Chapter 260

Chapter 260: This Should Be Enough (1)

“Uh, don’t tell me that’s....”

The knight, hearing Ghislain’s words, suddenly widened his eyes as if something had just clicked in his mind.

Though he hadn’t thought of it immediately because he didn’t reside here, the monster wave of the Turian Kingdom was famous even in other nations.

A monster wave, as the name implied, referred to a sudden surge of monsters pouring out from the Shadow Mountains. The monsters that erupted in such waves would ravage various parts of the Turian Kingdom.

Thus, fortresses were built along their predicted paths to block their advance.

Ghislain nodded emphatically.

“Exactly. Soon, even the hidden monsters will come out in droves. There’s no need to go looking for them. We just need to get ourselves ready.”

“Ugh....”

The knights grimaced in dismay.

They had already hunted an extraordinary number of monsters while following Ghislain. Those were already gruesome enough, but now they were going to face monsters swarming in packs? Just thinking about it was enough to make them faint.

However, Ghislain wore a cheerful smile.

“Isn’t it convenient that they’re coming to us to die? At times like this, it’s all about who bags the most.”

“Yes, sir....”

Kaor, listening to the exchange, tilted his head in curiosity and asked,

“But, my lord, how do you know a monster wave is about to happen?”

It was well-known that monsters periodically descended from the mountains. However, if the time for a wave was imminent, the people at the fortress would be frantically preparing.

Yet, everything seemed as normal as ever, as if no one knew a monster wave was coming.

Ghislain answered nonchalantly.

“Because of us.”

“Excuse me?”

“We caught so many monsters. Hundreds of hunters would take months to hunt what we’ve caught in just a few days, right?”

“And you think catching many monsters will trigger a wave?”

“Exactly. That’s just how the monsters in the Shadow Mountains work.”

“...Does that even make sense?”

“That’s what I heard somewhere. Anyway, just prepare yourselves. When you catch this much, you can expect them to show up.”

Kaor looked at Ghislain with a skeptical expression. Ghislain always spouted nonsensical remarks, but the absurdity he uttered always turned out to be true, making it difficult to argue against him.

No one yet understood the true cause of the monster waves.

The Turian Kingdom had dispatched numerous investigative teams over the years to find the reason. However, each expedition only returned with heavy casualties, leading the kingdom to abandon further investigations.

Thus, when someone like Ghislain, not even from Turian, spoke as though he knew the cause, suspicion was inevitable.

Kaor concluded, ‘Hmm, this is too much thinking for me. Best not to overthink it. I’m stronger when I don’t think.’

In a manner not too dissimilar from Claude, he decided to simply accept Ghislain’s absurd instructions without question.

Of course, even Ghislain didn’t know the exact cause. The mystery hadn’t been solved in his past life, so how could he possibly know? He only knew from experience that when they hunted a certain amount, the monsters inevitably swarmed. For now, that was enough.

“All of you, take some rest and inspect your equipment. We need to be in top condition for the battle.”

The knights spent their unexpected personal maintenance time gloomily. The thought of potentially fighting more monsters than they ever had before was already exhausting.

“Let’s check on the supplies in the warehouse. Kaor, come with me.”

Leaving the knights behind, Ghislain and Kaor roamed the fortress.

Initially, Ghislain, as the leader of their group, had been the focus of both wariness and admiration. But ever since he defeated Doncard, it was Kaor who drew the overwhelming attention.

“Hey! Redhead! You’re incredible!”

“To think you beat Doncard! You’re now the strongest in this fortress!”

“Let’s go hunting together sometime!”

Wherever they passed, cheers and praises rained down upon them.

At first, Kaor appeared bewildered by all the attention. But soon, a smug smile spread across his face, and he ran his fingers through his hair.

“Whew... so I really am the strongest, huh?”

On reflection, it seemed only natural that he deserved such recognition. He’d merely forgotten his worth while staying in that strange estate with peculiar people.

For a brief moment, the memory of the airship crash surfaced in his mind, but he shook his head and tried to forget. The unpleasant image of Alfoi’s face that came to mind irritated him further.

Ghislain, staying slightly behind, allowed Kaor to bask in the spotlight.

‘He’s really enjoying himself. He’ll adapt well here.’

Kaor would remain at the fortress for the foreseeable future, hunting monsters and sending the hides and other materials back to the estate.

