If it hadn't been for Ghislain, they would have died without even knowing what had happened to them.
As Kaor watched the mercenaries cheering, he turned to Gillian and asked.
"Just what is that guy? People called him a madman, but is he actually some kind of secret weapon from the Ferdium family?"
Kaor was quite shocked that the skills Ghislain had shown so far weren't everything.
"I don't know either. But there's one thing I'm certain of. There's no one around our age better than our Young Lord."
This was the first time Gillian had seen Ghislain display this level of power. Even when fighting monsters, Ghislain hasn't been using his full strength.
Clearly, he was hiding something, surpassing the level of a mere genius.
Despite his thoughts, Gillian's face, as he answered Kaor, was filled with admiration and pride.
However, not everyone was so delighted and excited.
"Ah, move! Get out of the way!"
Belinda panicked, shoved, and kicked the mercenaries aside as she rushed toward Ghislain.
"Young Master! Are you alright? No, you've improved again! Are you really the same person?"
Belinda was the one who had observed Ghislain's abilities the longest and most closely.
In her eyes, Ghislain's skills were not enough to handle the oncoming Pallors. That's why she had stepped up first this time.
But she hadn't expected Ghislain to show such abilities, far beyond what she had anticipated.
"I'm fine. The line almost broke at the start, but we gained enough time thanks to you. Everyone did well. First, let's take care of the injured."
Yet, Belinda seemed uninterested in praise, anxiously fretting as she inspected Ghislain's wounds.
"You need treatment first, Young Master."
"They aren't that serious."
Just as Belinda had said, Ghislain had sustained injuries here and there from fighting so recklessly.
Not only Ghislain but also Gillian and Kaor had cuts all over their bodies.
Even though it had been chaotic, it was a grueling battle, enough for skilled fighters like them to sustain injuries.
The result was inevitable, with Pallors being both solid and fast and in large numbers.
As Belinda fussed over Ghislain, the mercenaries exchanged glances and murmured among themselves.
They were surprised to discover that Belinda, whom they had only thought of as a mere maid, was far stronger than they had imagined.
"I knew it from the moment she threw that dagger and surrounded it with mana."
"You're kidding, right? Weren't you the one begging her to make soup? You almost lost your head."
As the lingering heat from the battle cooled down, the mercenaries started to joke around amongst themselves.
Clicking his tongue at their simple-minded behavior, Ghislain spoke up.
"Tend to the injured and gather the corpses in one place. The effect of the light will soon wear off, so take out the lamps and hang them up."
The surviving mercenaries immediately began moving according to Ghislain's orders without the slightest hesitation.
"Musclehead Gordon" was among them.
"Whew, disgusting bastards."
As Gordon organized the outermost part of the clearing, he grimaced at the sight of the Pallors' corpses.
After days of stress because of these creatures, even his muscles must have taken a beating.
'When I return, I need to train even harder.'
He gathered the corpses of the dead Pallors, who had died while fleeing and tossed them roughly into a pile.
Gordon, following the scattered bodies, wandered thoughtlessly toward the forest.
He was separated from the group, moving closer to the darkness of the tree-filled forest.
Without realizing it, he turned his head toward the light.
The duration of the Light magic was nearing its end, and the light from the orb had significantly weakened.
Feeling a sudden, inexplicable sense of unease, Gordon quickly grabbed the leg of a corpse lying on the ground.
He planned to throw it aside and return to the group as quickly as possible.
At that moment, the Pallor, which he had thought to be dead, snapped its eyes open.
"Huh?"
Startled by the unexpected situation, Gordon could only mutter in a daze.
Kraaak!
The tentacles attached to the Pallor's arms extended rapidly, wrapping around Gordon's neck, arms, body, and legs.
"Aaaargh!"
Everyone turned their heads upon hearing the scream.
They caught sight of Gordon being dragged into the darkness.
"Gordon!"
"Damn it! There was one still alive!"
"That stupid bastard!"
The mercenaries rushed after Gordon, but they came to a halt before leaving the clearing.
None of them dared to venture into the dark, densely wooded forest.
"What should we do?"
"It's over. He's gone into the darkness; we can't save him now."
"We barely won, but it's a shame."
The forest was so thick with trees that even the space directly in front of them was engulfed in darkness.
Pallors were monsters that became increasingly difficult to deal with in the dark.
Ultimately, death was the only fate awaiting Gordon, who had been dragged away.
As the mercenaries looked on regretfully, Ghislain drew his sword again.
Belinda and Gillian, sensing his intent, grabbed his arms and shouted.
"Young Lord! Are you crazy?"
"My Lord, you can't! It's too dangerous!"
Ghislain silently looked at the two who were restraining him, then turned to glance at the mercenaries.
The mercenaries, though bitter, shook their heads.
This wasn't the employer's fault. Accidents could happen at any time.
Even an employer who fought on the frontlines couldn't prevent such incidents.
It was simply the misfortune that came with selling one's life for money.
Even Kaor stepped in front of Ghislain, speaking as though it was no big deal.
"Give it up. It's already too late. Dying because of one's mistake is a burden mercenaries must bear."
If they had a chance to survive, they would, of course, try, but a death that couldn't be avoided was something mercenaries accepted with stoicism.
Ghislain closed his eyes for a moment and raised his head.
Dying in battle was something he couldn't even avoid. It was a risk he had to accept as a mercenary.
But leaving behind a comrade, who had been alive and dragged away right before his eyes, was something he couldn't accept—not as a member of the Continent's Seven Strongest, nor as the King of Mercenaries.
Especially if there was still a chance to save him.
With his eyes closed, Ghislain murmured softly.
"I have…"
The words that followed pierced everyone's ears.
"…never once abandoned those who follow me."
