Chapter 253
Chapter 253: A Place That’s Crazy Awesome. (3)
Kaor, feeling like he may have misheard the numbers, asked again.
“10,000?”
Ghislaine slowly shook her head. Kaor responded, filled with disbelief.
“…Are you serious, 100,000?”
Nodding.
Kaor erupted in anger.
“No, does that even make sense? 100,000! How can you catch that many monsters? Is there a place that can do that? Oh, come on! Stop messing around and just tell me the truth!”
“Why wouldn’t there be? There is, you know. A place where monsters pop up endlessly.”
“Where on earth is that…? Wait, could it be?”
“Yeah, you’re thinking of the right place. It’s famous.”
Kaor, momentarily in shock, asked again.
“I’ve heard there are a lot of monsters there, but… are there really 100,000?”
“Of course. That’s why things have been so crazy for this long. Even if they don’t all come out at once, they keep appearing consistently, so the numbers add up nicely.”
“Are we supposed to live there until we die?”
“If you catch 100 a day, it won’t take that long.”
“…”
“If you want to speed things up, catch a thousand each time.”
“…”
Kaor was left speechless.
He wasn’t exactly sane himself as he was nicknamed the rabid dog, but the lord standing in front of him seemed to belong to a completely different race altogether.
Seeing the silent Kaor, Ghislaine continued speaking.
“Well, if you can’t put your life on the line for that, then just go train quietly.”
Saying you couldn’t do it would be shameful. Kaor, the man he was, immediately held his head high.
“I can do it!”
“No, wait, thinking about it, maybe not. It could be dangerous. You can’t fight, right?”
That was Kaor’s least favorite thing to hear. He immediately snapped back.
“I’m good at fighting!”
“Can you beat Gillian?”
“…Maybe? I could probably win?”
“Well, if that’s the case… then let’s go together. We can pick up some leather along the way.”
“Why is the lord coming with me?”
Ghislaine chuckled at Kaor’s twisted reply.
“I think you’d die quickly if I sent you alone. It’s a pretty dangerous place, you know. You can’t fight.”
“…But I can!”
“Sure, anyway, I’ll just help you get adjusted and then I’ll head back.”
The notion that they would go together but the lord would return alone made Kaor a bit uneasy. In truth, he didn’t want to be alone in a strange place.
“Are we just the two of us going?”
“No, I have to take all the weak and lazy ones with me.”
Ghislaine gave another cryptic smile.
*
Fifty knights, who were training hard and spitting blood in the territory, were suddenly called out.
Ghislaine and Gillian reviewed their progress and training status to select who among the knights would go to the Shadow Mountain Range.
They chose knights who were among the weakest or those who had been slacking off as they got too comfortable.
With criteria being so diverse, the knights had no clue why they were chosen.
“Where are we going that we’re the only ones picked?”
“Did they pick us for being handsome?”
“Looking at your face, I think that’s not it.”
Amidst the murmurs, Ghislaine stepped in.
“We’re going monster hunting from now on.”
The knights exchanged glances. They hadn’t heard anything properly yet, as they were dragged in mid-training.
“Are we going to the Forest of Monsters?”
One of the mercenaries from their previous journey, when they obtained the Runestone, asked. He looked a bit tense.
That had been a treacherous journey where more than half of the mercenaries they had gone with had died. They had returned much stronger since but the horrifying memories lingered in their minds.
Ghislaine shook her head and spoke leisurely.
“No, it’s not that place.”
“Then where are we going?”
“We’re going to a place that has a lot of monsters because we’re short on leather in the territory. The Shadow Mountain Range of the Kingdom of Turian. It’s really just a light trip, so you don’t have to worry.”
To Ghislaine, it was truly a light task. Even back in her past life, she would often go there for fun whenever she felt like stretching her body.
“Oh….”
Seeing Ghislaine speaking nonchalantly, the knights nodded.
They had heard of the Shadow Mountain Range before. A dangerous place where monsters appeared suspiciously constantly.
But they weren’t terribly scared. They had only heard rumors; they hadn’t experienced it firsthand. Plus, they had gained quite a bit of strength through their own war experiences and had grown more confident with victories.
