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The mercenaries stood in formation, keeping rows and lines, whether due to tension or discipline. Even in the short time, some training had paid off.

Ghislain led them straight to a base camp near the Forest of Beasts.

“As expected, it’s still a bit lacking.”

The base camp was hastily set up with only the basics needed for food and shelter.

It would have been better to depart once it was completed, but there wasn’t enough time to wait.

Vassals had come multiple times over the past few days, their eyes filled with suspicion.

Each time, Ghislain and Belinda barely managed to send them away with excuses. Still, rumors had begun to spread even among the laborers, making it difficult to hold out any longer.

“Anyway, while we’re in the forest, the base camp construction will continue…”

Ghislain surveyed the mercenaries and shouted loudly.

“You’ve all heard the rumors, but the forest is dangerous! If you follow my orders, there will be fewer casualties. Do not act on your own, and stay alert at all times!”

The soldiers guarding the entrance to the forest couldn’t help but be startled at the sight of Ghislain suddenly appearing with a heavily armed force.

‘What is that crazy bastard talking about…? Entering the forest?’

The dumbfounded soldiers tried to stop them, but they weren’t strong enough to hold back nearly two hundred mercenaries.

Just before they entered the forest, Ghislain closed his eyes for a moment, lost in thought.

‘If this succeeds, all eyes will be on this place.’

There was no way the Delfine Duchy would sit idly by while Ferdium gained power.

No, even before the Duchy could act, the surrounding lords would likely be lurking, waiting for an opportunity.

In some ways, Ghislain’s actions were akin to inviting danger upon himself.

‘But that doesn’t mean I can stop.’

Even knowing death was approaching, he couldn’t just sit and wait, doing nothing.

‘I’ll do everything I can. It’s the only way to survive.’

With renewed determination, Ghislain opened his eyes and raised his hand high.

As he was about to lead everyone into the forest, someone shouted loudly and ran toward them.

“Young lord, stop!”

“Oh, Skovan?”

The person running toward them was Skovan, who was currently the head of the forest’s guard.

After the orc hunt, he had fallen into a drunken stupor and was effectively demoted.

Out of loyalty from their time in the orc hunt together, Ghislain waited for him to catch his breath.

“Huff, huff, Young lord, are you seriously thinking of entering the forest?”

“That’s right, we’re entering now.”

“You can’t! It’s against the lord’s orders…”

“Skovan, I need a favor.”

“What?”

“Remember how you made some money thanks to me before? Think of that loyalty and hear me out.”

At the mention of a favor, Skovan’s eyes widened.

He had never imagined that the Young lord would ask him for anything.

Ghislain had always been the type to take what he wanted without asking or forcing him into troublesome tasks.

Ghislain smiled as he watched Skovan’s bewildered expression.

“For the time being, you need to keep the soldiers’ mouths shut and keep it a secret that I’ve entered this place. You have to make sure that the forces from the estate can’t follow me right away. Otherwise, things could get messy, and we might end up fighting amongst ourselves. I’m not joking.”

“But… the sentries already saw the mercenaries entering the estate. A report will be made soon.”

“That’s why I told you before. The field commander must make decisions and act accordingly.”

“Y-you mean…”

“I’m telling you to make something up. Say, we didn’t enter the forest but moved somewhere else. Can you handle that?”

‘Refuse! I have to refuse!’

If the lie were discovered, Skovan would not be safe either.

But…

Skovan swallowed hard as he looked at Ghislain, who was smiling meaningfully.

His eyes gleamed with the same confidence he had shown during the orc hunt.

Back then, the Young lord had also demanded control of the command and pushed forward as he saw fit.

But because of that, they were able to kill all the orcs without any casualties.

Seeing that look in his eyes again, Skovan felt a sudden urge to trust him once more.

In the end, Skovan found himself nodding unconsciously.

After all, the Young lord was someone who wouldn’t listen, no matter how much he was dissuaded.

