CHAPTER 3: This kind of disregard… feels familiar (3)

At Ghislain's sudden statement, Skovan looked taken aback.

Here he was, a nuisance who had followed them around and of no help, now he was demanding command authority.

'Is he crazy?'

Skovan wanted to smack him right away but resisted with superhuman patience.

After all, he couldn't just hit the heir to the territory.

"I don't know why you're acting like this all of a sudden, but that's impossible. I am the commander of the subjugation team."

He added a touch of disdain to his words.

If Ghislain got upset about being disrespected, Skovan could easily calm him down and send him off.

"It would be impossible for you to command the soldiers, Young Lord."

Just as he was preparing himself to raise his voice, Ghislain's response was unexpected.

"Is that so? Still, I'll do it."

Seeing Ghislain speak so casually, Skovan narrowed his eyes.

'What's going on? The atmosphere feels different today. Why isn't he sulking?'

The Young Lord always wore his inferiority complex on his sleeve.

He had slightly hunched shoulders and a posture that seemed to be perpetually looking for approval, and when things didn't go his way, his face would turn red and he'd shout.

But now, none of that was visible.

He stood tall, shoulders back, chin slightly raised in an arrogant manner. His eyes held no emotion at all.

In terms of atmosphere and momentum, he was like a true swordmaster.

'What... Did he eat something strange? What was for lunch today?'

It felt strange to see a man who used to throw tantrums suddenly exhibit this demeanor.

Nonetheless, Skovan didn't let it faze him. Even if the appearance was forcefully packaged, the pathetic core remained unchanged.

"That's not going to happen. Please rest. We will finish the subjugation as quickly as possible and return to the castle."

"I'll do it."

"I told you it's not possible."

"I said I will do it."

"Young Lord!"

"I'll do it."

"..."

Skovan suddenly felt his insides tighten, as if he had eaten a bunch of sweet potatoes that were stuck in his throat.

In the past, he could scorn this pitiful brat in his mind and calm him down, but now it felt like he was talking to a wall.

"Haah... I am the one who received the command from the lord. Even if you are Young Lord, I cannot arbitrarily hand over the authority given to me by the lord."

"It's fine. Right now, my orders on the scene take precedence. We have to trust the judgment of the frontline commander. That's only natural on the battlefield, isn't it?"

'That frontline commander is me, you creatively insane fool! What do you know about the battlefield!'

As Ghislain kept making these ridiculous comments, Skovan felt exasperated. However, he was of a higher rank and communication was failing.

This foolish man seemed to think they were playing soldiers.

'Well, fine, what can I expect from him? I'll just let him play commander for show... I can take out the orcs myself.'

If it had truly been dangerous, Skovan would have bound the Young Lord and stopped him.

Though he thought about gagging the babbling idiot and throwing him in a cell, he was a knight, and Ghislain was the Young Lord of the territory. Skovan forced himself to suppress his anger.

'Ugh, I'm really done this time.'

Even if he went to another territory, he would receive better treatment and interact with normal people.

Resolving to finish this mission and leave Perdium estate, Skovan said to Ghislain,

"Do you really... have to do this?"

"Of course!"

"...Alright then. I will pass command authority to you. However, you will also bear the responsibility."

"Oh, good. That's a good idea. Now let's prepare right away."

"What? Prepare for what?"

"Preparation for battle."

"No, we haven't even spotted the orcs yet; what battle preparation...?"

"I can't be bothered to explain. You wouldn't believe it anyway. Just trust the judgment of the frontline commander."

Leaving behind a stunned Skovan, Ghislain immediately summoned all the soldiers.

With only about thirty men, they gathered in an instant.

The soldiers looked at Ghislain with tired eyes.

The Young Lord was someone who caused trouble every day, and they had to clean up after him, so just seeing him made them feel sick.

Seeing those soldiers, Ghislain smiled.

'Ah, how fickle human hearts can be.'

In the past, he hated those disdainful looks and caused even more trouble.

As people's gazes grew colder, his inferiority complex deepened.

Both he and the people watching him were piling up resentment in their hearts. It was a vicious cycle.

