The innkeeper stared blankly at Ghislain. The knights and hunters around him also blinked, thinking they must have misheard.
At an inn, one either rents a room or leaves—what did he mean by "taking over"?
Ghislain, as if annoyed, clicked his tongue and said, "What are you waiting for? Pack your things and clear out."
The innkeeper was flabbergasted. What was this guy thinking? Did he even know what he was doing? Was he acting like this just because he had numbers on his side? To confirm, the innkeeper asked:
"Do you even know who I am before you start spouting nonsense?"
"I came here to book a room; why would I need to know that?"
"Pfft… Hahaha! Are you insane or something?"
The innkeeper burst into laughter. The hunters watching the scene clutched their stomachs as they laughed along.
"Is he crazy?"
"Looks like some rookies who just got here. They need to know who they're dealing with before acting."
"Ahahaha, every once in a while, you get idiots like this."
Kaor glanced around and then asked Ghislain, "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like? I'm getting us lodging."
"Are you turning into a full-time bandit now? It suits you, I'll admit, but if you're forming a band of thieves, at least give me a heads-up so I can mentally prepare."
Kaor kept muttering, his tone full of complaints.
Even in his mercenary days, when he was known as a mad dog for his rough personality and frequent troublemaking, he'd never stooped to banditry. It was a matter of pride. Sure, he'd overcharge clients, but that was just business as usual.
Ghislain, indifferent to Kaor's grumbling, replied nonchalantly, "Are you scared again?"
"I'm not scared!" Kaor snapped back, clearly agitated. Ghislain chuckled and continued.
"They're bandits themselves."
"…What?"
"This place isn't called a lawless zone for nothing. Originally, there was nothing here."
"And?"
"Someone started small, then someone else took it by force. Then another group did the same. Everything here was built by taking from others. Look around—does this inn look like it's being run legitimately?"
Kaor and the knights examined their surroundings more closely. The old, decrepit building was filled with an eerie, grimy atmosphere, and bloodstains were dried in numerous spots.
Kaor narrowed his eyes and nodded.
"Murder is prohibited here? Yeah, right."
In principle, that might be true, but in practice, it was unlikely. A place teeming with criminals couldn't avoid murders. It was impossible.
Even if no one officially reported deaths, plenty of people had likely died unofficially.
Crack, crack.
The knights began stretching, cracking their necks, and loosening up their bodies. The hunters' gazes around them were becoming more suspicious by the second.
The innkeeper, who had been laughing, finally looked at Ghislain and spoke.
"Ten gold per person."
Ghislain smirked.
"Is that the room rate? Pretty steep. Are you overcharging outsiders?"
"No, that's the price for your lives."
The innkeeper rang a small bell on the table in front of him.
Ding, ding.
A bell rang in response from another direction.
Ding, ding.
The sound soon stopped, and hunters began descending from the upper floors, their footsteps heavy.
Clunk!
A hidden door in the floor swung open, and more hunters emerged from below, all armed.
The innkeeper glanced at the gathering hunters and instructed, "Alright, put the blades away. Killing this many people would force the kingdom to intervene. Just beat them half to death and toss them out. They'll either crawl back home or starve to death. Oh, and take anything valuable."
Even in a lawless zone, there were minimum rules. Killing wasn't allowed outright. While seizing things by force was common, there were limits; the different factions kept each other in check.
If too many hunters left because of unchecked violence, even the remaining ones would be at risk. Thus, they maintained their own set of principles and order, with the kingdom only intervening in the worst cases.
When fools like these stirred up trouble, a swift "lesson" disguised as punishment was necessary. It set an example and maintained order.
The hunters nodded, picking up clubs or clenching their fists. Roughly 200 of them filled the inn's first floor.
It was more than enough to beat a few rookies into pulp.
As the hunters surrounded Ghislain and his knights, the innkeeper swaggered forward.
"So, what's it going to be? You look like nobles. If you don't want to remember this as the most humiliating day of your life, just pay up. Or, you can fight us."
