The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 253: An Absolutely Insane Place (3)

Kaor thought he’d misheard and asked again.

“Ten thousand?”

Ghislain shook his head slowly. Kaor’s tone was filled with disbelief as he asked again.

“...Did you really say one hundred thousand?”

Nod.

Kaor exploded with frustration.

“Are you serious? A hundred thousand? How can anyone hunt that many monsters? Is there even a place where that’s possible? Come on! Stop joking and just tell me the truth!”

“Why not? There’s a place where monsters come endlessly.”

“Where... such a place exists...? Oh, wait. Could it be?”

“Yep, it’s the place you’re thinking of. The famous one.”

Kaor’s eyes went wide for a moment before he composed himself.

“There are rumors about the monsters there, sure... but are there really that many? A hundred thousand?”

“There are. That’s why it’s been a mess for so long. Maybe not all at once, but they keep coming steadily, so you could reach that number.”

“So... what, am I supposed to live there forever?”

“If you kill a hundred a day, it won’t take you too many years.”

“...”

“If you want to speed it up, try killing a thousand a day.”

“...”

Kaor found himself at a loss for words.

He’d been called a mad dog, but the person in front of him was in a completely different league.

Seeing Kaor’s silence, Ghislain continued.

“Well, if you don’t have the guts for that, just go back and keep training quietly.”

Not wanting to admit defeat, Kaor tilted his head back arrogantly.

“I can handle it.”

“No, thinking about it, maybe it’s too dangerous. You’re not very good at fighting.”

Kaor’s pride flared up instantly.

“I am good at fighting!”

“Could you beat Gillian?”

“...Maybe? Probably?”

“Alright then... Come with me. We’ll gather leather while we’re there.”

“Why are you going too?”

Ghislain smirked at Kaor’s reluctant answer.

“If I let you go alone, you’d probably get yourself killed. It’s a dangerous place, and you’re not exactly skilled at fighting.”

“...I’m good at it.”

“Sure. Anyway, I’ll help you get settled, then head back. Let’s get moving.”

The thought of Ghislain leaving him there alone made Kaor feel a bit uneasy. He didn’t like the idea of being in an unfamiliar place by himself.

“Are we going alone?”

“Nope. We’re bringing every weak and lazy one with us.”

Ghislain’s grin widened in a knowing smile.

Fifty knights who’d been training hard in the territory were suddenly selected.

Ghislain and Gillian carefully chose those to accompany them to the Shadow Mountains based on their performance and training results.

These knights were either the least skilled or had started slacking and cutting corners.

The knights had no idea why they were chosen, given the range of criteria.

“Where are we going, and why only us?”

“Was it based on looks?”

“If it was, then it certainly wasn’t for you.”

As the knights murmured among themselves, Ghislain approached.

“We’re going to hunt monsters.”

The knights glanced at each other, confused. They hadn’t been told anything, having been pulled from training without warning.

“Are we going back to the Forest of Beasts?”

A mercenary who’d joined Ghislain for the Rune Stone expedition asked, looking nervous.

Half of the mercenaries hadn’t made it back from that grueling journey. He’d survived and grown stronger, but the harrowing memories remained.

Ghislain shook his head and spoke calmly.

“No, it’s somewhere else.”

“Then where?”

“We’re short on leather, so we’re heading to a place with lots of monsters: the Shadow Mountains in the Turian Kingdom. It’s just a quick trip, nothing to worry about.”

To Ghislain, it was a light task—he’d often visited there in his past life for quick money and exercise.

“Oh...”

Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, the knights relaxed.

They’d heard of the Shadow Mountains before—a dangerous place where monsters appeared endlessly.

But they weren’t too worried. They hadn’t experienced it firsthand, and after their victories in battle, they’d gained confidence in their skills.

The mountains were said to be filled with hunters and forts. Surely, with Ghislain’s presence, hunting a few hundred monsters would be easy.

“Isn’t this overkill? We could probably hunt thousands at this rate.”

“Guess we need a lot of leather?”

“Time to stretch our legs.”

The knights laughed and loosened up.

They’d been grinding through grueling training, so the thought of getting out was a relief. The repetitive drills had them feeling a bit stir-crazy.

‘This is a golden opportunity. Getting out is exactly what I needed.’

‘Guess they picked me because I’m so skilled. It wouldn’t go as smoothly without me.’

‘Maybe they’re letting me take a break because I’ve been working so hard.’

The other knights looked on enviously.

‘I’m stronger than him!’

‘I’ve been working harder!’

‘Lucky guy! He gets to go hunt some monsters, travel, maybe even eat well.’

They held back from begging to be taken along, not wanting to end up in special training.

Not everyone was envious, though. Some knights, familiar with Ghislain’s personality, eyed the situation warily.

“The lord’s coming along? Then it’s probably better not to go.”

“Better to stay here and train.”

“Going out with him could mean death.”

When the knights had packed and readied their gear, Claude arrived.

“As requested, we packed only lightweight, dried provisions to keep you moving quickly. Supplies will be sent as needed.”

“Good. Make sure nothing goes wrong. And don’t ease up on watching Desmond and Amelia’s movements.”

“Understood.”

“Oh, and bring Kkongi. I’ll be riding him.”

