Chapter 254
Chapter 254: This Place is Ours. (1)
Kuwoong!
The enormous gates of the fortress opened. Ghislaine and the knights leisurely entered the fortress.
Here, no one checks your identity. The law of the land is to not obstruct those coming in or grab those going out.
Once inside the fortress, visitors only need to follow a few rules.
– Murder is forbidden within the fortress.
– Status does not matter here.
– No one can forcibly drag another person out of the fortress.
Other issues are left for the hunters to resolve personally.
The Kingdom of Turian is in a constant state of fighting monsters and needs to gather hunters. Recognizing the authority of nobles would disrupt the precarious balance they’ve barely maintained.
If nobles could freely kill hunters and drag them off as criminals, it would be a huge loss for the Kingdom of Turian.
“Hunters should die fighting monsters, if they’re going to die at all.”
The Kingdom of Turian maintains such a stance, even imposing strict measures on foreign nobles.
Because of this, many criminals wandering the continent have taken refuge in the fortresses of the Shadow Mountain Range.
Inside the fortress looked no different from an ordinary city. It was just that facilities were a bit more filthy and shabby, with bloodstains scattered about.
“Ugh, disgusting.”
“This city feels like a battlefield.”
“I’ll catch a disease if I stay here too long.”
The knights who had become accustomed to the clean and livable territories clicked their tongues as they looked around.
The outfits of the hunters were a colorful mix. While most wore standard armor, there were some clad in equipment made from monster bones or leather.
They eyed Ghislaine and the knights with disdain as the newcomers arrived.
These were seasoned hunters who had risked their lives hunting monsters, and they emanated a savage aura.
“Hmph.”
Seeing the hunters, Ghislaine wore a pleasant smile.
He rather liked this atmosphere. If he played his cards right, he could have a hearty workout.
The knights accompanying Ghislaine were no less temperamental than the hunters.
“What are you staring at, you bastards?”
Kaor sneered, glaring at the hunters. The other knights did the same.
If they were still in their mercenary days, they would have been intimidated by the hunters, but they had changed too. After experiencing multiple wars, they had transformed into what could be described as butchers.
“Hehe, looks like some nobility has arrived.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Those armors would sell for quite a bit, huh?”
Despite the sharp reactions from Ghislaine’s group, the hunters merely grinned, observing them.
After all, they were all wearing the same armor.
It was hard to ascertain if they were officially dispatched by the kingdom, so they couldn’t act recklessly.
Thanks to that, there was no fight right away. Ghislaine ignored the hunters and headed towards the building at the center of the fortress. Kaor and the knights followed behind him with overconfident expressions.
The central building was where hunter identification cards were issued, and signatures of agreement to the laws of the fortress were collected.
A Turian knight checked Ghislaine’s identification and said with a yawn.
“You won’t be recognized as a noble here. A lowly slave is equal to a Count in this place. Do you agree?”
“I agree.”
“If a conflict arises, we won’t intervene. Do you agree?”
“I agree.”
“Murder is prohibited. Accidents can happen during duels that lead to death… but fundamentally, it’s banned. Do you agree?”
“I agree.”
“Then please sign here. You will be registered on the hunter list, and your agreement will be sent directly to the royal family.”
After receiving the document, Ghislaine stamped it without hesitation. Now, in this place, Ghislaine was no longer a noble, but just another hunter.
After receiving Ghislaine’s agreement, the Turian knight delivered the final explanation.
“We only manage this fortress to maintain its minimum functionality. We won’t interfere as long as you don’t touch us or this building. Any problems with the hunters should be resolved on your own. We cannot offer any assistance.”
“Got it. I haven’t found lodging yet, can I leave my horse here for a while?”
“Since it’s your first visit, we can allow that much convenience.”
“Alright, then go find a place to stay quickly. Well, we’ll be seeing each other often from now on.”
At that, the Turian knight gave a sinister smile.
“Welcome to the lawless zone. We hope you enjoy your stay before heading back.”
Once Ghislaine finished the registration and stepped out, a rat-like man approached him.
“You seem to be new here? You did register as a hunter, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Upon hearing Ghislaine’s words, the man wore a satisfied grin. The hunters around him perked up.
It turned out they weren’t officially dispatched by the kingdom. The rat-like man spoke with a face that showed he had no further worries.
“Though this is a lawless zone, it’s still a place where people live, isn’t it?”
“And?”
“Where there are people, ‘law and order’ naturally come about.”
“Oh, so you want me to pay?”
Caught off guard by Ghislaine’s bluntness, the man quickly regained his composure. He might have picked up on some rumors about this place.
“Quick to understand, I see. There’s an organization here called the ‘Hunter Cooperative.’”
“What a ridiculous name for an organization.”
“It was established to protect the rights of hunters. It’s best to join without hesitation. Well, there’s a small registration fee and a monthly cooperative fee involved, of course.”
Ghislaine pondered for a moment, stroking his chin before asking,
“Who do I pay that to?”
“Did you say cooperative fees?”
“Who’s the head of that cooperative?”
“That would be the ruler of this place, ‘Doncard of Ironcliff.’”
Ghislaine nodded. There are indeed many kings in this world. After all, the title “king” is attached to my name too; it could easily be attached to people.
Such shenanigans are always amusing, whether in my past life or now.
“What benefits do I get for joining?”
“Hehe, you can live comfortably here. No one will bother you, allowing you to focus solely on hunting monsters.”
The benefits sounded pathetic. Ghislaine wasn’t particularly fond of such measly perks.
“Are you all thieves?”
“What?”
“I can’t stand thieves. I despise those who take what belongs to others by force.”
“What do you—… Kuack!”
