Chapter 341: Let’s Just Start Now. (2)

Thud!

"Ugh!"

Thud!

"Ack!"

Thud!

"Argh!"

Every time Ghislain swung his hand, soldiers were sent flying in all directions. With no knights present in this place, there was no one capable of stopping him.

"What the hell! Why is a monster like this here?!"

The soldiers, realizing they couldn't possibly face him, began retreating. It was clear he wasn't someone they could handle. A man like this needed mana restraints and constant supervision by knights.

"This guy's definitely part of the Revolutionary Group!"

"He must've deliberately gotten himself caught to come here!"

"He's a revolutionary leader! A high-ranking one at that!"

At first, they thought he was just a revolutionary grunt or a drunken lunatic. But seeing his strength, they were convinced he was a top official sent to overthrow the city.

The Revolutionary Group was infamous across the continent for their brutality. Whenever they succeeded, they slaughtered not only the nobles in the castles but also all soldiers loyal to them. Fearing the same fate for themselves, the soldiers hesitated, unsure of what to do.

Seeing their misconceptions work in his favor, Ghislain decided to continue playing along.

"Revolution! This filthy world must change!"

As Ghislain shouted, the soldiers panicked and threw down their weapons.

"Run away!"

"We don't stand a chance against him!"

"Quick, call the knights!"

Ghislain let the fleeing soldiers go. He picked up a sword from the ground and slashed through all the prison bars.

"If you want to escape, follow me. Understood?"

The prisoners stared at Ghislain in disbelief.

"What are you doing? I said, follow me!"

Only then did the prisoners snap out of their stupor. In this prison, most people died before ever leaving. It didn't matter whether they were guilty or innocent. Many who were wrongly imprisoned simply rotted away, forgotten. Martin's administration was so abysmal that calling it incompetent was a compliment.

"Y-yes! We'll follow you!"

The prisoners immediately followed Ghislain as he moved. Among them were likely innocent people, but also actual criminals. Without the means to distinguish between them, Ghislain decided to free everyone.

As they exited the prison, Galbarik asked.

"Lord! What now? Are you really going to save all these people?"

"We're heading to the tunnel. We need to bring in the knights. These people are just coming along because it's convenient."

Ghislain and the freed prisoners made their way toward the tunnel. The area was already in chaos, as the entire prison population had escaped. Shouting echoed from all sides as soldiers scrambled to respond. The guards stationed outside the perimeter had also mobilized.

Several soldiers were stationed near the tunnel entrance. Since the origin of the dwarves had not yet been confirmed, the tunnel was covered with wooden planks but not completely sealed off.

"The prisoners are escaping!"

Hearing the shouts, the soldiers guarding the tunnel tightened their grips on their weapons, tensing up as they saw Ghislain and the prisoners approaching.

"They're coming this way!"

Slash!

"Urgh!"

Ghislain swiftly dealt with the guards. While the immediate area was still chaotic, reinforcements would soon arrive. The dwarves quickly entered the tunnel and manipulated the mechanisms to open the sealed door.

Clink! Clink! Clink!

The door was designed like a puzzle, requiring the precise arrangement of wooden pieces to unlock. It was made not only to prevent pursuit but also to collapse the tunnel if necessary.

"Lord!"

The knights, who had been waiting beyond the door, immediately rushed in as it opened.

"We need to rescue the hostages before the city guards arrive. Let's move quickly."

Ghislain led about twenty knights back out of the tunnel. The dwarves closed the door behind them and stood ready with their weapons. 

The freed prisoners were ushered safely inside the tunnel. While some of them might be dangerous criminals, they dared not act recklessly with the dwarves, armed with axes, watching over them.

The dwarves were not only excellent warriors but also highly intimidating.

The chaos outside continued, with shouts ringing out everywhere.

"They're heading for the tunnel!"

"Kill anyone who resists!"

"Catch them, quickly!"

The soldiers, now bolstered by several knights, charged furiously. Ghislain wiped the blood off his sword and asked.

"Did you bring the armor?"

The knights grinned, pulling aside their cloaks to reveal their armor. They had retrieved it from their hidden cache outside the city.

"Then let's go."

Buzz!

Speed was of the essence in this operation. The knights immediately activated their armor's power.

Boom!