“...Kkongi?”

“You know, my black horse. The new one.”

Claude’s expression turned pleading. “Could you... maybe change the name?”

“Why? It’s cute. It suits him.”

Everyone nearby looked equally baffled. Such a cute name didn’t fit that ferocious-looking horse at all.

“You really should change it. People will laugh.”

“What kind of name is that for a horse you ride into battle? Imagine: ‘Here comes Kkongi!’ It doesn’t sound right.”

“My lord, please do whatever you like, but leave the naming to someone else.”

The retainers’ faces were crestfallen. Ghislain could be stubborn, but this was too much.

“Hm...”

Seeing their united disapproval made Ghislain pause.

He had no trouble sticking to his decisions in matters of the future or combat.

But with everyone against the name, he was starting to question his naming skills.

In his past life, he’d occasionally given things names that made his mercenaries laugh. He’d hit them to silence them, but here he couldn’t do that.

His retainers weren’t mocking him; they were sincerely asking him not to.

And, unlike mercenaries, some of them were frail and wouldn’t survive a beating. He decided to compromise this time.

When Kkongi was brought over, Ghislain pondered the name seriously.

What was his title in his past life? One of the Continent’s Seven Strongest and the King of Mercenaries. His horse’s name should reflect that.

‘Horse King?’

That didn’t sound right. Even for someone as careless about naming as he was, “Horse King” was odd.

“He’s fast, so how about Speed King?”

Everyone shook their heads at once. Ghislain looked over the horse again.

Its black coat and powerful muscles were impressive.

The horse seemed aware of its own majesty, tossing its head to shake its mane dramatically.

“Alright. Since you’re black, you’ll be called Black King.”

Claude raised an eyebrow. “You’re calling a horse the ‘King’?”

“Yes. It’s fitting for my mount. Anyway, no more objections. It’s settled. But his nickname will still be Kkongi. Got it?”

The retainers nodded reluctantly. At least “Black King” sounded somewhat dignified.

‘Just please, only use that nickname in private.’

Black King seemed to approve of his new title, snorting with satisfaction.

With the naming settled, Gillian approached.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t come along?”

“No, you need to keep training the knights and soldiers here. I’ll be back soon, so it’ll be fine.”

“Understood. Take care.”

After Gillian’s farewell, Ghislain turned to Arell beside him.

“Keep up your basic training while I’m away. Once your stamina is up, I’ll teach you mana techniques. Until then, follow Gillian’s instructions.”

“Yes, sir!”

Arell bowed deeply. He was focusing solely on building his strength, having arrived malnourished and weak.

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

Although he was just a village boy Ghislain had picked up during the barbarian campaign, people in the territory treated Arell with respect, assuming he was Ghislain’s disciple.

Moreover, with Belinda looking after Arell as if he were Ghislain’s younger brother, everyone was cautious around him.

“Take care, my lord. I worry since I can’t join you this time. Don’t skip meals,” Belinda fretted.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”

Having grown used to Ghislain’s strength, Belinda wasn’t as anxious as she once was. Still, her concern for his personality remained unchanged.

With farewells complete, Ghislain and the knights set out. As Kaor passed Gillian

, he whispered, “Mark my words. When I return, I’m going to crush you.”

“...”

Gillian ignored him. Normally, he’d have knocked Kaor out, but with Ghislain present, he stayed silent.

Kaor instinctively knew to taunt only when others were around, never when they were alone.

Still, the disregard infuriated him.

‘Just wait! I’ll kill those hundred thousand monsters and crush you!’

Fueled by resentment, Kaor rode off with Ghislain and the knights toward the Turian Kingdom.

With their non-stop riding exercises, they arrived near the Shadow Mountains faster than expected.

“Whoa...”

“So this is the Shadow Mountains...”

“Incredible.”

The towering peaks cast deep shadows, true to their name.

The knights felt a mix of awe and trepidation. The dense forests covering the mountains seemed to warp into dark, twisted shapes, reinforcing the ominous atmosphere.

Only now, seeing the mountains up close, did the knights rethink their initial excitement.

‘This... doesn’t feel like a vacation.’

‘Guess it’s not because of my good looks...’

‘I have a bad feeling about this.’

In the Turian Kingdom, multiple forts lined the Shadow Mountains. These forts were built at the most heavily infested areas.

In the event that a fort was breached, walls were constructed behind them to protect the nearby cities.

Since it was impossible to fully encircle the mountains with walls, only key paths to certain cities were barricaded.

When monsters spilled through unguarded routes, hunters or the royal army would intercept them.

Compared to the forts or walled areas, the monster flow through open routes was manageable.

Ghislain and the knights made their way to one of the largest forts, Ironcliff.

Each fort doubled as a town, drawing in countless hunters.

The knights were awestruck by the fortified walls towering around Ironcliff.

It was a true bastion, hardened by endless battles with monsters.

Upon arriving at the gates, Kaor’s voice buzzed with excitement.

“Can we drop off our things and head straight to monster hunting?”

Ghislain shook his head.

“When you arrive in a new place, especially a lawless city like this, there’s something you must do first.”

“What’s that?”

Ghislain grinned, raising his fist.

“Beat some people up.”