Chapter 342: Let’s Make Our Escape Easier (1)
Both of them were utterly exhausted. Even though it had been brief, they had fought against nearly 200 opponents.
While their superior skills allowed them to deal with the enemies easily, the more mana they expended, the worse their physical condition became.
Honestly, I just wanted to go home now. But the situation was far from favorable.
“Now… doesn’t it feel like too many of them are coming?”
The garrison from the mansion had fully mobilized, and the city’s defense forces were swarming toward them as well.
The number of soldiers had increased to an incomparably higher degree than before. On top of that, knights were mixed in with the troops.
Breaking through all of them with just the three of us would be incredibly difficult.
“Even so, we must go. We can’t leave anyone behind.”
Even if they failed to rescue the hostages, Dominic would understand. He wouldn’t expect them to avoid all losses.
But Ghislain didn’t want that outcome.
He understood the grief of losing family more than anyone else.
“If I go alone, it will be too difficult to rescue the hostages. Follow me quickly.”
Dominic’s family consisted only of his elderly mother and two sons. For Ghislain to create a path easily, someone else needed to carry the hostages to safety.
Without saying another word, Ghislain dashed forward.
Battles were about momentum. When facing a large number of enemies, it was crucial to overwhelm them at the start.
Boom!
“Argh!”
As Ghislain swung his sword, the soldiers at the front were blown away in an instant.
Of course, the enemies didn’t just stand idly by. Taking advantage of their numerical superiority, they thrust their spears toward Ghislain simultaneously.
Ghislain neither dodged nor blocked.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The soldiers froze in shock at the sound of their weapons clanging as if striking solid steel. Even against a knight, an open attack like that should have inflicted wounds.
Yet, a crimson glow flared at the point of impact, preventing their weapons from piercing at all.
“What… What the hell?”
The soldiers faltered in confusion, their movements coming to a halt. Faced with this impossible scenario, they were utterly dumbfounded.
And that became the last thing they ever said.
Boom!
Mana erupted from Ghislain’s sword, obliterating everything around him.
“You bastard!”
A knight charged forward, swinging his sword at Ghislain. It was clear he was using all his strength, as his blade shimmered with mana.
Even Ghislain couldn’t simply endure a direct blow from a mana-imbued sword. However, he didn’t attempt to evade it either.
What he needed to demonstrate now was the sheer dominance of being capable of slaughtering everyone here on his own.
Boom!
As Ghislain swung his sword to meet the knight’s, the knight’s blade shattered on impact. The overwhelming difference in strength caused the knight’s eyes to tremble with fear.
Slash!
Ghislain’s sword traced a crimson arc, severing the knight’s head.
In that manner, Ghislain cut down numerous enemies and broke through the center.
Following behind, Gordon and Lucas wore expressions of sheer disbelief as they witnessed his actions.
“Doesn’t it feel like… he’s gotten even stronger than before?”
“Is there even anything left for us to do?”
Ghislain seemed capable of wiping out the city’s entire military force by himself.
However, the two of them were well aware that their lord’s mana wasn’t infinite. That seemingly invincible defense consumed mana every time an attack landed to sustain itself.
Though Ghislain’s mana reserves lasted much longer than theirs, even he couldn’t maintain such explosive power indefinitely. They knew this because the knights’ mana training methods shared the same fundamental structure as Ghislain’s.
The only difference was that the knights’ techniques were adjusted to be safer, minimizing adverse effects during training.
Thus, Gordon and Lucas quickly joined the battle.
Boom! Boom!
“Argh! Who the hell are these guys?!”
As the three pushed forward, the soldiers couldn’t hold them back at all.
Though Gordon and Lucas gradually sustained injuries, Ghislain’s sheer power carved a path, leaving them with far fewer enemies to contend with.
Even the enemy knights fought valiantly but were no match for the trio. Compared to the rugged northern knights, they were weaker.
Individual skill and effort mattered, but the environment in which one was raised also played a significant role.
Boom!
Ghislain unleashed another burst of mana, effortlessly decimating hundreds of soldiers. In no time, he arrived at Martin’s mansion and charged inside.
“Stop them!”
The mansion was heavily guarded with knights far more than outside. At a glance, there were over 20 of them.
