The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 114: Shall I Bet My Life Once More? (2)

Seeing the wizards charge in with great momentum, Ghislain wore a disdainful expression.

“What’s the occasion for a group visit?”

“We’ve come to make a bet! We’re all betting that your lordship’s cosmetics are useless.”

“Hmm, there are too many of you… What are the conditions?”

Claude, who stepped forward as the representative, grinned and answered.

“If we win, how about you cancel the slave contracts and give us 2,000 gold each?”

“And if you lose?”

“In that case, we’ll each add 10 more years.”

Ghislain pretended to hesitate and asked again.

“What if I don’t accept the bet?”

At that, Claude and the wizards’ eyes sparkled.

For the first time, this reckless lord was showing a lack of confidence. It meant their chances of winning were high.

“Didn’t your lordship propose the bet first? Backing out now would be dishonorable. If you’re going to quit, then deduct 5 years instead.”

“Ah, that would be difficult….”

After a moment of contemplation, Ghislain nodded.

“I only hesitated because adding 10 more years seemed too harsh… But seeing how determined you all are, there’s no choice. I accept the bet.”

“Yes!”

Claude and the wizards clenched their fists and let out small cheers.

“Great! Then, please set a time frame.”

“Hmm, how about a month?”

Ghislain said confidently.

Two weeks would be enough for the effects to show, but since everyone’s skin condition was different, he generously set it to a month.

Claude, gleeful, summoned several vassals to act as witnesses for the bet.

Everyone gathered in the main hall except for Gillian, who was out inspecting the estate, and Vanessa, who was training in the practice yard.

Of course, Belinda was vehemently opposed.

“A bet? Again with the bets! Have you been influenced by that guy? How on earth do you plan to prove the effectiveness of your cosmetics?”

It was easy to see sprouts emerging and fruit bearing in farming, but there was no objective standard to evaluate the effects of cosmetics.

Eating well and getting plenty of sleep also naturally improves a person’s complexion.

In other words, they could deliberately sabotage their skin and claim it was a failure.

“You’re not seriously going to give it to those guys, right? Who knows what they’ll do with it!”

Ghislain waved his hand dismissively as if to say not to worry.

“Of course, Claude and the wizards are excluded from the test. Those guys would smear dung on their faces if it meant winning the bet.”

The wizards felt insulted, but they couldn’t refute it.

They had seriously considered resorting to smearing dung if it came to that.

Even with Ghislain’s reassurance, Belinda couldn’t calm her anger.

“Then who’s going to test it? Even if a single pimple shows up, those guys will claim they’ve won!”

“Hmm, that’s true. We need someone trustworthy….”

Ghislain looked around.

Everyone present quickly bowed their heads, trying to avoid eye contact.

No one wanted to volunteer to test an unverified product on their face.

“Who would be a good choice….”

It wouldn’t be hard to force it on someone.

However, if people got scared and refused to use it, the outcome of the bet would become unclear.

That would give Claude and the wizards room to insist that the product didn’t work.

No matter how effective a new product was, it needed to be applied consistently for a few days to show results.

Instead of forcing everyone to use it, Ghislain decided to first find someone who would properly test it.

“Kaor, how about you try it out? I’ll let you skip training for a few days.”

Since he was also learning to control mana, he would be less affected by external conditions, making him a suitable candidate.

But Kaor snorted and, with a cocky expression, refused.

“A real man doesn’t use stuff like that.”

“Who do you think you’re fooling? You think no one knows you stick fruit peels on your face every night?”

“That’s…! They just happened to stick on while I was eating fruit!”

Even before he joined up with Ghislain, Kaor often slept with fruit peels on his face.

He occasionally did the same after coming to Ferdium, so those who knew him were well aware of it.

“Anyway! I’m not using that. I’m done with that kind of stuff now.”

It was clear that someone who already paid attention to skincare wouldn’t obediently apply something unfamiliar to his face.

Seeing his firm refusal, Ghislain merely shrugged.

He had no intention of forcing someone who wasn’t willing. He’d just have to find someone else reliable.

