The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 286: Chapter 285: I Didn’t Come Alone (3)



Baron Hutton hastily raised his sword to block Ghislain's downward strike.

Claaang!

"Gah!"

An overwhelming pressure surged through him instantly. Baron Hutton subtly angled his blade, deflecting some of the force bearing down on him.

Paaang!

Even so, he couldn't redirect all the energy, and his feet slid slightly, the ground cracking beneath him. His eyes widened in disbelief.

'What is this...?'

It was a simple attack, but the force behind it had almost shattered his sword. If he hadn't managed to deflect part of it, not only his sword but his bones might have been broken.

The strength was incomparable to what he had experienced when blocking the arrow earlier. A creeping sense of unease began to take hold.

Crrrack!

Ghislain didn't relent, continuing to press his sword down. The edge of Baron Hutton's blade tilted lower and lower, forcing his head closer to the path of the descending blade.

At this rate, his skull would be cleaved open.

Ghislain's red eyes gleamed as he grinned-a visage akin to that of a demon reveling in battle.

A shiver ran down Baron Hutton's spine.

"This... This isn't the strength of a mere high-level knight!'

According to the intelligence department, Ghislain's abilities were estimated to be at the early stages of high-level knighthood. His lack of previous feats in battle had led to this conservative assessment.

Even placing him at that level had been generous, based on rumors of his performance during the Cabaldi War.

Baron Hutton's own expectations had aligned with this. Though injured, he believed his higher skill level and experience would allow him to control the fight with composure.

But the sheer, absurd force in front of him now was incomprehensible.

"This can't be real! Something's off!'

Suddenly, Ghislain released his pressure and withdrew his sword. With the sudden loss of resistance, Baron Hutton's blade flew upward as if chasing after Ghislain's.

Whoosh!

Clang!

Baron Hutton twisted his arm, barely managing to parry Ghislain's next strike, before retreating swiftly.

'I can't win in a contest of strength. That brat's power is extraordinary.'

The young count had an abundance of vigor and energy, as expected from someone his age. Having just arrived on the battlefield, he also had a full reserve of mana.

Baron Hutton tried to shift his focus to technique, but Ghislain allowed him no respite, staying close and swinging his sword relentlessly.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Their swords clashed repeatedly, sparks flying with each collision.

Baron Hutton struggled to gain the upper hand. As time went on, he found himself increasingly pushed back. He could barely evade Ghislain's strikes and had to focus solely on blocking.

Still, his swordsmanship never faltered. Baron Hutton blocked every one of Ghislain's unusual and unpredictable swings, patiently waiting for an opening.

Ghislain observed him with amusement.

"Impressive. If you weren't injured, this might have been a truly entertaining fight."

He meant it. Finding an opponent of this caliber outside the duke faction within the Lutania Kingdom was rare.

Baron Hutton's injuries from his fight with Gillian and the earlier arrow strike had limited his ability to fight at full strength. Yet even so, he was not easily subdued by the second core.

'No wonder he could hold his own against Gillian.'

Despite some physical limitations and lesser mana reserves, Baron Hutton's swordsmanship alone was among the best in the north.

"But in war, such considerations don't matter."

Ghislain had no intention of dragging this out just because the baron was an interesting opponent. If his enemy couldn't fight at full strength, there was no point in prolonging the duel.

Taking a deep breath, Ghislain pushed aside his disappointment and steadied his grip on his sword.

Despite being injured and on the defensive, Baron Hutton remained unwavering. Ghislain's superior strength and speed kept him under pressure, but he held firm.

A battle of technique would take time against an opponent like this.

The solution was simple: overwhelm him with even greater strength and speed.

Ziiing-!

As Ghislain's third core activated, his red eyes blazed even brighter.

"Let's begin again."

Baron Hutton had earned the right to face a third core attack.

Rumble!

With each swing of Ghislain's sword, a thunderous crack filled the air. The increase in power

made Baron Hutton's face twist in shock.

'H-how can anyone have this kind of skill?'

Boom!

The strikes were too fast, too strong. Each time he blocked, his stance wavered, and his

insides churned.

Boom! Boom!

Crack.

It didn't take long for cracks to form on Baron Hutton's blade. Even with his mana fully infused, the sword couldn't withstand the force.

Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!

Ghislain's attacks only grew faster over time. Baron Hutton gritted his teeth. Though he managed to block, each blow sent a shattering pain through his body.

