"Enemies! It’s an enemy attack! The fortress troops are here!" Cries of alarm echoed from all directions as the barbarians hurriedly grabbed their axes and gathered. They had just been about to go hunting, so they were neither prepared nor mounted on their horses. "Hurry up and get ready! They’re already upon us!" The warriors scrambled onto their horses, but Ghislain’s forces, charging with ferocious speed, were already close by. The barbarians’ horses, sensing the danger, grew agitated, making them hard to control. Without a proper formation, no unit can fight effectively. And in their chaotic state, they couldn't even calm their horses, let alone form ranks. As they stumbled in disarray, Ghislain's army arrived. Boom! "Aaaargh!" Ghislain's spear swiftly smashed through the heads of the barbarians. His red, gleaming eyes matched the ominous aura radiating from his spear. Swish! Thud! With each swing of his spear, another barbarian fell from his horse. They were struck down without even a chance to resist. With overwhelming force, Ghislain quickly cleared a path. Following close behind him, Gillian’s spear was equally devastating, unleashing terrifying power. Together, the two of them were single-handedly dismantling an entire barbarian tribe. Behind them, Ferdium’s knights charged into the barbarians. Boom! Thanks to Ghislain’s training, Ferdium’s knights had grown in strength, using their exceptional cavalry skills to tear through the barbarian camp. “Hahaha! Now that we’re doing this, it feels incredible!” Randolph laughed heartily, and the Ferdium knights joined in, shouting with glee. "Did you fools really think we’d just keep taking this forever?" "Our lord has given us this opportunity to strike back!" "How do you like it? Not so fun now, is it?" They shouted furiously, faces flushed, as they slaughtered the barbarians. Years of pent-up frustration fueled their rage. The Ferdium cavalry was no different. Faces red with anger, they unleashed their fury on the barbarians, feeling as if years of suffering were finally being washed away. Meanwhile, the Fenris knights... "Damn it! Why is everyone so fast!" Kaor shouted in frustration, realizing he couldn't keep up. He had thought he was decent on horseback, but it was clear he had a long way to go. In truth, he rarely fought on horseback, preferring the satisfaction of fighting on foot. The other Fenris knights were in a similar position. Despite learning shock tactics from Ghislain, they couldn’t match the seasoned cavalry of Ferdium. Boom! However, their sheer numbers—hundreds of them—more than made up for their lack of skill. With the Fenris knights joining the charge, the barbarians lost their composure entirely. They had taken massive losses in the initial clash and had no time to regroup. Yet, in true northern barbarian fashion, they refused to lose their fighting spirit. Desperately, they tried to form ranks and mount a defense. "You bastards! Close ranks! Hold your ground!" "Don’t underestimate the strength of warriors!" "Don’t retreat! We can kill them!" But it was a futile effort. The knights and cavalry quickly spread out and surrounded them. As soon as the formation was complete, Ghislain shouted, "Leave no one alive! Release all the anger you’ve been holding back! Make it so they tremble at the sight of our wolf banner!" "Waaaaaah!" Ghislain’s words ignited a fire in the hearts of the Ferdium knights and soldiers. They fought with blazing eyes, striking down the barbarians. This was different from simply defending the fortress or hunting down raiders. This time, they were attacking the barbarian stronghold itself. One, two, three... With every barbarian they struck down, it felt as though a weight lifted from their hearts. It was as if they were avenging their fallen comrades. For the people of Ferdium, this assault was almost sacred. The Fenris knights, however, who lacked personal grievances against the barbarians, simply followed orders, executing their training with precision—everyone except one. ‘Gotta kill more than that old man!’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶 Kaor fought with as much fervor as the Ferdium knights. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing to Gillian, his self-declared rival. ‘The old man is my true nemesis!’ Gillian, for his part, had no such feelings toward Kaor and barely paid him any mind, but Kaor took this rivalry seriously. “Aaargh! I curse you all!” The barbarians were dying fast. Some threw down their weapons and raised their hands, for there are always those who value their lives. But the knights and soldiers of Ferdium ignored them, swinging their weapons without hesitation. They had suffered too much to consider mercy. Thud! Thud! Thud! As Ghislain led the charge, he occasionally called out reminders. “Don’t kill the horses!” While exterminating the barbarians was a goal, so was securing the horses. They needed as many as possible. In the end, the barbarian warriors perished without landing a single proper blow. The only ones left were the elderly, women, and children, who huddled, trembling, inside their tents. Rip! The Ferdium knights and soldiers tore through the tents, dragging them out. The last time Ferdium forces raided a barbarian camp, the tribes had fled before they arrived. But this attack had come so suddenly that there had been no time to escape. One knight raised his weapon as he looked down at a crying child. Reluctantly, he was prepared to end the threat before it could grow. At that moment, Ghislain’s voice echoed across the battlefield. “Stop!” The knights and soldiers immediately lowered their weapons. Perhaps, deep down, they had wanted someone to stop them. They had never killed non-combatants before. Seeing this, Randolph spoke grimly to Ghislain. “My lord, as unpleasant as it may be, it might be best to end them all now. If we spare them, these children will grow up to become the next generation of enemies.” Ghislain responded with a detached expression. “True enough. But they have their uses.” “What... what use could they possibly have?” “Let’s take them with us for now. Besides, I don’t enjoy killing those who can’t fight. It would be beneath me.” There was something unsettling in Ghislain’s tone, leaving Randolph puzzled. “If they were of no use, would you have killed them?” Ghislain was silent for a moment, then replied curtly, "If it were necessary." His expression remained impassive, but a strange gleam flickered in his eyes. Seeing this, Randolph felt a chill run down his spine. ‘Could it be... is this man...?’ Randolph didn’t know what Ghislain had been through. Known for his wild and reckless youth, Randolph had largely dismissed him, choosing not to care about his past. There were times, even while serving together, when Ghislain had simply disappeared. Randolph was about to ask more, but then decided against it. He realized that he probably wouldn’t get a straight answer—and perhaps it was better not to know. As an experienced knight, Randolph glimpsed the ruthless malice and ferocity that had flashed in Ghislain’s eyes. From that look alone, it felt as though Ghislain had taken more lives than even Randolph, who had spent his entire life on the battlefield. ‘No, that can’t be right. He’s younger and has far less war experience. Even if he had killed in secret, he would’ve been caught if it was to such an extent. It must be my imagination.’ Shaking his head, Randolph dismissed the thought and began overseeing the soldiers as they cleared the battlefield. Ghislain, having captured a considerable number of prisoners and horses, returned to the Northern Fortress. The knights and soldiers who had accompanied him were eager to share tales of their exploits. “Hahaha! Those fools were weak as hell!” “We should’ve killed them all sooner! These horses are all spoils of war!” “That was the best stress relief I’ve had in years!” Their boasting was endless, and soon others began clamoring to join the next battle. “Next time, I’ll go!” “I’m stronger than that guy! Let me join, too!” “Take us with you!” Hearing their enthusiasm, Ghislain grinned. He loved seeing such motivation among his troops. High morale naturally led to greater strength. “Alright! We’ll keep rotating and wipe them out one by one!” "Woooooo!" Those among Ferdium’s knights and soldiers who were in bad shape were swapped out for those back at the fortress. With this system of rotation, they could swiftly and efficiently eliminate even more barbarians. Of course, the Fenris knights were exempt from this rotation. They needed to endure harsher conditions and gain more experience. Quickly assessing the surrounding area, Ghislain swept through tribes closest to the fortress, moving outward with each conquest. Because they left no survivors aside from prisoners, it took the barbarians several days to realize something was wrong in neighboring tribes. Even then, all they heard were rumors that the “fortress pushovers” had gone mad and were rampaging. The barbarian tribes couldn’t ignore the growing threat. Some groups even openly searched for Ghislain’s forces. But no matter how many tried, none of them could withstand the sheer strength of hundreds of knights and cavalry. "Aaargh! Who are these people?!" "Why are there so many of them? And why are they so strong?" "It looks like the main force from the fortress is out here!" With each encounter, the barbarian tribes quickly realized this wasn’t just a simple raid. It became clear that the threat was far more substantial, as tribe after tribe fell to