Chapter 261: This Should Be Enough (2)


    As the number of hunters following them increased, Kaor turned to Ghiin and asked,


    “Having so many subordinates is nice, but are you sure about this? They’re all rough types, so handling them won’t be easy.”


    “Are you scared?”


    “I’m not scared!”


    “The more people we have for the monster battles, the better. It’ll speed up leather procurement and they will be usefulter on. When I leave, you’ll need to handle them properly. Can you manage that?”


    If it were any other task, Ghiin would never have entrusted it to Kaor. However, Kaor had experience leading a small mercenary corps, and Ghiin decided to trust that experience.


    Hunters are simr to mercenaries—if anything, they tend to obey the strong even more readily than mercenaries.


    With Kaor’s foul temper, he should be more than capable of managing a few hundred hunters. He had already gained fame by defeating Doncard and had proven his skills.


    Kaor snorted and shed a confident smirk.


    “Don’t worry. I’ll keep them in line, even if I have to beat them up every day.”


    “Good. People like them resist small fears but submit before overwhelming terror. Don’t forget that.”


    Hearing those words, Kaor nodded, his expression tense. He felt like he was beginning to understand.


    After all, wasn’t he himself currently being dragged around under the overwhelming force of the lord’s authority?


    ‘Damn it! This hurts my pride! Someday, I’ll definitely have my rematch.’


    Fueled by his wounded pride, Kaor fumed and renewed his determination. It wasn’t just Gillian he wanted to surpass—one day, he would surpass Ghiin too.


    ‘That’s the way of a man, is it not?’


    Whether Kaor was brimming with resolve or not, Ghiin didn’t care. He had plenty of matters to handle before the monster wave arrived.


    He sought out a knight of Turian who was in charge of the fortress.


    “The monster wave ising soon. You’d better start preparing.”


    “…It’s still more than six months away, though,” the knight replied, his tone dripping with skepticism.


    The knight’s dismissive attitude was unmistakable. He found it amusing that Ghiin, who had only recently arrived, dared to make such derations about the monster wave’s timing.


    Ignoring the knight’s reaction, Ghiin simply delivered his message and left.


    “Just prepare properly and don’t regret itter. Plenty of people have regretted ignoring my advice.”


    After Ghiin departed, the Turian knight was left deep in thought.


    If the knight had been from another kingdom, he would have dismissed Ghiin’s words outright, thinking, “Another lunatic spouting some nonsense again.”


    But the people of Turian were different. They were a cautious bunch who had even built fortresses to fend off monsters.


    Grant, the Turian knight andmander of the fortress, wrestled with the situation.


    “He hasn’t been here long. He’s probably repeating nonsense he overheard somewhere.”


    “But his previous aplishments aren’t ordinary. He’s more professional than hunters who’ve been here for ages.”


    “Could he actually know something?”


    Preparing for a monster wave wasn’t as simple as tightening defenses. It meant locking down the fortress and halting all trade and supply routes.


    Normally, the fortress relied on monster byproducts to attract merchant guilds for economic activity. If trade stopped, the fortress would struggle to endure for long.


    Additionally, they would need to notify the royal court and nearby fortresses to initiate wartime protocols. This would prepare them in case the fortress fell.


    In short, not just this fortress, but the entire region would have to brace for war.


    It was thanks to such rigorous systems that the Kingdom of Turian had been able to withstand the overwhelming monster attacks from the Shadow Mountains.


    “If this is a false rm, the financial loss will be immense.”


    The monster wave’s cycle was almost predictable, allowing the fortresses to n ordingly.


    Since the fortresses had been established, there had never been a case where they entered wartime protocols prematurely due to a sudden warning.


    It was too risky to act on the words of a lunatic.


    After a sleepless night of deliberation, Grant spoke to his subordinate knights at dawn.


    “Prepare for the monster wave.”


    It wasn’t that he fully trusted Ghiin’s warning. It was Grant’spulsive caution that prevented him from dismissing even the wildest ims outright.


    “Also, keep an eye on Count Fenris. If no monster wave urs within a month, we’ll hold him ountable for the loss.”


    I couldn’t be sure how much money it was, but to make up for the losses, one would have to hunt monsters here for a lifetime.


    The moment Grant issued the order, the fortress entered a state of high alert. The entrance was sealed off, and hunters were prohibited from going out on hunts.


