The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 203: Bring Some Friends Along (2)

At the grand gates of the Seiron Royal Academy, an extravagant, oversized luxury carriage drawn by eight pure-white horses came to a halt.

Behind the carriage, carts piled high with provisions were lined up in succession.

But that wasn’t all. The entire convoy was guarded by dozens of knights on horseback and hundreds of soldiers, forming a flawless escort.

Naturally, the academy’s gatekeepers were thrown into chaos.

“Wh-who could this be?”

“Judging by this, it must be someone of extremely high rank.”

Creaaak.

While the gatekeepers stood frozen with tension, the door of the ornate carriage opened, and Wendy stepped out.

Her attire was indistinguishable from that of the young ladies of noble families.

She was adorned in a dress that was far more elaborate and luxurious than what most noblewomen would wear, paired with stunning accessories that sparkled brilliantly.

The gatekeepers were left utterly dumbstruck at the sight, while Wendy closed her eyes and clenched her teeth.

‘This is so embarrassing…’

Few people truly dislike being admired for their beauty, but her appearance today was excessively overdone—too flashy, to the point of discomfort.

Moreover, her line of work had instilled in her a habit of avoiding attention whenever possible. Being under such scrutiny left her feeling irritable.

However, she couldn’t exactly escape. The person responsible for forcing her into this gaudy outfit was none other than Claude, who insisted that she must look as wealthy as possible, no exceptions.

Suppressing her embarrassment, Wendy approached the gatekeepers and spoke.

“I am here on behalf of the Chief Overseer of Fenris Estate in the Ritania Kingdom, who has business with the academy’s headmaster.”

The gatekeepers were visibly startled.

They had no idea where Fenris was, but the mention of Ritania was more than enough. It was a powerful neighboring kingdom, known for its strength and influence.

“What do we do? They’re not nobles from our kingdom…”

“Should we just open the gate? I mean, we don’t even know who they are.”

Ritania’s military might was on a completely different level compared to Seiron. The gatekeepers were far too intimidated to even consider asking for identification.

As they hesitated, exchanging anxious glances, a smooth yet commanding voice came from within the carriage.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and open the gateee!”

Oppressed by an unidentifiable aura of authority, the gatekeepers silently opened the gates.

As the group entered the academy grounds, students and professors passing by stopped in their tracks.

Some were struck with fear at the sight of such a massive military presence, while others were filled with curiosity over the ostentatious procession.

When the carriage stopped in front of the central building, even the headmaster came rushing out in a fluster.

Creak…

The door of the carriage slowly opened.

Everyone watched with bated breath, anxiously awaiting the person who would emerge.

Thud.

“Ugh, long-distance travel is so exhausting. Why did the lord send me to a place like this? Do I really look like someone who should be doing menial tasks like these?”

The person who stepped out with a grumble was Claude.

On the way here, he had indulged in such extravagant luxuries that he had completely slipped into the role. Simply put, he had forgotten himself.

People cast sidelong glances at Claude.

His clothing and hat did look exorbitantly expensive, but… something was off.

The hat was adorned with not just one or two, but dozens of rare bird feathers, making him resemble a shaman from some savage tribe.

And that wasn’t all. Each of his ten fingers was weighed down by thick gold and gemstone rings. It was doubtful whether he could even lift his fingers properly.

Around his neck, he wore three thick gold necklaces that dangled heavily down to his navel. It seemed burdensome, as his neck was hunched like a turtle’s.

Additionally, his clothes were festooned with countless accessories, making it appear difficult for him to walk.

Sure enough, Claude stumbled after taking just one step. Wendy quickly moved to support him, clicking her tongue in exasperation.

“Ugh, why do I feel so heavy?”

‘That’s what happens when you pile on so much nonsense.’

As Claude flaunted the unmistakable air of someone who had never handled wealth before, the academy headmaster approached him, bowing his head. The headmaster seemed too intimidated to make eye contact, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the ground.

It appeared he didn’t recognize who Claude was. But that made him all the more hesitant to look at him directly. Nobles with such peculiar tastes often had something off about them, which was more than enough reason for caution.

“H-how may I assist you?” the headmaster stammered.

Claude lazily waved his hand in response.

“Just arrived by carriage, nothing more.”

“…Whom are you here to see?”

“I’m here to see the headmaster. Is he around? Headmaster Dennis, to be precise.”

“I am Dennis,” the headmaster replied.