“As expected, you’re decisive. Good. Then buy me some time. Let’s see what you can do.”

Ghislain then greeted Ricardo, who had followed behind Skovan.

“Hey, Ricardo! So you’ve become Skovan’s deputy? Congrats on the promotion. Still good-looking, as always.”

Ricardo, who hadn’t yet fully grasped the situation, looked confused and asked, “Young lord, where are you going?”

“The Forest of Beasts.”

“If you enter there recklessly, we, the guards, will die too!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you’re in any danger.”

Ricardo panicked at that and shouted, “Why are you doing this to me?!”

“What did I do? You said the same thing last time, and here you go again today.”

Ghislain clicked his tongue a few times and continued, “Anyway, since monsters might pop out, make sure to guard the entrance well. I’ll be back.”

Before anyone else could stop him, Ghislain quickly headed into the forest.

“Let’s go!”

The mercenaries followed him, slowly moving forward.

Skovan, Ricardo, and the remaining soldiers could only stare blankly as they watched.

The Forest of Beasts—a place no one had dared to explore.

At that moment, Ghislain’s expedition finally took its first step into that forbidden place.

They hadn’t brought a single horse, so everyone had to move on foot.

If a monster attacked and the horses panicked, either running away or causing a commotion, they would only become a burden.

All the supplies were loaded onto several carts, which the mercenaries had to pull themselves.

At the forest’s edge, the Forest of Beasts didn’t seem much different from any other ordinary forest.

They could spot a few small wild animals, and the occasional chirping of insects could be heard.

Some of the mercenaries even started wondering if the rumors had been exaggerated and if there wasn’t much to fear.

But after they ventured a bit deeper into the forest, they had no choice but to change their minds.

“So, this is where the real danger begins.”

At someone’s casual remark, everyone silently nodded in agreement.

The forest was quiet. At some point, even the sound of insects had ceased. Only the suffocating silence remained.

As they ventured deeper, the size of the trees began to change.

With their massive leaves, the towering trees blocked out the sky completely.

It was dark.

Without the faint beams of sunlight filtering through the tiny gaps between the leaves, they couldn’t see anything ahead.

A small sigh escaped from one of the mercenaries.

“So, this is the Forest of Darkness…”

The other name for the Forest of Beasts was the Forest of Darkness.

True to its name, the forest was steeped in a heavy darkness.

Despite it being midday, the thick fog that spread across the ground didn’t disperse, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

The cool air of the forest enveloped the group, flowing around them.

“Light the lamps,” Ghislain ordered.

Several mercenaries lit their lamps in response.

As they held the lamps, some began murmuring to each other.

“But why did we bring so many lamps?”

“Just for show, I guess. Maybe he thinks torches are beneath him.”

Although lamps were far more convenient than torches, they weren’t cheap.

Yet Ghislain had prepared hundreds of them.

Several boxes, whose contents were unknown, were also stacked nearby.

The mercenaries couldn’t help but grumble, silently criticizing Ghislain for being a wasteful noble.

Once they had distributed the lamps and their visibility improved, the group resumed their slow march.

Not long after, the path came to an end, and Ghislain gave instructions to the mercenaries.

“From here, we’ll make our own path. Cut down the trees and clear the brush.”

Up until now, there had been faint traces of people having passed through, but now there was nothing.

They had to prepare the groundwork by creating a path to reach their destination.

Though it would take some time, they needed to secure a proper route so that laborers could build a palisade and solidify the road later.

Ghislain took the lead, grabbing an axe and starting to chop down trees.

The sound of chopping echoed through the forest.

“What the hell? Even the employer’s getting involved?”

“So, this is what they call ‘leading by example’? Is that supposed to be noble dignity? Heh.”

“How long do you think he’ll last? He’s probably just excited and trying to show off.”

The mercenaries began mocking Ghislain as they worked, chopping down the trees.

Seeing a nobleman doing manual labor didn’t inspire respect—it provoked laughter instead.

