Shall We Start Moving Again? (2)
In a tavern within a city, mercenaries were gathered, chatting noisily.
"Did you see those bastards begging for their lives?"
"They were supposed to be bandits, but they were nothing special."
"Being former bandits doesn't mean much anymore. The really tough ones are all dead, and the useful ones were taken by the lord, right?"
"Still, a few of them had some fight left in them. But once we smashed their heads in, they settled down right away. Hahaha!"
They all mocked and ridiculed someone in that manner.
Their target of ridicule was none other than the members of the Yulian Mercenary Corps, specifically the former bandits taken in by Ghislain.
Under Ghislain's orders, they had been carrying out various odd missions but had recently been ambushed several times.
The group responsible for most of these ambushes was the 'Black Hammer Mercenary Corps,' who were now gathered in this tavern.
The mercenaries whispered among themselves while continuing to drink.
"By the way, weren't their upper ranks supposed to be decent? Especially that crazy guy, right?"
"Oh, you mean the one they call the 'Bandit Crusher'? It's all just hot air, isn't it? Other groups have messed with them, and they've done nothing."
"They probably don't care because they're just former bandits. Besides, there's no evidence we're the ones who did it, right?"
The mercenaries laughed and agreed with one another. Their attempts to cover their tracks were no better than hiding their faces with masks during the ambushes.
Because of them, the Yulian Mercenary Corps had failed a few missions. Slowly but surely, the Black Hammer Mercenaries aimed to tarnish their reputation.
The mercenaries still looked down on the Yulian Mercenary Corps—just a newly formed rookie group that was so short on manpower they had resorted to recruiting bandits.
These upstarts, with no proper foundation, were stealing contracts left and right, leaving the established mercenaries unable to sit by idly.
"Those guys have no respect for the code of conduct, none at all. Aren't we supposed to split contracts fairly and work together on major ones? It's the unwritten rule of this business!"
"Exactly. The only reason they're still around is because the lord protects them. If it weren't for him, we'd have killed them all by now."
"And that dark mage? Wasn't it the knights who took him down? That whole thing seemed like a show. How do you even track a dark mage with a duck?"
"Speaking of that mage, does anyone know exactly how powerful he was?"
"Wasn't he said to be 4th or 5th circle?"
As they chatted, the mercenaries exchanged uncertain glances.
They knew the Yulian Mercenary Corps had some skill, but they couldn't pin down just how much.
Especially Ghislain, who had deliberately kept his magic abilities a secret, even spreading the false rumor that he was a mere 4th-circle mage.
Thus, no one truly understood Ghislain's actual prowess.
"Looking back, maybe we should've been there during the dark mage hunt. Since all the other mercenaries stayed out of it, only they know the truth."
"They definitely have some skill. That much is clear—they did capture the dark mage's disciple themselves."
"Anyway, plenty of folks are waiting to take them down. The moment they leave Nordhill territory, people will be after them."
Many mercenaries had already left Nordhill and moved to neighboring territories. The ones still here were either small-time mercenaries or those planning to leave soon.
But the Yulian Mercenary Corps had been absorbing contracts from nearby regions, which only fueled the anger of other mercenary groups.
Just as they were immersed in their chatter, a thunderous noise shook the room.
Boom!
All the mercenaries grabbed their weapons and jumped to their feet, their eyes darting toward the shattered door.
"There you all are. I figured this was your hideout," Ghislain said, standing in the doorway with a cheerful grin.
The sight of him made the mercenaries frown.
"The Bandit Crusher..."
"That guy finally showed up..."
"So, you're here to start something?"
Everyone knew the lord, Andrew, favored the Yulian Mercenary Corps. Because of this, most mercenaries had avoided direct confrontations with them.
But if he had come here deliberately to cause trouble, that changed things. Some of the mercenaries started to puff up their chests with bravado.
Of course, not everyone was confident—quite a few looked nervous.
Although they hadn't fought them directly, the Yulian Mercenary Corps had a reputation for being formidable. If they won, great. But if they lost, it would be humiliating—and some of them might even end up dead.
A large, burly man covered in hair broke the silence.
"What brings the Bandit Crusher here?"
It was Osval, the leader of the Black Hammer Mercenary Corps. Their group's name came from Osval's own nickname, as he often wielded a massive black hammer.
Ghislain, with an iron staff slung casually over his shoulders, smiled.