It was now clear: the intelligence department's assessment of Ghislain as a high-level knight had been a gross underestimate. Even the exaggerated rumors hadn't captured his true skill.

This was not an opponent he could defeat in his current state. In fact, even at his peak, he doubted he could win. Ghislain was clearly in a higher league.

'I have to retreat.'

If he wanted to survive, he would have to abandon his pride and the honor he had built over a

lifetime.

Baron Hutton attempted to withdraw, but Ghislain's relentless blade pursued him like a

predator on its prey.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each clash overturned the ground, sending dirt flying. The two moved so quickly that most observers couldn't follow their movements.

Desmond's knights and soldiers flinched instinctively. They knew they should intervene to

save the baron.

"Urgh!"

Blood began to trickle from Baron Hutton's mouth. Though he had only been defending, the accumulated force of Ghislain's strikes was destroying him from within.

His once-calm swordsmanship had become useless. The sudden explosion of his opponent's strength and speed left him scrambling just to block.

If not for his exceptional swordsmanship, he wouldn't have lasted this long.

But even that endurance was reaching its limit.

Boom! With a deafening crash, Baron Hutton's sword shattered. His mana couldn't hold up against

Ghislain's overwhelming power.

"Th-this is..."

Whoosh!

Disarmed and panicking, Baron Hutton tried to dodge, but Ghislain's blade was faster.

Crack!

The sickening sound of breaking bones rang out as Baron Hutton's right arm fell to the

ground.

"Arrgh!"

At that moment, Desmond's knights surged forward.

"Save the baron!"

Their faces were filled with desperation.

The duel was effectively over. Allowing outsiders to interfere would damage Baron Hutton's

honor, but that was a problem for later. For now, saving his life was the priority.

But before they could reach him, Ghislain's blade swept horizontally.

Slick.

Thud.

The head of Baron Hutton, one of the northern region's greatest knights, tumbled to the

ground.

The charging Desmond knights froze in place as they saw his headless body collapse.

"The... the baron..."

"Baron Hutton... is dead..."

"How could this happen..."

The Desmond soldiers stood in stunned silence, their faces pale. But Ghislain didn't give them

time to wallow in their shock.

Ghislain extended his sword naturally and spoke.

"Wipe them out."

Ziiing-!

The armor of the waiting Fenris knights began to glow.

Three hundred knights and a thousand cavalry charged forward on horseback.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

Seeing the Fenris forces suddenly charge, the Desmond knights shouted in panic.

"Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!"

They unsheathed their swords, ready to face the approaching Fenris army. But before they

could properly react, Ghislain was already upon them.

Slash!

Ghislain, still in his fully activated third core state, swung his sword with overflowing mana,

decapitating a knight in a single blow.

Without stopping, Ghislain unleashed a relentless assault on those around him.

Boom! Boom!

"Argh!"

The Desmond soldiers' formation crumbled the moment Ghislain intervened.

All attention turned toward Ghislain, throwing the ranks into disarray. Scattered knights and

officers shouted frantically to restore order.

"You fools! Get back in formation!"

"Block the front! Hold the front line!"

"Get it together!" Thud-thud-thud-thud!

While the Desmond soldiers scrambled, the Fenris army charged into their midst.

Boom!

"Argh!"

The Desmond forces, already demoralized by the death of Baron Hutton, fell apart

completely. With Ghislain wreaking havoc and disrupting their lines, the sudden assault of 300 knights and cavalry became unstoppable.

Boom! Boom!

Some knights and soldiers fought valiantly, but their broken morale could not be restored.

There was no commander left to regain control.

The Desmond pursuit force collapsed astonishingly fast.

"Retreat! Fall back!"

"Regroup with the main army!"

"Every man for himself!"

Quick-thinking knights shouted commands, and the Desmond soldiers scattered in all

directions.

With their formation broken, staying would mean certain annihilation. At least some could

survive to regroup with the main force.

Thanks to the fact that over half of the pursuit force were cavalry, many managed to flee

quickly from the battlefield.

As the Fenris knights and cavalry moved to give chase, Ghislain raised his hand and shouted.

"That's enough! Stop! Don't pursue them further!"

The Fenris forces were vastly outnumbered compared to the Desmond army. If they scattered

and ran into Desmond's main force, it would be disastrous.

"So many escaped."

Ghislain laughed as he watched the fleeing Desmond soldiers scatter.

About half of them seemed to have escaped alive. While it was a bit disappointing that so

many survived, it wasn't enough to upset him.

