Chapter 285: Chapter 284: I Didn’t Come Alone (2)


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    The Desmond pursuit squad was thrown into confusion. They had been on the verge of finishing off the ones who had tormented them, only for a new enemy to suddenly appear.


    The fallen Fenris knights were equally bewildered.


    "The lord... hase?"


    "Could he have finished preparing already?"


    "Haha, it''s the lord! The lord is here!"


    Though they didn''t fully understand what was happening,ughter bubbled up unbidden. They had been certain of their deaths, and yet here he was, arriving at the perfect moment.


    As always, their lord''s actions were impossible to predict.


    It wasn''t just the knights. Even the wounded soldiers lying on the ground began to chuckle. "We''re saved..."


    "The lord is here..."


    "If it''s the lord, he can kill everyst one of them..."


    Such was their absolute faith in Ghiin.


    Whatever else he might be, in war, Ghiin inspired an unshakable trust in his people.


    "These bastards..."


    The Desmond soldiers red at the fallen Fenris troops with harsh expressions.


    To see men on the brink of death so emboldened just because reinforcements had arrived was galling. The smugness of men who should have been trembling in fear was infuriating.


    "Before they get here, you''re all dying first. Then we''ll kill them too."


    One of the Desmond soldiers jabbed at a Fenris knight''s helmet with his spear.


    There was no need to aim for anything else. All they had to do was thrust their spears into their faces.


    As the helmets were removed, most of the knights revealed blood-soaked faces, still smiling. "Hehe... You think someone like you can kill our lord?"


    The Desmond soldiers'' lips twitched in annoyance. Their smug words only made them angrier.


    Determined to finish them off quickly, the soldiers raised their spears high.


    Thwack!


    "Guh..."


    Before they could strike, an arrow flew in and pierced one soldier''s neck.


    Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!


    More arrows struck down the other soldiers as they hurried to thrust their spears. They crumpled to the ground in session.


    "What? What''s going on?!"


    One of the Desmond soldiers spun around in shock. A rapidly approaching group came into view.


    Leading the charge was the figure the Fenris troops called their lord, followed by 300 ck- armored warriors.


    Every one of them carried a bow.


    "Damn it! Retreat! Regroup into formation!"


    They were too fast. Each time he blinked, the group was closing the distance at an rming rate.


    There was no time to finish off the Fenris soldiers. With the sudden appearance of the enemy, their priority was to regroup and form a defensive line.


    As expected of well-trained elites, the Desmond forces quickly formed ranks. But Baron Hutton refused to retreat immediately.


    ''I''ll kill him first.''


    If Gillian were killed, it would shatter the enemy''s morale. Pulling the arrow from his chest, he grabbed a sword lying on the ground.


    "Die!"


    Whoosh!


    ng!


    Before he could reach Gillian, another arrow came flying. This time, he managed to deflect it, but the force left his hand trembling.


    "Damn... this strength in an arrow..."


    The power behind it was no joke. Had he not infused his sword with mana, the de would have been destroyed.


    Could there be another warrior as strong as Gillian among the Fenris troops?


    ''Could it be... is that Count Fenris himself?''


    The archer, wearing a feral grin that bordered on madness, was charging forward at a terrifying speed. It was toote now to finish off Gillian.


    ''I''ll test the truth of the rumors.''


    Whoosh!


    Ghiin, mounted on his ck steed, surged past Gillian and closed in on Baron Hutton.


    In the blink of an eye, he thrust his spear.


    "Hah!"


    Baron Hutton ducked to evade the spear, swinging his sword at the horse''s legs in an attempt to bring Ghiin down.


    His timing was impable, striking just as the horse wasnding after a leap. There was no way to avoid it.


    Whoosh!


    But as soon as its hooves touched the ground, the ck steed powered its hind legs and leaped again. Baron Hutton''s face twisted in disbelief.


    ''A horse... dodged my sword?''


    Even if the rider were highly skilled, his timing had been wless. This was impossible.


    Though startled, Baron Hutton immediately rolled forward to regain his footing. But Ghiin didn''t let the momentary hesitation go to waste, swinging his spear.


    sh!


    "Gah!"


