Chapter 336: What's So Great About This? (2)

To think Claude would do such a thing behind his back. He must truly be something else to make this kind of extra income even in the midst of being so busy.

Ghislain gulped and asked.

"But, an auction? Where are they holding it?"

"Hmm, that's a secret only for those in the know."

"A secret?"

"Yeah, it's not something that can be revealed to just anyone. It's Fenris head butler's deep intention to sell precious collectable only to true followers. There are always nasty merchants who buy and resell such items for a profit."

"R-really… So, if they're holding an auction, that means there are many people buying my stuff?"

"Not yours. Count Fenris's stuff. Don't you even know that as an impostor? After Count Fenris defeated Count Desmond, his popularity in the kingdom skyrocketed. There are even rumors in the capital calling him a saint."

"Popularity, you say?"

"Yeah, so it's natural for him to have many followers. You really don't know much for someone impersonating him. Tsk, tsk."

Famous dancers and knights on the continent often had many followers due to their popularity.

Many people also took advantage of their fame for business, weaving their stories into books for sale or selling their used items at high prices.

Clothes or accessories worn by these popular figures would often become instant trends, prompting trade guilds to specially design and gift items to them.

Take Meriel in the capital, for instance. She led the fashion trends among the noblewomen there.

Ricardo, who lived in Perdium, also had countless followers thanks to his handsome face.

So, it wasn't particularly unusual for Ghislain to have followers.

He knew he was popular among his territory's residents, but he never imagined he had such extreme fans.

'Wow… I don't think this ever happened in my previous life. Was I just unaware of my own popularity?'

In his previous life, as one of the continent's seven strongest, known as the Mercenary King, he had been famous. He remembered having some degree of popularity, though he could be considered somewhat niche.

It was more akin to being treated like a notorious bandit.

In any case, it seemed Claude had been using Ghislain's fame to rake in a tidy side income. And Wendy must have knowingly turned a blind eye to it.

'I think it's time to change his escort.'

He seemed to recall hearing rumors about gold coins being embezzled before. Wendy had overlooked it then too.

Even someone like Wendy must unconsciously grow lenient when around Claude.

Ghislain ruffled his hair roughly and asked again.

"But no matter how much of a fan they are... Is there really a need to buy such things?"

"Of course, as a follower, isn't that natural? Hearing and seeing stories of him are my only joys in life. So, it's only natural to want to have his collectable. Tsk, tsk. You go around impersonating him without understanding such sentiments?"

Dominic clicked his tongue, then looked at his collectible with loving eyes.

"Sigh..."

'This guy... He's dangerous.'

Indeed, you don't truly understand a person until you have a candid conversation with them.

Ghislain had seen Dominic in his previous life, but he had never known his personality to be like this.

Drake Mercenary Corps and Dominic had once fought fiercely against the Mercenary King's army.

At the time, Dominic had been forced to clash with Ghislain because of his leash to the Rodrick Marquisate.

Still, his spirit and skills were impressive enough to earn Ghislain's recognition.

The Drake Mercenary Corps was stronger than most kingdoms' armies, and Dominic, as its commander, was both an outstanding warrior and strategist.

Even during the civil war, the Drake Mercenary Corps had led the charge.

The Rodrick Marquisate had treated them as nothing more than cannon fodder, though they had been astonished by the Corps' combat prowess.

Who would have guessed that this commander, of all people, would turn out to be a maniac for collecting items of his idol?

Dominic carefully placed his collectibles back into its box. His movements were deft, a result of frequently showing off his collection whenever Count Fenris was mentioned.

Collectors, after all, can't resist boasting about their treasures.

After showing off, he quickly returned to his sharp demeanor befitting a mercenary commander and spoke.

"Now, do you understand why I don't trust you? I know more about Count Fenris than anyone else here. No one in this place knows as much about him as I do."

"Hmm."

Ghislain nodded a few times. A guy who obsesses over someone else's used clothes. With that level of passion, you couldn't help but recognize his dedication.

It was laughable, but you couldn't dismiss him entirely.

Ghislain could understand why Dominic was so immersed in collecting.

He was shackled, bound by chains he could not escape. With his family held hostage, he couldn't leave.

There was nothing he could do for himself.

So, he must have needed something to pour himself into. Something to soothe his weary heart, to make him forget reality.

And often, people project their strongest desires onto their object of obsession.

— I want to be like him.

The one called the Northern Bastard, the man who cared not for the eyes of others, the one who carved his path forward with strength, the one who brought down the unmatchable Great Lord of the North.

Perhaps Dominic had hoped Ghislain would appear as a hero to shatter his miserable reality.

And now, Ghislain had come to him, knowing his plight.

Yet Dominic, oblivious to the fact that his idol stood before him, said with a cold expression.

"If you've been impersonating my hero and causing a ruckus here, you'll have to pay the price, won't you?"

He drew his sword, radiating an aura befitting the commander of the greatest mercenary corps in the west.

His subordinates also adopted menacing postures, surrounding Ghislain's party. Meanwhile, dozens more gathered outside, waiting.

Ghislain calmly surveyed the scene and then looked at Dominic.

"What's so great about it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your collectibles' owner."

At that, Dominic smirked and answered.

"The best thing is his recklessness."

"Recklessness?"

"Yes. The fact that he pushes forward without hesitation, even when everyone else is afraid, opposes him, or tries to stop him. That's what I admire most."

"You've got unusual tastes. Do you really like that? Most people don't."

"I can't live like that, after all."

Dominic wanted to live that way too. But he lacked the ability and resolve to do so.

