With so many hunters joining their ranks, Kaor turned to Ghislain with a question.
"It's nice to have so many subordinates, but are you sure about this? They're all rough types, and they won't be easy to handle."
"Are you scared again?"
"I'm not scared!"
"The more fighters, the better. That way, we can gather hides quickly, and they'll be useful for other purposes later. When I leave, you'll have to manage them. Think you can handle that?"
If it were any other task, Ghislain wouldn't have entrusted it to Kaor. However, Kaor had previously led a small mercenary band, and Ghislain trusted in that experience.
Hunters were similar to mercenaries—if anything, they were even more obedient to strong leaders.
Kaor's brash nature made him the perfect person to control hundreds of unruly hunters. He had already proven his strength and gained instant fame by defeating Donkard.
True to form, Kaor scoffed and wore a confident smirk.
"Don't worry. If I have to, I'll beat them into submission every day until they fall in line."
"Good. Remember, people like that resist small fears but bow to overwhelming terror. Don't forget it."
Kaor's expression grew slightly tense as he nodded, understanding the point.
After all, wasn't he himself being dragged around, cowering before the overwhelming force that was Ghislain?
'Ugh, how humiliating! Someday, I'll get my revenge.'
Kaor huffed with renewed determination. He didn't just want to surpass Gillian—he also wanted to overcome Ghislain eventually.
That, he believed, was the true path of a man.
Whether Kaor burned with resolve or not, Ghislain didn't care. There was much to handle before the Monster Wave arrived.
He sought out the Turian knight managing the fortress.
"The Monster Wave will start soon. You should prepare."
"…It's still more than six months away," the knight replied, his tone dripping with skepticism.
The Turian knight made no effort to hide his disdain.
The Monster Wave cycles were something the locals knew better than anyone. For someone like Ghislain, who had only just arrived, to make such claims was laughable.
Ignoring the knight's attitude, Ghislain simply delivered his message and left.
"Don't say I didn't warn you. Plenty of people have regretted not listening to me."
After Ghislain departed, the knight, named Grant, who was also the commander of the fortress, fell into deep thought.
If Grant had been from another kingdom, he might have dismissed Ghislain's words outright. It would've been easy to chalk it up to another crazy outsider spouting nonsense.
But Turian people were different. They were cautious by nature, having built fortresses specifically to fend off the Monster Wave.
Grant was torn.
'He's only been here for a short time. He probably picked up some rumors and is just bluffing.'
'But his actions so far haven't been ordinary. He's more competent than hunters who've been here for years.'
'Does he know something we don't?'
Preparing for the Monster Wave wasn't just a matter of increasing vigilance. The fortress would have to be sealed, and all logistics and trade would grind to a halt.
The fortress's economy depended on external merchants, who were drawn by the monster by-products they traded. If trade was suspended, the fortress couldn't sustain itself for long.
Moreover, the royal family and nearby fortresses would need to be alerted to shift into wartime readiness. This ensured a response plan in case the fortress fell.
In essence, preparing for a Monster Wave meant mobilizing not just the fortress but also the surrounding regions.
'If he's wrong, the financial loss will be catastrophic.'
The Monster Wave cycle was predictable. Fortresses planned meticulously around this schedule.
A sudden shift to wartime readiness had never happened since the fortresses were built.
The burden of acting on the word of a single outsider weighed heavily on Grant.
After a sleepless night of deliberation, Grant addressed his knights at dawn.
"…Prepare for the Monster Wave."
It wasn't that Grant fully trusted Ghislain. Rather, his compulsive caution wouldn't let him dismiss even the slightest possibility.
"Additionally, keep a close watch on Count Fenris. If the Monster Wave doesn't occur within a month, he will be held accountable."
No matter how wealthy Ghislain was, compensating for the losses would likely mean a lifetime of monster hunting here.
The moment Grant gave the order, the fortress shifted into a heightened state of alert. Its gates were sealed, and hunting outside was prohibited.
Knights and soldiers busily prepared for battle against the impending monsters.
