337

Episode 337 I'll solve it for you. (1)

Dominic, who had come to his senses and gotten up, bit all of his men and bowed his head to Giselle.

"I will believe you."

"I don't think you believe me."

"No. I believe it."

"If you really believed it, you wouldn't say such things."

"...."

To be honest, I still had some doubts. However, it strangely resembled the portrait, and his skills were certain.

He is a skilled person who has reached the level of a mid-level knight. He said he deliberately drank alcohol and got drunk, but it is still not easy to knock him out with one punch.

In particular, it is rare to find a mana spell that emits red light. So there is a high probability that it will be Count Fenris.

So I said it again.

"I believe!"

"… … Yes, that's something I can show you little by little… … There's a reason I came here."

"Is it because of a request?"

"No, I came because I needed something."

"What is it?"

"you."

Then Dominic said with a slightly blushing face.

"I am an ardent follower of the Count, but if you say it so suddenly… … . I am not yet mentally prepared for that… … ."

"… … I think you're mistaken. I came to place the Drake mercenary group under my command."

"Yes? Us?"

Dominic was surprised when he got rid of his illusions.

Even the nobles couldn't say that lightly. Mercenaries are basically those who seek freedom. That's why they are mercenaries, not soldiers.

But how dare they openly threaten to swallow up the mercenary group? They are the largest mercenary group in the kingdom, numbering in the thousands, including their subordinate organizations.

'Even the Marquis didn't say anything like that.'

Marquis Rodrik also knew that he could not absorb the mercenary group directly, so he took Dominic and the families of the executives hostage.

It took a very long time to gradually frame them and arrest them one by one to finally create the current situation.

This was possible because Marquis Rodrigo had great power and capital.

The mercenaries were weak in politics and strategy, so they eventually lost, but no one but Marquis Rodrik could dare bind them.

In that sense, what Jiselle said was something only a crazy person would say.

Only then did Dominic nod. Such madmen were rare in the kingdom.

'I believe you. You really are the Earl of Fenris.'

Dominic was certain that the man before him was the Earl of Fenris. His eyes suddenly lit up.

Jiselle continued speaking, slightly avoiding the burdensome gaze.

"I don't have the interest of beating around the bush, so I'll get straight to the point. Work under me. I'll keep the mercenary group intact and give you the best treatment in the kingdom."

"Why… … us?"

"Of course, we use them during wartime and work. What else is there to do with mercenaries? You guys are the biggest in the West, right? You're also one of the best mercenary groups in the kingdom. That's why I'm telling you to join the Fenris Mercenary Group."

Frank and straightforward. Dominic had never seen a nobleman speak so directly.

'The Fenris Mercenaries?'

I haven't heard any news yet that Fenris has formed a mercenary corps, but I think I know what the intention is.

It was well known that the Earl of Fenris was involved in all sorts of businesses.

All the mercenary groups in the North combined are nothing compared to them. So if you want to expand your power in one go, absorbing the Drake mercenary group is definitely the fastest way.

'I am with this person… … .'

Dominic's heart pounded a little. After all, he was already doing dirty work under someone else.

People tout themselves as the best mercenary band in the West, but the reality is quite ugly and miserable.

In such a situation, the person you admired calls you to him. He is even famous for making sure you get paid. He will definitely treat you very well.

'I want to go.'

If it weren't for the circumstances of living like Martin's dog, I might have refused. But now, there is no one in the world who wants to go to Giselle as much as Dominic.

It's every follower's dream to be with their idolized hero.

'But it's impossible for me now.'

Dominic shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Thank you for your offer, but we can't do that. We have our own circumstances… … ."

"know."

"yes?"

"Are there any hostages being held by this prince of the Marquis Rodrique?"

"How about that?"

The Marquis Rodrik kept the fact that they held the Drakes' mercenary band under wraps a closely guarded secret, as they did not want to create unnecessary trouble.

It's not like such rumors never circulated at all, but even when they did come out, they were quickly quelled by the writer's trickery.

