NABC Chapter 286: Chapter 285: I Didn’t Come Alone (3)
Chapter 286: Chapter 285: I Didn’t Come Alone (3)
Chapter 286: Chapter 285: I Didn’t Come Alone (3)
Baron Hutton hastily raised his sword to block Ghislain's downward strike.
Claaang!
"Gah!"
An overwhelming pressure surged through him instantly. Baron Hutton subtly angled his blade, deflecting some of the force bearing down on him.
Paaang!
Even so, he couldn't redirect all the energy, and his feet slid slightly, the ground cracking beneath him. His eyes widened in disbelief.
'What is this...?'
It was a simple attack, but the force behind it had almost shattered his sword. If he hadn't managed to deflect part of it, not only his sword but his bones might have been broken.
The strength was incomparable to what he had experienced when blocking the arrow earlier. A creeping sense of unease began to take hold.
Crrrack!
Ghislain didn't relent, continuing to press his sword down. The edge of Baron Hutton's blade tilted lower and lower, forcing his head closer to the path of the descending blade.
At this rate, his skull would be cleaved open.
Ghislain's red eyes gleamed as he grinned-a visage akin to that of a demon reveling in battle.
A shiver ran down Baron Hutton's spine.
"This... This isn't the strength of a mere high-level knight!'
According to the intelligence department, Ghislain's abilities were estimated to be at the early stages of high-level knighthood. His lack of previous feats in battle had led to this conservative assessment.
Even placing him at that level had been generous, based on rumors of his performance during the Cabaldi War.
Baron Hutton's own expectations had aligned with this. Though injured, he believed his higher skill level and experience would allow him to control the fight with composure.
But the sheer, absurd force in front of him now was incomprehensible.
"This can't be real! Something's off!'
Suddenly, Ghislain released his pressure and withdrew his sword. With the sudden loss of resistance, Baron Hutton's blade flew upward as if chasing after Ghislain's.
Whoosh!
Clang!
Baron Hutton twisted his arm, barely managing to parry Ghislain's next strike, before retreating swiftly.
'I can't win in a contest of strength. That brat's power is extraordinary.'
The young count had an abundance of vigor and energy, as expected from someone his age. Having just arrived on the battlefield, he also had a full reserve of mana.
Baron Hutton tried to shift his focus to technique, but Ghislain allowed him no respite, staying close and swinging his sword relentlessly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their swords clashed repeatedly, sparks flying with each collision.
Baron Hutton struggled to gain the upper hand. As time went on, he found himself increasingly pushed back. He could barely evade Ghislain's strikes and had to focus solely on blocking.
Still, his swordsmanship never faltered. Baron Hutton blocked every one of Ghislain's unusual and unpredictable swings, patiently waiting for an opening.
Ghislain observed him with amusement.
"Impressive. If you weren't injured, this might have been a truly entertaining fight."
He meant it. Finding an opponent of this caliber outside the duke faction within the Lutania Kingdom was rare.
Baron Hutton's injuries from his fight with Gillian and the earlier arrow strike had limited his ability to fight at full strength. Yet even so, he was not easily subdued by the second core.
'No wonder he could hold his own against Gillian.'
Despite some physical limitations and lesser mana reserves, Baron Hutton's swordsmanship alone was among the best in the north.
"But in war, such considerations don't matter."
Ghislain had no intention of dragging this out just because the baron was an interesting opponent. If his enemy couldn't fight at full strength, there was no point in prolonging the duel.
Taking a deep breath, Ghislain pushed aside his disappointment and steadied his grip on his sword.
Despite being injured and on the defensive, Baron Hutton remained unwavering. Ghislain's superior strength and speed kept him under pressure, but he held firm.
A battle of technique would take time against an opponent like this.
The solution was simple: overwhelm him with even greater strength and speed.
Ziiing-!
As Ghislain's third core activated, his red eyes blazed even brighter.
"Let's begin again."
Baron Hutton had earned the right to face a third core attack.
Rumble!
With each swing of Ghislain's sword, a thunderous crack filled the air. The increase in power
made Baron Hutton's face twist in shock.
'H-how can anyone have this kind of skill?'
Boom!
The strikes were too fast, too strong. Each time he blocked, his stance wavered, and his
insides churned.
Boom! Boom!
Crack.
It didn't take long for cracks to form on Baron Hutton's blade. Even with his mana fully infused, the sword couldn't withstand the force.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
Ghislain's attacks only grew faster over time. Baron Hutton gritted his teeth. Though he managed to block, each blow sent a shattering pain through his body.
It was now clear: the intelligence department's assessment of Ghislain as a high-level knight had been a gross underestimate. Even the exaggerated rumors hadn't captured his true skill.
This was not an opponent he could defeat in his current state. In fact, even at his peak, he doubted he could win. Ghislain was clearly in a higher league.
'I have to retreat.'
If he wanted to survive, he would have to abandon his pride and the honor he had built over a
lifetime.
