Chapter 284
Chapter 284 – I’m not alone. (2)
Desmond’s pursuers were flustered. Just when they thought they would finally eliminate the nuisance that had been bothering them, a new enemy suddenly appeared.
The fallen Knights of Penris were equally taken aback.
“The lord… has arrived?”
“Could it be that the preparations are already complete?”
“Hahaha! Our lord is here! The lord has come!”
I’m not quite sure how this situation unfolded, but I couldn’t help but chuckle. I thought I was doomed, and yet here he appeared right on cue!
I always feel this way, but the lord’s movements are truly unpredictable.
It wasn’t just the knights of Penris. Even the injured soldiers began chuckling to themselves.
“We’re alive…”
“The lord has come…”
“If it’s the lord, he can take down all these guys here…”
An absolute trust in Ghislaine.
Regardless of anything else, she had instilled such faith in them when it came to battle.
“These guys…”
Desmond’s men glared at the fallen Penris soldiers with displeasure.
How dare they puff up with pride just because a few reinforcements arrived. The soon-to-die wretches showing off made him furious.
“You lot are the ones who are about to die first. And they’re next.”
Desmond’s soldiers kicked the helmets off the fallen Penris soldiers with their spears.
There’s no need to stab anywhere else. Just stab them in the face.
Once the helmets were removed, most of the knights were left with bloodied faces, still grinning.
“Huh… You plan to kill our lord with just you lot?”
Desmond’s soldiers twitched their lips at the ridiculousness. They were thoroughly annoyed by the cocky remarks.
Determined to kill them swiftly before the reinforcements arrived, they raised their spears high.
Thwack!
“Gack…”
Before they could even stab, arrows flew in and pierced one soldier’s throat.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The other soldiers, hurriedly trying to stab, began to fall one after another from the arrows.
“What, what’s happening!”
One of Desmond’s soldiers was startled and turned his head again. A group was rushing in at an astonishing speed.
The figure the Penris soldiers had referred to as their lord, accompanied by over 300 individuals clad in black armor.
They were all armed with bows.
“Damn it! Fall back! Get into formation!”
They’re too fast. They’re closing in at an incredible rate, almost as if blinking was enough for them to double their distance.
There wasn’t enough time to finish off the fallen Penris soldiers. Anyway, with sudden enemies appearing, they had to regroup and form up.
True to their training, Desmond’s men swiftly formed ranks. But Baron Hutton didn’t retreat immediately.
“I’ll kill that one first.”
If he killed Gillian, it would break the morale of the enemy. Pulling the arrow lodged in his own chest, he picked up a sword lying on the ground.
“Die!”
Swish!
Clang!
Just as he approached Gillian, another arrow flew in. While this time he managed to deflect it, the strength behind it made his hand tremble.
“Ugh, that arrow’s strength…”
The force contained within the arrow was unsettling. If he hadn’t concentrated mana on his sword this time, the blade might have shattered.
Was there ever such a strong opponent among the Penris ranks besides Gillian?
‘Could that person… be Count Penris?’
The one who loosed the arrow was charging in with a ferocious grin, radiating madness. The speed was terrifying. It was already too late to try to kill Gillian.
‘Let me verify the rumored strength.’
Whoosh!
Riding the Black Horse, Ghislaine leapt over Gillian and stormed towards Baron Hutton.
In the blink of an eye, Ghislaine thrust her spear.
“Hmph!”
Baron Hutton lowered his stance to dodge her spear and swung his sword toward the horse’s legs, intending to bring Ghislaine down.
The timing of his attack was perfect as the horse landed.
Whoosh!
But just as the hooves hit the ground, the Black King tightened the muscles in his thighs and leaped again. Baron Hutton looked incredulous.
“What kind of horse…?”
Did it just evade his sword? No matter how skilled a rider was, his attack timing was flawless. This shouldn’t happen.
As he panicked, realizing his attack had failed, he rolled forward. But Ghislaine seized the moment of his hesitation and swung her spear.
Slash!
“Ugh!”
Baron Hutton let out a groan as Ghislaine’s spear struck his back. Although he hadn’t fully dodged, mercifully it wasn’t a severe wound.
“Ho, not bad!”
Ghislaine, turning the Black King’s rider, faced Baron Hutton.
