CHAPTER 37: This place is insane (5)

Hehehehe…

The Palors arrived at their hideout and glanced around, sensing no trace of the relentless pursuer who had been following them. 

Finally relieved, it began to clear the stones blocking the entrance to its hideout. Anticipating a safe place to devour its prey and recover, it quickened its pace.

Lost in its task, the Palor accidentally loosened the tentacle that had been covering Gordon's mouth.

Gordon didn't miss his chance.

"Here! Over here!!" he shouted, louder than he had ever screamed in his life.

Kraaa!

The Palor, panicked, whipped a tentacle around Gordon's neck, lifting him into the air.

Though he could barely breathe, Gordon squeezed his eyes shut and shouted again.

"Here! I'm here!!!"

Kraaa!

The furious Palor tossed him to the ground.

With the tracker now certain to find him, the Palor decided it would be safer to eat Gordon quickly and hide. It raised its sickle-like arm, ready to strike.

"Ugh…"

Gordon sat on the ground, eyes shut tight. As death loomed closer, he was too terrified to make another sound. He felt a warm, damp sensation between his legs.

Swish!

Just as the Palor's sickle was about to strike his head, something flashed from the dark forest, flying fast toward them.

Thud!

Belinda's dagger embedded itself in Palor's arm.

The poison on the blade caused the creature's pale skin to turn black and charred.

Kraaa!

The Palor screamed in agony, but the sound didn't last long.

Thud!

Ghislain's sword pierced the Palor's head, followed by Gillian's axe, which split its body in half.

"I… I'm alive!" Gordon cried, overwhelmed with relief at the sight of his three rescuers.

Ghislain, tearing a "Light" scroll to assess Gordon's condition, smiled and said, "You held out well, Gordon."

Hearing this, Gordon couldn't hold back his tears. He was incredibly grateful that Ghislain had risked his life to save him.

He knew he shouldn't cry, as it could affect his muscle mass, but he couldn't stop himself.

"Hoo! Thank you! Waaaah!"

As Gordon sobbed loudly, Belinda made a wry comment.

"By the way… is your outfit… Did you wet yourself?"

Gordon's tears instantly dried, and he turned his head away, his face flushed. Belinda burst out laughing at his reaction.

Meanwhile, Ghislain examined the crudely concealed entrance to the lair.

"This must be their hideout."

Since they'd come this far, it would be foolish not to investigate further.

The group entered the cave immediately.

Kraaa!

The Palors inside shrieked as soon as they saw the intruders.

Judging by their battered and torn bodies, it was clear these were the ones who had fled earlier.

"I was disappointed not to catch them all, but it turns out they're all gathered here. This just makes things easier."

Now that they had found the lair, eliminating them all would make the journey ahead much safer.

Ghislain scanned them with a cruel smile.

"Kill them all."

Before he even finished speaking, Belinda and Gillian mercilessly cut down the Palors.

Kraaa!

The weakened Palors stood no chance and were quickly slaughtered. Even if they had been in top condition, Ghislain, Belinda, and Gillian were all powerful enough to handle them with ease.

After dispatching the last of the Palors trying to flee, Ghislain noticed something intriguing in the cave.

"What's this…?"

Belinda and Gillian also looked at the pile in the corner, eyes widening.

"Are those… human bones?"

Indeed, in the corners of the cave were not only monster bones but what appeared to be human remains.

"Judging by the condition, it looks like people who unofficially ventured into the Forest of Demonic Beasts," Gillian noted, and Ghislain nodded in agreement.

There had been people who explored the Forest of Demonic Beasts long ago. However, it had been several decades since the Perdium estate banned entry into the forest.

The tattered clothing and broken tools lying among the bones, however, looked relatively recent—perhaps only a few years old.

'So someone's been exploring here secretly…?'

He had some suspicions, but Ghislain chose not to jump to conclusions. It could have been a rogue adventurer.

Deciding to set this mystery aside for later, he blocked the entrance to the cave and headed back to where the others waited.

***

The mercenaries, anxiously awaiting Ghislain's return, raised their weapons as soon as they heard movement from the forest.

They let out sighs of relief when they saw Ghislain emerging from the trees.

Losing Gordon was unfortunate, but they knew they needed Ghislain to survive in this forest.

"Young lord is back!" 

The mercenaries eagerly gathered around Ghislain.

When Belinda, Gillian, and finally a sheepish-looking Gordon appeared from the forest, the mercenaries erupted in cheers.

"He's alive! Gordon's alive!"

"The young lord did it again!"

