The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 244: I Will Start a New Business (2)

‘Fenris Arrow Delivery? What kind of name is that?’

‘He’s doing it again. Last time, he gave some weird name to the cosmetics.’

‘Can’t we do something about his naming sense?’

The retainers, despite their curiosity about the business itself, felt dizzy just hearing the name. Seeing their mouths agape, Ghislain doubled down on his stance.

“What? Why? What’s the issue? Names should be straightforward so people remember them easily. That’s how it should be! Last time, I gave in with the cosmetics because it was something the nobles would use, didn’t I?”

Ghislain, who had spent far more of his life as a mercenary than as a noble, naturally preferred quick and direct names over unnecessarily flowery language.

He still felt a pang of regret over dropping the name “Lovely Bling Bling.” At that time, the response had been too negative, and since it was a luxury product for the nobility, he’d let it go. But this time, he wouldn’t compromise.

Claude, still dazed, asked hesitantly.

“...So, what exactly is this Arrow Delivery? I have a rough idea, but could you clarify how you intend to carry it out?”

“It’s simple. It’s a service to deliver people’s letters and goods.”

“Oh...”

“We’ll set up telegraph offices in each city and town, charging a small fee to safely transport letters and items. The ultimate goal is to establish telegraph offices in every city and town connected by roads.”

“Hmm...”

In this era, sending letters or items to distant relatives or acquaintances wasn’t easy for the common person.

Instead of sending things anytime they wanted, they had to rely on travelers, merchants, or military movements to deliver messages, which was the limit of communication at this time.

While one could hire a merchant group or a messenger, that was often unaffordable for poor villagers.

As a result, it could take months to send just one letter.

Ghislain explained further, indicating this was only the beginning.

“Since the roads aren’t fully connected yet, we’ll start within the domain, but there should still be plenty of users. At the very least, soldiers stationed away from their families will use it frequently.”

The retainers, still in a daze, nodded.

“And even if some areas aren’t connected by roads, we can still manage deliveries, though they’ll take longer. We’ll establish a solid system within the domain first, and then travelers, officials, and immigrants from faraway lands can use it. We’ll just charge them a bit more.”

“Oh...”

Everyone showed expressions of admiration. It was clearly a profitable plan.

Not all the residents of the Fenris domain had been there for generations.

After several wars and territorial mergers, people from Ferdium, Digald, and Cabaldy had settled there. Thousands of immigrants from distant regions had also arrived.

Many knights and officials had also come to Fenris alone, leaving behind families and relatives, in response to Ghislain’s invitation.

Especially for soldiers separated from their families due to their posts, sending letters home would boost morale significantly.

“And that’s not all. Once this system is fully in place, it’ll also make it easier for people in the domain to get goods. The faster communication between cities and towns, the quicker we can locate and supply materials and items.”

As Ghislain finished, Claude wiped away nervous sweat, deep in thought.

‘What is this? How did he come up with this? This is on an entirely different level than any of the previous projects. If this succeeds, it could make an astronomical amount of money. A road toll collection system paired with a delivery service covering half the kingdom...’

Seeing Claude lost in contemplation, Ghislain chuckled.

‘I did a lot of delivery work back when I was a rookie mercenary.’

Some nobles and merchants still hired mercenaries to transport valuable items. Mercenaries even provided escorts for the safety of the person or item being delivered.

If bandits or monsters attacked, everything would be lost, so people hired mercenaries to reduce the risk.

The better the mercenary or larger the merchant group, the higher the delivery fee they could charge.

‘It was convenient in my past life too.’

In his past life, a similar system had emerged—not for profit, but to deal with the chaos, setting up a network of relay stations to manage the distribution of supplies and the movement of troops.

Having experienced the convenience of such a system, Ghislain planned to establish it as a profitable and sustainable operation for his domain.

‘It’ll be useful during civil unrest and crises. Also good for taking action against unruly subordinates.’

It wasn’t solely about profit. During peacetime, he’d use it as a delivery service, but in wartime, it would be valuable for military operations.

Ghislain’s confident demeanor made Claude think hard.

‘This isn’t the first time he’s embarked on something outrageous. Somehow, it feels like he can push this through too.’

Building roads could be done with enough money and manpower, and stables and telegraph offices could be constructed in the same way.

That was all fine. But there was one issue that even manpower couldn’t solve.

“We still don’t have enough skilled riders. Even if the roads are all connected, what’s the use if we don’t have anyone to deliver? Are you planning to borrow them? Cavalry are a rare, specialized force. Other lords wouldn’t lend us theirs.”

“That’s why I plan to train professional riders. When necessary, they can serve as cavalry, and during peacetime, they’ll work as delivery personnel. We already had a plan for cavalry training, after all.”

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Ghislain couldn’t help but admire his own idea. Working would naturally improve the riders’ skills. Training soldiers while making money—this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

The more he thought about it, the more perfect the plan seemed. This was why he’d gone out of his way to gather so many horses.

The retainers were left speechless by Ghislain’s shocking declaration.

‘So he’s really planning to work them to the bone, huh? Not only do they have to be soldiers, but they also have to work?’

‘Road construction and cavalry training at the same time. They’re all going to be exhausted.’

‘Why can’t he just settle down and enjoy the wealth he’s amassed? We’ve become rich; can’t we live comfortably now?’

However, not everyone was thinking negatively. The scale of the endeavor left them overwhelmed, but some could see the positive side.

‘Sending letters and goods safely and reliably? If this works, it’ll make a fortune.’

‘Typical of our bold lord. A delivery service? Delivery soldiers? He’s even creating a new job category.’

‘If it works, it’ll be a huge achievement. With the domain backing it, everyone in the kingdom will have to use it. The royal faction supports us too.’