After all, they would meet again soon. And when that time came, he would crush them

completely.

"Woohoo! We won!"

"Our lord really knows how to fight!"

"As expected of our lord!"

The knights and soldiers raised their weapons and cheered. Although they hadn't fought the

enemy soldiers for long, the swift victory was thanks to their lord taking down Baron Hutton so decisively.

They had rescued Gillian and routed the enemy in the initial skirmish. Naturally, morale

soared. Ghislain wore a proud expression and moved toward Gillian, who was being supported by medics. As he passed, the soldiers parted to make way for him.

Gillian, who was leaning on medics for support, looked at Ghislain with eyes full of gratitude

and admiration.

He was truly an incredible man. To appear suddenly, kill Baron Hutton, and completely change the tide of battle-Ghislain possessed something beyond mere skill.

"My lord..."

"Gillian!"

Without another word, Ghislain approached and embraced Gillian tightly.

The two men stood there in silence for a long time. Everyone around them fell into a solemn,

respectful silence, watching the scene unfold.

After a moment, Ghislain stepped back and spoke solemnly.

"Honor those who fought and gave their lives for the land." Click! Click! Click!

All the soldiers raised their weapons in salute.

Gillian and the Stonehaven troops had risked their lives for the territory. They had earned

immense honor and the admiration of everyone present.

After a brief moment of silence, Ghislain broke the serious atmosphere with a mischievous

grin, addressing Gillian.

"What happened to you? Did you get soft with age?"

Gillian chuckled at the playful jab. He knew that despite Ghislain's words, there was genuine

warmth in his gaze.

Struggling to keep his emotions in check, Gillian replied hoarsely.

"...I'm fine."

"Fine, my foot! Get back to the castle with the wounded right away. I'll handle the rest."

Hearing this, Gillian suddenly seemed to realize something. His expression shifted as he

asked,

"My lord... how did you know to come here?"

"I figured this would be the logical place if you kept retreating. Isn't that obvious?" Ghislain, a seasoned veteran of war, had anticipated where the pursuit would lead. Knowing

the Desmond forces would want to surround Gillian's men, he had chosen this spot to strike.

Gillian nodded in understanding. His lord indeed had the ability to predict such movements.

But that wasn't the real question. With a trembling voice, he asked, "Does this mean... all preparations are complete?" Ghislain, with a completely shameless expression, answered confidently.

"Nope."

"...What?"

"Hey, how could I finish all that so quickly? Even I'm not that amazing." "Then... why are you here?"

Ghislain responded with a casual shrug. "Most of it's done. Well, enough of it? The minimum?"

Gillian's head spun at his lord's nonchalant explanation. Why had they sacrificed themselves?Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Wasn't it to buy time for better preparations?

"Most of it?"

"Come on, it's just a way of speaking. We've done the minimum thanks to you. If I'd waited

longer, you all would've been dead. So I came as soon as I could. Perfect timing, wasn't it?

Gotta admit, I'm pretty amazing." Gillian couldn't even hear Ghislain's self-praise anymore. "Why... why did you do that? It's not enough. With just our forces, we can't beat Desmond's

army. You should have prepared more."

"And let you all die in the meantime?"

"If it's for the greater good..." "What good is that?"

"..."

"What's the point of perfect preparation if it means losing you and the others in the process?"

Charging in without any preparation would have been suicide for everyone. But abandoning

Gillian and the others was not an option either. Ghislain had compromised by making only minimal preparations.

"My lord..."

The wounded soldiers looked at Ghislain with tearful expressions. He could have sacrificed

them for a better chance at winning the war, but he had chosen to save them instead, despite

the risks to himself.

It was touching—but reality quickly set back in.

Realizing the urgency, Gillian hurriedly spoke. "Understood. Let's discuss later. We need to leave this place immediately."

"Why?"

"The main Desmond force is nearby! Count Desmond is not someone to take lightly. He'll

have already assessed the situation and begun encircling..."

Ghislain cut him off and turned to look behind him.

"It seems we're already too late."

Thud! Thud! Thud!

From afar, the main Desmond army was approaching. The ground shook with every

synchronized step of their countless soldiers.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Not only from the front-the army was closing in from both flanks. It seemed the fleeing

soldiers had already regrouped, forming a formation that surrounded Ghislain's forces.

Seeing this, Ghislain grinned.

"At last, I meet you, Harold Desmond."

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