They had also heard that there were many hunters and fortresses there. Monsters? They figured if they went with the lord, catching a few hundred wouldn’t be a problem.
“But isn’t that too many? At this rate, we’ll be catching thousands!”
“Seems we might need a lot of leather?”
“Whew, looks like I’ll need to loosen up a bit when we get there.”
The knights laughed as their tension eased.
With a lord as monstrous as Ghislaine, and fifty knights going along? The monsters would be wiped out.
Seeing the knights laugh and joke, Ghislaine smiled as well.
“That confidence is great. We should just go and catch a lot. It’ll be like a picnic.”
The atmosphere among the knights turned even more cheerful.
After all, they had just been training tirelessly at the fortress. Repeating the same training over and over made it feel like they were losing their minds.
But going outside to hunt monsters and having a bit of adventure felt like it would quickly relieve their stress.
‘Who knew such a sweet opportunity would come? Truly, people need to go outside and play sometimes.’
‘Hahaha, I guess I’m special for being chosen. I mean, without me, they wouldn’t be able to catch them quickly.’
‘I must’ve worked hard enough to deserve this little break, right?’
Other knights envied the selected knights greatly.
‘I’m stronger than that guy!’
‘I worked harder than him!’
‘How lucky! They get to go out and catch some monsters while traveling! They’ll probably eat something delicious too!’
They wanted to throw tantrums and insist to bring them along but held back, not wanting to undergo special training.
Not everyone felt envious though. A few knights who understood Ghislaine’s character wore dubious expressions.
‘The lord is personally going? Then it might be better not to go together.’
‘Even if it’s tough, it’s better to just train here.’
‘Going outside with him could be deadly.’
As the knights prepared their arms and got ready, Claude approached and said.
“We’ve packed some simple dry rations to move quickly as you instructed. Supplies will be sent according to your arrival time.”
“Good, make sure everything goes smoothly. And keep a close eye on Desmond and Amelia as well.”
“Understood.”
“Oh, and bring ‘Kong’ along. I’ll be riding that from now on.”
“……What’s a Kong?”
“The black bean horse. It’s the new one I acquired.”
Claude looked like he was pleading.
“Could you please change the name?”
“Why? It’s cute, right? Adorable, isn’t it?”
All the retainers nearby shared blank expressions. That tough-looking horse did not deserve a name like that at all.
“You really have to change the name. Everyone will laugh at you.”
“What kind of name is that for a horse the lord rides? ‘He appeared riding Kong!’ That’s just not right.”
“Lord, do whatever you want. But please, don’t name it yourself.”
The retainers wore aggrieved expressions. They were fine with outrageous things, but this just wasn’t right.
“Hmm….”
With the retainers so united in their opposition, Ghislaine took a step back.
She felt confident about the future, so she wanted to push forward. The same went for areas where she was assured, like fighting.
However, when everyone was against her like this, she began seriously contemplating if she should really name it herself.
In her past life, every time she named something, mercenaries would burst out laughing. The ignorant fools, she could beat them up and they would be delighted.
But hitting retainers like that wasn’t the same. They weren’t mocking her; they were begging her not to do it.
Most of them were weak too, and one punch could easily take them out. So this time, she decided to concede.
Looking at Kong, she thought for a moment. She needed to give it a magnificent name.
What was her title in her past life? The seventh strongest on the continent and the king of mercenaries. So, the horse’s name should probably include ‘king.’
‘Horse King?’
That sounded odd. No matter how lazy she was in naming things, Horse King felt like it wasn’t it.
“This guy is super fast. How about Speed King?”
Everyone shook their heads simultaneously. Ghislaine looked over the horse again.
The sleek black muscles and mane were indeed impressive.
Was the horse aware of its own attractiveness? It often tossed its head to flaunt its mane like it was playing around.
“Alright, since you’re black, from now on you’ll be called Black King.”
Claude, who had been silently watching, asked.
“Are you seriously going to name a mere horse ‘king’?”
“Yeah. It’ll be mine, so it deserves that title. Anyway, I’m too tired now to entertain any arguments. This is enough. And the nickname stays as Kong. Got it?”
