Chapter 373: We’ll Meet Again Soon.(3)
The Roderick forces, realizing they were surrounded, fell into disarray.
“We… we’re surrounded?”
“Block them! Hurry, block them!”
“Form up! Get into proper formation!”
Commanders shouted orders, but the soldiers, consumed by fear, failed to respond effectively.
Despite having significantly larger numbers, they were convinced they had been bested.
It was bad enough that they had struggled to subdue a mere 400 enemies. Now, being surrounded left their minds paralyzed with terror.
Boom!
“Arghhh!”
The mercenaries charged into the Roderick forces. Though their assault lacked the raw destructive power of a knight’s charge, their morale and momentum were no less formidable.
Dominic swung his sword with unmatched fervor, roaring loudly.
“It’s time to avenge our brothers!”
While the mercenaries from other regions might have been less invested, those belonging to the Drake Mercenary Corps shared Dominic’s burning emotions.
‘It’s finally starting!’
Dominic’s heart felt ready to burst. He hadn’t expected the opportunity to fight Roderick’s forces to come so soon.
Here was his chance to repay the grudge he harbored against those who had oppressed them, even slaughtering their families.
‘To think Lord Fenris could pull something like this off.’
In truth, neither Dominic nor the other mercenaries had any idea that a battle was brewing. They had been preoccupied with transporting supplies as instructed by Ghislain.
But then, a strange crow appeared and spoke to them out of nowhere.
― “Hey, Dominic.”
“Whoa! What the—? A talking crow?!”
― “Gather all the mercenaries immediately and head to Daiker Castle. There’s going to be a battle. This is an order from my master, the Count of Fenris.”
“A crow… talking?”
At first, he had been so startled that he almost slashed it with his sword. The crow, equally startled, squawked in protest.
― “Show me the same respect you would show a lord! You insolent wretch!”
“…Who are you, exactly?”
― “My name is Dark. Just think of me as a familiar sent by my master. Anyway, no time for idle chatter. Rally all your forces in the west and head to Daiker Castle immediately. Roderick’s army, numbering twenty thousand, has surrounded the castle.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
Dominic was aware that his lord had gone to fortify Daiker Castle, but trusting the words of an unknown entity was no simple matter.
As if anticipating his hesitation, the crow continued.
― “Should I list all those precious items you’ve stashed away? Starting with that private collection of yours…”
“Whoa, whoa, okay! Stop right there!”
The thought of his treasured belongings being exposed publicly was horrifying. Dominic nearly slashed the crow in sheer panic.
While Dominic’s closest allies within the Drake Mercenary Corps were already familiar with his peculiar tendencies, many mercenaries from other regions were present.
As a leader rallying forces with charisma and intensity, Dominic couldn’t afford to have his private matters exposed.
The crow smirked smugly, radiating an aura of insufferable arrogance.
― “I’ll share the strategy devised by my master. Split your forces to surround the enemy on three sides. Once the Fenris knights charge, chaos will erupt. That’s when you strike and pin them down. Understood?”
“Fine, fine… I’ll delay moving the supplies for now…”
― “Good. There’s no telling when the enemy might launch an attack, so act swiftly. You can haul the supplies back later if you survive.”
Dominic couldn’t entirely dismiss the crow’s words but also found it hard to blindly trust it.
Drawing on his extensive experience, he rallied his mercenaries and dispatched scouts near Daiker Castle.
“It’s true. Roderick’s forces are laying siege to Daiker Castle.”
“Damn it! Move quickly!”
Though initially skeptical, the crow’s information proved accurate. With the siege already underway, speed was paramount.
Having honed his skills in organizing and mobilizing forces over years of mercenary work, Dominic quickly set his troops into motion.
The mercenaries’ approach was promptly relayed by Dark to Ghislain, who felt reassured and initiated the attack first.
“Well done, Dark. This thing’s more useful than I expected.”
Thanks to Dark, Ghislain could monitor the battlefield and obtain intelligence faster than anyone else. He could also relay messages to allies within the appropriate range instantly.
In short, Dark provided both a new set of eyes and a reliable means of communication on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Dominic and the Drake Mercenary Corps channeled their simmering resentment against the Roderick Marquisate into battle.
“Leave no one alive!”
“This is our chance to weaken the Marquisate’s power!”
“Don’t hold back! Our fallen brothers are watching us from above!”
Roderick’s forces stood no chance against the mercenaries’ relentless momentum.
“Arghhhh!”
