"Stop him!"
Hundreds of soldiers charged toward Ghislain. They were in utter confusion at the sudden turn of events.
Charging at this many soldiers alone? Impossible!
But the enemy was closing in faster than expected. Something felt off.
Before they could comprehend the situation, Ghislain's staff struck like lightning.
BOOM!
"Urgh!"
The soldiers at the forefront were immediately flung backward. They were still dazed, their faces filled with confusion.
Without giving them a moment to breathe, Ghislain's staff moved again.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Aaaaargh!"
The disoriented soldiers were hurled away like ragdolls. Only then did the knights regain their senses and shout.
"Surround him! Block his way!"
Ghislain continued to plow through, tossing aside soldiers as he advanced. It was clear to anyone watching that he was heading straight for Baron Margell.
"Stop him! Capture that man!"
"Protect the lord!"
Even the soldiers who had been assigned to guard the merchant company's forces turned back to face Ghislain at the knights' command.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
But Ghislain, alone, kept knocking soldiers away, pressing forward relentlessly.
His power was devastating. The soldiers, having lived in this small barony without ever experiencing war, couldn't even comprehend such raw strength.
At first, they believed sheer numbers would overwhelm him. But as time went on, unease crept in.
Surrounded by soldiers, Ghislain swung his staff in a wide arc.
BAAANG!
"Aaaaargh!"
The soldiers were flung back in an instant. They didn't even know what had hit them.
Suddenly, arms and legs were broken, heads cracked. One soldier's chest had been entirely caved in.
The soldiers blocking Ghislain's path had all fallen. Even those approaching cautiously could only surround him, unable to move closer.
"A m-monster…."
"How can a mercenary possess such strength?"
"What in the world is this…?"
Hundreds of soldiers were frozen in fear before this one man, too scared to attack.
Ghislain glanced around briefly and began moving forward again.
Baron Margell, seeing this, shrieked in terror.
"K-kill him! Quickly!"
The knights guarding Baron Margell all rushed at Ghislain. The two leading knights swung their swords like lightning.
CLANG!
Ghislain raised his staff to block the attack.
Even so, the swords, imbued with mana, packed a punch. In his current body, taking such a hit wasn't ideal.
Blocking the attack, Ghislain immediately swung his staff.
BOOOM!
With a thunderous sound, one knight was sent flying sideways.
His armor caved in on one side, deeply dented. He coughed up blood, his body grotesquely twisted from the impact.
"Ugh… Urgh…"
The armor had crushed his ribs entirely, leaving the knight incapacitated.
The other knight, witnessing the unbelievable scene, froze in place.
Ghislain smirked as he looked at the knight.
"I don't think you'll listen to Rio very well."
"W-what?"
"Just die."
BOOOOM!
Ghislain's staff came down on the dazed knight's helmet.
The helmet was dented deeply, and the knight fell, his head crushed.
The knights who had been charging suddenly halted in their tracks, realizing they were facing an insurmountable enemy.
One terrified knight muttered under his breath, his voice trembling.
"A m-master…?"
"We can't win against him."
"How can someone so young…?"
To them, there was no doubt Ghislain had reached the level of a Master.
Masters, often called superhumans, transcended human limits. No knights from such a small barony could hope to stand against him.
But it wasn't only the knights who were stunned by Ghislain's overwhelming prowess.
"W-what is this?"
"Is Lord Astion really this strong?"
"He might be stronger than Lord Yulian!"
Even the guards of the Lacus Company, who had been trembling with fear, could only gape in awe.
They no longer feared the baron. There wasn't even time for such thoughts.
Yulian, Deneb, and Kyle, too, couldn't believe their eyes.
"He's unbelievably strong."
"He wasn't even showing us his true strength."
"No wonder he was so confident."
The three were in awe, but their admiration also ignited a strong desire within them.
Such a powerful man was training them. If they followed his teachings diligently, they were certain they could grow stronger.
Even if the training was grueling.
Ghislain had already stopped attacking. His opponents were too cowed to do anything.
He leisurely surveyed the surroundings, raising a hand slightly.
Whoosh!
Hundreds of mana spears appeared in midair. They spread out, encircling the soldiers.
"From now on, anyone who moves will die."
At those words, the soldiers froze. Even the knights couldn't budge, sweat dripping down their faces.
Using so much mana all at once had left Ghislain's complexion pale. Even with the power of a fifth-circle mage, there were limits.
But the tide had completely turned. No one even noticed his condition.
Step, step, step.
Ghislain walked leisurely toward Baron Margell.
For a man like Ghislain, who had weathered countless battles, this was too easy. When faced with force, he simply overpowered it with greater force.
Baron Margell trembled as Ghislain approached.
"You, you…!"
A mana spear hovered closer, touching the baron's forehead.
"W-wait…!"
Ghislain tilted his head slightly and spoke.
"Do you accept the outcome of this duel?"
"I, I…"
Shhh…
When the baron hesitated, the mana spear inched closer.
Blood began to trickle from his forehead. Feeling the pain, Baron Margell panicked and shouted.
"I surrender! I accept the outcome of the duel!"
"Do you agree to cede this barony to the Lacus family?"
"I agree! I agree! Just stop this!"
Ghislain turned to the two observers trembling next to the baron and asked.
"As witnesses, do you confirm that this barony now belongs to the Lacus family?"
"Y-yes. We shall testify to that."
"We witnessed the duel's outcome with our own eyes."
Ghislain grinned and continued.
"Once you return, officially announce this to the territory. Inform the neighboring territories immediately. Understood?"
