Chapter 698: Chapter 698

Not long after the envoy of Marquis Falkenheim departed, new information arrived.

“Oh, we finally received word. They want to hold a victory banquet at Crest County’s lordship castle. They propose we finalize the distribution discussions there.”

Andrew handed Ghislain a letter from Count Swifel. After making excuses for so long, he was only now responding, months after the war had ended.

The ridiculous part was that Count Swifel had already taken over all the key strongholds of Crest County. Only after occupying even the lordship castle did he send word.

By this point, even Andrew and Rio couldn’t help but show uneasy expressions.

“He waited until he seized the whole territory before reaching out. Why would he do that?”

“Could it be that he wants to claim it all for himself?”

“That wouldn’t work anyway…”

There was no way to take Crest County without clashing with Julien’s Mercenary Corps. But Count Swifel lacked the strength to fight them.

Even putting Julien’s Mercenary Corps aside, both Nodehill and the Larks had surpassed Swifel’s strength thanks to taking in prisoners.

And yet, he had taken control of all the major strongholds and then reached out, there was no way not to be suspicious.

“Could it be… Count Swifel has found some other way to take the Crest territory?”

At Andrew’s question, Ghislain nodded.

“He must have found a way to deal with us.”

“Hmm, I feel like even if it came to a fight, we’d still win.”

“That’s right. They can’t face us in a direct confrontation anymore. So, they must be plotting something.”

“What kind of scheme do you think it is?”

“He probably received support from Marquis Falkenheim in the form of knights. I suspect his plan is to ambush the leadership during the banquet.”

Upon hearing Ghislain’s speculation, Andrew immediately realized what was happening. He flared up in anger.

“What a coward! That bastard’s lower than a duck!”

He already knew that someone from Marquis Falkenheim had approached Julien’s Mercenary Corps. He also knew Ghislain had turned down the marquis’ proposal.

And now Count Swifel had sent an invitation to finalize the territorial discussions. Just as Ghislain said, there was a high chance Swifel was up to something.

It was an obvious ploy, yet still troublesome to deal with. If they didn’t attend because it was a trap, Count Swifel would simply dig in and stay.

“What should we do? We can’t go ourselves… Should we just give up on the territory?”

“Why would we give it up? Even if we don’t go, Marquis Falkenheim will eventually attack this place.”

It was clear he’d raise an army under the pretense of avenging a vassal. They could wait and fight when that happened, but Ghislain preferred offense over defense.

“Better to go now and reduce their forces even a little. They probably sent high-level knights. While we’re at it, we can also take care of Count Swifel.”

“Hmm, in that case, wouldn’t it be better to first pull back our troops and warn him to hand over the territory? If he refuses, we can go into a full-scale war.”

“That’s time-consuming and troublesome. If we just show up, they’ll pick a fight on their own. Then we can finish it right there.”

“…Will that really work?”

Andrew asked the same question again. He always felt that Ghislain’s methods were too reckless.

But truthfully, he also felt a sense of anticipation. The approach might be rough, but Ghislain had resolved every issue so far.

Ghislain grinned as he replied.

“Of course. I don’t fight battles I can’t win.”

If he thought he might lose, he would rather retreat and build his strength. He didn’t jump into fights carelessly. That was Ghislain’s creed.

Andrew and Rio nodded with firm expressions. They didn’t have a choice anyway.

If Julien’s Mercenary Corps was destroyed, they’d be finished too. All they could do was follow Ghislain and pray for victory.

Ghislain looked around at the other officers and asked,

“This time, we’ll be going straight into enemy lines. It’ll be a good experience. Is anyone scared?”

Deneb raised her hand without hesitation.

“……”

That honesty left Ghislain at a loss for words. Considering Deneb’s current skill level, it was only natural for her to feel overwhelmed.

‘Ah, she really needs to awaken soon.’

If she did, no one would be able to touch her. But since there was still no method in sight, Ghislain felt frustrated too.

In any case, Ghislain wasn’t the type to halt things just because someone was scared.

