Chapter 82: I’ll Go Negotiate. (1)


    “Krrrk…”


    Viktor let out his final scream.


    The light of life in his wide-open eyes, filled with resentment, extinguished. His body, which had been twitching sporadically, finally ceased all movement.


    Thud.


    Ghiin, who had been holding his sword deeply embedded in Viktor until the very end, copsed to the ground the moment he was sure of Viktor’s death.


    “Phew—!”


    He gasped heavily for a while before slowly standing up and surveying his surroundings.


    The battle’s aftermath had pushed back the mes, but the area was still filled with intense heat.


    “Ugh, this is tough.”


    Lacking strength in his body, he slumped back down.


    He tried to gather mana, but the flow was choppy and inconsistent.


    “Dammit, what a hassle.”


    The inner lining of his Dirus Ent armor had dried up and peeled off, no longer providing proper protection against the heat.


    Ghiin threw his armor off and forced the remaining mana in his body to block out as much of the heat as he could.


    In his current condition, wearing the armor would only weigh him down and make him even hotter.


    He staggered to his feet and began to walk again.


    But as he looked around, the area was engulfed in mes on all sides.


    “I have to get through all this fire.”


    The mes flickered like a snake’s tongue as if trying to devour him.


    With each step he took, it felt as though his entire body was being sliced open by a de.


    He had lost too much blood; his head felt light.


    Thud.


    His legs gave out again, and he dropped back down.


    “Hah, this is driving me insane.”


    His body was inplete shambles.


    If only he could get through these mes, it would all be over, but no solution came to mind.


    “Back in the day, someone would’vee to my rescue by now.”


    Being alone in situations like this was always the hardest.


    In his previous life, he had subordinates who would take care of the aftermath, but now he didn’t have anyone like that.


    He still had mercenaries with him, but… those guys could barely keep up with him, let alone handle cleanup.


    If anyone woulde for him, it might be Belinda, who would rush over if he werete, but she was probably too busy taking care of the mages he had entrusted to her.


    “Guess I have no choice. I’m going to have to face the mes.”


    With the little mana he had left, even blocking out the heat was bing difficult.


    If he used his mana to move his body, he wouldn’t be able to shield himself from the heat, and his skin would burn.


    “Tch, I was hoping to keep this face unscathed in this life.”


    Ghiin clicked his tongue in frustration.


    Back in his days as the King of Mercenaries, his face had been covered in scars.


    He had been quite pleased when he returned to the past, and his face was clean again… but it wasn’t worth trading his life for.


    “Let’s do this.”


    Ghiin stood up and directed his mana towards his muscles to support them.


    The heat, brimming with fiery mana, began to pierce into his body as soon as he did.


    He needed to get out of there before he was burned alive.


    Ghiin was about to suppress his growing impatience and take another step forward when it happened.


    “Young Lord!”


    Whoosh!


    Gillian appeared, slicing through the mes with a fearsome expression.


    “Are you all right?!”


    ‘Ah, right. I do have someone as capable as my old subordinates.’


    Ghiin greeted him with a weing smile.


    “I’m still holding up. You came at the perfect time.”


    “Did you fight that man?”


    Gillian nced at Viktor’s corpse as he asked.


    “He was the enemymander. I overexerted myself to take him down.”


    “We’ll get you out of here immediately.”


    “Yeah, I’m counting on you.”


    Whoosh!


    Gillian swiftly lifted Ghiin under his arm and dashed through the wall of mes.


    The scorching heat enveloped them, but Ghiin used his mana to shield himself.


    In no time, the two emerged from the fiery inferno. A rush of cool air greeted them, cooling down the intense heat.


    “Phew!”


    As the fresh air hit him, Ghiin finally let out a ragged breath. It felt as though the burning sensation in his chest had been washed away.


    Gillian carefully set him down and supported him.


    Ghiin looked around, taking in the scene.


    The area was littered with the bodies of enemies.


    “Looks like it’s all taken care of.”


    The waiting mercenaries approached, and they were visibly surprised upon seeing Ghiin.


    “Boss? Why do you look like you barely escaped death?”


    “We had a great time while you were out here struggling. Hahaha!”


    Ghiin chuckled at their jesting, then turned to Gillian to ask, “What about Count Digald?”


    “He fled early on. He’s got sharp instincts.”


    “Figures. He must be running for his life.”


    “The soldiers tried to flee with him, but we captured and killed most of them.”


    “Good. It’s not a bad idea to let a few escape if we want word to spread. We’re almost done here.”


