Chapter 665: Chapter 665

“Block him!”

Hundreds of soldiers rushed toward Ghislain. They were caught off guard by the sudden turn of events.

Charging in alone against so many soldiers?

But their opponent was approaching much faster than expected. A strange sense of unease began to creep in.

Before they could even grasp the situation, Ghislain’s staff struck like a bolt of lightning.

Kwaaang!

“Keuhk!”

Several soldiers at the front were instantly sent flying. They still hadn’t come to their senses, their faces filled with confusion.

Ghislain gave them no time to breathe. His staff moved again.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!

“Uwaaaah!”

The dazed soldiers were flung away in all directions. Only then did the knights snap back to reality and shout.

“Su-surround him! Stop him at once!”

Ghislain continued advancing, knocking soldiers aside like ragdolls. It was obvious to anyone watching he was aiming to capture Baron Magrel.

“Catch him! Everyone, seize that man!”

“Protect the lord!”

Even the soldiers who had been heading toward the merchant guards immediately turned around at the knights’ orders and charged at Ghislain.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!

But Ghislain kept moving forward, sending soldiers flying single-handedly.

His strength was utterly destructive. The soldiers, who had lived their lives in a small barony without ever experiencing war, had never faced nor even seen such overwhelming power.

At first, they relied on sheer numbers, attacking all at once. But as time passed, an unsettling realization set in.

Something was terribly wrong.

Surrounded by soldiers, Ghislain swung his staff in a wide arc.

Kwaaaang!

“Uwaaaah!!”

The soldiers were instantly thrown back. They had no idea what had even hit them.

One moment, their arms and legs were breaking, their heads splitting open. Some had their ribcages completely shattered.

Every soldier blocking Ghislain’s path had already collapsed. Those approaching hesitated, only surrounding him without daring to get any closer.

“A… a monster….”

“How can a mercenary be this skilled…?”

“What in the world is this…?”

Hundreds of soldiers stood frozen in fear before a single man.

Ghislain glanced around briefly before stepping forward once more.

Seeing this, Baron Magrel shrieked in terror.

“K-kill him! Now!”

The knights guarding Baron Magrel all charged at Ghislain. Two of them, leading the attack, swung their swords like lightning.

Kaaang!

Ghislain raised his staff, blocking their strikes.

As expected of knights, their swords carried a heavy infusion of mana. Since this wasn’t his original body, getting struck by those swords wouldn’t be ideal.

After blocking their attack, Ghislain immediately swung his staff.

Kwaaaang!

With a thunderous crash, one knight was sent flying to the side.

His armor had been deeply dented on one side. His body, twisted into an unnatural shape, convulsed as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“Kuh… keuhk….”

His armor had caved in completely, shattering all the ribs on his side. Even after taking the hit himself, he couldn’t believe the sheer force behind it.

The other knight was so shocked by the absurdity of the situation that he stood there, dumbfounded.

Seeing this, Ghislain smirked.

“It seems you lot won’t listen to Rio very well.”

“H-huh?”

“Just die.”

Kwaaaang!

Ghislain’s staff came crashing down on the dazed knight’s helmet.

The helmet caved in. The knight’s skull shattered along with it, killing him instantly.

The charging knights froze in place, their bodies rigid. They had finally realized the undeniable truth: this was an enemy they could not handle.

A fearful murmur from one of the knights echoed through the air.

“A-a Master…?”

“This isn’t someone we can defeat.”

“How is he this strong at such a young age…?”

To them, there was no other explanation, Ghislain had reached the realm of Masters.

There was a reason Masters were also called Transcendents. They were beings who had surpassed the limits of humanity.

The knights of a mere barony could never hope to defeat someone like that.

But the knights weren’t the only ones astonished by Ghislain’s overwhelming prowess.

“W-what…?”

“Sir Astion is that strong?”

“He seems even stronger than Sir Julien…”

The guardsmen from the Larks Merchant Guild, who had been trembling in fear, now gawked in stunned admiration.

They no longer feared lord Magrel. They didn’t even have the time to consider it.

Julien, Deneb, and Kyle were just as shocked, unable to believe their own eyes.

