Tell Them to Come in Person (2)
The "newbie" mercenaries whispered to each other, watching the "veteran" mercenaries who used to be bandits step forward.
"Wow, those guys, they've got loyalty, man. They really do."
"So, people really can reform, huh?"
"I had a prejudice against them for being former bandits, but today, I realized I was wrong."
Hearing the murmurs, the former bandits thought:
'You fools, that's not it.'
'If Tyrann himself came, it'd be a different story. But with just those guys? No matter how many of them gang up on us, they can't beat the vice-captain.'
'If we run from here, the vice-captain will kill us.'
Looking around, the Ironclad Lion Mercenaries were only holding clubs. It was clear they weren't planning to kill anyone.
Sure, they might break a few bones during the fight, but that was preferable. As long as they didn't get hit somewhere fatal or end up disabled, they'd be fine.
Thus, they braced themselves for battle. The Ironclad Lion Mercenaries were nothing compared to the fear they had of Ghislain standing before them.
Ghislain stepped forward, then turned back and asked, "Osval, aren't you coming out?"
"Hyung-nim, manly Osval here," he groaned, clutching his stomach. "I think lunch didn't sit well with me."
Osval grimaced in pain. Ghislain clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"Tsk, tsk, just like Claude, all talk and no action."
He always strutted around talking about manliness, but for a guy his size, he was surprisingly timid and overly dramatic.
Zark, who had been watching, sneered with a face full of ridicule.
"What's this? That's all you've got? You're planning to fight us with just that many people?"
Ghislain, Yulian, Kyle, and ten former bandit mercenaries.
That was their entire force. Deneb moved off to the side, ready to treat the wounded.
Meanwhile, the Ironclad Lion Mercenaries had 100 members. Unless the outnumbered side was overwhelmingly powerful, the fight should have been a foregone conclusion.
Yet, Ghislain still wore a relaxed expression.
"Did you come here to fight with words? If you're going to attack, do it quickly. I admire your intent to stay within bounds, so I'll go easy on you, too."
Ghislain twirled his "magic wand."
The fact that he hadn't drawn a blade was praiseworthy. Of course, it was because he was confident they could win easily that he displayed such bravado.
Zark's face twisted at Ghislain's condescending tone. He couldn't listen to any more of it.
He changed his initial plan to send only half of his men.
"All of you, go and crush those bastards!"
"Yaaahhh!"
The mercenaries charged with savage momentum. At the same time, Ghislain was the first to dash forward.
Seeing Ghislain approach, the mercenaries swung their clubs.
Ghislain swung his magic wand in response.
BOOOM!
"Huh?"
The lead mercenaries stared blankly for a moment. A sound that shouldn't have occurred when clubs clashed filled the air.
The clubs had already been shattered. Before they could gather their senses, something struck them.
Thwack!
The lead mercenaries collapsed before they could even scream.
Ghislain moved at an incredible speed, smashing their heads one by one. The mercenaries fell like dominos.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Aargh! What the hell!"
The mercenaries were shocked. They'd been through countless battles, but they had never encountered someone like Ghislain. He was on a completely different level.
And it wasn't just Ghislain. Yulian and Kyle were also knocking mercenaries out left and right using the hilts of their swords.
Logically, even 30 skilled fighters should have been overwhelmed when 100 opponents swarmed them. But the trio was overpowering and pushing back the entire group.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Among them, Ghislain stood out the most. Wielding his magic wand like a weapon, he plowed straight through the mob of mercenaries.
"Stop right there, you bastard!"
Sensing the danger, the officers who could use mana stepped forward.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
This time, the sound of the clash was slightly different from before.
But even they didn't last long. Ghislain swiftly blocked their strikes and countered by smashing their heads and legs, incapacitating them instantly.
Zark stepped back nervously.
"What, what the hell is he!"
He hadn't even seen any magic being used. The supposed "mage" was just swinging a staff, and yet his men were falling like straw.
The other two were barely tapping his mercenaries with the hilts of their swords, yet each hit sent them sprawling.