“Guess I’ll have to look for someone else to test it. Anyway, we’re going ahead with the bet, so everyone should keep that in mind.”

“What do you mean, ‘look for someone?’ You’re the lord! It doesn’t make sense for you to be running around looking for people for a bet,” Belinda snapped, her eyes flashing with anger.

Ghislain tilted his head, baffled.

“Everyone here said they wouldn’t do it. So, would you like to, Belinda?”

“No, that’s a bit….”

As all eyes turned to her, she looked down, flustered.

‘Ugh, there’s no other way. I’ll just pretend to use it and figure something out.’

Belinda raised her head and confidently held out her hand.

“Fine. I’ll do it. Give me a jar.”

She had no intention of actually using it.

Her plan was to sleep as much as possible and diligently train her mana until the day of the bet, then use her mana to tighten her skin right before the end.

That way, her skin would appear noticeably improved, even if just for a moment.

“Wait! The head maid can’t participate,” Claude intervened, stopping Belinda.

“Why not?”

“The head maid’s skin is already quite nice, isn’t it? Sure, there are a few age lines around the eyes, but….”

“Will you be quiet?”

“Anyway, the head maid can’t do it. She’s the type who would find a way to cheat. Please choose someone else, preferably someone with poor skin so the results are more obvious.”

As someone who had spent years in gambling dens, Claude immediately sensed something was off when Belinda suddenly changed her stance.

‘Ugh, that guy….’

Belinda glared at Claude, fuming.

The sneaky bastard always seemed to catch on quickly and interfere at the most critical moments.

Ghislain nodded, as if he understood.

“Alright, I’ll look for someone else. Now, everyone, go back to your work.”

Belinda sighed as she left, and the others quickly fled, relieved to be excused.

Even though everyone had refused, Ghislain didn’t think much of it.

Surely, there would be someone who would trust him and willingly use the product.

“Wouldn’t the mercenaries and servants like it? This kind of thing is usually used by nobles, after all. Well, at least a few of them might give it a try.”

With a confident expression, Ghislain began searching for people.

“Want to try this out?”

“S-Sorry.”

“How about you? Want to give it a try? It’s a fantastic product, only nobles get to use this.”

“Please forgive me!”

People were generally uneasy about using the cosmetics Ghislain had made.

It was only natural to be wary of applying something unfamiliar.

“Is everyone just content with how they are now? Maybe I should gather a group of people with worse skin and give it to them.”

He tried rounding up some of the servants and mercenaries who had less-than-perfect skin, but most of them accepted it reluctantly or showed clear signs of disinterest, so he took it back.

This wasn’t going to lead to a proper test.

“Ah, this is driving me crazy. Selling this to nobles later is going to be a problem too, huh? It’s not like I have the reputation of the Delfine Duchy.”

The Delfine Duchy commanded trust simply by name alone.

Before his regression, when the duchy announced the release of a newly developed product, people had rushed to buy the cosmetics.

But the Fenris estate was the back of beyond, and Ghislain’s own name recognition was virtually nonexistent.

Who would trust and use a product made in a place like this?

Even the subordinates who knew Ghislain well were reluctant, so it was obvious that the nobles would dismiss it outright.

“Once the testing is done, I’ll have to head to the capital and figure out how to promote it.”

Ghislain clicked his tongue.

He had thought that just making it would be enough, but now he was facing the reality of having to find buyers.

“I’ll worry about that later. Right now, the priority is testing.”

Determined, Ghislain roamed around the castle and its surroundings, trying to persuade people to try the cosmetics he had made.

Before long, the complaints of those who had been approached began to spread.

People who heard the rumors started to avoid Ghislain.

“Did you get that thing the lord’s been carrying around…?”

“Uh, I did, but then he took it back after seeing my expression.”

“Why is he suddenly trying to make and sell something like that?”

“Well, our lord does act strange sometimes. Remember when he almost died from drinking poison?”

Everyone across the estate was well aware that Ghislain had succeeded in agriculture.

Back then, they had acknowledged that Ghislain’s new approach had worked.

