I'll Take Care of Everything (3)
At the same time that Baron Nordhill was capturing and imprisoning the envoy, Ghislain swiftly delivered the news to Rio.
As soon as Rio heard the report, he hastily organized an army and marched toward the Nordhill territory.
He was no fool. Upon hearing the situation, he could immediately predict what would happen next.
Count Crest, after toppling Count Swipel, would begin consolidating power without delay.
And the first target would undoubtedly be himself—because he controlled the gold mine.
It was also certain that the allied Nordhill territory, standing beside Lacus, would not be spared.
Rather than waiting to be attacked, it was better to unite their strength and fight now.
"Hurry, hurry up!"
Although Rio personally led the army, he had no intention of commanding it. He completely lacked military talent.
As such, he planned to delegate full authority to Ghislain as soon as they arrived.
"Ugh… you, you must win."
Throughout the march, he prayed continuously. The only thing he could do now was entrust everything to Ghislain and hope for his victory.
When Rio arrived with his army, Andrew welcomed him enthusiastically.
"Thank you so much! Having you here, Baron, is truly reassuring!"
"Ah, no, I… um… I'll just leave it to you."
"Haha! I've decided to leave everything to them as well."
The boisterous Andrew and the timid Rio had entirely opposite personalities. But they both shared deep trust in the Yulian Mercenary Corps.
Both armies agreed to let the Yulian Mercenary Corps handle the command.
Even the retainers, aware of the mercenaries' capabilities, raised no objections. They also understood that opposing it would be pointless.
Rio cautiously asked,
"Um… where is Ghislain?"
When acting publicly, Ghislain used the name Astion. However, within the mercenary corps, everyone called him Ghislain, so Rio had initially been confused about which name to use.
When he asked, Ghislain had simply explained, "I am Ghislain, and my public name is Astion."
Rio didn't understand why he complicated things, but he accepted it.
After all, aside from that, Ghislain was already a rather peculiar man.
Andrew grinned and answered Rio's question.
"He went to Count Swipel."
"Count Swipel?"
"There's a saying—'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.' He went to urge Count Swipel to join the war immediately."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense."
Count Swipel's territory bordered Count Crest's. Even if they had to take a detour, cavalry units could still arrive in time.
Just as Andrew said, by the time Rio reached the Nordhill territory, Ghislain was already negotiating with Count Swipel.
"So, you're preparing to fight Count Crest? And you've already imprisoned his envoy?"
Count Swipel greeted Ghislain with an arrogant demeanor. Despite being in a disadvantageous situation, his gaze still carried a sense of superiority.
If not for these circumstances, he wouldn't have even bothered speaking to a lowly mercenary. He was that kind of authoritative noble.
Of course, Ghislain didn't care how the count viewed him. He only prioritized whether he could achieve his goal.
"Yes, we intend to reject Count Crest's proposal once again. That's why, Count, it would be wise for you to join us now."
"Hm… But you demand three times the amount that the Ironclad Lion Corps received?"
"Yes. I believe that is a fair price. You were planning to hire us anyway, weren't you?"
Count Swipel sneered. The mercenary's ploy was utterly ridiculous.
"I heard you rejected Count Crest's proposal. That's true, and we were considering hiring you. But the situation has changed, hasn't it?"
"How has the situation changed?"
"Even if we don't hire you, you still have to fight Count Crest. Isn't that why you imprisoned the envoy? Then why should I pay you?"
"Are you saying you won't hire us?"
"That's right. In fact, shouldn't you be paying me to help? Nordhill and Lacus are at a disadvantage, even if they join forces."
At those words, Ghislain smirked. The moment he saw the count trying to gauge his own advantage, he knew things had shifted slightly.
Count Swipel wasn't as terrible as Count Crest. But that didn't mean he was a good person either.
He was simply a slightly lesser evil—just another greedy noble of this era.
Seeing that the count was failing to grasp the situation, Ghislain kindly explained further.
"If you don't join forces with us, you'll be at an even greater disadvantage."
"That's exactly my point. If we have to fight together anyway, why should I bother paying you?"
"We might change our minds."
"What?"
