The capital city of the Kingdom of Lutania, Cardenia, was massive, exuding the majesty of a powerful nation.
The moat surrounding the fortress walls was filled with water, making it look like a wide river.
It gave off a sense of unshakable strength, as if it could fend off any invasion.
The mercenaries who had followed Ghislain were awestruck, unable to close their mouths at the overwhelming sight.
"Wow… It's amazing. So, this is the legendary Cardenia…"
"The castles in other territories look like toys compared to this. What we had in our territory wasn't a castle. It was just a hole in the ground."
"It's not just the size. It looks different, too, like it's even grander. Must've cost a fortune to build."
Cardenia had been developing as the kingdom's capital for hundreds of years.
Its unique atmosphere was defined by the mix of classical architecture and newer buildings.
Even though Perdium was slightly better off, the territory they had come from was still just a poor, distant fief.
They had never even imagined that a city this vast could exist.
Even Belinda, who usually had plenty to say, was speechless, her eyes wide. Gillian, who had lived as a mercenary in foreign lands for years, also muttered in awe.
"Wow… Just looking at it is intimidating."
The mercenaries gazed up at the fortress walls, involuntarily sighing.
The sight alone seemed to drain their fighting spirit.
If any trouble arose here, they wondered if they'd even be able to breach the walls.
In fact, they doubted they could even leave a scratch on them.
A part of them fervently hoped that their lord wouldn't cause any trouble here.
"Uh, wow… What's that?"
Exclamations suddenly burst from the people watching.
The surroundings were bathed in the red glow of the sunset.
The crimson light reflected off the windows of the countless spires towering within the city, scattering in all directions.
It looked as if the entire city was radiating its own red glow.
While everyone was entranced by the magnificent sight, Ghislain alone looked at the castle with cold eyes.
'Cardenia…'
The impregnable, undefeated castle, the city blessed by the goddess.
It had been praised in countless ways… and yet, it was also the very place he had once shattered under his own hand.
The Mercenary King's army had stormed Cardenia as soon as they declared war.
Within a single week of the outbreak, Ghislain had broken through every lord on the path and seized control of Cardenia.
The speed and destructive power were unprecedented.
At the time, Ghislain, alongside his strategists, had plotted the quickest route into the royal castle, which was how Cardenia had fallen so easily.
Of course, this was only possible because his sole target for revenge had been Duke Delphine, who had risen to the throne.
'Taking over Cardenia didn't take long… but ultimately, I failed.'
His goal hadn't been to occupy Cardenia; it was to kill Duke Delphine.
But when Ghislain reached the royal castle, Delphine was no longer there.
Why the new king, Duke Delphine, wasn't at the royal castle remained a mystery to Ghislain, even now.
All he knew was that he had failed.
Enraged, Ghislain tore through the entire kingdom searching for Duke Delphine.
'It was my mistake. I should have pulled back and held the line.'
He burned the north, crushed the south, massacred the west, and pillaged the east.
From then on, he was no longer called the Mercenary King but rather a vengeful demon possessed by rage.
The Kingdom of Lutania didn't just sit back and suffer, either.
Hidden powerhouses emerged to confront him.
Ghislain, lost in thought, clenched his jaw unconsciously.
The red glow cast over Cardenia's walls reminded him of the blood his followers had spilled back then.
Ghislain could still vividly recall the feeling of his head being severed, along with the emotions of that moment.
'In this life, I'll make sure….'
― Hiiiiinnng!
"Young master!"
"My lord!"
Voices calling him urgently brought Ghislain back to his senses, and he looked up.
The horses, sensing the killing intent he had released, were panicking in fear.
"Whoa, whoa."
Ghislain quickly reined in his bloodlust and calmed the horses.
Belinda, her face showing worry, asked him, "Why did you suddenly do that?"
The others looked slightly tense as well.
It was understandable—they'd been sightseeing, and suddenly things had turned chaotic.
Ghislain composed himself, scratched his head awkwardly, and gave a sheepish smile.
"Well… it's just…"
"Just what?"
"It's just… I don't like that castle."
"Why wouldn't you like it?"
"Well, it's bigger and more impressive than ours. That annoys me. It feels like it's showing off."
Ghislain shrugged, speaking nonchalantly.
His companions looked at him in stunned disbelief.
"So… you released the killing intent because you were jealous of the castle?"
"This guy has such a unique personality. I just can't understand him."
They murmured quietly to each other.
It was a ridiculous excuse, but because of Ghislain's established reputation as an eccentric, they seemed to accept it.
However, only Belinda and Gillian didn't believe his explanation.
At first glance, Ghislain seemed to act on whims, but when observed closely, his actions had their own logic and planning.
He had never displayed killing intent for such a trivial reason before.
Just as they were about to say something, Ghislain raised a hand to stop them.
"Enough, enough. I just got too caught up in my thoughts. Let's go inside quickly."