At first, the mercenary group also tried to spread the rumor, but it was fruitless and only resulted in more hostages dying. So they couldn't open their mouths either.

How could the Earl of Fenris, who lived in a completely different region, know such a secret? Dominic couldn't even guess how it could happen, so he just opened his mouth.

Jiselle said with a snicker.

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

In his previous life, Giselle had burned the West and fought against the Drake mercenaries. Every time he captured a castle, he would look through secret documents and learn of the corruption and collusion that the nobles had committed.

It was also information obtained at the time that the Drake Mercenaries were tied to Marquis Rodrik because of his family.

Dominic, who was looking at Giselle with a complicated expression, sighed.

"I've heard rumors, but as written in the biography, he is a person with great information power. He is said to have a lot of mysterious knowledge… … ."

"Oh, is that written there too?"

"Actually, it is written that most of them were just pushed through or captured, but luckily they got caught."

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"I wonder what kind of kid wrote this… … ."

I knew who the culprit was, but I still felt I had to check. Anyway, Jiselle continued speaking with a confident expression.

"Let me solve that problem."

"Are you talking about the Count?"

"Yes, if I rescue the hostages, I won't have to be tied down to Marquis Rodrik any longer, right?"

"That is… … that's true, but… … ."

Dominic couldn't answer rashly. Rescuing the hostage was something they wanted more than anyone else.

But in the process, they couldn't help but think about the possibility that the hostages might be put in danger. That's why they couldn't bring themselves to try to rescue them.

Giselle also knew what Dominic was worried about.

"I know you're scared, but all I can say is trust me. Just do as I say and you'll be able to save the hostages."

"...."

"What is certain is that if things continue this way, you and the hostages will all die."

That wasn't wrong. Martin's actions were becoming more and more violent. If this continued, he would have enemies everywhere.

There were also rumors that the relationship between the Duke's faction and the Prince's faction was becoming increasingly hostile. An ominous atmosphere was gradually spreading that a civil war might break out at any moment.

If a civil war really breaks out, they will definitely be used as arrow shields by the Marquis.

Although dying in battle is the fate of mercenaries, it is extremely miserable to die while being treated as a tool by one's enemies.

Even with those thoughts in mind, Dominic had a hard time making a decision.

"Can I discuss this with the executives… and then tell you something?"

"No. If even a rumor gets out, I could fail too."

"I can't decide on my own… … ."

"Decide."

I know that Earl Fenris likes to be stubborn, but I didn't know he would be this stubborn. How can he decide such an important matter by himself?

When Dominic was at a loss, Giselle spoke firmly.

"If you refuse, I will go back. But your mercenaries and hostages will surely die."

"Are you threatening me now?"

"No. I'm telling you the truth. If you don't take my hand now, you'll soon meet me as your enemy on the battlefield."

Dominic was left speechless at those words.

In fact, Earl Fenris grew up by beating the necks of the nobles of the dukedom. It would not be strange if the dukedom started a fight and started a war at any time.

The Marquisate of Rodrik is a key transportation hub and is close to the capital. If a civil war breaks out, the royalist faction will likely attack from here.

The east was practically the territory of the princely faction, while the south was the stronghold of the ducal family.

It was a fact that anyone could have predicted that if the Earl of Fenris, who had taken over the North, were to extend his reach, he would first attack the West.

"I am...."

Dominic couldn't finish his sentence. He couldn't bring himself to open his mouth.

Jiselle said it as if it was really the last time.

"Decide."

"I am...."

"Decide."

"I, I… … ."

"Decide quickly."

"...."

He's secretly persistent. They say that once Earl Fenris makes up his mind, he won't back down, and it seems like he has to get what he wants no matter what.

Dominic bit his lips several times and eventually shut his eyes tightly.

"… … I'll try."

My head hurt so much. I wanted to trust the person in front of me. So I just said whatever came to my mind.

Jiselle said with a snicker.

"Good job. Doesn't that feel good?"

"okay."

Dominic also gave a hollow laugh.

I endured it every day, feeling like my insides were rotting away. I made excuses, saying I didn't know what to do.

