Mercenary King
Copyright© 2026 by lucifer_nov
Chapter 4: Won’t Happen Twice [2]
Ghislain had considered various possibilities for how Elena might have gotten into an accident. Among them was the assumption that a traitor could exist within the castle. Naturally, he had doubts about the bodyguard knight, but he thought it was Jamal who had been guarding Elena for so long.
“What do you think? Shall we go take a look as well, my lord?”
“Yeah, let’s go check it out.”
Nodding lightly, Ghislain followed Jamal along with Elena. Pushing through the bustling crowd, they soon veered off to a quieter area, eventually entering the slums. Although the journey took some time, Elena eagerly walked on, filled with excitement at the prospect of seeing something new.
The eerie atmosphere unique to the slums scared her a little, but with the bodyguard present, she didn’t seem overly concerned. Ghislain quietly observed the other bodyguard, Philip.
‘Is this guy in on it too?’
Philip’s face was slightly flushed, and he walked silently, looking awkward. In his previous life, Elena, Philip, and even Jamal had been found as corpses. If both of them were traitors, the reason for their deaths was obvious.
‘They must have been silenced.’
The cost of being involved in the dangerous conspiracy of killing the lord’s daughter wasn’t cheap. Typically, one had to risk their own life, but it seemed neither of them had thought that far ahead.
“This is the place!”
As the group arrived at a clearing, Jamal excitedly shouted. Surrounding the open space were dilapidated, run-down houses. Every path was littered with discarded materials and trash.
‘Of course.’
The piles of trash scattered around would make it difficult to escape. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the layout had been deliberately manipulated. At first glance, it looked like ordinary garbage, but the exits were skilfully blocked.
“What’s supposed to be here? It’s just trash everywhere.”
Elena furrowed her brow. After spending time and effort to come all this way, the dismal scene clearly irritated her. Her voice turned sharp as her disappointment grew, and Jamal frantically waved his hands.
“It’s just not ready yet. Soon, people will come and show you something amazing.”
“Hmph, forget it! I’m going back. Let’s go, brother.”
Elena wasn’t a fool. Though she spoke calmly, her unease was evident. She had trusted her long-time bodyguard and followed him, only to be led to a place filled with nothing but trash—it was enough to raise suspicion.
“My lady, isn’t it a waste to leave without seeing the show after coming all this way?”
Jamal blocked her path, grinning slyly. His face had been tense a moment ago, but now his attitude brimmed with confidence as if he no longer cared what happened.
“Move aside, I’m going back.”
“Just wait a moment, will you?”
“Philip!”
Elena turned toward Philip, her face filled with anger. However, he simply moved to stand beside Jamal without uttering a word.
“Could it be ... both of them...?”Terrified, Elena clutched Ghislain’s arm tightly. With both bodyguards acting suspiciously, an ominous feeling crept over her.
“Why, why are you doing this...? What’s going on?”
She barely managed to speak, her voice trembling slightly. Jamal laughed as if it were nothing.
“I don’t hold any grudge against you, my lady. You’ve been kind, and being your bodyguard hasn’t been bad.”
“Then why...?”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“A job with better conditions came along, that’s all. It’s a bit of a shame that I won’t see you again, though.”
Jamal grinned wickedly, licking his lips.
“Alright, I’ve brought the lady as promised! Let’s finish the deal!” Jamal shouted, and three men emerged from a rundown building.
One was a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance, and the other two were younger. All three had unremarkable faces, the kind that would easily blend into a crowd without drawing attention—perfect for disappearing.
The middle-aged man glanced around before asking Jamal, “He looks like Ferdium’s Young lord. Wasn’t he part of the deal?”
Jamal chuckled. “Yeah, the fool followed us all the way here. I’ll throw him in as a bonus. Consider it a gift.”
“A pleasant surprise. This will yield an even better outcome. Prepare yourselves.”
The middle-aged man smiled satisfactorily and nodded, prompting the other two men to block their escape route. Elena, now pale with fear, looked around in desperation.
“Jamal! What the hell are you doing?”
