Chapter 255
Chapter 255: This Place Is Ours Now (2)
The Innkeeper stared blankly at Ghislaine. The knights and hunters also blinked in disbelief, thinking they must have misheard.
If you’ve come to an inn, you either pay up or leave; what do you mean, ‘take over’?
Then Ghislaine clicked her tongue, as if annoyed, and said, “What are you all doing? Hurry up and pack your stuff and clear out.”
The Innkeeper was flabbergasted. Does this kid know who I am to say such things? Is it because there are so many of them? So, just to confirm, he asked, “Do you… know who I am to talk like that?”
“I’m here to take over the inn, so why would I need to know that?”
“Pfft, pft hahaha! Is this guy a lunatic or what?”
The Innkeeper burst into laughter. The hunters watching also doubled over in amusement.
“Is he out of his mind?”
“Looks like they just got here; they should know who to deal with.”
“Uhaha, there are indeed those who don’t know how the world works!”
Kaor looked around and then asked Ghislaine, “What are you doing right now?”
“What does it look like? I’m looking for a place to stay.”
“Have you completely switched to being a robber? I mean, it suits you, but… if you’re forming a band of robbers, you should at least let me prepare myself.”
Kaor rambled on. Back in his mercenary days, he had a temper so foul he was called a mad dog and often caused trouble.
However, even when times were tough, he didn’t resort to robbery; that was a matter of a man’s pride.
Sure, he might have overcharged clients a bit, but that was just customary.
Ghislaine responded to Kaor’s rambling with a dismissive look. “Are you scared again?”
“I’m not scared!”
Kaor flared up again. Ghislaine grinned and continued, “These guys are just a bunch of robbers.”
“…?”
“This isn’t called a lawless zone for nothing. It originally had nothing here.”
“Of course?”
“Someone started small, took from another, and then someone else took it from them. They keep taking from each other to grow. Look around; does this look like a properly run inn?”
Kaor and the knights glanced around. The dark, damp old building was littered with dried bloodstains everywhere.
Only then did Kaor narrow his eyes and nod.
‘They say no killing?’
That’s the principle, but in reality, it wouldn’t be true. In a place filled with all sorts of criminals, how could there not be killings? That’s impossible.
Officially, there might be no dead, but unofficially, there are probably quite a few.
Thud, thud.
The knights cracked their necks and limbered up. The hunters around them had suspicious looks in their eyes.
After laughing heartily, the Innkeeper turned to Ghislaine and said, “Ten gold per person.”
Ghislaine matched his smile and asked, “Is that the lodging fee? That’s way too much! Are you trying to overcharge us just because we’re outsiders?”
“No, that’s the value of your lives.”
The Innkeeper shook a small bell in front of him.
Ding, ding.
Then, from another direction, the sound of a bell ringing could be heard.
Ding, ding.
Soon the bell stopped, and numerous hunters strolled down from upstairs.
Clunk!
A door in the floor opened upward, and more hunters crawled out, all armed.
The Innkeeper looked around at the hunters and said, “Hey, hey, put away the weapons for now. If you kill this many people, the kingdom will have no choice but to intervene. Just maim them a bit and let them out. Let them fend for themselves or starve. Oh, and take any valuables.”
Even in a lawless area, there were minimum rules. Killing wasn’t an absolute. While violent takeovers happened often, they kept things in check so as not to go too far.
If too many hunters couldn’t stand it and left, it would put the remaining ones in danger.
So, they each set their own guidelines and maintained order. The kingdom only intervened in the worst situations.
But those who don’t know the ways of the world and run wild are dealt with as punishments disguised as lessons. They need examples to maintain discipline.
The hunters nodded, gripping clubs or clenching their fists. About 200 had gathered, completely filling the first floor of the expansive inn.
There were enough to turn them into half-wits.
As the hunters surrounded Ghislaine and the knights, the Innkeeper provocatively said, “So? You look like nobles; if you don’t want to live with the disgrace you’ll remember for life, why not settle it with money? Or we can fight and see.”
The hunters here honed their skills by hunting monsters. Their level was far superior to regular soldiers.
Most were at least semi-knights, and some even used a bit of mana.
