Chapter 551
Empathy Is Enough. (2)
Kwa-jik! Kwa-jik! Kwa-jik!
“Uwaaaagh!”
With each swing of Ghislain’s arm, a member of the Revolutionary Group was struck down by his axe.
His companions didn’t even need to move. They only dealt with the ones who tried to flee in their direction.
No matter how ferocious the Revolutionary Group was, most of them were nothing, but mere bandits. The only things they were good at were ambushes and plundering.
Even with five hundred of them, they couldn’t stop Ghislain, one of the continent’s strongest warriors.
Kwa-jik!
One strike, one kill.
Most of them died without even managing to scream properly. To Ghislain, this was nothing more than a warm-up.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Kang!
“Oh? You blocked that?”
Among them, there were a few who were decently skilled.
Kwa-jik!
But they only lasted two strikes at most before dying.
Realizing that they had no chance to escape, the Revolutionary Group members screamed in desperation.
“Uwaaah! At least kill that bastard!”
“Those arrogant fuckers are just standing there watching! If we all rush him together, we can take him down!”
“You think we’re a joke?!”
As expected from bandits who had killed quite a few people in their time, their eyes burned red with madness as they charged toward Ghislain.
Instinctively, they knew they had to target the leader.
But that instinct led to nothing.
Kwa-jik! Kwa-jik! Kwa-jik! Kwa-jik…
After a short while, Tarim was the only Revolutionary Group member still standing.
Wiping the blood off his chin, Ghislain shook it off. His entire body was drenched in his enemies' blood.
Like Julien, he could fight cleanly without getting a single drop on his clothes. But he chose not to.
“This is what makes a fight feel real.”
He was the type to enjoy battle itself. And he knew that his brutal display often had a significant impact on the battlefield.
That’s why he never bothered wasting effort on staying clean.
Thinking about cleanliness suddenly brought back an unpleasant memory.
“That bastard Aiden was even fussier about it than Julien.”
While Julien’s neatness was something that came naturally, Aiden had an almost pathological obsession with being clean in a bloody battlefield.
Perhaps that’s why he loved his title, ‘The Noble Knight,’ so much.
It was almost laughable that such an obsessive fixation had driven Aiden to reach superhuman heights.
Chuckling to himself at the thought of his old nemesis, Ghislain smirked.
“I’ll be seeing that bastard soon.”
According to intelligence reports, Aiden was currently fighting in the Kingdom of Grimwell. No doubt, he had already made a name for himself there.
That ridiculously pompous bastard might be insufferable, but Aiden and the Order of the Silver Knights were the real deal.
After all, hadn’t the King of Mercenaries from his past life fallen at their hands?
‘Damn bastard… If it had been a one-on-one fight, I would have won.’
Even right after his regression, that event had always pissed him off. And the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. To think he had been caught off guard by such a bastard.
He had no choice since he was exhausted from continuous battles, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t furious about it.
Next time, he’ll take his head off.
He had fallen for it once, but he wouldn’t let it happen again.
Shaking off the unpleasant memory, Ghislain reaffirmed his resolve.
There were too many things to do right now.
He approached Tarim, crouched down, and placed his axe against Tarim’s neck.
“Listen carefully. This axe’s name is ‘Empathy.’ I’m telling you this because I want you to empathize with how I feel right now.”
“Ugh…ugh…”
“If I’d known you’d split up into such small groups, we would’ve divided our forces more as well.”
It was a bit regretful. He had known they’d split up to move covertly, but he couldn’t predict how much they would split themselves into several groups.
Still, ensuring that Ghislain’s allies suffered no casualties was more important. This was good enough.
“You lot must have a rendezvous point. I just have to go there and capture you all at once. Isn’t that right?”
“Ugh… Ughhh…”
Tarim trembled, drooling in pain. He couldn’t understand how things had spiraled into such an absurd situation.
Without hesitation, Ghislain swung the axe again, burying it into Tarim’s leg.
Crunch!
“AAAAAHHHH!”
“Talk.”
“GAAAHHHHH!”
Tarim screamed in agony.
Shouldn’t he have at least asked him a question before striking him?
But no Ghislain had started by striking first and asking later.
Something was definitely wrong with Ghislain at the moment.
But one thing was certain.
‘If he tries to be a smartass, he’d really die.’
“I-I’ll talk! Please! Just give me a chance to answer! Ask me anything, just please!”
“Hmm, fine. What do you have to say?”