Jamal responded with a nonchalant smile.
“Who knows? My job was just to bring you here. After that, it’s up to these guys. Whether they sell you as a slave or kill you, I don’t really care.”
“W-What?”
Elena was too shocked to respond coherently, so Ghislain stepped in.
“You’ve sold us out. Do you really think you’ll get away with something like this in the lord’s territory?”
Despite Ghislain’s warning, Jamal didn’t seem worried.
“We’ll be long gone by the time anyone finds out. Besides, I’m sick of this wretched place, fighting every day. There are plenty of others leaving Ferdium just like us.”
“But they aren’t leaving after causing trouble like you.”
“Consider it bad luck, Young lord. You weren’t part of the plan, but at least the maids didn’t follow because of you. You’ve saved a few lives, I guess. After a life full of mischief, at least you did something good before you die. Haha.”
“Bad luck, you say...”
Ghislain gave a smile that Jamal found hard to interpret. Mistaking it for resignation, Jamal shook his head.
“Apologies, truly. My conscience stings a little, but I have no other choice.”
Despite his words, Jamal’s face showed no sign of remorse. Smirking, he walked toward the middle-aged man. Philip, on the other hand, wore a grim expression. It seemed he felt at least a shred of guilt.
Jamal glanced over at the middle-aged man, his expression tightening slightly.
“You seem a bit light-handed. If you’re playing a joke, it’s not funny. You do know both of us are knights, right?”
In response, the middle-aged man pulled out a piece of paper from his coat and waved it.
“You worry too much. Carrying around that much money is inconvenient, don’t you think? When dealing with large sums, it’s easier to use the Northern Merchants’ Union’s letter of credit.”
“Tch, I prefer gold coins. There won’t be any problems when exchanging it, right? If it’s fake, I’ll make sure to kill you.”
The middle-aged man chuckled and nodded his head.
“Don’t worry. There won’t be any issues, I promise.”
As the middle-aged man reassured him, Jamal reluctantly accepted the paper. He started to draw on his mana to verify its authenticity, but when he saw the writing on the paper, his eyes widened in shock.
[Invitation to the Digald Ball]
It was a worthless invitation to a ball in another territory.
“You bastard!”
The moment Jamal, filled with rage, tried to draw his sword—
Thud!
The middle-aged man, who had already pulled out a dagger, stabbed Jamal in the stomach.
“Urk, ugh!”
“I found this on my way here. You don’t seem to like it. Not a fan of balls, are you?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man moved his dagger again.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
He stabbed Jamal multiple times in quick succession before stepping back slightly.
“I didn’t lie. Once you’re dead, there won’t be any issues at all.”
“You son of a ... You tricked us...”
Jamal staggered, clutching his stomach, before collapsing to the ground.
Jamal and Philip had considered the possibility of things going wrong, given the dangerous nature of their plan. However, confident in their skills as knights, they had pushed ahead, only to be undone by the middle-aged man’s cunning move.
“Arrghhh!”
Unable to hold back his fury, Philip drew his sword and charged at the middle-aged man.
Clang!
The middle-aged man drew his sword in an instant, effortlessly parrying Philip’s attack.
After exchanging a few blows rapidly, the middle-aged man offered a slight nod of approval.
“Not bad.”
As expected of a Ferdium knight who had fought many battles, Philip was indeed skilled. However, the middle-aged man was on an entirely different level.
Swish!
When the middle-aged man summoned more mana, Philip’s neck was swiftly sliced through with ease.
“Gurgle...”
Spitting out blood, Philip collapsed. Without batting an eye, the middle-aged man approached and made sure to sever his head completely.
Afterward, he turned toward Jamal, who lay dying in a pool of his own blood.
“S-Spare me...”
Even as he lay dying, Jamal begged for his life.
“Sorry, but I like neat things.”
“You bastard...”
“Anyway, thanks for your efforts. I’ll take the gift.”
Without any change in expression, the middle-aged man decapitated Jamal.
After dealing with both men, the middle-aged man took out a pipe from his coat and began smoking.
