Chapter 277
Chapter 277 – I Will Buy Time. (4)
Harold nodded with a satisfied expression. Baron Hutton was one of the few powerhouses on the Desmond side, known for his personal strength.
“Alright, don’t worry about the others. Let’s focus on taking him down first.”
“Understood.”
Baron Hutton immediately mounted his horse and charged forward. Even as he approached the fortress, his gaze was fixed intently on Gillian’s movements.
A brutal force relentlessly slaughtered our knights and soldiers without pause.
In a normal situation, Baron Hutton wouldn’t dare to claim he could defeat such a powerhouse.
However, it was evident that fatigue had taken its toll on Gillian after prolonged battle. His ferocity intensified, but his strength and speed had noticeably diminished from the start.
The strain of war and the weariness of combat were not easily seen.
‘By now, it should be manageable.’
As he neared the castle wall, he nimbly leaped down from his horse, scaling the ladder with just two jumps before landing lightly on the parapet.
Then he looked at Gillian and drew his sword.
Swish!
The sound echoed in his ears, causing Gillian to slowly turn his head.
Just from the sound of the blade being drawn, he could tell. This was not a weak opponent.
‘Finally, the real deal has appeared.’
Though Hutton walked lightly, each of his steps reverberated with powerful energy.
Gillian readied himself and faced Baron Hutton directly.
Baron Hutton’s expression hardened as he got closer and confirmed Gillian’s presence.
‘Maybe… today is my last day.’
The man before him was like a wounded, venomous beast. A single mistake could spell disaster for him.
The relentless aura pouring out made it nearly impossible for him to approach.
They both instantly recognized each other’s strength.
Without uttering a word, they both struck.
Clang!
The moment the axe and sword collided, a sharp noise erupted alongside a burst of flames.
The weapons moved at a speed so great they were nearly invisible. Each clash unleashed powerful shockwaves throughout the vicinity.
Boom! Boom!
At some point, neither of them had allies left nearby. The shockwaves were too intense for anyone to withstand.
Thud!
Gillian’s axe came crashing down toward Baron Hutton’s head. Hutton raised his sword to deflect the blow.
Clang!
The fierce impact disrupted both of their stances, creating a brief opening.
Baron Hutton looked at Gillian with a penetrating gaze, opening his mouth to speak.
“I heard that most of Count Penris’s subordinates are mercenaries… What’s your name?”
“Gillian.”
“Quite impressive for a lowly mercenary. I am Baron Hutton, the man who will kill you today.”
Gillian let out a slight laugh while glaring at Baron Hutton. His eyes were still filled with fierce animosity.
“You little brat, talking back like that.”
Hutton’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the rough reply.
The opponent before him seemed older, but Hutton himself was already well into middle age. He wasn’t one to be considered “young.”
Gillian didn’t stop there. His identity as a mercenary meant he had endured a harsh life, rendering Hutton’s words inconsequential.
“I’ve heard worse from many others. Most are buried and gone now. A blade doesn’t discriminate by age or status.”
Gillian was a survivor, having faced death countless times since his youth. He had seen arrogant powerhouses like Hutton more than once.
Yet in the world of mercenaries, it is the survivor who is the strongest.
Gillian had lived long enough to have his hair turn white—a testament to his life’s pride.
Baron Hutton responded with a slight smile.
“You’re quite rude. We’ll see who ends up buried.”
Boom!
The two began to clash once more. It felt as if their fighting space had transformed into a different world.
The knights and soldiers of Penris and Desmond had abruptly ceased their fighting and backed away.
As the two faced off, the area of their conflict expanded further and further. It wasn’t wise to be too close; they could be torn apart.
Boom! Boom!
The ground cracked, and stones flew. The shockwaves were so powerful that anyone hit by the debris would fall.
Baron Hutton’s swordsmanship was so precise that it drew admiration from anyone watching.
His technique was the very definition of what it meant to be a knight.
The knights from both Penris and Desmond couldn’t help but admire his disciplined and refined swordplay.
Especially the knights of Penris felt a deeper sense of astonishment.
‘Incredible…’
‘It’s like a swordsmanship manual come to life.’
‘There are truly remarkable people in this world.’
The most common swordsmanship they had seen was that of Ghislaine. Yet Ghislaine’s technique was far above their understanding.
At times, it was elegant enough to move spectators deeply; at other times, it was wild enough to shred everything apart. Ghislaine’s movements were unpredictable, changing based on the weapon and the situation.
Thus, witnessing his movements was not as helpful. They could only gasp in awe at his occasional displays of skill.
But Baron Hutton was different. His swordsmanship exemplified how knights should wield their blades.
Boom!
In contrast, Gillian’s movements resembled that of a starving beast.
A moment’s distraction could lead to a savage bite at the throat, a brutal and rough aura radiated from him.
The knights of Desmond found themselves awestruck by Gillian’s attacks.
‘Extremely practical.’
‘There’s no predicting where his weapon might strike from.’
‘How is he capable of such movements?’
Each attack felt as thunder descending from the heavens. There was no way for them to avoid or block it with their skills.
To them, both fighters were merely different facets of the same monstrosity.
Slash!
As Hutton’s sword grazed past, it left marks on Gillian’s arms and legs, blood bubbling forth.
Meanwhile, Baron Hutton remained pristine. Not even a scratch marred his body. Yet his face was grimmer than ever.
‘I can’t land a fatal blow.’
The opponent was relentlessly offensive, absorbing damage and pressing forward.
If anyone were to be bloodied at this point, it was clearly Gillian. Yet as the fight continued, he felt the pressure mounting against him.
Hutton’s axe bore down with merciless force, slicing through the air at sharp angles. A single moment of distraction would result in a wound far worse than a mere scratch.