Tarim froze for a second before quickly regaining his senses. He realized the answer was already in what Ghislain had asked earlier.
“Our rendezvous point! We’re gathering in Stonebrook Village! Everyone is headed there!”
“Oh? Where was that again?”
Ghislain pulled out his map and examined it. He had a rough idea of the location. But something felt a bit off.
“With all of you gathered, your numbers should reach about ten thousand. How could you hide in a village like that?”
“T-that’s because the village is under our control! There’s an underground cavern where large forces can hide, and plenty of hideouts in the surrounding area!”
“Oh?”
Now, this was new information. Even in his past life, the Revolutionary Group’s strongholds had rarely been exposed.
It was a clever disguise paying taxes dutifully while secretly scheming in the shadows.
There were probably a few more bases similar to Stonebrook Village.
No wonder it had been so difficult to root them out in his past life. Not to mention, everyone had been too busy to give it the attention it deserved.
Ghislain nodded and swung his axe again.
Crunch!
“AAAAAGHHH! I DON’T KNOW! I REALLY DON’T KNOW!”
“…I haven’t even asked my next question yet.”
“You were going to ask where our Commander is, weren’t you?! It’s obvious!”
“You little bastard…”
Ghislain widened his eyes in admiration.
This guy was unexpectedly remarkable. He didn't ask why he just answered first.
Had he already figured out what kind of person Ghislain was? In all his life, no one had ever read him so quickly.
Though an enemy, such a perceptive individual was rare. Ghislain found him quite likable.
"Do you really not know where your commander is?"
"I swear! Our commander is incredibly cunning! He's so paranoid about traitors that he never reveals his whereabouts. He knows that we have no sense of loyalty!"
"Yeah, that guy is suspicious by nature. Was his name Leonard?"
When Ghislain nodded in confirmation, Tarim blinked rapidly.
Their commander, who kept his identity strictly hidden even from his subordinates how did this man know his name and how distrustful he was?
"Y-You know our commander?"
"Well, roughly. That bastard betrayed the previous leader to take his position, didn't he? Someone like that is bound to be paranoid."
Leonard wasn't the one who originally founded the Revolutionary Group. He had been an officer who staged a coup and seized control.
He even slaughtered other officers who had shared the same ideals as the former commander.
From that moment, the Revolutionary Group lost its original purpose and devolved into mere marauders.
Tarim stammered as he asked,
"H-How do you know all this?"
"I know everything."
In his past life, Ghislain had clashed with the Revolutionary Group several times. They had frequently emerged in times of war.
With so many of their members being captured as prisoners, information inevitably leaked.
However, at this point in time, when they were still operating as a decentralized group of raiders, this kind of knowledge should have been impossible to obtain. Spouting such details so casually, Ghislain sounded like a former officer of the group.
Yet, the Mobile Corps soldiers standing nearby were all nodding in agreement. Tarim was dumbfounded.
‘There's a rumor that he's a Saint… Could he really be receiving divine revelations?’
Given how they had even set up an ambush in advance, the rumors might actually be true. Being quick-witted, Tarim swiftly made a decision.
This was not a man to be deceived. How could anyone lie to someone chosen by the gods?
Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees and begged.
"I failed to recognize the Saint! Please, spare my life, and I will serve you with unwavering loyalty! I've never killed anyone recklessly! I mostly trained the other members!"
"You said you had no loyalty, though?"
"Ah! That’s not what I meant! Ah!"
Though momentarily caught off guard, Tarim, the master of quick thinking, immediately recovered.
"I may be a member of the Revolutionary Group, but I am a devout follower of the Goddess Deana! I would never deceive or defy the Saint!"
A bandit, claiming to believe in the goddess of light and justice. Ghislain let out a chuckle.
Encouraged by the reaction, Tarim eagerly continued.
"That is why I can tell you everything! I will not hide a single thing! I will become the Duke's proud knight! Though I am only at the beginner level, I used to be a knight! No, I will even serve as a soldier if I must!"
Crack!
"Argh! I will be a slave!"
Crack!
"Argh! I am a talking beast!"
"...This bastard is truly something else."
In Fenris, not just anyone could become a slave. Someone like him becoming one would be an insult to all other slaves.
Sensing Ghislain's displeasure, Tarim immediately lowered his status even further. Ghislain wasn’t sure about his character, but in the right environment, he might have amounted to something.
Ghislain subtly lifted his hand axe again.
"My name is Tarim!"
