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The disoriented enemies, lacking direction, gathered before the ruined castle wall under the knights’ command.

Boom! Boom!

The breached wall was tightly barricaded by the mercenaries’ shields. Despite the enemies shoving with all their might, the mercenaries gritted their teeth and held their ground.

Thunk!

With each shove from the enemies, the mercenaries’ shields quivered like ripples on water.

The moment the enemy soldiers’ weapons clashed against their shields, Ghislain shouted loudly.

“Attack!”

The mercenaries parted their shields slightly.

Before the enemies could react and defend themselves, dozens of long spears shot out from between the gaps in the shields.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Aaargh!”

These were the spears thrust by the mercenaries standing in the second row.

As soon as the enemies in the vanguard fell, Ghislain issued another command.

“Close up!”

Clang!

The shields snapped back together, sealing off any gaps.

Yet, the enemy forces remained numerous.

“Advance! Keep advancing!”

“What are the archers doing? Cover us!”

“Don’t stop! Push in!”

Under the knights’ command, the enemy soldiers once again charged forward, weapons first.

Crash! Crash!

The mercenaries managed to drive them back a few more times with their spears, but as the enemy continued pressing on relentlessly, they could no longer open their shields.

The precarious situation—where it seemed like the defenses would either hold or fail—was suddenly alleviated by an attack from above the wall.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

From atop the wall, Ghislain hurled everything in sight, from the surrounding debris to rocks launched by catapults.

With each throw, enemy soldiers at the front crumbled, dropping like flies.

Hesitating in the face of this relentless assault, the advancing soldiers faltered and began to retreat.

It seemed that, for the time being, the side where Ghislain stood would not be easily breached.

Seeing this, Zwalter quickly made a decision.

“Leave only a minimal force here and move the rest over to this side!”

The Ferdium soldiers atop the wall swiftly shifted towards another side where another siege tower stood.

Though they were outnumbered by the opposing force, concentrating their troops allowed the Ferdium soldiers to push back the enemies emerging from the siege tower.

Ultimately, the enemy soldiers were gradually forced back inside the siege tower, an outcome driven by a disparity in morale.

Even the support from the enemy archers firing from beside the siege tower was rendered ineffective.

The Ferdium soldiers, with their increased numbers, raised their shields and blocked the incoming arrows.

“Argh! How dare they!”

Viktor trembled in frustration, grinding his teeth.

He had executed his tactics by the book, without any errors.

He believed that they could capture the castle by the end of the day—tomorrow at the latest.

If it weren’t for those strange individuals who suddenly appeared, things would have gone exactly as he anticipated.

“Where did such an elite force come from?”

The men who emerged from the castle gates were incredibly swift and strong.

They exploited the briefest of gaps to dismantle their formations.

The distance was too great to assess fully, but judging by the way they had destroyed the siege tower, it appeared that some knights were mixed in with them.

The battlefield had devolved into chaos during the enemy’s sudden onslaught. He had mobilized the rest of his forces belatedly, but they were unable to regain control.

Whether it was luck or skill on their part, he had taken a direct hit from their tactics.

“A full-scale attack right now…”

Viktor’s hands trembled as he considered it, but in the end, he abandoned the idea.

The enemy’s morale had soared, while his own troops were disoriented, stumbling around in disarray before the castle wall. Even the last remaining siege tower was now being pushed back.

In these circumstances, launching an all-out assault would only lead to greater losses.

With a sigh, Viktor reluctantly gave the order to retreat.

“Pull the troops back.”

As soon as the retreat order was issued, the remaining shield bearers rushed forward to cover their allies, especially those around the siege tower, lifting their shields tightly to provide cover.

Once all the forces had fallen back, even the knights deployed their mana to drag the siege tower back.

“Hey! Throw! Throw it now!”

Randolph infused a rock, the size of a man’s head, with mana and hurled it with all his might.

He had seen Ghislain throwing earlier and was now imitating him.

Thunk! Thunk!

Whenever a shield-bearer was struck down by a rock, arrows swiftly followed through the gap.

The attack didn’t inflict major casualties, but it did boost their side’s morale.

Even the knights nearby began flinging rocks, pouring mana into each throw.

“Stop! Spare the stones!”

Knowing that every stone counted, Zwalter restrained the knights.

They couldn’t waste rocks or arrows, as the enemy might soon attempt to scale the walls with ladders. They needed to conserve their resources for that eventuality.

The retreating enemies, well-disciplined, fell back in an orderly fashion.

Once the last of the enemy had completely withdrawn, Zwalter raised his sword high and shouted.

“The enemy has retreated!”

“Whoaaa!”

The Ferdium soldiers also raised their hands in celebration, cheering loudly.

