Chapter 336
Chapter 336: What’s So Great About That? (2)
Hiding his eyes and pulling off such a stunt. Even amidst his busy schedule, earning that kind of extra income shows he truly is a piece of work.
Ghislaine gulped nervously and asked, “So… an auction? Where do they hold this auction?”
“Hmmm, that’s a secret known only to a select few.”
“A secret?”
“Yeah, I can’t just tell anyone. This is the Chief Officer Penris’s deep intention to sell cherished items exclusively to true followers. There are always those unscrupulous merchants who buy precious items just to resell them at a higher price.”
“R-right… But if it’s an auction, does that mean there are a lot of people buying my items?”
“Not yours—Count Penris’s items. Doesn’t the impersonator know this? After Count Penris defeated Count Desmond, his popularity in the kingdom skyrocketed. Rumors of him being a saint are circulating in the capital, too.”
“Popular, you say?”
“Of course! So it’s only natural that the number of followers would increase. The impersonator knows nothing—tch.”
Famous dancers and knights on the continent have a large fan base, accompanied by numerous people who engage in business using their popularity. Their stories often get compiled into books and the items they use are sold at inflated prices.
The clothes and accessories worn by popular figures quickly become trends, prompting merchant groups to specially create items for them.
For example, wasn’t it Meriel from the capital who set the fashion for noblewomen?
Ricardo, living in Perdium, also commanded many followers with just his handsome face.
So it wasn’t particularly special that Ghislaine had followers as well.
He was aware that he was popular among the territory residents. However, he truly didn’t know that he had such overzealous followers.
“Wow… I don’t think this ever happened in my previous life… Was I just unaware of my popularity?”
In his past life, he was known as the King of Mercenaries among the seven great powers of the continent—he remembered having some degree of popularity, but it was more niche.
You could say he was treated similarly to a famous bandit, perhaps?
In any case, it seemed Claude was utilizing Ghislaine’s popularity for a nice little extra income. And Wendy clearly turned a blind eye to it.
“It looks like I’ll need to change my guards soon.”
He thought he’d heard some rumor about gold coins being skimmed off before. Wendy closed her eyes to it back then too.
Even someone like Wendy, standing by Claude, seemed to have her heart softened without her realizing.
Ghislaine tousled his hair and asked again, “But still, even if they’re fans… is it really necessary to buy things like that?”
“Well, isn’t that the norm for a follower? Listening to and watching him is my only remaining joy. That’s why I want to own cherishes. Tch, you’d impersonate him without understanding that feeling?”
Dominic clicked his tongue before gazing lovingly at his cherished items.
“Ha…”
‘This dude… seems dangerous.’
Indeed, it was necessary to have genuine conversation with people to know them. Ghislaine had seen Dominic in his past life, but he had no idea he was this type of person.
The Drake Mercenary Group fought fiercely alongside the Army of the King of Mercenaries.
Back then, he had no choice but to charge at Ghislaine because he was bound by the House of Marquis Roderick.
That spirit and skill were formidable enough for Ghislaine to acknowledge. The Drake Mercenary Group was stronger than many kingdom armies, and their leader, Dominic, was an exceptional warrior and commander.
During the civil war, the Drake Mercenary Group led the charge. Marquis Roderick treated them as mere shields.
Although the Marquis was surprised by the fighting power of the Drake Mercenary Group, he couldn’t ignore them.
But to think the leader would be someone who went crazy for popularity!
Dominic carefully packed his cherished items back into their boxes, his movements skilled from practice.
Every time Count Penris was mentioned, he showcased them with pride. Collectors can’t help but flaunt their prized possessions.
Once the boasting ended, he returned to a sharp demeanor fitting a mercenary leader.
“Now you understand why I don’t trust you, right? I know Count Penris better than anyone. Probably no one else here knows him as well as I do.”
“Hmmm.”
Ghislaine nodded several times. He was the kind of guy who enthusiastically collected even clothes previously worn by others. With this kind of passion, he had to acknowledge it.
It seemed foolish, but it was not something to be taken lightly. He could understand why someone would fall into such obsession.
He was shackled, unable to escape. His family was taken hostage, so he couldn’t leave. There was nothing he could do.
Thus, he needed something to immerse himself in.
Something to soothe his tired and weary heart, something to help him forget reality.
And typically, one projects their strong desires onto that object.
— I want to be like that person.
The young lord of the North, a reckless man who cared little for others’ opinions, a guy who carved his own path with strength—someone who ultimately toppled the great lord of the North, whom no one could defeat.
Dominic might have wished for Ghislaine to appear like a hero and shatter his miserable reality.
And indeed, Ghislaine had come, knowing Dominic’s circumstances.
However, Dominic, unaware that he stood before the person he admired, coldly remarked, “If you impersonate my hero and cause a ruckus here, you’ll have to pay a price.”
He drew his sword, exuding a fierce aura. Surely, a sight befitting the greatest mercenary leader of the West.
His followers surrounded Ghislaine’s group with fierce expressions as dozens more were waiting outside.
As Ghislaine slowly scanned the scene, he turned to Dominic and asked, “What’s so great about that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about the owner of your cherished items.”
At those words, Dominic chuckled lightly and replied, “The best part is being utterly reckless, I hear.”
“Reckless?”
“Yeah, it’s that point where everyone’s scared, everyone’s against it, and everyone’s trying to stop you, but you just push forward regardless—that’s what I like the most.”
“Such a peculiar taste. You like that? I thought most people didn’t.”
“I can’t do that.”
Dominic wanted to live like that too. But he had neither the ability nor the guts for it.
The way he spoke seemed both self-deprecating and filled with frustration.
