Chapter 256
Chapter 256: Just Attack the Weak Points. (1)
There are things a person can do and things they cannot.
If we want to catch 100,000 monsters in half a year, how many do we need to catch in a single day?
For us, as novice knights, that was an utterly impossible task.
“……”
The knights, maintaining their silence, looked at Kaor.
He should be having a seizure by now, but there was no reaction. He was just arrogantly holding his head up high as if he was confident. From his expression, it seemed he had already been informed.
‘Well, that guy is insane, after all.’
‘Does he really think he can catch 100,000?’
But we were ordinary people, sane individuals. We had to speak up when something didn’t make sense.
So, the knights decided to have their own fit instead of Kaor.
“No! How can that possibly make sense? How can we catch 100,000 monsters in half a year with our skills!”
“Is there really anyone who can do that?”
“We’re novice knights! Please show us some consideration!”
Ghislaine, however, just shrugged it off and spoke casually.
“Have you tried it?”
“We wouldn’t need to try something like that to know!”
“You catch them because you can. What’s impossible about that? Has there been anything you couldn’t do so far?”
The knights were left speechless by that and changed their tactic of attack.
Even if, through training, they became stronger and could catch monsters, there was still the issue at hand.
“Are there really 100,000 monsters living around here?”
“Of course. The Shadow Mountain Range is incredibly vast and deep. If the monsters disappear from this side, more will just crawl out from somewhere else.”
Ghislaine continued confidently.
“If the rate at which the monsters respawn is too slow or their numbers drop, go over to the neighboring mountain and catch some there. If they’re not there, check the next one over. Find them and catch them somehow.”
“……”
“Deliver the skins of 100,000 monsters in half a year. Also, secure as many tendons as possible. If you work hard, you can do it. If you meet the quota, I will arrange for a shift with the other knights.”
As expected, the lord was not being reasonable. So, the knights attempted a slightly weaker threat.
“Um… have you ever considered that we might just run away if we can’t meet the quota?”
“It’s fine. If you want to run away and hide on the continent until you die, you can. I should mention that I am exceedingly persistent.”
They knew that well. They had seen him relentlessly push through once he set his sights on something. If they ran away, he would definitely send pursuers after them until the end of their days.
With deep sighs, the knights pleaded.
“…We really don’t think we can do that.”
“Just keep fighting hard. That’s how I trained here as well.”
Ghislaine grinned. He had some truly special memories here.
Before he earned the title of the King of Mercenaries in his past life, his nickname was ‘The Slaughterer of the Shadow Mountain Range.’
“Oh, I caught way too many back then.”
He once burned with rage, endlessly seeking out battles. To rapidly increase one’s skills, perilous fights were the only answer.
The Forest of Monsters had been developed by the Duke Delphine Faction, so it was off-limits. Instead, he had sought refuge in the Shadow Mountain Range.
He lived and trained here for several years. He caught so many monsters that parts of the range had been entirely emptied.
“Later on, I did come back with my followers a few times to earn some pocket money.”
Looking back now, they were pleasant memories. Even now, accompanied by new followers, the nostalgia surfaced, making him feel joyous.
What was enjoyable was enjoyable, and training was training.
“Let’s all roll around and die trying.”
The knights looked uncertain about Ghislaine’s insistence that fighting would solve everything.
The scale of the task was simply too high, and Ghislaine spoke with such confidence that it felt unreal.
‘He’s probably just saying we should work hard?’
‘Our lord just seems to have a giant scale in mind.’
‘Right, he probably just set a lofty goal.’
But even with those hopes, the uneasy premonition lingered. Everything Ghislaine had done had been extraordinary.
Seeing the knights hesitating, Ghislaine said.
“Don’t panic. Just do it, and we can accomplish it all. We’re leaving to hunt now, so everyone grab your weapons.”
With Ghislaine’s words, the knights brought several large wooden boxes and set them down.
Inside the boxes were enormous greatswords. They were so large that any ordinary monster would have its head smashed or get sent flying with just one blow.
Boom!
Ghislaine picked up a greatsword with one hand, striking it against the ground and laughing.
“Now, let’s get going. Time to smash some monster heads.”
*
Before departing, Ghislaine didn’t head outside but rather moved deeper into the city.
Kaor asked him in confusion.
“Where are we going? We need to go toward the outside of the fortress.”
“To the manpower agency.”
“Why? You can find helpers here, right?”
“We can’t carry everything we catch from monster hunting. We need someone to dismantle and carry the byproducts. We’ll be hiring porters.”
“Ah, I see.”
Kaor and the knights quickly understood. Carrying a heavy load would only hinder their focus on fighting.
The more they hunted, the more their burdens would increase, leading to numerous constraints in their movement.