With their lord saying that, they couldn't argue further.
Without saying more, they quickly followed Ghislain, who was already striding ahead.
Despite the setting sun, there was a crowd in front of the city gates. These people were waiting their turn to pass through the security checkpoint.
As befitting the capital, the guards were thorough, and the inspection was strict.
"Please show your identification badge."
A knight in full armor blocked Ghislain and his group.
He had a stony expression, as if not even a drop of blood would come out if pricked.
The other knights around him were the same.
Unlike the soldiers they'd seen at checkpoints near Bribant, these guards were on a completely different level.
The knight took Ghislain's identification badge, inspecting it closely, then pulled out a map from his belongings and spread it open.
"Baron Ghislain Fenris, vassal of the Margrave of Perdium. Confirmed. What business do you have in the capital?"
The knight asked in an overbearing tone, raising his chin slightly.
Seeing this, Belinda and Gillian frowned from behind.
Normally, they would have scolded him for his rudeness, but they hesitated, unsure if that was appropriate here.
The massive fortress and its aura had intimidated them.
However, unlike them, Ghislain casually nodded and answered with a relaxed tone.
"I'm here for business."
"And who is the head of your merchant guild?"
The knight assumed that Ghislain was merely accompanying his guild and asked out of formality.
"I'm the head."
"…The baron himself is conducting business?"
"Why? Is that a problem?"
"No, no. Please provide the list of your party members and an inventory of goods."
Ghislain nodded toward Claude.
"He knows the details of the group… and as for the goods, there's not much to list. Just cosmetics. I made them myself."
"…Excuse me?"
The knight frowned, clearly not expecting that response.
Even though it was a subtle change, it didn't escape the gaze of Ghislain's group, who had been watching him intently. They felt a strange sense of satisfaction at his reaction.
'Yeah, surprised, aren't you?'
The knight examined each of the wagons, his expression a mix of suspicion and disbelief. He even mobilized soldiers to conduct a thorough inspection, which secretly impressed Ghislain.
"They're disciplined. Our estate's soldiers should be like this."
After inspecting a few wagons, the knight asked carefully, "You said… cosmetics?"
"Yes, products I made myself."
"These aren't toxic, are they?"
"They're just cosmetics. If you don't believe me, open one and check."
The knight picked up a container, carefully opened it, sniffed it, and even dabbed a bit on his finger to test, though his eyes still held a hint of suspicion.
"Hm, it smells nice… seems fine on the skin too…"
"Want one? Consider it a souvenir for coming to the capital."
The knight shook his head. Though it smelled good, he didn't want to accept such a suspicious item.
Ghislain smirked and spoke again.
"That's some expensive stuff. Don't come complaining to me later. You won't get to see quality like this on a knight's salary."
The knight frowned at the provocative comment.
"No, thank you."
"Fine, suit yourself. Just don't regret it later. No blaming me, got it?"
"That won't happen."
Annoyed by Ghislain's taunting, the knight glared at him with cold eyes.
Kaor chuckled at the sight.
"Oh wow, he finally looks human. His expression barely changed; I thought he was a wooden statue."
At this, the knight turned to Kaor with a murderous glare.
Kaor's fellow mercenaries grinned subtly.
With irritation, the knight scrawled a few characters on the entry log and barked out.
"Pass!"
Ghislain smirked, gesturing for his group to move.
"Alright, let's go. We got in."
Belinda followed Ghislain, throwing a sympathetic glance at the knight and finally adding one comment.
"You'll regret not taking that gift, sir."
"What?"
Without elaborating, Belinda breezed past.
As he entered, Claude gave the knight a playful wink.
"What's with those strange people…?"
Regardless of the knight's bewilderment, they were too busy admiring the scene inside the city.
"Whoa!"
Once they passed through the three layers of fortress walls, the inner city was a whole different world.
It was a bustling place that dwarfed any territory they had visited before.
Shops selling all kinds of goods lined the streets, and every alley was crowded with people.
"I've never seen this many people in one place."
Everyone nodded at one mercenary's comment.
Just seeing so many people made them dizzy. The city itself felt like a living, breathing entity.
Unlike in Bribant, nobody seemed interested in the commotion they made. In fact, there were plenty of people just like them around.
Ghislain let the group wander and take in the sights, but before complete darkness set in, he booked two large inns.
There were too many of them to stay in one place, and there wasn't enough room to store the wagons securely.
After unpacking, he called Claude to discuss what needed to be done.
"First, we need to secure a place to stay."
With so many people and goods, staying in an inn would be too costly and inconvenient for extended stays.
Like other merchant guilds, they would need to establish a proper base in the capital.
Claude nodded in agreement.
"We'll need a shop to sell our goods anyway. I'll look for a suitable building. After that… maybe we should start promoting? How about attending some gatherings to build rapport with the nobles?"
A lukewarm response came back.
"Is that necessary?"
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]