Chapter 337: I'll Take Care of It (1)

When Dominic came to his senses and got up, he dismissed all his subordinates and bowed his head to Ghislain.

"I believe you."

"Doesn't seem like it."

"No, I really do."

"If you really believed, you wouldn't say that."

"..."

To be honest, he still had some doubts. However, there was something strangely similar between this man and the portrait, and his abilities were undeniable.

Dominic was a skilled warrior at the level of a mid-level knight. Even though he had been deliberately drunk, knocking him out with a single punch was no easy feat.

Especially rare was the red-glowing mana technique. The chances were high that this man was indeed Count Fenris.

So, he repeated himself.

"I believe you!"

"...Fine. You'll see in time. Anyway, I came here for a reason."

"Is it because of a commission?"

"No, I came because I need something."

"What do you need?"

"You."

At that, Dominic's face turned slightly red as he spoke.

"Though I'm an ardent follower of yours, saying something like that so suddenly… I'm not quite ready for it yet..."

"...Seems like you've got the wrong idea. I'm here to bring the Drake Mercenary Corps under me."

"What? Us?"

Shaking off his misunderstanding, Dominic was shocked.

Even a noble couldn't casually say such a thing. Mercenaries fundamentally sought freedom.

That's why they chose to be mercenaries instead of soldiers.

Yet here he was, openly stating his intention to take over the mercenary corps. And not just any corps, but the kingdom's largest one, with thousands of members when including its affiliate groups.

'Not even the Marquis dared to say something like this.'

Even Marquis Rodrick, knowing he couldn't directly absorb the mercenary corps, had taken hostages of Dominic's and the officers' families.

It had taken them a long time to carefully frame them with false accusations, capturing them one by one to create the current situation.

Such an outcome was only possible because the Rodrick family wielded immense power and resources.

While mercenaries were often vulnerable to politics and schemes, anyone less powerful than the Rodrick family wouldn't dare try to leash them.

In that sense, Ghislain's words were the kind only a madman would utter.

It was then that Dominic nodded to himself. Such insanity was rare in the kingdom.

'I'll believe you. You really are Count Fenris.'

Dominic became convinced the man before him was Count Fenris. His eyes suddenly sparkled with enthusiasm.

Avoiding Dominic's now intense gaze, Ghislain continued.

"I don't enjoy beating around the bush, so I'll be direct. Work under me. I'll let you keep your mercenary corps intact and give you the kingdom's best treatment."

"Why… us?"

"Because I'll need you for war and other work. What else would I use mercenaries for? You're the biggest group in the West, right? And one of the top mercenary corps in the kingdom. So, I'm saying you should become a subordinate group under the Fenris Mercenary Corps."

Blunt and straightforward. Dominic had never encountered a noble who spoke so directly.

'The Fenris Mercenary Corps?'

He hadn't heard of a mercenary corps being established in Fenris yet. However, he could guess the intention behind it.

Count Fenris was famous for venturing into all sorts of enterprises.

Even if you combined all the northern mercenary groups, they couldn't compare to the Drake Mercenary Corps. So absorbing them was certainly the quickest way to expand his influence.

'To think I could work with him…'

Dominic's heart beat faster. After all, he was already living under someone else's thumb, doing dirty work.

Though people hailed them as the greatest mercenary corps in the West, the reality was far from glorious, riddled with filth and misery.

And now, the very person he admired was asking him to come along. On top of that, this man was known for generously rewarding those who worked with him. He would surely be treated exceptionally well.

'I want to go.'

If he weren't already living as Martin's dog, he might have refused. But right now, no one wanted to go with Ghislain more than Dominic did.

To work alongside a hero one idolizes is every follower's dream.

'But it's impossible for someone like me right now.'

Dominic let out a self-deprecating laugh and shook his head.

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't. We have our own circumstances…"

"I know."

"Pardon?"

"The Rodrick family's young lord is holding your families hostage, isn't he?"

"H-how do you know that?"