He had managed to evade her once—twice. At the very least, that meant he was a formidable knight of considerable rank.
Grrr.
The Black King showed his teeth with a grin, seemingly mocking both of them who had failed to land their attacks. But when Ghislaine clicked her tongue and pressed her abdomen, the Black King immediately shut his mouth in pain.
In the meantime, the knights following Ghislaine arrived one after another, quickly forming a barrier in front of the fallen allies. The remaining troops followed suit in succession.
It was then that Ghislaine turned back, worry etched on her face.
“Gillian! Are you okay? You’re okay, right?”
“My lord…”
Gillian’s expression was one of overwhelming relief. He truly thought he was going to die when Ghislaine showed up.
Then, an urgent thought crossed Gillian’s mind.
“My lord! Please take cover! Right now…”
“First, we treat the wounds, and we can share our joy of reunion a bit later!”
“No, that’s not it…”
“Hey, what are you doing! Move Gillian and the injured quickly!”
Ghislaine kept interrupting, and Gillian couldn’t express what he wanted to say. Just as he was about to speak again, he was dragged away by ‘Muscle Gordon’ who was helping him.
“Oh my, our instructor has lost weight. Must have gone through a lot. This way, you might lose muscle mass…”
“Gordon! Just a moment! My lord…”
“I’ll make sure he eats plenty of chicken breast. Come on, hurry up!”
“You! Ugh!”
Being tugged along by Gordon’s rough hands, Gillian winced in pain as his wounds opened up.
Baron Hutton seized the chaos as the Penris reinforcements rushed around dealing with the injured, swiftly backing away. His face was painted with evident shock.
‘Fast!’
The reinforcements arrived much earlier than he anticipated. Their horsemanship was exceptional.
After catching his breath a few times, Baron Hutton took out potions from his waist and sprayed them on his chest and back.
‘Not bad.’
Ghislaine’s mana was still rampaging through his body, making it difficult for him to heal.
He sprayed two bottles in quick succession and, suppressing Ghislaine’s mana with his own, finally managed to close the outside wounds. However, the internal injuries weren’t fully healed, and it seemed he needed to rest for at least a few days.
The substantial impact of the mana suggested his skills were considerable.
‘It’s clear he’s reached a higher rank. Is he at Gillian’s level? Tsk, if I weren’t injured, someone like him wouldn’t…’
Of course, Baron Hutton didn’t think he would lose right now. He was merely startled by the sudden attack, and he was sure if he focused and fought, there was no way he would lose to someone like that.
After all, he and Gillian had one advantage over Ghislaine.
Baron Hutton glared at Ghislaine and asked.
“Are you Count Penris?”
“Yes, I am Count Penris.”
As Ghislaine answered nonchalantly, Baron Hutton smiled with a twisted grin.
“I am Baron Hutton. By the way, you have made quite a foolish mistake.”
“A foolish mistake?”
“Hiding away in your castle, what are you doing out here?”
Having regained his composure through conversation, Baron Hutton wore a faint smile.
‘If I kill that one, this war will be over.’
He genuinely thought that. If he could just eliminate Ghislaine in front of him, he would become the main contributor to ending the war with minimal losses.
‘I’ll attack right away… No, wait.’
Just as he was about to mobilize his soldiers, Baron Hutton suddenly had a good idea and stopped.
Then, stretching out his sword forward, he said with an arrogant expression.
“To reach such heights at such a young age is indeed impressive. But I think the confidence of a count is excessive.”
“My confidence is excessive?”
“Exactly. I can tell you are skilled, but for a lord to boldly stand at the forefront like this? That’s just asking to die! I’m almost curious about who your teacher is. Tsk tsk.”
Ghislaine’s expression turned incredulous. As though they were nobility and knights, he was already trying to give her advice from the get-go.
Mentioning who her teacher was insulted her, suggesting that he saw her not as a true lord but as a child.
‘If Belinda heard this, she would rage against such meddling in the education of others. I’m lucky she’s not here.’
Ghislaine dismounted and drew her sword.
“Let’s see who lacks courage.”
“You’re still brimming with confidence. That’s indeed the privilege of youth. But as much as I can see your confidence, you must also have weaknesses.”
“Me? What am I lacking?”
“Experience and wisdom!”
