Chapter 343: Let’s Make the Return Easier (2)

Martin, who had been captured by Ghislain in an instant, screamed at the top of his lungs.

"You, you bastard! Do you even know who I am to dare such a thing?!"

Ghislain paid no attention to Martin's tantrum and dragged him along.

"Move aside before this brat's neck meets my blade."

He looked every bit like a bandit. Faced with Ghislain's threat, the knights and soldiers reluctantly stepped back.

"You scum! Let me go! Do you think my father will stand by and let this happen? He'll kill you all!"

Martin kept flailing and shouting, but it was futile. Ghislain gripped him by the collar and marched forward without hesitation.

He didn't even bother preparing for an ambush. With the skill level of the knights here, they wouldn't dare attempt it.

The soldiers knew this too, and could only trail behind him hesitantly.

"If you don't want to watch him die here, step aside."

The forces waiting outside were no different.

When Ghislain appeared holding Martin by the neck, the soldiers split apart like the sea, clearing a path.

No one dared to recklessly attempt a rescue, afraid that even the slightest injury would result in Martin's death.

Martin had not earned the loyalty of his men.

They only pretended to follow him out of fear of future repercussions.

Beside Ghislain, Gordon whispered cautiously.

"Um… you'll let him go once we escape safely, right? Killing him might blow things out of proportion."

Ghislain smirked, curling one corner of his mouth in disdain.

"Why would I care? We'll have to fight them anyway, so what's the point of holding back? Still, I won't be the one to kill him."

"Then who will?"

"The Drake Mercenaries will decide. He's their enemy, after all."

Martin had already killed some of the families of the Drake Mercenaries as an example. Their hatred for him was undoubtedly deep.

Though Ghislain could kill Martin himself, he knew that vengeance was most satisfying when taken personally.

Understanding this, Ghislain planned to hand Martin over to them.

Hearing this, Gordon and Lucas grimaced uncomfortably.

'Great, things are going to get messy again.'

'Why does it never end quietly?'

Martin was, after all, the second son of Marquis Rodrick, known as the lord of the west.

Killing him would provoke the Marquis's fury to unimaginable heights.

If the Drake Mercenaries relocated to Fenris's territory, Marquis Rodrick would likely retaliate against Fenris as well.

They knew Ghislain had already marked Marquis Rodrick as his next target.

However, there was a stark difference between political opposition and personal enmity.

Political enemies might find opportunities to reconcile depending on circumstances.

But if one became a sworn enemy of a noble house, honor demanded that one side had to perish.

'Does he really need to create more enemies right now?'

'You never know how things will turn out in the future… Sometimes, our lord is just too extreme.'

Unaware that Ghislain was a regressor with deeply rooted grudges, Gordon and Lucas couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Even if they whispered quietly, Martin, standing right next to them, surely heard everything.

Seeing their anxious expressions, Martin realized Ghislain was genuinely intent on killing him.

Panicking, Martin thrashed about violently and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"What are you idiots doing?! Save me! Hurry up and rescue me! These bastards are planning to hand me over to Dominic!"

What was the use of having nearly a thousand soldiers follow him? None dared to rescue him.

There were neither skilled warriors nor loyal followers among them.

Thus, Ghislain successfully dragged Martin all the way to the underground tunnel.

Martin's soldiers followed but could advance no further.

"Oh, my lord! You made it safely! I knew you would."

Galbarik laughed heartily as he opened the tunnel door.

Ghislain sent Gordon, Lucas, and the hostages inside first, then entered last.

Once inside, he sealed the door, leaving the soldiers unable to pursue them.

"Let's head to the outskirts of the city. They'll figure it out eventually and come after us."

"Understood. Let's collapse this entrance then."

The hostages and prisoners moved under the guidance of the knights, while Galbarik destroyed the sealed tunnel door behind them.

Rumble!

A deafening sound echoed as dust billowed into the air.

