Taking things by force is robbery. Ghislain did not see himself as a robber.
He was always rational, taking what was deserved and giving what was due. This situation was no different.
However, the allied forces' commanders seemed to think otherwise. So he explained a bit more.
"Shouldn't we demand compensation from those who merely hoarded wealth and fled to safety?"
"Th-they've already supported the war effort sincerely with supplies…"
"Really?"
Ghislain leaned forward slightly and asked again.
"Did they really support us as much as we risked our lives fighting?"
"…"
Of course not. Even when the kingdom was on the verge of falling to the rebels, most of the nobles fled with their wealth.
Take, for instance, the Kingdom of Seiron that Claude had seized; they even embezzled the supplies sent by Lutania.
While other kingdoms weren't as extreme, many nobles had hidden their wealth and offered only token support. For them, that was the "wise" thing to do.
After all, it was a time when death could come at any moment.
Now that the situation had improved, it was time for them to pay their dues to those who risked their lives to protect them.
"…"
The commanders remained silent.
While Ghislain's words were true, the problem lay in the fact that it was up to them to retrieve the compensation. It would cause a major uproar.
Their positions might even be at risk. They would inevitably make enemies of the nobles back home.
Why were they always tasked with these difficult and troublesome matters?
Knowing the nature of nobles well, Ghislain grinned and provided them with a pretext.
"As the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces, I declare that we must requisition additional supplies due to the prolonged war. Please convey this to your respective nations."
This had been Ghislain's plan from the start. Even when he boldly declared this to the soldiers earlier, he had thought, If we run short, we'll just take it.
Marquis Alperen groaned inwardly.
'I should've asked back then. I should've objected then.'
He regretted not raising the question out of fear of what the response might have been.
Even with a just cause, fierce opposition was inevitable.
The thought of it made him utterly reluctant. Just imagining the hassle was exhausting.
The other commanders felt the same. If asking politely would result in receiving what they needed, how peaceful the world would be.
But that's not how the world works. Greed always leads to conflicts and chaos.
Marquis Alperen took the lead in voicing their concerns.
"Your words are all correct, but… it's not as easy as it sounds. They'll do everything to avoid giving anything. It could escalate into another conflict."
In response, Ghislain replied with a nonchalant expression.
"Then tell them to fight the dragon in my place."
"…"
"Ah, I'm so tired of this."
"…"
"I'm always the one fighting on the front lines. Honestly, the more I think about it, the more unfair it feels."
"…"
"Fine, I'll just head back. You all take care of it. Oh, by the way, we're taking the mages we captured. Since we're the ones who caught them."
As Ghislain rose from his seat, the commanders panicked, especially those closer to the Kingdom of Turian.
"Ah, wait a minute! We said it's difficult, not that we wouldn't do it."
One of the commanders hastily spoke up, and the others followed suit with forced smiles.
"Of course, of course. Helping fight the dragon is only natural."
"After all, if we don't, we'd all be doomed."
"If they refuse, they're traitors."
With reluctant smiles, they tried to pacify Ghislain, who sat back down with a wide grin.
"Oh dear, I must've misunderstood. I can be a bit impulsive. That's always been a problem for me, even as a child."
'It's not impulsiveness; it's sheer audacity.'
'Why is it always your way or no way?'
'He doesn't know how to sugarcoat things.'
The commanders felt like crying. This man only knew how to threaten. He didn't understand the concept of negotiation.
Marquis Alperen struggled to speak.
"We understand the need to secure resources… but this will take some time. We can't proceed rashly; it has to be done through 'negotiation.'"
Clink.
Ghislain smiled brightly and placed his sword on the table.
"This sword is called 'Negotiation.' Whenever I use it, I find there's no one it doesn't work on."
"…"
The message was clear: use force. Not a single person in the room misunderstood.
Ghislain, who had been smiling all along, now turned serious.
"These are soldiers who fought for the people, the kingdom, and even the world."
"…"
"Is it really so difficult to reward those who risked their lives fighting?"
"…"
"If not for them, this war could not have been fought. They led the charge. Frankly, they deserve even more. Aren't they our comrades who fought alongside us?"
The commanders of the allied forces could say nothing in response, listening to Ghislain's heavy words in silence.
This was not the mindset of a noble. Considering comrades as equals was the mindset of a mercenary.
Only now did they recall one of Ghislain's nicknames.
'The Mercenary King.'
His way of thinking was fundamentally different from theirs.
Yet, they could not dismiss his opinions. His overwhelming strength made it impossible.
And their feelings had shifted as well.
Hadn't they fought alongside the soldiers on the front lines all this time? Now, they felt closer to the soldiers than to the nobles back home.
'He's not wrong.'
'In the end, blood will be spilled.'
'There's no choice.'
They wanted to avoid clashing with the nobles remaining in the kingdom. Even now, they were being closely monitored and pressured.
This time, however, it was unavoidable. They would have to openly confront the kingdom's nobles.
But what could they do? The power was in their hands, and this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Ghislain spoke as if driving a wedge.
"Providing rightful compensation is also a noble's duty. That is what we must do."
