Chapter 3
Chapter 3
“Such contempt, feels rather familiar.”
At Ghislaine’s sudden words, Skoban made a dumbfounded expression.
It was annoying enough that this useless guy was following him around, and now he demanded command authority.
‘Is he crazy?’
He wanted to slap him across the face immediately but held back with superhuman patience.
After all, he couldn’t just hit the heir of the territory.
“I don’t know why you’re saying this all of a sudden, but that’s impossible. I am the commander of the extermination squad.”
He even added a slight touch of disdain, as was his habit.
If Ghislaine got riled up over the disrespect, he could easily soothe him and send him off.
“It’s too much for a Grand Duke to command soldiers.”
He was preparing to raise his voice, but Ghislaine’s reaction was different from usual.
“Really? It’s fine, I’ll do it for now.”
Watching Ghislaine speak so nonchalantly, Skoban narrowed his eyes.
‘What’s this? Today’s vibe is different somehow. Why isn’t he sulking?’
The Grand Duke always appeared full of inferiority, from his slightly hunched shoulders and waist to his overly cautious expressions. When things didn’t go his way, his face would flush, and he’d start shouting.
But now, none of that was visible.
He stood tall, shoulders back, chin slightly raised in arrogance with not an ounce of emotion in his eyes.
When it came to atmosphere and momentum, he was definitely outclassing any Swordmaster.
‘What… did he eat something strange? What was for lunch today?’
It felt unfamiliar to see someone who used to seethe in a corner act like this all of a sudden.
Still, Skoban didn’t care. Even if he dressed himself up, the pitiful essence didn’t change.
“No. Please withdraw and rest. I’ll finish the extermination as quickly as possible and return to the castle.”
“I’ll do it.”
“…I just told you it’s not happening.”
“I’m doing it.”
“Grand Duke!”
“I said I’ll do it.”
“…”
Skoban suddenly felt a crushing heaviness in his chest, feeling like he had just eaten way too many sweet potatoes.
Before he could have just cursed quietly and calmed him down, but now it felt like talking to a wall.
“Ha… I’ve been granted command authority by the Lord. No matter how Grand Duke you are, I cannot just hand over the authority given by the Lord recklessly.”
“It’s okay. Right now, my orders on-site take precedence. We should trust the judgment of the frontline commander. Isn’t that natural in battle?”
‘That frontline commander is me, you creatively insane idiot! What do you know about the battlefield!’
The increasingly absurd things he said were mind-blowing. But as he had a higher status and they weren’t on the same page, he felt utterly defeated.
This fool seemed to think they were playing at being soldiers.
‘Whatever, what can I expect from him? Just give him the formal command to play pretend… I’ll just kill the orcs myself.’
If it seemed truly dangerous, he would have bound the Grand Duke to prevent him.
He wished he could gag that babbling mouth and throw him in prison right away.
But he was a knight, and Ghislaine was the Grand Duke of the territory. Skoban struggled to suppress his anger.
‘Disgusting, really, I might just quit this time for real.’
Even if he went to another territory, he could expect better treatment and associate with normal people.
Resolved to finish this mission and get out of Perdium, Skoban asked Ghislaine.
“Do you really… have to do this?”
“Of course!”
“…Fine. I’ll pass command authority to you, but you must take on the responsibilities as well.”
“Oh, good. Smart thinking. Let’s get ready right away.”
“Huh? Ready for what?”
“Combat preparation.”
“No, we haven’t even spotted the orcs yet; what combat preparation…?”
“Too lazy to explain. You wouldn’t believe it anyway. Just trust the judgment of the frontline commander.”
Leaving a dumbfounded Skoban behind, Ghislaine summoned all the soldiers immediately.
With only about thirty men, it assembled quickly.
The soldiers looked at Ghislaine with tired eyes.
Seeing a Grand Duke who caused trouble every day and made them clean up afterward was exhausting.
Ghislaine smiled at the weary soldiers.
‘People’s hearts are so fickle.’
In the past, he disliked the disdainful looks and acted out even more.
As people’s gazes grew colder, his feelings of inferiority deepened.