With blazing eyes, Gillian glared at Baron Hutton.
‘Wily little rat.’
Typically, when opponents faced such pressure, they’d grow anxious, throwing their stances off-balance. But Hutton maintained the calm of a still lake, unshaken.
No matter how skilled one might be, that sort of composure was not common.
Only those who could meticulously control their emotions could lead the fight.
For Gillian, facing someone like Baron Hutton was the most challenging scenario.
Boom! Boom!
While they clashed weapons, both were thinking the same thing.
‘This can’t end like this.’
If they sank into a war of attrition, one side would inevitably tire first.
But this was war. Their movements had temporarily caused an unintentional lull, and custom dictated that they not interfere in a knightly duel.
Both sides waited for the battle to resume, glaring at each other with ferocious eyes. Prolonging the conflict held no advantage.
In such a decisive fight, a victor would raise the morale of their side and push forward.
Gillian realized he needed to resort to more reckless tactics to ensure his opponent’s death.
‘I’ll give no chance.’
Boom!
Once more, their weapons clashed and pushed aside. Gillian exposed his chest, gripping his axe tightly.
‘Come.’
It was both a taunt and a bait. Hutton wasn’t the sort to miss such an opportunity. Yet he accepted the challenge knowingly.
‘Let’s settle this.’
With eyes gleaming, Baron Hutton thrust his sword toward Gillian’s heart. At the same moment, Gillian’s axe came crashing down toward Hutton.
The simplest and most primal of attacks.
Victory would depend on who was stronger and faster.
Swish!
Baron Hutton’s sword, imbued with mana, shot forth like a beam of light.
Thud!
Before Gillian’s axe could even swing halfway, Hutton’s sword plunged deep into his chest.
The sensation of piercing flesh drew a smile from Hutton.
‘It’s over.’
But Baron Hutton was unaware of who Gillian truly was.
“…?!”
Even with his heart pierced, Gillian’s axe did not falter. Instead, he grinned like a demon and drove the axe downward.
Hutton instinctively released his grip on the sword and took a step back.
Boom!
The chestplate of Baron Hutton shattered, his torso splitting open. Feeling a burning pain, he looked at Gillian with bewildered eyes.
‘How? I surely… hit the heart…’
Upon checking the location of his own sword, Hutton squinted one eye. It was ever so slightly off from where he had aimed.
‘Could it be… he shifted his stance while swinging the axe?’
When wielding a weapon, one’s posture inevitably changes, altering body position. Hutton knew this well; he had stabbed before the opponent moved.
Yet even in that brief moment, Gillian’s reaction was a gamble. If he maintained his attack even while being thrust at, there was a chance to alter his stance slightly and avoid a fatal wound.
It was a bold move that only one who had fought to survive his entire life could utilize.
Splash!
Baron Hutton staggered, blood spraying from his chest as he fell to his knees.
Gulp!
“Lord Baron!”
The knights of Desmond rushed to support the coughing Baron Hutton. Though the wound was grave, he still clung to life.
“Quick, get the Baron to safety!”
With his subordinates supporting him, Hutton retreated.
Gillian also staggered back a few steps and then pulled the sword from his chest. His hand gripping the axe trembled.
‘I couldn’t kill him.’
Baron Hutton’s momentary retreat resulted in a shallower wound than intended. Even in such a precarious moment, that judgment was remarkable.
“Instructor!”
The knights of Penris hastened over to support Gillian. Though he stood upright, it was evident his state was dire.
Blood oozed from the gaping wound in his chest, and droplets trickled from his tightly clenched lips.
If he had been in prime condition, he would’ve launched a follow-up strike without hesitation.
Both sides raised their weapons once more, glaring at each other.
By happenstance, an awkward pause had settled over the battle. As the two men glared at each other, a palpable aura began to bloom around them, filled with hostility.
The knights of Penris swallowed their blood a few times to regain their composure.
‘Damn… I feel like my body is contorting.’
‘There’s not much time left.’
‘Huff… I’ll take out at least one more before I go.’
They had already reached their limits. Most had blood trailing from their mouths.
It was merely because they wore black helmets that the enemies couldn’t recognize the severity of their condition.
Gillian understood this, pushing himself to hold on at any cost.
If he showed weakness, the enemies would become more brazen.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The drums sounded once more. But unlike before, the Desmond army began to retreat slowly.
Especially since they surrounded Hutton to protect him. He was an important figure they could not afford to lose.
Seeing the Desmond army pull back with the sound of drums, the Penris army exhaled a sigh of relief.
‘Thank goodness.’
‘We got lucky.’
‘If it weren’t for the instructor, we’d be in big trouble.’
Had Baron Hutton not survived, the Desmond army wouldn’t have retreated so easily.
Of course, had they known the true state of the Penris army, they would have pressed forward. But thanks to Gillian’s endurance, even Harold was misled by Penris’ facade.
Once it was apparent the enemies were backing down, Gillian coughed up blood and spoke slowly.
“Set up a perimeter and let everyone rest. Be ready to engage in battle at any moment.”
He still stood tall. Seeing this, the knights questioned him.
“Instructor, are you really alright?”
“Shouldn’t you lie down and get treated?”
“Hey! Where’s the medic? Bring some bandages!”
Seeing the commotion among the knights, Gillian waved his hand dismissively.
“Enough. You all should rest and recover your mana. I’ll take care of my wounds.”
He grit his teeth, enduring the pain, and spoke with a stoic expression.
Even if he had to walk to the command post, he’d go alone. He’d have to treat his wounds by himself.
He couldn’t show weakness. All the soldiers were looking at him.
Gillian slowly moved his heavy feet.
And Harold, who had been observing the battle throughout, came up with a new strategy.
“It would be better to mobilize all our weaponry and wizards to destroy the fortress.”