But I knew the truth. If we continued on like this, the Drake mercenary group and their families would all die.

Even though I knew it, I couldn't do anything because I wanted to delay that time.

In the end, who might have wanted to lead him?

If I'm going to die anyway, I'll struggle until the end.

Dominic, who had made up his mind, asked with a determined look.

"What should I do?"

"I like that look. Get ready for what I'm saying as soon as possible. And… … let's go to where the family is being held."

"All right."

Giselle and Dominic put on their robes and looked around Martin's mansion.

This is one of the largest cities in the West, and Martin holds the position of mayor here thanks to his father, Marquis Rodrigo.

The mansion he was staying in was more like a small fortress. Giselle smiled as she looked at Martin's mansion.

"What a fearful man."

It was a very large manor, with a large building in the center and several smaller buildings surrounding it. A high wall surrounded it like a castle wall.

No, to this extent, it wasn't something like a castle wall, it was just a castle wall.

Because there were watchtowers erected everywhere and soldiers stood guard on the walls with frosty eyes.

This was possible because, in addition to Martin's private army, the city guard was stationed on the mansion grounds.

In addition, a garrison of the city's defense forces was located near this mansion.

"How many people are there?"

"I understand there are about 500 soldiers in the mansion. The city garrison stationed nearby is about a thousand strong. The exact number of knights is unknown. There are quite a few knights who are dispatched from the Marquis or who return."

"What mansion has the military stationed there?"

Giselle clicked her tongue. Baron Auston, whom she had seen before when she went to rescue Claude, was leading about 500 soldiers.

But a single mayor has a force that surpasses the level of a baron. This is something that can only be possible with an enormous amount of money.

Marquis Rodrik wasn't called the leader of the West for nothing.

Dominic also gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"It must be because I have committed many sins."

"Well, he's known to be very vicious. I don't know when I'll get stabbed, so I have to protect myself like that."

Now, we have to hit him once. Jiselle asked after taking a close look around the mansion.

"Of course you have the blueprints of that mansion, right?"

"Yes, we have been trying to save our families for a long time. But we just couldn't bring ourselves to go in."

"You can sneak in, but the problem will be getting out. You'll have to drag a bunch of civilians out."

"That's right. But it's impossible to go in head-on. The defense forces will rush in before we can rescue our families. And we don't even know which building our families are staying in."

No matter what method he used, he ultimately had to fight to find his family.

The Drake mercenary group had neither confidence nor assurance that they could break through all the mansion's troops and rescue their families.

If the opponent had been another noble, he would have tried to do it somehow, even by force. However, the opponent was the son of a great lord known as the strongest in the West.

Even if they succeeded in rescuing the hostage, it was clear that they would eventually be captured and killed by Marquis Rodrik. So they had no courage to take any action.

Jiselle nodded as if she understood everything and asked again.

"Are there any buildings owned by mercenaries within the city?"

"Yes, quite a lot. We also have a lot of other things to do."

"Let's take a look around."

Giselle looked around the buildings owned by the mercenary group under Dominic's guidance. After looking around a few places, Giselle chose one and spoke.

"Let's make this place our base of operations. Clear out everything inside and set up a perimeter to prevent anyone from entering from the outside."

"Umm… …Can you tell what you think?"

"I thought this would be a good place to infiltrate."

The building that Giselle chose was neither too far nor too close to Martin's mansion.

The area was a bit quiet and the road stretched out outside the city, making it easy to quickly get out of the city.

That's because it was originally a building used for warehouse purposes, storing various items.

Dominic asked again, looking like he didn't understand English.

"Infiltration? How do you infiltrate here? And do you know where the hostages are?"

Then, Jiselle unfolded the blueprint of the mansion and pointed to one building with her finger.

"The hostages are here."

It was the building closest to the central mansion. Dominic wondered how Giselle knew that.

"Are you sure? We recruited soldiers and asked them, but they said they had no idea."

Then Jiselle chuckled.

"Believe me because I am sure."

He knew the secrets of that estate very well.