The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 250: That’s What Our Knights Will Wear (2)

It was true that they needed to steadily increase the numbers of troops and weapons. But no matter how much Ghislain earned or how advanced the territory became, just how much could they realistically expand?

‘It’s still nothing compared to the power of the Duke’s forces.’

If the goal was only to topple Count Desmond, increasing the army and weapons as Galbarik suggested might suffice. However, the forces maintained by the Duke operated on an entirely different scale compared to other domains.

Considering the troops of the lords and nobles who followed the Duke, the numbers could easily surpass hundreds of thousands.

Building a comparable force within a short time was impossible. So, what could they do?

‘Each soldier must be able to fight a hundred.’

The 400 knights would need to battle against an army of at least 40,000, a hundredfold. A thousand soldiers would need to withstand tens of thousands.

And even then, it would be uncertain if they could hold their ground against the Duke’s might.

‘To do this, we need to maximize their abilities and equip them with the best gear.’

These new suits of armor and helmets would include lightweight materials, enhanced night vision, strength and agility boosts, temperature control, and other adaptive magic to suit various environments.

The knights would infuse mana into the runestones embedded in the armor, activating the magical seals. This would allow them to use the equipment almost indefinitely.

The soldiers, too, would be outfitted with weapons crafted from Galvani, and through grueling training, they would be honed into elite forces.

‘To others, it might look like a massive army... but even if I gather large numbers, they’d still be a small force compared to the Duke’s. So, I’ll focus on a powerful, elite few.’

And the Duke wasn’t the only adversary they’d have to face.

Galbarik, scanning through the documents, muttered to himself.

“This gear would definitely make them stronger... But is this really meant for fighting humans?”

It was so over-the-top that he wondered if it was meant to face something other than humans. Such equipment required exorbitant technology and costs.

With this gear, a knight could probably take down an ogre single-handedly.

Ghislain smirked at Galbarik’s comment.

“The enemies we’re up against are that strong. Besides, I’m thinking ahead to dealing with even more frightening foes than humans. So, make sure you do it right; this is critical.”

Detecting something cryptic in Ghislain’s words, Galbarik didn’t pry further and simply nodded.

‘Maybe he’s planning to use this gear for monster hunting or something, like going back to that so-called Forest of Beasts? Even so, wouldn’t it be cheaper to just bolster and train the troops with this money?’

From an efficiency standpoint, this was financially outrageous.

‘Where does he even get the nerve to spend like this?’

Maybe he was just young and spending wildly to indulge his whims.

Deciding to let it go and focus on something less confusing, Galbarik asked another question.

“But why black armor?”

Unusually, all the armor and helmets Ghislain ordered were black.

To make armor black without it showing silver when worn required special treatment, which increased costs. It was so expensive that few groups could afford it.

“It’s good for night movements and ambushes.”

“...Ah, yes. It does suit that purpose.”

Ever since Ghislain started engaging in battles, it seemed he’d become obsessed with warfare.

Wanting to improve battle efficiency, he even covered up the prideful silver armor of the knights with black.

“Also, it has a symbolic effect. During the last war, the sight of black-armored units caused Victor and Count Digald to have fits.”

The black armor may lack elegance, but it certainly projected more power than silver armor.

“Got it. We’ll increase Galvani production and start crafting the armor and helmets. The mages are going to be irritated.”

The mages were constantly busy, often pulled from one construction project to the next with barely any rest.

They were bound to raise a fuss when they found out about their new tasks.

Ghislain spoke as if he was doing them a favor.

“Tell them they’ll get the same holiday break as before, once the armor and helmet production is complete. The top priority now is mass production of Galvani and the creation of our weapons, so make sure everyone’s focused.”

“Oh! A holiday? Understood! Don’t worry about it!”

In this domain, the only joys were stuffing themselves and taking brief rests. Galbarik and the dwarves had adapted perfectly to the lifestyle.

“As always, fast and thorough. You know that, right?”