The Rodrick family had been careful to hide the fact they controlled the Drake Mercenary Corps through hostages. They didn't want to stir up unnecessary trouble.

While rumors had occasionally surfaced, they were quickly suppressed through the Marquisate's machinations.

At first, the mercenary corps had tried to spread the word, but they achieved nothing, and more hostages were killed. Eventually, they couldn't speak out anymore.

Yet Count Fenris, living in another region, somehow knew this secret. Dominic couldn't even begin to fathom how and could only gape in astonishment.

Ghislain smirked as he spoke.

"I know everything. So you don't need to hide it."

In his past life, Ghislain had burned the West and fought against the Drake Mercenary Corps. Every time he captured a castle, he learned of the schemes and corruption of the nobles through their secret documents.

One such piece of information was that the Drake Mercenary Corps was leashed by the Rodrick family because of their families.

Dominic, staring at Ghislain with a complex expression, let out a sigh.

"I've heard the rumors, but as written in your chronicles, you truly have extraordinary information. They say you possess mysterious knowledge…"

"Oh, did they write that in there too?"

"Well, it also says you mostly guessed or just bulldozed your way through, getting lucky."

"I wonder which bastard wrote that…"

He could guess who it was, but he figured he should confirm it later. Anyway, Ghislain spoke confidently.

"I'll take care of that problem for you."

"You will, Lord Count?"

"Yes. If I rescue the hostages, you won't need to remain tied to the Rodrick family anymore, right?"

"That is true, but…"

Dominic hesitated to answer. No one wanted to rescue the hostages more than they did.

But he couldn't ignore the risk that something might happen to the hostages in the process. That fear was why they hadn't attempted a rescue themselves.

Ghislain, too, understood what Dominic was worried about.

"I know you're afraid. But all I can say is to trust me. If you follow my plan, we can rescue the hostages."

"…"

"The truth is, if things continue as they are, both you and the hostages will eventually die."

That wasn't wrong. Martin's actions had been growing increasingly reckless. At this rate, they were bound to make enemies on all sides.

There were even rumors of rising tension between the pro-duke and pro-royal factions. The atmosphere was growing ominous, with talk of civil war breaking out.

If war erupted, the Drake Mercenary Corps would undoubtedly be used as cannon fodder by the Marquis family.

Though dying in battle was a mercenary's fate, being used as tools by enemies and dying was unbearably pitiful.

Even as he thought of this, Dominic couldn't bring himself to make a decision.

"Could I… consult with my officers before giving you an answer?"

"No. If word gets out, I might fail."

"I can't decide on my own—"

"Decide."

While Dominic admired Count Fenris's recklessness, he hadn't expected it to be this extreme. How could he make such a critical decision on his own?

As Dominic hesitated, caught between choices, Ghislain spoke firmly.

"If you refuse, I'll leave. But your mercenary corps and the hostages will certainly die."

"Are you threatening me?"

"No, I'm stating a fact. If you don't take my hand now, we'll soon meet as enemies on the battlefield."

Dominic had no retort.

After all, Count Fenris had risen to power by cutting down pro-duke nobles. It wouldn't be surprising if the pro-duke faction provoked a war at any moment.

The Rodrick family was a key transport hub and close to the capital. If a civil war broke out, the pro-royal faction would surely attack this area first.

The East was practically a pro-royal territory, and the South was the duke's stronghold.

With Count Fenris having taken the North, it was only natural that the West would be his next target.

"I…"

Dominic couldn't finish his sentence. The words wouldn't come out.

Ghislain, as if truly giving him a last chance, said:

"Decide."

"I…"

"Decide."

"I-I…"

"Hurry up and decide."

"…"

Ghislain was persistently relentless. Dominic had heard that Count Fenris never backed down once he made up his mind. It seemed he wouldn't rest until he got what he wanted.

After biting his lip several times, Dominic finally shut his eyes tight.

"…Fine. I'll do it."

His head was pounding. He wanted to believe in the man before him. So he just said what his heart told him.

Ghislain grinned.

"Good. Feels refreshing, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does."