They had successfully repelled an assault that had seemed impossible to stop.

While this wouldn’t end the war, the fact that they had held off even one attack had a profound impact on their morale.

As the soldiers celebrated, Zwalter glanced over at Ghislain.

“Just who are you…?”

His son was laughing, patting the shoulders of the mercenaries who still looked dazed.

There was nothing unusual in his demeanor.

“Was it a gamble, or were you certain? Did you plan this, or did you simply act on impulse?”

Looking at the results Ghislain had achieved, it was clear how stunning his quick judgment had been.

He had taken into account the enemy’s forces, their route, the siege weapons, the disposition of the enemy’s forces, and even the enemy commander’s intentions and overconfidence.

But that kind of strategy only worked when there was a real chance of success.

If Ghislain’s judgment had been off by even a little, not only he and the mercenaries, but also the Ferdium soldiers, would have suffered heavy casualties.

How could he have acted so confidently, reacting to shifts in the battle that changed in the blink of an eye?

Neither he nor Randolph… nor any other commander could have made such a rapid decision.

And to think he had gone alone to destroy that siege tower, and actually succeeded in doing so.

“Even on the battlefield, he acts on his own whims.”

Zwalter found himself shaking his head unconsciously.

“It suits him, I suppose… but it’s far too dangerous.”

Perhaps it was an action that perfectly matched Ghislain’s nature.

He called Ghislain over and asked him directly.

“…Why did you act so recklessly?”

“I thought the enemy would be careless in the first clash. I simply didn’t want to miss the opportunity.”

“Moving by instinct on the battlefield can sometimes lead to clever tactics. But a beast guided solely by wild instincts will eventually fall into a trap. You only have one life, so always act with caution.”

“Understood.”

Ghislain nodded, but he couldn’t exactly say, “I have more experience in war and in life than you do, Father.”

Randolph, who had been cheering excitedly, soon approached with a forced look of seriousness.

“Ahem, ahem, I was a bit taken aback by the Young Lord’s performance. But if you act this way every time, it’ll be troublesome.”

This was always a tricky situation—when someone disobeys orders but still achieves success. It’s hard to either reprimand or praise them.

Randolph had never really respected the Young Lord and had certainly never imagined he’d have such skills.

“Is he possibly stronger than me?”

The uneasy thought crossed his mind, but he felt that he could probably handle something similar if he had to.

Though, of course, he couldn’t guarantee success.

Ghislain gave a slight bow to Randolph and replied, “The situation was urgent, and there wasn’t much choice. As long as we hold our ground like we did today, we should be fine.”

He wasn’t about to promise he wouldn’t do it again.

Randolph clicked his tongue disapprovingly, but Zwalter only nodded.

“Indeed. If Count Rogues sends reinforcements, that would be ideal.”

With support from Rogues, they just might be able to secure victory.

Although he felt restless with no word yet from the messenger, Ghislain’s actions today had eased his mind a bit.

“In any case… you never know what will happen in war. So, always move with care.”

No matter how skilled someone was, trust was a different matter.

Ghislain had always taken risks and acted independently, courting serious danger.

Today, it seemed he had skill and sound judgment, but a single mistake in war could still cost him his life.

Zwalter couldn’t hide his concern.

Ghislain, however, saw things quite differently.

“With a half-hearted mindset, victory is impossible.”

The Duke of Delfine was an enemy they might barely defeat even if they fought with everything on the line.

Outnumbered as they were, they had to push beyond their limits to have any chance of winning.

But, of course, no one else could understand this harsh reality.

Ghislain was about to step back after simply acknowledging with a nod.

“Wait, Ghislain.”

Zwalter stopped him just as he was turning away. Looking somewhat awkward, he clasped his hands behind his back and cleared his throat unnecessarily.

“Hmm, well, thanks to you, we managed to win this fight. I’ll be counting on you from now on. You did well.”

He wanted to give praise, but the words didn’t come easily. They weren’t exactly on close terms, after all—right up until just before the battle, he’d been debating whether to kill or spare him.

In the midst of this strange atmosphere, Randolph scratched his head and spoke up as well.

“I never expected the Young Lord could lead the mercenaries so effectively. And taking down the siege tower alone… Ahem, well, it seems you’ve improved a lot.”

Praising Ghislain for the first time in his life, Randolph let out an awkward smile, looking a bit embarrassed.

Ghislain smiled faintly and bowed his head toward the two of them.

“Thank you.”

Leaving the two behind in their lingering awkwardness, Ghislain returned to the mercenaries.

The mercenaries were huddled together, still blinking in confusion.

They were glad to have won, but they had no idea how they’d managed it.

They understood that breaking the siege tower had given them an advantage, but they couldn’t fathom why the enemy forces had crumbled so easily.

