Chapter 19: I Need Some Variables. (4)
Gillian said he could leave anytime, but the actual preparation took longer than expected.
There weren’t many possessions, but the numerous weapons scattered throughout the house were the real problem.
The wagon was too small and old to properly pack all the weapons inside.
Seeing this, Ghislaine offered some money.
“Buy a decent wagon. Make it comfortable for Rachel to travel.”
After gathering everything, the wagon pulled by two horses looked terrifyingly bizarre.
Small lances hung off the saddles of each horse, and various weapons were stuck haphazardly to every side of the wagon.
Gillian himself strapped a sword and hand axe to his waist and even attached a crossbow to his back. Anyone would mistake him for heading to a battlefield.
The knights shook their heads in dismay.
“Is this some kind of mobile bandit fortress? Is that many weapons really necessary?”
Truly strong people only carry the weapons they primarily use.
Even heavily armored knights on the battlefield usually bring only a couple of weapons, leaving the rest to their squires if necessary.
To the knights, Gillian’s appearance looked like someone unwilling to part with their weapons, dragging them along like a hoarder.
But Ghislaine merely nodded at Gillian’s armory packing without saying much.
“Let’s depart. We can send someone to get any forgotten items later.”
Gillian drove the wagon, while the rest of the party rode as they had when they first arrived at Raybold.
Belinda glanced over at Ghislaine from a distance, deep in quiet contemplation.
“It’s not just a change in personality. No matter how I think about it, it’s strange.”
At first, she thought he had finally come to his senses and matured.
She assumed his skills were finally shining after all the training he had done.
She convinced herself that his once hidden talent was finally emerging.
Having taken care of the reckless Ghislaine since childhood, she had unconsciously leaned towards only thinking positively about everything.
But no matter how she tried to understand it positively, the incident of treating Gillian’s daughter left her baffled.
The act of treating her daughter doesn’t make sense.
“Such knowledge is something the Young Master could never know alone.”
Ghislaine wasn’t particularly smart, and his experiences were limited. He had never even stepped outside the territory, so where would he gain such knowledge?
Moreover, Belinda was well aware that Ghislaine had been keeping his distance from books since he was a child.
So, how in the world did someone like him come to know an unknown treatment method? It just didn’t add up.
“Could it be… a dark mage?”
Belinda fidgeted with the dagger in her pocket, considering all possibilities.
She had heard that among legendary dark mages, there were those who could transfer their souls into other people’s bodies to continue living.
Belinda tried to find something odd in Ghislaine’s expressionless face.
“No, wait. He just looks different; it’s still our cute Young Master.”
Though he occasionally showed a different side, the unique atmosphere she sensed from Ghislaine hadn’t changed.
Having cared for Ghislaine since he was young, she couldn’t possibly overlook that.
He had become oddly relaxed and sly, but considering the Ghislaine from before he took a turn, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
He had always had a slightly airheaded side.
Now, perhaps, it felt like that with an extra dose of confidence added on top.
The same yet different person.
That was the depiction of Ghislaine as Belinda saw it now.
“I really don’t get it. He just won’t share anything.”
Though she had tried to pry it out of him several times, Ghislaine had casually brushed it aside by saying he would tell her later.
Eventually, Belinda stopped the unyielding suspicion that yielded no answers and began to ponder how to use the medicine Ghislaine developed.
“If I play my cards right, it seems it could earn some money.”
Belinda managed all the funds allocated to Ghislaine’s upkeep.
She was always mulling over how to support Ghislaine within that limited amount, so seeing an opportunity to earn even a single coin made her heart race.
“The ingredients are the problem. Only the wealthy can use it.”
The ‘Blessing of the Fairy,’ used as an ingredient in the medicine, was a flower that only grew in tiny quantities in specific areas, making it even more expensive than gold.
Despite the exorbitant price, it was utilized as a material for high-quality medicines and potions due to its various effects.
“Still, it should be cheaper than receiving Divine Power treatment… Maybe just the recipe could be sold for a decent sum?”
While the group was lost in their thoughts, Ghislaine had a rather lengthy conversation with Gillian.
With Ghislaine not exerting noble authority and acting casually, Gillian was able to relax as well.
“You seem quite free-spirited despite being a noble.”
“Hehe, I guess I’m a bit laid-back.”
Though Gillian put it lightly, Ghislaine really didn’t seem noble at all.
After all, he had spent more time as a mercenary than as a noble, which was only natural.
He was a person who possessed only the bare minimum of noble dignity, appearing more like a confident commoner in the eyes of others.
“Well, I’ve been trying to act with some semblance of sophistication lately. But it feels so uncomfortable.”
“There are times when it’s better to act freely when you’re young. Enjoy your youth.”
“There are times when it’s better to just enjoy youth.”
“I want that too, but my youth is already mortgaged to other matters. It’s a little disappointing.”
Ghislaine occasionally dropped comments that didn’t make sense to Gillian, but he shrugged it off, thinking Ghislaine just had a peculiar personality.
*
The party arrived at the edge of Raybold Territory without any unusual incidents.
At first, Amelia’s intentions made him a bit nervous, but even when they passed through some rather dangerous areas, there were no ambushes.