Without saying anything further, Ghislaine swung his fist. The rat-like man tried to resist, but there was no chance.
Pach! Pach! Pach!
“Ugh! Ugh! If you touch me, the king of this place…”
“Tell him to come. I want a look at his royal face.”
“Cough! Please spare me!”
The rat-like man fainted after just a few hits. Ghislaine searched his pockets and pocketed a few silver coins, wearing a snobbish expression.
“This is compensation for the ‘mental anguish’ I suffered for being robbed as soon as I arrived. Mind you, behave properly from now on.”
The hunters watching from around had expressions of disbelief. No one had walked in and immediately started beating people up.
Especially not someone sent by the so-called king, Doncard.
No matter how tough someone is, if they had even a modicum of sense, hearing the name of a “king” should prompt them to step back, right? They would assess the situation before either engaging in a fight or negotiating.
Yet, to swing a fist out of sheer discontent – that didn’t seem like an ordinary temper.
‘Did you bring a bunch of followers, so you feel invincible?’
‘Doncard must have over 300 people under him, right?’
‘It seems we’ll have a show to watch soon. There’s no way Doncard will sit still about this.’
The hunters all thought similarly. They didn’t consider the knights following Ghislaine as true knights.
Logically, a high lord leading 50 knights wouldn’t come to a place like this.
‘They must have all dressed up to look the part. They sure look wealthy.’
This was about the limit of their thoughts.
If Ghislaine’s group had been smaller, the hunters nearby might have tried picking a fight with them, just like Doncard’s subordinates would. After all, they needed to establish a hierarchy with newcomers at some point.
But confronting 50 men would be burdensome for them, so they backed off for now.
Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Kaor lowered his voice and asked Ghislaine.
“Are you sure about this? If they all band together, it might be quite a number. That Doncard guy, is he the boss here or something?”
“Are you scared?”
“I’m not scared!”
Kaor snapped back. He was used to facing territorial disputes. Such things were common in the mercenary world.
He wasn’t avoiding confrontation out of fear; he was just being cautious because he didn’t fully understand the fortress’s current situation. After all, a person called a king would probably have quite a few followers.
Regardless, he felt confident that if it came down to it, he could win the fight all by himself. Really.
Seeing Kaor sulking, Ghislaine chuckled and responded.
“Once we establish who’s in charge, those who want to follow will naturally gravitate towards us. We just need to show our strength. In a lawless place, fists speak louder than words. First, let’s find a place to stay.”
Here, like in any city, there were plenty of things available. Merchant groups came by to provide various necessities for hunters.
And as retired hunters set up their shops one by one, they also earned a living.
Since everything could be wiped out if they were overwhelmed by monsters and supplies were scarce, prices were considerably higher compared to other cities.
Ghislaine marched toward the largest inn without asking anyone.
The knights following him, curious, asked,
“How do you know your way around, my lord?”
“You seem to know about the hunter registration too.”
“Have you been here before?”
Ghislaine nodded and replied.
“I know this place well. Especially Ironcliff, I’ve visited often.”
This was the fortress Ghislaine’s mercenary group frequented most in his past life. It had more monsters appearing than any other fortress.
Whenever they needed a quick buck, they would just bring their subordinates and clear out the mountains. He also spent a significant amount of time training here.
So Ghislaine had fond memories associated with this place.
‘There were some extraordinary individuals here too.’
There’s someone in the Kingdom of Turian who will later be known as one of the Seven Strongest in the continent. While they haven’t made a mark yet, the name will resound throughout the world during the Age of Turmoil.
‘If given the chance, I’d like to compete against them once.’
Ghislaine wore a content smile.
Taking down Duke Delphine and preparing for the turmoil was his top priority.
However, fighting strong opponents was also an important goal for him. This time, he wanted to earn the title of the strongest on the continent.
The knights thought as they looked at Ghislaine’s satisfied smile.
‘Our lord sure can’t help but spit out lies the moment he opens his mouth.’
‘He must have been everywhere and known everything at that age.’
‘The chief officer must have gathered all the information for him.’
While they acknowledged his remarkable skills and impressive knowledge, his constant absurdity was becoming a bother.
They wanted to argue but knew that would lead to special training, so the knights simply kept their mouths shut. It seemed easier to stay quiet.
The inn they were headed to was a large building that could comfortably accommodate over a hundred people. It looked haphazardly put together, but what mattered was that it was the biggest.
Ghislaine nodded at the building’s exterior.
“As expected, this is the biggest one. Let’s make this our base.”
Kaor nodded in agreement.
“Should we book the whole place then?”
“Let’s go in first.”
As they opened the door and entered, a scruffy-looking middle-aged man was yawning and cleaning a cup. There were several hunters lazily playing card games or drinking.
The interior of the inn was quite dirty. It was old, dark, and even had bugs and rats crawling around.
However, the hunters, apparently used to it, relaxed comfortably.
The innkeeper frowned at Ghislaine and his group as they streamed in.
“First time here, huh? We’re not open for business, so get lost.”
With so many hunters around, claiming they weren’t open for business was odd. It seemed more like they were using it as a hideout than anything else.
Ghislaine tilted his head slightly and approached the innkeeper.
“With this many guests, you’re saying you’re not open for business?”
“Whether we’re open or not is up to us.”
The innkeeper set down the cup and glared at Ghislaine. If he understood whose territory this was, he probably wouldn’t have dared to step in.
It was always the new, inexperienced ones that caused trouble. Quite a nuisance.
As the innkeeper started to wave them away again, Ghislaine spoke first.
“Relax, we aren’t here for trivial matters. We just came because this is the biggest place around.”
“So, what do you want?”
Ghislaine raised his chin haughtily, staring at the innkeeper.
“Starting today, this place is ours.”