But having died and come back, he began to think that they were all people he needed to protect.

'It's kind of cute how they growl.'

After studying the soldiers for a while, Ghislain said softly,

"The orcs will soon invade. Everyone, prepare a defensive formation and wait."

The soldiers resigned themselves to the fact that the Young Lord was acting crazy again and fell into formation.

'What on earth is this all about?'

'Haah, I'm so tired.'

The soldiers stood quietly, mentally cursing under their breath.

Just as Skovan was about to say something to Ghislain, a sound came from the distance.

Thud thud thud!

They heard something charging towards them in a group.

The soldiers turned to the sound and screamed in surprise.

"Oh, it's orcs! They really showed up!"

"What? Why are there so many of them!"

Dozens of orcs were charging towards them.

The "real" commander of the subjugation team, Skovan, panicked and drew his sword.

"W-what! Everyone, don't panic, prepare for battle... uh?"

Looking back at the soldiers, Skovan's eyes widened.

The soldiers were already raising their shields and readying their spears.

Since they had already formed a defensive formation, they were able to get into a battle stance in no time.

If Ghislain hadn't prepared them in advance, everyone would have been flustered by the sudden ambush.

"What is going on...?"

With his eyes wide open, Skovan looked at Ghislain.

Usually, Ghislain would boast about his foresight, but this time he was busy assessing the soldiers' conditions.

Even though they had set up the formation early, there were too many orcs.

The soldiers looked terrified, trembling in fear.

Ghislain patted one of the anxious soldiers on the shoulder and said,

"Hey, why are you so scared? Are you afraid of those things?"

"Y-yes?"

"Tsk tsk, acting so frightened. Do you know what the most important thing in a fight is?"

"W-what is it?"

Ghislain answered leisurely to the soldier, who looked at him with a dazed expression.

"Momentum, momentum is important. Just like those orcs over there."

The soldier swallowed hard and turned back.

The orcs were charging at them with a wild momentum, ready to kill their enemies in an instant.

However, seeing the Young Lord acting so relaxed in such a tense situation felt entirely unreal.

Seeing the soldiers in this state, Ghislain continued.

"Don't be scared. If you're scared, you won't be able to show your real skills and you'll die. If you die like that, it'll be really unjust. Don't you think so?"

Ghislain smiled gently. He was reminded of the times he taught rookie mercenaries.

But as the soldier listened to Ghislain, he seriously pondered.

'Why is this idiot suddenly trying to act cool?'

Advice is only effective when it comes from someone credible.

Hearing these words from the Young Lord, who was rumored to be less than a mere soldier, felt utterly ridiculous.

Just then, Ghislain's face suddenly twisted. It was clear what the soldier was thinking.

"Hey."

"Y-yes?"

"You just cursed at me in your head."

"N-no, I didn't!"

A brief silence followed, and then Ghislain clicked his tongue and turned his head.

'Ugh. I'm used to being disrespected, but it still doesn't make it any easier.'

How could he, the king of mercenaries and one of the seven strongest on the continent, be treated like this? If his subordinates from before were to see this, he would be the laughingstock of a lifetime.

'Well, I can change my reputation slowly over time.'

Ghislain grinned and stepped forward.

As he casually twirled his sword and approached the orcs, Skovan shouted.

"Young Lord! What are you doing! Get back!"

"That's enough. You just watch from there."

"W-what?"

"I'm going."

With a quick remark, Ghislain darted forward.

'Damn it! You idiot! If you're going to die, die alone!'

Skovan gritted his teeth and gestured to the soldiers. First, he planned to retreat the soldiers and then go retrieve Ghislain.

But at the sight that followed, Skovan froze like a statue.

"Graaaah!"

The lead orc swung its rusted axe towards Ghislain.

It was a powerful strike that could easily split a human in half.

However, Ghislain simply stepped aside with a smile on his lips.

Crash!

The misdirected axe slammed into the ground.

Just as the orc, with a furious expression, lifted its axe again.

Swoosh!

With a sound slicing through the air, Ghislain's sword darted across the orc's throat in a flash.