    Knights and soldiers moved busily, preparing for battle with the monsters.


    “Hurry up and move those supplies!”


    “Check the quantity of arrows and stones!”


    “From today on, double the number of guards!”


    Large ballistae and catapults were inspected, and strategic supplies were stacked densely around the fortress walls.


    As a result, roads and several areas within the fortress were blocked off. Economic activities ground to a halt, making life difficult, and tensions among the people rose.


    Some residents naturally voiced their dissatisfaction at the sudden and unexpected changes.


    “What’s going on all of a sudden? The monster wave isn’t due for a while, is it?”


    “They say that new guy, Ghiin or whatever his name is, ims it’sing soon.”


    “What nonsense is that? How does he even know something like that?”


    Since they couldn’t go out to hunt, the hunters couldn’t make any money. Of course, they directed their frustrations toward Ghiin.


    However, those who were preparing to confront him turned back before they could even reach him. Just dayster, the monsters really did swarm in.


    Rooooar!


    A mass of monsters of every kind rushed toward the fortress. Nobody knew how creatures that usually preyed on each other had seemingly coordinated to descend upon the fortress.


    The knights and soldiers of Turian, along with the hunters, all rushed to the fortress walls.


    The fortress and its inhabitants shared a fate; now that the monster wave had begun, there was no escaping it.


    The sheer number of monsters appeared to exceed ten thousand at a nce. The hunters, staring at the horde, were stunned.


    “What… what the hell is this? Why are they reallying all of a sudden?”


    “For years, the wave’s intervals have rarely been wrong. Even when they were off, it was by a month or two at most.”


    “How on earth did that guy know?”


    It wasn’t just the hunters who were dumbfounded. Even Grant, themander, was at a loss for words. He had prepared just in case, but he never expected it to actually happen.


    Though relieved that they were ready, the danger hadn’t disappeared.


    “Prepare for battle! Hunters, ready yourselves forbat as well!”


    Squeeeak!


    Grant snapped out of his shock and bellowed hismands. Soldiers began loading therge ballistae and catapults, while hunters picked up their weapons.


    Since there were flying monsters as well, they had to prepare for aerialbat alongside ground battles.


    Ghiin stood atop the fortress wall, gazing at the approaching horde. Behind him were the knights of Fenris and around 300 hunters he had recently recruited.


    The other hunters, though preparing for battle, kept ncing in Ghiin’s direction.


    “Kaor is over there.”


    “He’s the guy who beat Doncard, isn’t he? Our chances of surviving are higher near him.”


    “Let’s move a little closer to that side.”


    Hunters discreetly shifted closer to Ghiin’s group. Seeing this, Grant shouted in frustration.


    “Hold your positions, you idiots! Stay where you are!”


    The monsters weren’t usingdders, but many of them could easily scale the walls. Even a small pile of corpses could be a foothold for the nimblest among them. That’s why the hunters needed to stay in position.


    Ignoring Grant’smands, they shifted toward Ghiin’s side, where Kaor was. Their instinct for survival drove them to seek the protection of the strongest among them.


    Previously, Doncard was the fortress’s most formidable force. Perhaps not in one-on-onebat, but when it came to hunting monsters, he was unmatched and always led the charge.


    But now Kaor, the one who defeated Doncard, was here. Staying close to him seemed like the best bet for survival.


    Kaor brushed his hair back with an arrogant smirk.


    “Ha, these fools. At least they know who the strongest is. What a hassle.”


    Even as the monsters surged forward, he didn’t feel nervous. All he cared about was basking in the admiration of others.


    The hunters who had already signed contracts with Ghiin wore smug expressions, clearly relishing their position.


    ‘This is why acting quickly is so important!’


    ‘Jealous, aren’t they? That’s what you get for being so prideful!’


    Ghiin nced at the hunters who had approached and spoke.


    “Hey, do you all want to fight alongside us?”


    Every hunter nodded, clearly hoping to stay nearby while keeping themselves rtively safe.


    Ghiin readily granted their wish.


    “Alright. Since we’re busy, we’ll settle for a verbal agreement for now. Just fight hard with us. And don’t worry, Kaor, who beat Doncard, is with us.”


    “Woooo!”


    The hunters’ morale skyrocketed.


    In the past, it had been nearly impossible to get close to Doncard. His party monopolized the corpses of monsters, and they wouldn’t tolerate anyone sneaking in on their hunt.


