Chapter 31
Chapter 31: Follow Me With All Your Might (3)
Krooo!
The Dirus Ents approached, their anger barely concealed.
Even without their bark, it was evident they believed they could easily trample the humans before them.
Just as the mercenaries were about to retreat under their intense pressure, Ghislaine grabbed a spear and spoke.
“Hey, are you all going to run away without even trying to fight? Do you think you can live on your sword skills like that?”
Despite her taunting, the mercenaries could only stare at Ghislaine as if she were a madwoman.
Understanding her confidence when weapons were ineffective and fire was useless was beyond them.
“Watch closely.”
Ghislaine declared as she hurled the spear with all her might.
Kwaaaaak!
The spear shot forth at incredible speed, piercing the body of the nearest Ent and embedding itself in the one behind it.
Kraaaaah!
The pierced Ent staggered back, stunned by the pain it had never felt before.
“Ah?”
As the mercenaries panicked, Ghislaine turned and laughed.
“You fools. Now that the bark is gone, the vines have burned away, and they can’t attack from a distance. They’re just oversized, slow monsters now.”
Despite witnessing the monsters being pierced by the spear and hearing Ghislaine’s words, the mercenaries hesitated to charge forward.
Though the bark was gone, the enormous size and intimidating presence of the Ents remained unchanged.
As dozens of Dirus Ents closed in from all around, the mercenaries began to back off in fear.
Krooo!
A terrible roar emanated from the fearsome creatures.
Crushed under the intensity of the monsters’ presence, the mercenaries lost their fighting spirit.
There was no way they could win in this state.
“Tsk.”
Ghislaine clicked her tongue and pulled out a massive greatsword from the cart.
This was no ordinary two-handed sword; it had been specially crafted for taking down large monsters.
Kuwung!
Gripping the enormous sword with both hands, it almost covered his entire frame as he planted it firmly into the ground.
The heavy sound echoed all around.
‘Huu, it’s been a while.’
Though Ghislaine primarily used a sword and was expert in swordsmanship, she hadn’t neglected training with other weapons either.
In battle, sometimes it was necessary to use a weapon other than a sword depending on the situation, and if one was unlucky, they might even find themselves fighting barehanded.
Indeed, during his time as the King of Mercenaries, he was renowned for his ability to wield all types of weapons with ease.
Krooo!
Kuwung! Kuwung! Kuwung!
As the Dirus Ents advanced, the mercenaries faltered and retreated.
“Your Excellency, step back. I will handle this.”
“Cerberus Mercenary Group, prepare yourselves.”
Gillian and Kaor stepped forward, ready to take action.
With the mercenaries in disarray and panic, they had to maintain their composure.
Otherwise, they would all end up trampled to death.
The remaining mercenaries anxiously watched Ghislaine.
Their employer, perhaps overwhelmed by fear, stood still without giving any commands, holding a greatsword as if frozen in place.
‘What the hell? This rookie noble thinks he can charge out here to fight?’
‘He can barely lift that heavy sword!’
‘What does he think he’s doing in that awkward stance?’
The mercenaries frowned and retreated even faster.
It was sheer madness to fight against such a massive and fearsome group of monsters.
They simply hoped that the Cerberus Mercenary Group could hold out long enough for them to escape.
The mercenaries exchanged worried glances, assessing the situation.
It was clear as day that the employer at the front would be trampled to death.
If he died, they wouldn’t have to worry about penalties for fleeing, making it their best option to bolt the moment he fell.
“Your Excellency! Leave it to the mercenaries and retreat!”
Belinda, fuming, alternated her glare between the mercenaries and Ghislaine.
No matter how scared they were, it was outrageous for their employer to sneak back while standing in the front! She could smash their heads in and feel no remorse!
“No, from now on, I will take the lead in all battles.”
“What?”
Belinda stared incredulously at Ghislaine, her eyes blazing.
Did he really intend to lead from the front in this dangerous forest, not knowing what might come out?
It was madness for an employer to be at the forefront after hiring so many mercenaries.
“Are you insane? The mercenaries are withdrawing, and you’re still standing here!”
Gillian and Kaor, who were preparing for battle, frowned as well.
If Ghislaine were to step back, they could fight more comfortably, but having him up front was frankly irritating.
They knew he was quite capable, but this was real combat. It was only natural they’d feel uncomfortable having to protect him.
However, Ghislaine, undeterred by their glances, merely smiled.
“Let’s begin.”
A core within him began to spin wildly, releasing mana.
“Your Excellency! Don’t do it!”
“Step back, Your Excellency!”
Feeling the flow of mana, Belinda and Gillian were shocked and tried to stop Ghislaine, but they were a moment too late.
Ghislaine dashed forward, cutting through the air.
Kroo!
In the next instant, a scream-like roar echoed as the frontmost Dirus Ent was sliced in half.
Kuwoooong!
The colossal body of the Dirus Ent fell to the ground, split in two.
Kroo!
Startled by Ghislaine’s sudden attack, all the Dirus Ents froze.
“Haa….”
Red smoke began to seep from Ghislaine’s mouth as he exhaled.
It was proof that the core was spinning fiercely.
Kroo!
A few Dirus Ents rushed at Ghislaine.
Blocking the thick branches swinging rapidly with one side of the greatsword, Ghislaine was pushed back slightly.