As expected of the son of the wealthiest marquis in the west.
“Hah, even as a son, huh? To think he has this many knights assigned to him.”
There was no way a young lord of his status could command so many knights personally. It was clear that his father, Marquis Roderick, had lent his support.
“Handle the soldiers!”
Ghislain immediately engaged in battle with the knights guarding the mansion after speaking to the two following him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Dozens of exchanges were made in an instant. These knights were certainly different from the ones they had faced so far.
They were undoubtedly knights carefully selected by the Marquis’ household to protect Martin.
Without hesitation, Ghislain activated the Third Stage Core.
Boom!
“Urgh!”
The knight leading the charge was impaled straight through the chest as Ghislain unleashed a surge of power and struck with his sword.
The two knights flanking him lost their heads in a flash of crimson light.
“Huh? Huh?”
A knight further back froze, unable to adapt to the sudden surge in Ghislain’s strength. All he could see were crimson streaks zigzagging toward him. He couldn’t predict from which direction the sword would strike.
Slash!
In an instant, the crimson arcs swept through the knights around Ghislain and even cut down the one at the rear.
Half of the knights blocking their path were gone. Ghislain had no intention of continuing this battle any further.
Having already activated the power of the Third Stage, he needed to conserve his energy if he was going to make it back.
“Ignore them and follow me!”
Ghislain tore through the remaining soldiers blocking his way and ascended to the upper floor. Gordon and Lucas, dodging whenever they could, closely followed behind.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each time Ghislain swung his sword, the soldiers were blown away without putting up proper resistance. After breaking through several more walls of soldiers, Ghislain finally came face-to-face with Martin.
Martin, whose harsh features exuded arrogance, pointed a trembling finger at Ghislain and shouted.
“You! Who are you?! How dare you barge in here?!”
Next to him stood two soldiers, each holding a hostage with a blade to their throats.
The remaining knights stood in front of Martin, forming a protective line.
“Phew…”
Finally, the battle momentarily paused, and Ghislain, covered in blood, caught his breath.
Gordon and Lucas, having just arrived, stood by his side and remained alert to their surroundings.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
More knights and soldiers from the mansion came flooding in, packing the space to the brim. The remaining guards who couldn’t fit inside took up positions outside.
The overwhelming numerical advantage emboldened Martin, who scowled and sneered.
“You! Do you think you can just take the hostages and prisoners?! You’re clearly one of Dominic’s lackeys! A mere mercenary dares defy me?! You mangy dogs dare to bite your master?!”
Ghislain sneered back at Martin.
“How many times are you going to say ‘dare’? You’re not that great, you know.”
“Shut up! Filthy mercenary scum! Do you even know who I am?!”
Martin’s face twisted with fury, unable to contain his rage.
The Drake Mercenary Corps was one of the key forces Martin had planned to exploit. His strategy was to use them to rapidly expand his influence in the succession battle.
The more disposable pawns he had, the less he’d have to risk his own knights and soldiers. It was a shortsighted approach, but Martin saw no fault in it. After all, the Drake Mercenary Corps had already earned him significant gains by handling dangerous tasks on his behalf.
Pointing a finger at Ghislain, Martin screamed with madness.
“Do you think freeing the hostages will keep you safe? The Drake Mercenary Corps is my father’s gift to me! Their lives are mine to command! How dare you betray your master?! I’ll kill every single one of you!”
The Marquis Roderick had indeed provided his children with various resources and forces, including the Drake Mercenary Corps.
However, with the hostages taken, Martin could no longer wield them as he pleased.
Watching Martin flail about in anger, Ghislain chuckled softly.
“If they’re so important, you should’ve treated them better.”
“What?! Are you lecturing me now?!”
“Yeah. When someone’s important, it’s only natural to treat them with care. That’s the kind of person I am.”
At this, Gordon and Lucas glanced at Ghislain with expressions that seemed both sympathetic and incredulous. If the people of his estate heard this, they’d all clutch the back of their necks in exasperation.
Especially Claude.
Martin, infuriated by Ghislain’s composed demeanor, erupted.
“Move a single step, and I’ll kill the hostages! You know who they are, don’t you?! Dominic’s mother and sons! Drop your weapon now!”