“…Everyone else is good, right?”

Tyran glanced around furtively. Kyle also looked around awkwardly, and their eyes ended up meeting.

“Ahem… I’m not scared.”

“Me neither… not scared.”

It was obvious to anyone that they were a little scared. Both were among the top fighters in the region, but going up against knights from Marquis Falkenheim’s side was intimidating.

Still, out of pride, the two managed to put up a front. While they did so, Julien spoke calmly.

“If that’s the best approach, then let’s go with it.”

“That’s our commander.”

Ghislain nodded with a pleased expression. Julien was growing even faster than he’d expected.

Kyle and Tyran just pouted. With Julien saying that, it only made them look bad.

Osval, who was also considered an officer in his own right, quietly spoke up.

“Sir. Osval the man… I haven’t seen my parents in a while. I should probably head back to my hometown for a bit.”

“Alright, then. Since no one’s backing out, let’s head straight for Swifel Estate and settle this.”

With Ghislain’s words, everyone was practically dragged along. Andrew and Rio also moved with the territorial forces in tow.

Count Swifel welcomed Ghislain’s group with great enthusiasm.

“Hoho, welcome, welcome. I had so much to take care of, my invitation came far too late. Now, now, come in and enjoy the banquet while we talk.”

The mercenaries and the army set up camp separately near the lordship castle. Since there were thousands of them, tents were erected all over the area.

Count Swifel casually glanced over the forces of Nodehill and the Larks.

‘These bastards… have they already recruited the prisoners? Fools. Their numbers may have increased, but they’ll never unite properly.’

He smirked inwardly. They’d apparently taken in prisoners somehow, but it was a meaningless effort.

The prisoner forces outnumbered them to begin with. If a battle broke out, they’d collapse quickly. Not that a clash would even happen once the leadership was dealt with, the rest would be easy to persuade.

‘The prisoners will waver and switch sides in no time. I have Marquis Falkenheim backing me, after all.’

Count Swifel truly believed this operation would succeed today.

‘But… why do they all look so grim? Did something bad happen? Looks like a stroke of luck for me though…’

Everyone’s expressions were unusually sharp. Their movements were brisk, even tense.

It didn’t make sense for such unity to form in just a few months, which only made it feel more suspicious.

‘They look like people in need of something to vent their anger on…’

The more discontent, the better. That would make them easier to sway. He figured Nodehill and the Larks weren’t treating them properly.

Count Swifel was relaxed. He was convinced the soldiers would surrender easily once the commanders were removed.

Though they had gathered under the pretext of postwar negotiations, it was also a victory banquet. Alcohol and meat were being distributed even to the waiting soldiers.

Just as they were about to enter, Andrew spoke with an awkward expression.

“I left in such a rush, I didn’t have time to relay final orders to the officers. Please, go ahead without me. I’ll be in shortly.”

Rio chimed in, also looking uncomfortable.

“Same here. I forgot the gift we prepared for the Count. I’ll be right back with it.”

Before Count Swifel could say anything, Ghislain interjected.

“Please, go ahead. The commander and I will stay with the Count and continue the discussion.”

At that, Count Swifel chuckled.

“Hoho, take your time, the banquet is long. Shall we head in, then?”

And so, only Ghislain, Julien, and Kyle followed Count Swifel. Deneb and Tyran stayed outside to oversee the mercenaries.

As they entered the banquet hall, a strange atmosphere hung in the air. Ghislain scanned the crowd.

Everyone was dressed in splendid clothing, yet something felt off. They stared at Ghislain’s group expressionlessly.

Count Swifel spoke with an awkward smile.

“Ha ha, they’re nearby nobles and military commanders. A banquet feels lifeless without enough people, wouldn’t you agree? So, I invited them.”

“Is that so?”

He let out a slight chuckle. For something meant to liven the atmosphere, everyone’s expressions looked far too stiff.

Even the servants guiding guests and serving food radiated a sharp, tense aura.