“Oh? So you’re the headmaster! It’s me, Claude. Wow, you’ve aged quite a bit.”

Dennis raised his head sharply, studying Claude’s face carefully.

It was unmistakable. The face matched his memories perfectly. Dennis’s eyes widened, and he exclaimed in shock.

“Claude? Are you really Claude? How on earth did you… become so wealthy…?”

The astonishment wasn’t limited to Dennis. The professors nearby, who had also heard about Claude’s whereabouts through Anna, were just as stunned.

The last they had heard, Claude had left the kingdom entirely to settle in another. Now, here he was, appearing before them as an ostentatious, unimaginably wealthy man. It was beyond baffling.

Claude, oblivious to their shock, waved his heavily adorned fingers in an exaggerated manner and said, “Ah, why are my fingers so heavy? Anyway, I came to ask you about a few things, Headmaster. And I have a favor to ask as well.”

“Y-yes, of course. Let’s discuss it inside.”

The procession had drawn too much attention. Even the students had gathered, crowding around to witness the spectacle. This wasn’t the right place for a proper conversation.

However, Claude didn’t move to go inside immediately. Instead, he spoke again.

““I heard the Kingdom of Seiron is also suffering from a severe drought. Is everyone managing to eat well these days?”

“Ugh… You must already know how things are. The kingdom is overflowing with poor people everywhere. We’re barely scraping by ourselves.”

The Royal Academy was established to nurture talented commoners into future leaders, and as such, it typically received ample funding from the royal family and the nobility.

If even such a place was struggling to provide proper meals, the situation was dire—far worse than one might expect.

Claude nodded a few times before turning around and speaking.

“Gillian, distribute a heap of food here. Generously. What are you waiting for? Get moving already!”

Gillian, who had been standing behind him, twitched his lips.

Though he went along with this as it was necessary, the sight was becoming increasingly unbearable.

Even so, success this time would undoubtedly help Ghislain, so there was no room for error. Gillian gritted his teeth and ordered the soldiers to unload the food.

Dennis watched this and cautiously asked,

“Are you seriously giving all that food to this place?”

“It’s a donation. A donation. You know you study better on a full stomach, right? Make sure to distribute it generously to the surrounding areas too.”

“You—you really have become incredibly wealthy.”

“Wow!”

The gathered crowd exclaimed in awe at Claude’s words.

Before anyone realized it, a mountain of food had been unloaded by the soldiers beside the wagons. By current market standards, it was enough to buy the entire Academy.

To declare all of that as a donation—it was a decision far beyond the norm.

Claude waved at the people with a self-satisfied smirk, which only made the cheers grow louder.

Scanning the crowd quickly, he wore a slightly disappointed expression.

‘Anna’s not here, huh? Is she absent today?’

Meanwhile, Dennis, full of joy, said with enthusiasm,

“Thank you, truly, thank you. But you didn’t have to go to the trouble of unloading it yourself. Just leaving it in the wagons would’ve been enough—we could’ve handled it from there. Giving us this food is already more than enough of a blessing.”

In Dennis’s estimation, with the sheer volume of food Claude had provided, the wagons were a trivial matter. They were expendable, replaceable a thousand times over.

However, Claude, his face darkening slightly, replied,

“No… I need to take the wagons back…”

In Fenris, wagons like these were far more valuable than food. Food was so plentiful that even stray dogs would turn their noses up at the less palatable scraps.

“A wagon with an important story behind it, I suppose?”

“…Yes. There’s quite a story, indeed…”

“Come in, then. Let’s go inside and talk comfortably.”

Dennis grabbed Claude by the hand and led him inside.

To be honest, if Claude had appeared under ordinary circumstances, he wouldn’t have been welcomed like this.

After all, he was practically exiled from the kingdom, being implicated in the death of his mentor.

However, his overwhelming display of wealth and the distribution of food had left people hesitant to treat him poorly.

Though it was somewhat excessive to the point of being ostentatious, Claude’s strategy had worked perfectly.

Once they moved to the reception room, Dennis got straight to the point and asked,

“So, what do you want to inquire about or request? Have you come to see Anna?”

“No, well, not exactly… I mean, I wouldn’t mind seeing her for a bit, but that’s not the main reason I’m here…”

Claude stammered at Dennis’s direct question, caught off guard. Dennis pressed further.

“Then what is it? Speak freely.”

After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Claude responded,

“I’d like to obtain a list of the students my mentor taught. That includes my peers who studied alongside me.”