"Move quickly!"
"Check the supplies of arrows and stones!"
"From today, double the number of sentries!"
Large ballistae and catapults were inspected, and strategic supplies were stockpiled around the walls.
Roads and areas within the fortress were blocked off for military use, shrinking economic activity and heightening tensions among the residents.
Unsurprisingly, some people began voicing their dissatisfaction over the sudden changes.
"What's going on? The Monster Wave isn't due for months!"
"They say that new guy, Ghislain or whatever, claimed it's coming soon."
"What nonsense is that? How would he know?"
With hunting banned, the hunters couldn't earn money. Naturally, their frustration turned toward Ghislain.
However, those who had planned to confront Ghislain never made it to him. Just a few days later, the monsters came pouring in.
Roarrrr!
An enormous horde of monsters, of every type imaginable, surged toward the fortress. No one could explain how these creatures, which usually fought and devoured one another, suddenly banded together to charge at the fortress.
The knights and soldiers of Turian scrambled to the fortress walls, and the hunters followed suit.
The fortress and its inhabitants shared a common fate. Now that the Monster Wave had begun, escape was no longer an option.
The number of monsters was staggering—at a glance, it looked like there were more than ten thousand. The hunters stared at the horde in stunned silence.
"What… What is this? Why are they actually coming all of a sudden?"
"For years, the timing of the waves has been almost perfect. Even if there was a margin of error, it was only a month or two at most."
"How the hell did that guy know this was going to happen?"
Not just the hunters, but even Grant, the commander of the fortress, was dumbfounded. He had prepared for the possibility, but he hadn't truly believed it would happen.
Part of him felt relieved for having taken precautions, but the danger remained ever-present.
"Prepare for battle! Hunters, ready yourselves for combat!"
Screeech!
Grant snapped out of his shock and shouted orders. Soldiers began loading the large ballistae and catapults, while hunters armed themselves with their weapons.
Because flying monsters were among the horde, they had to be ready for both ground and aerial combat.
Ghislain stood atop the wall, gazing at the approaching horde. Behind him were the knights of Fenris and the 300 hunters who had recently joined him.
Even as they prepared for battle, other hunters glanced nervously in Ghislain's direction.
"Kaor is over there."
"He's the one who defeated Donkard, right? We'll have a better chance of surviving if we stick close to him."
"Let's move a little closer to that side."
Gradually, the hunters began shifting toward Ghislain and his group. Grant, noticing this, shouted in frustration.
"Hold your positions! You idiots, stay where you are!"
Monsters didn't need ladders to climb. Many of them could scale the walls with ease.
The more athletic ones only needed a small pile of corpses to leap right over. That's why it was crucial for the hunters to maintain their positions.
But the hunters ignored Grant's orders and continued to move toward Ghislain's group. Staying close to the strongest fighters was their top priority.
Previously, Donkard had been the strongest in the fortress. Whether in one-on-one combat or monster hunting, he had always outperformed everyone else.
Now, Kaor, who had defeated Donkard, was the logical choice to stick close to. Being near him meant a better chance of survival.
Kaor ran a hand through his hair and wore a smug expression.
"Ha, these guys know who the strongest is. It's tough being so popular."
Even as the monsters approached, Kaor felt no tension. He was too busy enjoying the adoration of those around him.
The hunters who had already joined Ghislain's party looked triumphant, feeling the envy of others.
'This is why you have to act fast!'
'Jealous, aren't you? That's what you get for being too proud to join earlier!'
Ghislain looked around at the hunters who had gathered nearby and spoke.
"So, you all want to fight with us?"
The hunters nodded enthusiastically. All they wanted was to stay nearby and fight while keeping a low profile.
Ghislain cheerfully granted their wish.
"Alright, we're busy, so we'll just consider this a verbal contract for now. Fight hard alongside us, and everything will work out. Don't worry—Kaor, the guy who defeated Donkard, is here with us."
"Wooooaaaahhh!"
The hunters' morale soared.