“Well, he chops down trees pretty well; I’ll give him that.”

“But how long will that last? You see these nobles sometimes, getting overenthusiastic like this.”

“Right? He probably just feels restless from all that sword training at home. Hahaha.”

The snickering continued, but only the Cerberus Mercenary Corps remained silent.

They knew that it wouldn’t end easily once their employer started swinging his fists.

Not that they felt obligated to warn the other mercenaries. Some lessons were best learned through experience—they’d remember it longer that way.

Belinda, frowning, approached Ghislain and whispered to him.

“Goodness, why are you doing this, young master? You hired people, so you should let them do the work.”

“It’s fine. The faster we finish, the better, even if I help out.”

“That’s strange. You weren’t like this before, young master. You used to be so noble that you wouldn’t even bathe by yourself.”

“…I don’t remember.”

It had been just a few days ago for Belinda, but for Ghislain, it was a distant past—one from his foolish youth, a part of his life he preferred to forget.

As the two bickered, the mercenaries continued their labor, chopping down trees one by one.

The group’s mood lightened as sunlight began to seep through the gaps left by the felled trees.

Even while cutting down trees, Ghislain’s mind never stopped racing.

‘There can’t be any discrepancies from what was written in that journal.’

In his previous life, while investigating the Forest of Beasts, Ghislain had acquired a journal written by the Delfine Duchy’s pioneering expedition, and he had read it over and over until he memorized every word.

Part of his drive was to reclaim the estate and seize its resources, but his attachment to Ferdium had also kept him returning to that journal.

The Forest of Beasts had been one of the primary obstacles to Ferdium’s development, yet it was a place that could never be truly separated from it.

‘Though some time has passed, the monsters’ ecosystem and habitat shouldn’t have changed too drastically.’

He had trusted that document, which detailed exactly where and when certain monsters appeared and the extent of the damage they caused, to guide this expedition.

If the information was wrong, not only would he lose any chance at making a profit, but the mercenaries could also be wiped out.

He had to proceed with utmost caution.

As they focused on their work, time flew by, and some of the tension began to ease.

“Isn’t this place just creepy, though?”

“Yeah, it seems like everyone was just too scared to come in here.”

“If all we’re doing is making a path, I kinda feel guilty for taking the hazard pay.”

The mercenaries chatted noisily, quickening their pace.

They started to feel like the job would end smoothly since their destination wasn’t far away.

However, as they ventured a little further, Ghislain, who was leading, suddenly halted and ordered everyone to stop.

“Everyone, prepare for battle.”

“Huh? Why?”

“There’s nothing here.”

The mercenaries looked around the forest past Ghislain, tilting their heads in confusion.

They didn’t sense anything, not even the usual sounds of wildlife.

All they saw were thick, towering trees, densely packed, obstructing their view.

“Don’t move too close. Slowly back away and get ready to attack.”

Ghislain repeated his command.

Gillian cautiously surveyed the surroundings but couldn’t sense anything unusual.

He glanced at Belinda, who shrugged, equally unsure of what was happening.

Finally, Gillian leaned in close to Ghislain and asked in a low voice, “My lord, what’s going on? I can’t detect anything around us. I don’t think any monsters are hiding.”

Gillian prided himself on his sharp awareness of his surroundings.

Hadn’t he once easily detected the assassins from the Wildcat Smugglers?

Yet Ghislain shook his head.

“They aren’t hiding.”

A line from the journal he had read in his previous life flashed through his mind.

“When we reached the area filled with trees entwined by thick vines…”

Sure enough, the trees in front of them were all tightly wrapped in thick vines.

Gillian asked again, “But there’s nothing here except for trees. What exactly are we supposed to be wary of?”

“There was no trace of their presence. Even Count Balzac, the kingdom’s greatest swordsman and a Swordmaster, couldn’t sense them…”

Ghislain carefully observed the trees before him and replied.

“What is right in front of us.”