Roderick’s soldiers, overcome by fear, began to fall one by one, their ends swift and hollow.
When gripped by fear, it becomes impossible to make accurate decisions. The Roderick army had no choice but to assume they were surrounded by a force at least equal in number to their own.
“Pull yourselves together! Counterattack!”
“We have more troops than they do!”
“Even if we’re surrounded, we can still hold out!”
Some commanders shouted, but their voices barely reached the soldiers.
Even the Supreme Commander, Howard, was restrained by Ghislain, leaving no one capable of leading the Roderick forces.
Even so, their sheer numbers meant they wouldn’t collapse immediately. However, the longer the battle dragged on, the greater the casualties would be on Fenris’s side.
That’s why Ghislain decided to unleash his full power.
BOOM!
As Ghislain swung his spear, enveloped in a dark crimson aura, the charging knights were obliterated, their bodies shattered alongside their weapons.
The power was on an entirely different level from just moments before.
The knights, who had been attacking in succession, hesitated in astonishment, even halting their mounts.
“Not coming? Then I’ll come to you.”
The Black King surged forward in an instant, and the knights raised their weapons.
CRASH!
“Ugh!”
But before they could even fully raise their weapons, their heads were severed by Ghislain’s spear.
FWOOSH!
Around Ghislain, dozens of crimson energy spears materialized. He no longer cared in conserving his mana.
WHOOSH!
The spears of mana shot out in all directions. The knights nearest to him were impaled outright.
Those a bit further away couldn’t even think of blocking and scattered in fear. A few knights managed to deflect the spears, but only because the projectiles had already lost much of their power after piercing through others.
Ghislain observed this and chuckled.
“I knew it wasn’t because I was weak.”
The first time he’d used this technique in actual combat, his opponent had been Delmud. That man had stopped dozens of spears with a mere gesture.
Honestly, that had made him question whether the technique was any good. But now he realized that Delmud was simply an outlier—this technique was more than effective against ordinary knights.
― “Master! This is consuming mana too quickly! You’ll collapse again!”
Dark’s voice rang out urgently. From his perspective, they could win with time; he didn’t understand why Ghislain was pushing himself to this extent.
However, Ghislain shook his head at Dark’s plea.
“I’ve told you before.”
His spear swept out once more, decapitating several knights with a single strike.
“It’s better to end things quickly.”
BOOM!
As Ghislain exploded with energy, the Roderick knights found themselves unable to withstand him at all.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
The mana spears trailing in his wake tore through the surroundings, leaving chaos in their path.
A few knights gritted their teeth and charged at Ghislain, aiming to bring down his mount if they couldn’t strike him directly.
THUD!
“What the…?”
The knight attacking the Black King uttered a curse as he felt an odd sensation in his fingertips. It was as if he had struck something dull and padded.
Naturally, his attack had no effect at all. Before he could even withdraw his weapon, his head exploded.
BOOM! BOOM!
Every knight who charged at Ghislain met the same fate. Howard, witnessing this, realized once again how mistaken he had been.
“This… this is the true power of a Master…”
He had already been amazed earlier. Facing a hundred knights single-handedly, he had thought that level of strength was what defined a Master.
But it had been a grave misunderstanding. The knights gathered here couldn’t stop him. Even a group of higher-ranking knights might struggle to hold him back.
BOOM!
“AAAAAAAH!”
The Roderick knights were powerless to stop him. Howard saw the crimson-eyed demon charging straight toward him.
‘I… I have to stop him…’
His mind issued the command, but his body refused to move. Even though he is a high-ranking knight, Howard was more paralyzed than most by the overwhelming presence of Ghislain.
It was precisely because of his higher level of skill that he could glimpse the realm Ghislain had reached. The sheer might before him rendered Howard awestruck.
“AAAAAH!”
Nevertheless, as befitting a high-ranking knight, Howard quickly regained his composure and thrust his spear at Ghislain.
Even Howard himself didn’t believe the attack would land. It was simply a desperate act of defiance in the face of overwhelming terror.
To him, Ghislain spoke in a low voice.
“An attack without faith in yourself will never reach its mark.”
“Ah…”
THUD!
As Howard’s head shattered, he achieved a moment of clarity.
It was a simple and obvious truth. How could an enemy ever fall to a blow made without resolve or conviction?
The attacks should have been carried out to the very end, with one’s life on the line.
This was a matter of willpower.
And because of that difference in resolve, Howard pitifully fell despite his considerable skill.
Thud.