Ghislain, with his eyes glowing red, was the first to move. The soldiers at the forefront, rushing toward the tunnel, were sent flying with terrified screams.

Boom! Boom!

The knights followed closely behind, slicing through dozens of soldiers in mere moments. Though a few knights were among the enemy, they were unable to stop Ghislain's group. Their skill level was low, and there were fewer than five of them.

"Argh! Who are these people?!"

As the knights and soldiers in the lead fell swiftly, the remaining soldiers screamed in terror. These men had no real combat experience. Martin had no intention of building an elite force, relying instead on money and power to inflate their numbers.

It was no surprise that the soldiers themselves had little interest in training. In the west, no one dared to challenge the Marquis Rodrick. This complacency left the soldiers unprepared.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The soldiers charging at Ghislain and the knights were effortlessly knocked aside. Even those standing in their path were beaten down without hesitation. Ghislain and his knights quickly reached their target: a building called the Emerald Hall.

The Emerald Hall was a place built for noble guests to stay and host banquets. In reality, it served as a holding place for the families of the Drake Mercenary Corps.

Occasionally, noble guests did use the building, unaware that hostages were being kept within the same walls.

"This is the place. Let's go in."

The knights didn't question how Ghislain knew this. If their lord said it was so, then it was so.

After dispatching the guards at the entrance, they entered to find a dark and seemingly empty space. With no guests or banquets, the building appeared deserted.

'Is this really the place?'

The knights following Ghislain up the stairs began to doubt. There was no sign of anyone.

But they soon realized that this emptiness was even stranger.

'There's no way it's this empty.'

Even in an unused building, servants would usually be present to maintain it. The complete absence of staff meant something was wrong.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Suddenly, doors around them burst open as soldiers poured out. These were different from the disorganized soldiers outside—they moved with precision and carried themselves like elite troops. Some among them stood out even more, wearing distinctly different uniforms and wielding unique weapons.

Noticing their mismatched attire, the knights exchanged puzzled glances. Men dressed like this usually fell into one of three categories: bandits, outlaws, or...

"Mercenaries?"

The knights, especially those with mercenary backgrounds, immediately recognized them.

Ghislain scanned the opponents and spoke.

"They're traitors from the Drake Mercenary Corps."

"These guys?"

"Yes, they've been taking Martin's money for a long time. That's why they're trusted to guard this place."

"Traitors? And Dominic doesn't know about this?"

"They've been hiding it well. Rotating shifts when there's no work makes it easy to cover up. But... there seem to be quite a lot of them gathered here today."

As Ghislain smirked, a burly mercenary stepped forward.

"Who are you? How do you know all this? I've never seen your face before."

"Who are you?" Ghislain shot back.

"Hampton, vice-captain of the Drake Mercenary Corps. I'll ask again. Who are you?"

"I'm the new leader of the Drake Mercenary Corps."

"What?"

"I'm taking over now."

"Hah! This guy's crazy. Did you tell Dominic to summon the mercenaries?"

"I did. Why didn't you answer the call? Isn't that what traitors do—ignore their leader?"

Hampton chuckled, shaking his shoulders.

"What's your plan? Did you come here to attack? Did you leave most of your forces elsewhere, and this group is just bait?"

Hampton seemed confused by the situation. He assumed Dominic had made a desperate attempt to attack this location, gathering loyalists while leaving behind a small diversionary force.

If Dominic mobilized the entire corps, nearly 3,000 soldiers would assemble. Even if Martin mustered all the city guards and fought from his mansion, victory wouldn't be assured. Internal dissent was unlikely, as Dominic had loyal followers due to being the corps' founder.

Hampton had brought the traitors to guard the hostages, fearing Dominic's retaliation.

Ghislain quickly grasped the situation and nodded.

"Perfect. You've made things easier by gathering the trash here. Now I can take them out all at once."

"Don't be cocky. As long as we have the hostages, there's nothing you can do. Do you really think you can break through with such a small force?"

The defenders, including the mercenaries, numbered around 200. Though the regular soldiers made up less than half, the presence of the traitorous mercenaries made them a formidable group. They couldn't imagine losing to just twenty attackers.

Hampton swung his massive mace and bellowed.

"Kill them all!"

Before he could finish, he swung his mace toward Ghislain.

Whoosh.