    At that moment, a group of soldiers on horseback appeared in the distance, galloping toward them.


    “Young Master!”


    “Ghiin!”


    “Young Lord!”


    Belinda, Zwalter, and Randolph were leading the soldiers in a hurry toward him.


    They had been anxiously pacing back and forth when they saw Ghiin rush into the mes. Now, they had circled around the fort to reach him by way of the eastern gate.


    “You finally showed up,” Ghiin greeted them with a smile.


    Though his words seemed like a reproach for beingte, there was no real criticism in his tone.


    After all, it wasn’t like they could havee any faster. The mes were impossible to withstand without proper protection, so they had no choice but to take the long way around with the soldiers.


    In fact, if they had arrived any sooner, it might haveplicated things.


    If the enemy forces waiting in the rear had seen their soldiers emerge from the fort, they would have fled immediately.


    Belinda quickly dismounted and rushed over to Ghiin, clinging to him as she checked him over.


    “Young Master! Are you alright? Look at your face; it’s burnt! Why on earth did you go in there? I’m going to lose my mind, I swear!”


    At her rapid scolding, Ghiin hastily raised a hand to calm her down.


    “No, I’m fine. Really, I’m fine. I just got a little overheated, that’s all.”


    Belinda, looking close to tears, continued to support him.


    “Ghiin, are you all right?”


    “Young Lord!”


    Zwalter and Randolph hurriedly approached as well.


    “Everything’s fine. You all did well,” Ghiin said with a smile, causing Zwalter to let out a sigh of relief.


    He had wondered what on earth Ghiin was thinking, running into the fire like that…


    Looking at the armor of the mercenaries standing nearby, he noticed something stuck all over it.


    Though he wasn’t sure exactly what it was, it seemed to have helped shield them from the mes to some extent.


    ‘So, he had everything prepared in advance.’


    He was curious about how such an enormous trap had been set, but those questions could wait until after the war’s aftermath was handled.


    For now, it was time to celebrate the victory.


    Zwalter muttered to himself, his face filled with emotion.


    “We really won.”


    It had been a hopeless situation, with all requests for aid denied and no supplies to face the massive enemy force.


    Yet, in the end, Ferdium had emerged victorious.


    Zwalter looked at his son.


    ‘You won.’


    Suddenly, Ghiin appeared different to him.


    He had cut off the enemy’s supplies, destroyed their siege towers, repelled surprise attacks, and, in the end, used a trap to annihte the enemy.


    Men who treated lives like flies, using any means necessary to achieve their goals.


    Those who did not fear war lived amidst battle’s brutal madness.


    There was a simr scenting from Ghiin.


    His actions were iprehensible, breaking beyond the bounds ofmon sense.


    He was so different from the son Zwalter thought he knew. It left him feeling uneasy and ufortable.


    But it was Ghiin who had protected Ferdium.


    ‘He used to be a fool…’


    No, in fact, he was still a troublemaker, disobedient and self-centered.


    There was no sign of a noble’s dignity in him.


    But he was bold, and he was capable.


    Who would dare call Ghiin trash now?


    His son was the savior and hero of this ce.


    As if trying to hide his trembling hands, Zwalter slowly embraced Ghiin.


    “You did well. Truly, you did well. It’s all thanks to you.”


    “Father…”


    The usually stoic Zwalter was showing rare, intense emotions, and Ghiin smiled at him.


    Unable to contain the emotion welling up from deep within, Randolph raised his sword high and shouted in a booming voice.


    “We have won! Victory for Ferdium!”


    “Woooaaaaaaah!”


    “Victory! We won!”


    The soldiers who had followed them lifted their weapons, shouting with faces full of emotion.


    Not wanting to be left behind, the mercenaries also raised their voices.


    “We did it! We killed them all!”


    Ghiin bit his lip as he looked around at everyone.


    They were all celebrating their survival and victory.


    Yes, this was why he had fought—to protect them.


    It had been grueling and exhausting. In the spare moments he had, he had devoted himself to training, leaving little time to rest.


    There had been more than a few times when he just wanted to quit and take it easy.


    But when he thought about how his endurance allowed these people to smile now, he realized he could endure hardships like that as many times as necessary.


    Whoosh.


    The mes started to die down, noticeably weakening as the fire began to fade away.


    As the mes subsided, Zwalter couldn’t help but smile with joy.


    “Let’s return to the fortress. Once everything is settled, we’ll hold a victory banquet.”


    Everyone around them continued to shout in celebration, basking in their triumph.


    Zwalter, too, was unable to hide his smile.