In the past, getting close to Donkard had been nearly impossible. His party, which monopolized the spoils from monster corpses, didn't tolerate anyone sneaking into their ranks.
But these newcomers, whether out of generosity or foolishness, accepted anyone who asked to join. For the hunters, this was an unprecedented boon.
Watching Ghislain accept the hunters, Grant gave up trying to control them.
After all, hunters weren't soldiers. Forcing them to move would only breed resentment, and it wouldn't work anyway.
'Damn it, ever since that guy showed up, everything's been thrown into chaos.'
From the unexpected Monster Wave to the hunters gathering under Ghislain, it felt like the entire fortress was now dancing to his tune.
Screeeeech!
There was no more time for idle thoughts. The monsters had entered the range of the ballistae and catapults.
"Attack!"
At Grant's shout, the ballistae and catapults unleashed their assault.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Screeeeech!
Monsters exploded and were torn apart. The ballistae, in particular, were devastating against the larger monsters.
But there were too many of them. A few volleys weren't enough to stop the horde. Soon, the monsters passed the range of the heavy weapons, rendering them ineffective.
"Archers! Fire!"
The archers, easier to maneuver than siege weapons, began their attack.
Whoosh!
A hail of arrows rained down, some directed at flying monsters.
Though the arrows had little effect on the heavily armored monsters, they inflicted significant damage on the smaller ones.
"Keep firing! Don't stop!"
The archers had to continue their barrage until the monsters reached the walls. The few scattered mages, each with their own tragic backstory, poured their energy into long-range spells.
Roooaaaarrr!
The ground trembled louder with every passing moment. The monstrous roars grew deafening as they closed in.
Standing atop the wall, Ghislain gauged the numbers and distance of the monsters and nodded.
"Well, it's about time to jump down. Everyone, prepare for the 'One-Arm-Broken Survival Roll.'"
The hunters nearby looked at him with puzzled expressions, while the Fenris knights sighed in resignation.
'We knew this was coming.'
'Of course, he wouldn't fight normally.'
'I give up. I don't even want to think anymore.'
Whether the monsters were advancing or not, the knights had already accepted their fate.
Without a word of protest, they pulled ropes from their belts. Seeing this, Ghislain grinned.
"You're getting the hang of it now."
"Yes, yes. We just don't want to jump without ropes. It hurts."
Answering listlessly, the knights secured their ropes to the wall and swiftly descended. Each carried large wooden crates on their backs.
The hunters, watching in disbelief, shouted in alarm.
"What are they doing?!"
"Are they insane? Why are they going down there?"
"Are they idiots? Who actually jumps because someone told them to?"
Who willingly jumps to their death just because their leader said so? If they were going to die anyway, common sense dictated they should kill the one giving the order first.
Even Grant, witnessing this, screamed in frustration.
"You lunatics! What are you doing? Get back up here! Get back before our archers kill you!"
Even with the monsters so close, the archers could still fire downward. However, having allies below made that impossible.
Despite Grant's frantic yelling, Ghislain paid no attention. Instead, he turned to the hunters who had chosen to follow him and said.
"What are you waiting for? Grab a rope and head down."
"…Why should we?"
"It's not always advantageous to fight from a wall. That only works against human enemies. When fighting monsters, it's better to form ranks and fight in open space. Besides, plenty of monsters can make walls meaningless."
"The wall is still safer…"
"Since this is your first time, let me explain it nicely again. Against this many monsters, fighting down there is better. Plus, there's an even more important reason."
"…What's that?"
"If we fight down there, we get to keep all the spoils. That's why. Explanation's over—get moving."
"…"
The hunters were speechless. It sounded like nonsense, but some of the others had already descended.
Nothing about the situation made sense to them.
As the confused hunters hesitated, Ghislain glanced below and shouted.
"These guys seem a little lost, so I'll just throw them down. Catch them!"
A booming voice replied from below.
"The monsters are closing in! Throw them down quickly!"
"Alright, let's get started."
With that, Ghislain grabbed the nearest hunter and hurled him off the wall.
[T/L: Please support me and read 330 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]