“A list of them?”

“Yes, and I’d also like you to gather some of the students who are about to graduate.”

“Students? Why?”

Claude grinned with a strangely sly expression.

“Well… I’m looking to recruit some people for my estate.”

Dennis couldn’t help but feel uneasy at Claude’s demeanor but found no reason to refuse.

Claude had donated an astonishing amount, leaving Dennis with no grounds to reject his request. In fact, if a successful figure like Claude took in some students, it would be a blessing.

In these difficult times, there weren’t many opportunities for the Academy’s graduates. People were struggling to the point of cutting back on their existing staff, so hiring new personnel was out of the question for most.

A few days later, at Dennis’s instruction, banners and posters were put up all over the Academy.

[Recruitment of New Administrators for the Fenris Estate]

[An informational session on employment will be held today. All students nearing graduation are strongly encouraged to attend.]

The sight of the notices caused groups of students to gather and murmur among themselves.

“Ritania Kingdom? Isn’t that a powerful nation?”

“They say they’re recruiting for a grand estate. That nouveau riche guy from a few days ago is supposedly the Chief Overseer there.”

“Let’s go check it out!”

Marlon, one of the soon-to-graduate students, sighed as he watched the others.

“Ugh, should I go too? Finding a job these days is so difficult.”

The famine had led to layoffs of even existing administrators. Some estates were going as far as releasing retainers who had sworn fealty.

For nobles, maintaining knights was a priority, whereas administrative officials were often seen as dispensable.

Even before the famine, most estates were managed haphazardly without proper administrators.

It was no wonder students with no experience beyond their studies were feeling the weight of uncertainty.

“If this keeps up, I won’t be able to find a job and will starve to death.”

The nobles who once supported the academy and recruited its talents no longer visited.

In times when even reducing a single mouth to feed was necessary, sponsoring or employing someone was an unthinkable luxury.

“Should I just inherit my father’s work?”

Marlon had been reputed as a bright child from an early age. With such expectations, his parents dedicated themselves entirely to supporting him.

However, reality was merciless. Among the students gathered from across the kingdom, there were far too many exceptional individuals.

No matter how hard he studied, Marlon could not rise above the middle to lower ranks in academic performance.

Thinking about his parents, who had suffered all their lives to support him, left Marlon feeling downcast.

“Still, I should at least listen to what they have to say… You never know….”

Although the prospect of another kingdom didn’t particularly appeal to him, he wasn’t in a position to be picky. In times like these, even a single job opening was something extraordinary.

Crushed by the weight of reality, Marlon trudged along lethargically.

When he arrived at the academy’s largest hall, most of the other soon-to-be graduates were already gathered.

The situation was so dire that everyone was clinging to even the slimmest of hopes.

A short while later, when Marlon saw Claude enter the hall, he frowned.

“Just look at him; he reeks of a scam. Coming all the way from another kingdom? I can already tell.”

The other students felt similarly to Marlon. They had shown up, fearing starvation, but any hopes they had were quickly dashed.

“He’s a nouveau riche. No doubt about it.”

“He looks utterly ridiculous.”

“That person is supposed to be the Chief Overseer of a great estate?”

Claude, clearly burdened, entered the hall with Wendy’s help.

His attire was so flamboyant it bordered on bizarre, and it naturally soured the mood in the room.

Seeing the disappointed expressions of the students, Claude smirked.

“Oh, how adorable.”

Perhaps it was their youth, but they didn’t seem to recognize just how valuable the items he wore were.

Life had taught him that when you had the chance to collect expensive things, you should take all you could.

After clearing his throat, Claude briefly introduced himself and then began to present information about the Fenris Estate.

“…Our lord is the son of the Margrave of the Northern region and is his heir. He has unified the Digald County and the Cabaldi County through military power, overseeing a vast territory… He is also backed by none other than the Marquis of Branford, one of the kingdom’s most influential figures. There are even rumors of a possible engagement with the Marquis’s daughter….”

The more they heard, the more incredulous the students looked.

The Fenris Lord’s status alone was remarkable, but his achievements and background were anything but ordinary. Based on what was being described, he was a young, exceptional war hero who had become a symbol of hope for the kingdom.

The fact that he was favored by the Marquis of Branford, and that rumors of a possible engagement with his daughter existed, was particularly shocking.

After all, the Marquis of Branford was a figure so influential that his name was known even in neighboring kingdoms.

However, what came next was even more astonishing.

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