The hunters here had honed their skills in real combat, hunting monsters. They were leagues above ordinary soldiers.
Most of them were at least squire-level, and some even had minor mana abilities.
Ghislain scanned the group, then let out a small chuckle.
Boom!
Without warning, he grabbed the innkeeper's head and slammed it into the wooden bar counter.
The counter shattered, and the innkeeper collapsed, his head bleeding, unconscious. The sudden attack left the hunters frozen in shock.
Ghislain looked around at the stunned crowd and asked, "What? Haven't we started yet?"
"Hahaha!"
Kaor burst out laughing. Now he understood why the lord had brought him here.
This place was perfect for him.
Living among decent people in the estate had made him try to emulate them. His inferiority complex and insecurities had only grown, fueled by their influence.
But now he realized he didn't need to change.
'A mad dog should live like a mad dog. Even mad dogs have their roles.'
There was no need to pretend to be a good person. After all, Kaor had always proudly declared himself a "bad guy."
He kicked the nearest hunter and yelled, "You bastards! Come at me, all of you!"
The hunters snapped out of their shock and charged.
"Get them!"
Smack!
Chaos erupted as the two sides clashed. Furniture shattered, and the inn descended into a full-blown brawl.
The knights, former mercenaries, broke chairs and wielded whatever they could find. They were no strangers to bar fights like this.
Bam!
"Damn it! What are these guys?"
Despite their numbers, the hunters began losing ground. The knights all had mana abilities.
But the hunters, experienced from countless deadly battles, didn't go down easily. Those with some mana skills blocked the knights' attacks, while others coordinated to launch precise group assaults.
The hunters' timing was flawless, likely honed from frequent teamwork in hunting monsters.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Even so, the knights began to take minor injuries, some being knocked down and trampled.
Meanwhile, Ghislain had slipped out of the chaos and was watching from the corner.
"Hm, not bad. This is good training, and it helps us bond with the hunters."
To stay in this fortress for a long time, one needed to make a name for oneself and establish dominance. Ghislain saw this fight as an excellent opportunity to build camaraderie and take over the inn.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"You bastards! Do you even know where you are? Ugh!"
"I don't care! Just die, you scum!"
Shouts and curses filled the air as the fight grew more heated.
Without weapons, people who were knocked down got back up to continue fighting. The lack of blades made the brawl even more brutal.
One by one, bones broke, and more people became incapacitated.
"I'm the strongest! Even the old man can't beat me!"
"What are you talking about? I'm still young, you brat!"
The standout in the fight was Kaor, as expected. He fought like a true mad dog, mercilessly beating anyone who approached.
However, facing skilled hunters working together, he wasn't unscathed—one of his eyes was swollen, and the back of his head was bleeding.
Without a sword to quickly incapacitate his enemies, he inevitably took hits. But his relentless tenacity and accumulated skill allowed him to steadily bring down his opponents.
Boom! Boom!
As the fight dragged on, Kaor's bloodlust became palpable.
"Raaahhh!"
Kaor stomped on a fallen opponent, bit into another's neck, and broke limbs without hesitation. His brutality resurfaced, earning his old nickname as a mad dog.
Seeing Kaor, now covered in blood and rampaging wildly, even the hunters began to retreat in fear.
"What the hell is with this guy? He's insane!"
"Were they all real knights after all?"
"Fall back! Let's regroup and come back later!"
The remaining hunters tried to run toward the door.
But they couldn't get out.
"When you came in, it was up to you. Leaving, though, isn't."
Ghislain stood blocking the door.
One hunter shouted, "It's just one guy! Run him over!"
"What did you say?"
Smack!
Ghislain swung a fist, and the charging hunter collapsed instantly, his neck twisting unnaturally. Foam bubbled from his mouth; he was as good as dead.
Seeing this, the other hunters froze in their tracks.
Behind them, Kaor and the knights were approaching, panting heavily with rage.
Behind them were fifty knights; ahead of them stood one man.