Ghislaine looked them over and chuckled.
Boom!
Then, she grabbed the Innkeeper’s head and slammed it down onto the wooden bar table.
The table shattered, and the Innkeeper fell unconscious with a cracked skull. The sudden attack caused the hunters to halt in shock.
Ghislaine looked around again and spoke, “Huh? Wasn’t this just starting?”
“Pwahahaha!” Kaor roared in laughter. Now he understood why the Lord brought him here.
Now that he thought about it, this was the perfect place for him.
Having mingled with decent people in the territory, it seemed like he wanted to imitate them. The inferiority complex and self-doubt he had originally felt had grown from their influence.
Upon reflecting, he realized there was no need for that.
‘A mad dog should live like a mad dog. There are roles suited for a mad dog too.’
He didn’t need to mimic half-heartedly good people. Kaor was the type who openly declared that “bad boys are the coolest.”
He kicked the closest hunter and shouted, “Damn it! Everyone charge! You bastards!”
With that shout, the stunned hunters surged in.
“Let’s smash these bastards!”
Boom!
As they clashed, chaos erupted. Objects were demolished without mercy.
The Knights of Penris smashed chairs and swung whatever they could grab. For those who had lived as mercenaries, such a scenario was all too familiar.
Boom!
“Ugh! What are these bastards?”
Even with a clear numerical advantage, the hunters began to be pushed back. This was all because the knights could wield mana.
However, the hunters who had staked their lives in countless hunts weren’t going down without a fight.
Hunters with mana intermittently blocked the knights’ attacks. As they defended or when others got hit, a few jumped in to attack the knights.
Perhaps because they often coordinated attacks while hunting monsters, their timing was impeccable.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With this, the knights gradually took some hits and stumbled, being trampled upon.
And Ghislaine slipped out of the melee, watching from a corner.
“Hmm, this is good. This is part of training too. I can make friends with the hunters quickly.”
If she was going to stay here for a while, she needed to make a name for herself and establish hierarchy. Ghislaine saw this situation as a perfect opportunity to build connections and quickly dominate the inn.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Hey, you bastards! Do you know where this is? Ugh!”
“I don’t care! Just die, you bastards!”
Shouts and curses echoed as the fight escalated.
Without weapons, even fallen foes would rise again to charge. So the punches became increasingly brutal.
More and more people fell to broken limbs and combat incapacity.
“Damn it! I’m the strongest! Old man, you don’t stand a chance against me!”
“What the hell are you talking about? I’m still young, you punk!”
The one who showcased remarkable skills in the chaos was undoubtedly Kaor. He brutally pummeled anyone who charged at him like a mad dog.
But due to being overwhelmed by competent hunters, he too ended up with a swollen eye and a bleeding scalp.
Without weapons, it was hard to kill or subdue in one blow, so he had no choice but to endure several attacks.
Still, he steadily took down hunters with his unique ferocity and the skills he had been sharpening over time.
Boom! Boom!
In the midst of battle, it was impossible not to lose one’s senses. Kaor’s eyes began to radiate a fierce, wild energy.
“Gaaah!”
Kaor stomped on a fallen foe and got a mouthful of flesh from another’s neck. When he saw an opportunity to break limbs, he acted without hesitation.
There was no mercy in his hands. The mad dog he had been returning after a long absence.
Seeing him splattered in blood, the hunters began to back away in terror.
“What the hell is this guy? He’s a real monster.”
“Could they really all be knights?”
“Everyone retreat! Let’s regroup!”
The remaining hunters hurriedly dashed toward the door.
The tide had turned. Their opponent was stronger than they had anticipated. At times like this, fleeing was the priority.
But they couldn’t exit.
“You could come in freely, but you can’t leave like that.”
Ghislaine was standing in front of the door.
One hunter shouted, “Just one of them! We can trample him!”
“What are you saying?”
Whack!
As Ghislaine casually swung her fist, the rushing hunter had his neck twisted and collapsed. He was foaming at the mouth; it looked like he was half-dead.
After witnessing that single move, the hunters approaching paused in their tracks.
Behind them, an enraged Kaor and the knights stormed forward.
