Chapter 317
Chapter 317 – We Need to Build Tension. (1)
The number of knights and monsters lining up in front was nearly equal.
As the mercenary knights stepped forward, the other knights wanted to join them as well. After all, it’s the knights who must take the forefront in battle.
However, one knight from the Mad Hounds raised his hand.
“Just watch for now. We’ll show you why we’re the veterans.”
At those words, the other knights looked at Ghislaine. Ghislaine smirked and nodded.
“Well, let’s just call it a revenge battle. Let them be; they’ve been through a lot.”
It is said that a typical Giant Mantis is on par with a low-ranking knight. The ones living in the Forest of Monsters are surely stronger.
Had it not been for Ghislaine’s command and the efforts of Belinda, Gillian, and Kaor back in the day, victory would have been impossible.
I had heard that they suffered quite a bit back then, so the knights showed hints of anxiety on their faces.
Swoosh!
The approaching Giant Mantises accelerated quickly. They came charging at the knights, brandishing their front legs.
Everyone was taken aback by the speed of the Giant Mantis’s attack. Even those knights who had stepped back were left with their hearts racing.
Swish!
But Gillian effortlessly dodged the attack and swung his axe.
Boom!
The Giant Mantis’s head flew off.
Immediately after, Kaor and the other knights each took down a Giant Mantis.
Swish! Swish!
Certainly, the Giant Mantis’s attacks are fast enough that regular soldiers wouldn’t be able to handle them. Yet, for some reason, the knights were easily dodging and attacking the Giant Mantises.
The knights watching in the back opened their eyes wide.
“What the? They weren’t this powerful, were they?”
“How are they dodging so easily?”
“Aren’t they supposed to block or roll away?”
For themselves, if they didn’t unleash a large amount of mana, they would struggle to match that speed. But the knights facing the Giant Mantises were avoiding their attacks with such ease.
It was as if they knew the attack was coming before it even started.
Ghislaine explained to the surprised knights.
“Those creatures are indeed a threatening monster, but their attack pattern is simple. It’s due to their body structure. Their rear is longer, limiting their range of attack. It’s tough for them to change direction quickly when you get to their sides.”
Indeed, upon closer inspection, the attacks of the Giant Mantis were utterly straightforward. They simply strike downwards or slash sideways.
When the knights predicted the attack and sidestepped, the Mantises would turn their bodies in response, but their speed was relatively slow.
Boom! Boom!
Without missing a beat, the knights erupted their mana and slashed at the Giant Mantis’s body.
Despite their sharp front legs and rapid advance, the Giant Mantis’s defense was quite weak. Their large bodies were easily torn apart.
Ghislaine laughed at the sight.
“They’ve all learned the strategies by risking their lives in battle. Those who couldn’t learn were all killed. Aside from the Blood Python, those were the most significant casualties.”
“……”
“The ones who survived back then can now easily take down a single Giant Mantis by themselves. Their defense is incredibly weak. Even back in the days when we couldn’t use mana, we could still inflict wounds on them. Now, it’s a different story.”
Of course, the remaining knights would also be able to take down a single Giant Mantis alone. But I can’t guarantee it would be that easy.
Experience certainly allows one to maximize their abilities.
The Giant Mantises were annihilated in the blink of an eye. Knowing their clear weaknesses, the knights who had grown stronger were no match for the Giant Mantises.
“Wowaaah!”
The soldiers and laborers erupted in cheers at the astonishing sight.
To easily take down the monsters renowned for their fearsome reputation!
“You’re amazing! So it’s true that the Lord has come to clear this out!”
“The knights are incredible! They’re way stronger than we thought!”
“Wow, not a single one got hurt!”
The guards of the Forest of Monsters were much more surprised than others. Strong memories from the past still clung to their minds.
“Back then, many died and there were a lot of injured, right?”
“It’s completely different from back then.”
“Everyone was a mercenary… I never expected them to become this strong.”