“If we pass through here, we’ll soon be out of Raybold Territory.”
Ghislaine said, looking relieved.
As he looked ahead, he noticed trees densely lining both sides of the road.
It wasn’t a large forest, but there were enough trees that one could easily get lost if they wandered in carelessly.
While the risk of an ambush was significant, taking that path was the fastest way to get to Perdium Territory.
If they didn’t use that road, they would have to either cross the mountains or take a long detour.
‘With that personality, if there’s an ambush, she’ll definitely send a capable enough force to handle it.’
Of course, Ghislaine was confident he could repel any force Amelia might send, since he hadn’t shown her his full strength. Amelia wouldn’t be able to accurately gauge his abilities.
Even Amelia would find it taxing to send someone capable enough to handle Ghislaine. After all, just because a skilled person is needed doesn’t mean they can be summoned at a moment’s notice.
But there was no harm in being cautious.
As they entered the start of the road, Ghislaine discreetly released his mana like thin threads, spreading it in all directions.
‘This is the best place to set up an ambush. It’s an awkward position to complain about Raybold Territory, too.’
Dozens of thin strands of mana, almost like threads, swept around the party and spread out into the distance.
Ghislaine’s technique was something only a master at the highest level would recognize.
After nodding a few times, Ghislaine turned to the party and said, “Let’s pass through.”
They slowly urged their horses deeper into the path.
Throughout their journey on the road, Ghislaine did not say a word. The knights moved forward, somewhat tense.
However, as time passed, nothing happened at all. One by one, the knights began to relax.
When they reached the end of the narrow forest path, Belinda, who was next to Ghislaine, twitched her eyebrows.
A faint sense of danger brushed against her skin.
It was a hunch forged from her accumulated experience.
As she focused her mana, familiar sensations began to register.
Feeling confident, Belinda opened her mouth.
“Young Master, wait a moment…”
But before her sentence could finish, Gillian leapt onto a horse and severed the tether to the wagon.
“I’ll handle it. Please rest.”
He then pulled out a crossbow slung across his back and fired a bolt. At the same time, the horse Gillian rode surged forward.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The modified crossbow could fire three bolts in quick succession, and they soared through the tall trees, striking home.
“Gahhh!”
Several people who had been hiding and camouflaged among the trees fell to the ground.
Simultaneously, loud noises rang out from all directions.
It echoed.
“I noticed!”
“Attack!”
People sprang up from the ground, and those hidden among the leaves on branches leaped into action.
Estimated to be around thirty of them.
As Ghislaine’s knight attendants were startled and drew their swords, Gillian charged at the emerging foes, shouting.
“Look at all these little rats!”
Gillian scoffed, abandoned his crossbow, and pulled out the two hand-axes tucked into his waist, throwing them.
Thwack!
The hand-axes lodged in the foreheads of the frontmost enemies. They fell without even a scream.
But Gillian didn’t spare a glance at the lifeless bodies.
He immediately retrieved the small lance that hung beside his saddle and fired it straight toward the midst of the advancing enemies.
Thwack!
“Ugh!”
In an instant, several people were pierced by the small lance, their heads shattered.
He charged on, mercilessly plowing through enemies in his path.
The knight attendants watching were so awestruck by the attack that they momentarily forgot they had been ambushed.
“Is he… is he lancing?”
“Is that even possible in this terrain?”
In a forest filled with obstacles like trees and rocks, such a feat was nearly impossible.
Moreover, piercing through enemies like that continuously would be difficult even on flat ground without exceptional horsemanship.
However, Gillian nimbly dodged the obstacles while maintaining his horse’s speed. All that remained in his wake were the bodies of the enemies.
It was truly an astonishing technique.
The enemies, perhaps aghast, gritted their teeth and shouted.
“Forget him! Kill that Ghislaine first!”
They began to rush toward Ghislaine, avoiding Gillian.
“Young Master, I…”
As Belinda and the knights desperately tried to intervene, Ghislaine raised his hand to stop them.
“It’s fine, Gillian said to let him rest.”
Meanwhile, Gillian, already having turned the reins and changed direction, was charging back towards Ghislaine.
Ignoring the enemies spread out around him, he quickly approached the wagon and tore off a massive shield that was attached to its side.
An enemy who had come within close range pulled out a dagger from his bosom and threw it at Ghislaine.
Swoosh!
The sound of blades slicing through the air resonated endlessly. Daggers were flying from all directions.
But even with gleaming blades before him, Ghislaine’s expression was calm and relaxed.
Tap, tap, tap!
At that moment, Gillian leaped in front of Ghislaine. The massive shield blocked all the blades.
Then he swung the shield forward with great force. Two or three rushing enemies were sent hurtling away.
Belinda asked, bewildered.
“Wait, who is that guy? What is he?”
Ghislaine, who usually treated it as a secret, answered this time nonchalantly.
“I’m Gillian, the leader of the Ratatoskr Mercenary Corps. A master of combat capable of fighting in any terrain and situation.”
Ghislaine quietly smiled as he looked at Gillian’s reassuring figure from behind.
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