But many were still unsure whether that was due to his genuine skill or just a stroke of luck.

Since he was known for his frequent eccentricities, people couldn’t fully trust him.

It was as if their belief in him teetered on the edge of faith and skepticism.

They thought his new attempt might succeed, but nobody wanted to be the one to test it on themselves.

Rumors that the lord had gone strange again quickly spread throughout the entire estate.

With the rise of negative sentiment, it became even harder to find volunteers.

“You bastards… Fine, I’ll just force everyone to use it.”

Ghislain unconsciously twisted his face in frustration.

Even after several days, not a single person had volunteered for the test.

The initial confidence and composure he had felt were long gone.

He had hoped to proceed peacefully, but everyone was being so uncooperative that he had no other choice.

It would be quicker to make everyone use it and gather a broader sample.

Just as Ghislain was about to enforce the testing, a savior appeared out of nowhere.

“My lord, I’ll try it.”

“Oh, Gillian!”

Gillian hadn’t been approached right away since he was out inspecting the estate.

But this loyal man had come forward as soon as he heard the rumors, volunteering for the experiment.

Ghislain looked him up and down.

‘He’s got quite a few wrinkles, and his skin is rough…’

On closer inspection, he was a perfect candidate for the test.

Though Gillian could manipulate mana, he couldn’t completely escape the signs of aging.

Plus, due to his constant training outdoors and rough lifestyle, his skin condition wasn’t great.

He was an ideal tester.

Still, Ghislain asked for confirmation.

“Are you sure? Everyone else has been avoiding it. This is something I made, you know.”

“I’m not too concerned about my appearance. It doesn’t matter.”

Gillian didn’t say he trusted it, which was a bit disappointing, but Ghislain figured it was still something to have as a volunteer. He sighed subtly.

He took out a jar and handed it to Gillian.

“How do I use it?”

“Just wash your face before bed and apply it. You can put it on more than just your face, if you want.”

“Understood.”

From that day on, Gillian began diligently applying the cosmetics Ghislain had given him.

For him, this was also an order from his lord.

After three days, people around him began to talk.

“Old man, did you get a girlfriend? Your face looks good. Where’d you meet her?”

“Cut the nonsense before I chop your head off.”

Gillian replied dryly to Kaor, who had been teasing him.

He was always busy with training and overseeing the estate’s development, so when would he have time to meet a woman?

He was just living each day to be of service to his lord.

After about two more days, the reactions around him changed noticeably.

The mercenaries whispered whenever they saw Gillian.

“What’s going on? Doesn’t he look a bit younger?”

“Look at how smooth his skin is. Is he eating something good on the side?”

“No way… Did he use that cosmetic the boss made?”

Gillian’s face had taken on a new glow.

While the wrinkles remained, the texture of his skin had changed, making him look visibly younger than before.

The sun-burned, dull complexion now seemed more like a vibrant bronze.

Since he had never bothered with skincare before, the results appeared even more dramatic.

Gillian quickly realized what had caused the change.

“The lord’s creation really works. He truly is incredible.”

Now that he knew it worked, he applied the product even more eagerly.

Where he had once used just a dab on his finger, he began using two.

Although he claimed he didn’t care about his appearance, the frequent remarks from those around him led him to glance at the mirror before bed or before leaving his room in the morning.

“Getting older doesn’t mean you stop caring, huh.”

Gillian chuckled as he observed his changing face each day.

Whenever people asked, he explained that it was thanks to the cosmetics made by his lord.

And, once again, the rumors spread quickly.

Even someone with skin as rough as Gillian’s saw results in just three days—what a revolutionary product!

Exactly a week after Gillian had received the prototype.

Bang!

The door to Ghislain’s office swung open with a loud crash, as if it was about to break.

Ghislain, who had been immersed in his work, looked up in surprise to see what was going on.

Belinda, along with Claude, Wendy, and several others from the estate, had gathered there.

“What’s this about?”

Ghislain asked with an amused look. Belinda, catching her breath, shouted out.

“Give me some of that too!”