The retainers nodded with reluctant expressions. They figured they made a good compromise.
Still, ‘Black King’ seemed quite majestic. It would be fine if it was referred to as such in public and left a record.
‘Please only call me that nickname when we’re alone.’
It seemed Black King liked its new name, as it showed its teeth and snorted.
As the commotion over the horse’s name came to an end, Gillian came over and asked.
“Are you really sure I can stay behind?”
“Yes, the knights and soldiers need to keep training. I’ll be back soon, so it’s fine.”
“I understand. Please be careful.”
As Gillian bowed, Ghislaine turned to Arel who was nearby.
“While I’m gone, don’t slack on your basic training. I’ll teach you the Mana Circulation Method when your stamina is built up to a certain level. Until then, follow Gillian’s lead.”
“Understood!”
Arel bowed deeply. He was currently focused on gaining strength by eating well in the territory.
Since he was so weak, he needed to build a solid foundation of basic stamina and get accustomed to training first.
Although he was a rural boy they had picked up during the barbarian subjugation, the people in the territory knew better than to treat Arel poorly. They figured he was Ghislaine’s disciple.
Moreover, Belinda treated Arel like a younger brother, so everyone had to be cautious around him.
“Young Master, have a safe trip. Ugh, I’m worried since we’re so busy lately and I can’t accompany you. Please don’t skip meals!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”
Once Belinda got to know Ghislaine’s abilities, she didn’t fuss nearly as much as before. Though, her concern remained unchanged due to his personality, regardless of his skills.
Once the pleasantries wrapped up, Ghislaine and the knights immediately set off. Passing by Gillian, Kaor whispered.
“Make sure to remember what I said. When I return, I’ll crush that inspiration.”
“…….”
On this occasion, Gillian ignored him again. If it had been before, he would’ve thrown a punch at him first, but not in front of Ghislaine.
It seemed Kaor instinctively understood this, as he only ever started trouble when others were around. He had never stirred things up when it was just the two of them.
But being ignored always fueled his frustration.
‘Grrr, just you wait! I’ll fill the quota of 100,000 and definitely crush you!’
Fueled by rage, Kaor, along with Ghislaine and the knights, headed toward the Kingdom of Turian.
Thanks to claiming it was for Horsemanship Training, they pushed forward without rest and arrived near the Shadow Mountain Range of the Turian Kingdom sooner than expected.
“Wow….”
“This is the Shadow Mountain Range I’ve only heard about….”
“It’s really incredible.”
The soaring mountain range cast deep and dark shadows around it, living up to its name.
The knights felt a mixture of awe and fear. The seemingly endless woods that covered the mountains seemed to distort under the thick darkness.
The heavy and dark ambiance seemed to emphasize just how dangerous this mountain range really was.
Only after seeing the mountain range with their own eyes did the knights feel the need to slightly correct their thoughts.
‘This doesn’t feel like just a trip for fun.’
‘I didn’t come because I’m handsome…’
‘This doesn’t feel right.’
There were several fortresses built along the Shadow Mountain Range in the Kingdom of Turian. These fortresses were constructed where monsters flocked the most.
Because of that, stone walls were erected behind the fortresses to protect cities in case they were breached.
Since it was impossible to surround the entire mountain range with walls, only passages leading to certain cities were blocked.
If monsters entered areas without walls, hunters or royal soldiers would go out to deal with them.
The monsters that came through had been fewer than those descending upon the main strongholds, so it hadn’t been a huge problem just yet.
The destination for Ghislaine and the knights was one of the largest fortresses, known as ‘Ironcliff.’
Many hunters gathered at the fortress, so all fortresses also functioned as cities.
Upon seeing the fortress surrounded by enormous walls, the knights gaped in awe.
As expected of a fortress that had fought countless monsters, it held a magnificent appearance.
As soon as they arrived in front of the fortress, Kaor, brimming with enthusiasm, said.
“Do we set up as soon as we enter and head out to hunt monsters?”
Ghislaine shook her head.
“When you come to a new neighborhood, there’s something you need to do first. Especially in a lawless city like this.”
“What is it?”
Ghislaine raised her fist and grinned.
“It’s to beat people up.”
