Marquis of Branford responded indifferently.

“Double the 20% stake proposed by Count Fenris, making it 40%. If they don’t accept, tell them the deal is off. Contact them and return once a decision is made.”

“No need to contact them. We will proceed with your lordship’s terms.”

“...?”

The Marquis looked puzzled at Lowell’s prompt agreement. He had doubled the stake, yet this was neither a lord nor a nobleman but a mere administrator, agreeing without hesitation?

“Have you been given full authority? Are you sure you can make this decision on the spot?”

“Yes, I’ve been given full authority. We will proceed as you have instructed.”

The truth was, Lowell had already received prior instructions from Ghislain. He had predicted the stake would increase and had told Lowell to accept anything below 50% without hesitation.

For Ghislain, profits were not the priority. Of course, profits would be helpful, making it slightly easier to secure funds, but they were merely a supplementary factor.

― “What’s crucial is establishing the narrative that I own this road.”

Once the project was publicly announced under his name, that alone would suffice. Any dissenters in the future could simply be subdued by force.

Currently, the power of the Marquis of Branford and the Royal Faction far outweighed Ghislain’s. Thus, the Marquis likely believed that even with similar levels of profit, he could effectively control Ghislain.

But in reality, that wasn’t true. What Ghislain needed was time. With sufficient power, he could sweep away any oppositions without needing any forms of justification.

He was simply employing this strategy to accelerate his preparations. To confront the ducal families, he needed to amass strength far quicker than he was doing now.

Unaware of Ghislain’s true intentions, the Marquis of Branford regarded Lowell with a suspicious gaze.

‘It’s as if he predicted my response and prepared his answer in advance. That man is willingly conceding profits this easily? Why?’

From what the Marquis had seen, Ghislain was obsessed with wealth—not money itself but whatever served his self-interest.

Even when he had made donations under Porisco’s name, the Marquis had been convinced it wasn’t out of pure intention.

It was suspicious. Very suspicious. And the fact that he couldn’t discern Ghislain’s intentions made it even more unsettling.

‘This project will undoubtedly benefit us. That man leading the charge makes it even better. But why does it leave such a bad taste in my mouth?’

The Marquis was perturbed not only by Ghislain’s possible schemes but also by the eerie feeling that his own thoughts were being read.

Every interaction with that man left him with a faint yet irksome feeling that he was being led around on a leash.

Still, the Marquis of Branford wasn’t one to let emotions dictate his decisions. He had calculated the circumstances and chosen the most practical course of action based on the benefits. That would suffice.

“Very well. Under the royal family’s name, I will grant taxation rights and inform the lords involved. Relay this and handle the rest accordingly.”

“Thank you. Thanks to the Marquis’ benevolence, we’ve been able to resolve this challenging matter. We will not forget that you are our greatest patron and will always follow your will.”

The Marquis smirked and responded.

“You have a rather smooth tongue. For the remaining investment matters, consult with Rosalyn.”

“I will do so, lord.”

After leaving the Marquis, Lowell immediately sought out Rosalyn.

She meticulously reviewed the project plan and nodded approvingly.

“With support from the Marquis’ household, this project has a strong chance of success. Very well, I’ll persuade Lady Mariel and the noble investors at the gathering. Has the stake percentage been finalized with your father?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Did Count Fenris have anything else to say? Something other than money?”

“No, nothing else.”

“......”

Rosalyn felt her face flush again and took a deep breath. Ever since recovering from her illness, her face tended to heat up whenever she got angry.

‘That bastard really has nothing to talk about with me except money!’

Her irritated expression made Lowell shift back slightly in his seat, nervous.

‘What’s wrong with her? Did I do something she didn’t like?’

Those who loafed around aimlessly or seemed likely to cause trouble, as well as anyone who committed actual crimes, were rounded up and placed in the “Labor Assault Unit,” an unusual group name for a penal workforce.

The unit was managed by Kaor, infamous as the “Mad Dog,” and former knights of the Mad Dogs corps.

The spies shuddered at the thought of being dragged into the penal workforce. They were determined to avoid such a fate.

“Ugh... that’s true, but this is so exhausting...”

For the spies, the most critical objective was to be recognized as legitimate residents of the territory. That way, they could freely gather more information.

They had been thrilled to sneak in undetected among the migrants without much preparation.

But simply entering Fenris territory wasn’t the end of their problems.

They had uncovered remarkable technologies such as the cosmetics and the massive incubator, but without access, they couldn’t learn anything substantive.

To avoid arousing suspicion, they had started working at the construction site—a grave mistake.

“I feel like I’m dying here. My whole body aches.”

“Same. I barely have time to sleep. How can we gather information without any free time?”

“What if we just escape now? Since being forced onto the road construction, we haven’t been able to contact the guild.”

The spies muttered gloomily among themselves.

After volunteering for construction work, they had been drafted for road building without any choice. Having never experienced such grueling labor, they struggled to cope.

Still, avoiding suspicion was their top priority, so they worked tirelessly.

The phrase “a thief has a guilty conscience” fits their situation perfectly.

“My arms hurt so much from carrying materials all day that I can barely lift them.”

“Everyone else seems to be working hard, too, but why do we feel so much worse?”

Their lack of skill and experience made the work especially taxing.

As the group grumbled, the leader glanced around cautiously and whispered.

“Why don’t we just quit being spies and settle down here?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Think about it. We’ve already made a lot of money here and even bought houses...”

“So what? How is that relevant?”

“Consider this: do you guys have houses back in Desmond’s territory?”

The leader’s question made the others fall silent.

“No. I used to live at my parents’ house. Housing is expensive in our territory.”

“I have one... but it’s just a small log cabin in a tiny village.”

The leader seized the moment, his eyes gleaming.

“See? Why not just stay here? We have homes and make good money. Isn’t this better than being a spy?”

“No way! Are you crazy? If we stay here, what about our families?”

“Exactly! If they find out we betrayed them, they won’t leave our families alone!”

No territory would send spies without safeguards in place. Naturally, they would ensure loyalty by holding families as hostages, the most common tactic.

When one of the group raised his voice, the leader frantically gestured for silence.

“Shh, shh! If we fake our deaths, our families will be fine. They’ll just keep an eye on them in case we betray them. It’ll be okay as long as we play dead.”

“You’re out of your mind, traitor...”

Before he could finish, the spy froze. Nearby, a commotion signaled the arrival of someone important.

The leader murmured while bowing his head slightly.

“Looks like the lord is here. Let’s talk about this later. For now, let’s stay low and avoid drawing attention.”

Soon, Ghislain appeared at the construction site. It was well-known that the lord inspected various construction sites daily without fail.

Ghislain meticulously checked every corner of the site before his gaze fell on the three spies huddling in one area.

“Hmm? You seem familiar. Where have I seen you before?”

At Ghislain’s muttering, the leader broke into a cold sweat. Although they hadn’t committed any major offenses yet, their true purpose made them nervous.

After pondering briefly, Ghislain nodded and said.

“Ah, I remember now. You were the ones working on the housing project earlier. And you were always sticking together, weren’t you?”

Hearing this, the spies turned pale as white sheets.