Episode 39: I’m Finally Useful Now. (2)
I tried to prepare as much as possible using the information from my past life, but not everything could go perfectly according to plan.
“I can’t die here.”
It’s not like I’ve never run away in my life. I don’t have a huge aversion to fleeing.
If necessary, fleeing and waiting for the next opportunity can also be part of a strategy.
If I die, my family and territory will eventually perish like in my previous life.
I’m not going through this hardship of entering the Forest of Monsters just for fun, but to prevent that grim situation from happening.
So, I absolutely cannot die here.
Only I know about Perdium’s future.
“But…”
There are times when you can’t afford to run away.
If you flee when there’s no next opportunity, all that follows is a downhill slide.
Considering the circumstances of the territory, my strength, external threats, and all the information I know, reaching the destination is the best and only breakthrough.
If I miss this chance, the family and territory will inevitably face the same results as my past life.
Ghislaine opened her eyes and looked around at the people.
Faces filled with tension, waiting for her orders.
Many people would die moving forward.
I have no arrogant thought of saving them all to achieve my goal.
I advanced even while losing numerous companions and followers in my past life.
“But… That doesn’t excuse letting them all die here.”
When Ghislaine made her decision in her heart, a man jumped out among the mercenaries and shouted.
“You idiots! It’s over! Even the employer has no way out! What are you doing not running away?!”
It was Manus who jumped out.
Manus continued to shout as he backed away continuously.
“We have to run away now! There’s no need to all die together! Do you really think we can win against that? If we scatter in all directions at once, some of us might survive!”
The mercenaries’ faces began to show signs of agitation.
Manus seized the moment and shouted even louder.
“If we all scatter and run away, we’ll increase our chances of survival!”
“Come on! We don’t need to stake our lives over a noble’s insane game! Coming into a forest like this was insane to begin with!”
At that moment, Kaor, spinning his sword in one hand, began to speak.
“Oh, what a pathetic guy. Before running away, I need to kill that guy first.”
As Kaor aimed his weapon to kill Manus, Ghislaine raised her hand to stop him.
Ghislaine raised his hand to stop everyone.
“Enough. There’s no need for that.”
Ghislaine immediately turned to Manus and said.
“Go. You’ve struggled enough during this time.”
“What? Just go?”
Manus was shocked.
Normally in cases like this, the employer would go into a fit, threatening to kill you right there.
Moreover, the one trying to escape had hurled dire threats of personal execution.
To hear such a person so readily let him go was astonishing.
Before his astonishment could even settle, Ghislaine spilled out words even more shocking.
“Anyone who wants to escape can do so.”
The cool tone left the mercenaries flabbergasted.
Escape? Then what about the employer’s plans?
Someone cautiously asked.
“What will the employer do?”
Ghislaine replied nonchalantly.
“I’m going to catch that guy here.”
“Young Master!”
“Lord!”
Belinda and Gillian stepped in front of Ghislaine, clearly furious.
But he didn’t respond; he merely drew his sword.
Others couldn’t understand, but this mission had to succeed.
Otherwise, everything would come to an end.
The most excited was, of course, Manus.
He didn’t hide his joy and gestured to the mercenaries.
“What are you doing? The employer said to escape! Let’s hurry!”
But the mercenaries could only gaze back and forth between Ghislaine and Manus, unable to move easily.
Ghislaine had been the one leading the charge, saving them time and again.
He was saying he’d fight alone, so how could they just run away?
Watching the sluggish mercenaries, Manus shouted in frustration.
“Get moving! Are you all planning to die here? What are you doing?”
As Manus urged them on and Ghislaine remained calm, Toran stepped forward and asked.
“If we break through that guy, will it really be over?”
“Yeah, the objective is right there.”
With a firm answer, Toran took a deep breath and replied.
“I’ll fight alongside too.”
“Toran! Are you crazy? Are you itching to die?”
As Manus screamed, Gordon turned to him, tremblingly saying.
“I, I can’t run away like this. I probably won’t be able to eat or sleep properly, and muscle loss will kick in. I’ll be constantly uneasy.”
“What?”
“So I’m not going!”
“You foolish guy! Are you also crazy?”
At that moment, voices from the mercenaries erupted.
“If we run away like this, we’ll be too embarrassed to be mercenaries again.”
“We’ve survived thanks to the employer; if we just run away now, we’re not even human.”
“You’re the idiot, Manus! If you’re going, then you go! You heartless bastard! You even received treatment from the employer!”
“Since we have an employer, we’ll manage somehow. Let’s fight!”
With a reaction different from what he expected, Ghislaine widened his eyes and looked at the mercenaries.
Now their faces were filled with a resolution to fight together as long as they could.
Ghislaine had seen this kind of expression before.
It was the same look he’d seen before unfavorable battles, times when victory seemed impossible.
‘This feels like…….’
It was the same expression shown by his loyal followers in his previous life.
Even if the mercenaries’ skills were still lacking compared to then, their determination was just as strong.
Ghislaine unconsciously smiled and said.
“You guys are starting to be somewhat useful now.”
Kaor, watching the scene unfold, stared at the mercenaries with a look of utter disbelief plastered across his face.
‘Is this really them?’
Unlike the Cerberus Mercenary Group, which thrived on danger and swept through other regions, the mercenaries lingering in the Jimbar territory were always lazing around and never took on risky missions.
But now, those layabouts were following Ghislaine and had completely transformed in just a few days.
‘This is truly astonishing. He’s got them under control.’
Kaor couldn’t help but acknowledge and admire Ghislaine’s abilities.
Gillian, being a former mercenary leader himself, couldn’t suppress his admiration for the unfolding situation either.
