Episode 551: One 'empathy' is enough. (2)

Crack! Crack! Crack!

"Eww!"

Every time Ghislain swung his arm, a revolutionary was killed by the axe.

The other mobile units didn't even need to move. They just dealt with those who ran towards them.

No matter how rough the revolutionaries were, most of them were nothing more than bandits. All they were good at was raiding and pillaging.

Even with five hundred men, they could not stop Ghislain, one of the strongest warriors on the continent.

Crack!

One for every move.

Most of them died without even being able to scream properly.

Of course, there were exceptions.

Kang!

"Huh? Stop it?"

There were also some fairly high-level guys here and there.

Crack!

I'm talking about those who die after two or three times.

When the revolutionaries realized that they could not escape, they shouted in anger.

"Eww! Kill that guy!"

"These cheeky kids are just blocking the road and watching! Let's all come together and attack that guy!"

"Do we look funny?"

As expected, they were guys who had killed quite a few people while banditry. They all ran towards Ghislain with their eyes wide open.

Because they instinctively felt that they had to aim for the leader.

But it ended up just being a feeling.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack… … .

After some time, there were no living revolutionaries left except Tarim.

Ghislain wiped the blood from his chin and shook it off. His body was covered in the blood of his enemies.

Like Julian, he could fight cleanly without getting blood on his clothes. But Ghislain couldn't do that.

"This is how you get the taste of a fight."

He was the type of person who enjoyed fighting itself, and he also knew that his aggressiveness sometimes had a great impact on the battle.

So I didn't really put in the effort to keep it neat and tidy.

When he thought about neatness, an unpleasant memory suddenly came to mind.

"That guy Aiden was cleaner than Julian."

If Julian's neatness was something that came naturally to him, Aidan was the type who was obsessed with neatness to the point of pathology.

That may be why he was so fond of his nickname, 'Noble Knight'.

It's funny how that crazy obsession is what made Aiden a superhuman.

Ghislain thought about her old enemy for a moment and chuckled.

"I guess I'll be able to meet him soon."

Intelligence reports that Aiden is fighting in the Kingdom of Grimwell. He will likely gain considerable fame there as well.

Even though he was a guy who was so sensitive that it was funny, the skills of Aiden and Baek were 'real'.

So, isn't that what happened to the mercenary king in his previous life?

'You damn bastard... ... If we fought one-on-one, I would've won.'

It was the same right after I returned, but the more I thought about it, the more angry I became. How could I have been defeated by such an unlucky guy.

I couldn't help it because I was exhausted from the constant fighting, but I was still angry.

'This time I'll cut off your head, so just wait.'

If you've been lucky once, you won't be lucky twice.

Ghislain swore once again and blew away the unpleasant memories.

Because he has a lot to do right now.

Ghislain approached Tarim, crouched down, and placed the hatchet against his neck.

"Listen carefully. The name of this hatchet is 'empathy.' I'm telling you this because I want you to empathize with my feelings right now."

"Ugh… … ."

"If we had known you would come split up into such small groups, we should have split up the group into more groups."

It was a bit disappointing. I knew that they would split up and move secretly, but even Ghislain had no idea how much they would split up.

However, it was more important to prevent any damage to our allies. We had to be satisfied with this.

"There's going to be a place where you guys gather anyway. I can just go there and catch them all. Right?"

"Ugh, ugh… … ."

Tarim trembled in pain, drooling. He had no idea why this ridiculous situation had come to pass.

Ghislain swung her hatchet again and struck Tarim's leg.

Crack!

"Eww!"

"say."

"Kwaaaaah!"

Tarim screamed. Wasn't it supposed to be wait after you ask questions but this guy attacks after asking questions. There was something wrong with this guy.

Still, one thing was certain.

If you use your brain, you will really die.

"Ma, let me speak! Stop! Give me a chance to speak first! Please ask me anything!"

"Hmm, okay. What are you going to say?"

Tarim was momentarily dazed, but soon came to his senses. The answer was in what the other person had said earlier.

"Where we're meeting! We're meeting in Stonebrook Village! Everyone should be heading there!"

"Really? Where was that?"

