Chapter 515
Chapter 515: Finally Made It Here. (1)
Kaien stared blankly at Ghislaine.
“King of Mercenaries…?”
If it were any other time, he would have just scoffed. The title of ‘king’ isn’t something just anyone can use. No matter how powerful someone might be, they cannot dare to call themselves a king. Not even the most powerful noble family in the kingdom or Marquis Branford could do that.
But right now, he couldn’t dismiss Ghislaine’s words as a joke.
“Waahhhh!”
“Commander! We’ve come!”
“Captain! Are you alright!”
Dominic shouted loudly as he ran over. The Drake Mercenary Group and the mercenaries gathered from each kingdom followed behind him.
There were a staggering 50,000 of them. That was a number not possible to hire at once in the Ruthania Kingdom.
‘King of Mercenaries.’
Kaien looked around at them with tired eyes, lost in thought.
The other kingdoms weren’t doing great either. Still, so many mercenaries gathered at one command from Ghislaine.
It truly would not be an exaggeration to call him the King of Mercenaries. If he wasn’t a king, then who could be called one?
‘We… still didn’t know about that guy.’
The mercenaries were scattered here and there, so he didn’t pay much attention to them. Even if the Penris Mercenary Group expanded their influence, he thought it was nothing.
To them, mercenaries were only beings to use for a while and then toss away.
Yet, it turned out they would be the ones to trip him up in the end.
‘Could that guy’s policy really have been effective?’
He knew that Count Penris was pouring incredible amounts of money into the mercenaries. Even while knowing about the agreements with the kingdoms and the benefits he distributed, Kaien thought it was just a matter of increasing their size.
But look, they all came with determined expressions to save their master.
Among them, there might be those who didn’t know who Count Penris was or were dragged along by chance.
However, the ones leading them were different. It wouldn’t make sense for useless mercenary scum to rush in like that without high loyalty.
At the very least, it was clear that a sense of belonging to the Penris Mercenary Group had perfectly taken root.
‘Simply praising them wouldn’t be enough.’
He had ruined plans multiple times because of Count Penris. Each time, he prepared by overestimating his abilities.
But even that was arrogant. The opponent was not someone that could be evaluated or handled from this side.
‘We should have been the challengers.’
That’s how it should have been. As challengers, they should have faced that guy.
Just like when they faced the Shadow Knight Group leader, whom the king and the Salvation Society feared, they should have given it their all from the very start.
It was too late. Way too late.
Now that beautiful Duke’s castle would be trampled by that guy’s hooves.
Kaien exhaled roughly and extended his sword once more.
“Right, there’s no choice but to settle this.”
His army was already completely surrounded. The enemy was bursting with an untamed momentum, ready to storm in at any moment.
If they were to start the battle like this, they would be annihilated without even putting up a fight.
If there was any hope for a miracle at all…
Killing that guy was the only way to boost morale.
Ghislaine faced him, sporting a fierce grin.
“Right, that’s how it should be. You can’t walk away feeling good with the title of Kingdom’s Greatest Sword, can you?”
In reality, he could step back right now. He could leave the finishing blow to someone else.
But Ghislaine did not do that.
Risking his life in battle was the best way to surpass his own limits. Such an opportunity doesn’t come often in life.
Therefore, he must surpass that guy with his own power.
No more words were needed.
Crash.
The two moved forward, their feet hitting the ground at the same time.
And without any regard for defense, they swung their swords at each other.
Slash!
“Urk!”
They both stumbled back simultaneously, spraying blood without knowing whose scream was whose. Both were battered, to the point of wondering how they could still move.
They didn’t stop swinging their swords at one another. With devilish expressions, they only glared at each other.
“Haah, haah…”
Boom!
The two, panting heavily, seemingly promised something fell simultaneously. Still, somehow they gritted their teeth, got up, and swung their swords again.
Slash! Slash!
The sound of their bodies tearing echoed on repeat, blood erupting forth. It seemed both forgot about defense entirely.
The forces on both sides didn’t know if they should just watch this unfold.
Eventually, Dominic pulled out his sword.
“Captain, stop it! It’s too dangerous!”
Count Mobray also raised his hand, trying to move the troops.
It was getting too dangerous. If this continued, Ghislaine could die from excessive blood loss.
But Ghislaine pointed his sword at Dominic and said, “Don’t move… It’s all… over.”
With every word he spoke, blood leaked from his mouth. Yet even amidst that, Ghislaine was smiling.
Kaien was the same. He smiled as he glared at Ghislaine.
“Heh heh heh… What a wretched guy…”
He had never fought so desperately in his life. If he could win this match and survive…
“I’ll kill you and exceed my own limits.”
“That’s what I wanted to say.”
Whoosh!
The swords of the two slowly advanced toward each other. The mana-infused swords now possessed such little energy that they couldn’t even kill a single soldier.
Clang.
The swords clashed. That seemingly pointless action repeated several times.
Clang, clang, clang.
The metallic sounds, growing sparse, finally ceased and silence enveloped the area. The two remained locked in their stance, unmoving.
Ghislaine slowly opened his mouth.
“I’ve won.”
“……”
Kaien said nothing. He merely glared at Ghislaine while blood continued to flow from his mouth.
Thud thud thud…
Ghislaine sent the meager amount of mana still left in his body into the five cores.
That feeble force began to amplify as it traveled through the cores.
Crackle!
Because it started weak, even amplified, it was still weaker than what a normal knight could produce. But, even that weak power was too much for Ghislaine’s body to endure.
His exhausted muscles twisted, and his wounds gaped open, blood gushing forth.
Yet in that state, Ghislaine gritted his teeth and swung his sword.