"Are you really asking because you don't know why I'm here?"
"..."
"Come on, don't play dumb. It's no fun. Look, I don't need any proof—just get on your knees and beg, and I'll let it slide."
"You're getting a bit too cocky just because you're doing well lately."
"Do you know why I haven't done anything until now?"
"Why?"
"I was waiting for every mercenary in this area to mess with us. I didn't want anyone slipping through the cracks."
Osval tilted his head, confused. It took him a moment to realize what Ghislain meant.
"No way..."
This guy had deliberately done nothing, hoping that all the local mercenaries would target him, so he could have a reason to go after every single one of them.
"Hehe..."
Osval chuckled, finding it absurd. He had heard that the Yulian Mercenary Corps was skilled, but this level of recklessness was unexpected.
Thud!
Osval slammed his massive hammer onto the floor, causing the entire building to shake.
"You cocky bastard... Fine. We attacked you. So, what are you going to do about it? You want to die today?"
Osval slowly advanced toward Ghislain, his jaw clenching as he gestured discreetly to his men.
There were about twenty Black Hammer mercenaries in the room, and they began to surround Ghislain and his team.
They knew Ghislain was a mage, so their plan was to close in quickly and prevent him from casting any spells.
Osval also calculated his options.
'We don't need to worry about the lord protecting them anymore. This lunatic came here with a death wish...'
At this point, it wasn't about evidence or deniability.
Among mercenaries, being disrespected meant the end. Given the situation, killing the Yulian Mercenary Corps and leaving the region seemed like the best option.
As tension filled the room, Ghislain suddenly interrupted the flow.
"Why don't we take this outside?"
"What?"
"If we're going to fight, let's do it properly. I don't want to break too many bones inside and cause a mess."
"Properly? With who? You, or your captain?"
"I'll handle this. There's no need for our captain to step in. What do you say? I won't even use magic—I'll just beat you with my staff."
"Hehe..."
Osval let out a sarcastic laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Wow... You really think you can take me on in a head-to-head fight? A mage, of all people?"
The Black Hammer Mercenary Corps was among the top groups in the region, and Osval himself was known for his strength.
But even he couldn't help but be cautious when facing the famed Yulian Mercenary Corps.
He mulled over Ghislain's proposal.
'Why would he make such an offer? Does he really think he can beat me?'
It didn't make sense. Mages were always prioritized for protection, and Osval was confident he could crush any mage in close combat.
Squinting, he grew more suspicious.
'Come to think of it, no one has actually seen those guys fight. The stories about them defeating bandits are all secondhand.'
Sure, the bandits had been wiped out, and prisoners had been taken. Even some of the former bandits had joined the Yulian Mercenary Corps.
But the bandits turned mercenaries weren't particularly strong—they were no match for seasoned fighters like the Black Hammer mercenaries.
In other words, the Yulian Mercenary Corps seemed more like a group with a flashy reputation but little substance.
'Ah, now I get it. They're just a showpiece for the lord to brag about. It's typical for nobles to pull stunts like that.'
As Ghislain suggested moving to a more open area, Osval smirked, falling for the illusion.
"So, you are planning to widen the distance and cast magic as soon as we step outside, huh. You must think it'd be chaos if we fight here."
Convinced of his false assumption, Osval chuckled. Outside, where they could form ranks, such a predictable strategy wouldn't work.
It was better to give the opponent what they wanted. Fighting in such a cramped space would only cause damage on both sides.
With a glance at the mercenaries around him, Osval gave the signal.
"Fine. Let's fight outside. Can't have a good tavern getting trashed."
He fully intended to crush them as soon as they stepped out. Once in position, the entire mercenary corps would charge in.
Sure enough, the Black Hammer Mercenary Corps surrounded the Yulian Mercenary Corps as soon as they stepped outside.
The distance wasn't that far either—an unfavorable situation for a mage.
Osval glared at Ghislain and bellowed.
"Attack! Kill them all!"
"Waaargh!"
The entire Black Hammer Mercenary Corps charged at the Yulian Mercenary Corps.
Ghislain wore an expression that seemed to say he had expected this. Yulian and Kyle remained calm, showing little concern.
Only the bandit recruits, who had followed them, appeared flustered and unsure of what to do.
Osval charged toward Ghislain, a grin of delight spreading across his face.
