317 – We need to raise the tension. (1)
In chapter 317, we need to raise the tension. (1)
The number of knights and monsters in front was about the same.
As the mercenary-born knights stepped forward, the other knights also tried to follow. After all, it should be the knights who take the lead in battle.
But one knight from the Mad Hounds waved his hand.
“Just watch from there this time. We’ll show you why we are the seniors.”
At that, the other knights looked at Ghislaine. He let out a small laugh and nodded his head.
“Let’s just call it a revenge battle. Let them be. They’ve been through a lot back then.”
It’s said that a typical Giant Mantis is comparable to a low-level knight. The ones living in the Forest of Monsters are surely stronger.
If it weren’t for Ghislaine’s command along with Belinda, Gillian, and Kaor back then, they would definitely have lost.
Knowing that the knights had heard about the considerable damage they suffered back then, they showed slight expressions of unease.
Swoosh!
The approach of the Giant Mantis became increasingly faster. They charged forward and swung their forelimbs at the knights approaching them.
Everyone was shocked to witness the speed of the Giant Mantis’s attack. Even the knights watching from a step back had a shiver run down their spines.
Slash!
But Gillian effortlessly dodged that attack and immediately swung his axe.
Crash!
The head of the Giant Mantis was cleanly severed.
Immediately after, Kaor and the knights each grabbed a Giant Mantis and rushed in.
Slash! Slash!
Indeed, the speed of the Giant Mantis’s attacks was so fast that ordinary soldiers couldn’t block it. However, for some reason, the knights were dodging effortlessly while attacking the Giant Mantises.
The knights watching from behind were wide-eyed.
“What the heck? Their skill wasn’t this good!”
“How are they dodging so easily?”
“Shouldn’t they be blocking or rolling?”
It was a speed that would be difficult to face unless they unleashed massive Mana themselves. Yet the knights facing the Giant Mantises were dodging with ease.
It was as if they knew when the attack was coming before it even began.
Ghislaine explained to the astonished knights.
“Those guys are certainly dangerous monsters, but their attack patterns are simple. It’s due to their body structure. Their rear end is longer, which limits their attack range, and it’s difficult for them to quickly change direction when you get behind them.”
Indeed, upon closer inspection, the attacks of the Giant Mantises were painfully simple. They mostly struck downwards or slashed sideways.
When the knights predicted the attacks and moved to the side, the mantises would turn their bodies in response, but their speed was relatively slow.
Crash! Crash!
The knights seized the moment and exploded their Mana, slicing into the bodies of the Giant Mantises.
Despite the sharp forelimbs and rapid advance speed, the defense of the Giant Mantis was quite weak. Their large size was of no use as their bodies were easily torn apart.
Ghislaine watched this scene and smiled.
“Everyone has learned the strategy from fighting with their lives on the line. Those who couldn’t survive are all dead. Aside from the Blood Python, these guys caused us the most damage.”
“…….”
“The ones who survived back then can now easily take down one of those on their own. Giant Mantises have extremely weak defenses. Even when we couldn’t use Mana, we could still inflict wounds; now, it’s even easier.”
Of course, the remaining knights could probably take down a Giant Mantis on their own. But to say it could be done so easily would be overconfident.
They could probably take down a Giant Mantis on their own. But it’s hard to guarantee they could do it so easily.
Experience definitely allows one to showcase their abilities to the fullest.
The Giant Mantises were wiped out in an instant. Knowing their opponents’ clear weaknesses, the knights had become too strong for the Giant Mantises to handle.
“Whoa!”
The soldiers and laborers shouted in excitement at the astonishing scene.
To catch such terrifying monsters so easily!
“Awesome! So it’s true that the Lord cleared this place!”
“The knights are something else, right? They’re way stronger than we thought!”
“Wow, nobody even got hurt.”
The guards of the Forest of Monsters were far more astonished than the others. Memories from the past were still vividly etched in their minds.
“Back then, so many died and there were a lot of injured, right?”
“It’s completely different now.”
“Everyone was a mercenary back then… I never thought they’d become this strong.”
For those who only remembered the fears and dangers of that time, this battle was a huge shock.