Shaking his head several times, Dominic thrust his sword forward and declared, “Get rid of this impersonator. No need to kill him, just beat him up a bit and send him on his way.”
“If you like seeing stuff like that, you should take a look. I’m not fond of just talking either.”
“What?”
<Thud!>
As Ghislaine grinned and swung his fist, the nearest mercenary collapsed, blood streaming from his nose.
“Don’t kill him. They’ll all be on our side eventually.”
At Ghislaine’s words, the knights swiftly pulled out a short baton from their sides. It was a special restraining baton made of Galbarium.
<Zing!>
The batons shone with a blue light as the knights brandished them.
The mercenaries were taken aback.
“M-mana?”
“T-these guys are knights?”
“Attack quickly!”
The mercenaries held a numerical advantage. As experienced warriors, they charged in before the knights could form a proper formation.
<Thud! Thud! Thud!>
“Graak!”
The mercenaries fell one after another, but in the tight space, the knights couldn’t properly organize themselves.
Skillful mercenaries quickly exploited the gaps.
“Got him!”
A few mercenaries grabbed the waists of the knights and pushed them down.
“W-What?”
Unless they exploded their mana without drawing their swords, the Penris knights remained at a basic level.
They had improved considerably, but in a fight where they couldn’t use weapons or kill their opponents, they struggled.
Eventually, several kn knights were overwhelmed and fell. As mercenaries piled on top of the fallen knights, they couldn’t rise properly.
“Hey! Get away! You bastards!”
“Just stomp on them!”
Both sides yelled as they flailed their arms and legs. Outside, more mercenaries with clubs continued to surge in.
<Crash!>
The knights who had been overwhelmed by the mercenaries had no choice but to explode their mana. As the knights suddenly gained strength, the mercenaries were shocked.
“Ugh! What are these guys doing all of a sudden!”
A few knights who had taken some hits stood up, panting, and started to swing their batons again. They had to control their strength, as they mustn’t kill anyone.
But if they held back too much, those who had fallen would just get back up. The mercenaries were clearly struggling.
Ghislaine continued to fend off the charging mercenaries while clicking his tongue.
“Tch, why are they still this pathetic?”
Even after all that training and rolling around, they still weren’t enough. Either way, it was hard to let down his guard, as these guys would get lazy with even a little slack.
“I need to end this quickly.”
Ghislaine resolved to go back to his territory and train those fools more, stamping his foot on the ground.
<Crash!>
“Ugh!”
His foot made a deep imprint on the floor, shaking the building. Both mercenaries and knights collapsed.
They stumbled a bit, but only Dominic remained standing.
Ghislaine quickly moved and delivered a strong blow to the back of the mercenaries’ heads.
<Thud!>
“Cough!”
<Thud!>
“Gack!”
<Thud! Thud! Thud!>
With each strike Ghislaine delivered, the mercenaries, who had not mastered their mana, rolled their eyes and fainted.
His mana control skills were right on par with his previous life. It was a breeze to adjust his strength just enough to knock someone out.
No matter how excellent the Drake Mercenary Group was, few outside the executives had properly mastered their mana.
“Block the door!”
Ghislaine shouted as he knocked out all the mercenaries inside, and the knights blocked the shattered door.
Outside, mercenaries continued trying to force their way in, but breaking through the knights barricading the narrow space proved difficult.
Dominic observed the scene with an expression of disbelief.
“W-why are the knights here?”
They looked like basic knights, but they were still knights who used mana. Moreover, the impersonator’s level was hard even for him to estimate.
His mind grew confused, leaving him unable to act. He couldn’t move hastily without understanding the situation.
Was Martin trying to attack them? What about the hostages? Or was it another nobleman bearing a grudge? Or perhaps a different son from the Marquis family competing with Martin for succession?
While all sorts of thoughts whirled in his mind and left him bewildered, Ghislaine suddenly reached out.
“Throw away those trash items. I’ll give you something better. Honestly, I feel a bit… off.”
As the box of cherished items opened, various goods began to float out at Ghislaine’s gesture.
“What, what, what?”
Dominic waved his hand in the air instinctively. How could items fly and move on their own?
At that moment, he recalled something from ‘The Chronicles of Count Penris.’ It had said that Count Penris could move nearby objects freely.
“W-wait a minute!”
He needed to check things before they disappeared.
But Ghislaine ignored Dominic’s words entirely, clenching his fists towards the pile of cherished items in front of him.
Feeling a sense of impending doom, Dominic shouted desperately.
“D-don’t!”
“Too late.”
<CRACK!>
All the cherished items were torn and shattered in an instant. As Dominic wailed at the fragments dropping to the floor, he cried out.
“You bastard! How dare you destroy my precious things!”
How hard had he worked to gather those items? How much time and money did he spend collecting them?
Dominic didn’t just own those items as a follower. They were his only refuge, soothing his heart whenever he felt weary.
The guy before him had no understanding of a “collector’s” feelings and simply obliterated his treasures.
“Die!”
Blinded by rage, Dominic charged at Ghislaine, swinging his sword.
<Slash!>
An unbelievable speed and clean strike.
His skills were better than most Penris knights. Ghislaine was even momentarily taken aback.
But that alone couldn’t make him a match for Ghislaine.
“You’ve had too much to drink. Get some rest. Conversations are best had with a clear head.”
<Thud!>
Ghislaine narrowly dodged the attack before delivering a powerful punch to Dominic’s temple.
“Cough…”
Dominic had never felt such a fierce impact in his life. Just one hit and his head spun.
‘Ah… I feel woozy.’
To think he’d faint from just a punch.
As Dominic fell, he caught sight of Ghislaine’s glowing red eyes.
“…So it was real.”
<Thud.>
With that remark, Dominic fainted.