"Graah..."

Thud!

The orc fell to the ground with a guttural sound.

The soldiers gaped, jaws dropping at the sight of the orc writhing on the ground.

Orcs are known for their thick skin. Without using mana, it is difficult to inflict serious wounds.

Yet, here was Ghislain, who supposedly didn't know how to handle mana, effortlessly severing the orc's neck.

"What, what is this?"

Even Skovan stood frozen, mouth agape in shock.

Even he, who could use mana, felt no trace of mana flow.

That meant... Ghislain had incapacitated the orc in a single blow without using mana.

"That's impossible!"

Mana is a supernatural power that helps humans transcend their limits.

To kill an orc without using mana requires immense strength or extreme skill.

Given that Ghislain had never trained and was physically weak, he couldn't possibly possess such monstrous strength.

Therefore, the only reason he could kill the orc was that he had unimaginable swordsmanship that attacked the weakest point at the perfect moment.

"Graah!"

"Graah!"

The charging orcs halted, startled by the sudden fall of their leader, and they began to encircle Ghislain.

Ghislain grinned.

"Oh, great. You're all aiming for me first? This makes things easier."

To minimize casualties, he had summoned the soldiers in advance and set up a formation.

No matter how many orcs there were, he could kill them all, but preventing injury to the soldiers with his current skills wouldn't be easy.

Yet these foolish creatures were all charging towards him. He felt grateful enough to bow to them.

"It's been a while since I fought without mana."

Ghislain lifted his sword with an arrogant smile.

While he knew the mana cultivation technique of his family during this time, he had never truly trained.

It was only after he left home and became a mercenary that he began training, fighting for survival.

In fact, he had to fight for his life without mana at the beginning.

But now, it was both similar and different from then. He had the extreme swordsmanship he had accumulated over the years in his mind.

"Come on!"

"Graah!"

Crash!

The orcs swung their axes wildly but failed to hit the oddly moving Ghislain, missing every time.

He evaded the attacks with minimal movement, using the force of the charging orcs to slice their weakest necks.

Slash!

"Graah!"

With each swing of his sword, one orc fell, spewing blood.

"Ugh, my body isn't listening properly."

Ghislain grumbled as he swung his sword.

His body from this time was truly pitifully weak.

Just a little movement and he was drenched in sweat, muscles pulling painfully.

His joints felt like they were creaking from the strain.

But a smile never left his face.

Having survived for decades in battle and slaughter, he wouldn't have lasted if he didn't enjoy fighting.

This feeling of pushing his body to the limit was also proof that he was still alive.

Swish!

Crash!

Ghislain narrowly avoided the orc attacks as he took down each one.

Skovan swallowed hard, watching in awe. Even he, who could use mana, couldn't move like that.

'W-why is the Young Lord able to move like that?'

It was clear he was struggling. However, in moments of dodging and attacking, his movements were flawless.

Skovan had never seen swordsmanship like that in his entire life.

'Incredible.'

As a swordsman, he wanted to learn those perfect movements. It was as if he were a swordmaster who couldn't use mana.

'No, maybe even more than that...'

Anyone else would think him crazy for such praise, but it was nearly the truth.

The seven strongest of the continent were all superhumans who transcended the limits of humanity. Their skills were not just techniques but an insight into combat.

So, even without mana and with a frail body, Ghislain's accumulated experience and skills allowed him to surpass limits.

Crack!

As Ghislain swung his sword again, yet another orc fell, blood spilling forth.

"Graah!"

The orcs began to retreat hesitantly.

The more than twenty orcs were now reduced to just five. Most had lost their heads or were stabbed to death by Ghislain's sword in mere moments.

"Hey, is it over already? I'm still warming up. To show such weakness, are you really a warrior race?"

Ghislain taunted the orcs, pointing his sword at them.

Of course, his inner thoughts were entirely different.

'Ugh, I'm going to die again at this rate. I just want to lie down. Was I this weak back then?'

To wield strength that surpassed limits required a corresponding toll.

Ghislain's feeble body was starting to refuse to cooperate.

[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]