What kind of place was the Forest of Monsters? It was a dangerous area that people wouldn’t dare to enter.
Monsters living here couldn’t be easy to deal with. This was proof that the Knights of Penris had grown stronger.
“Truly, it’s the Grand Duke…”
All of this was possible thanks to Ghislaine. People couldn’t help but admire Ghislaine’s talent for honing the knights’ skills to this level.
The knights, with their mercenary backgrounds, wore proud expressions. They couldn’t help but feel nostalgic about their changed skills and status.
“Looks like we really have gotten stronger.”
“I was so scared back then.”
“Gaston, I avenged you.”
Some wore satisfied expressions, while others had a hint of tears as they thought of old comrades.
Thanks to the knights’ admirable performance, the mood quickly turned around. The soldiers and laborers brightened up with a sense of security.
With this kind of troop and so many skilled individuals, there was no reason to be afraid.
The mages all rushed toward the corpses of the Giant Mantises.
“This is definitely worth researching.”
“So, the corpses of the Giant Mantises from the Forest of Monsters… these are truly rare items.”
“The meat from these guys can be used as expensive medicine. Ah, it’s really good for men.”
The front legs of the Giant Mantis were sharp, making them suitable materials for various uses.
Even better was the meat. It was said to be good health food for men and was sold at a high price.
The mages busily cast freezing and preservation spells on the corpses of the Giant Mantises.
They made excuses about research, but it was obvious what they intended to do.
“Alright, let’s get back to work!”
At Ghislaine’s command, the soldiers and laborers moved in perfect harmony.
With the tension gone, their pace quickened. Some even started humming a tune.
“Doesn’t this seem pretty safe?”
“We might finish up soon!”
“We’ve already secured quite a large area, right? It feels like we just came for logging.”
As the soldiers and laborers chatted away, they focused on their tasks.
Every time an area was secured, the soldiers and laborers set up new barriers. They didn’t forget to build watchtowers to prepare for monster attacks.
Ghislaine, recognizing the entrance was starting out, didn’t recklessly expand their territory and decided to pause at a suitable point. They were here to obtain Runestones after all.
“Alright, we’ll start moving deeper in. We’ll expand our territory more once the entrance area stabilizes.”
“I will go further inside. Once the entrance territory is stabilized, I will expand it further.”
Under Ghislaine’s command, the troops and laborers moved in perfect harmony.
The laborers had significantly increased in number since they first entered the forest. Not only were the laborers from Penris present, but many were also coming from Perdium.
Thanks to the soldiers in charge of supplies spreading the rumor that the Forest of Monsters wasn’t as dangerous as expected.
The laborers from Perdium held a fundamental fear of the forest. But when they saw the knights easily dispatching the Giant Mantis, the people were relieved, thinking that the Forest of Monsters wasn’t that dangerous after all.
In reality, it was still the entrance area where the monsters were relatively weak, and this was possible because the knights had dealt with monsters before.
But it wasn’t just the laborers who had arrived.
“Grand Duke! What on earth is this! Moving the territory’s troops at your own whim! This territory doesn’t belong to you!”
Baron Homern stormed in, shouting loudly. His face was red, clearly showing he was furious.
If they were only bringing in the Penris troops, they couldn’t be stopped from pioneering the Forest of Monsters. But dragging Perdium’s troops around without permission!
Even as Grand Duke, this was crossing the line. Although, to be fair, he often didn’t know where the line was.
Ghislaine responded casually, “They’re just idle troops, right? There’s no threat, so we should use them.”
“Ah! But even so, you must respect the rules! Those are clearly the troops of Marquis Perdium! Even as an heir, you can’t just take them away! At the very least, you should discuss with me and plan it out!”
“That would take too much time.”
“Wha—what?!”
“If I have to discuss how many people we will use and coordinate it, it will just delay things. If we’re going to proceed anyway, why waste time?”
“Whoa! Who are you to say you proceed however you want! Did we leave our troops to you? How can you use my father’s soldiers so casually?”
Homern started getting all stubborn. While it was indeed annoying, he wasn’t entirely wrong.
Ignoring procedures and acting recklessly is certainly a mistake. There’s a reason for courtesy and procedures, after all.