“But are there that many porters besides hunters here?”
“Of course. People gather where there’s money to be made.”
“Wow, our lord knows everything. A true money grubber from the North… Cough!”
After getting a smack, Kaor rubbed his eyes and meekly followed Ghislaine.
There were indeed many people gathering for money, as Ghislaine had said. Mainly hunters would hunt, while merchants and others would assist with various menial tasks.
Additionally, there were even those hunters who sought to earn money without having to fight.
When people find themselves in need, those looking to profit from that demand will inevitably emerge.
Some merchant groups had not only offered to handle goods but also set up specialized manpower agencies to handle porter hiring.
Upon arriving at the fortress’s center, Kaor and the knights widened their eyes in awe.
“Wow, there are so many people here!”
“It’s hardly different from the large cities in the North!”
“Except for the added filth, of course.”
The fortress was so large that its center developed to rival the commercial districts of ordinary towns.
Amidst the rows of shops, countless people were buying and selling goods. There were also workshops all around for dismantling the byproducts of monsters.
Smaller groups and individual hunters would often look for parties in this area.
Since porters were essential for hunters, the area around the manpower agency was bustling with the calls of promoters.
“There are many experienced porters with five years of experience!”
“Former hunters available for combat in emergencies!”
“S-class hunter hiding their strength to be a porter!”
Ghislaine approached a suitably large manpower agency and spoke to a busy-looking staff member.
“I’ll hire 100 people.”
“Yes! 10 people! Just a moment! I’ll bring them right over.”
“I said 100.”
“W-what? 100 people?!”
The staff member was taken aback.
Hunters typically hire around 10 porters. After all, hunting for long periods is tough, so it isn’t worth hiring many more.
Only larger hunter guilds or sizable parties would hire that many porters.
The employee briefly scanned Ghislaine from head to toe before asking again.
“Are you headed to war or something?”
“It’s my creed to bring back a large haul at once. Our numbers are a bit high, you see.”
After confirming the over fifty people waiting outside holding greatswords, the manpower agency employee nodded.
“We only have about 30 available right now.”
“I’ll hire them all.”
That’s how Ghislaine roamed the manpower agency, gathering 100 people. When over 150 total, including the knights, began moving, the hunters exchanged looks of disbelief.
“Didn’t those guys just arrive?”
“Aren’t they overreaching, coming here without knowing the lay of the land?”
“They seem to have decent skills, but their ambition is excessive. Those kinds of people are the first to die.”
“Let’s watch how many they bring back. They probably won’t even make half. Hahaha!”
Ignoring the mockery and murmurs of the hunters, Ghislaine moved with high spirits.
The porters, while initially flustered, seemed a bit relieved with the large group.
“Come on, let’s hurry! We need to sweep the good hunting grounds before anyone else does!”
Hunters refer to areas where monsters reside as hunting grounds. While many hunting grounds exist, some are far better suited for hunting than others.
If a party stakes a claim on a hunting ground first, it’s the unspoken rule to avoid them.
Of course, if you’re confident you can kill every party there without anyone noticing, staying there is fine.
Kaor, with a curious look, asked Ghislaine again.
“Is there really a good hunting ground? Isn’t it just over once you exterminate the monsters?”
“After a few days, that spot fills up again. Well, the type of monsters might change a bit. Either way, it’s a place where monsters respawn suspiciously fast.”
“Wow, that’s fascinating. I guess there really are plenty of monsters. But how does our lord know all this?”
Ghislaine just smiled and didn’t answer. It was common knowledge for hunters who have spent a long time here.
In truth, he was only familiar with it because he had visited frequently in his past life. The exact reason for this in his previous life had never been clarified.
At the massive gates of the fortress, numerous wagons and coachmen were waiting.
They served to comfortably guide the hunters to the mouth of the mountains.
They couldn’t bring horses into the mountains. Yet, it was quite far to walk all the way there.
You can’t just build a fortress right at the foot of the mountains, never knowing when monsters might pop out.
It’s even more challenging to return with all the byproducts from the slain monsters afterward.
Thus, it was only natural that someone would take advantage of such a situation to make money.
“Basic fare per person to the foot of the mountain is 5 silver!”
“We’ll take you quickly and comfortably!”
“S-class hunter hiding their strength as a coachman!”
Kaor and the knights couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
“Really, there’s nothing ordinary here at all.”
When living in a dangerous place, one has to adapt quickly to their environment. The fortresses built in the Shadow Mountain Range were all evolving to enhance the convenience of hunting.
The group all divided and climbed onto several large wagons, pretending to be cargo. This was the fastest and most convenient way to enter the mountains.
Of course, there was no guarantee they’d return that easily.
