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In war, the first engagement is more important than you think.

This is because you plan how to lead the war based on the enemy's power estimated in the first engagement.

Harold was troubled as he watched Baron Hutton return with a serious injury.

'You're stronger than I thought.'

I thought I could take it in one breath. But Fenris's army, aside from their fierce momentum, was too strong for each individual soldier.

Even from a distance, you could tell that the enemy commander was strong. That's why we used the strongest move we could, but who would have thought that even that worthless baron would come back with such serious injuries?

"Are you okay?"

"… … I'm sorry, Count."

The baron Hutton was pale and could not even get up properly.

I quickly poured the potion, but it didn't heal easily. That's what happens when you get wounded by mana. It's because your energy is running wild and preventing you from recovering.

The stronger the opponent, the longer the duration of time the energy remained, so it was difficult to quickly recover no matter how much potion or divine power was poured.

Harold looked at Baron Hutton for a moment and then asked.

"What do you think? This is my impression of the opponent's skills firsthand. Should I push in more soldiers?"

"Of course, it is possible to occupy it… … but the damage will be considerable. We will need to take our time to reduce the damage."

"Hmm… … We don't have much time left either."

"One, wouldn't it be better if the damage increases?"

That was right. Capturing Fenris and killing Giselle won't be the end of it. We'll also have to capture Ferdium, and even then we'll have to fight the royalists for a long time.

If we lose more than half of our troops in the process of occupying Fenris and Ferdium, it will be difficult to withstand the conflict with the royalist faction.

It had to be maintained at least 20 thousand so that others would not be able to easily get their hands on it.

"Amelia, that girl isn't listening to me anymore. That's why I told her to join right away."

If Amelia had joined in time, there would have been a wider range of options than there are now. However, now that Leipold is under attack by several northern lords, he is truly unable to move.

So Harold had no choice but to worry.

'Should I take a little more time?'

It felt like fighting an army of ten thousand when there were only a thousand men. If we tried to force our way through those powerful elites, we would suffer great losses.

I didn't want to see heavy casualties here and for our troops' morale to be broken.

However, the surrounding circumstances were not good enough to take a long time. The fortress had to be captured as soon as possible.

Baron Hutton spoke cautiously to Harold, who was in agony.

"Rather… how about trying to persuade them?"

"Persuasion?"

"Yes, I heard that most of the Fenris army are of humble origins. In particular, that guy Gillian and the knights are said to be mercenaries."

"Hmm… … ."

"It's clear that Earl Fenris led them by giving them a lot of money. Can't you tell just by looking at their equipment? They must have been comfortable because they were treated well by the territory. They must have spent a lot of money on upkeep to keep people as powerful as me tied down."

Harold nodded in agreement.

The higher the rank of mercenaries, the more expensive they were to hire. However, if they were the one who was called the food king of the North, they would have the ability to maintain them.

When Harold showed interest, Baron Hutton continued speaking with a little more confidence.

"They are ultimately tied by money. They may keep their promises in contracts, but their roots are not lost. There is no way they have deep loyalty to them."

"So, are you saying that we should promise them better treatment and try to persuade them?"

"Yes, they have great equipment and skills, so their morale is high, but they know very well that they cannot defeat us in the end. The greatest virtue of a mercenary is not keeping faith, but surviving."

"That makes sense."

"Gillian, the commander of the fortress, is a man too good for Earl Fenris to have under his command. If we can just persuade him, things will be much easier going forward."

"Are you saying I should employ a dog that betrayed its master?"

"Anyway, mercenaries aren't bound by loyalty. They only give you what you get. If we take over Fenris, we can treat you better. Even though he's a mercenary, he seems to be a man of considerable faith, seeing him fight like that."

Baron Hutton desperately tried to persuade Harold. Although he had been badly wounded, he felt that Gillian's power was truly a waste.

He is the one who fought on equal terms with himself, who was considered one of the best swordsmen in the North.

If I had been in peak physical condition, no… …if I had fought to the end without being pressed for time, I might have lost.

It was truly a shame that such a person died so meaninglessly in a place like this.

Harold nodded several times.

"Yes, there aren't many people in this North who can fight at that level with you."

Baron Hutton was Victor's swordsmanship teacher who was aiming for the position of First Swordsman of the North under Harold. He did not think that Jurgen, who was called the First Swordsman of the North, was better than him.

