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“This is beyond what any individual can handle. We’re wasting our time with this.”

“But they said the destination isn’t far from the entrance…”

“Heh, you believe that? Do you even know where it is? How far do we have to go?”

“……”

“If you think about it, there are way too many strange things. They picked a destination in a forest where no one had ever been. Do we even know where we’re going? What’s there? Why are we even heading there?”

“Hm, I hadn’t thought about it like that.”

“Damn it! Our employer must be insane! Not just the kind of guy who stays lost in his delusions—no, he’s a bold lunatic who actually acts on them! In the end, we’re all going to die!”

No one could argue against Manus’ words.

There were indeed cases where lords or nobles, lost in their fantasies, led people into bizarre situations.

A moment of silence passed, and the mood grew heavy.

Toran, an older mercenary who had been listening quietly, frowned.

“If it weren’t for our employer, we’d all be dead already. Stop spreading unnecessary fear.”

“…No, I just can’t help but feel uneasy.”

“Do you think it’s common to meet an employer like this? Our employer is fighting at the front lines, trying harder than anyone else to keep us alive.”

Usually, nobles gave commands to mercenaries but never led the charge. The more dangerous the task, the more they stayed back.

Mercenaries were hired as shields, not to achieve something together.

Even mercenaries accepted that as the norm.

But Ghislain was different.

He continued to show that he genuinely wanted to save as many people as possible.

Already moved by this, Toran growled at Manus, who was trying to stir up trouble.

“If it weren’t for our employer, we’d all be dead by now. It’s not just delusion—he’s got the skills to back it up. We just need to trust and follow him.”

Manus couldn’t argue with Toran’s words.

The other mercenaries nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. He’s not using us as meat shields.”

“It’s clear our employer isn’t like other nobles.”

“And how about his leadership? He’s incredibly skilled. This isn’t his first time leading, for sure.”

“With an employer like him, we can trust him.”

Still, fighting monsters hand-to-hand meant injuries and deaths were inevitable.

Manus, reminding them of that fact, grumbled.

“How long do you think that’s going to last? Sure, it’s fine for now, but if we keep going like this, we’ll all die in the end.”

No matter how impressive his abilities were, what did it matter?

If they kept fighting without rest, everyone would eventually collapse from exhaustion.

This forest was so dangerous that without Ghislain, they would’ve died long ago.

Although driven to the outskirts after losing in their competition, the monsters near the entrance were still more potent than those outside the forest.

While they still had their lives, they needed to quit and run away.

Manus kept bringing up this topic for a reason.

If he ran away, he felt like the employer would kill him. Even if the employer let him go, he didn’t have the confidence to make it back alone.

The best way was to incite the mercenaries who were already plagued by anxiety and exhaustion, press the employer, and return while paying as little in breach-of-contract penalties as possible.

“Don’t you value your life? No matter how much of a mercenary you are, who goes looking for death on purpose?”

But Toran scoffed and retorted.

“If we’ve been paid, isn’t it a mercenary’s job to entrust their life?”

“You idiot, where do you find mercenaries like that these days? We’re going to be used as nothing more than meat shields and die. The employer will run as soon as things really get dangerous.”

What distinguishes a skilled mercenary?

Is it completing the mission at the risk of your life?

No. The most skilled mercenary is the one who survives the longest.

Knowing when to pull out quickly when things seem dangerous is essential for a mercenary.

Trusting and following a noble is the most foolish thing you can do.

Sure, they may pretend to care now, but they’ll abandon you and run when danger strikes.

That’s the kind of people nobles are by nature.

As Manus continued his incitement, some mercenaries started to waver.

His realistic words began to stir their hearts little by little.

‘Damn, stupid old bastard!’

But the problem was stubborn guys like Toran.

Most of the mercenaries seemed to hold the absurd belief that they should trust the employer and complete the mission to the end.

Just as Manus was about to speak again, Toran grabbed him by the collar.

“Look over there. The medicine and potions the employer uses are more expensive than our lives. Would you do that? Do you really think the employer plans to use us as meat shields?”

At those words, all the nearby mercenaries turned their heads.

Their gazes turned toward where Ghislain was treating the wounds of the injured.

Seeing that, none of them could say a word.

The medicine the employer was using really was more expensive than their worth.

One by one, the mercenaries nodded and muttered amongst themselves.

“Well, he doesn’t seem like the type to abandon us.”

“His treatment skills are no joke. I thought he was some kind of professional healer.”

“He uses only a little potion, but the effects are amazing.”

Manus bit his lip as people’s reactions started to calm down again.

Seeing this, Toran let go of the collar he had grabbed.

“We’ve been paid. Just follow the orders.”

“Tch.”

Toran glanced at Manus, who spat on the ground and returned to his seat, silently watching Ghislain.

At first, he, too, thought about going back.

However, he slowly started to be drawn to the employer, who was so different from the ones he had worked with before.

He had met plenty of brave, commanding, and intelligent nobles.

But this was the first time he’d encountered a noble who didn’t treat mercenaries like disposable tools but as human beings.

It was also the first time he’d seen a noble who fought at the front lines without regard for his safety.

Toran wasn’t being moved by money anymore. Ghislain was inspiring him as a person.

‘I really might die… but still, I want to see how this ends a little longer.’

It wasn’t that he wasn’t afraid of death.

Just like Manus said, they could really die.

