Chapter 336 – What’s So Good About It? (2)
Doing something like this behind my back… To pull in such extra income even while so busy, he’s truly a sly one.
Ghislain swallowed nervously and asked,
“So… an auction, huh? Where is it held?”
“Hmm, that’s a secret only a few know.”
“A secret?”
“Yeah, I can’t just tell anyone. It’s because the Chief Overseer of Fenris has a profound intention of selling these cherished items only to genuine followers. There are always those despicable merchants who buy the items only to resell them at a higher price.”
“R-Right… So, are you saying there are a lot of people willing to buy my stuff?”
“Not yours, but Count Fenris’s items. A pretender who doesn’t even know that? Ever since Count Fenris defeated Count Desmond, his popularity has skyrocketed in the kingdom. There are even rumors in the capital calling him a ‘Holy One.’”
“Popularity, you say?”
“Yes, so it’s natural for his followers to increase. But for a pretender, you really know too little. Tsk tsk.”
Famous dancers or knights across the continent often have many admirers.
Naturally, there are also those who make a living off their fame. Stories about them are sold as books, and items they’ve used are auctioned off at high prices.
Clothes or accessories worn by such popular figures quickly set trends, with merchant guilds sometimes specially crafting and gifting items to them to drive demand.
Wasn’t Mariel in the capital a prime example? She led the trends among noblewomen in the capital.
Even Ricardo from Ferdium, with his handsome face, had countless followers.
Thus, it wasn’t particularly surprising that Ghislain had followers of his own.
He knew he was well-liked by the people of his domain. But he never imagined that such fanatical followers existed.
‘Wow… This never happened in my previous life… Was I unaware of my popularity?’
In his past life, he had been known as one of the Seven Strongest on the Continent and the King of Mercenaries. He recalled having some popularity, though it was somewhat niche.
More like a famous bandit, perhaps?
Anyway, it seemed Claude had been profiting handsomely from Ghislain’s popularity. And Wendy must have been aware but turned a blind eye to it.
‘I’ll have to change my escorts soon.’
He seemed to recall hearing whispers about gold coins disappearing before. Wendy had overlooked it then too.
Even someone like Wendy must unconsciously soften her stance when near Claude for too long.
Ghislain ruffled his hair in frustration and asked again,
“Still, no matter how much of a fan someone is… Do they really need to buy such things?”
“Of course. Isn’t it natural as a follower? Hearing and seeing stories about him is the only joy left in my life. Naturally, I’d want to own some of his cherished items too. Tsk tsk, and you’ve been impersonating someone without even understanding such feelings?”
Dominic clicked his tongue and looked at his cherished items with loving eyes.
“Hah…”
‘This guy… Something about him feels dangerous.’
It’s true; you only really understand someone after having a sincere conversation. Ghislain had encountered Dominic in his past life, but he had no idea he was like this back then.
The Drake Mercenary Corps and Dominic had fought ferociously against the King of Mercenaries’ army.
At the time, they had no choice but to attack Ghislain, as they were leashed by Marquis Roderick’s household.
However, Dominic’s spirit and skills were so exceptional that even Ghislain acknowledged him. The Drake Mercenary Corps was stronger than most kingdom armies, and Dominic, as their leader, was both a skilled warrior and a capable commander.
Even during the civil war, the Drake Mercenary Corps fought at the forefront. This was because the Marquis of Roderick treated them as mere cannon fodder.
In fact, the Marquis was astonished by their combat prowess after seeing it firsthand.
But who would’ve thought that the leader of such a formidable group would be someone obsessed with a celebrity?
Dominic carefully packed away his cherished items back into a box. His movements were practiced and precise.
It was clear he had developed this routine after frequently showing them off whenever Count Fenris was mentioned. Collectors, after all, couldn’t resist bragging about their treasures.
After finishing his display, Dominic seamlessly returned to the sharp demeanor befitting a mercenary commander and said,
“Now, do you understand why I don’t believe you? I know more about Count Fenris than anyone else. There’s probably no one here who knows him better than I do.”
“Hm.”