The surviving knights nearby froze, unable to move as they watched the scene unfold.
“L-Lord Howard is dead.”
“He took down a high-ranking knight so easily…”
“There’s no stopping him…”
One of the decisive factors in war was the life or death of the commander. And now, the supreme commander of the Roderick forces here had just perished.
The knights realized that even if they all combined their strength, they couldn’t stop this opponent.
They also realized that Ghislain had been holding back his strength all along.
Still wreathed in dark crimson smoke, Ghislain turned his horse and shouted.
“The enemy’s supreme commander is dead!”
“WAAAAAH!”
In response, the knights and mercenaries of Fenris erupted into a thunderous cheer. They roared even louder, deliberately aiming to crush the enemy’s morale.
Swish.
Ghislain pointed his spear blade at the remaining knights. The Roderick knights faltered and took a step back. The soldiers surrounding them also began to retreat in unison.
“Shall we continue?”
BOOM!
Ghislain lunged forward again, slicing apart the bodies of nearby knights.
“Run!”
One knight shouted before turning his horse to flee.
For a knight to abandon the battlefield and run was to discard their own honor. Yet no one criticized him.
Other knights were already busy fleeing as well.
“The knights are retreating!”
“W-We should run too!”
“Retreat! It’s over!”
Though half of the Roderick army still remained, they began collapsing in an instant.
Ghislain scanned the battlefield quickly.
Even though the enemy army was broken, they still outnumbered his forces. He could slaughter them all, but it might tire his own troops. Besides, there were many other ways to make the Marquisate’s situation more troublesome.
Ghislain shouted again.
“Those who throw down their weapons and flee will be spared!”
It was a signal that the war was over. The Fenris soldiers echoed Ghislain’s words loudly.
“Those who throw down their weapons and flee will be spared!”
The same phrase rang out across the battlefield multiple times. Every single Roderick soldier heard it.
“AAAAAH!”
“Run!”
“We surrender! We surrender!”
Once an army collapses, sheer numbers become meaningless. The Roderick forces threw down their weapons and scattered in all directions like a swarm of ants.
They wouldn’t be able to return to the Marquisate. The western territories, overflowing with soldiers, had no reason to take them back alive.
This punishment was necessary. Only through such consequences would their troops fight to the death in the next battle.
The Roderick army, which had suffered over 10,000 casualties, was thoroughly destroyed.
Ghislain watched the Roderick soldiers scatter and laughed.
“Go become fiery bandits and thieves.”
An army with no home to return to had few options. To survive, they would have no choice but to turn to pillaging.
After all, they had never been particularly loyal to their lords in the first place.
“Weak lords are going to lose everything.”
The vassal lords of the Marquisate were not well-regarded. Compounding the issue, their policies dictated that they maintain only a minimal number of soldiers.
Dealing with these dispersed marauders wouldn’t be easy for them.
In short, Ghislain had incited internal strife in the west without expending much effort.
Having returned to his original form, Ghislain raised his spear and shouted.
“We have won!”
A short, simple declaration of victory. But it was more than enough.
“WAAAAAH!”
“We won!”
“The Roderick army wasn’t so fearsome after all!”
Dominic and the Drake Mercenary Corps cheered louder than anyone, thrilled to have avenged themselves against the Roderick forces, even if only slightly.
Meanwhile, mercenaries who had followed them with nervous hearts were in awe of Ghislain’s overwhelming power.
There are many ways to lead mercenaries. But the leader most beloved by their subordinates is always the strongest one.
And Ghislain had shown them strength that was more than enough to captivate them.
“Our commander is the best!”
The mercenaries cheered and chanted Ghislain’s name. Through this battle, their trust in him grew even stronger.
And the stories of his prowess would spread, reaching other mercenaries.
Ghislain smiled as he listened to the cheers. After all, there’s no better way to unify mercenaries than by proving one’s strength.
This is how you bring everyone together, bit by bit.
“Alright, gather up the spoils and let’s head back! Let’s take just enough this time!”
Even the weapons and armor of the fallen soldiers here amounted to an enormous haul. They wouldn’t be able to carry it all. There were still estates in the area whose resources had yet to be plundered.
Now they just needed to quickly collect what remained and return with their forces.
As the knights and mercenaries worked to clear the battlefield, Ghislain turned his gaze toward the direction of the Marquis of Roderick’s estate.
‘We’ll meet again soon, Marquis Roderick. Next time, I’ll settle this for good.’
The battle against the Roderick Marquisate was only beginning.