“Yes... You sure are a nag sometimes.”

He’d heard this often enough to be sick of it. Grumbling, Galbarik left.

Ghislain watched Galbarik depart with a satisfied grin. Galvani would massively enhance the domain’s military strength.

The power of this new material was truly unmatched.

Galbarik didn’t know it yet, but Ghislain had plans to create other weapons using Galvani.

Once those were complete, they would redefine the concept of maneuver warfare.

“Finish it quickly, so we can move on to the next step.”

With an expectant smile, Ghislain looked forward to the results.

Claude was silent as he reviewed the funding requests submitted by the dwarves.

He studied the request with an expressionless face before quietly approving it. The dwarves glanced at him in surprise a few times before they left.

Without further reaction, Claude closed his eyes and sipped his tea.

Even Wendy, who usually avoided initiating conversation with Claude, couldn’t contain her curiosity.

“Why... didn’t you say anything?”

Normally, he’d raise a fuss, argue with the lord, and only reluctantly approve the expenses.

Even if it was ultimately pointless, he’d at least voice opposition to make the lord think twice.

Ghislain was someone who would spend enormous amounts without a second thought if he deemed it necessary, so this opposition was meant to instill some sense of caution.

But this time, he hadn’t done that, and Wendy couldn’t help but wonder.

Claude set his cup down and answered with a serene smile.

“When you give up, life is easier.”

“...”

“Let this wretched domain go bankrupt. It’s not my money.”

“...”

While Ghislain just pushed through with decisions, it was Claude’s job to calculate the expenses, allocate funds, and distribute tasks.

No matter how much money they earned, the finances were still tight, and Claude felt like he was losing his mind trying to make ends meet.

Even if they lacked funds, any project Ghislain ordered had to go ahead. It was truly a maddening domain.

Everyone else at least got paid handsomely and seemed happy, but as an unpaid servant, Claude had no such perks. He was on the brink of losing it.

“Ah! I wish a war would break out again! What’s Count Desmond waiting for? Is he scared?”

If things were going to collapse, they might as well do it quickly. Claude was slowly going insane.

Wendy, feeling a rare pang of sympathy for him, changed the topic.

“But still, the alloy Galvani seems remarkable. It will boost the soldiers’ strength and improve people’s lives significantly.”

“Yes, I’m sure it will. We’ll produce it endlessly now.”

Numerous forges and smithies had been built across the domain, though they had only been minimally used for maintenance work.

Once Galvani was created, they’d fully utilize these facilities.

Compared to other craftsmen in the domain, the blacksmiths had had it somewhat easy.

But now that Galvani had been developed, all forges and smithies would be running at full capacity.

When the blacksmiths first received samples of Galvani from the dwarves, they were astounded.

“This... This can’t be real! To create such an alloy!”

“The dwarves really are something!”

“I heard the lord provided the knowledge.”

It was an incredible alloy. A metal as strong as iron yet much lighter was beyond their wildest dreams.

When the dwarves offered to teach them the techniques, the blacksmiths were thrilled. Learning such a craft was an immense honor for any blacksmith.

While they selected only trustworthy individuals, they still had to keep recruiting to meet mass production needs.

But, of course, not everyone was perfect. Some blacksmiths began to have greedy thoughts.

‘What if I learn this technique and move to another domain? I’d make a fortune.’

No matter how much they were paid, it couldn’t compare to the profits they could make by selling the technique elsewhere. And since it would be a secret technique in other domains, they could monopolize it.

Human nature was the same everywhere. The sight of treasure was bound to spark greed.

Learning an already established technique wasn’t difficult, and within days, some of the new blacksmiths began to scheme.

‘Now that the lockdown on the domain has been lifted, if I find the right excuse, I could leave...’

But their plans were shattered the moment their training was complete.

“Who... are you?”

“We’ll be your escorts since you’ve learned a crucial domain technique.”

‘Escort? More like surveillance!’

