The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 282: It’s Our Turn to Help (2)

It wasn’t just the Third Legion and the Ferdium forces that were bustling about, worried for Ghislain.

Some were more concerned about the well-being of Fenris than anyone else.

Victims of Investment Losses

At the sight of the banner hanging at the banquet hall entrance, Rosalyn and Mariel, who had gathered numerous investments from nobles, let out heavy sighs.

The prevailing opinion was that Count Fenris would lose this time.

Count Desmond was unlike other lords. He was a major northern lord commanding an army of 30,000.

Even though Ghislain had recently been gaining recognition as the kingdom’s new star, he paled in comparison to Count Desmond.

“Oh no! We’re doomed!”

“I put all my wealth into this!”

“Why did I even invest in this?!”

The investors had poured enormous sums into cosmetics and road construction. While the road construction was initially pursued under the trust of the Marquis of Branford, the principal party behind these ventures was still Ghislain.

If Ghislain were to fail, the cosmetics business would undoubtedly collapse. And if the leading figure went under, the road construction project’s future would be uncertain.

It was no wonder that everyone was anxious about losing their investments.

Among them, one person had poured in more money than anyone else.

‘Damn it! That crazy bastard! I brought in not only the other bishops’ wealth but also the temple’s donation funds and threw it all in!’

This person was none other than Bishop Porisco, a self-proclaimed devout servant of the goddess Juana.

Porisco, who had earned the renown of being at the level of a saint, was considered the most influential religious figure in the capital.

Now untouchable due to his elevated status, he had reverted to his old, troublesome habits. Not content with accepting countless bribes, he had begun gambling with temple funds, making investments here and there.

‘What should I do? I shouldn’t have trusted that bastard! I should’ve just devoted myself to Juana! If I lose all this money, I’ll hit rock bottom again… No, wait. Wouldn’t it be better if that guy just died?’

On second thought, if Ghislain died, there would be no one left who knew his dirty secrets. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if he were gone.

‘No, wait, what about my money? How could I just lose all that money? I’ll end up in ruins again!’

Porisco found himself torn. He wanted Ghislain dead but not yet. This, he rationalized, must be another test from the goddess.

‘Ah, why does the divine always give me such trials?!’

While the investors were all stomping their feet in frustration, Rosalyn stepped forward and shouted.

“Just worrying about this here won’t solve anything!”

All eyes turned to her, their gazes somber. What could investors do except worry about their failing businesses?

Rosalyn, however, spoke firmly, as if there was no problem.

“If you’re worried about the business failing, why don’t we help ensure it doesn’t fail?”

“……?”

“You all have private soldiers stationed here in the capital, don’t you? Gather them and lend them to support Count Fenris!”

“…….”

The crowd’s expressions turned reluctant at her proposal.

Of course, they had private soldiers. But those forces were meant to secure their safety in the capital, nothing more. They were nothing compared to the elite troops of Desmond, known as the strongest in the North.

No matter how many hundreds they could gather, they would pale in comparison to an army of 30,000.

Rosalyn, however, continued, her expression unwavering.

“My father has ordered the Third Legion to mobilize! If we work alongside the kingdom’s forces, our private soldiers can make a significant difference! We don’t need to win the war; we just need to rescue Count Fenris!”

“Oh…….”

The nobles’ eyes lit up. If the Marquis of Branford himself had mobilized the kingdom’s army, the situation would have changed.

Moreover, they were part of the Royal Faction. There was no issue in taking action against Desmond, who had launched a war without justification.

A civil war might create greater problems later, but that was a worry for another day. The immediate concern was saving Ghislain to prevent their financial losses. He simply had to be rescued.

‘If that bastard survives this time, I’m pulling all my money out.’

‘I can’t stand the stress of being tied to him anymore.’

‘Hah, I’ve dealt with this before, but every time there’s a chance of making big money, it’s so hard to pull out.’

Though they couldn’t help but get involved, seeing everyone else making money, they couldn’t resist joining in. This time, however, the crisis had truly shaken them to the core. Many resolved to withdraw after resolving this issue.

Hiding their true thoughts, the nobles readily agreed to Rosalyn’s proposal.

“Very well! I will send all 100 of my soldiers!”

“I’ll send 50!”

“I’ll contribute 200 of mine.”