Ghislain nodded a few times. A guy obsessed enough to collect even clothes worn by others. If he had that much passion, it was something one had no choice but to acknowledge.
It seemed laughable, but it wasn’t something to be taken lightly. After all, it was easy to understand why he became so engrossed in his collection.
He was a man bound by shackles he could never escape. Because his family had been taken hostage, he couldn’t leave. There was nothing he could do for himself.
So he needed something to immerse himself in.
Something to soothe his weary and burdened heart, something that could make him forget the harsh reality.
And often, people project their strongest desires onto such objects.
― “I want to be like that person.”
A man once called the “Northern Scoundrel,” who paid no mind to the opinions of others, carved his path through sheer strength, and ultimately brought down the Great Lord of the North, whom no one thought could be defeated.
Dominic might have hoped that Ghislain, like a hero, would appear and shatter his miserable reality.
And then, Ghislain really came, fully aware of Dominic’s circumstances.
However, Dominic, unaware that the person he admired stood before him, spoke with a cold expression.
“If you’ve impersonated my hero and caused chaos here, then you’ll have to pay the price.”
As he drew his sword, a fierce aura radiated from him. It was indeed a display befitting the leader of the largest mercenary corps in the West.
His subordinates also wore grim expressions as they surrounded Ghislain and his group. Meanwhile, dozens more mercenaries had gathered outside, ready and waiting.
Ghislain slowly surveyed the scene, then turned to Dominic and asked,
“What do you find so great about it?”
“What are you talking about?” Dominic asked.
“I’m talking about the owner of your prized collection,” Ghislain clarified.
At that, Dominic let out a faint chuckle and answered, “The best part has to be the recklessness, as they say.”
“Recklessness?”
“Yeah. The way they charge ahead despite everyone being scared, despite all the opposition and warnings that’s what I like most.”
“Your taste is peculiar. You actually like that? Most people don’t.”
“Because I can’t live like that,” Dominic admitted.
Dominic also wanted to live that way. But he neither had the ability nor the fortitude to do so.
His expression carried a mix of self-deprecation and frustration as he spoke.
Dominic shook his head a few times, then thrust his sword forward and commanded, “Now, get rid of this impostor. There’s no need to kill him; just beat him up enough to drive him away.”
“If that’s the kind of thing you admire, then I’ll show you. I’m not one for just talking.”
“What?” Dominic questioned.
Thunk!
Ghislain grinned slyly as he swung his fist, knocking down the nearest mercenary, who collapsed, bleeding from the nose.
“Don’t kill them. These guys will eventually be on our side,” Ghislain said casually.
At his words, the knights swiftly pulled out short batons from their belts. They were specially crafted suppression weapons made of Galvaniium.
Buzz!
A blue light began to radiate from the batons in the knights’ hands.
The mercenaries were taken aback at the sight.
“Ma-Mana?”
“These guys are knights?”
“Attack quickly!” shouted one of the mercenaries.
The mercenaries had the advantage in numbers. As seasoned fighters, they lunged at the knights before they could form a proper formation.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
“Ughhh!”
Mercenaries fell one after another, struck down as they charged. However, in the confined space, the knights also couldn’t form an effective formation.
The more skilled mercenaries quickly exploited these gaps.
“Gotcha!” a mercenary shouted triumphantly.
A few mercenaries grabbed the knights by the waist and shoved them back.
“Huh? Huh?”
The Fenris Knights, without using their swords or detonating their mana, were still at a novice level in physical combat.
While they had improved significantly compared to before, in a fight where they couldn’t use weapons or kill their opponents, they struggled.
Outnumbered, several knights eventually couldn’t hold their ground and fell. As mercenaries piled on top of the fallen knights, it became nearly impossible for them to get back up.
“Hey! Get off! You bastards!”
“Just trample them!”
Both sides yelled, their voices filling the air, as fists and feet flew wildly. More mercenaries wielding clubs continued to flood in from outside.
Boom!
The knights, pinned under the mercenaries, had no choice but to unleash their mana. Suddenly empowered, the knights startled the mercenaries.