"Understood."
When Marquis Alperen nodded in agreement, the other commanders followed suit.
Only Marquis Gidion hesitated and turned to Yulian, asking, "Are you sure about this?"
Yulian was already disliked by his father, the king. This decision could unite the king and nobles in their disdain for him.
Yet Yulian, as always, replied with an indifferent expression.
"We're not talking about confiscating private property. We're asking for fair compensation in return for their protection. We'll calculate everything precisely."
With that, Yulian closed his eyes, signaling he didn't care how others might react.
Marquis Gidion sighed deeply.
'His Majesty will surely fly into a rage again.'
To nobles, soldiers were disposable. As long as their promised pay was given, it didn't matter whether they starved or died in battle.
But now they were demanding compensation equivalent to the soldiers' sacrifices. This unconventional decision would spark widespread backlash.
However, Ghislain had decided, and Yulian had approved. Any opposition would be futile.
'If it gets too difficult, maybe we can negotiate using the newly acquired territories.'
The spoils of war were meant to be distributed not only to the royal family but also to the nobles and merchants who supported the war effort. Perhaps those could be leveraged to smooth things over.
Though force might ultimately be necessary, they hoped to resolve things as peacefully as possible.
After the meeting ended, everyone began preparing to withdraw the remaining forces to focus on subjugating the lingering enemy remnants.
Once again, things proceeded as Ghislain wanted. He felt no guilt about taking the money—after all, he planned to contribute the most himself.
"If you risk your life fighting, you deserve fair compensation."
Having lived as a mercenary for so long, Ghislain's worldview often clashed with other nobles'. Yet he didn't believe he was wrong. It was a truth he had learned firsthand on the battlefield.
While the soldiers prepared for withdrawal, Ghislain and key figures gathered for another important meeting.
The topic: How to slay the dragon.
"So, if the mages seal the dragon's magic, Yulian and I will first—"
"We also need to watch out for the dragon's breath. It'll likely target the mages first during battle."
"Lady Parniel will join us, and the priests should stay behind the mages…"
Ghislain proposed various strategies, adjusting them based on others' input. Having fought a dragon in his previous life, he led the discussion.
In his past life, they had barely defeated the dragon at great cost due to a lack of information.
This time, things were different. Using his past experiences, he carefully crafted and refined their plans.
As the discussion continued, Piote's eyes widened in sudden realization.
"Wait a moment…"
It seemed everyone had overlooked an important point. Raising his hand timidly, Piote tried to speak.
"Excuse me…"
"So, with my dual swords, I'll slash its wings clean off—"
"If the mages cluster together, the damage will be severe. We need to spread out the mana fields."
"Also, we could cast perception-disrupting magic to—"
They were too engrossed in their discussion to notice Piote. It wasn't that they were ignoring him intentionally; they were simply too focused.
"Excuse me…"
Piote tried again, but no one paid attention.
He was often excluded from tactical discussions, as he usually just followed orders. Not having much knowledge of strategy or tactics, he also lacked interest in fighting itself.
But now, his face was filled with urgency. He desperately gestured for someone to listen.
"Excuse me…"
"So, the dragon's attack patterns are probably going to—"
"Excuse me!" Piote finally shouted.
"Huh?"
Everyone turned to him in surprise. It was rare for Piote to raise his voice.
Ghislain blinked and asked, "What is it? Got a good plan?"
Alpoi, sitting nearby, interjected with a smirk, "Piote, your job is to stand there and take hits. Then, when the time's right, hit it with your Goddess Punch!"
"Yes, I understand that. But before that, I have something to say…"
Ghislain nodded. "Go ahead. If you have a good idea, share it."
"Well… everything sounds fine, but… why is the discussion only about fighting?"
"What do you mean? The dragon's coming to attack humans first, isn't it?"
"No, I mean… what if, before fighting, we try talking to the dragon?"
Thud.
Ghislain unsheathed his sword and placed it on the table.
"This sword's name is 'Negotiation.' It's very effective in conversations with dragons—works across all species."
"That's a sword! I'm talking about real negotiation!"
"Hm."
Ghislain crossed his arms and stared at Piote. The others did the same.
It was clear none of them understood what he was trying to say.
Feeling all eyes on him, Piote flushed but mustered his courage.
"Didn't Erenes say the dragon is seeking Adversary to fight?"
"That's right."
"Then, eventually, we'll have to deal with the remnants of the Salvation Church and face this adversary, right?"
"Probably."
"Then doesn't that mean the dragon's enemy is also our enemy?"
"…Huh?"
Ghislain tilted his head. The others followed suit, equally puzzled.
Piote raised his voice.
"So, even if we end up fighting, can't we at least try explaining the situation first and talk it out? Why does everything always have to be solved with violence? Why don't you ever try talking?"
His words left everyone stunned. Their expressions made it clear that the thought had never crossed their minds.
Seeing this, Piote was convinced.
These people only had one thing on their minds: fighting.
{T/L: I have adjusted the price of paid chapters and they are more cheap and you can catch up to latest chapter.}
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