It was just that he was the master of a territory, so he had no chance to fight him unless it was an all-out war. If war broke out and he fought Jurgen, the outcome would be unknown.

Harold hesitated for a moment at Baron Hutton's persuasion, then nodded vigorously.

"Okay, I'll try spending a few more days with you."

A messenger bearing a white flag immediately departed from Desmond's camp.

Gillian glared at the messenger and asked.

"Surrender?"

His face was still pale because his wounds had not healed. His body was wrapped tightly in bandages. The pain and fatigue on his face made it seem like he would have a hard time continuing to fight.

The messenger glanced at Gillian up and down, then opened his mouth with a cocky expression.

"Yes, the Count has promised you the best treatment."

His tone was polite, but his expression was anything but polite. It was as if he was saying, "What can you do about those guys?"

The messenger continued speaking as if he was bestowing a favor.

"I heard that most of you are mercenaries anyway. I promise you more money and better treatment than you have now. Isn't it natural for mercenaries to move to employers who offer better conditions?"

Lucas, who was next to Gillian, gripped his spear tightly. The other knights did the same.

They know very well how they appear to others, because they have been treated with contempt all their lives.

But still, how can you insult me by treating me like a bunch of godless people?

Ss …

Life began to bloom everywhere. The grim reaper and his attendants felt a stabbing pain.

The messenger took a small step back and smiled.

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"Surely… you don't really think you're knights, do you?"

"...."

"You are not knights. You are just mercenaries who have become a little stronger and have no chivalry. Face the facts. You do not need to throw away your life for a shallow contract, a trust, or pride."

The messenger leisurely raised his head and looked around at the knights as he spoke.

"It is your virtue to survive until the end. As a mercenary, that is. There is no need to throw away your precious lives here."

It breaks the other person's illusions and makes them face reality. Only then will they be able to see the horror that is right in front of them.

That was the strategy the messenger took. There was no need to flatter someone when the outcome was already decided.

Just let them know the reality.

"Just abandon the Earl of Fenris and make a new contract with us. If you need it, we can even collect the penalty. We can get it back to you in no time."

"This guy… … ."

Lucas couldn't stand it anymore and took a step forward, his life force gushing out.

The messenger of death was wounding them with words, without swinging his sword even once.

Honestly, if it were before, I would have just laughed and acted like it was nothing.

But now it's different.

As I grew up with Jiselle… … I could no longer bear this humiliation and shame.

The other knights were breathing heavily and shaking their bodies. They wanted to catch the grim reaper and kill him right now.

Everyone looked at Gillian.

Gillian would not tolerate this. He is the most knightly man in the land and serves his lord with the deepest loyalty.

"Tell the Count to give me some time. I have to convince the others. And next time, come with real conditions, not just words."

"...!"

The knights were momentarily taken aback and couldn't say anything.

The messenger glanced at the articles and spoke with a mocking expression.

"Good choice. Others should think about it carefully. Wouldn't it be a waste to waste your precious life here?"

With those words, the messenger turned away. After a moment of silence, Lucas thrust his spear into Gillian's neck and said,

"Instructor… … Are you worried about your life now?"

Life is blooming again. I could feel the determination to strike right away depending on the answer.

Other knights also began to open their windows one by one.

"I didn't know you were a coward. You got scared after getting stabbed once by the enemy."

"Are you going to betray the lord now?"

"Because we live with that kind of thinking, we'll be criticized for being baseless all our lives."

Gillian said, crossing his arms and looking around at the knights.

"Why? A good opportunity has come, but isn't there anyone who wants to surrender together?"

"This kid!"

Pfft!

Lucas stabbed the spear without warning, but Gillian slightly moved her head to dodge.

But Lucas didn't stop and immediately swung his spear, trying to hit Gillian in the face.

Thud!

Gillian easily caught the flying spear. Lucas frowned and tried to pull the spear away, but it wouldn't come off easily.

Gillian looked around at the knights with his spear in his hand. They all looked so determined to kill that none of them seemed willing to surrender.

He chuckled once and continued speaking.

"You idiots. If they say they'll give you time, wouldn't you be at a loss if you immediately refuse?"

"uh?"

The knights looked bewildered. They were so angry at the insulting words that they didn't even think about it.

Gillian gave him a sharp look.