“What the hell?! What’s with these guys all of a sudden!”
The knights who had been struck down groaned as they staggered to their feet, swinging their weapons again. Killing them wasn’t an option, so it was necessary to hold back.
But if I held back too much, even those who had fallen would rise again. With such relentless assaults, the knights were struggling significantly.
I clicked my tongue lightly while fending off the mercenaries lunging at me.
“Tsk, tsk, why are they still like this?”
Even after all the drilling and training, they still weren’t up to par. They were the type to grow complacent the moment they sensed any leeway, so I couldn’t let my guard down.
“I need to wrap this up quickly.”
Deciding I’d work them even harder once we returned to the territory, I stomped on the ground.
BOOM!
“Ugh!”
The impact of my foot left a deep imprint in the ground, shaking the entire building. Both mercenaries and knights toppled over instantly.
Only Dominic managed to remain standing, albeit unsteadily.
Moving swiftly, I struck the back of the mercenaries’ heads in rapid succession.
Thwack!
“Guh!”
Thwack!
“Keck!”
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Each time I landed a blow, mercenaries who hadn’t mastered mana rolled their eyes and fainted.
My mana control was as sharp as it had been in my past life. Knocking someone unconscious with precise power adjustments was no challenge at all.
No matter how skilled the Drake Mercenary Corps was, only a few among their ranks, aside from the executives, had properly mastered mana.
“Block the door!”
After incapacitating the mercenaries inside in the blink of an eye, I called out. The knights stationed themselves before the shattered doorway.
The mercenaries outside tried to force their way in relentlessly, but it was near impossible to breach the bottleneck guarded by the knights.
Dominic watched the scene unfold in disbelief.
“W-why are knights here?”
They seemed to be novice-level knights, but they were still mana users. And as for the imposter… Even Dominic, with his experience, couldn’t gauge his full extent.
His mind was a mess, unable to make any sense of the situation or take rash action. Was Martin trying to strike them down? What about the hostages? Or was this the work of a noble harboring a grudge? Perhaps another young lord from the marquisate vying for succession?
As countless scenarios flooded his mind, Ghislain suddenly reached out his hand.
“Throw this trash away. I’ll give you something better. Honestly, I feel… irritated.”
The lid of a prized collection chest flipped open, and various items floated out, drawn by Ghislain’s gestures.
“H-huh? Huh? Huh?”
Dominic reflexively waved his hands in the air. How could items move through the air on their own?
In that moment, a passage from The Chronicles of Count Fenris sprang to mind. It had described how the Count could freely manipulate objects around him.
“W-wait!”
He had to verify the items before they disappeared.
But Ghislain paid no heed to Dominic’s protest, clenching his fist tightly over the heap of prized possessions before him.
Sensing the impending destruction, Dominic cried out desperately.
“N-no!”
“It’s a yes.”
CRUNCH!
The prized items shattered into fragments in an instant. The remnants fell to the ground, leaving Dominic staring at the broken pieces in despair.
“You bastard! How dare you destroy my treasures!”
How much effort, how much money, and how much time had it taken to gather these things?
Dominic hadn’t collected these simply as a follower’s pastime. Those treasures had been his sole solace during times of hardship and exhaustion.
The person before him had destroyed a collector’s most precious possessions without an ounce of understanding.
“Die!”
Blinded by rage, Dominic charged at Ghislain with his sword.
Swoosh!
A swift and precise strike.
It was better than most of Fenris’ knights. Even I couldn’t help but admire it for a brief moment.
But it wasn’t nearly enough to pose a challenge to me.
“You’re drunk. Sleep it off first. We’ll talk when you’re sober.”
Bam!
I dodged his attack effortlessly and drove my fist into Dominic’s temple with precision.
“Ugh…”
Dominic had never experienced such a powerful impact in his life. A single blow, and his head spun.
‘Ah… I’m dizzy.’
The fact that someone like him could be knocked out by a single punch…
As Dominic collapsed, his eyes caught sight of my own glowing with a crimson light.
“…It’s real.”
Thud.
Those were his last words before losing consciousness.