    The spear sliced across Baron Hutton''s back, and he grunted in pain. Though it wasn''t a deep wound, it wasn''t insignificant either.


    "Hah. Impressive."


    Ghiin turned his horse, his gaze fixed on Baron Hutton.


    To have dodged his spear twice meant the man was undoubtedly a high-level knight of considerable skill.


    Snort.


    The ck king bared its teeth as if mocking both failed attackers. But when Ghiin pressed


    on its nk, the horse immediately closed its mouth in pain.


    Meanwhile, the knights following Ghiin arrived and shielded the fallen Fenris troops. The


    rest of the reinforcements soon followed.


    Only then did Ghiin turn and speak with concern.


    "Gillian! Are you okay? You''re okay, right?"


    "My lord..."


    Gillian''s expression was filled with overwhelming gratitude. He had truly believed he was


    going to die, but then Ghiin appeared.


    Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he urgently said,


    "My lord! You must retreat immediately! Right now-"


    "Let''s get those wounds treated first and save the reunion forter!"


    "No, that''s not what I-"


    "Hey! What are you doing? Move Gillian and the wounded now!"


    Ghiin kept cutting him off, preventing him from finishing his sentence. When he tried again, "Gordon the Muscle" interrupted, supporting Gillian and silencing him once more. "Oh dear, look at how much weight our instructor has lost. You must have been through a lot.


    This could lead to muscle loss..."


    "Gordon! Wait! Tell the lord..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I''ll feed you plenty of chicken breastter. Come on, let''s go."


    "You! Ugh!"


    As Gordon dragged him away with his rough hands, Gillian''s wounds reopened, causing him


    to groan in pain.


    Baron Hutton took the opportunity to retreat swiftly while the Fenris reinforcements were


    busy transporting the wounded. His face was visibly tense.


    ''They''re fast!''


    The reinforcements had arrived far earlier than he had anticipated. Their horsemanship was


    extraordinary.


    After a few deep breaths, Baron Hutton pulled a potion from his waist and poured it over his


    chest and back.


    ''Impressive skill.'' Ghiin''s mana was still wreaking havoc in his body, making it difficult to heal his wounds. It took two potions and the suppression of Ghiin''s mana with his own before the surface wounds finally closed. The internal injuries, however, would take days of rest to fully heal. The lingering effects of the mana were a testament to Ghiin''s formidable abilities. ''He''s definitely reached a high-level. Is he on par with Gillian? Tch, if I weren''t injured, that brat wouldn''t stand a chance..."


    Even now, Baron Hutton didn''t think he would lose. He had only been caught off guard. If he concentrated, there was no way he could lose to someone so young.


    After all, there was one thing he and Gillian had over Ghiin: experience.


    Baron Hutton red at Ghiin and asked,


    "Are you Count Fenris?"


    "Yes, I am Count Fenris."


    Ghiin replied confidently, causing Baron Hutton to smirk twistedly.


    "I am Baron Hutton. I must say, you''ve made a foolish move."


    "A foolish move?" "You should have stayed holed up in your castle. Whye out here?"


    As they spoke, Baron Hutton regained hisposure, a faint smile forming on his lips.


    ''If I kill him, this war is over.''


    He genuinely believed it. If he killed the young count before him, the war would end with


    minimal casualties, and he would be hailed as a hero.


    ''Should I attack now...? No, wait.''


    Baron Hutton stopped his soldiers from advancing, a new idea forming in his mind.


    Pointing his sword forward with a haughty expression, he said,


    "To reach such a level at such a young age is truly impressive. However, Count, your


    confidence seems excessive."


    "My confidence is excessive?"


    "Yes, while your skills aremendable, a lord foolish enough to stand at the front is just asking to die. It makes me wonder who your instructor was. Tsk tsk." Ghiin''s face disyed disbelief. The arrogance of nobles and knights never failed to


    surprise him. The mention of his instructor was an obvious jab, implying he was still an immature child, unworthy of his title.


    ''If Belinda had heard that, she''d be furious about someone interfering in her teaching methods. It''s a


    good thing she''s not here.''


    Ghiin dismounted, drawing his sword.


    "Let''s see who''s overconfident."