“…”
Baron Hutton smirked at Ghislaine, who was left speechless, and continued.
“Fighting isn’t all about strength. If you’re on similar levels, the outcome will ultimately depend on how much real combat experience you’ve had.”
“…”
“Now that it’s come to this, I would like to offer some lessons to your count… but if you’re not confident, we can fight troop to troop.”
With Baron Hutton’s arrogant words, Ghislaine smirked. There’s usually a reason for someone to be so chatty on the battlefield.
Either they couldn’t restrain themselves in battle like Claude, or there was intent to drag things out.
Or perhaps…
‘He wants to minimize his losses and achieve glory.’
Ultimately, capturing the lord ends the territorial war. And here, a young, novice lord stood directly before him.
If he could kill her in a one-on-one duel, it would save troop losses while gaining fame for directly eliminating a notorious troublemaker from the north.
To Baron Hutton, it probably looked like a treasure rolling right into his lap. That’s why he was trying to provoke Ghislaine with such chatter.
Unaware that Ghislaine read into his mind, Baron Hutton wore a blatant mocking expression toward her.
‘I’ve heard your personality is reckless and impulsive. I suppose it must be hard for a noble to bear such provocation.’
He genuinely believed he could win this fight.
Though he was injured, he still had experience and wisdom that his opponent lacked.
No matter how skilled Count Penris was, she was merely a hot-blooded youth. The information he had gathered thus far supported that as well.
He prided himself on remaining calm and collected in the north. If he could fight without interference from others, he was absolutely certain of winning.
Calmly pushing back against the enemy was a skill honed through years of experience, regardless of rank.
“What do you think? A knightly duel is truly the romance of the battlefield, isn’t it? If you’re scared, feel free to retreat.”
Ghislaine nodded, accepting Baron Hutton’s challenge.
“Sure, let’s do it. You’re quite the interesting one.”
With his strange remarks, I watched him think hard, as he tried to devise a plan to provoke her.
To minimize losses and boost morale among his troops, he intended to kill Baron Hutton anyway. There was no need to refuse when the opponent stepped forward to meet their end.
“I’ve always fought those who want to fight; I’m more than willing. Come forth.”
As Ghislaine lifted her sword and gestured, Baron Hutton’s spirit transformed.
From the arrogant nobleman giving unsolicited advice, he became as sharp as a finely honed sword.
“Oh?”
Ghislaine raised an eyebrow slightly at the change in spirit. With that demeanor, it was clear he wasn’t just all talk.
‘Baron Hutton… He’s quite a famous figure. So, this is why Gillian has had it tough.’
This was the first time she had seen him directly. Both in this life and the last. In her previous life, Baron Hutton was labeled a traitor due to Amelia’s schemes to weaken Harold’s power, forcing him to take his own life.
But she had known the name for quite some time, as he was fairly well-known in the north.
Ghislaine smiled as she readied herself. At that moment, both armies stepped back slightly.
When commanders duel, it’s customary to create space.
This minimizes the risk of being dragged into a stray battle, but it also prevents one side from receiving help if they were in danger during the duel.
Baron Hutton focused his gaze, sharp eyes on Ghislaine, and spoke.
“Count Penris… do you know this?”
“What about it?”
“I have won a knightly duel five times, from my youth until now. And I still stand here.”
The outcome of a knightly duel directly influences the war’s outcome. In other words, Baron Hutton meant he had led five wars to victory through his own strength.
Even if knightly duels were initiated, they were essentially trivial disputes in a war; however, fighting alone shoulder to shoulder with the fate of a territory was an immense burden.
“Surely the young count does not know how terrifying this position really is.”
That’s why he was confident. Regardless of skill, a youth like Count Penris had never felt such heavy pressure in battle.
Eventually, the more Penris fought, the more overwhelmed she would become by her burdens and lose her composure.
‘It’s not an easy task for a greenhorn like you to handle.’
As that thought crossed his mind, Baron Hutton wore a confident smile.
Yet Ghislaine merely chuckled in response.
“I’ve done it over a hundred times.”
“What?”
As Baron Hutton was left dumbfounded by her absurd answer, Ghislaine’s eyes glowed red.
“Let’s begin.”
Whoosh!
Ghislaine surged forward like lightning, swinging her sword at Baron Hutton.