Why were people this skilled working as mercenaries? They should've long joined some noble household and lived in luxury.
It wasn't just Zark who was stunned. The new recruits of Yulian Mercenary Corps had their mouths agape as well.
'What, what the hell? What is that?'
'The way they're moving is nothing like when they were beating us.'
'I knew they were strong, but not this strong!'
The Ironclad Lion Mercenaries were known as the region's best and strongest. Even their ordinary members were said to be capable of taking on three average mercenaries.
Only those with proven skill made it into the group, allowing them to maintain their top status.
But now, those same mercenaries were dropping like flies. From the outside, they looked no different from ordinary people.
Even the new recruits, who had fought Ghislain before, knew he was strong. But they had only thought of him as "reasonably strong."
Now they realized how foolish they had been. Ghislain had never shown his full strength, simply because they weren't worthy opponents.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Seeing Ghislain's dazzling moves, the former bandits were moved to tears.
'This is why it's important to pick the right leader!'
'That's an unbeatable demon!'
'If they wanted to beat the vice-captain, they should've brought everyone! The arrogance of these fools!'
The former bandits didn't even have to fight. They just let out a few war cries and followed behind the three-man wrecking crew.
With the three leading the charge, there wasn't much left for them to do. They simply delivered a few extra hits to the fallen mercenaries to claim credit.
"How dare you attack the Yulian Mercenary Corps!"
"Did you really think you could win with just these numbers?"
"You thought you were the strongest, huh?"
Despite doing little, they strutted around proudly.
After all, getting hit first was a skill in itself, and they understood Ghislain's true capabilities better than anyone.
Thud!
"Ugh…"
Thanks to the trio's efforts, all 100 mercenaries were soon lying on the ground.
The former bandits went around finishing off anyone still conscious, ensuring they stayed down.
Deneb then called out to them with a wave.
"Bring the stretchers and bandages. And some herbs too. Oh, look at these head wounds."
"Got it, sister!"
"Stop calling me that!"
"Understood, sister!"
The former bandits respectfully bowed to Deneb and helped her.
Deneb used holy power to heal those with the worst head injuries, while the rest were roughly patched up by the former bandit medics.
Having lived in the wild, they knew a thing or two about first aid. With Deneb's help, they quickly tended to the injured.
Zark, the vice-captain of the Ironclad Lion Mercenaries, stood there in a daze.
"Is this… a dream?"
It had to be. The region's strongest mercenaries, reduced to this state by just three people?
He pinched his cheeks several times, but there was no sign of waking up. It seemed he was stuck in a nightmare.
As he stood frozen, Ghislain slowly walked up to him.
"So, how's it feel?"
"....."
"You go around bragging about being the best with this bunch?"
"....."
"Back in my day..."
Ghislain paused mid-sentence and tilted his head.
His mercenary group had truly been the strongest on the continent. But while that was something from his past, in this era, it was actually something that had yet to happen.
How was he supposed to explain that? It was a story from the past, but technically, it wasn't.
As the thought gave him a headache, Ghislain shook his head a few times and said, "Now, it's my turn to talk."
"W-What?"
"Tell Tyrann to come 'greet' me personally."
"W-Wait, no, that's..."
Zark was horrified. Tyrann was a man with immense pride.
How could he possibly deliver such a message?
Ghislain tapped the tip of his staff on Zark's shoulder and spoke.
"The guys lying here? They're all going to prison."
"W-What? Prison? But this was just a fight between mercenaries!"
"You attacked first, and you think just admitting defeat is going to end it? Do I look like a fool to you?"
"..."
"If you don't want those guys to rot in prison for the rest of their lives, you better pass on the message."
"..."
Baron Nordhill would definitely comply if the Yulian Mercenary Corps requested it. Locking up 100 mercenaries right before a territorial war would be a major problem.
After all, it was the Ironclad Lion Mercenaries who had started the fight. Regardless of excuses, the justification was on Yulian's side.
Ghislain grinned and continued.