Though the one man looked formidable, it seemed faster to break through the front.
"Push through!"
At the shout of a hunter, Ghislain smirked. At that moment, his fist shot forward, aiming at the approaching hunters.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Each punch landed with perfect rhythm, and every time the sound rang out, a hunter dropped to the floor. It was impeccable timing, an art of punching.
Thud!
The last hunter to fall muttered under his breath, almost unconsciously.
"What a monster…"
The inn was filled with the heavy sound of panting and groaning. Ghislain looked down at the floor littered with defeated hunters and spoke.
"Not bad, right?"
Kaor and the knights laughed. Their hair was disheveled, and they looked like a mess, but their bodies felt thoroughly refreshed after such a fight.
This brawl was entirely different from the bloodshed of the battlefield. Since it didn't involve fatal wounds, it felt more like entertainment. It was also a convenient way to establish dominance.
Ghislain grinned as he looked around.
"This place is ours now."
***
The defeated hunters were all dragged out and dumped outside the inn. The sheer number left onlookers in shock.
Nearly 200 hunters lay beaten and bruised in a pile. It was a sight to behold.
Ghislain stepped confidently out of the inn and announced, "This place is ours now. Got it? If anyone has a problem, feel free to come back. Oh, and lodging now costs 100 gold per day."
Nod, nod.
The onlookers nodded silently.
The former innkeeper, Arnold, had been one of the more prominent figures in the area. Yet, the group before them had effortlessly crushed his hunters and thrown them out.
In a place where strength ruled over law, no one dared to oppose such power.
"Arnold's unconscious, his head cracked? That guy went down that easily?"
"Some crazy group just showed up. Will they be alright?"
"Still, they're pretty strong, don't you think? If they negotiate well with Donkard, they could form a significant faction."
Few newcomers made such a dramatic entrance or displayed such overwhelming power. It seemed likely that Ghislain and his group would quickly establish a solid foothold in the fortress.
The crowd lingered out of curiosity about the newly arrived powerhouse.
Ghislain and his knights, however, were too busy cleaning the inn to pay them any mind.
"Whew, finally feels a bit cleaner. You can't live like pigs, after all."
Looking at the somewhat cleaner inn, Ghislain smiled in satisfaction.
After finishing the cleaning and taking a day to rest, Ghislain gathered everyone. With their base secured, it was time to move forward.
Standing before his group, Ghislain addressed them.
"Now that we have our base, I'll make it clear what we're here to do. Follow the objectives I set."
One of the knights raised a hand and asked, "Isn't the plan to hunt monsters and gather hides? Isn't that why we came here?"
"That's right. But our estate needs a lot of hides. Once we've established ourselves here, I'll return home. The rest of you will stay and send the hides and other materials back to the estate."
Hearing this, the knights exchanged sly looks. If the lord left, they'd have free rein to drink and relax while sending just enough hides back. It felt like a vacation.
They all shouted enthusiastically, "Yes! We'll work hard and send plenty!"
Pleased with their enthusiasm, Ghislain smiled.
"To improve your skills, you'll also train while you're here. Hunting monsters will help you grow stronger."
The knights snickered. As always, they thought the lord underestimated them.
"My lord! We're former mercenaries. We've hunted plenty of monsters before."
"We've learned to use mana. Do you really think killing a few monsters will improve our skills that much?"
"We even survived the Forest of Demonic Beasts."
Hunting monsters every day didn't necessarily lead to rapid skill improvement. If it did, every hunter would have become a sword master by now.
Life-threatening combat was only as beneficial as it was dangerous. One mistake and you'd die before your skills improved.
To grow stronger, steady training against suitable opponents was the key. Recklessly fighting monsters wasn't the answer.
But Ghislain had a different plan.
"Of course, just putting in effort won't be enough. I'll set a target to make it effective training."
"…A target? How many monsters are we supposed to hunt?"
"Within six months, you need to kill 100,000 monsters."
At this absurd statement, the knights' faces turned pale.
[T/L: Please support me and read 320 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]