Chapter 260
Chapter 260: This Should Be Enough
“Uh, no way that’s….”
The knight, hearing Ghislaine’s words, opened his eyes wide as if he just thought of something.
He hadn’t been here long enough to recall it right away, but the Monster Wave of the Kingdom of Turian was quite famous even in foreign lands.
A Monster Wave refers to the sudden outbreak of monsters pouring out from the Shadow Mountain Range. These monsters wreak havoc throughout the Kingdom of Turian.
That’s why fortresses were built along their paths.
Ghislaine nodded vigorously.
“Right, soon the hidden monsters will come rushing out, so no need to go looking for them first. We just need to prepare.”
“Ugh….”
The knights wore horrified expressions.
They’d already fought a lot of monsters following Ghislaine. Those were grotesque enough, and now they’d be coming in droves. Just thinking about it made them want to faint.
However, Ghislaine wore a pleasant smile.
“Isn’t it convenient they come to die on their own? In times like this, the one who hunts the most is the boss.”
“Yeah….”
Kaor, listening, tilted his head and asked, “But how does the lord know a Monster Wave is about to happen?”
It was common knowledge that monsters came down periodically. But if that period was approaching, the people in the fortress would be busily preparing.
Yet everyone seemed to be acting as if nothing was different. It was as if they were unaware of the impending monster onslaught.
Ghislaine answered nonchalantly, “Because of us.”
“Huh?”
“We’ve hunted an insane amount. We caught in just a few days what hundreds of hunters would take months to catch.”
“We… we caught enough for monsters to come rushing in?”
“Yeah, the monsters from the Shadow Mountain Range are like that.”
“…Does that even make sense?”
“That’s what I heard. So just get ready. If we’ve caught this much, they’ll come.”
Kaor looked at Ghislaine with a dubious expression. She often spoke nonsense, but her crazy talk had always been spot on, making it hard to argue.
No one knew yet why Monster Waves occurred.
Even the Kingdom of Turian had sent investigation squads multiple times in search of the cause, but they always returned with heavy losses, ultimately giving up.
So Kaor couldn’t help but feel suspicious hearing Ghislaine say it like it was common knowledge, even though she wasn’t from Turian.
Thus, Kaor thought, ‘Ugh, this is a headache. I shouldn’t think too hard. I’m stronger when I don’t overthink things.’
He accepted Ghislaine’s ridiculous orders with a slightly different mindset compared to Claude.
Of course, Ghislaine didn’t know the precise reason either. If the reason hadn’t been revealed in her previous life, how could she know now?
She only knew, based on experience, that catching this much usually attracted more monsters. And for now, that was sufficient.
“First, let’s take a break and check our armaments. We need to be in top condition for the fight.”
The knights spent their unexpected personal maintenance time looking glum.
Just the thought of potentially fighting even more monsters than they already had was exhausting them.
“Let’s check the stuff piled in the storage. Kaor, just follow me.”
Leaving the knights behind, Ghislaine wandered the fortress with Kaor.
At first, Ghislaine had gained respect and envy as the leader of their group. However, after defeating Doncard, all attention had shifted to Kaor.
“Hey! Redhead! Impressive!”
“You beat Doncard! You’re the strongest in this fortress now!”
“Let’s go hunting together sometime!”
With every step they took, cheers and praises followed.
Kaor, initially taken aback, soon wore a smug smile and swept his hair back.
“Ah… so I really am the strongest.”
Thinking back, he realized he was indeed someone deserving of such admiration. He had just forgotten while being around those strange folks back in his territory.
He briefly recalled the hot air balloon incident but shook his head to forget it. The sudden image of Alfoy made him feel even worse.
Ghislaine subtly stepped back to make Kaor stand out more.
‘He’s really enjoying this. Adaptation seems to be going well.’
For the time being, Kaor needed to stay here, hunting monsters to send leather and various byproducts back to his territory.
To do that, it was wise to make his presence known. That way, he could easily build his influence and live comfortably here.
So Ghislaine intentionally set things up for Kaor to take on Doncard, boosting his reputation.
Kaor basked in the attention from the people. They all looked at him like he was a remarkable person.
‘Hah, this is great. Completely different from living in my territory. I’d love to stay here.’
He felt he had lost out significantly until now. His self-esteem had skyrocketed. It wasn’t that the folks back home were exceptional; it was just that he was overlooked.
Ghislaine leisurely wandered around the fortress. Initially, suggesting they check the storage was just an excuse; her real goal was to promote Kaor’s face.
‘I should make him the most famous guy in this fortress.’
Even those who hadn’t seen the fight against Doncard were being drawn in just from the buzz as they passed by.
How long had they been walking? Suddenly, the crowd around them started to murmur and subtly pull back.
Soon, a group of hunters approached Kaor. Noticing their outfits, he recognized them; some had familiar faces. They were the henchmen who had mocked him before under Doncard.
“Well, well, what a nice surprise. You lot! Didn’t you make fun of me last time? Today you’re dead! Bite this!”