The nobles scrambled to pledge their troops.

Being wealthy and influential aristocrats, they collectively promised a total of around 3,000 soldiers.

This unexpectedly large number surprised even themselves.

“Well, well, it seems our forces are considerable when gathered,” one remarked.

“Of course! Isn’t that the whole point of pooling resources, just like investments?”

“With this number, we can make a real difference.”

Rosalyn clenched her fists tightly. The nobles’ response was better than she had hoped. With the kingdom’s army working alongside them, the chances of rescuing Ghislain were significantly higher.

Mariel, smiling with satisfaction, added, “The Aylesbur family will provide food supplies and military funds.”

“Ohhh!”

The nobles gazed at her with admiration.

Mobilizing 3,000 soldiers at once was no easy feat. Many were already calculating whether they’d need to contribute extra funds, but Mariel’s intervention spared them the trouble.

With decisions quickly finalized, Rosalyn turned to Porisco, who was attending the banquet, and made her request.

“Bishop! Could you send ten priests? And this time, not the novicessend skilled ones!”

“Uh… but the temple shouldn’t participate in wars…”

“Just like last time, all they need to do is ensure Count Fenris doesn’t die. It’s purely humanitarian!”

“Hmm…”

“If Count Fenris or the region’s key engineers were to die, even if we went to help, it’d be pointless! Do you want to lose the temple’s precious donations?”

“Ugh… I shouldn’t, but…”

Porisco hesitated. Rosalyn was rightif he lost the temple’s… no, his precious money, it would be a disaster.

After all, this wasn’t direct participation in the war, so the priests wouldn’t be in much danger. Humanitarian assistance was a widely accepted excuse among the nobles.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

‘There’s no choice… If this is the goddess’s will, I must comply.’

Resolving his internal conflict, Porisco chose money over Ghislain’s life, conveniently leaving the responsibility to the goddess. He was a man with unwavering priorities.

“Very well… This unity among us must be a sign of Juana’s guidance. I shall send priests to assist.”

Thus, the Capital Nobles’ Allianceor as some sarcastically called them, “The Victims of Investment Losses”was formed.

Rosalyn exhaled in relief. Though she couldn’t let her guard down yet, with the Third Legion’s support, it seemed likely they could rescue Ghislain.

‘He’s surprisingly popular, isn’t he?’

Regardless of intentions, another army of thousands was mobilizing to save Ghislain.

The combined forces were placed under the command of Viscount Iderean, a man with war experience and significant investments in the cause.

At the departure ceremony, Iderean confidently proclaimed, “I will personally ensure Count Fenris is rescued!”

“Hurrah! Viscount Iderean is the best!”

Amidst the nobles’ cheers, the Capital Nobles’ Alliance marched closely behind the Third Legion.

“Are the preparations complete?”

Ghislain asked as he tied a bandage around his hand. Claude, visibly tense, responded.

“The elves and 2,000 mounted archers, along with 1,000 cavalry, are ready.”

“And the knights?”

“All 300 are fully armed and awaiting orders.”

“No word from Gillian?”

“Not yet…”

A month had passed since the war began. They had received reports of the fortress falling but no updates from Gillian.

There had been word a few days ago about skirmishes with Count Desmond’s forces, but nothing since.

This was partly because Desmond’s scouts and pursuit squads made it difficult to gather information, and Gillian could not risk exposing his movements.

Ssssshhhh.

Ghislain unfurled a map and stared intently at a particular location.

Nodding a few times, he turned to Claude again.

“My father, the kingdom’s army, and the Capital Nobles’ Alliance, correct?”

“Yes. They left quite some time ago and should reach the estate’s borders soon.”

“Good. We’ll make up for the lacking forces with theirs. My letter was delivered properly, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, I confirmed delivery and even received a response.”

Ghislain nodded silently.

He wanted to prepare more, but there was no time. Any delay would put Gillian and others in greater danger.

The estate’s resources had been entirely devoted to producing new bows, which barely filled the gaps in their arsenal.

The intensive training for the mounted archers had also yielded decent results, and with the bow production complete, there was no reason to delay further.

* * *

When Ghislain stepped outside the castle, a large crowd gathered around him.

“My lord! We can fight too!”

“We will defend the castle!”

“Take us with you! Let us join you!”

The ones gathered were newly recruited trainees and armed inhabitants of the estate.

