The Dirus Ents began approaching them, their rage plainly visible, without hiding their fury.
Even though they'd lost their outer shells, it was clear they believed they could easily crush the humans in front of them.
As the mercenaries began to falter, ready to retreat under the overwhelming pressure, Ghislain picked up a spear and spoke.
"Hey, are you all going to run without even trying to fight? How do you expect to live off a soldier's wage like that?"
Despite his mocking words, the mercenaries couldn't bring themselves to get angry. They just stared at Ghislain as if he were a madman.
They couldn't understand how he could be so confident when their weapons didn't work, and neither did fire.
"Watch closely."
With that single remark, Ghislain hurled the spear with great force.
Craaaack!
The spear flew with tremendous speed, piercing through the body of the nearest Ent, and then embedded itself into the one behind it.
"Graaaaargh!"
The creature that had been pierced staggered backward, shocked by the pain it had never felt before.
"Huh?"
As the mercenaries stared in disbelief, Ghislain turned around with a grin.
"You fools. They don't have bark anymore. The vines that protected them are all burned away, so they can't attack from a distance. They're just big, slow monsters now."
Even after seeing the monsters get pierced by the spear and hearing Ghislain's words, the mercenaries still hesitated to charge.
While the Dirus Ents had lost their outer shells, their enormous size and intimidating presence remained the same.
As dozens of Dirus Ents approached, surrounding them from all sides, the mercenaries began to retreat step by step, gripped by fear.
"Grooooaaarr!"
The terrifying roar that emerged from their hideous forms shook the air.
The mercenaries, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the monsters' presence, began to lose their will to fight.
In this state, there was no way they could possibly face them.
"Damn it."
Clicking his tongue, Ghislain reached into the wagon and pulled out a gigantic greatsword.
It wasn't a typical two-handed sword but one specially crafted to hunt giant monsters.
Thud!
Holding the massive sword in both hands, he slammed it into the ground, almost as if planting it there.
The heavy sound echoed in all directions.
'Phew, it's been a while.'
Although Ghislain's primary weapon was a sword, and his expertise was in swordsmanship, he had never neglected his training with other weapons.
On the battlefield, there were times when he had to use weapons other than a sword, and sometimes, if luck ran out, he even had to fight bare-handed.
In fact, back when he was the King of Mercenaries, he was famous for his ability to wield any weapon with ease, not just swords.
"Groooaaarrr!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
As the Dirus Ents approached, the mercenaries recoiled further, stumbling backward.
"Your Highness, please retreat. I will handle this."
"Cerberus Mercenary Corps, prepare yourselves."
Gillian and Kaor readied themselves to step forward.
With the mercenaries uncoordinated and in disarray, the two knew they had to keep their heads straight. Otherwise, they would all be trampled to death right then and there.
The remaining mercenaries nervously watched Ghislain.
Their employer stood motionless, holding only a greatsword as if too frightened to give any orders.
'What's this? That rookie noble stepped forward as if he's going to fight?'
'He can't even hold his sword properly because it's too heavy!'
'What's he planning to do with that awkward stance?'
The mercenaries grimaced as they quickly stepped back.
It wasn't just one or two monsters—they were up against a massive and vicious horde. No matter how they looked at it, fighting them was impossible.
They simply hoped the Cerberus Mercenary Corps would hold out long enough to buy them time to escape.
The mercenaries exchanged uneasy glances, assessing the situation.
At this rate, it was clear that their employer, who was at the very front, would be trampled to death.
If he died, they wouldn't have to pay any penalties for fleeing, so the best course of action for them was to run the moment he was killed.
"Young master! Leave it to the mercenaries and step back immediately!"
Belinda, furious, looked between the mercenaries and Ghislain, her voice tense.
Even if they were scared to slip away while the employer was right before them? She wouldn't be satisfied even if she smashed all the mercenaries' heads!
"No. From now on, I'll be at the front in every battle."
"What did you say?"
Belinda, dumbfounded, glared at Ghislain with eyes blazing in disbelief.
What was he thinking, saying he'd lead the charge in this dangerous forest without knowing what might come out?
Hiring all these mercenaries only for the employer to take the lead was pure madness.
"Are you insane? Even the mercenaries are backing off! What do you think you're doing?!"
Both Gillian and Kaor, who had been preparing for battle, also frowned.
They would've been more at ease if Ghislain withdrew, but since he was at the front, it was honestly frustrating.
They knew Ghislain was quite skilled, but this was actual combat. It was nothing but an uncomfortable situation for those who had to protect him.
However, Ghislain, unfazed by their looks, smiled.
"Let's begin."
Inside him, one of his cores began to spin fiercely, emitting mana.
"Young master! Stop it!"
"Young lord, fall back!"
Sensing the mana's movement, Belinda and Gillian hurriedly tried to stop Ghislain, but they were a step too late.
Ghislain sliced through the air and dashed forward.
Kwooooooo!
Right after that, a monstrous howl echoed as the body of the Dirus Ent at the front was split in two.
Thud!
The massive form of the Dirus Ent collapsed to the ground, its body cleaved apart.
Kwooooooo!
Shocked by Ghislain's sudden attack, the rest of the Dirus Ents froze in place.
"Haa…"
With an exhale, red smoke began to seep from Ghislain's mouth.
It was proof that his core was spinning at full speed.
Gwoooo!
A few of the Dirus Ents charged at Ghislain.
As one of the thick branches swung toward him, Ghislain blocked it with the flat of his greatsword, but the impact pushed him back.
"Urgh!"
But as if he had anticipated it, he swiftly spun his body and slashed at the nearby Dirus Ent.
Crunch!
The greatsword Ghislain swung bit halfway into the Dirus Ent's torso before stopping.