    Only Ghiin shook his head and spoke coldly.


    “We must immediately secure Count Digald’s formal surrender.”


    “Well, Randolph can go tomorrow and—”


    “That will be toote. I’ll go right now with the mercenaries.”


    “Is there really a need to rush? The war is already over.”


    “No, the more time we give him, the more he’ll start scheming. We must act swiftly, storm in, and demand reparations under favorable conditions. If he manages to seek protection from another lord, the aftermath will be far moreplicated.”


    “You’ve even thought that far ahead?” Zwalter eximed in surprise.


    There wasn’t a single w in his son’s reasoning.


    If Count Digald managed to recover from the war’s damage on his own or received aid from somewhere, he could take a passive stance on reparations.


    If that happened, negotiations would drag on endlessly, so they had to cut him off before he had the chance.


    And if Digald fled, even upying hisnd would be pointless.


    After all, the justification for the wary with Count Digald, and if he took refuge in another domain, it would only make things more difficult.


    ‘He’s thinking like a seasonedmander who’s been through countless battles.’


    Zwalter had been too caught up in the miraculous victory to consider these things, but Ghiin was already nning the next step.


    Admiring his son’s quick and calcted judgment, Zwalter calmed his excitement.


    “Yes, you’re right. In that case, Randolph and I will head out right away—”


    “No, that won’t do. The two of you need to reassure the people and quickly reorganize the estate. We may have won, but we’ve requisitioned too many soldiers and resources. The estate’s economy is likely in disarray.”


    “Th-that’s true. Everyone must be struggling.”


    “Make sure to promise thempensation and provide them with reassurance. I’ll give you Runestones, so there won’t be a shortage of funds.”


    “Oh, really? You’ll provide Runestones?”


    Zwalter’s eyes lit up as if that one word had enchanted him.


    His son, who had always been tight-fisted, was now offering up Runestones of his own ord!


    His heart raced so fast that he barely registered anything else Ghiin said.


    He was still unaware that a quantity of Runestones equivalent to the estate’s decades-long budget had already been consumed in the earlier battle.


    Ghiin continued his tone firm.


    “Then, I’ll go secure the terms of surrender and reparations. After that, you can step in to negotiate the details.”


    “Yes, yes. I’ll do that.”


    Feeling an unexinable intensity from his son, Zwalter could only nod in agreement.


    After the war, the priority was to calm the people of the estate and reorganize it.


    The war itself had been justified under the pretense of avenging the heir, so negotiating reparations would undoubtedly take some time.


    With so many urgent tasks at hand, it made sense to let Ghiin handle the initial phase of dealing with the reparations. All he needed to do was secure the terms of surrender and basicpensation conditions.


    Zwalter, having gathered his thoughts, asked once again,


    “You don’t look well. Are you sure you can handle this?”


    “I can manage,” Ghiin replied.


    That was a lie. He felt like he could copse at any moment and sleep for days.


    But Ghiin had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.


    “Young Master! Just leave this to the Knight Commander!” Belinda pleaded.


    “That’s right, I can go and hold him down,” Gillian added.


    However, Ghiin shook his head.


    “No, I’ll go.”


    It seemed that his uncanny recovery ability had kicked in again, and after a brief rest, he felt somewhat capable of moving.


    “Everyone, mount up!”


    Ghiin and the mercenaries took the horses that the Ferdium forces had ridden in on.


    “Bring the ‘Forest of Beasts’ patrols along with us.”


    “Huh?”


    Skovan and Ricardo widened their eyes in surprise as Ghiin turned to Zwalter and exined.


    “I’ll leave the patrols behind to keep an eye on Count Digald during the negotiations, ensuring he doesn’t try anything.”


    “Hmm, fine. Once the estate is settled, I’ll send reinforcement troops,” Zwalter agreed.


    The patrols, who had hesitated at first, mounted their horses after receiving permission from their lord.


    Before Ghiin set off, Zwalter cautiously spoke again.


    “Though we fought a war due to misunderstandings, Count Digald is still a noble who has pledged loyalty to the royal family and has been our long-standing ally. Now that the battle is over, treat him with proper respect.”


    Zwalter, being a man who valuedw, customs, and honor, couldn’t help but worry that his unruly son might act out and be disrespectful.


    “Understood. Don’t worry,” Ghiin replied, offering a slight smile before bowing his head briefly and raising his hand.


    “Let’s ride straight to Count Digald’s territory!”


    Dudududu!


    With that, Ghiin led the mercenaries and the patrols at a gallop.


    It was time to bring this war to a proper conclusion.