Kaor thought he must have misheard the number, so he asked again.
"Ten thousand?"
Ghislain slowly shook his head. Kaor, filled with disbelief, asked again.
"…Really, 100,000 monsters?"
Nod, nod.
Kaor burst out in anger.
"No, how does that even make sense? 100,000 monsters?! How can anyone kill that many? Is there even a place with that many monsters? Come on, stop joking and just tell me the truth!"
"Why not? There is. A place where monsters come out endlessly."
"There's no such place… Wait, huh? Maybe…?"
"Yeah, it's exactly where you're thinking. That famous place."
Kaor stared blankly for a moment, then asked again.
"They say there are a lot of monsters there, but… are there really 100,000?"
"Of course. That's why it's been a hotspot for so long. They may not come out all at once, but they keep appearing steadily, so you can easily reach that number."
"Are you telling me to live there until I die?"
"If you kill 100 monsters a day, it won't even take a few years."
"..."
"If you want to speed it up, kill 1,000 a day."
"..."
Kaor was at a loss for words.
He might have been called a mad dog, but standing before him, his lord seemed to belong to an entirely different species.
Seeing Kaor's silence, Ghislain continued.
"Well, if you're not confident enough to risk your life and work that hard, just go quietly back to training."
Admitting defeat would be embarrassing. Kaor immediately tilted his head arrogantly.
"I can do it!"
"No, on second thought, I don't think you can. It's too dangerous. You're not even good at fighting."
That was the one thing Kaor hated hearing the most. He flared up instantly.
"I'm good at fighting!"
"Can you beat Gillian?"
"…Maybe? Probably?"
"Well, if you say so… Then let's go together. We'll grab some leather while we're at it."
"Why are you coming, my lord?"
Kaor's sarcastic response made Ghislain chuckle.
"Because if I sent you alone, you'd probably die quickly. It's a very dangerous place. You're not good at fighting, after all."
"…I told you, I'm good at fighting."
"Sure. Anyway, I'll help you adjust to the place, then come back right away. Let's move quickly."
Although the lord said he would leave after helping him settle in, Kaor felt uneasy. Truthfully, he didn't want to be left alone in an unfamiliar place.
"Are we going just the two of us?"
"No, we're taking all the weak and lazy ones along."
Ghislain gave a meaningful smile.
***
Fifty knights who had been training tirelessly in the territory were suddenly summoned.
Ghislain and Gillian carefully reviewed their performance and training progress to select those who would go to the Shadow Mountains.
They chose the knights who were the least skilled or had grown lazy and complacent over time.
Since the criteria varied, the knights couldn't figure out why they had been selected.
"Why were we the only ones picked?"
"Maybe they picked the most handsome ones?"
"If you look in the mirror, that's probably not it."
As the knights murmured among themselves, Ghislain arrived and spoke.
"We're going monster hunting."
The knights exchanged glances. They hadn't been given any proper explanation yet, as they'd been dragged here straight from training.
"Are we going to the Forest of Demonic Beasts?"
A mercenary who had accompanied them during the Rune Stone expedition asked nervously.
That journey had been brutal, with more than half the mercenaries losing their lives. Though he had survived and grown much stronger, the horrific memories still haunted him.
Ghislain shook his head and spoke leisurely.
"No, not there."
"Then where are we going?"
"We're short on leather in the territory, so we're heading to a place with lots of monsters—the Shadow Mountains in the Turian Kingdom. It's a light trip, so don't worry."
By Ghislain's standards, it truly was a light trip. In his previous life, he'd often gone there to stretch his body and earn some pocket money.
"Oh…"
Seeing how casually Ghislain spoke, the knights nodded.
They had heard of the Shadow Mountains before—a dangerous place where monsters appeared endlessly.
But they weren't too scared. They had only heard rumors, never experienced it firsthand. Besides, they had grown significantly stronger through the recent war, and their confidence had increased.
The place was also said to have plenty of hunters and fortresses. Monsters? With the lord accompanying them, killing a few hundred wouldn't be difficult.
"Isn't this too big a group? We might end up killing thousands."
"Must really need a lot of leather."
"Well, time to stretch out and enjoy."
The knights relaxed and started laughing.
Even just their monstrous lord was an incredible force. Adding 50 knights to that? The monsters would be wiped out.
Seeing the laughing knights, Ghislain smiled.
"I like that confidence. Let's catch them quickly. Think of it like a picnic."
The atmosphere among the knights grew even more cheerful.
They had been stuck in grueling training recently. Repeating the same drills over and over had driven some of them nearly insane.
Now, the prospect of going out, hunting monsters, and traveling lifted their spirits immensely.
'What a sweet opportunity. This proves that getting out and having fun is important.'
'Hah, they must've chosen me because I'm exceptional. Of course, only someone like me could get the job done quickly.'
'Maybe they're letting me rest because I've been working so hard.'
The other knights envied those chosen.
'I'm stronger than him!'
'I worked harder than they did!'
'So lucky! They get to travel, hunt a few monsters, and have some fun! Probably eat some good food too!'
Although they wanted to beg to be included, they didn't dare complain, lest they be subjected to special training instead.
Of course, not everyone was envious. A few knights who understood Ghislain's character looked skeptical.
'The lord's going personally? It'd be better not to go.'
'Even if it's tough, training here is safer.'
'Going outside with him could mean dying.'
Once the knights were geared up, Claude came over and spoke.
"As you ordered, we've packed only light dried rations to allow for quick movement. We'll send supplies to match your arrival time."
"Good. Ensure there are no issues. Keep monitoring Desmond and Amelia."