Dominic let out a helpless laugh.

He'd been rotting inside, enduring everything while making excuses that he didn't know what to do.

But he'd always known. If things continued like this, the Drake Mercenary Corps and their families were doomed.

Still, he hadn't acted, hoping to delay the inevitable.

Perhaps he'd secretly wished for someone to lead him.

If he was destined to die anyway, he'd fight until the bitter end.

Having made his decision, Dominic asked with resolute eyes:

"What should I do?"

"That's the look I like. Prepare everything I tell you as quickly as possible. And… let's go check where the hostages are being held."

"Understood."

Ghislain, with Dominic in tow, donned a robe and scouted the area around Martin's mansion.

It was one of the largest cities in the West. Thanks to his father, the Rodrick Marquis, Martin had become its lord mayor.

Martin's mansion resembled a small fortress. Ghislain chuckled as he observed it.

"The guy's terrified, isn't he?"

It was a massive estate, centered around a large main building and surrounded by several smaller ones. High walls encircled it like a fortress.

No, calling it "like a fortress" didn't do it justice—it was a fortress.

Watchtowers dotted the walls, and soldiers patrolled them with sharp, watchful eyes.

In addition to Martin's private army, the city's guards were stationed on the mansion grounds.

Nearby was even the city's garrison headquarters.

"How many are there?"

"About 500 soldiers inside the mansion. Around 1,000 city guards are stationed nearby. The number of knights is uncertain, as they frequently come and go on assignments from the Marquis."

"Why does a mansion have an army stationed in it?"

Ghislain clicked his tongue. When he had gone to rescue Claude, the Baron of Austin had 500 soldiers.

But this was just a city mayor, commanding forces surpassing even a baron. Such numbers required an absurd amount of money.

It was no wonder Marquis Rodrick was called the hegemon of the West.

Dominic let out a bitter laugh.

"Probably because of all the sins he's committed."

"Yeah, the guy's infamous for his cruelty. He's probably paranoid about being stabbed in the back and takes every measure to protect himself."

Now it was time to deal a blow to him. After carefully inspecting the surroundings, Ghislain asked:

"You've got the mansion's blueprints, right?"

"Yes, we've had them for a while, as we've been planning to rescue our families. But we couldn't find the courage to act."

"You could sneak in, but getting out would be the problem, right? Especially since you'd have to bring civilians with you."

"Exactly. And a frontal assault is out of the question. The city guards would rush in before we could even rescue our families. And we don't even know which building they're being kept in."

No matter the method, they'd have to fight to locate the hostages.

But the Drake Mercenary Corps couldn't be sure they could break through all those forces and rescue their families.

If it had been any other noble, they might have tried brute force. But their opponent was the son of the West's strongest lord.

Even if they succeeded in the rescue, they'd inevitably be hunted down and killed by Marquis Rodrick. That fear had kept them from taking action.

Ghislain nodded understandingly and asked again:

"Does your mercenary corps own any buildings in the city?"

"Yes, quite a few. We handle a variety of jobs, after all."

"Let's take a look."

Following Dominic's lead, Ghislain toured the buildings owned by the mercenary corps. After inspecting a few, he pointed to one and said:

"Let's make this our base of operations for now. Clear out the inside and set up a perimeter to keep outsiders away."

"Hmm… May I ask what you're planning?"

"This spot seems ideal for infiltration."

The building Ghislain chose wasn't too close or too far from Martin's mansion.

The area around it was relatively quiet, with a road leading straight out of the city for a quick escape.

It was originally used as a warehouse for storing goods.

Dominic, still puzzled, asked again:

"Infiltration? How do you plan to infiltrate from here? And how do you know where the hostages are?"

Ghislain unfolded the mansion's blueprints and pointed to a specific building.

"The hostages are here."

It was the building closest to the central mansion. Dominic couldn't help but wonder how Ghislain was so certain.

"Are you sure? Even when we bribed soldiers, none of them knew."

Ghislain grinned.

"I'm sure. Trust me."

He was well aware of the secrets of that estate.

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