Baron Magvel burst into loud laughter at Ghislain's audacious words, then fixed him with a piercing gaze filled with brilliance. "Your pitiful little mercenary game... and you dare present me with such terms?" Knights reached for their weapons, and soldiers gripped theirs tightly. At a single command, they were ready to seize Ghislain. The atmosphere grew tense in an instant. The onlookers retreated, sensing the dangerous shift in mood. Even amidst the heavy tension, Ghislain spoke calmly, unbothered. "Isn't it true that the terms of an honorable duel can be set as one pleases?" "You're telling me to wager my domain? Is that even reasonable...?" "And why wouldn't it be? Just as the Raks family has grown, it's only fair that we are entitled to claim territory as well." Baron Magvel's face flushed red with anger, but he couldn't refute Ghislain's logic. The kingdom’s finest knight was already dead. To face Ghislain, he would need to borrow a stronger knight from another domain. But who would engage in such madness? Nobody would throw away their resources just to take on an impossible fight. After glaring at Ghislain for a long while, Baron Magvel curled one corner of his mouth into a sneer. "You said you'd bet it all—so that includes your life, doesn’t it?" "Naturally. Betting everything includes one’s life, after all." The members of the Raks family gasped in shock. What madness was this? Was he truly willing to risk his life so easily? Even the already slanted scales of fate seemed to tremble and shift. But Ghislain remained unperturbed, his expression as calm as ever. Baron Magvel pressed on. "Will you wager the lives of your mercenaries as well?" "Are you asking out of courtesy? Of course, they’re part of the bet." From the lord's perspective, there was no reason to accept Ghislain’s proposal. The kingdom’s finest knight was already dead. To face Ghislain, he would need to borrow a stronger knight from another domain. That was a nearly impossible task. Declining the proposal outright was the less damaging option for his pride. "My lord." "There’s no need to duel him." "Please reconsider...." The surrounding vassals tried to dissuade him, but Baron Magvel waved them off and continued speaking. "Fine, but under one condition." "Name it." "First, since I came here this time, you’ll come to me next time. I’ll designate the place and inform you." "Understood." "Second, this time, we won’t hold the duel in public. Only matters directly concerning the Raks family will be discussed, and I’ll choose the witnesses." Baron Magvel’s sharp eyes swept across the surroundings. "Fighting in front of an audience doesn’t sit well with me...." The spectators lowered their heads, knowing his words were an insult to their presence. While it was a blow to their pride, everyone suspected there was a hidden agenda. By keeping the duel private, the lord could manipulate events without anyone knowing. Baron Magvel smiled fiercely. "Well? Will you accept? If you refuse, I’ll bury you here for the crime of insulting me." Clink! Clink! Knights and soldiers drew their weapons and stepped forward. Even if there was a proposal, anyone refusing to comply would face certain death here. Ghislain, however, remained composed and showed no signs of concern. With unwavering calm, he replied, "What difficulty is there in that? Let’s proceed as you wish." Baron Magvel stared at him, his face twitching with anger, before finally turning away after a prolonged silence. "Let’s go." He didn’t spare another glance at Ghislain. The corpse of the fallen knight was no longer of any use to him. As Baron Magvel departed, he hurled the lifeless body toward Ghislain. "Ghislain! What in the world are you doing?" "Ending this in a way that benefits everyone." "Have you completely lost your mind?!" People muttered as they stared at the corpse. No one believed the lord would engage in the duel fairly. It seemed inevitable that this situation would escalate into a drawn-out territorial war, leading to numerous casualties. Members of the Raks family stayed behind, openly grieving over the dead knight while confronting Ghislain. "Wh-why did you do something so reckless?" "The lord will undoubtedly use this opportunity to destroy us." "You must apologize immediately. You’ve handed him an excuse on a silver platter." Ghislain, irritated by their complaints, scratched his ear with a bored expression, clearly unconcerned by their panic. Meanwhile, Leo lay fainted nearby. Ghislain approached him and squatted down. "Hey, how long are you planning to lie there? I know you’re awake." "..." "Get up." Leo slowly opened his eyes, hoping this was all just a bad dream. "This is a nightmare, right? We won, right? Everything that happened after is just a dream, isn’t it?" "Nope, it’s reality." "Ugh, hahaha...." Leo wept bitterly, realizing the complete ruin of his family. The whimsical mercenary had recklessly wagered everything. "Why are you crying? This is a gift. A surprise gift." "What kind of gift is this?!" "Isn’t it great to have a chance to crush someone like Baron Magvel?" "What’s great about this? We’re all going to die!" Leo now firmly believed Ghislain was a demon—a demon who dragged them into even greater danger while claiming to save them. Deals with demons always led to ruin. Watching Leo sob, Ghislain yawned. "Think about it. If I hadn’t mentioned a second duel, the victory itself would have caused bigger problems. You realize that, right?" "Huh?" "The lord’s knight died in front of everyone. You wouldn’t have gotten anything you wanted, and do you think the baron would’ve let it slide?" "So, you’re saying we avoided that by offering another duel?" "Of course. The baron will claim his territory was already his, but now he’s got something to gain—your lives and his knight’s honor." Leo’s face paled at Ghislain’s certainty. Trying to find a way out, Leo attempted to come up with excuses, even rallying more spectators to ensure fairness. But in doing so, he had only drawn even greater problems onto himself. Ghislain smirked at Leo’s troubled expression. "Leave this to me. I’m an expert at handling people like the baron." "R-really? Can you resolve this?" "Of