The stifling atmosphere continued. At a banquet, people should be chatting and laughing, but there wasn’t any of that.

Count Swifel, still wearing his unnatural smile, spoke again.

“Well then, let’s start by having a drink. Once the liquor flows, this stiff air will ease up and everyone will get along better, don’t you think?”

Everyone raised their glasses and drank at once. But none of the guests took a sip.

Seeing this, Count Swifel spoke in a teasing tone.

“What’s wrong? Afraid I might’ve poisoned it? We all drank it too, didn’t we?”

Ghislain said nothing and simply tipped his glass. The liquor inside spilled onto the floor.

After emptying it, he set the glass down.

Clang.

The glass shattered loudly against the floor. It was the only sound in the banquet hall.

Despite the crowd, not a single other sound was made. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on them.

It was beyond eerie. This wasn’t a banquet.

He glared at Count Swifel and spoke.

“No need to keep up the act.”

“……”

“How about we cut to the chase? I already know everything. And this pathetic poison wouldn’t have done a thing anyway.”

“…Heh heh.”

Count Swifel let out a chuckle, his shoulders shaking. Indeed, it had been far too blatant, even by his standards.

He found it curious how they’d knowingly walked into his trap, fully aware of his intentions.

Count Swifel looked at him and said,

“You thought we couldn’t handle you with our own strength? So, you just strolled into the banquet hall knowing it was a trap?”

“You gave me a seat at the table, why would I refuse? Makes it easier to take over Swifel County.”

“Kuhuhu… And it didn’t occur to you that maybe I prepared this place because we’re ready to take you down?”

His overconfident remark made the ‘mage’ smirk.

“That’s the usual mistake. Assuming you’ve got us all figured out, thinking your preparations match our capabilities. Know what happened to the others who thought like that?”

“What happened to them?”

Ghislain pushed his staff forward and said,

“They all died.”

“……”

“If you’ve got more people to call in, do it now. If this is all you’ve got, it’s just disappointing.”

There were over fifty people inside the banquet hall already. And yet, he said it wasn’t enough.

Count Swifel frowned. Despite all his preparations, that confidence seemed to rattle him.

“Well then… let’s see how long you can keep acting cocky.”

As he raised his hand, the doors all around the banquet hall opened, and fully armed knights stepped inside.

They handed out swords, shields, and throwing spears to the others already present. Turns out, every guest who had arrived earlier was a knight as well.

Adding the knights sent by Marquis Falkenheim and those under Count Swifel’s command, their total force numbered around a hundred.

When they all released their aura at once, a crushing pressure descended upon the three.

Letting their presence wash over him, Ghislain arched a brow, impressed.

“This era really is packed with strong ones.”

Just at a glance, most of them were high-ranking knights. A few top-tier ones were mixed in too. With that kind of power, they could easily take down a single Transcendent head-on.

They definitely had reason to be confident. Especially since he wasn’t in a state he could truly call “whole” as a Transcendent right now.

However, there was one thing they’d misunderstood.

“You’re making a mistake if you think I’m just another Transcendent.”

His level had already surpassed that of a Transcendent. He was someone who could make the impossible possible through the Power of Will.

Vrrrrrrr…

It wasn’t from outside, his mana began to rearrange itself from within.

As the mana restructured, it began forming virtual cores throughout his body.

Vrrrrrrr…

The moment one core formed, his mana flowed into it and began to rotate. That mana then exited the first core and flowed into a second, beginning to spin again.

Each time his mana traveled to a new core, its rotation grew faster and more powerful.

In total, he created three virtual cores.

Every time one core activated, his mana multiplied in strength.

Though these cores were a bit inferior to the ones he had made in his original body, being at a transcendent level more than made up for the gap.

KWAANG!

His energy burst forth, dominating the space and spreading in all directions.

The hundred knights, who had all been projecting their presence, flinched and instinctively stepped back.

With a fierce grin, he crouched low into a ready stance.

“A hundred, huh… Now this is going to be fun.”

FWOOOSH!

A blazing red light burst from his eyes.