Both he and those watching him accumulated rage in their hearts. It was a vicious cycle.
But after dying and coming back, he realized that all of them were the people he needed to protect.
‘It’s kind of cute how they’re growling.’
After watching the soldiers for a while, Ghislaine spoke softly.
“The orcs will be attacking soon. Everyone, prepare defensive formations and wait.”
The soldiers resigned themselves, thinking the Grand Duke was going crazy again, and got in line.
‘What on earth is he doing?’
Ha, so tired.
As they stood still, the soldiers internally vented all kinds of curses.
Just when Skoban was about to say something to Ghislaine, a sound echoed from afar.
Thud thud thud thud!
They heard the sound of something charging in a group from a distance.
The soldiers turned toward the sound and shouted in surprise.
“Orcs! They’re really here!”
“What? Why are there so many!”
Dozens of orcs were charging towards them.
Skoban, the ‘real’ commander of the extermination squad, panicked and drew his sword.
“Everyone, don’t panic and prepare for combat… Huh?”
As he turned to look at the soldiers, his eyes widened.
The soldiers were already raising their shields and lowering their spears.
Because they were already in a defensive formation, they quickly fell into combat posture.
If Ghislaine hadn’t prepared them in advance, they would have been floundering in confusion at the sudden ambush.
“What the… is going on…”
Skoban stared wide-eyed at Ghislaine.
Usually, he would have been puffed up, bragging about his foresight, but now he was busy checking the soldiers’ status.
Even if they had set up formation in advance, there were too many orcs.
The soldiers trembled with fear on their faces.
Ghislaine slapped the shoulder of a nervous soldier and said,
“Hey, why are you so scared? Are you afraid of those guys?”
“Y-yes?”
“Tsk tsk, you’re so scared. Do you know what’s most important in a fight?”
“W-what is it?”
To the dumbfounded soldier, Ghislaine answered leisurely.
“Momentum, it’s all about momentum. Just like those orcs.”
The soldier swallowed hard and turned his head back.
The orcs were rushing in with a wild ferocity, as if they were about to slaughter their foes.
Yet seeing a Grand Duke relaxing in such a tense situation felt surreal.
Looking at the soldiers, Ghislaine continued.
“Don’t be scared. If you’re frightened, you won’t be able to exhibit your true abilities and will die. It would be really unfair to die like that, wouldn’t it?”
Ghislaine smiled softly, reminiscent of the time he taught new mercenaries in his past life.
But the soldier listening to Ghislaine seriously pondered.
‘Why is this fool suddenly trying to act cool?’
Advice like that only resonates when it comes from someone credible.
Hearing such nonsense from a Grand Duke renowned to be less competent than a regular soldier only felt ridiculous.
As Ghislaine was observing the soldiers, his face suddenly contorted. It was clear what he was thinking about.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“You just cursed me in your heart, didn’t you?”
“N-no!”
A moment of silence passed, and then Ghislaine clicked his tongue and turned away.
Ugh. I’m used to being disrespected, but the adaptation is truly hard.
The legendary mercenary king of the continent being treated like this would become a long-lasting joke if his followers found out before his return.
‘Well, I can slowly change that reputation.’
With a chuckle, Ghislaine stepped forward.
As he spun his sword casually, heading toward the orcs, Skoban shouted.
“Grand Duke! What are you doing?! Get back!”
“I’m good. Just watch from there.”
“Huh?”
“Be right back.”
Ghislaine tossed a parting word and dashed forward.
Damn it! Stupid fool! If you’re going to die, die alone!
Skoban gritted his teeth and gestured to the soldiers. First, he would pull the soldiers back and rescue Ghislaine.
But the sight that followed left him frozen like a statue.
“Graaah!”
An orc at the front swung a rusty axe towards Ghislaine.
A single blow that could slice a human in half.
Yet Ghislaine merely sidestepped with a smile on his lips.
Bam!
The axe missed and struck the ground instead.
As the orc glared with rage and attempted to lift its axe again, there was a swift sound cutting through the air.
Swish!
Ghislaine’s sword gleamed like lightning, slicing across the orc’s throat in one blow.
“Grrr…”
Thud!
