“Grrk...” Victor let out his final groan. His eyes, wide open with lingering resentment, dimmed as the light of life left them. His body, which had twitched intermittently, now lay still. Thud. Ghislain, who had kept his sword deeply embedded in Victor’s body until the very end, collapsed to the ground as soon as he was sure Victor was dead. “Phew...” He breathed heavily for a long time before slowly getting up and looking around. The flames had been pushed back by the battle's aftermath, but the surroundings were still filled with intense heat. “Ugh, this is tough.” His body had lost all strength, and he collapsed back to the ground. He tried to draw on his mana, but the flow was erratic and broken. “Damn it, this is annoying.” The inner bark of the Dirus Ent that had protected him had dried out and was no longer holding back the heat. Ghislain threw off the rest of his armor and forced what little mana he had left to shield himself from the overwhelming heat. At this point, the armor would only weigh him down and make him hotter. He got back up, staggering as he tried to walk, but no matter where he looked, he was surrounded by fire. “I need to make it through all of this...” The flames flickered like the tongues of snakes, eagerly reaching out to consume him. With each step, it felt like his entire body was being sliced by knives. He had lost so much blood that his head was spinning. Thud. His legs gave out again, and he collapsed back onto the ground. “Ha, this is insane.” His body was utterly wrecked. If he could somehow push through these flames, it would be over, but he couldn’t think of a way to do it. “At times like this, someone would usually come to rescue me.” It was tough moving alone. In his previous life, he had subordinates who would handle these kinds of situations for him, but now, he had no one. Even though he had mercenaries under his command now, they were barely able to keep up with him, let alone take care of him. Belinda might have rushed to his aid, complaining that he was taking too long, but right now, she was busy looking after the mages he had left in her care. “Well, guess I’ll just have to taste the flames a bit.” With the little mana he had left, even blocking out the heat was a struggle. If he used it to move, his body would be scorched and his skin would blister. “Tsk, I was hoping to keep this face a little prettier this time around.” Ghislain clicked his tongue and grumbled. During his days as the Mercenary King, his face had been left with too many scars. After returning to the past, he had liked that his face was clean again, but he couldn’t trade his life for that. “Alright, let’s do this.” He stood up, redirecting his mana to support his muscles. Immediately, the searing heat began to invade his body. He needed to get out of here before he burned alive. Just as Ghislain was about to suppress his rising panic and take a step forward, he heard a voice. “Master!” Fwoosh! 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚 Gillian appeared, cutting through the flames with a terrifying expression on his face. “Are you alright?” ‘Ah, right. I did have someone as reliable as my old subordinates.’ Ghislain smiled as he welcomed him. “I’m fine for now. You’ve come at a good time.” “Did you fight that man?” Gillian glanced at Victor’s body and asked. “He was the commander. I pushed myself a little too hard to take him down.” “We’ll get you out of here right away.” “Alright, I’ll leave it to you.” Whoosh! Gillian hoisted Ghislain onto his side and swiftly charged through the flames. The scorching heat engulfed them, but Ghislain used what little mana he had left to block it. In no time, the two of them had escaped the inferno. Cool air rushed over them, cooling their burning skin. “Phew!” As soon as they were out, Ghislain let out a relieved breath, feeling like the heat in his chest had been washed away. Gillian carefully set him down and helped him stand. Ghislain looked around. The battlefield was littered with the bodies of their enemies. “It looks like it’s all been taken care of.” The waiting mercenaries approached and were surprised to see Ghislain. “Boss? Why do you look like death?” “We had a great time out here, haha!” Ghislain chuckled at their banter and then turned to Gillian. “What about Count Digald?” “He fled early. He was quite quick on his feet.” “I see. He must be running for his life.” “His soldiers tried to follow him, but we managed to kill most of them.” “Well, leaving a few alive to spread the rumors wouldn’t hurt. It’s time to wrap this up.” At that moment, a group of soldiers on horseback appeared in the distance. “Young master!” “Ghislain!” “My lord!” Belinda, Zvalter, and Randolph led the soldiers as they urgently rode toward him. They had heard that Ghislain had charged into the flames and, panicking, had taken a detour around the castle to reach him. “You finally made it.” Ghislain greeted them warmly. Although his words carried a hint of reproach, he didn’t mean it. After all, without proper protection, there was no way they could have survived the flames. If they had arrived earlier, it would have only made things more complicated. Had the enemy forces seen them approaching from the castle, they would have fled immediately. Belinda jumped off her horse and rushed to his side, checking him over. “Young master! Are you alright? Look at your face! Why did you go in there? You’re driving me crazy!” Ghislain quickly raised his hands, trying to calm her down as she bombarded him with rapid-fire scolding. “I’m fine, really. It’s just a bit of heat.” Belinda, her face scrunched up with worry, continued to support him. “Ghislain, are you okay?” “My lord!” Zvalter and Randolph also hurried over. “I’m fine. You’ve all done well,” Ghislain said with a smile, and Zvalter let out a sigh of relief. Zvalter, looking at the soldiers’ armor, noticed something clinging to it. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it seemed to have helped shield them from the flames. ‘So, it was all prepared in advance.’ He was curious about how such a powerful trap had been set, but he could ask about it after the cleanup was done. For now, it was time to celebrate their victory. Zvalter murmured in awe, “We really won.” It had been a hopeless situation: their requests for reinforcements had been denied, and they had faced a large army with barely any supplies. But in the end, Peridum had emerged victorious. Zvalter turned to his son. “You did it.” For the first time, he saw Ghislain in a new light. His son had cut off the enemy’s supply lines, destroyed the siege towers, thwarted surprise attacks, and finally used a trap to wipe out the enemy. Ghislain had a scent similar to those who survived and thrived in war—those who showed no hesitation in treating human life like flies to achieve their goals. His actions were incomprehensible and far beyond the bounds of common sense. The son Zvalter thought he knew felt foreign, even unsettling. Yet, it was this same son who had saved Peridum. ‘He was once a scoundrel...’ No, to be fair, he was still a scoundrel, running wild and disregarding the nobility's decorum. But he was bold, capable, and resourceful. Who could now dare call Ghislain a piece of trash? His son had become the savior and hero of this place. Trying to hide his trembling hands, Zvalter slowly pulled Ghislain into a hug. “Well done. Truly, well done. We owe it all to you.” “Father...” Ghislain smiled at his father’s rare display of emotion. Unable to contain his own emotions, Randolph raised his sword high and shouted in a booming voice. “We’ve won! Peridum is victorious!” “Hurraaaah!” “We won! Victory is ours!” The soldiers who had followed them raised their weapons high and echoed the triumphant cheer. The mercenaries weren’t far behind, shouting at the top of their lungs. “We did it! We killed them all!” Ghislain clenched his jaw as he looked around at them all. Everyone was celebrating their survival and their victory. Yes, this was why he had fought—to protect them. It had been hard, grueling work. He had dedicated every spare moment to training, with no time for rest. There had been countless times when he just wanted to give up and relax. But knowing that his hard work had allowed these people to smile now made it all worth it. He could endure that hardship as many times as needed. Fwoosh. The flames began to die down, their light fading noticeably. Watching the fire diminish, Zvalter smiled with joy. “Let’s return to the castle. Once everything is settled, we’ll hold a victory banquet.” The cheers of victory still filled the air, and Zvalter couldn’t hide his happiness. But Ghislain shook his head and coldly interrupted. “We need to immediately secure Count Digald’s surrender.” “Yes, well, Randolph can handle that tomorrow—” “That will be too late. I will take the mercenaries and go right now.” “There’s no need to rush. The war is already over.” “No. The longer we wait, the more time he has to scheme. We need to storm in now and secure favorable terms for reparations. If he seeks refuge with another lord, it will only complicate things further.” “You... you’ve really thought this through!” Zvalter exclaimed in surprise. His son was absolutely right. If Count Digald had time to regroup or seek support elsewhere, it would make him less willing to negotiate reparations. If he managed to escape and seek refuge, even occupying his territory would become a fruitless endeavor. After all, the pretext for the war had been Digald’s. If he fled to another territory, things would only get messier. ‘He thinks like a seasoned commander who’s been through countless battles.’ Zvalter, swept up in the euphoria of their miraculous victory, had neglected to consider these things. But Ghislain was already planning the next step. Impressed by his son’s cool and swift judgment, Zvalter calmed himself down. “You’re right. Then Randolph and I will go right away...” “No, you need to stay here and reassure the citizens while we reorganize. We may have won, but we’ve conscripted too many soldiers and resources. The economy of the territory will be in shambles.” “Y-yes, I suppose you’re right. The people must be exhausted.” “Promise them compensation and make sure they’re properly taken care of. I’ll provide Runestones to ensure there’s no shortage of funds.” “Really? You’d offer your Runestones?” Zvalter’s eyes sparkled with excitement at the mention of Runestones. His heart pounded with anticipation as his son—who usually guarded his wealth jealously—offered to use them freely. He had no idea that Ghislain had already used up an enormous quantity of Runestones in battle, equivalent to decades’ worth of the territory’s budget. Ghislain continued confidently. “I’ll take care of securing the surrender and reparations. After that, you can oversee the negotiations.” “Y-yes, I’ll leave it to you.” Overwhelmed by the inexplicable sense of authority emanating from his son, Zvalter could only nod. After all, once the war was over, placating the citizens and stabilizing the territory was the top priority. Since the whole premise of the war had been to avenge the heir, it would take time to sort out the compensation. For now, it made sense to let Ghislain handle the initial negotiations. Zvalter asked again, concerned, “Are you sure you’re alright? You don’t look well.” “I’m fine. It’s not too much for me to handle.” That was a lie. He wanted to collapse and sleep right then and there. But Ghislain had no intention of missing this opportunity. “Young master! Let the captain take care of it!” “Yes, I can go and hold him down,” Gillian chimed in. But Ghislain shook his head. “No, I’ll go.” He felt his body recovering, albeit slightly, thanks to his strange resilience. After a brief rest, he was at least able to move again. “Everyone, mount up!” Ghislain and the mercenaries mounted the horses that the Peridum forces had used. “Forest Beast Guards, come along as well.” “What?” As Skoban and Ricardo looked at him in surprise, Ghislain spoke to Zvalter. “I’ll leave them to guard Count Digald, to make sure he doesn’t try anything during the negotiations.” “Hmm, that sounds good. I’ll send reinforcements once the territory is secure.” With the lord’s approval, the hesitant guards climbed onto their horses. Before departing, Zvalter spoke cautiously. “Though this war was fought because of misunderstandings, Count Digald is still a noble who has sworn loyalty to the royal family and has been our ally for a long time. The battle is over, so treat him with respect.” Zvalter, a man who valued the law, customs, and honor, couldn’t hide his worry, even as he sent his unruly son to negotiate. “Understood. Don’t worry.” Ghislain smiled slightly and bowed his head before raising his hand. “Alright, let’s ride straight to Count Digald’s territory!” Thududududu! With that, Ghislain led the mercenaries and guards, galloping forward. Now, it was time to bring this war to a proper end.