    "Still so full of confidence. That''s the privilege of youth. But where there''s confidence, there''s


    bound to be gaps."


    "Me? What am Icking?"


    "Experience."


    ||||


    Seeing Ghiin''s silence, Baron Hutton chuckled and continued.


    "Battles aren''t won with strength alone. When skill levels are equal, the victor is determined


    by who has the most real-world experience."


    "I''d love to give the young count a lesson, but if youck confidence, we could settle this with


    a battle between our armies."


    Baron Hutton''s arrogance made Ghiin smirk. When someone talked this much on a


    battlefield, it was usually for one of three reasons:


    They were like ude, someone who couldn''t stop talking even inbat.


    They were stalling for time.


    Or, they wanted to minimize their own losses while maximizing their glory.


    ''He wants to reduce casualties and im the glory of victory.''


    In territorial wars, killing the opposing lord ended the conflict. With a young, inexperienced count standing before him, Baron Hutton saw an opportunity to spare his forces and gain


    fame for defeating a troublesome figure renowned throughout the north.


    Baron Hutton''s smirk widened as he openly taunted Ghiin. "They say he''s impulsive and capricious. A noble wouldn''t resist this kind of provocation.''


    He was convinced he would win.


    Though he was injured, he believed his years of experience andposure gave him a decisive edge over Ghiin, who, for all his skill, was just a spirited young man. Baron Hutton prided himself on his unshakable calmness, a trait honed over many years. No matter how talented his opponent, he was certain he would not lose in a focused duel.


    "How about it? A knight''s duel is the romance of the battlefield, is it not? If you''re scared, you can retreat."


    Ghiin nodded, epting the challenge.


    "Fine, I ept. You''re an amusing fellow."


    Ghiin had been observing the baron''s posturing. It was clear the man thought himself


    clever for issuing the challenge.


    Ghiin had nned to kill Baron Hutton anyway to minimize his army''s casualties and


    boost morale. Since his opponent was offering himself up, there was no reason to refuse. "You don''t need to talk so much. If you want a fight, I''ll give you one. Come on." As Ghiin motioned with his sword, Baron Hutton''s demeanor shifted. Gone was the pompous noble, reced by the sharp focus of a seasoned de.


    "Oh?"


    Ghiin raised an eyebrow, impressed. It seemed the baron wasn''t all talk after all.


    ''Baron Hutton... He''s certainly a notable figure. Gillian had his hands full with him, it seems.''


    This was Ghiin''s first time encountering the man in person, in both this life and his


    previous one. In his past life, Baron Hutton had been branded a traitor and forced tomit suicide due to a scheme by Amellia to weaken Harold''s faction. Still, his reputation had preceded him. Baron Hutton was well-known in the north. Ghiin smiled and took his stance. At the same time, both armies began retreating slightly.


    It was customary to create space during a duel between leaders, both to avoid unnecessary involvement and to ensure no reinforcements could interfere when one side was in danger. Baron Hutton settled into his stance, his sharp gaze fixed on Ghiin.


    "Count Fenris, do you know this?"


    "What?"


    "I''ve won five knight duels since my youth. And I''m still standing here." Winning a knight''s duel often decided the oue of a war. Baron Hutton''s im meant he


    had personally secured victory in five separate conflicts.


    Though those wars had likely been minor disputes, the burden of fighting alone to determine


    a territory''s fate was immense.


    "Young Count, you couldn''t possibly understand how daunting this position is."


    It was this burden that gave Baron Hutton confidence. No matter Ghiin''s skill, he was sure


    the young man had never felt the crushing weight of such responsibility.


    As the fight progressed, Baron Hutton believed Ghiin would crumble under the pressure,


    losing hisposure.


    "This inexperienced brat won''t be able to handle it.''


    Confident in his conclusion, Baron Hutton smiled smugly.


    But Ghiin chuckled and replied,


    "I''ve done it more than a hundred times."


    "What?"


    Baron Hutton''s face twisted in disbelief, but before he could process the absurd im,


    Ghiin''s eyes gleamed red.


    "Let''s begin."


    Bang!


    Ghiin shot forward like lightning, his sword slicing toward Baron Hutton. [T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi/revengerscans]