Baron Hutton attempted to withdraw, but Ghislain's relentless blade pursued him like a
predator on its prey.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each clash overturned the ground, sending dirt flying. The two moved so quickly that most observers couldn't follow their movements.
Desmond's knights and soldiers flinched instinctively. They knew they should intervene to
save the baron.
"Urgh!"
Blood began to trickle from Baron Hutton's mouth. Though he had only been defending, the accumulated force of Ghislain's strikes was destroying him from within.
His once-calm swordsmanship had become useless. The sudden explosion of his opponent's strength and speed left him scrambling just to block.
After all, they would meet again soon. And when that time came, he would crush them
completely.
"Woohoo! We won!"
"Our lord really knows how to fight!"
"As expected of our lord!"
The knights and soldiers raised their weapons and cheered. Although they hadn't fought the
enemy soldiers for long, the swift victory was thanks to their lord taking down Baron Hutton so decisively.
They had rescued Gillian and routed the enemy in the initial skirmish. Naturally, morale
soared. Ghislain wore a proud expression and moved toward Gillian, who was being supported by medics. As he passed, the soldiers parted to make way for him.
Gillian, who was leaning on medics for support, looked at Ghislain with eyes full of gratitude
and admiration.
He was truly an incredible man. To appear suddenly, kill Baron Hutton, and completely change the tide of battle-Ghislain possessed something beyond mere skill.
"My lord..."
"Gillian!"
Without another word, Ghislain approached and embraced Gillian tightly.
The two men stood there in silence for a long time. Everyone around them fell into a solemn,
respectful silence, watching the scene unfold.
After a moment, Ghislain stepped back and spoke solemnly.
"Honor those who fought and gave their lives for the land." Click! Click! Click!
All the soldiers raised their weapons in salute.
Gillian and the Stonehaven troops had risked their lives for the territory. They had earned
immense honor and the admiration of everyone present.
After a brief moment of silence, Ghislain broke the serious atmosphere with a mischievous
grin, addressing Gillian.
"What happened to you? Did you get soft with age?"
Gillian chuckled at the playful jab. He knew that despite Ghislain's words, there was genuine
warmth in his gaze.
Struggling to keep his emotions in check, Gillian replied hoarsely.
"...I'm fine."
"Fine, my foot! Get back to the castle with the wounded right away. I'll handle the rest."
Hearing this, Gillian suddenly seemed to realize something. His expression shifted as he
asked,
"My lord... how did you know to come here?"
"I figured this would be the logical place if you kept retreating. Isn't that obvious?" Ghislain, a seasoned veteran of war, had anticipated where the pursuit would lead. Knowing
the Desmond forces would want to surround Gillian's men, he had chosen this spot to strike.
Gillian nodded in understanding. His lord indeed had the ability to predict such movements.
But that wasn't the real question. With a trembling voice, he asked, "Does this mean... all preparations are complete?" Ghislain, with a completely shameless expression, answered confidently.
"Nope."
"...What?"
"Hey, how could I finish all that so quickly? Even I'm not that amazing." "Then... why are you here?"
Ghislain responded with a casual shrug. "Most of it's done. Well, enough of it? The minimum?"
Gillian's head spun at his lord's nonchalant explanation. Why had they sacrificed themselves?
Wasn't it to buy time for better preparations?
"Most of it?"
"Come on, it's just a way of speaking. We've done the minimum thanks to you. If I'd waited
longer, you all would've been dead. So I came as soon as I could. Perfect timing, wasn't it?
Gotta admit, I'm pretty amazing." Gillian couldn't even hear Ghislain's self-praise anymore. "Why... why did you do that? It's not enough. With just our forces, we can't beat Desmond's
army. You should have prepared more."
"And let you all die in the meantime?"
"If it's for the greater good..." "What good is that?"
"..."
"What's the point of perfect preparation if it means losing you and the others in the process?"
Charging in without any preparation would have been suicide for everyone. But abandoning
Gillian and the others was not an option either. Ghislain had compromised by making only minimal preparations.
"My lord..."
The wounded soldiers looked at Ghislain with tearful expressions. He could have sacrificed
them for a better chance at winning the war, but he had chosen to save them instead, despite
the risks to himself.
It was touching—but reality quickly set back in.
Realizing the urgency, Gillian hurriedly spoke. "Understood. Let's discuss later. We need to leave this place immediately."
"Why?"
"The main Desmond force is nearby! Count Desmond is not someone to take lightly. He'll
have already assessed the situation and begun encircling..."
Ghislain cut him off and turned to look behind him.
"It seems we're already too late."
Thud! Thud! Thud!
From afar, the main Desmond army was approaching. The ground shook with every
synchronized step of their countless soldiers.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Not only from the front-the army was closing in from both flanks. It seemed the fleeing
soldiers had already regrouped, forming a formation that surrounded Ghislain's forces.
Seeing this, Ghislain grinned.
"At last, I meet you, Harold Desmond."