"Understood."
"Oh, and bring Bean. I'll be riding that."
"…Bean?"
"The Black Bean. My new horse."
Claude looked as if he were begging.
"Could you please reconsider the name?"
"Why? It's cute, isn't it?"
The surrounding vassals also wore expressions of disbelief. That fierce-looking horse did not suit such a cute name at all.
"You really need to change it. Everyone will mock it."
"A warhorse ridden by the lord named 'Bean'? That's just ridiculous."
"My lord, do whatever you want, but please, don't name things yourself."
The vassals looked pained. They were fine with the lord's eccentricity, but this was too much.
"Hmmm…"
Even Ghislain hesitated under their collective pressure.
He was confident when it came to future plans or battles. But when everyone united against him on this, he began to seriously wonder if he was bad at naming things.
In his previous life, mercenaries had often laughed when he named things. He'd usually beaten them into compliance, but that approach wasn't suitable for his vassals.
Unlike mercenaries, they weren't mocking him. They were earnestly pleading.
Most of them were so weak that a few hits might kill them. So this time, he decided to compromise.
Looking at Bean, Ghislain pondered. He needed a majestic name.
What was his title in the past life? One of the Seven Strongest of the continent and King of Mercenaries. The horse's name should also include "king."
'Horse King?'
That sounded wrong. Even for someone who named things carelessly, "Horse King" didn't feel right.
"This guy is really fast. How about Speed King?"
Everyone shook their heads in unison. Ghislain examined the horse again.
Its sleek black muscles and mane were impressive.
The horse seemed to know it looked good, flipping its mane dramatically to cover part of its face before shaking it away with a toss of its head.
"Alright, since you're black, you'll be 'Black King' from now on."
Claude raised an eyebrow and asked.
"You're really giving a horse the title of king?"
"Of course. I'll be riding it, so it deserves that much. Anyway, no more objections. That's the name. And its nickname will still be Bean. Got it?"
The vassals reluctantly nodded. This compromise was better than nothing.
At least "Black King" had a sense of grandeur. It would work for official records and public appearances.
'Please, just use the nickname in private.'
The Black King snorted approvingly, showing its teeth as if it liked its new name.
Once the naming debate ended, Gillian approached and asked.
"Are you sure I shouldn't go?"
"Yeah, you need to keep training the knights and soldiers. I'll be back soon, so don't worry."
"Understood. Safe travels."
After Gillian saluted, Ghislain turned to Arel.
"Don't slack off on basic training while I'm gone. Once your stamina improves, I'll teach you the mana cultivation technique. Until then, follow Gillian's instructions."
"Yes, my lord!"
Arel bowed deeply. He was currently focusing on building his stamina and adjusting to training, as his body was too weak for anything else.
The rural boy, picked up during the barbarian subjugation, was treated cautiously by the people in the territory. They assumed he was Ghislain's disciple.
Moreover, Belinda took care of Arel like a younger brother, so everyone treated him with care.
"Young master, travel safely. Oh, I wish I could follow, but I've been so busy lately. Don't skip your meals, okay?"
"Don't worry. I'll be back soon."
Having seen Ghislain's skills, Belinda no longer panicked as she used to. Though she still worried because of Ghislain's unpredictable personality.
Once the farewells ended, Ghislain and the knights departed. As Kaor passed Gillian, he muttered.
"Remember my words. When I return, I'll crush you."
"..."
Gillian ignored him again. In the past, he would've punched Kaor into submission, but in Ghislain's presence, he restrained himself.
Kaor seemed to know this instinctively and only picked fights when others were around. He never provoked Gillian when they were alone.
Still, being ignored always made Kaor angry.
'Just wait! I'll kill 100,000 monsters and definitely beat you.'
Fuming, Kaor joined Ghislain and the knights as they headed for the Turian Kingdom.
Under the pretense of cavalry training, they traveled nonstop and arrived near the Shadow Mountains faster than expected.
"Wow…"
"So this is the Shadow Mountains we've heard about…"
"It's incredible."
The towering mountains cast deep, dark shadows across the land, living up to their name.
The knights felt a mixture of awe and fear. The forest-covered peaks stretched endlessly, their contours distorted by the heavy darkness.
The ominous atmosphere emphasized just how dangerous the mountains were.
Seeing the mountains up close, the knights began to adjust their expectations.
'This… doesn't feel like a sightseeing trip.'
'Maybe I wasn't chosen because I'm handsome…'
'I have a bad feeling about this.'
The Turian Kingdom had built several fortresses along the Shadow Mountains, focusing on areas where monster activity was highest.
Behind the fortresses, walls were erected to protect nearby cities in case the fortresses were breached.
Encircling the entire mountain range with walls was impossible, so the defenses focused on blocking key paths to major cities.
If monsters slipped through the gaps, hunters or the kingdom's army would handle them.
Compared to the main routes leading to the fortresses or walled strongholds, the monsters that came through the gaps were fewer, so it wasn't a major problem yet.
Ghislain and the knights headed for one of the largest fortresses, Ironcliff.
Because many hunters gathered at these fortresses, they also served as bustling towns.
Seeing the massive walls surrounding the fortress, the knights' jaws dropped.
It was as grand as expected from a place that had fought countless battles against monsters.
As soon as they arrived in front of the fortress, Kaor spoke enthusiastically.
"Shall we drop our things and head straight out to hunt monsters?"
Ghislain shook his head and replied.
"When you arrive in a new town, there's something you have to do first. Especially in a city full of outlaws like this."
"What's that?"
Raising his fist, Ghislain grinned.
"Beat people up."
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