Each blacksmith was assigned two soldiers, ostensibly for protection. Realizing they couldn’t escape, the blacksmiths resigned themselves to their high wages and nothing more.

However, the soldiers’ attention was relentless.

“Can you not follow me everywhere? This is the bathroom!”

“Why are you watching me eat?”

“Following me into the washroom is too much!”

They were shadowed so closely that even bathroom breaks became awkward, and nights out with friends were out of the question.

“It’s getting late; let’s head home.”

“It’s not good to drink too much.”

If they drank too much and seemed about to say something they shouldn’t, the soldiers would promptly whisk them away. At night, two new guards would arrive to keep watch until dawn.

It was a little annoying, but not unbearable. Having personal guards had its perks.

Still, a feeling of unease crept into the blacksmiths’ minds.

Galvani was only produced in a large-scale forge near the lord’s residence. It was then distributed to various regions.

Around this forge, several large, impressive homes stood vacant.

“Could it be...?”

For a while, they thought nothing of it. But now, with guards constantly watching, they started to get a bad feeling.

And soon enough, their suspicions proved correct.

“Honey! When did you buy such a nice house? I feel terrible for not appreciating all the hard work you’ve done. And they’re even assigning us a security detail! When did you become so successful?”

“Wow, Dad! Is this really our house? It’s huge!”

The child’s mother beamed with joy.

“Now that you work right next door, you can come home right after work. And if you’re busy, we can just visit you.”

“Wow! I want to go see Dad at work!”

“...”

Seeing the happy faces of their wives and children—or even parents—made the blacksmiths bow their heads in resignation. They now realized there was no escaping.

After finishing their shifts, they were escorted home, only to find that they had already been moved into these new houses.

With their families so overjoyed, it was impossible for them to refuse as the head of the household.

One blacksmith’s wife was moved to tears, wiping her eyes repeatedly.

“You fool! Why didn’t you tell me you were working so hard? I was so harsh on you, thinking you didn’t care about us... No matter what, you’re still the best.”

‘No, please... I didn’t work that hard. I don’t want this house. Just say you want to go back to our old place.’

Completely unaware of her husband’s thoughts, the wife untied her hair, giving him a suggestive look.

“Hold on. Let me freshen up.”

“Honey... what are you doing? Why do you need to freshen up?”

The blacksmith took a step back, fear flashing in his eyes.

Similar scenes played out in every home of the blacksmiths working on Galvani production.

They were now confined to the forge district. Their homes were right next door, and even if they wanted to sneak away, their families and guards were there to keep a watchful eye.

‘This domain is... insane.’

Some blacksmiths started volunteering for night shifts just to avoid going home. As a result, the production of Galvani picked up even more speed.

The Galvani produced was then sent to various smithies across the domain.

It wasn’t only the blacksmiths producing Galvani who had to work hard; the blacksmiths in each region, too, had to turn the Galvani into armor, weapons, and tools for the people.

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The previously quiet forges and smithies were now abuzz with activity, with fires burning day and night.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Aargh! Why is there so much work?”

Across the domain, the sounds of hammering and the shouts of blacksmiths echoed without end.

The first products crafted were armor and weapons for the soldiers. With every blacksmith across the region involved, a staggering amount of equipment was produced daily.

The soldiers receiving the new armor were taken aback.

“Full plate armor? Isn’t this a mistake?”

“We’re infantry, not knights!”

“How are we supposed to wear this? We’ll get exhausted in no time.”

Ordinary soldiers typically wore padded cloth armor. Even wealthy domains rarely provided more than a breastplate or leather armor.

Providing knight-grade armor to every soldier was a luxury few domains could afford.

And even if the armor was thin and light, most soldiers weren’t skilled enough to fight in full metal gear.

So, naturally, the soldiers were shocked when they were issued such armor without regard to rank.

“It’s nice, but... no matter how well-made, it’s still too heavy for us...”

Mumbling, one soldier lifted the armor and fell silent in shock.

The armor was incredibly light, almost unbelievably so.