course! I’ve got everything planned out." Leo clung to Ghislain’s words as if they were his last hope. "I trust you completely!" "Wow, suddenly so cooperative. Fine." With a resigned expression, Ghislain lowered his head slightly, murmuring to himself. Everything he said was true. The baron would continue to torment the Raks family until he fully controlled their territory. They still hadn’t uncovered the traitor within their ranks, meaning any plan they devised would inevitably be sabotaged by the baron. Seeing everyone so dejected, Dark suddenly shouted loudly. "You’re all doomed! Nothing this guy does ends quietly!" "..." "If I were you, I’d abandon everything and run. What are you even counting on—" Smack! "Why!" Dark’s rant ended abruptly as Ghislain’s fist collided with him, silencing him completely. The commotion dispersed the crowd, allowing Ghislain to speak quietly with Leo. "You’re planning to run, aren’t you?" "..." "Come on, just tell us secretly. When will you escape?" "I’m not running." "Are you seriously planning to duel again? You know it’s a trap." "That’s why it’s fun. Overcoming traps is more exciting." With a cryptic smile, Ghislain turned to Leo. "How many armed soldiers do we have in the merchant caravan?" "At most, fifty." "Arm everyone to the teeth?" "Roughly a hundred men should be possible," Leo replied cautiously. "Good. Round them all up and arm them." "Even if they’re armed, it won’t make a difference. Don’t tell me you plan to fight the lord’s army? That’s impossible to win." Leo’s face turned pale. Not only was he confused, but he also couldn't see how arming a small group could make any impact. They lacked soldiers and knights. Even with Julien’s skills, it was unthinkable to take on the lord’s army, numbering in the thousands. Ghislain shook his head. "I’m not planning to fight. Just arm them. They all have roles to play." "Are you going to tell me what your plan is?" "Why bother? If you trust me, then just arm them. I’ll be taking them to conclude the duel." Leo had a point, though. Planning seemed futile in the face of such overwhelming odds. But there were no alternatives. Reluctantly, Leo began preparing the armament for Julien and the mercenaries. Even that didn’t go smoothly. Some workers, upon hearing rumors, fled in fear. Only those who had no place to go or were too rooted in the land remained, albeit reluctantly. After a few days, word arrived from Baron Magvel. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺 Leo rushed ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ to Ghislain with the letter. "The location has been decided! But the place is..." It was at the very heart of the lord’s domain, surrounded by his soldiers. At first glance, it seemed reasonable, but everyone understood the lord’s intent. Ghislain looked somewhat amused. "Perfect. This means we can march our forces straight into the heart of his territory." "Aren’t you afraid? The lord’s army will be waiting for us." "The only thing that ever scared me was Balendine’s nagging, and I’ve long since outgrown that." "Who’s that...?" "Someone who could wipe out Magvel’s entire territory with a single strike." Leo, having lived his whole life within the barony, dismissed Ghislain’s claims as mere bravado. With their small group of roughly sixty poorly armed mercenaries, Ghislain led the way. Those who followed were terrified, maintaining a considerable distance from him. Though disorganized, their ragtag band still carried a fragile sense of purpose. "Julien will figure something out." "He already defeated the lord’s best knight, didn’t he?" "Maybe he could take down ten more by himself." Their hopes were pinned not on Ghislain, but on Julien, who had recently displayed remarkable skill. Meanwhile, Julien, clutching his sword, was just as tense as the rest of them. The guards at the lord’s stronghold stopped them immediately. Their crude assembly of armed men barely qualified as an army, but it was enough to draw the guards' attention. The captain of the guard stepped forward, shouting. "State your business! Who are you, and where are you from?" Though their forces looked unimpressive, the guards grew wary, surrounding them. Leo stammered. "W-we’re from the Raks family. We’ve come for an honorable duel with the lord." "And yet you dare bring armed men with you?" The guard captain growled, brandishing his spear. Even Julien, who had expected hostility, found the reception worse than anticipated. The guards clearly held no respect for their group, convinced the Raks family would be wiped out today. Despite trembling, Leo responded as Ghislain had instructed. "T-the lord allowed us to bring an escort. These are all my escort forces." "Hah..." The guard captain was taken aback. Who would interpret the rules this way? Still, unless the conditions had been explicitly defined, the other party’s interpretation couldn’t be challenged. Begrudgingly, the captain reported the arrival to the lord. After a short wait, the lord’s orders came down. "Let them in. Temporarily." The guard captain motioned for them to proceed. "Go ahead." Leo kept his head low as he led the way. Their poorly trained, ragtag force followed, drawing mocking laughter from the guards. "Are they planning to start a war with that mess? No matter how many of them there are, they’ll all die. Pathetic fools clinging to life." Leo bit his lip in shame but had no rebuttal. He lacked the courage or words to respond. Ghislain, however, was different. "Hey, keep laughing. That face of yours will be worth remembering later. Just so you know, I never forget grudges." "W-what? You madman!" The captain raised his sword but didn’t strike. He couldn’t act against the lord’s orders to let them through. Fuming, he could only glare at Ghislain as the group entered. "They’ll all die anyway..." The captain consoled himself with that thought, forcing down his anger. The group was led to a large training ground. The vast space was eerily empty. Leo nervously scanned the area, his unease growing. And then, after some time... Clank, clank, clank! Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers began encircling them, advancing steadily.