Ghislain’s forces. Those close by began to communicate with each other, finally recognizing the need to take action. In response, eleven tribes, led by the powerful Soribaram tribe, gathered to discuss how to address this sudden crisis. "The fortress troops, who until now only defended, are now attacking us—why are they doing this all of a sudden?" "Their forces are unusually strong. It’s strange that they’re mobilizing like this during a food shortage." "Regardless, we can’t let them continue. If we stay scattered, they’ll pick us off one by one. They’re pushing further north with each attack!" Ghislain’s forces were systematically sweeping through tribes closest to the fortress, extending their reach outward. A direct confrontation was inevitable. The chief of the Soribaram tribe, Kustu, fell into deep thought. Known for his strength among the northern warriors, he pondered their limited options. "Damn it, why would Ferdium choose to move now? I haven’t even finished settling things with the Sunstone tribe yet." The Sunstone tribe, a rival to the Soribaram, had been waiting for an opportunity to strike. If Kustu’s forces suffered heavy losses facing Ferdium, they could easily fall prey to Sunstone. In their weakened state, they would stand no chance. While he considered relocating their base, this would only lead to more conflict, as they’d have to fight for new territory with other tribes. Given their current hardships, it wasn’t feasible. If they had to fight anyway, eliminating Ferdium seemed like the better choice. Fortunately, eleven tribes had united, alarmed by Ferdium’s sudden aggressiveness. "Didn’t six tribes get wiped out recently?" Kustu asked. Another tribal chief nodded, confirming, "Yes. Over two thousand warriors were lost. Their forces are no joke." "I heard they were ambushed during a siege," someone added. "Right. It’s clear we can’t take their fortress easily. There’s a chance we might face another ambush, but we’ve always been weak at siege warfare." "That’s only because we’ve never united fully against them. And even if we defeat them, the kingdom would just send another lord to replace them. We’ve always chosen to leave it at that." "True." "We don’t need to dance to their tune. Hunting them down one by one will only cost us more. Gather all the warriors from each tribe and show them our overwhelming strength." "Are you suggesting...?" After a pause, Kustu gritted his teeth and spoke with a sinister edge. "Now that their main force has come out, we’ll seize the opportunity to completely destroy their fortress. We’ll cut down Zwalter Ferdium. They say he’s called the Northern Wolf of Rutania. Let’s see if he lives up to the name." Claude, looking exhausted, studied the map and spoke to Ghislain. "Well, here it is—the dangerous situation you were waiting for." “What’s so dangerous about it?” "Eleven tribes have banded together. They have over five thousand warriors, from what we can estimate. It looks like they’ve gathered every single person who can fight." “Oh, quite a crowd,” Ghislain replied, sounding almost amused. "Yes! And we’re in serious danger now! Did you really have to provoke this?" Claude’s frustration boiled over. "This isn’t how we’re supposed to fight the barbarians. If your approach worked, the kingdom would’ve dealt with them ages ago." Even if there hadn’t been a rift between the royalists and the dukedom, the sheer number of tribes in the north made it almost impossible to eradicate them all. Generations before had tried and failed, eventually resigning themselves to defense. "If you attack them, they’ll inevitably band together. Fighting them only puts us at greater risk and increases the damage. There’s a reason why the royal family and other lords have left things alone. Why rush headlong into danger?" Claude was so exasperated that he pounded his chest. Why couldn’t their lord be a little more sensible? What kind of childhood did he have to harbor such a grudge against the world? "Let’s negotiate. We have plenty of food now. If we offer them some, they’ll accept it. They’re struggling just as much as we are." Ghislain replied with a bored look, “Negotiation, huh? Sure, that sounds reasonable. It’s not like we can wipe out all the barbarians right now.” "Exactly. Even if we manage to hold them off this time, they’ll regroup eventually." "But negotiation is only effective when you have the upper hand. Who negotiates from a position of weakness?" "We negotiate because we’re the ones at a disadvantage!" "Then we should change the odds in our favor first." "And how exactly do you plan to do that?" With a sly grin, Ghislain replied, "Simple. We’ll start by taking the heads of the ones who’ve already gathered. Once they’re gone, the others will be much more cooperative."