The orc collapsed, making a deep, choking sound.
Seeing the orc twitch on the ground, the soldiers gaped in astonishment.
Orcs were known for their thick hides, and it was tough to inflict serious wounds without using mana.
Yet Ghislaine, who clearly couldn’t wield mana, had effortlessly beheaded the orc.
“W-what?!”
Skoban stood still, eyes wide with disbelief.
Even he, who could use mana, couldn’t feel any mana waves.
That meant… Ghislaine had unarmed taken down an orc in a single strike.
“Impossible!”
Mana was a supernatural power that helped humans surpass their limits.
To kill an orc without using it required incredible strength or extreme technique.
Given Ghislaine’s unimpressive physique, he couldn’t possibly possess such monstrous power.
Which only left one explanation.
He had unimaginable swordsmanship that involved striking the weakest point at the precise moment.
“Grr!”
“Graaah!”
The charging orcs halted as their leader suddenly dropped dead and began to encircle Ghislaine.
Ghislaine smirked.
“Oh, this is great. You’re all targeting me, right? This makes things easier.”
To minimize casualties, he had summoned the soldiers and prepared a formation in advance.
He could kill any number of orcs, but protecting the soldiers from harm was difficult with his current abilities.
But now, these foolish monsters were all coming after him. He might as well thank them for the opportunity.
“It’s been a while since I fought without mana.”
Ghislaine raised his sword with an arrogant smile.
Though he knew the family’s Mana Circulation Method, he had never truly trained in it.
In his past life, it was only after leaving home and wandering as a mercenary that he began his training. It was a matter of survival.
Initially, he had to fight for his life without using mana.
But now, it was both the same and different. Years of honed, extreme swordsmanship lived within him.
“Come on!”
“Graaah!”
Bam!
The orcs swung their axes wildly, but they couldn’t land a hit on the strangely moving Ghislaine as they missed every time.
He dodged attacks with minimal movement, using the strength of the orcs’ approach against them to slice their vulnerable necks.
Swish!
“Grrr!”
With each swing of his sword, an orc fell, gushing blood.
“Ugh, my body isn’t cooperating at all.”
Ghislaine muttered as he swung his sword.
This body from this era was ridiculously weak.
Just a bit of movement made sweat pour down like crazy, and his muscles ached intensely.
His joints might even be groaning from the overexertion.
Yet laughter never left his face.
He had survived for decades on battlefields steeped in slaughter. If he hadn’t enjoyed combat, he wouldn’t have lasted.
The feeling of pushing his body to the limit was proof that he was still alive.
Swish.
Bam!
Ghislaine barely avoided the orc’s attacks, taking them down one by one.
Skoban, witnessing such movements, swallowed hard. Even he, who could use mana, couldn’t move like that.
‘W-what makes the Grand Duke capable of such moves?’
It was clear he was struggling. Yet during the moments he dodged and attacked, his movements were flawless.
Skoban had never seen such swordsmanship in his life.
‘Incredible.’
As someone skilled with a sword himself, he longed to learn such perfect movements. He almost resembled a Swordmaster incapable of using mana.
‘No, perhaps even more than that…’
To anyone else, such an evaluation might seem insane, but it was almost closer to the truth.
The Seven Great Powers of the continent were all superhumans beyond human limits. Their skills weren’t just mere techniques; they had insight that transcended combat.
So even without mana and with a frail body, the experience and skills Ghislaine built over time allowed him to surpass his limits.
Crack!
As Ghislaine swung his sword again, yet another orc fell, blood spraying everywhere.
“Grr!”
The remaining orcs started to retreat.
From more than twenty orcs, only five remained. Most had fallen victim to Ghislaine’s sword in mere moments.
“Hey, is it over already? I haven’t even warmed up yet. You guys are showing such weak appearances; are you really a battle race?”
Ghislaine pointed his sword at the orcs and sneered.
Of course, his true thoughts were quite the opposite.
‘Ha, am I going to die again at this rate? I just want to lie down. Was I this weak back then?’
To wield power that surpasses limits requires an equivalent cost.
Ghislaine’s feeble body was beginning to betray him.