‘There is strength in numbers as well’

Ghislain hadn’t said he wouldn’t hold deserters accountable. However, the hunters who didn’t know him well nodded eagerly with bright expressions.

“Y-yeah. I’ll bring as many as I can.”

The more party members there were, the safer the hunts would be. Of course, it also meant that each individual’s share would be smaller.

It was natural for those with better skills and higher contributions to take a bigger portion of the spoils.

However, Ghislain’s party was different. Their hunting speed was astonishing, and despite that, there were hardly any severe injuries or deaths. If the individual members weren’t highly skilled, such results would be impossible.

These were facts the hunters had already witnessed firsthand. They figured they’d make a decent living just by joining and participating in some hunts.

Soon, news spread, and hunters swarmed Ghislain’s inn.

“Let us join! I’m a great cook!”

“I know every inch of this terrain!”

“With my skills, I’ll be a big help!”

Around 200 hunters gathered, their chatter and self-promotions filling the inn with noise.

Sitting at the central table, Ghislain pulled out a stack of documents and declared, “I’ll accept every single one of you. Don’t worry, just line up. Let’s start signing these contracts.”

“Straightforward and bold! I like it! Let’s do this!”

Hunters were no strangers to contracts. Such documents were common to prevent disputes during the distribution of loot after hunts.

Still, contracts in lawless zones were often a farce. Who would truly adhere to the terms in a place where strength dictated everything?

Typically, problems were settled by force, regardless of what the paperwork said.

Unaware of Ghislain’s fondness for solving things with overwhelming power, the hunters dismissed the contracts as a formality.

“Wow, the terms are amazing!”

“As impressive as their hunting skills!”

“Must be because they’re earning so much. What generosity!”

The hunters smiled broadly as they read through the terms of the contract.

There was no distribution based on individual contributions. Instead, the share given to each member was far more generous than other parties offered.

According to the contract, all materials except hides and tendons would be divided equally. It essentially meant they could slack off and still make money.

Given the hunting speed Ghislain’s party had shown so far, it seemed like a quick and lucrative opportunity.

However, some terms stood out as peculiar.

“A 30-year contract?”

“Participation in battles outside the fortress upon demand?”

“Immediate execution if you run away? And if you want to terminate the contract, you have to return everything you’ve earned so far?”

It wasn’t like typical contracts between hunters. Specifying a fixed duration felt like forced conscription.

One of the hunters hesitated before asking, “Do we really need a set term? Hunters come together and split up as needed. That’s what happened with Doncard’s group after he died, isn’t it?”

Ghislain responded with a benevolent smile, “It’s about sticking together for the long haul. But I can add a clause—if I die, the contract becomes void. Also, I’ll be leaving here in a few days. When I’m gone, Kaor here will be your leader. Make sure to follow him.”

The hunters exchanged sly glances. In other words, they only needed to kill this man to void the contract at any time. Alternatively, they could stage an “accident” for Kaor while Ghislain was away.

This effectively rendered the contract duration meaningless. They could reap the benefits and leave whenever it suited them.

“Alright, let’s sign already!” one hunter exclaimed enthusiastically, prompting the others to rush forward to sign as well.

Meanwhile, the Fenris knights watching this scene clenched their jaws.

‘Poor bastards....’

‘They really think they can kill the lord?’

‘Eventually, they’ll all be dragged back to the estate.’

Even after Ghislain left, Kaor and the knights would remain. The hunters wouldn’t find it so easy to escape.

Once the contracts were finalized, Ghislain generously handed out advances.

“Here, use this to take a few days off and rest. I’ve got plenty of money.”

“Woooahhh!”

Before even going on a hunt, the hunters were flush with cash from Ghislain. Without hesitation, they flocked to the fortress’s entertainment district, drinking and partying.

This behavior was similar to that of mercenaries. Hunters, always aware they could die at any time, lived for the moment and celebrated without restraint.

As word spread that Ghislain was handing out money, more hunters came daily, eager to sign contracts. Before long, over 300 hunters had pledged themselves to him.

It was a significant number achieved in a surprisingly short time. Watching the hunters squander their money on nightly celebrations, Ghislain smiled.

“Good. With numbers like this, it’ll be more than enough to have them all leap off the walls together.”

Monsters were best fought head-on.

That was Ghislain’s creed.