They all shouted with fervent expressions, declaring their resolve to fight.

These were estate residents who had always been indifferent to the wars of the nobility, now stepping forward of their own volition.

It was truly a touching sight. With people like them, I felt we could overcome anything.

But not now.

“I’ll accept your sentiments. However, it is not yet your time to fight.”

I couldn’t let them fight at this moment. The estate residents had just begun to stabilize their lives, and productivity was improving.

What if the estate became ravaged by war and many residents died? It would take even more time than we had already invested to recover.

If this had been the final battle, or if the Duke’s main forces had attacked, I would have declared a full mobilization to fight.

Because that would have been a battle that needed to be won at all costs.

But that wasn’t the case now. Desmond was merely one of the mountains we had to cross. Even Ghislain had initially considered retreating temporarily from this place.

Although the estate residents expressed frustration at Ghislain’s refusal, they had no choice but to accept it.

‘It’s because we’re still too weak…’

‘Once again, we can only rely on our lord…’

‘We just need to get through this crisis. Next time, for sure…’

They had lived far too complacently. Recently, tension had risen due to rumors of the estate being targeted, and many had enlisted as soldiers, but it wasn’t enough.

They should have received training long ago and built the strength to protect the estate.

The residents regretted and lamented this deeply.

If given another chance, they vowed never to live in such ease and complacency again.

They all harbored this resolve.

Ghislain surveyed the residents before turning his gaze to the army assembled before him.

Three hundred knights in black armor, their fierce expressions ready to explode at any moment, stood before him.

Despite their usual bickering, Gillian and the knights stationed at the fortress were comrades who had fought together until now. Knowing they were risking their lives to stall the enemy made him want to rush to them immediately.

“Huff… huff…”

Everyone was breathing heavily, their rage barely contained.

Ghislain turned his head again.

Vanessa and Alfoi stood at the forefront of a group of robed mages gathered on one side.

Though they looked slightly tense, they didn’t appear overly fearful.

Desmond’s army had many mages. To counter them, the Fenris mages had to step forward in earnest now.

Snort.

The sharp, restless sounds of horses reached Ghislain’s ears, drawing his attention.

Lumina and Ascon led 200 elves, and behind them stood 2,000 mounted archers.

These were the ones who would play the most crucial role in this war.

Each carried a newly designed bow, folded and hanging from their waist.

Behind them were about a thousand mounted soldiers, including the labor assault team, waiting in formation.

One notable difference from the previous war was the absence of Belinda and some other key figures.

Ghislain cast his eyes over the gathered forces and slowly began to speak.

“Right now, our comrades are facing the enemy’s massive army, risking their lives and shedding blood to buy us time.”

The knights’ breathing grew even rougher. They looked as if they might charge forward at any moment.

Ghislain’s voice continued, calm yet brimming with strength.

“The enemy is Desmond, hailed as the strongest in the North. They have brought an army of 30,000, while our forces, even at full muster, number only 4,000. So, if anyone feels fear, you are free to step back.”

Thud!

One knight slammed his lance to the ground, as if to mock the idea. Following his lead, the other knights also began striking their lances to the ground.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Their eyes burned with fierce determination. Ghislain smiled, satisfied.

“Good. We can’t delay any longer. We cannot let their courage and sacrifices be in vain.”

Thud!

The knights struck their lances to the ground once more. The rhythmic tremors, like the beat of a heart, resonated across the battlefield, quickening the pulse and breath of everyone who heard it.

“Now it’s our turn to help them.”

With those words, Ghislain mounted his horse. The waiting knights followed his lead and climbed onto their steeds.

When all preparations were complete, Ghislain tightly gripped the reins of the Black King.

“Let’s go. Let’s rescue our comrades and crush Desmond.”

Neigh!

The Black King reared on its hind legs, letting out a powerful cry. Then, it surged forward with tremendous force.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

The knights and soldiers followed closely behind Ghislain.

Everyone was mounted. They bore no resemblance to the force that had been holed up inside the fortress.

The Fenris army, as if releasing all the power they had been gathering, charged forward with overwhelming speed.

Riding atop the Black King, Ghislain clenched his teeth.

“Hold on just a little longer, Gillian.”

His eyes burned with a killing intent fierce enough to destroy everything in his path.