His words carried a mix of self-mockery and pent-up frustration.

After shaking his head a few times, Dominic pointed his sword forward and said.

"Take care of this impostor. Don't kill him, just rough him up enough to send him off."

"If that's what you admire, I'll show you. I'm not one for just talking."

"What?"

Thwack!

Ghislain grinned and swung his fist, and the closest mercenary collapsed, bleeding from his nose.

"Don't kill them. They'll all be on our side soon."

At Ghislain's words, his knights swiftly pulled short rods from their coats. They were specialized suppression rods made of galbanium.

Buzz!

The rods began to emit a bluish light.

The mercenaries were taken aback.

"Ma-Mana?"

"These guys are knights?"

"Attack now!"

The mercenaries, holding a numerical advantage, rushed forward with the precision of seasoned warriors to strike before the knights could form proper ranks.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

"Ugh!"

Each time the mercenaries lunged, they were struck down and fell. However, the knights also struggled due to the cramped space, leaving openings for the skilled mercenaries to exploit.

"Gotcha!"

Some mercenaries grabbed the knights around their waists and pushed them down.

"Hey! Get off! You bastards!"

"Just stomp 'em down!"

The knights and mercenaries shouted at each other, flailing their limbs wildly.

More mercenaries continued to pour in from outside, armed with clubs.

Boom!

Desperate knights, pinned under mercenaries, had no choice but to unleash bursts of mana.

The sudden surge in their strength shocked the mercenaries.

"Ugh! What's with these guys all of a sudden?"

The battered knights, now breathing heavily, stood back up and swung their rods.

They had to control their strength to avoid killing anyone.

But if they held back too much, the ones they'd just knocked down would get back up. The relentless assault had the knights in a tough spot.

Ghislain clicked his tongue as he fought off mercenaries coming at him.

"Tsk, tsk. Why are they still so pathetic?"

No matter how much he trained and drilled them, they never met his expectations.

They were slackers who would become complacent the moment they were given even a little leeway, making it impossible to relax.

"I'll have to end this quickly."

Resolving to grind them even harder once back at the estate, Ghislain stomped the ground with force.

Boom!

"Ugh!"

Ghislain's footprint left a deep mark on the ground, causing the building to tremble.

Both mercenaries and knights alike fell over.

The only one who managed to stay on his feet, albeit a little unsteadily, was Dominic.

Ghislain swiftly moved, knocking out the mercenaries with blows to the back of their heads.

Thwack!

"Gah!"

Thwack!

"Guh!"

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

With each strike from Ghislain, the untrained mercenaries rolled their eyes and fainted.

His mastery of mana control remained at the same level as in his previous life. Controlling his strength to knock out opponents without killing them was child's play for him.

Though the Drake Mercenary Corps was formidable, only a handful among them, mainly the officers, had properly mastered mana.

"Block the door!"

After Ghislain quickly incapacitated all the mercenaries inside, he shouted, and the knights blocked the broken door.

The mercenaries outside kept trying to force their way in, but the knights effectively held the narrow entryway.

Dominic, still watching the scene, stared in disbelief.

"Kn-Knights? Here?"

Though they seemed to be at the beginner level, they were still knights capable of using mana.

Moreover, the impostor's level was so high it was impossible to gauge.

Overwhelmed by the situation, Dominic couldn't make a move.

Could this be Martin coming for them? What about the hostages? Or perhaps it was some other noble with a grudge? Or one of the Marquisate's heirs vying for succession?

His mind swirled with countless possibilities, leaving him paralyzed.

Meanwhile, Ghislain extended his hand.

"Throw this junk away. I'll give you something better. Honestly, this feels… weird."

The collectible box opened, and various items floated out at Ghislain's gesture.

"H-Huh? H-Hey!"

Dominic instinctively reached out into the air. How could the items move on their own like that?

He suddenly recalled a passage from The Chronicles of Count Fenris.

It stated that Count Fenris could freely manipulate objects around him.

"W-Wait!"

Before his treasures were destroyed, he had to confirm.

But Ghislain paid no attention to Dominic's words, clenching his fist at the collectibles gathered before him.

Sensing the impending doom, Dominic cried out desperately.

"N-No!"

"Yes."

Crack!

All the collectibles were torn apart at once, reduced to pieces that fell helplessly to the ground.

Dominic wailed as he watched his beloved collection crumble.

"You bastard! How dare you destroy my precious treasures!"

Do you know how much effort went into gathering those items? How much money and time he had spent?

To Dominic, those items were not just collectibles collected out of fandom. They were his only solace, comforting him in times of hardship and exhaustion.

This man before him clearly did not understand the heart of a collector and had casually destroyed his treasures.

"Die!"

Blinded by rage, Dominic lunged at Ghislain, swinging his sword.

Swish!

His strike was fast and precise, a clean blow.

Dominic's skill was far better than most of Fenris's knights, impressive enough to earn Ghislain's silent admiration for a moment.

But it wasn't enough to match Ghislain.

"You're drunk. Sleep it off. We'll talk when you're clear-headed."

Thud!

Dodging the attack with ease, Ghislain drove his fist hard into Dominic's temple.

"Ugh…"

Dominic had never felt such a powerful impact in his life.

It was just one hit, but his head spun.

'Ah… So dizzy.'

To think that he, of all people, would pass out from a single punch.

As Dominic collapsed, the last thing he saw was Ghislain's red-glowing eyes staring down at him.

"…It was real after all."

Thud.

With those words, Dominic fainted.

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