As Kaor growled, the foremost hunter waved his hands frantically.
“No, no! We’re not here to fight!”
“I’m fighting now because you mocked me. Do you know the biggest sin in the world?”
“W-what is it?”
“The sin of hurting my feelings. You’re dead.”
Before Kaor could throw a punch, Ghislaine grabbed his arm.
“Why? I thought I was the captain!”
“Not how it’s done.”
“What should I do then?”
“Just watch what I do for a while and learn well. Hey, how many of you are left?”
The hunter thought for a moment at Ghislaine’s words and replied.
“If we count friends who are still considering how to act, about 100. The rest have either joined other groups or decided not to partake at all.”
“Alright, then bring over anyone who wants to join us. I’ll be waiting at the inn. We’ll take everyone in, so spread the word. We won’t stop anyone from coming.”
He didn’t say they wouldn’t catch those who were leaving. But the hunters, who didn’t know much about Ghislaine, nodded eagerly.
“Y-yeah! I’ll bring as many as I can.”
The more party members they had, the safer it was to hunt. But that also meant each person’s share of the loot would be smaller.
It was normal that those with better skills and contributions would take home more of the spoils.
However, Ghislaine’s party hunted at an insane speed while ensuring no one got badly hurt or killed. If each member’s skill was lacking, that wouldn’t be the result.
That had already been observed firsthand. Thus, it was calculated that even by joining and just casually hunting, they could enjoy a satisfactory share.
Soon the inn was swamped with hunters who had heard the rumor.
“Let us join too! I cook really well!”
“I know this terrain like the back of my hand!”
“My skills will be a huge asset!”
Over 200 hunters had gathered, their voices filled with self-promotion, making the inn lively and bustling.
Ghislaine sat at a central table, pulling out a stack of documents and said, “I’ll take every single one of you. Don’t worry, just line up. Let’s sign the contracts right away.”
“Nice and straightforward! Let’s get this done!”
Hunters often signed contracts too. It was to prevent disputes over distribution after a hunt.
Yet it was a bit of a farce as a contract. Who would follow the terms of a contract in a place called the Lawless Zone?
Usually, if something went wrong, it was resolved with force rather than the contract’s stipulations.
So they thought little of it. Unbeknownst to them, the person right in front of them preferred settling things with strength.
“Wow, these contract terms are fantastic!”
“Conditions are as awesome as the hunting skills!”
“Must be because you earn a lot, huh? Your generosity is tremendous.”
The hunters read the contracts with joyful smiles.
There was no distribution based on contributions. Furthermore, the quantity distributed was infinitely better than other parties.
The byproducts, excluding leather and tendons, were to be shared equally. This meant they could sneakily partake and earn money too.
Given the rapid hunting speed they had seen, they felt they’d quickly reap their rewards.
Yet a few conditions were somewhat bothersome.
“Thirty-year contract?”
“Ready to join in battles outside the fortress whenever called upon?”
“Instant execution for fleeing? If I want to cancel, I only have to return what I’ve earned so far?”
This contract differed somewhat from those among hunters. Specifying a duration seemed unusual; it felt like forced conscription.
So one hunter asked, “Is the term really necessary? Hunters usually gather or disperse as needed. Like how we’re scattering now since Doncard is dead?”
Ghislaine replied with a warm smile, “It’s to suggest we stay together for a long time. I’ll add that should I die like Doncard, the contract is null. Oh, and I plan to leave here in a few days. When I do, Kaor here will be the leader, so follow him well.”
The hunters exchanged sneaky glances. This meant, in different words, that if they killed the person in front of them, they could cancel the contract whenever they wanted.
Or they could disguise it as an accident and eliminate Kaor while he was out of the way.
This implied the duration was meaningless. They could simply enjoy the benefits and leave when they wanted.
“Okay! Let’s sign the contracts right now!”
When one hunter shouted excitedly, the others rushed forward to sign as well.
Watching this unfold, the Knights of Penris bit down hard.
‘Poor fools….’
‘Do they think they can kill the lord?’
‘Sooner or later, they’ll all be dragged to the territory.’
Even if Ghislaine left, Kaor and the knights would remain. The hunters wouldn’t find it easy to escape.
Once the contracts were concluded, Ghislaine began generously distributing an advance payment.
“Here, take this to rest for a few days. I have plenty of money.”
“Wowww!”
Before they’d even begun hunting, the hunters received a large sum from Ghislaine. They immediately sought out the fortress’s entertainment areas to spend and have fun.
This part was quite similar to mercenaries. Hunters also didn’t know when they might die, so they always put their all into having fun.
As word spread about Ghislaine tossing around money, hunters came every day wanting contracts, and before long, the number of hunters following Ghislaine surpassed 300.
In a surprisingly short time, many hunters had signed contracts. Watching the hunters enjoy themselves with the money they received daily, Ghislaine smiled.
“Alright, with this number, we can all jump down from the castle walls together.”
Monsters are meant to be fought with head-on.
That was Ghislaine’s creed.