"Alright, Tarim. Then..."
"I will guide you through the fastest route! A path even quicker than the one on the map!"
As expected, he wasn’t an ordinary guy.
Crack!
"Argh! Why?!"
This time, even Tarim had no clue. He looked at Ghislain with teary eyes.
Ghislain spoke indifferently.
"You're empathizing with me too much. Feels like you've crawled into my mind."
"…I'm sorry, sir! Uuugh!"
Tarim realized he was in serious trouble.
First, Ghislain had wanted him to sympathize, and now he was condemning him for doing so. Keeping up with this lunatic’s mood seemed like an impossible task.
No wonder the Duke of Fenris had a reputation for being a demon. Tarim also recalled hearing that he had been a madman in his younger days.
Ghislain straightened his back and stood up.
"Well, I usually don’t let enemies live, but if they're useful, I sometimes spare them. I’ll keep you around for now. You better be helpful in catching those Revolutionary Group bastards. Got it?"
"Yes! Understood!"
"Hey, give him some potions and patch him up."
Since there were no priests around, they had to rely on potions. They were incredibly expensive, but Fenris had an overabundance of them anyway.
Even after pouring a potion over himself, Tarim still had to limp. His skin had healed, but the bones Ghislain had crushed hadn't set properly.
Still, since he knew how to use mana, he could push through the pain and move.
Ghislain summoned Dark again and spoke.
"Tell them there's no need to chase the stragglers. We're heading to where they're gathering."
The other units had likely crushed the Revolutionary Group as well. Any survivors would naturally gather in Stonebrook Village, Ghislain and his companions will wipe them out in one swoop.
Soon, the Mobile Corps mounted their horses and moved under Tarim’s guidance.
Stonebrook Village.
It was larger than most villages, but still far from being called a city.
Surrounded by mountains and rough terrain, the village had limited foot traffic.
Aside from the occasional merchant guilds passing through, few people came and went, making it difficult for anyone to arouse suspicion. They also paid their taxes faithfully, ensuring they never drew the lord's ire.
Yet recently, groups of able-bodied men had begun trickling into Stonebrook Village. Upon entering, they would scatter and enter various homes. Those lingering in the streets would vanish before long.
And from a nearby mountain, a man was watching it all unfold.
A stern-looking figure Revolutionary Group Leader, Leonard.
He had only one subordinate with him as he surveyed the village from their hidden vantage point.
Though the elevation wasn't particularly high, it provided a perfect view of part of the village. Additionally, the dense trees made it easy to stay concealed.
"Hmm…"
After days of observation, he turned to his subordinate and asked:
"The 17th Battalion has arrived. They took the longest route. There's no way anyone else should be later than them. But only ten battalions have made it here. That means half of them still haven't arrived."
"…It seems there's been a problem."
"We've received no contact from them. No reports have come through any alternate channels either. What do you make of that?"
"…If an entire force was annihilated without being able to send word, that could explain it. But realistically, that should be impossible."
At worst, one or two battalions might have been spotted by the allied forces. That was precisely why they had split into twenty smaller units.
Even if the allied forces had discovered their movements and given chase, losing ten battalions should have triggered some kind of distress signal. The standing orders were clear flee immediately if confronted by regular troops.
And yet, no one had come. No messages had arrived.
"For them to be wiped out so thoroughly that they couldn't even react… Is that even possible? I can’t make sense of this."
Leonard narrowed his eyes. He had planned this operation meticulously, ensuring it had the highest chance of success.
If it had still failed, there was only one explanation.
"Was there a leak?"
But who could have leaked their plans?
No one had been informed until the operation was already in motion.
"I'm missing something."
Something was happening that Leonard himself did not understand.
In times like this, movement was the worst choice. His instincts for detecting danger screamed at him to stay put.
"We're retreating."
"What? But what about the battalions already here?"
"Deliver the message. Tell them to slip away quietly. We’ll gather information and regroup later."
The Revolutionary Group had survived this long because of Leonard’s cautious nature.
Just as his subordinate was about to depart, a new piece of the puzzle appeared one that provided partial answers to his growing doubts.
DUDUDUDU!
From the distance, a thunderous cavalry charge echoed.
A force roared toward Stonebrook Village, exuding a terrifying presence, as if it would crush everything in its path.
And Leonard knew exactly who they were.
"Ritania’s army? No… could it be… the Duke of Fenris?"
The last thing he had expected had just appeared in Stonebrook Village.