Ghislain had cut down countless soldiers to reach this point. If another fight broke out here, even Martin couldn’t guarantee his own safety.
Thus, he resorted to using the hostages as leverage.
The hostages, visibly terrified, trembled where they stood. Yet, a certain determination shone in their eyes truly befitting the family of a mercenary leader.
Dominic’s mother, her voice trembling but resolute, spoke up.
“Don’t worry about us… just escape. Please, tell my son… to live freely now. Tell him he no longer has to live like that for the sake of this worthless mother. Tell him to live as he wants… to live the life he dreams of.”
Ghislain looked at the boy standing beside the woman and gave a sorrowful smile.
“My dear child, I’m so sorry… but we can’t keep living like this. Come now… let’s go with Grandma…”
Tears streamed down her face as she spoke, and the boy shut his eyes tightly.
After sniffling for a moment, the boy suddenly turned toward Ghislain and spoke.
“Please tell my dad I’m okay… and… and…”
The boy’s bloodshot eyes locked onto Martin, and he shouted with fury.
“Tell him to kill this bastard for me!”
The hostages had already resigned themselves to death. Martin found their resolve deeply irritating.
“Shut up! How dare such lowly scum speak to me like this!”
As Martin shouted, the soldiers pressed their blades deeper against the hostages’ necks, cutting into their skin and drawing blood.
Ghislain, silently observing the hostages, slowly lowered his sword and raised his hands.
Martin’s face brightened. Seeing the sword lowered, he assumed Ghislain had given up on resisting.
Still, he remained cautious. Skilled individuals who wielded mana could kill with their bare hands if necessary.
Suddenly, Martin smirked as a thought crossed his mind.
“You’re clearly talented. How about working under me? I’ll treat you better than anyone else. What do you say?”
He didn’t care about the lives lost so far. Martin’s greedy face turned toward Ghislain, who momentarily glanced at the boy.
With a smile, Ghislain replied, “Well done. I’ll make sure your wishes are delivered.”
A fine boy. That’s exactly how the son of a mercenary leader should be.
But Ghislain had no intention of letting him die here in vain.
With his hands slightly raised in the air, Ghislain clenched them into fists.
Clunk!
“Huh?”
The soldiers holding the hostages suddenly found their bodies immobilized, their faces filled with shock.
Crack!
“Arghhhh!”
Their bodies twisted unnaturally, forcing them to release the hostages. The soldiers screamed in agony, unable to even think of recapturing them.
With a swift motion, Ghislain pulled his hands back, and the hostages were drawn toward him as if yanked by an invisible force.
Gordon and Lucas immediately caught the hostages and held them securely. At last, the hostages were rescued.
“What… what the hell?!”
Martin was stunned. He couldn’t fathom how the hostages had been taken with just a gesture.
Meanwhile, the knights shielding Martin stiffened as they felt the overwhelming flow of mana radiating around them.
This wasn’t a technique they’d ever seen before. The man standing before them was far beyond their expectations.
“K-Kill him! Kill them all, now!”
Martin shrieked in panic, but the knights and soldiers hesitated, unable to approach Ghislain easily.
Ghislain glanced around at the tense group, then picked up the sword he had dropped earlier.
“Gordon, Lucas. Protect the hostages.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Understood!”
Ghislain’s crimson eyes glowed ominously as he stepped forward.
“Let’s make the return a little easier.”
With that, he darted toward Martin, who was surrounded by knights.
“Attack!”
The knights shouted as they swung their swords at the oncoming Ghislain, pouring every ounce of mana they had into their strikes. Their blades emitted bright blue light as they charged.
Flash!
But Ghislain didn’t engage them. In a blink, he leapt into the air, soaring past the knights and landing directly in front of Martin.
“Wha… wha…?”
Martin froze at the sight of Ghislain, his body drenched in blood. It was as if a demon had materialized before him.
Realizing what had happened, the knights quickly turned to react, but Ghislain was faster.
“Stop.”
Ghislain pressed his sword to Martin’s neck, and the room fell silent. None of the knights dared to move.
Satisfied, Ghislain glanced around at the subdued crowd before speaking to Martin.
“Now, you’re the hostage.”