"Y-yes, we will do so."
The observers had been paid handsomely to support Baron Margell, but there was no reason to keep that promise now.
Nor did they feel guilty. The duel had clearly ended in the Lacus family's favor. It was only right to follow the natural course.
Having secured their confirmation, Ghislain glared at Baron Margell.
"Then you may die now. Keeping you alive would only cause trouble."
"Wait! I already agreed to surrender the barony!"
"I told you, didn't I?"
"T-told me what?"
"You squandered your final chance."
Thud!
With those cold words, the mana spear pierced through Baron Margell's head.
The greedy and cruel Baron Margell met his end just like that.
Ghislain looked down at the fallen corpse and muttered.
"You should've kept your word properly."
A heavy silence enveloped the area. Even though their lord was dead, no one dared to protest or move.
Ghislain's decisiveness shocked even his allies. Yulian and Deneb, in particular, were taken aback. Unlike Ghislain, they hadn't lived such a life.
Only Kyle's eyes gleamed with admiration, deeply moved.
"Anyone who opposes the Lacus family inheriting this territory, step forward now."
"....."
No one dared to step forward. It was clear that stepping out would mean certain death—who would risk that? Everyone was paralyzed with fear, merely watching Ghislain nervously.
Seeing no objections, Ghislain spoke again, slowly.
"I will take this as unanimous acceptance. Disarm immediately and swear loyalty to your new lord."
At those words, the soldiers turned to look at the knights. For the soldiers, the knights were their direct superiors.
Ghislain then addressed the knights.
"This territory has been inherited through rightful means. Your lord died because he defied the rightful owner of this land. Changing your allegiance is no betrayal."
It was true. Everything Ghislain had done followed legitimate procedures.
Of course, he had enforced those procedures through sheer strength.
Hearing Ghislain's reasoning, the knights—now given justification—hesitated for a moment before stepping forward toward Rio.
"We pledge our loyalty to the new lord."
One by one, the knights knelt and bowed their heads. The soldiers, seeing this, also dropped their weapons and prostrated themselves before Rio.
"Uh? Uh? Uh...."
Rio was at a loss. He had never expected this outcome.
All he had wanted was to protect his family's assets, but now he had inherited an entire territory.
Terrified and on the verge of tears, Rio turned to Ghislain for help.
"Older brother, I... the territory..."
Sigh.
Ghislain shot him a sharp look, and Rio hiccupped before quickly turning to the knights.
"I-I accept your loyalty. I, uh, look forward to working with you."
"We will serve with utmost sincerity."
Though the formalities were brief due to the circumstances, all the knights and soldiers swore allegiance to Rio.
No one could call it forced. Anyone who tried would probably end up with their head smashed in.
"Now, it's time to make an official announcement. Let's move immediately."
Ghislain always acted fast, leaving others scrambling to keep up.
Under his orders, several soldiers were sent out as messengers to spread the news across the territory.
The townspeople near the castle were also gathered, and the two witnesses formally announced the change in leadership.
"...Therefore, Baron Margell resisted the duel's outcome and was duly executed. From this day forth, the Lacus family inherits the barony... The remaining knights and soldiers have pledged loyalty to the Lacus family..."
The witnesses, trembling but shouting at the top of their lungs, emphasized again and again that the knights and soldiers had sworn allegiance. Ghislain had insisted on this detail.
It was meant to publicly reinforce the loyalty of the troops and prevent any rebellion.
The news of the Lacus family's succession spread quickly, and the people of the territory erupted in cheers.
"Wooooooo!"
"A new lord!"
"We support the Lacus family!"
The townspeople welcomed Rio with overwhelming enthusiasm, leaving even Rio bewildered.
Their response was natural. Baron Margell had been cruel and greedy, subjecting them to years of suffering.
On the other hand, the people already knew Rio well from his time traveling the region as part of the Lacus Merchant Guild.
Rio was an honest and somewhat naïve young man who always worked diligently and never engaged in price-gouging.
With someone like him as their lord, the people couldn't be happier.
Everything was progressing exactly as Ghislain had planned. In the blink of an eye, Rio had become the new lord. Still in disbelief, Rio blinked and asked.
"Older brother, you could've done all this alone. Why did you even ask me to bring the guild troops...?"
"Without them, you'd have been too scared to act as lord. Until things stabilize, let them handle the important tasks. I'll help you manage everything."
It made sense. Rio, being timid, would've been terrified of the soldiers even as their new lord.
Having his own forces nearby provided some reassurance, and Ghislain had accounted for that.
"Older brother!"
Rio's eyes welled up with tears again as he looked at Ghislain with gratitude.
Ghislain clicked his tongue.
"Why do you cry so much? You're such a crybaby."
Even while being scolded, Rio couldn't hide his joy. Not only had his family's crisis been averted, but all potential threats had been eliminated.
Sitting uneasily on the lord's chair, Rio shifted his position repeatedly, clearly feeling awkward.
Ghislain smirked and said.
"Since you're the lord now, it's time for your first order. You know what you need to do first, right?"
"Y-yes. There's something I need to do."
Rio nodded. Though fear had briefly made him forget, there was an important task to handle.
The knights and retainers quickly gathered at his summons. With a trembling voice, Rio gave his first command to one of the knights.
"Capture the head butler who betrayed our family."
"Understood."
The knight immediately mobilized soldiers to carry out the order.
Suddenly, Ghislain cut in, raising his voice.
"And bring the captain of the city guards too!"
He was a man who never forgot a grudge.