"It would be much easier for us to side with Count Crest instead."
"You bastard… Are you threatening me?"
"Threatening? No, I'm simply pointing out one of our many available choices."
Count Swipel glared at Ghislain as if he wanted to kill him.
His temper had already been frayed by Count Crest. And now, a mere mercenary dared to use the situation to extort a hefty sum?
He had initially considered hiring them, but now that they had willingly declared war against Count Crest, he saw no reason to pay them.
Of course, even if he had hired them formally, he had never intended to pay the full amount.
'I was planning to pay only the initial fee and ignore them after the war…'
Once Count Crest was defeated, he would be the strongest force in the region. At that point, he could simply frame and execute the mercenaries—no one would challenge him.
'Fool. If he had just stayed quiet, he might have survived.'
Count Swipel decided that once the war was over, he would find an opportunity to eliminate the Yulian Mercenary Corps. For now, however, defeating Count Crest took priority.
"Fine, you have a point. I'll agree to that amount. But I have a condition."
"What kind of condition?"
"I will only pay the initial fee upfront. We don't know how the war will unfold. Our forces are at a disadvantage, and we might lose. I'd rather use the funds to recruit more soldiers immediately."
At first glance, his reasoning seemed sound. But Ghislain already had a clear grasp of Count Swipel's nature.
He was certain the Count had no intention of paying the remainder after the war. In fact, he would likely try to take back even the initial payment.
Nevertheless, Ghislain casually nodded.
"Understood. We'll proceed with just the initial payment for now. But once the battle is over, I trust you'll ensure we receive the rest."
"Hmph. Do you take me for someone dishonorable? Of course, I'll pay properly."
Thus, the contract was settled for the time being. The two then moved on to strategizing.
Pointing at the map, Count Swipel spoke.
"We can't march directly through Count Crest's territory. That would only provoke them into moving their forces against us immediately. However, if we take a detour, we won't be able to deploy our entire army."
"How many cavalrymen can you deploy?"
"The maximum I can gather is a thousand. Will that be enough for battle?"
"It will be sufficient. Just send those thousand men first."
Count Swipel narrowed his eyes and asked,
"If they fall, I will have lost a thousand cavalrymen. Are you truly confident?"
"It is more than enough. As long as they arrive on time."
"That won't be a problem. Then, what should be done with the rest of the troops?"
"They won't be able to arrive before the battle starts anyway. Instead, when Count Crest moves his army, seize his territory in response."
"Hmm…"
"Even if we lose, Count Crest will suffer great damage as well, so you won't be at a disadvantage. If you capture key positions in his territory and cut off his supplies, the rest of the war will shift in your favor."
Count Swipel gave a peculiar smile.
This was precisely what he and his advisors had discussed.
If what was known about the Yulian Mercenary Corps was true, they could inflict significant damage on Count Crest.
His strategists had advised him to exploit that opening to secure the greatest advantage. Yet here was the mercenary saying the exact same thing.
For a mere mercenary, he seemed to know strategy quite well.
'Well, he is a mage, after all. He must be intelligent.'
Count Swipel asked slyly,
"Why not quit being a mercenary and join my territory instead? I would give the Yulian Mercenary Corps the best treatment possible."
"I appreciate the offer, but I have no such intentions for now."
"That is unfortunate."
Count Swipel genuinely looked disappointed. It was a shame he would have to kill such talents.
After finalizing the finer details, Ghislain immediately set off.
In truth, he was confident of victory even without Count Swipel's reinforcements. However, he had proposed this alliance to minimize his allies' casualties.
He saw through Count Swipel's true intentions, but it didn't bother him in the slightest.
To be precise, such petty tricks weren't even worth his attention.
***
Not long after releasing the envoy, word arrived that Count Crest had mobilized his army.
Everyone hardened their resolve, prepared for the inevitable battle. The war preparations were already complete.
Ghislain pointed to a location on the map.
"We will fight here."
Nordhill had vast plains, ideal for raising livestock—and for open-field battles.
The location Ghislain chose was a wide, open plain.
Andrew asked with a worried expression,
"You're planning to face them head-on instead of defending?"