However, Belinda couldn’t care less about this foolishness.
“Young Master, this is great! Send the mercenaries forward and you should get out of here quickly!”
Ignoring Belinda’s whispers, Ghislaine unbuckled his sword sheath from his waist and tossed it to the ground.
“Lord! Come on!”
Throwing away the sword sheath meant he was prepared to fight to the death.
Seeing this, Belinda scowled in anger, but Kaor chuckled softly.
“I do love the fearlessness. It’s like seeing my younger self.”
Ghislaine said nothing and took a step forward.
In his previous life, the most common mission assigned to the mercenary group led by Ghislaine was monster hunting.
The monstrous beasts that ravaged the continent were far more powerful than the Blood Python.
Although both his physical abilities and the skills of the mercenaries were lacking compared to back then, his accumulated experience would help bridge that gap to some extent.
“Let’s fight.”
As Ghislaine uttered this phrase, everyone set their faces in determination, lifted their weapons, and formed ranks.
“Oh dear, I’m getting old. If I get any more wrinkles, it will all be your fault, Young Master.”
Belinda muttered resignedly, drooping her shoulders.
“You idiots! You’re all going to die!”
Manus shouted angrily as he disappeared into the forest.
But no one bothered to look back at him.
The Blood Python was slowly approaching the group.
Kaaaar!
The Blood Python let out a wild roar and opened its massive jaws toward the mercenaries.
“Scatter!”
At Ghislaine’s shout, the ranks of the mercenaries instantly dispersed.
Kwahhh!
With its jaws wide open, the Blood Python’s head slammed into the ground, momentarily dazed.
Kaaaar!
Enraged, the Blood Python soon lunged at the nearest mercenary.
Just before one of the mercenaries was about to be devoured, Ghislaine sprang into action, slicing the Blood Python’s head with his sword while shouting.
“Gillian, Kaor, draw its attention to the head! Belinda, cover us! The rest of you, take this chance to attack its body!”
A small scratch appeared on the Blood Python’s head.
Ordinary attacks wouldn’t work, but a weapon infused with mana managed to inflict even a slight wound.
“Kaaaar!”
Realizing it had been hurt, the Blood Python let out a furious scream.
Then it glared at Ghislaine with eyes redder than its scales, as if it couldn’t forgive the human that had wounded it, and opened its massive mouth, charging with incredible speed.
Kwahhh!
Ghislaine swiftly rolled out of the way.
The Blood Python’s head slammed into the ground again, sending dust flying.
Just then, Gillian, who had closed in, infused his axe with mana and struck the Blood Python’s head with great force.
Filled with mana, I slammed down hard on the Blood Python’s head.
KWAANG!
A tremendous bang echoed as the Blood Python’s massive head jolted.
When it came to the amount of mana, Gillian was the strongest among us.
It seemed the immense destructive power had dealt quite a blow to the Blood Python as well.
KAAAAA!
The Blood Python let out another ear-splitting roar and lifted its head again.
This time, the wounds were seriously noticeable.
However, the wounds weren’t deep at all; in fact, they only fueled the Blood Python’s rage even more.
WHOOSH!
The gigantic head lunged at Gillian.
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Gillian couldn’t dodge in time and unleashed a burst of mana, using the shield he held in one hand to block.
KWAANG!
“Gah!”
The shield crumpled as Gillian’s body was sent flying.
In that moment, Kaor crept up behind the Blood Python and stabbed it with his sword while shouting.
“Get close!”
THUNK!
As Kaor’s sword sank deep into the snake’s body, the Blood Python twisted and tried to retaliate.
“Damn!”
As Kaor released his sword and rolled away to dodge, the mercenaries began attacking the Blood Python’s body.
KAAANG! KAAANG!
But no matter how much they swung and jabbed their weapons, the solid scales blocked every attack.
Without enough mana infused into their weapons, they couldn’t pierce through the scales that were tougher than steel.
Reluctantly, Ghislaine, Gillian, and Kaor took turns inflicting small wounds on the Blood Python’s body.
“Belinda! Distract it and attack the wounds! If you get the chance, aim for the eyes!”
“Got it! Ugh, so frustrating!”
At Ghislaine’s words, Belinda launched a flurry of daggers, embedding them into the Blood Python’s injuries.
The daggers that Belinda skillfully handled were the most effective at widening the small wounds others created.
Even while widening the wounds, Belinda kept attacking the Blood Python’s eyes.
Whether it was effective or not, the Blood Python seemed annoyed as it repeatedly shook its head.
With Ghislaine and the others attracting its attention, the attacks on the mercenaries decreased considerably.
“Now’s the time! Attack the wounds!”
Seizing the opportunity, the mercenaries plunged their swords into the snake’s injuries, but due to the solid muscles, the blades barely penetrated.
KAAAAA!
The Blood Python roared in irritation at the pesky humans clinging to it and swung its tail with all its might.
KWAAN!
“Gah!”
“Augh!”
The mercenaries clinging near the tail were all sent flying.
Just then, when the snake tried to slam down on the fallen mercenaries with its tail, Ghislaine charged toward its head to regain its attention.
“Everyone, grab your bludgeons! Keep hitting until it softens up! We need to make the small wounds bigger! Gillian, Kaor! Distract it again! Belinda, keep supporting!”
Hearing Ghislaine’s orders, the mercenaries opened their eyes wide and nodded fervently.
“Y-Yeah, that’s right.”
“Where’s the mace! Where’s the mace?!”
“Give me one if you have a spare!”
“If not, get one from the wagon! Everyone stick together!”
Soon the mercenaries swapped their weapons for bludgeons and clung to the snake’s body.
With all their might, they struck down on the Blood Python’s scales.
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