The coachmen, who’d rather avoid danger, would quickly leave as soon as they dropped off their passengers, leaving only those eager to make more money.
Dudududud!
The horses galloped vigorously. The faster they ran, the more the wagons shook uncontrollably.
Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!
The lack of comfort was appalling. It was just a cart modified to transport as much cargo and as many people as possible.
“We’ll take you quickly! Just leave it to us!”
The coachmen joyfully raced along, accommodating many passengers. They automatically headed toward the nearest foot of the mountain.
Since the areas frequented by hunters were fixed, it was only natural that they’d headed that way without needing to be told.
However, Ghislaine, riding in the lead wagon, instructed the coachman.
“Change direction. Go the way I’m pointing instead.”
“W-what? Why?”
“Other hunters will already be hunting where we were originally headed. Since they catch monsters almost daily, there will likely be fewer left.”
“Wait, what?”
The coachman’s face went pale. The location they were originally heading to was already quite dangerous. It was only natural that other spots would be even more perilous.
Monsters would be significantly more numerous in areas without ongoing extermination efforts.
“No, there are still plenty of monsters where we’re headed right now! That’s the most popular path for monsters heading to the fortress! So hunters hunt there the most!”
“Why are you arguing so much when a guest is telling you to go?”
“Is this your first time here? Why go to a more dangerous place? I’ll just guide you!”
“It’s not my first time! I’m choosing to go there to catch more, so turn the direction now, or am I smashing this cart?”
Despite the persuasion being ineffectual, the coachman ultimately had to concede and change course.
“I’ll be turning around as soon as we arrive!”
“Good.”
The porters wore anxious looks. Going to an unfamiliar terrain made it harder to avoid any potential dangers.
But Ghislaine and the knights wore expressions of complete confidence.
Ghislaine’s experience showed, while the knights were still oblivious. They were just riding along, feeling unperturbed.
Finally, the wagon came to a halt at a chillingly eerie spot where a cold wind swept through.
The massive shadows of the mountains seemed to weigh heavily upon everyone.
Once they set foot here, they would have to face countless monsters. With unknown threats looming before them, the knights finally took on expressions of tension and alertness.
But Ghislaine hopped off the cart and laughed.
“Come on, there are plenty of monsters here, so let’s quickly go wipe them out while we train. It’s not like there are strange ones like in the Forest of Monsters, so there’s no need to worry. It’s just that there are a lot of them.”
As soon as Ghislaine finished speaking, the roars of monsters echoed in the air.
Kaaaarrrk!
“……”
The knights could say nothing. Before they had even climbed the mountain, the monsters seemed to greet them by charging out.
“Whoa! Monsters are already showing up!”
What appeared was a horde of Owlbears. A horrifying monster with a bear’s body and an owl’s head, towering over an average adult male with its massive size.
“Owlbears are coming down!”
“I told you not to come here! Why aren’t you listening!”
The coachmen and porters panicked. There were easily dozens of Owlbears rushing toward them.
The former hunter porter, who had concealed his strength, clambered back onto the wagon, yelling.
“What are you doing! Let’s run away first! There are way too many!”
At that, everyone began to panic. While coachmen could run away, the porters had already been paid.
If they fled now, finding work in the future would become exceedingly difficult.
The knights also briefly flinched at the sight of the menacing Owlbear horde.
‘What….? An Owlbear came down from the mountain?’
‘Where exactly are we? Are we really training in a place like this?’
‘It’s probably just as chaotic as the Forest of Monsters.’
Owlbears typically reside deep within the mountains. Their descent to the foot of the mountain indicated they had either lost in a territorial dispute or had gone mad.
Kaaaarrrk!
Leading the charge was the largest and fastest of the Owlbears in the horde. It was so big that the others struggled to keep up.
Was it really insane, with vile liquid dripping from its mouth and its eyes a bloody red?
Observing that, Ghislaine wore a satisfied expression.
“Hey, it looks like we can score some great skins right off the bat. Everyone, watch closely. I’m going to teach you how to easily kill monsters and procure their skins. Just attack their weaknesses.”
At Ghislaine’s confident words, the knights nodded. Knowing the weak points of any monster makes it much easier to handle.
The porters and coachmen paused for a moment. Ghislaine’s poise exuded an overwhelming composure.
Strong hunters could take on dozens of monsters alone. They couldn’t help but wonder if that was the case here.
Ghislaine raised his hand and shouted loudly.
“Everyone, combat preparation!”
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The knights raised their greatswords, preparing for battle. However, they didn’t rush in first.
Ghislaine planned to first demonstrate attacking their weaknesses.
Swoosh.
Ghislaine’s eyes turned red. At a glance, it was impossible to tell if he or the Owlbear was the more insane.
Boom!
Ghislaine burst forth, mana exploding around him.