Boom!

"What?!"

The mace smashed into the floor, but Ghislain had already vanished.

"Ugh..."

Hampton's confusion turned into shock as he tried to turn his head, only to spew blood and collapse. His severed neck gushed blood, staining the floor red.

Everyone froze, stunned, as Ghislain passed through the ranks of soldiers and mercenaries.

Those without mana couldn't even perceive his movements. They stared in disbelief at Hampton's corpse and then at Ghislain.

"What just happened? Hampton was killed in one strike?!"

"I didn't even see it happen."

"How... even for a knight..."

Hampton had been a beginner-level knight capable of using mana, which was why he held the position of vice-captain. Even if their opponents were all knights, the defenders had believed their numbers gave them the advantage.

Yet Ghislain had effortlessly cut Hampton down and pushed through their formation. The defenders, used to the peaceful west, had never witnessed such skill.

Ghislain glanced at the knights and spoke coldly.

"Kill them all. I'll head upstairs first."

Despite being well-trained, the guards and mercenaries were no match for the Fenris knights. Grinning, the knights released their mana and plunged into the enemy ranks.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Argh!"

Screams echoed as the knights tore through their foes like wolves among sheep. The Fenris wolves easily massacred the poorly disciplined defenders, their experience in countless battles giving them a decisive edge.

While the knights slaughtered their enemies, Ghislain quickly moved to the upper floors, killing every soldier he encountered. He began freeing the hostages.

"Everyone, come out! We need to escape quickly!"

As Ghislain shouted, opening doors, the captives looked at him in surprise.

"I was sent by Dominic! Hurry and get out!"

Hearing his call, people cautiously opened doors from other rooms. They were startled by the sight of dead soldiers but quickly understood the situation and gathered in the hallway.

Once all the doors were opened, around fifty people had gathered. After ensuring no one was left behind, Ghislain shouted.

"Follow me! We need to leave before more soldiers arrive!"

The hostages hesitated. Though they understood the situation, the fear ingrained in them by Martin was overwhelming.

Boom!

Clicking his tongue, Ghislain stomped on the floor, cracking it and causing the hostages to stumble. Their frightened eyes turned to him.

There was no time for persuasion. Ghislain spoke firmly.

"If you don't move now, I'll cut off your heads."

Terrified, the hostages quickly fell in line. Having lived under constant threats, they were especially susceptible to this one.

While Ghislain gathered the hostages upstairs, the knights had finished clearing the lower levels. Seeing the blood-soaked knights and piles of corpses, the hostages shut their eyes tightly.

As the group exited the building, soldiers swarmed from all sides. Ghislain stepped forward and shouted.

"I'll clear the path! Protect the hostages!"

Boom!

As Ghislain charged forward, the soldiers were helpless to stop him. Their disorganized rush was no match for his strength.

Even if Martin's forces had formed ranks, it wouldn't have made much difference.

"Argh!"

"Who is this guy?!"

"Stop him!"

The soldiers tried to resist but were swiftly overwhelmed.

Slash!

Each swing of Ghislain's sword claimed a life. Seeing this, some soldiers in the back hesitated and retreated.

In no time, Ghislain cleared the way, leading the hostages to the tunnel entrance.

"Get inside, quickly!"

Overwhelmed by his aura, the hostages obediently entered the tunnel. To them, it didn't matter whether they died here or elsewhere.

Just as Ghislain thought it was over, a woman approached him, trembling.

"Sir, the captain's family is missing."

"What?"

"Captain Dominic's family isn't here!"

Since families were kept in separate rooms, no one had noticed. But Ghislain quickly pieced it together.

The enemy knew Dominic was mobilizing his forces. They might have separated his family to prepare for contingencies. Other hostages held value, but Dominic's family was far more valuable.

If they had been moved, they were likely near Martin.

Ghislain bit his lip.

"I thought this mission would be easy, but nothing's going smoothly."

From Galbarik's unlucky capture onward, things had kept going awry. But when has anything ever been easy?

Ghislain glanced around. More soldiers were gathering, far more than before. Most of the knights from the mansion had likely moved toward the tunnel.

Taking a deep breath, Ghislain turned and said.

"Lucas, Gordon, follow me. We're going back for those left behind."

The two knights who were called flinched in surprise.

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