Ghislain took out the map and looked at it. He had a rough idea of where it was. But there was something a little strange.

"If we all gather, there will be 10,000 of us. How can we hide in a village like this?"

"There, that's the village we've taken over! There are underground caves where a large force can hide, and there are many hiding places around here!"

"Oh."

This was a new fact. Even in the previous life, the base of the revolutionary group was barely known.

It's a good trick. They pay their taxes properly, but they're doing some dirty work. There are probably a few more strongholds similar to Stonebrook.

It must have been difficult to eradicate the revolutionary group in the previous life. Everyone was busy and couldn't pay much attention.

Ghislain nodded and swung her axe again.

Crack!

"Kyaaaaah! I don't know! I really don't know!"

"… … I haven't asked the next one yet."

"You're going to ask where our leader is! It's obvious!"

"This kid… … ."

Ghislain opened her eyes wide in admiration.

This is secretly amazing. Without asking why, I'll just answer first.

Are you saying that you already know what kind of person you are? In all my life, this is the first time that someone has read me right away.

Even though he's an enemy, it's rare to find someone this quick-witted. I really like him.

"You really don't know where your leader is?"

"Really! Our leader is very sinister! He never reveals his destination for fear of a traitor. Don't you know we have no loyalty?"

"Yeah, he's really suspicious. Was his name Leonard?"

As Ghislain nodded in agreement, Tarim blinked rapidly.

The name of the captain, who kept his identity hidden even from his subordinates, and the fact that he was highly suspicious, are known.

"Hey, do you know our captain?"

"Well, roughly. That guy was the one who took the position by stabbing the captain in the back of the head, right? You can't help but be suspicious of someone like that."

It wasn't Leonard who first founded the Revolutionary Group. It was he who was a member of the group who rebelled and took over the group.

He killed all the cadres who shared the same views as the former revolutionary leader.

From then on, the revolutionary group lost its original purpose and turned into a plundering group.

Tarim asked, stammering.

"Oh, how do you know all that?"

"I know everything."

Ghislain had fought the Revolutionary Group several times in her previous life. They had also revealed themselves quite often during times of war.

Since so many members were taken prisoner, some information had to be released.

However, this was information that could not have been known at the time when the revolutionary group was still a guerrilla organization and only engaged in plundering. To spout such things off like that, just listening to what he said, it sounded like he was a former revolutionary group executive.

But the mobile forces next to him were all nodding their heads. Tarim was dumbfounded.

'I heard there's a rumor that he's a saint... ... Is he really receiving revelations or something?'

Judging from the fact that they had been waiting in ambush, the rumors seemed to be true. Tarim, who was quick-witted, quickly made a decision.

You should not deceive such a person. How can you deceive someone who receives revelation from God?

He immediately fell to his knees and begged.

"I didn't know you, Saint! Please spare my life and I will serve you with all my loyalty! I have never killed anyone indiscriminately! I mainly just trained the members!"

"You say you have no loyalty?"

"Oh! That's not it! Oh!"

Tarim was taken aback by the surprise, but, like a master of wit, he quickly recovered.

"I am a revolutionary, but I still serve the Goddess Deana with all my heart! So I will never deceive or go against the saint!"

From the point of view of the bandits, Ghislain believe in the goddess of light and justice. Ghislain snickered.

Tarim, encouraged by that sight, continued speaking powerfully.

"That's why I can tell you everything! I won't hide anything! I will become a knight that you can be proud of, Duke! I may be a junior, but I am originally a knight! No, I will even become a soldier!"

Crack!

"Kuaaaaak! I will become your slave!"

Crack!

"Kwaaak! I am a beast that can talk!"

"… … This kid is really amazing."

In Fenris, not just anyone could be a slave. For someone like him to become a slave was an insult to other slaves.

Without even knowing that, he immediately lowers his level because he doesn't like Ghislain. I don't know what his personality is like, but if he had been taught in a proper environment, he could have become something.

Ghislain lifted the hatchet again and took a look.

"My name is Tarim!"

"Okay, Tarim. Then… … ."

"I'll show you the fastest route! Faster than the one on the map!"

As expected, he is not an ordinary guy.

Crack!