Before they could even assess the situation, it was all over.

“What exactly did we do? How did we win? Did the boss really bring down that tower by himself?”

“We just followed him around and did what he told us, and we won.”

“Remember what the boss always says during training?”

“‘By the time you’ve thought it over and understood, the enemy will have figured it out too. So shut up and just do as you’re told.’”

“Yeah, today was one of those days, huh?”

In the end, their conclusion was simply, ‘Just follow orders.’ It was typical of mercenaries, who weren’t known for their tactical insights.

It wasn’t difficult to brief them on strategic objectives or specific maneuvers in advance. Doing so would help them act more cohesively without confusion.

But on a battlefield that demanded immediate action, there was no time to explain everything in detail and ensure everyone understood.

Moreover, Ghislain’s strategies were typically spontaneous, born from his experiences as the King of Mercenaries and his keen instincts, adjusting on the fly as situations unfolded.

If he took the time to organize his thoughts and explain them, he’d miss the crucial moment to act.

That’s why he’d trained the mercenaries to simply move in sync with him without question.

The seasoned mercenaries, those who had experience from their time in the forest, were less fazed, but the newly recruited ones were still in a bit of a daze.

“When it all started, it was so chaotic that it wasn’t too bad in the end.”

“Exactly, the more you think, the more you start to panic. In those moments, the best thing is to just go and kill the guy in front of you.”

Whatever anxiety they’d felt at the sight of the enemy’s large army had vanished somewhere along the way.

Or rather, they hadn’t even had the chance to feel anxious.

They had swung their weapons for a bit, and suddenly they’d done something big.

“If we’re gonna keep this up, we’d better stay sharp. Can’t afford to die stupidly and regret it.”

“And by the way, the boss is seriously strong, huh? Puts most knights to shame.”

Ghislain encouraged the murmuring mercenaries.

“Good. Let’s keep up this momentum. Just stick to the training, and we’ll be fine. Keep following along.”

Kaor gave him a thumbs-up with a grin.

“That was pretty exciting. I’d be happy to go along with any operation this thrilling.”

The Cerberus Mercenary Corps had fought like mad dogs, tearing through anything that blocked their retreat. For those who never overthought things, being thrown into a frenzied fight was exactly what they preferred.

Ghislain chuckled and nodded.

“Don’t worry. There’s even more excitement to come.”

Kaor let out a cheer with a laugh, but Belinda looked like she was on the verge of losing her mind.

“What? What do you mean, more excitement? This kind of ‘excitement’ could cost us our lives! Do you really have to go this far, sir?”

When the siege tower fell, she had been so shocked that her heart nearly stopped. The urgency of the situation had forced her to follow orders, but she hadn’t been happy about it.

No matter how strong he was, there were limits. How could he throw himself into danger so recklessly?

She considered snatching up Ghislain and fleeing right then and there, maybe even taking the Runestone with her.

“It’s fine. I’m holding back, really. Don’t worry so much, alright?”

“Holding back? If this is you holding back, then next time you’ll be charging into the enemy camp by yourself!”

“Hahaha!”

“Why aren’t you denying it!”

Belinda shouted, but Ghislain just laughed and changed the subject.

“Alright, we’ll be even busier next time, so make sure everyone gets plenty of rest.”

Mercenaries called out from all around in response to his words.

“You should rest, boss! You were the one doing the most today!”

“Hey, Gordon, I bet you nearly pissed yourself from fear! Did you hold it in this time?”

“You bastard! I was at the front holding them off!”

“Boss, how’s your knee? I heard you got shot with an arrow there once, but you were flying around today like it was nothing!”

“Whatever it is, we just gotta follow the boss, and we’ll be fine!”

At this point, the mercenaries seemed ready to follow Ghislain into hell itself.

They still didn’t fully grasp the situation, but it didn’t matter. All they needed was the trust that, if they followed orders, they’d win. That faith alone was enough.

Ghislain watched the boisterous mercenaries, smiling as he turned away. In that brief moment, his expression became cold.

“They haven’t shown their full hand yet.”

It had only been two days. On the first day, they hadn’t even attempted an attack, and today’s assault wasn’t their full force, either.

“They were testing the waters. Now that their plan has failed, they’ll move differently.”

The enemy wouldn’t make the same mistake after taking such a hit from Ghislain. Having seen the strength of his mercenaries, they would adapt accordingly.

“If they go all-in with everything they’ve got, it’ll be hard to hold them off.”

They still had three siege towers and thousands of troops at their disposal.

The enemy, too, would be reluctant to draw things out given the strain on their supplies. They’d want to settle this quickly.

And that was exactly the situation Ghislain wanted—and had engineered.

“There will only be one opportunity.”

The real battle was only just beginning.