Even without the tree bark, it wasn't the kind of thickness that could be sliced through in one strike.
"Hmph!"
Rrrrrip!
Ghislain, unfazed, applied more force, pushing the blade further into the monster.
With a grinding sound, the enormous body began to split once more.
Kraaaah!
The Dirus Ent let out a pained scream before its body was completely severed, collapsing to the ground.
The surrounding Dirus Ents, enraged, launched a barrage of wild attacks at Ghislain.
He deftly dodged their strikes, blocking others with his greatsword while steadily continuing his assault.
Another monster was cleaved in half by his sword, falling to the ground.
One strike, one monster.
One by one, the Dirus Ents were felled, unable to withstand Ghislain's blade.
"Ugh!"
Of course, Ghislain wasn't unscathed.
The Dirus Ents, with their massive frames, also had tremendous strength. Just blocking their attacks was enough to shake him to his core.
However, the more Ghislain withstood their strikes, the more he felt his nerves and senses come alive, surging with energy.
'It's been a while since I've felt this…'
Since his battle with Frank, he hadn't had many opportunities to use his full strength.
He had been preoccupied with making plans and gathering funds, following the more extensive course of events he remembered.
But right now, at this very moment, he could focus purely on battle.
Kraaaah!
Another Dirus Ent collapsed as its body was sliced apart.
Unconsciously, a satisfied smile crept across Ghislain's face.
'After all, this is where I truly belong…'
In his past life, he had always stood at the frontlines of battle.
He was always in the most dangerous places.
That's why even the roughest mercenaries had come to acknowledge him.
He didn't mind using his brain when necessary, but it was clear that this kind of work suited him best.
"Wh-what the…"
Seeing Ghislain wreak havoc for the first time in a while, Belinda stood frozen in shock, swallowing nervously.
She had intended to chase after him and pull him back but found herself completely mesmerized.
For an ordinary knight, it was impossible to fell such massive monsters in a single blow.
No matter how skilled one was, it was an insurmountable task without the necessary mana and physical strength.
From what Belinda knew, Ghislain didn't possess that much mana.
After all, there was a limit to how much mana one could accumulate at his age.
No matter how talented, time was a constraint that applied equally to everyone.
'Did he somehow steal some kind of miracle drug?'
In truth, Ghislain had only activated a single core.
The amount of mana available from just one core wasn't vast, but his ability to concentrate and manage mana was unparalleled.
Even with a small mana reserve, he could unleash bursts of immense power at critical moments.
However, for those unaware of his secret, all they could do was watch in shock at his overwhelming display.
"How… how does the young lord have such strength?"
"He's not just skilled in swordsmanship."
Gillian and Kaor were stunned, unable even to consider joining the battle as they watched Ghislain in awe.
It was the first time they had seen him fighting seriously while using mana.
They had always known his swordsmanship was impressive, but they hadn't expected him to wield such powerful mana in actual combat.
Even the mercenaries, who had been quietly retreating, stopped in their tracks, astonished, now watching Ghislain in fascination.
"Was our employer always this strong? Didn't they say he was just a spoiled brat?"
"How can someone that age have such skill?"
While everyone stood dumbfounded, watching, the battle grew fiercer.
Kwoooooo!
All the Dirus Ents converged on Ghislain.
With him swinging his greatsword wildly and smashing everything around him, they had no choice but to focus solely on him.
'I'll have to activate the second core.'
Even Ghislain couldn't easily overcome the sheer size difference between him and the monsters.
They were slow, which allowed him to dodge effectively so far, but each attack was terrifyingly powerful.
If he were to take a direct hit, even he couldn't even guarantee his survival.
He had no choice but to brace himself for the strain and activate another core.
As Ghislain awakened his second core, drawing more mana, his eyes began to glow a deeper red.
Gillian, snapping back to his senses, shouted loudly.
"What are you all standing around for?! Attack!"
Gillian charged forward like a raging boar, his axe raised.
Crack!
His axe cleaved into the body of a Dirus Ent that had been attacking Ghislain.
With Gillian's intervention, Ghislain exhaled deeply, cooling down his second core.
Thanks to Gillian, who was now hacking away with his axe, Ghislain had a bit more breathing room to maneuver.
"Damn it! Cerberus Mercenary Corps, charge!"
With Kaor joining in, Ghislain's movements became even more fluid.
"Uraaaaaa!"
The Cerberus Mercenary Corps swarmed in, plunging their weapons into the monsters.
The Cerberus Mercenary Corps were warriors who thrived on life-or-death combat.
Far from being intimidated by the Dirus Ents, they fiercely attacked, sticking close to the monsters and landing blow after blow.
"Get in there! Let's tear these bastards apart!"
Kwoooo!
The battle turned into complete chaos.
The remaining mercenaries, though still swallowing nervously, began to inch forward.
"Why aren't they calling us in? Does he think he can kill them all by himself?"
"The Mad Dogs jumped in, but still…"
The mercenaries couldn't make sense of the situation.
Their employer hadn't given them a single order. He was just fighting silently at the front, all by himself.
Did that mean he didn't need them? Why had he hired them if he was going to fight alone?
One thing was certain: watching Ghislain fight made their blood boil.
"I've got to fight too."
An older mercenary, known as Toran, grabbed his weapon and rushed in.
"I'm coming too."
A few other mercenaries followed closely behind Toran.
Belinda, who had been watching with her arms crossed, shot a sharp glance at the remaining mercenaries.
"What are you doing, standing around? Are you just going to sit here and watch?"
At her sharp scolding, the mercenaries glanced at each other before shouting.
"Y-Yeah! Let's get in there too!"
"Let's fight!"
"Waaaaaah!"
With a chorus of battle cries, the rest of the mercenaries charged into the fray.