"Eww! Why!"

This time, Tarim didn't understand this time either. He looked at Ghislain with tears in her eyes.

Ghislain said calmly.

"You empathize with me too much, it's bothering me. I think you've gotten into my heart."

"… … I'm sorry! Ugh!"

Tarim realized that he was seriously mistaken.

Whenever I ask him to empathize, he just says I empathizes too much. It seems like it would be quite difficult to get along with that crazy guy.

It wasn't for nothing that the Duke of Fenris was rumored to be a devil. I remembered hearing rumors in the past that he was a scoundrel.

Ghislain said, straightening her back and standing up.

"Yeah, I don't really let them live, but if I think he's useful, I'll let him live for sometime. I'll just leave he be for a while and see. Help catch those revolutionaries. Got it?"

"all right!"

"Hey, give him some potion and heal him."

He had to use potions because he didn't bring priests. They are very expensive, but potions are something that is left overs in Fenris anyway.

Tarim could not help but limp even after drinking the potion. The outer skin had healed, but the bone where Ghislain had stepped had not healed properly.

Still, since he knew how to use mana, he could move with a moderate amount of strength.

Ghislain summoned Dark again and said.

"Tell them there's no need to pursue the enemy separately. We'll go to where they're gathering."

The other side would have easily defeated the revolutionaries. Those who missed would have gathered at Stonebrook Village anyway, so we could just go there and wipe them out.

Soon the mobile force began to move on horseback, guided by Tarim.

***

Stonebrook Village.

It was larger than other towns, but not large enough to be called a city.

This was because there were many mountains and rugged terrain in the surrounding area, so the floating population was limited.

There weren't many people who came and went except for the occasional visitor, so there weren't many people who were suspicious. They also paid their taxes regularly, so they didn't incur the lord's hatred.

A few groups of young men have been visiting Stonebrook Village for some time now. They dispersed and went into their homes. Those who were wandering the streets also disappeared at some point.

And on a mountain a little distance away, a man was watching the scene.

A man of few words, the leader of the revolutionary group, Leonard.

He was hiding here with only one subordinate, watching the village closely as if he was spying on it.

Although it wasn't very high, it was a great vantage point for peeking over parts of the village. Plus, there were plenty of trees around, making it easy to hide.

"Hmm… … ."

He, who had been watching in hiding for several days, asked his subordinate next to him.

"We've reached the 17th Battalion now. It's the battalion that took the longest route. It's impossible to be behind the 17th Battalion. But only ten battalions have arrived. That means half of them haven't arrived yet."

"… … Looks like we have a problem."

"There has been no contact. There has been no information coming in through any other means. What do you think this means?"

"… … If it was destroyed without anyone knowing, then that would be possible. Although that is realistically impossible."

It is entirely possible that one or two battalions might have been discovered by the Allied Forces. Wasn't it because they had divided the force into twenty battalions that they had taken that possibility into account?

Even if the Allied forces had noticed their movements and pursued them, it would have been normal for them to hear that ten battalions had been defeated. They had given orders to run away unconditionally if they encountered regular troops.

But no one comes and there is no news.

"You're saying that you were completely defeated to the point where you couldn't even do anything… … How can that be? I just don't understand."

Leonard frowned. After careful consideration, he came up with a plan that seemed likely to succeed.

If you still fail, there is only one reason.

"Did the information leak out?"

But who passed on the information? They didn't tell anyone until they started the operation.

"There is something I don't know."

It was clear that something was happening that Leonard himself was unaware of.

At times like this, he shouldn't move. His crisis-sensing instinct was telling him so.

"Retreat."

"Huh? What about the battalions that have gathered now?"

"Go and tell them. Tell them to get out secretly. After gathering information, we will move again."

It was precisely because of Leonard's cautious nature that the revolutionaries had not been suppressed until now.

Just as Suha was about to move, a puzzle piece appeared that answered some of Leonard's questions.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

From afar, a group of soldiers approached like a whirlwind.

Leonard knew very well the identity of that army that seemed ready to tear everything apart.

"The Ruthania Army? Could it be… the Duke of Fenris?"

An unexpected army appeared in the village of Stonebrook.