The dwarves' craftsmanship completely sealed the tunnel.

"What… what should we do?"

"We need to rescue the mayor…"

"The Marquis might kill all of us if we fail."

The soldiers who had followed were left helpless, anxiously pacing back and forth.

Even the knights were at a loss.

With Martin captured, they needed to follow, but the sealed tunnel blocked their way.

They didn't even have the intellect to guess where the tunnel might lead.

The captain of the city guards, deep in thought, asked one of the knights:

"Did you say Dominic has been gathering troops?"

"Yes, sir. We received intelligence that he was planning to attack this place today, so we were prepared."

"In that case, his forces would likely be stationed outside the city. It would be impossible to gather such numbers inside. Let's head outside."

At least the City Guard Captain was smart enough to think this through.

After regrouping, the soldiers moved toward the city's outskirts.

Meanwhile, Ghislain and his group exited the tunnel and arrived at the rendezvous point.

There, a crowd of armed individuals awaited, exuding an intimidating aura.

The hostages initially shrank back at the sight but soon recognized them and brightened.

They were none other than their families—the Drake Mercenaries.

"Honey!"

"Father!"

"My son!"

The hostages ran out crying, and the mercenaries rushed forward to embrace them.

Tears flowed freely as hostages and mercenaries reunited, holding each other tightly.

Even the hardened mercenaries couldn't help but wipe their noses at the touching scene.

The long-serving mercenaries of the Drake Mercenary Corps knew the pain behind this reunion.

Dominic, the captain who had endured immense pressure for so long, showed the most emotion.

"Dad!"

His son ran toward him, his mother following close behind.

Dominic embraced them both, finally letting out the tears he had held back for so long.

"Ahhh…"

No words came out. He couldn't tell if this was a dream or reality.

After the dwarves and Ghislain had been captured, Dominic had almost given up on rescuing the hostages.

Instead, he had resolved to kill Martin, even if it meant dying in the process.

Yet here they were, all rescued.

After sobbing for a while, Dominic pulled himself together, stood up, and bowed deeply to Ghislain.

"Thank you so much! I'll never forget this debt until the day I die!"

"I have one more gift for you."

In a nonchalant tone, Ghislain flung Martin forward.

"Argh! You crazy bastard!"

"Martin!"

The moment Dominic spotted Martin, he drew his sword.

The surrounding mercenaries also pulled out their weapons, glaring at Martin.

This was the man they wanted to kill more than anyone.

He had taken their families hostage, killed them, and subjected them to unbearable suffering.

Even tearing him apart wouldn't be enough.

"What… what are you doing? Do you think this is over just because you saved the hostages? If you touch me, do you think my father will sit idly by?!"

Martin scrambled to his feet, shouting at the mercenaries with wild eyes, still oblivious to his situation.

"He'll hunt you all down, even if it means scouring this kingdom! Do you know who my father is? He's a high-ranking noble of the duke faction! The Duke faction won't leave you alone either!"

Martin had been born as the son of a mighty Marquis, living his life without ever facing hardship.

He couldn't fathom that mere mercenaries would dare harm him.

Killing him would undoubtedly provoke Marquis Rodrick into relentless retaliation.

Dominic, trembling with fury, gripped his sword tightly but hesitated.

This was the man who had killed his wife and father, someone he hated so much he wanted to devour him alive.

But killing Martin now would doom the Drake Mercenaries to a lifetime of being hunted.

Even though they were already enemies of the Marquis, killing Martin would escalate the situation beyond repair.

It would turn Marquis Rodrick's house into their eternal enemy.

Dominic, caught in his internal struggle, heard Ghislain speak in a calm tone.

"Revenge should be taken when the opportunity arises."

"…Count?"

"Don't fear the consequences. You'll all be coming to Fenris anyway."

"But… if we do that, Marquis Rodrick will surely try to destroy Fenris. And he's one of the Duke faction's great lords."

Ghislain smirked and replied with confidence.