Of course, Ghislaine understood that much. And he also knew how to get the better of Homern.
“This territory we’ve secured has excellent soil. Just sowing seeds will make them grow like crazy. I can even use regular grain without needing the Runestone.”
“And so? What does that matter! It’s not even ours!”
“I could transfer it to Perdium until I inherit the territory.”
“Re-really?”
Homern was taken aback, closing his mouth in shock. It wasn’t common for Ghislaine to be so generous.
Currently, the Perdium territory was practically running on the food and business Ghislaine provided.
The laborers were participating in road construction and various facilities, making money and engaging in economic activities.
Ghislaine had created a few new farmland sections, but due to the high consumption of the Runestone, they couldn’t manage the entire territory. That’s why they received significant support every year.
But now, securing territory equivalent to several villages in an instant and promising to expand it further! Just sowing seeds in this fertile land would undoubtedly ramp up Perdium’s food production tremendously.
In fact, even if he gave away all the land, it would not be a loss for Ghislaine.
“Since we have plenty of food anyway.”
“There’s plenty of gold.”
The primary reason for coming to the Forest of Monsters was for the Runestone, but expanding the territory was to enhance Perdium’s power further.
Even securing just the other resources found here would be enough for Penris.
If Perdium could independently procure a lot of food, growth would be faster than now.
And only then could they be of help in the fight against the Duke Faction.
“Lady, I shouldn’t have come. I should have just stayed put.”
Baron Homern started to sweat as he glanced nervously at Ghislaine. Having assisted in the war with Desmond, he thought he had nothing to lose, so he decided to act a bit tough, but here they were again.
Ghislaine chuckled and continued, “Let’s get more laborers to support us. The sooner, the better.”
“That’s why I came to ask if we need more laborers,” said Homern.
Homern’s specialty was knowing when to keep his mouth shut. He had already learned that during the last exploration of the Forest of Monsters. The second time was easier.
Once involved in the exploration project, laborers would make money, which, in turn, would keep Perdium’s economy vibrant.
He came to bolster his pride, but the rewards were simply too tempting to stubbornly hold onto pride.
“Please wait a moment. Understood?”
As Homern actively intervened, the number of supporting laborers rapidly increased. Promoting it at the territory level turned out to be far more effective than having word-of-mouth spread.
Homern also made sure to send over the Labor Assault Corps and the remaining soldiers.
Unlike before, with dwarves and mages participating in the work, the exploration project progressed even faster.
The road to the previously established Runestone resource area was soon becoming a significant territory.
Sturdy and large wooden palisades were erected without gaps at the territory’s edge, and watchtowers were built everywhere. With trees abundant in the forest as materials, there was no issue at all.
“Wow, at this rate, we might actually acquire enough land to be a proper territory!”
“The quality of the trees is fantastic. They’re so big and plentiful that we could use them for construction and still have plenty left over.”
“It doesn’t seem like there are as many monsters as I expected. I think the Giant Mantis was the most we encountered.”
Quite some time had passed since the last exploration, so some new monsters had settled in. However, having wiped them out once before and with it being the entrance area, it wasn’t as dangerous as before.
The newly appeared monsters weren’t many, and most of them were weaklings anyway.
The soldiers and laborers wandered around with ease, laughing, as it didn’t seem as dangerous as the rumors suggested, and work was a breeze.
With plenty of skilled individuals to handle dozens of monsters, there was no need to worry.
Seeing the reactions of the people, Ghislaine fell into thought for a moment. Soon, he called over Vanessa and explained something in a low voice.
“We’re about to stray from the path we took last time. Prepare as I mentioned. Make sure to explain to the mages as well.”
“Yes, I understand. So what about the others…?”
“No, don’t tell them. Only prepare among the mages.”
“Why? Wouldn’t that be too dangerous? Others should know in advance to prepare…”
At that, Ghislaine smiled faintly and said, “Everyone is getting too relaxed. They need to realize the danger so they can bring back some tension.”
“Tension?”
“Right. If we keep having fun like this, more than half will die at the destination.”
At those words, Vanessa’s face went stiff as a board.
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