Fifty behind, one in front.
Sure, one seemed tougher, but rushing the front seemed quicker.
“Push forward!”
With one hunter’s shout, Ghislaine smirked. The moment her fist lunged toward the rushing hunters, it went flying.
Wham! Wham! Wham!
With each rhythmic smack, hunters fell one by one. The timing was impeccable.
Boom!
The last fallen hunter muttered unintentionally, “Monstrous bastards…”
The inn resonated with harsh breaths and groans. Looking down at the fallen hunters cluttering the floor, Ghislaine said, “Not bad, huh?”
Kaor and the knights smiled. Though their hair was a mess and they looked terrible, they felt refreshed from the long-awaited brawl.
This kind of brawling was indeed different from the battles of the battlefield. Since no one was seriously injured, to them, this felt closer to a game. Plus, they could sort out the hierarchy in the meantime.
Ghislaine looked at everyone and grinned. “Now this place is our base.”
*
All the fallen hunters were thrown out of the inn. Naturally, onlookers could only be astonished at the sight.
With nearly 200 hunters piled up in a state of utter defeat, that reaction was only expected.
Ghislaine strode out of the inn and declared, “This place now belongs to us. Got it? If anyone has grievances, feel free to come find me. The lodging fee is a hundred gold per day.”
Nods of agreement.
The crowd watching nodded in acknowledgment.
The previous Innkeeper, Arnold, had boasted a considerable power and influence here. Yet, he had easily been beaten and chased away by these newcomers.
In a place where strength trumps law, no one dared oppose or challenge such formidable figures.
“Arnold’s knocked out with a busted head? He went down that easily?”
“Looks like a bunch of lunatics have shown up; hope they’re alright.”
“But still, aren’t these newcomers pretty strong? If we negotiate well with Doncard, they could build a significant force.”
Barely anyone had pulled off such a large-scale incident and demonstrated their prowess immediately upon arrival. This level of strength could very well allow them to establish a territory within the stronghold.
Curiosity about the sudden emergence of these powerful individuals kept the crowd lingering.
Regardless, Ghislaine and the knights busied themselves tidying up the inn.
“Phew, it’s finally cleaner. One shouldn’t live so messily.”
Ghislaine smiled satisfactorily at the now tidier inn.
After finishing the clean-up and taking a day to rest, Ghislaine called everyone together. Now that they had secured a base, it was time to move quickly.
Ghislaine looked around and announced, “Alright, now that we’ve secured our base, I’ll clearly outline what we’re going to do from here on out. Everyone should act according to this goal.”
At that, one knight asked, “Aren’t we here to hunt monsters and gather leather? Isn’t that why we came?”
“Right, but we need a lot of leather for our territory. Once we settle in properly, I’ll be heading back. You’ll stay here and send leather and byproducts back to the territory.”
The knights exchanged sly glances. If the lord were to leave? They’d just drink and play around and casually send whatever they caught. It truly felt like a vacation.
So, they all cheered heartily, “Yes! We’ll work hard to send it!”
Seeing their enthusiastic demeanor, Ghislaine smiled pleasantly.
“I’ll also train you all to improve your skills. Hunting monsters will help you level up a lot.”
The knights snickered. They often thought the Lord underestimated them.
“Milord! We’re all mercenary veterans. We’ve hunted quite a few monsters already.”
“I’ve learned mana, so catching a few monsters won’t really boost our skills, will it?”
“Didn’t we just come back from the Forest of Monsters?”
Hunting monsters every day doesn’t guarantee skill improvement. If it were that simple, all hunters would have become Swordmasters by now.
Real combat with one’s life on the line is often exaggerated; making a single mistake could lead to death before one’s skills had the chance to improve.
The established method for enhancing skills is to face suitable opponents and continuously battle. Meaning, merely fighting monsters blindly doesn’t easily elevate one’s abilities.
However, Ghislaine had no intention of doing that.
“Just working hard alone isn’t enough. I’ll set a target quota to make it a proper training opportunity.”
“…What’s the target amount?”
“Bring back 100,000 monsters in six months.”
At that ridiculous statement, the knights’ faces went pale.