Even so, even if it meant death, he wanted to go together and see how things ended.

Maybe it was a foolish decision… but could you still call yourself a mercenary if, after being paid to sell your life, you ran away because you didn’t want to die?

That was Toran’s last belief and conscience as a mercenary.

“By the way, our employer sure has a lot of money. He said his estate was poor, so how did he manage to get such expensive medicines?”

As Toran mentioned, Ghislain had been using rare medicines and potions without hesitation.

So much so that even Belinda was constantly nagging him.

“Goodness, young lord! How could you use such precious medicines and potions so recklessly? You should save them for when you’re injured! You’re driving me mad!”

Ghislain wrapped the mercenary’s arm tightly with a bandage and replied.

“What’s the point of saving it? I brought it to use. You’ve got to use it when it’s needed.”

“At this rate, there won’t be anything left for you to use when you need it!”

“Well, we’ll worry about that when the time comes.”

Belinda glared at Ghislain and grumbled.

“As if using expensive medicine wasn’t bad enough, why are you personally treating them too?”

“The way these guys are treating wounds is a mess. Watching them makes my stomach turn.”

At Ghislain’s nonchalant reply, Belinda pounded her chest in frustration.

The wounded mercenary, overwhelmed with gratitude, spoke up.

“Th-thank you, young lord.”

“Enough of that. Rest up properly while you can. You should also learn some proper first aid.”

“Heh, understood!”

When Ghislain saw the mercenaries attempting to disinfect their wounds by rubbing urine on them and plastering useless herbs all over, his head pounded.

He had no choice but to grab each one of them and teach them personally.

“If you set the splint like that, the bone will be misaligned. And you, no more urine! If you put more on, the flesh will rot. You idiot! Why are you drinking it?!”

The number of mercenaries touched by Ghislain’s actions gradually increased.

Other employers usually abandoned or left severely wounded mercenaries to die.

Saving them would cost money and be a hassle, after all.

Belinda narrowed her eyes and observed Ghislain as he bustled about, tending to the mercenaries.

“How does the young lord know how to do all that? He’s never been the type to care about those around him… Could it really be that a dark sorcerer possessed him?”

While she was off worrying about such useless things, the group slowly pressed forward.

They came across a small lake on the fifth day of fighting and moving.

“Wow, water!”

“It’s so cool!”

The moment they spotted the water, the mercenaries rushed forward to quench their thirst.

They had water with them, but it was lukewarm, and the longer they carried it, the more the water skins began to stink, making it less than ideal to drink.

The ice-cold water from the lake instantly relieved their pent-up thirst.

Even Ghislain, who usually limited the mercenaries’ movements, didn’t stop them this time.

He looked around, lost in thought.

‘The route I’ve mapped out is relatively accurate.’

The path the kingdom’s subjugation forces had taken in his previous life differed from the one he was currently following.

Naturally, the monsters they encountered weren’t recorded in the same order as the ones his group was now facing.

Ghislain retraced his memory, adjusting the route and the expected encounters with the monsters.

So far, everything had lined up reasonably well, and fortunately, there were even a few monsters that hadn’t appeared yet.

‘From now on, it gets truly dangerous.’

This lake was the most crucial junction on the way to his destination.

It also marked the beginning of much greater dangers.

[They likely began trailing us when we passed the lake.]

Repeating the lines from his memory several times, Ghislain spoke to the group.

“We’ll rest here today. Take this chance to wash up and reassemble yourselves.”

Following his orders, the mercenaries chopped down nearby trees to clear the area and began setting up camp.

“Young lord, I’ll have dinner ready in no time.”

Ever since Belinda had learned of Ghislain’s abilities, she rarely moved during battles with monsters.

Because of that, she conserved far more energy compared to the others.

She took out a small pot from the wagon, filled it with water, added various spices and jerky, and began making a warm soup.

“Here, have this. You need to eat properly in a place like this to keep your strength up.”

“Well, it doesn’t feel right for me to eat this alone every day…”

“Shush! Just eat.”

Belinda shoved the fork toward his face and smiled sharply.

Ghislain had no choice but to nod.

Seeing this, the mercenaries began whistling and jeering.

“Pfft, some of us are eating warm, tasty food while others are just gnawing on hard jerky.”

“Hey, if you’re going to follow the young lord around without fighting, at least make us some food!”

“Yeah, take on the role of chef from now on! Boo!”

“Give us some warm soup too!”

Ping!

Suddenly, a sharp sound cut through the air, and a fork embedded itself deep into a tree.

It was the very tree one of the jeering mercenaries had been leaning against.

Seeing the fork lodged just next to his ear, the mercenary broke out in a cold sweat, his eyes darting nervously.

Belinda laughed and said, “Hohoho, you all have hands, don’t you? Make it yourselves, understood? I’m too busy taking care of our young lord.”

The mercenaries all nodded furiously.

They had assumed she was just a maid, but her fork-throwing skill was anything but ordinary.

If they weren’t careful, their foreheads might get pierced without them even realizing it.

Ghislain chuckled softly and said to Belinda, “When you get the chance, look after the mercenaries, too. They’ve all been working hard.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Well, I’m not that hungry today. You should give this to the others…”

“Are you really going to complain about the food all the way out here? You remember what I used to do when you refused to eat right away as a child, don’t you?”

Belinda waved a new fork in front of Ghislain’s face.

Ghislain didn’t argue any further and quietly drank the soup.