Belinda and Gillian's eyes showed a flicker of unease at Ghislain's ominous words.
As Ghislain slowly opened his eyes, he looked at the two of them and spoke.
"Stay here and protect the mercenaries. I'll go alone."
Belinda's face twisted in frustration.
'I knew it! He's never listened to anyone since he was a kid!'
She quickly pulled out a dagger that she had preemptively coated with poison. She didn't want to hurt him, but if she didn't knock him out now, he'd charge forward without knowing when to stop.
"My Lord, let's stop here, shall we? You know what happens when I get angry, don't you?"
Her tone had changed. It was proof that she was truly furious, as Belinda rarely got angry.
Ghislain merely shrugged in response, fully aware of this.
Swish!
Before Belinda could react, he had already disappeared into the dark forest instantly.
"My Lord…? Hey! Where are you going?!"
Belinda, now thoroughly enraged, stomped her feet in frustration and turned to Gillian.
"You stay here and keep watch!"
She barked the command before immediately chasing after Ghislain.
"You keep guard then."
His face impassive, Gillian directed his words at Kaor before following behind Belinda.
Kaor left, staring blankly at the spots where the others had vanished, scratching his head in frustration.
"Ha, what a joke! Do they really think they can boss me around like that? Unbelievable. Ugh, seriously."
Ever since meeting Ghislain, his pride had taken a beating.
"Damn it, really! Should I just cut them all down?"
Kaor kicked a random rock in frustration and glared menacingly at the remaining mercenaries.
"What are you looking at? Hurry up and clean this up. We'll wait here. If I catch anyone slacking, I'll lop their heads off."
To the mercenaries, Kaor was still the terrifying Mad Dog.
They flinched, nodded in agreement, and resumed working busily.
Kaor sat down, chewing on some jerky as he smacked his lips.
"Ugh, what a shame."
Chasing after the three of them would've been fun, but if he left as well, there'd be no one to lead the mercenaries.
Meanwhile, Ghislain was now pursuing Gordon at an incredible speed.
Tracking a Pallor, which had blended entirely into the darkness, was no easy feat. At some point, it had vanished entirely from sight.
One might sense its movements close up, but if the distance grew too great, even that would be lost.
Even Count Balzac, who had earned the title of Master in Ghislain's previous life, had struggled to deal with Pallors.
However, the situation was a little different now.
The Pallor had captured Gordon; since he was human, he couldn't blend into the darkness like the creature.
― "Aaaahhh!"
Gordon's scream faintly echoed from far away.
Ghislain chased the sound, infusing his voice with mana and shouting loudly.
"Gordon! Keep screaming! I'll catch up to you!"
His voice was so loud that it seemed to shake the forest.
It was loud enough to reach Gordon, for sure.
In truth, yelling so loudly in the Forest of Beasts was a terrible idea.
It could awaken other monsters or alert them to his presence, causing them to start pursuing him.
However, this was the Pallor's domain, and it was night.
The other monsters were still unaware that most of the Pallors had been killed, so they were unlikely to move easily.
― "Aaaah! Help me!"
Gordon's voice, hoarse from screaming, reached Ghislain, who continued to run, following the sound to guide him.
But after a while, Ghislain realized that Gordon's voice had stopped.
'His mouth must be covered.'
Ghislain gritted his teeth, pushing more mana into his body.
'Or… he's already dead.'
Still, he couldn't give up until he saw the body with his own eyes.
Tear!
Ghislain pulled out a Light scroll from his coat and ripped it, illuminating the area around him.
He scanned the ground for any signs and sprinted like mad once he gauged the direction.
'Gordon, hold on!'
Just as Ghislain predicted, Gordon's mouth had been sealed by one of the Pallor's tentacles.
Sensing that someone was pursuing it, the Pallor had quickly covered Gordon's mouth, thinking that the screams were the reason for being chased.
"Mmmph! Mmmmph!"
Gordon had also heard Ghislain's shouts.
He needed to make some noise so that Ghislain could find him, but the clever creature had sealed his mouth.
'Ugh, if I can't breathe properly, I'll lose muscle mass.'
Tears welled in Gordon's eyes as he struggled, but it was useless.
'Is this how I'm going to die?'
In this dark forest, finding any trace of him would be impossible.
Gordon's hope for survival began to fade.
'Come to think of it, the employer said he'd teach me how to read.'
If he had returned safely after this expedition, he might have learned to read and write.
Of course, he would've refused because he needed to focus on training.
'So this is it. This is how it ends.'
Everyone must think he was dead by now or would soon give up searching for him.
It seemed as if his thoughts were being confirmed, as Ghislain's voice was no longer heard.
But contrary to Gordon's expectations, Ghislain was still pursuing him.
However, the pace was slowing.
Without Gordon making any sound, Ghislain could not determine the direction.
Even for someone as experienced as Ghislain, chasing something in complete darkness, especially something that left barely any trace, was a nearly impossible task.
"Young Lord!"
"My Lord!"
During the brief moment when Ghislain's speed had slowed, Belinda and Gillian had caught up to him.
"Find any signs! Search the ground, search everywhere!"
At his desperate command, Belinda and Gillian immediately began scouring for traces as well.
Both of them were also skilled in tracking, but the clues were becoming harder and harder to find.
Eventually, it reached the point where even determining the right direction was nearly impossible.
"Young Lord, we should head back. Wandering further into the forest is too dangerous."
"Belinda's right. He's likely already dead."
Despite their attempts to reason with him, Ghislain didn't move easily.
Even at that moment, he kept his senses sharp, scanning all around.
If only he could hear one sound, even once.
Just as Ghislain stood there, reluctant to move, all three of them suddenly heard an unintelligible sound.
"―!"
Without a second thought, the trio shot off like lightning in the direction of the voice.