Boom!
Kaien blocked it. However, he could not withstand the shock and stumbled heavily.
Ghislaine swung his sword again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Once, twice, three times… Each time he swung his sword, Kaien staggered back, busy trying to retreat. He could no longer handle the opponent’s strength.
Kaien, with bleary eyes, looked at the sword approaching him. He raised his sword to block it, but a sense of finality washed over him.
‘Sword.’
The sword was his world. And another sword was flying through the air to shatter that world.
‘Ah…’
He finally caught a glimpse of the world beyond.
Clang!
Crack!
Kaien’s sword finally shattered against Ghislaine’s blade. And that felt like the shattering of Kaien’s world.
Through the flying fragments of the broken sword, he could see Ghislaine’s eyes.
Those eyes still burned with rage and a desire to kill.
‘Why are you…’
Slash!
Kaien couldn’t finish his thought.
This time, Ghislaine’s sword cut deeply into his body.
“Cough!”
Kaien, who had been slashed from his collarbone to his side, stumbled and coughed up blood.
But he did not fall. He remained standing, still looking at Ghislaine.
Ghislaine, with his sword still held high, turned his gaze to Kaien.
Both of them no longer had the strength to move.
Kaien forcefully opened his mouth.
“You are… the Kingdom’s Greatest Sword.”
“……”
The two smiled at each other.
The two who had reached the peak poured every ounce of their power into this clash.
There wasn’t a single regret left.
That’s why, here and now, only the two of them could smile.
Kaien turned his body. With his last strength, he shouted to the Delphine Army watching him.
“Everyone, surrender!”
Boom.
With those words, Kaien’s body collapsed as if it were crumbling. Slowly, his eyes closed, and his head bowed.
The reputation of Kingdom’s Greatest Sword Kaien Balzac ended here.
And a new Kingdom’s Greatest Sword was born.
The Penris Mobile Army and mercenaries, even Count Mobray’s forces, raised their weapons and cheered.
“Wowww!”
“The captain has won!”
“Now our lord is the Kingdom’s Greatest Sword!”
“Bwahahah… Uh? Huh? Huh?”
The people celebrating suddenly looked shocked. Ghislaine’s body was collapsing to the side.
Boom!
“Save the lord!”
The Penris Knights were startled and rushed to Ghislaine. Thankfully, they all carried potions.
The knights seemed to be dousing Ghislaine in potions as if they were bathing him. However, Ghislaine, already unconscious, showed no sign of waking.
The highest-ranking noble present, Count Mobray, looked to the Delphine Army and asked.
“Will you fight?”
The commanders of the Delphine Army looked at the kneeling Kaien’s body. With angry expressions, shedding tears, they ultimately began to drop their weapons one by one.
Because that was how they would preserve the honor of the Kingdom’s Greatest Sword they respected the most.
Count Mobray, having disarmed the Delphine Army, spoke to Dominic.
“Surround the city. Make sure none of the Duke’s retainers escape.”
“Understood.”
They couldn’t leave the commander, Ghislaine, behind. They had to wait until he woke up.
However, Count Mobray thought it would be pointless even to surround the castle.
‘He must have already escaped.’
News of their arrival would have already reached the Duke’s ears. Regardless of whether Ghislaine or Kaien won, the outcome of the battle was already decided, so it wouldn’t make sense for the Duke to stay.
It wasn’t until a whole day had passed that Ghislaine regained consciousness.
“Ugh… I slept too long.”
Dominic shouted with joy.
“You’re awake! Your wounds are too severe, so you mustn’t move recklessly!”
“Have they surrounded the castle?”
“Yes, not even an ant can escape.”
“Hmm… let’s go inside.”
With the knights’ support, Ghislaine stood up. Although he still had difficulty moving properly, there was nothing to worry about.
There were a whopping 80,000 soldiers here. Until all the troops from the southern front arrived, there shouldn’t be an issue.
Ghislaine slowly entered the city. The streets were completely empty. Everyone must have been hiding in their homes.
Passing through the silent streets, he arrived at the elegantly standing white castle.
“Finally made it here.”
He had come here in his previous life as well. Having conquered the capital and searched for the Duke, he found that the Duke wasn’t here either.
“Could he be absent again?”
Ghislaine shared the same thought as Count Mobray. The outcome of the battle was decided, and he wouldn’t just sit and wait.
In his previous life, he had avoided him so many times that he had never even seen his face.
The castle was just as quiet as the outside. It seemed all the servants had already hidden away.
Yet, the retainers must be hiding throughout the city. They couldn’t have all escaped.
With the support of the knights, Ghislaine moved cautiously. When he finally reached the center of the castle, the Hall of Glory.
“Hmm?”
In the center of this massive hall stood a line of about ten people. They seemed to block the way.
These were nothing but the last line of defense for the Duke’s house, the assassin subordinates of Melkhir.
In front of them lay a single corpse.
Ghislaine immediately recognized who that corpse was.
“Raoul.”
The Raoul who had fled lay dead here. His body was surrounded by a pool of blood and dozens of daggers sticking out of it.
It was clear that those blocking the way had killed him.
And behind them, at the highest position,
A man stood with his arms crossed, gazing at a painting on the hall’s wall.
In the blood-soaked painting, a monster was trampling and devouring people.
It looked similar to a dragon, but it was not a dragon. It resembled a serpent even more.
The man, admiring the painting, slowly turned his head to look at Ghislaine.
“Are you the Count of Penris?”
“You are…?”
The man continued with a gentle smile.
“It’s our first meeting. I am the owner of this castle, Duke Erlhardt Delphine.”
Erlhardt had been waiting for Ghislaine.