“He… he’s really strong.”

“He never even showed us his full strength.”

“No wonder he was so confident.”

Even as they admired him, a burning desire ignited within them.

Someone this powerful was the one teaching them. If they simply followed Ghislain’s guidance, they too, would undoubtedly grow stronger.

Even if the training was grueling.

At some point, Ghislain had stopped attacking. The enemies were already too overwhelmed to do anything.

He casually glanced around before flicking his hand slightly.

Whoooosh!

Hundreds of mana lances materialized in the air. They spread out, surrounding the soldiers in return.

“From now on, anyone who moves will die.”

At those words, the soldiers instinctively froze. The knights, too, stood paralyzed.

None of them dared take even a single step, sweat pouring down their faces.

The massive amount of mana he had just expended left Ghislain’s face pale. No matter how much mana his 5th-Circle reserves held, it couldn’t supply him indefinitely.

But the battle had already been decided. No one even noticed his exhaustion.

Step, step, step.  

Ghislain strode leisurely toward Baron Magrel.  

For someone like him, who had been through countless battles, this was far too easy. If the enemy tried to suppress him with strength, he simply had to crush them with even greater strength.  

Baron Magrel trembled violently as Ghislain approached.  

“Y-you…”  

A single mana lance slowly advanced toward Baron Magrel’s forehead.  

“W-wait a moment…”  

Ghislain tilted his head slightly and spoke.  

“Will you accept the outcome of this duel?”  

“I-I…”  

Sssssk…  

When Baron Magrel failed to answer properly, the mana lance moved even closer.  

A thin trickle of blood began seeping from his forehead. Feeling the pain, Baron Magrel gasped in terror and shouted.  

“I-I surrender! I accept the outcome of the duel!”  

“Do you consent to this territory being transferred to House Larks?”  

“I consent! I consent! So just stop!”  

Ghislain turned to the two observers, who were shivering beside Baron Magrel, and asked.  

“As witnesses, will you testify that this land now belongs to House Larks?”  

“Y-yes, of course. You need not worry about that.”  

“We saw the outcome of the duel with our own eyes.”  

Ghislain grinned and continued.  

“As soon as you return, you must officially proclaim this to the territory. Inform the neighboring lands immediately as well. Understood?”  

“Y-yes, we will do so.”  

The observers had been promised a hefty sum to side with Baron Magrel, but in this situation, there was no reason to honor that agreement.  

There was no guilt to be had either. The duel had already ended in House Larks’ victory; this was simply following the natural order of things.  

With a firm confirmation, Ghislain turned his gaze back to Baron Magrel and spoke coldly.  

“Then you can die now. Keeping you alive would only be a nuisance.”  

“W-wait! I-I already ceded the land as promised!”  

“I already told you, didn’t I?”  

“T-told me what?!”  

“You wasted your last chance.”  

Shluk!  

With those firm words, the mana lance pierced straight through Baron Magrel’s skull.  

The greedy and ruthless Baron Magrel met his end just like that.  

Ghislain looked down at the fallen corpse and muttered.  

“You should’ve kept your word properly.”  

A heavy silence settled over the area.  

Even though their lord had just died, no one protested or even moved.  

Even Ghislain’s own allies were stunned by his decisiveness. Julien and Deneb were especially shaken; they had not lived a life like Ghislain’s.  

Only Kyle, deeply moved, watched with eyes gleaming in admiration.  

Ghislain coldly scanned the soldiers of the territory and spoke.  

“If anyone opposes House Larks inheriting this land, step forward now.”  

“…….”  

No one stepped forward.  

Who would dare? Standing against him meant certain death. Everyone was paralyzed by fear, watching Ghislain’s every move.  

Seeing that no one opposed, Ghislain slowly continued speaking.

“I will take this as everyone’s acceptance. Disarm immediately and swear loyalty to your new lord.”

At his words, the soldiers turned to look at the knights. After all, the knights were their direct superiors.

Ghislain then addressed the knights.

“This land has been rightfully inherited. Your former lord died because he defied the rightful owner of this territory. Changing banners should not be an issue.”