For those only remembering the fear and dangers of that time, this battle was a shock.
What kind of place was the Forest of Monsters? A dangerous place not to be trifled with.
Monsters dwelling here couldn’t possibly be easy to face. This was the knights of Penris becoming stronger.
“Surely, it’s the Grand Duke…”
All of this was possible thanks to Ghislaine. People couldn’t help but marvel again at Ghislaine’s achievements in sharpening the knights’ skills.
The mercenary knights wore looks of high spirits. They couldn’t deny the reflections on their changed abilities and standing.
“We really have grown stronger.”
“It was so scary back then.”
“Gaston, I’ve avenged you.”
Some wore proud expressions, while others shed a tear at the memory of old comrades.
Thanks to the knights’ efforts, the atmosphere shifted instantly. Soldiers and laborers brightened with a sense of security.
With capable fighters among such a force, there was no reason to be afraid.
The wizards dashed toward the Giant Mantis corpses.
“This is definitely worth studying.”
“The remains of a Giant Mantis from the Forest of Monsters… this is truly a rare find.”
“The meat from these monsters can be used as expensive medicinal ingredients. Ah, this would be great for men!”
The sharp forelegs of the Giant Mantis served as excellent material.
But even better material was the meat. It was said to be a tonic for men and thus sold for quite a high price.
The wizards giggled as they carefully applied freezing spells and preservation spells to the Giant Mantis corpses.
Though they claimed it was for research, it was clear what they intended to do.
“Alright, let’s get back to work!”
At Ghislaine’s command, the soldiers and laborers moved in perfect unison.
With the tension gone, the work speed increased. Some even began to hum a tune.
“It doesn’t seem too dangerous, does it?”
“We might finish quickly!”
“We’ve already secured quite a large area, haven’t we? It feels like we just came for lumber.”
As the soldiers and laborers chatted away, they focused on their tasks.
With each section secured, the soldiers and laborers set up new barricades. Watchtowers to guard against monster attacks were not left out.
Ghislaine stopped the expansion of territory at a reasonable point rather than recklessly pushing deeper. This was also because they had come to acquire Runestones.
“I’ll start moving deeper soon. Once the entrance portion stabilizes, I’ll expand further.”
At Ghislaine’s command, the troops and laborers moved with renewed vigor.
The laborers had increased greatly since they first entered the forest. Not only the Penris workers but also many from Perdium were pouring in.
Thanks to the supply soldiers spreading the word that the Forest of Monsters was less dangerous than expected.
The laborers from Perdium still bore deep-rooted fears of the forest. But seeing the knights easily dispatch the Giant Mantises calmed their fears about the Forest of Monsters not being so dangerous.
In reality, it was still the entrance, and the monsters were relatively weak. Plus, the knights had already faced these monsters, making it manageable.
However, it wasn’t just the laborers that arrived.
“Grand Duke! What on earth are you doing? Moving the forces without permission! This territory does not belong to you!”
Baron Homern stormed in, shouting. His face was flushed, clearly furious.
If he only took the Penris troops in, then there wouldn’t be justification to stop the exploration of the Forest of Monsters. But to arbitrarily bring in Perdium’s forces!
Even the Grand Duke overstepping was not acceptable. Though he hardly ever stayed within bounds.
Ghislaine replied nonchalantly.
“They’re just idle troops, aren’t they? With no threat, they should be used at times like this.”
“Oh! But even so, you must uphold certain standards! This is the army of Marquis Perdium! Even if you’re the heir, you can’t just take them without permission! At the very least, you should consult with me and plan!”
“Then it’ll just take longer.”
“What, what?”
“If I talk about how many people we should use and coordinate, it’ll delay things, so I moved quickly. Why prolong something we’re going to do anyway?”
“Oh! Who says we’re proceeding with just anything! Did we entrust our troops to you? How can you so easily use my father’s forces?”
Homern began to act all high and mighty. While he wasn’t wrong, it still felt like a tightrope walk.