"And you, you're not getting away so easily either. I'll help you deliver the message, loud and clear."
"W-What do you mean...?"
CRACK!
"ARGH!"
Before Zark could finish, Ghislain's staff smashed into his shoulder.
As his shoulder bone shattered, Zark collapsed to the ground, his face contorted in pain—although the shock and disbelief were greater than the pain itself.
'He's not a mage! We've all been fooled! But just how strong is he, for this to happen...?'
Zark could use mana too. Although he had more talent for administration than combat, his fighting abilities were comparable to that of a decent knight.
That was why he had been able to serve as the vice-captain of a large mercenary group like the Ironclad Lion Mercenaries.
Yet even he couldn't grasp how Ghislain's staff moved. His body, which could channel mana, couldn't even withstand a basic attack.
'It's like when I face the captain. Could this guy be as strong as the captain?'
That was the limit of what Zark could infer.
But one thing he was now absolutely sure of—
'We messed with the wrong person. We should've approached this carefully and tried to win them over.'
Had he known they were this strong, he never would've provoked them like this.
But it was too late. After suffering such humiliation, Tyrann wouldn't let this slide.
One side or the other would have to die. Tyrann was that kind of man.
'This is going to be a disaster... Our mercenary group might not even be able to participate in the territorial war.'
Clutching his shattered shoulder, Zark stood up. The only thing he could do now was deliver the shocking news.
"Fine... I'll deliver the message to the captain."
The anger and mockery that had once filled his face were long gone, leaving only defeat and emptiness.
Ghislain nodded.
"And feel free to bring a gift or something when you come."
"..."
Without another word, Zark turned and left. The confident swagger he'd had when he first arrived was gone, leaving behind only a pitiful figure.
A heavy silence lingered after Zark's departure. The only sounds were the groans of the fallen mercenaries and Deneb's voice as she instructed the former bandit mercenaries on how to treat the injured.
The new recruits of Yulian Mercenary Corps could only dart their eyes around in shock.
'What the hell? Why are they so strong?'
'They're not human. They're monsters.'
'How powerful are they, exactly?'
They weren't just strong; they were on a completely different level. There was no doubt about it.
The Ironclad Lion Mercenaries were real professionals, unlike them.
Although the recruits lacked experience, they hadn't expected the gap to be this wide.
It wasn't just the vice-captain who was strong. The captain, Yulian, and the second vice-captain(?), Kyle, were also beyond their wildest imagination.
At this rate, it wouldn't be unreasonable to say that the three of them were on par with Tyrann.
Even if they were slightly weaker, they still had three people of comparable strength.
The mercenaries now knew exactly which side they should stick to. The former bandit mercenaries hadn't stepped forward for no reason.
But after hesitating earlier, they felt awkward about trying to join in now. If they got scolded, they'd have no excuses.
Just then, Osval suddenly burst out, shouting loudly.
"YEAH! That's our Hyung-nim! The Yulian Mercenary Corps is the strongest in the region!"
The shameless Osval took the lead. The mercenaries seized their second chance.
"Woohoo! We're the best!"
"As expected of the captain and vice-captains!"
"We won!"
Cheers erupted in an instant. Ghislain narrowed his eyes at them, standing crookedly. Osval quickly lifted his giant hammer and shouted enthusiastically.
"Hyung-nim! I, the manly Osval, will fully support your grand ambitions! I'll always be at the front, smashing your enemies!"
"...Sure."
Ghislain could only sigh in exasperation at Osval's transparent attitude and let it slide.
At any rate, this incident had significantly reduced the internal resentment among the mercenaries.
Ghislain and the other two had clearly demonstrated their strength.
While Yulian Mercenary Corps was celebrating their victory and rebuilding internal discipline—
BOOM!
At that moment, back at the Ironclad Lion Mercenaries' base, Tyrann shattered the table in front of him after hearing Zark's report.
"Gather everyone! We're wiping them out completely!"
What had started as a minor incident had turned into an irreparable humiliation.
"I won't forgive them."
Tyrann's eyes blazed with fury.
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