What he said was true. Everything Ghislain had done followed proper procedures.

Of course, he had used force to ensure those procedures were upheld.

Hearing Ghislain’s words, the knights, now given a legitimate reason, only hesitated for a moment before stepping forward toward Rio.

“We pledge our loyalty to our new lord.”

One by one, the knights knelt and bowed their heads. Seeing this, the soldiers also dropped their weapons and prostrated themselves before Rio.

“H-huh? Huh…?”

Rio was completely at a loss. This was an outcome he had never even imagined.

All he had wanted was to protect his family’s wealth, but somehow, he had ended up inheriting an entire territory.

Terrified, he looked toward Ghislain with a pleading expression.

“B-brother… I… I can’t—”

“Shhh.”

At Ghislain’s sharp glare, Rio hiccupped before hurriedly turning to the knights.

“I-I accept your loyalty. I-I will be counting on you all in the future.”

“We shall serve you with all our hearts.”

Given the situation, the oath of allegiance was brief, but in the end, every knight and soldier pledged their loyalty to Rio.

No one could call it coercion. Saying such a thing would get their heads smashed in instantly.

“Now, we must announce this to everyone. Let’s move immediately.”

When Ghislain decided to act, he did so at a speed that left no room for hesitation.

At his urging, several soldiers were dispatched as messengers, spreading the news across the territory.

Meanwhile, the two observers gathered the people near the lord’s castle to officially declare the change in leadership.

“…Thus, Baron Magrel was executed for defying the duel’s outcome… The new lord of this land is now House Larks… The remaining knights and soldiers have sworn loyalty to House Larks…”

The observers, trembling with fear, shouted at the top of their lungs.

They repeatedly emphasized that the knights and soldiers had pledged allegiance to House Larks. This was something Ghislain had specifically ordered them to include.

It was a deliberate move to ensure that the local forces had no room to consider rebellion.

Upon hearing that House Larks had taken over, the people of the territory erupted into cheers.

“Waaaaah!”

“A new lord!”

“We pledge ourselves to House Larks!”

The citizens welcomed Rio with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Even Rio himself was bewildered by their reaction.

The reaction of the citizens was only natural.

Baron Magrel had been a cruel and greedy ruler. They had suffered under his rule for years.

Meanwhile, they were already familiar with Rio of the Larks Merchant Guild. The guild had traveled throughout the territory conducting business, making Rio a known figure among the people.

He was a simple, kindhearted young man, always diligent and never exploiting others for profit.

With someone like him becoming their lord, it was no surprise that the people were overjoyed.

Everything was progressing exactly as Ghislain had planned. Within moments, Rio had become the new lord. Blinking in disbelief, he asked,

“B-brother… You handled everything on your own. Then why did you tell me to bring the guild’s forces…?”

“If they weren’t here, you’d be too scared to even act as lord. Have them handle important matters until things stabilize. I’ll help you along the way.”

That was true. Given his timid nature, Rio would have been terrified of the soldiers even after becoming lord.

Having his allies nearby made things easier, and Ghislain had arranged this deliberately for his sake.

“Brother!”

Rio’s eyes welled up with emotion as he looked at Ghislain gratefully.

Clicking his tongue, Ghislain sighed.

“Why do you cry so much? You’re such a crybaby.”

Even being scolded, Rio felt nothing but joy. Not only had he survived his family’s crisis, but every threat to their future had been wiped out.

Sitting in the highest seat of the lord’s castle, Rio fidgeted uncomfortably, clearly not used to his new position.

Ghislain smirked and said,

“Since you’ve become lord, it’s time for your first order. There’s something that must be done first, right?”

“Y-yes, you’re right. There’s something I must do.”

Rio nodded. In the rush of events, he had momentarily forgotten, but there was something he couldn’t ignore.

At his sudden summons, the knights and retainers all gathered. Rio, his voice trembling, gave an order to one of the knights.

“Arrest the Chief Overseer who betrayed our family.”

“Understood.”

The knight immediately led the soldiers out.

At that moment, Ghislain abruptly interjected, his voice urgent.

“Arrest the Captain of the Guard too!

He was not a man who ever forgot a grudge.