“Ugh!”
However, predicting the movement, he quickly spun around and slashed at the nearest Dirus Ent.
Kwahh!
The blade of the greatsword dug into the body of the Dirus Ent halfway.
Even without the bark, it wasn’t a thickness that could be severed in a single slash.
“Gah!”
Gdgdgdgd!
Ghislaine, undeterred, channeled more strength into the sword.
With a splitting sound, the massive torso began to be severed again.
Kraaaah!
The Dirus Ent, letting out a painful scream, eventually fell, completely cut apart.
The surrounding Dirus Ents roared in anger, attacking Ghislaine recklessly.
He artfully dodged their attacks and sometimes blocked them with the greatsword, steadily countering.
Another monster fell, cleaved in half by the greatsword.
With each swing, one would fall.
The Dirus Ents couldn’t withstand Ghislaine’s greatsword and began to fall one by one.
“Gah!”
Of course, Ghislaine wasn’t unscathed either.
Given their massive size, the Dirus Ents were strong, and the impact alone was enough to rattle him.
However, with each attack he blocked, he felt every nerve in his body come alive.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve experienced this.’
Since fighting Frank, he hadn’t had the opportunity to unleash his true power.
He had been too busy planning according to a greater scheme and gathering funds.
But now, at this moment, he could focus purely on battle.
Kraaah!
One Dirus Ent fell, its body cleaved.
Ghislaine smiled in satisfaction without realizing it.
‘This is where I belong…’
In his past life, he had always been at the forefront of battles.
He was always in the deadliest spots.
That’s why even the rough mercenaries recognized him.
Though he was capable of strategic thinking, he felt that this was where he truly thrived.
“W-What is that…?”
Seeing Ghislaine reveling in battle after such a long time, Belinda just stood there in shock, swallowing her saliva.
It was impossible for an ordinary knight to cut down a giant monster in one blow.
No matter how skilled one was, without sufficient mana and physicality, it would be a tough feat.
As far as Belinda knew, Ghislaine didn’t possess that kind of mana.
After all, there was a limit to how much mana one could accumulate at that age.
No matter how talented he was, time was fair to everyone.
‘Did he steal some good medicine or something?’
The truth was, Ghislaine had only activated one core so far.
The amount of mana he could wield with just that one core wasn’t much, but he excelled at managing and concentrating his mana like no other.
He could release powerful output even with minimal mana.
However, those unaware of this secret could only gape at Ghislaine’s display of prowess.
“W-What does the young master even have that allows him to do this?”
“He’s not just great at swordsmanship, after all.”
Gillian and Kaor, too, merely stood gazing at Ghislaine, unable to think about crashing into the fight.
They knew he was skilled in swordsmanship, but witnessing him unleash this level of mana in battle was unexpected.
The mercenaries, who had been inching away, now halted in shock and stared at Ghislaine.
“Was our employer this strong? Didn’t they call him a madman?”
“Such skill at that age?”
While everyone remained dumbfounded, the battle grew increasingly fierce.
Kroo!
All the Dirus Ents converged on Ghislaine.
He swung the greatsword like a madman, destroying everything around him, leaving no opportunity for distraction.
‘I need to activate my second core.’
Certainly, the size difference was something even Ghislaine couldn’t underestimate.
Despite their slower movements, each of their attacks held horrifying power.
If he took even one direct hit, he couldn’t guarantee his life.
Reluctantly, he had to brace himself and activate more cores to increase his mana.
As he activated the second core and drew forth mana, his eyes began to glow red.
Finally, Gillian, having regained his senses, called out loudly.
“What are you all doing? Attack!”
Gillian charged forward with his axe, resembling an enraged boar.
Kwaaar!
His axe slammed down onto a Dirus Ent that was attacking Ghislaine.
Ghislaine let out a deep breath as Gillian entered the fray, cooling down the second core once more.
Thanks to Gillian’s frantic axe swings, he had gained some room to maneuver.
“Tsk! Cerberus Mercenary Group, charge in too!”
Once Kaor joined, Ghislaine’s movements became considerably more relaxed.
“Waaaah!”
The Cerberus Mercenary Group rushed in, stabbing their weapons into the monsters.
The Cerberus Mercenary Group were also fighters who relished in risking their lives.
They charged forward without fear, attacking the Dirus Ents like stubborn fools.
“Stick together! Let’s wipe these bastards out!”
Kroo!
The battle devolved into complete chaos.
The mercenaries swallowed hard but remained on the sidelines, now slowly moving forward.
“Why are they not calling us? Do they think they can take them all on alone?”
“The Mad Hounds have jumped in, though…”
The mercenaries were confused about the situation.
Their employer stood silently in the frontlines, fighting without issuing them commands.
Did this mean he didn’t need them? Why hire them if that were the case?
One thing was clear, though: watching Ghislaine fight made their blood boil.
“I have to fight too.”
A seasoned mercenary named Toran brandished his weapon and dashed forward.
“I’m going too.”
Several mercenaries followed after Toran.
Belinda, arms crossed in observation, shot glares at the remaining mercenaries.
“What are you all doing? Not going and just watching?”
Under her sharp words, the mercenaries looked at one another and shouted.
“Y-Yeah! Let’s go!”
“Let’s fight!”
“Waaaaah!”
With a roar, the mercenaries surged forward.