"It's fortunate that there is no one who thinks positively. We will take care of our pride later. We can vent our anger at the insult when we are at war with the enemy. For now, buying time is in the best interest of the lord."

"oh...."

"I never thought our instructor would put aside his pride and act so shamelessly."

"Are you saying that you are secretly deep in thought?"

The knights, whose misunderstanding had been resolved, put down their weapons and giggled again.

Gillian shook her head at the sight of them.

"Simple guys."

But that's probably why Giselle likes them. They're always honest about their feelings and are pure guys who don't do anything sinister behind their backs.

"They won't give you much time anyway. In the meantime, recover your mana and stamina."

The knights stepped back, scratching their heads with awkward expressions.

Harold nodded in satisfaction after receiving the messenger's report.

"As expected, there's nothing you can do about lowly people. They don't know honor and only chase money."

If the opponents had really been knights, Harold would not have believed them easily. However, his preconceptions about their humble origins blinded him.

It was common for such people to change owners in search of better conditions.

"That's good. We can reduce the damage a bit. Since their skills are quite good, give them generous conditions."

The messenger confidently reported success, so he said he just had to wait with a generous heart.

Two days later, the messenger returned to the Fenris camp and emphasized the enormous conditions they could offer.

"I think you'll be satisfied with this. But haven't you convinced her yet?"

Gillian said with a slightly troubled expression.

"There are still a few people who like the conditions but refuse, so please wait a little longer. There are also those who do not know the conditions and are doing so."

As the messenger looked around, he saw that there were knights gathered on one side with expressions full of discontent.

There were more knights on Gillian's side, but it seemed he hadn't convinced them all yet.

The messenger spoke with a sharp look of warning.

"Tsk… … We don't have much time either. If you want to throw it away, throw it away. You won't be able to get these conditions anywhere easily. I'll come back tomorrow."

The messenger went to visit Gillian every day and harassed her. The number of knights joining Gillian's side seemed to be increasing, but the pace was too slow.

The messenger suddenly realized something new.

'These guys are just stalling and scheming to get a contract on better terms!'

The messenger ground his teeth. He realized that they were just lowly people who only cared about money.

Even in the midst of a war, such trickery was unthinkable. The envoy had no choice but to offer slightly better terms.

Still, Gillian asked for time, saying she wanted to persuade them all and take them with her.

A whole week was wasted on such a scuffle. The messenger, who had received a final warning from Harold, came looking for me, even on a shit rope.

"How much more time do I have to give you! I can't give you any more! Today is the last day!"

"There's one left."

When the messenger turned his head, he saw a knight standing alone on one side, looking sullen.

"What is the author?"

The answer came from the standing knight. He spoke in a solemn voice.

"I am Lucas. I am a genius in spearmanship."

"Why don't you surrender on your own and hold on? Is it because of your pride?"

"I'm so angry I don't want to talk."

"Why are you angry?"

"You really don't know why I'm angry?"

"...."

I felt like I was going to burst, but today was the last day. Even the Grim Reaper didn't want to die, so I spoke to him in a soothing tone.

"Well… if I did something rude, I apologize. So please speak quickly."

"What did I do wrong?"

"...."

"You're saying you're sorry now when you don't even know what you did wrong?"

"...."

"Okay, I won't talk. I feel worse."

The messenger suppressed his boiling anger. If he couldn't take them away by today, he would truly be dead.

The grim reaper had no choice but to spend hours trying to persuade Lucas, begging him to please tell him why he was angry.

Lucas seemed to feel a little better at the messenger's sincerity and said casually.

"I don't want to surrender because I don't like the conditions. I have my own requirements."

"Then what are your conditions? The current conditions are already very good. If you just follow Count Desmond, you can live a life of luxury for the rest of your life, right?"

"That's not enough. Give me a title of nobility and a small fief. I want to become a lord. It was my mother's dream for me to become so successful."

"This, this… … crazy… … ."

He is asking for such ridiculous conditions on the subject of humble origins. Of course, such a crazy person cannot be persuaded.

The messenger looked at Gillian and shouted.

"Just kill this guy! I already convinced the other knights!"

"I refuse."

"What, what?"

"We all live together and we all die together. So I can't accept that offer. Give me another week or so and I'll convince you."

The grim reaper's face turned pale. He finally realized after hearing Gillian's words.

'We all live together and we all die together?'

It was clear from the beginning that these guys had no intention of surrendering.