"Why waste time fortifying against such weaklings? We'll meet them and crush them."
Ghislain's confidence silenced everyone. In this war, they had no choice but to trust and follow him.
The Yulian Mercenary Corps held full command over the armies of Nordhill and Lacus. Even Count Swipel's forces were under their direction.
The Yulian Mercenary Corps led the troops to the designated battleground, and scouts quickly relayed this information to Count Crest.
He couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
"They dare come out to fight head-on instead of fortifying? With such a small force?"
He had long since received reports that Lacus and Swipel's cavalry had joined Nordhill's army. Even so, their combined forces wouldn't exceed four thousand men.
The scout reports confirmed the numbers were within his expectations.
In contrast, Count Crest's army numbered twelve thousand. He had brought his entire force to minimize losses and ensure a swift victory.
"Count Swipel will likely try to strike from the rear. No matter. We will crush them quickly and then turn our forces around."
Their strategy was transparent. But sheer numbers would render any tricks useless.
"Leave the siege weapons behind. The supply unit will handle them. We move swiftly."
There was no need for siege weapons in an open-field battle. Speed was the key to finishing the fight quickly.
Before long, the two armies stood face to face on the vast plains.
Count Crest turned to his mage.
"There are rumors that the Yulian Mercenary Corps has a fifth-circle mage. Fifth-circle magic is dangerous—ensure absolute suppression."
"Understood."
Count Crest's army had its own fifth-circle mage, along with several fourth-circle and multiple third-circle mages.
Even if the mercenaries had a single fifth-circle mage, their allies wouldn't have many mages. Suppressing them completely would be easy.
With no need for a siege, the situation was highly favorable. Crest's overwhelming force could simply charge forward and trample the enemy.
Count Crest raised his hand and extended it forward.
"Advance. Show them our overwhelming power."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Count Crest's army began marching forward.
Watching this, the soldiers of Nordhill, Lacus, and Swipel, along with the mercenaries, gripped their weapons tightly in tension.
Meanwhile, Ghislain stood alone far ahead of them, facing the enemy.
"Looking at it this way, they do have numbers."
But not in the absolute sense.
Compared to armies of hundreds of thousands, a little over ten thousand wasn't much.
Still, it was true that his side was heavily outnumbered. A direct confrontation would result in significant casualties.
Unlike Fenris, this army wasn't composed of elite soldiers.
To minimize those losses, Ghislain had stepped forward alone.
Surrounding him were dozens of massive wooden crates.
He raised his staff and attempted a spell.
Fizzle…
The magic dispersed before it could take shape.
The enemy was actively suppressing magic.
"Hmm. This is why magic can be so annoying."
There was no helping it. Large-scale magic could wreak havoc on a battlefield, so it was only natural that the enemy would take every measure to counter it.
Ghislain quickly abandoned the idea of using magic. He could overpower their suppression, but there was no need to waste energy on that.
He had other means of attack.
A low hum filled the air.
Threads of mana extended from Ghislain in every direction. This was one of his favorite techniques in battle.
It was not a spell. It was a pure manifestation of force, akin to what knights used.
Thus, the enemy mages could not dispel it.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The wooden crates around him began opening one by one.
Inside were an overwhelming number of weapons—swords, spears, axes—collected from all over the region with Andrew's help.
They had gathered so many that even household kitchen knives had been included.
Their number? Over a thousand.
Ghislain smiled and unleashed more threads of magic.
"They thought they could crush us with sheer numbers?"
The enemy was gravely mistaken.
He alone could create an army of thousands.
The weapons inside the crates began rising into the air, aligning in perfect formation like a disciplined battalion.
The sight was so overwhelming that Crest's advancing army momentarily hesitated.
Ghislain spread his arms, his magic threads extending to their fullest.
"Let me show you what true overwhelming power looks like."
A deep, resonating hum filled the battlefield.
The weapons, infused with mana, vibrated eagerly as if desperate to be unleashed.
Then, with a chilling smile, Ghislain thrust his hand forward.
"I am the One-Man Army."
With that declaration—
BOOM!
Thousands of weapons surged forward in unison.
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