    But the neers seemed either generous or foolish, as they epted anyone who asked to join. For the hunters, it couldn’t get any better than this.


    Watching Ghiin ept more hunters, Grant gave up on trying to control them.


    After all, hunters weren’t soldiers. Forcing them to move positions would only provoke resistance and wouldn’t work anyway.


    ‘Damn it, everything feels off since that guy arrived.’


    The unexpected monster wave, the hunters clustering together—all of it. It felt like the entire fortress was being pulled along by that man.


    Kaaaah!


    There was no more time for idle thoughts. The monsters were now within range of the ballistae and catapults.


    “Attack!” Grant shouted.


    At his signal, the ballistae and catapults unleashed their first volley.


    Thwaang!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Screeeech!


    Monsters exploded and were torn apart. The ballistae, in particr, proved highly effective against therger monsters.


    However, a few volleys weren’t enough to stop the overwhelming number of monsters. Soon, they pushed past the range of the siege weapons, rendering them ineffective.


    “Archers! Take aim… loose!”


    The archers, easier to maneuver than siege weapons, began their assault.


    Whooosh!


    A rain of arrows poured down, some targeting the flying monsters.


    While the thick hides ofrger monsters lessened the damage, the smaller ones were significantly affected.


    “Keep shooting! Don’t stop!”


    Until the monsters reached the walls, they had to keep up the arrow barrage. Even the few mages, who had wandered here for their own reasons, expended every ounce of strength to cast long-range spells.


    Rooooar!


    The ground-shaking noise grew louder, and the deafening cries of the monsters drew closer.


    Standing atop the wall, Ghiin assessed the monsters’ numbers and their proximity before nodding and saying:n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    “Alright, it’s about time to jump down. Everyone, prepare for the ‘Survival Roll with Only One Broken Arm.’”


    The nearby hunters looked puzzled, while the knights of Fenris wore gloomy expressions.


    ‘I knew this would happen.’


    ‘Of course, he wouldn’t fight in a normal way.’


    ‘I give up. I don’t even want to think about it anymore.’


    The knights, indifferent to the iing horde, had already resigned themselves. Withoutint, they pulled ropes from their belts.


    Seeing this, Ghiin grinned.


    “You guys are getting better at preparing to jump.”


    “Yes, yes. It’s just that we don’t want to jump directly. It hurts our shoulders,” some of the knights replied lifelessly.


    Attaching ropes haphazardly to the walls, they descended quickly, each carrying massive wooden crates on their backs.


    The sight left the hunters in shock.


    “What… what are they doing?”


    “Are they crazy? Why are they going down?”


    “They actually followed the order to jump down? Are they brainless?”


    What kind of idiot willingly follows amand to die? If you’re going to die anyway, wouldn’t it make sense to kill the one giving the orders first?


    Grant, seeing this madness, shouted again.


    “You lunatics! What are you doing?! Get back up here! Back up now! Unless you want to die from friendly fire!”


    Even as monsters approached, the archers could keep firing, even at targets directly below. But with allies down there, that wasn’t an option.


    No matter how much Grant raged, Ghiin ignored him. Instead, he turned to the bewildered hunters who had chosen to follow him and said:


    “What are you waiting for? Grab a rope and climb down.”


    “…Why should we?”


    “Fighting from the wall isn’t always the best strategy. That works against humans, but it’s different against monsters. It’s better to form a proper formation and fight in open ground. Besides, many of these monsters can scale walls anyway.”


    “But the walls are safer…”


    “This is your first time, so I’ll exin nicely. Against this many monsters, fighting on the ground is better. And there’s an even more important reason.”


    “What’s that…?”


    “If we fight down there and kill more monsters, we get to keep all the loot, don’t we? Alright, the exnation’s over. Get moving!”


    “…”


    The hunters were speechless. No matter how they thought about it, it sounded like a joke. Yet there were already people who had obeyed.


    They couldn’t make sense of the situation.


    While the hunters stood in stunned silence, Ghiin nced down and shouted:


    “They seem confused, so let’s just toss them down! Catch them properly!”


    A booming voice replied from below:


    “The monsters are closing in! Quickly toss them down!”


    “Alright, let’s get started,” Ghiin said.


    Without another word, he grabbed a hunter standing next to him and threw him over the wall.