No domain or organization in the kingdom had established a proper transportation business.

No one had ever thought of connecting the roads so widely.

In the past, they would’ve dismissed Ghislain’s idea as absurd. But with so many horses and residents in the domain, it now seemed feasible.

Claude recognized the business potential in Ghislain’s plan. Though it would mean more work, with Ghislain’s connections and the domain’s resources, there was a real chance of success.

And... Ghislain was not the kind of lord who’d listen even if they tried to stop him.

He sighed deeply and said, “Alright then. I’ll send people to each domain and the capital to present the business plan. We’ll start with road construction and secure toll collection rights. Training cavalry will naturally take time, so for now, we’ll incur—”

Before Claude could finish, Ghislain waved his hand dismissively.

“What are you talking about? Why should we incur losses? It’ll only take a month or two to train the cavalry. I already have a plan for that.”

“What? How do you plan to train cavalry so quickly? That’s impossible.”

Ghislain grinned.

“It’s possible. It’s time to put the elves to good use.”

The elves had been undergoing endurance training for several months. Ghislain assumed that, by now, they’d built up some basic strength.

Though he hadn’t been able to check on them due to the expedition to the North, he knew that Gordon had been working them hard.

Planning to move to the next phase, Ghislain went with some retainers to visit the elves.

“One! Two! Three! Four! Five...”

Even from a distance, Gordon’s booming voice could be heard. Ghislain smiled contentedly as he walked over.

When they reached the training grounds and saw the elves, everyone was shocked.

‘Are those... elves?’

‘What happened to their bodies...?’

‘How did they end up like this just from exercise? What on earth were they eating?’

If not for their faces, it would’ve been hard to tell who was Gordon. The elves were so muscular they could barely move.

Tall or short, male or female—it didn’t matter. They all looked like muscle-bound warriors, with shoulder muscles so large they could barely turn their heads.

Their lower bodies, however, seemed lacking. It appeared they’d only focused on their upper bodies, resulting in a triangular build.

“...”

Ghislain blinked in silence, at a loss for words upon seeing the transformed elves. How on earth did they end up like this?

Spotting Ghislain, Gordon, who had been training with the elves, greeted him enthusiastically.

“My lord! When did you return? I’ve been focusing on ‘physique’ training! Now, I’ll start building up their lower bodies too!”

The elves, noticing Ghislain, struck poses as if to flaunt their muscles.

“Surprisingly, it’s actually quite fun! Hahaha!”

“With these muscles, I feel more confident!”

“At first, it looked strange, but now it seems awesome! Heehee!”

“...”

After watching the elves’ muscle show for a moment, Ghislain turned to his retainers and asked.

“Why... did no one stop this?”

Since Ghislain, Gillian, and Claude had been away on the expedition, they hadn’t been able to check on the elves. But the others could have if they’d wanted.

The retainers averted their gazes and replied.

“We were too busy...”

“We assumed they’d handle it...”

“We were told not to worry about this area...”

The elves’ training grounds were in a remote corner of the lord’s estate. Unless one went out of their way to visit, it was hard to know their condition.

Busy with their own duties, the retainers had little reason to check on them. They’d simply provided anything Gordon requested.

Gillian also sighed deeply and bowed his head to Ghislain.

“...I’m sorry.”

He had been the one to recommend Gordon. Gordon was supposed to focus on ‘endurance’ training, but instead, he’d bulked them up. There was no excuse.

“I’ll make sure they reduce their muscles.”

“...Fine.”

Ghislain’s plan was to make them into a unique elite force. They weren’t meant to be shield-bearers or assault soldiers, so excessive muscle was counterproductive.

Excessive muscle mass could hinder their strength, agility, and endurance.

While such training suited those with towering physiques or a destructive fighting style, it didn’t fit the slender elves.

Unaware of the severity of the situation, Gordon ran over with a cheerful grin.

“My lord! What do you think? To prevent muscle loss, I’ve been feeding them chicken breasts every day... Ack!”

Before Ghislain could say anything, Gillian silently started hitting Gordon.

‘Honestly, is there anyone reliable here?’

The elves, seeing Gordon getting scolded, stopped showing off their muscles and nervously took note.

Surprisingly, Ascon, the foul-mouthed elf, looked the most normal, with a well-balanced physique that maintained a lean but muscular frame.

Not following the training had turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“See, you should’ve been like me, taking it easy. The rest of you look ridiculous.”

Ascon ran his hand through his hair with pride, clearly pleased with himself for not following orders.

Shaking his head, Ghislain called the elves together.

“The physique... I mean, endurance training ends here. It’s time to start the next task.”

“Ack!”

“...”

Their responses had become oddly strange. Though they’d adapted to human society, it felt like the elves had grown even stranger in his absence.

“From now on, you’ll reshape your bodies with Gillian’s help, then begin basic training.”

“Ack!”

“And change the way you talk.”

“Ack!”

“...Ascon.”

At Ghislain’s call, Ascon crept over, trying to gauge his mood.

“Yes?”

“From now on, the elves have a new daily task. After morning training, you’ll dedicate your afternoons to this.”

“What... is it?”

“From now on, all elves are horse trainers. You’ll tame the horses to make them suitable for others to ride as quickly as possible.”

Hearing this, Ascon’s eyes widened. They had no experience with such things. They’d always traveled comfortably by carriage and never even ridden horses.

“What the... How are we supposed to do that? We’ve never trained anything, not even a dog.”

Ghislain placed a firm hand on Ascon’s shoulder, smiling confidently.

“You’re the only ones who can do it. You’ll need your species’ unique ‘empathy’ ability for this.”