"Die, you idiot!"
He swung his massive hammer directly at Ghislain. Osval had no doubt that this single strike would crush him.
Clang!
"Huh?"
Something felt off. No matter how strong the steel was, that thin staff should not have been able to block his hammer so easily.
Ghislain clicked his tongue.
"You're worse at using a hammer than my little sister."
When you thought of hammers, you thought of Elena. And when you thought of Elena, you thought of her hammer. She had grown so strong with her giant hammer that even Ghislain had to acknowledge her.
Compared to her, Osval's hammer strikes felt incredibly light.
"Y-you bastard, what did you just say!?"
Humiliated, Osval frantically swung his hammer.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as the steel weapons clashed repeatedly.
As Ghislain parried several of Osval's attacks, he assessed his opponent's skill. From Osval's perspective, it was infuriating.
"You... weren't you supposed to be a mage?"
A new realization dawned on Osval—he was sure the rumors about Ghislain being a mage were fake, likely spread by the lord himself.
Convinced of his own deduction, Osval shouted.
"This whole mercenary corps is a fraud! They're hiding something!"
"What are you even talking about?"
Having finished evaluating Osval's skill, Ghislain swung his iron staff.
Thwack!
"Argh!"
Osval cried out in pain as the staff struck his shin, causing him to stumble backward. His face was filled with shock.
He hadn't even seen the staff move. By the time he felt the pain, his body had instinctively pulled away.
And yet, Ghislain's staff was already swinging again.
"W-wait!"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Ghislain's iron staff mercilessly struck Osval's body. With each blow, Osval's arms and legs fractured one by one.
"Aaaargh! W-wait! Stop!"
Before long, Osval dropped his hammer, curling up on the ground as he rolled around, screaming.
Even while rolling, he yelled desperately.
"What are you all doing!? Attack him! Kill him already—aaagh!"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Ghislain continued to strike the cowering Osval, using just enough force to ensure the pain was unbearable.
As he endured the blows, Osval couldn't help but wonder.
'Why? Why isn't anyone coming to help me?'
Come to think of it, the only screams he heard were his own. He didn't even hear the sounds of a battle.
'Did they betray me?'
He couldn't dwell on the thought for long—the pain was too overwhelming.
Osval was a high-ranking mercenary who had trained in mana techniques, making him one of the top fighters in the region.
And yet, he was being beaten senseless by a rookie mercenary group that had been around for just two years.
'I was wrong!'
The person beating him wasn't a fraud. Even with his body wrapped in mana, each strike broke him down further.
Their reputation wasn't just empty talk. Now that he was fighting them, their level was beyond anything he could measure.
He had simply been delusional, underestimating his opponent—something no mercenary should ever do.
Finally understanding the situation, Osval screamed, his tolerance for pain wearing thin.
"W-wait! I was wrong!"
Still, Ghislain's iron staff did not stop.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
"Aaaargh! I'm sorry!"
All Osval could do was beg.
He had already attacked several members of the Yulian Mercenary Corps. Since they were the ones in the wrong, the only way to survive was to plead for forgiveness.
"Please! Spare me, hyung-nim! I'll never go against you again!"
When the word "hyung" slipped out of Osval's mouth, Ghislain's strikes finally stopped.
"Ugh... uh..."
Osval sobbed, tears and snot running down his face as he whimpered in pain.
Barely able to lift his head, he looked around.
Ghislain stood motionless, his expression blank. And the surrounding area...
"Huff..."
Osval gasped. The Black Hammer Mercenaries were all on the ground, groaning in pain.
The reason it had been so quiet while he was being beaten was that they had already been taken down.
It wasn't the bandits who did it—they were standing there, cowering and watching nervously.
The only ones who had acted were Yulian and Kyle. Using nothing but the hilts of their swords, they had taken down all the other mercenaries.
A chill ran down Osval's spine.
'They're the real deal. Not just the mage, but all of them are monsters.'
Every assumption he had made was wrong. The Yulian Mercenary Corps was far stronger than the rumors suggested.
And among them, the vice-captain was the most ruthless and terrifying of all.
Ghislain stared down at Osval and spoke.
"From today, the Black Hammer Mercenary Corps is disbanded. You will be reborn into something new."
At those chilling words, Osval nodded his head furiously.
He had no idea what Ghislain meant by "reborn," but he didn't dare question it.
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