Ignoring procedures and acting inappropriately is indeed a mistake. Etiquette and procedures are there for a reason.
Of course, Ghislaine understood that. And he also knew how to outsmart Homern.
“The territory we’ve secured has good soil. If you just sow seeds, they grow like crazy. Even without Runestones, just with improved grain seeds.”
“So what! That isn’t ours!”
“I could transfer it to Perdium until I inherit the territory.”
“R-really?”
Homern was taken aback and closed his mouth. It wasn’t common for Ghislaine to so willingly offer his possessions.
Currently, the Perdium territory could be said to revolve around the food and businesses supported by Ghislaine.
Laborers were earning money participating in road construction and various facilities.
While there were several new fields created by Ghislaine, it was no small task to manage the whole territory due to the high consumption of Runestones. Hence the continuing support each year.
Yet now, he was securing land comparable to several towns at lightning speed, and he intended to expand further. Just sowing seeds in this fertile land would dramatically increase Perdium’s food production.
In reality, even giving away all the land wouldn’t be a loss for Ghislaine.
‘We have food in abundance.’
While his primary goal for coming to the Forest of Monsters was for Runestones, expanding the territory and its cultivation was to strengthen Perdium’s power.
Penris would only need to secure other resources from here.
If Perdium could independently gather a significant food supply, they could grow even faster than now.
And this was essential to aid in the fight against the Duke faction.
‘Ugh, what a mistake coming here. I should have just stayed put.’
Homern began to sweat nervously, glancing at Ghislaine. He thought he could throw his weight around now that he had helped in the war against Desmond, but things had turned out like this.
Ghislaine chuckled and continued.
“Let’s get more laborers provided. The sooner, the better.”
“I was actually here to ask if more laborers were needed!”
Homern’s trump card is knowing when to keep his mouth shut. He had already tried once during the previous exploration of the Forest of Monsters. The second time was even easier.
Anyway, bringing in laborers to participate in exploration would also allow them to earn money, further invigorating Perdium’s economy.
He had come in with the intention of asserting some pride, but the reward was too great to simply back down.
“Just wait a little longer. Got it?”
With Homern’s active involvement, the number of laborers arriving rapidly increased. It was far more effective than rumors circulating and people filtering in.
Homern even sent back the Labor Assault Corps and the remaining soldiers.
Unlike last time, the participation of dwarves and wizards sped up the explorations immensely.
The path leading back to the previously established Runestone resource area soon morphed into quite a sizable territory.
Strong and large barricades were erected tightly along the borders, and watchtowers were built everywhere. With trees abundant inside the forest, there were no issues sourcing materials.
“Wow, at this rate, we might really get ourselves a territory!”
“The quality of the trees is excellent too. They’re so big and plentiful they’ll be usably for construction.”
“It seems there aren’t as many monsters as expected, huh? The Giant Mantises were probably the most numerous.”
It had been quite some time since the last exploration, and there were newly settled monsters. However, since they had already wiped out the monsters before, and being still at the entrance, the danger level wasn’t high.
The new monsters weren’t many, and even those were predominantly weaklings.
The soldiers and laborers roamed about, smiling and assured. They didn’t seem to think it was as dangerous as rumored, and the work was easy.
With experts capable of dispatching dozens of monsters in no time, there was no worry.
Seeing such reactions from the people, Ghislaine fell into contemplation for a moment. Soon, he called Vanessa to quietly explain something.
“We’re about to go beyond the path from last time. Prepare as I mentioned. Make sure to inform the mages well.”
“Yes, understood. What about the others…?”
“No, don’t tell them. Only prepare among the mages.”
“Why, why? Isn’t it dangerous not to inform the others? They need to be prepared in advance…”
At this, Ghislaine smiled slightly.
“They’re all too relaxed. They need to realize the danger to bring back some tension.”
“Tension, huh?”
“Right. If we go on too comfortably, more than half will die at the destination.”
With those words, Vanessa’s face became stiff with alarm.