"I can handle all of you. There's no need to worry."

"..."

Dominic involuntarily swallowed.

Marquis Rodrick was a lord of the wealthy and ancient west, known as the lord of lords in the region.

Even though Fenris was the strongest lord in the north, they weren't yet a match for him.

Dominic, not wanting to burden Ghislain, let out a shaky breath and lowered his sword.

"You have saved my remaining family… and for that, I'm satisfied. Honestly, this alone was impossible to begin with."

If Martin was spared, the Marquis wouldn't see the need to waste resources warring against Fenris.

At most, he might seek to punish the Drake Mercenaries when the opportunity arose.

But if Martin were killed, it would escalate into a blood feud, making Fenris an enemy of the Marquis.

Ghislain looked at Dominic and asked softly.

"Are you sure you won't regret it?"

"…I'll bury my resentment deep in my heart."

Ghislain shook his head.

"There's no such thing as vengeance buried in the heart. There is only forgiveness or revenge."

"Count…"

"I'll say it again. Don't worry about the consequences. But if you truly don't want to, I won't force you. If you wish to forgive, that's your choice."

Then Ghislain turned to Dominic with cold eyes.

"But whether you kill Martin or not, I will destroy the Rodrick Family. And the Duchy too. That's not going to change. No one can stop me."

"…!"

"So, you don't need to concern yourself with Fenris and Rodrick's conflict. But if you still feel burdened…"

Dominic looked at Ghislain with trembling eyes. Ghislain stared back and said firmly.

"Then when the time comes to fight the Marquis, stand at the vanguard of my army. That will be enough."

Dominic stared at Ghislain for a long time. Everyone around them held their breath, watching the scene unfold.

Thud!

Dominic suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Martin's neck with a rough hand.

"Gah! L-let go! Do you even know who I am? Let go of me!"

Ignoring Martin's protests, Dominic spoke in a low voice.

"I'll consider this my advance payment for the job."

He followed with a murderous smile.

"I will stand at the vanguard of Fenris's army."

Stab!

"Gaaaah!"

Dominic's sword plunged into Martin's abdomen.

Though the blow was lethal, Martin staggered instead of dying.

Dominic glanced at the officers who had been held hostage and said.

"It's your turn."

The officers of the Drake Mercenary Corps and its subordinate groups approached Martin with sharp glares.

They too had lost family members because of Martin.

Their hatred ran as deep as their grief.

Martin clutched his stomach, backing away as the mercenaries closed in.

"D-don't come near me… No… You can't… You filthy scum dare… My father… My father will never forgive…"

Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!

"Guh… gurgle…"

Martin's words were cut short as the mercenaries stabbed him repeatedly.

They deliberately avoided killing blows, prolonging his agony.

Thud.

Martin collapsed to the ground, gasping and writhing.

Blood loss made him dizzy, but what hurt more was the unbearable pain coursing through his body.

He had never experienced such suffering in his life.

"P-please… spare me…"

Dominic and the mercenaries watched him coldly.

This was the man who had killed their families and used hostages for his cruel schemes. He didn't deserve even a shred of sympathy.

Martin, his vision fading, turned his gaze toward the figure of the man who had rescued the hostages.

Ghislain approached him calmly, speaking in a low voice.

"Go on ahead and wait. I'll send your father to join you soon."

Martin, barely clinging to consciousness, recalled the conversation between Dominic and Ghislain.

Fenris—he had heard Fenris mentioned.

"You… You weren't a mercenary… Fenris… Who… who are you…"

Ghislain grinned and replied.

"Yes, I am Count Fenris. And I am…"

His confident voice echoed for all to hear.

"The one who will become the King of Mercenaries."

The declaration stirred something deep within everyone present.

They had no doubt his words would become reality.

Ghislain never doubted himself.

He always moved forward with unwavering faith.

And so, one day…

The flag of the Mercenary King would fly not just over the kingdom but across the entire continent.

[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]