In all their years as mercenaries, they had never seen anyone like Ghislain.

Most nobles and employers treated mercenaries as expendable. They readily sacrificed mercenaries without a second thought, a reality the mercenaries themselves had come to accept as normal.

But Ghislain's actions stirred something beyond shock. They awakened a new feeling within the mercenaries.

Their employer was unlike the usual hypocrites they'd known.

"Maybe we really can make it out of here alive if we follow him."

One mercenary muttered, and the others nodded in agreement.

It wasn't hard to be a good leader to mercenaries. Just feed them, pay them, and find decent work for them.

But to gain their true loyalty, a leader needed something more.

They needed the judgment and command that could save their lives even once.

Ghislain had fought ahead of them all, protected them, and held a resolve never to abandon those who followed him.

For the mercenaries, he was the perfect figure to believe in and follow.

"His actions so far aren't just for show. He's genuine."

"Right. We should repay his sincerity."

"Never thought I'd meet a noble like him."

The mercenaries, now free of fear, looked at Ghislain and rediscovered the essence of what it meant to be a mercenary, even under the looming threat of the forest.

However, one person wasn't as thrilled as the others and couldn't hide his displeased expression.

'Idiots, it was just luck. How long do you think this can keep working? We'll all end up dead eventually!'

Manus, who had been hiding behind the mercenaries' shields and merely pretending to fight, had survived once again.

To him, this forest was anything but normal.

The monsters here were far stronger than anything outside.

'Are they really celebrating a win? These terrifying monsters are just at the entrance—who knows what's deeper in!'

The employer had solved each crisis so far, but it was always by a slim margin. If he had been even slightly weaker or made a single wrong decision, they all would have perished.

'I'm not going to keep gambling my life like this, you idiots!'

This time was no different. Had the employer been wrong, they would all have died.

In Manus's view, the Forest of Demonic Beasts was a place where even a single mistake would mean total annihilation.

'Damn, if I'm to make it out alive, I'll need to sway some others… but that might be difficult.'

He didn't have the nerve to leave alone.

There were sure to be wandering monsters without set territories, and he worried about how the employer would react if he tried to leave.

'I need to seize the right moment and persuade a few others. I'll pay the penalty if I have to, but I'm getting out of here.'

However, now the others were so motivated it bordered on zeal.

Any attempt to persuade them now would fail. Worse, he might get beaten up, so he decided to hold back.

'Once a few more die, they'll get scared and come to their senses.'

Manus waited with that hope.

Right now, they might be all fired up, but he believed that the next danger would force them to face reality.

As dawn broke, the mercenaries completed their preparations and resumed their journey.

With the Palors wiped out, they didn't need to worry about monsters trailing them.

"So this was the Palors' territory? There are definitely fewer monsters around."

"The few we do see seem like wanderers just searching for food."

Monsters still appeared occasionally, but their numbers and frequency were noticeably lower than before.

"Still, keep your guard up. Follow the employer's instructions."

The mercenaries' mindset had changed, and with each battle, they became more skilled and focused.

Seeing this, Ghislain smiled with satisfaction.

'There's nothing like real combat when lives are on the line. These men are now much better than the estate soldiers.'

It was generally believed that mercenaries couldn't match the organization of a regular army, even if they had individual strength.

But Ghislain's mercenaries were moving with as much discipline as a trained unit.

'It's clear their attitudes have changed.'

Though the battles were still dangerous and casualties continued, the mercenaries no longer wavered.

They simply did their best to follow Ghislain's commands.

This allowed Ghislain to lead them more effectively than ever before.

He knew they trusted him completely.

Watching the group move as one, Kaor couldn't help but mutter in amazement.

"These guys, who were just a bunch of ragtag mercenaries lured by money, have a completely different look in their eyes now. They've turned into a real army. They weren't like this before."

"All thanks to our young lord," Gillian replied, pride clear in his brief, emphatic answer. Kaor, feeling his lips twitch, turned his head.

'Good grief, anyone would think that kid's his own son.'

Kaor felt the urge to retort, but he held his tongue, knowing it would only spark an argument.

'Am I seriously backing down right now? Just because I don't want to get into it with that old man?'

Kaor tilted his head in bewilderment, reflecting on the uncharacteristic restraint he was showing. 

For the leader of the Cerberus Mercenary Corps to hold back rather than speak his mind—it was a bizarre realization, one that left him deep in thought.

While Kaor pondered endlessly, the group continued to move swiftly and soon passed beyond the boundaries of the Palors' territory.

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