“Hoo ... It really tastes the best when smoked at times like this. Now, shall I finish this up?”
He exhaled smoke from his mouth and glanced back at the siblings.
Elena gripped Ghislain’s arm even tighter. She was on the verge of tears, her body trembling uncontrollably.It wasn’t just the fear of seeing a person get their throat slashed in front of her—it was the terror that she might suffer the same fate.
“B-brother!! Let’s run away!”
Elena tugged on Ghislain’s arm again. She desperately wanted them to escape, but Ghislain shook his head.
“It’s fine, let go. You’re surprisingly strong, you know?”
“I’m telling you, we need to run!”
“It’s just three guys. No need to worry.”
Ghislain smiled, trying to free his arm, but it wasn’t easy.
“Do you work out? Why are you so strong?”
“What...?”
Elena’s face twisted in disbelief. The middle-aged man, who had been watching silently, chuckled.
They said the Young lord of Ferdium was a bit unhinged, and it seemed that really was the case.
Despite his enemies sneering at him, Ghislain began to release his mana, spreading it out like thin threads in all directions.Had this been his past life, he would have made the entire space within his sight his domain. But for now, he could only spread his mana thread by thread.
‘Thinner and wider.’
This kind of mana manipulation wasn’t something just anyone could do.Even the average knight wouldn’t know how to wield such a technique. Even if they knew, they wouldn’t have a clue how to use it.
Only those who had transcended to the highest skill level, capable of controlling mana at will, could perform such a technique.
Though Ghislain’s body hasn’t matured yet, his experience and knowledge had already far surpassed that level.Despite his limited mana reserves, manipulating it with precision was not an issue.
‘There’s no one else besides these three.’
Nothing caught in his mana threads. Now confident that no other enemies were hidden nearby, Ghislain carefully pried Elena’s hands off his arm.
“What’s your name?”
Upon Ghislain’s question, the middle-aged man knocked the ashes from his pipe before replying.
“ ... I’ll tell you out of respect for nobles. It’s Frank. Go ahead and curse my name when you meet the reaper.”
“That’s not a local name. Who hired you?”
“You don’t need to know that.”
At Frank’s nod, the two men who had been blocking the escape routes moved closer.
One of them asked Frank, “How should we handle this?”
After a brief moment of contemplation, Frank answered coldly.
“Beheading is too common. Break his whole body apart. Make sure the Count of Ferdium sees it and flies into a rage. And don’t forget to keep him alive as long as possible. The more he writhes in pain, the better it’ll look.”
“Understood.”
Thud.
The moment he heard those words, Ghislain’s heart pounded heavily. Painful memories that had tormented him his entire life resurfaced in his mind.The memory of Elena’s mutilated body, brutally carved up and returned to him, still haunted him.He had wept and hurled at the sight of her corpse.
That final image of Elena had etched itself so vividly in his memory that he could never forget it—not even in death.
‘I have never forgotten. Not even once.’
Blood rushed to his head, and his face began to burn.When was the last time he had been this enraged?
Excitement before the battle was dangerous, but Ghislain allowed himself to be swept up by the intense emotions. His hands began to tremble slightly, and his breathing quickened.
Seeing this, Frank smirked.
‘What a complete amateur.’
Just by watching his hands tremble, Frank could tell how poor Ghislain’s skills were. But there was one thing that bothered him...
‘Is he smiling?’
Despite the situation, Ghislain’s lips were curled into a smile. His eyes gleamed with an unsettling madness.
But what could a mere weakling like him possibly do? Frank brushed off the uneasy feeling and urged his men forward.
“He really must be as crazy as the rumors say. Hurry up and finish him off.”
The two men moved closer to Ghislain.
Elena stepped back hesitantly.
“B-brother!!”
She was so worried about Ghislain that she couldn’t even think about running and screamed his name in fear instead.
At that moment, Ghislain spoke in a low voice.
“Finally, I’ve found you.”
“What?”
“I’ve missed you. So very much.”
“What the hell is this bastard talking about...”
Ghislain’s hand shot out like lightning, grabbing one of the men by the throat.
“Keuk, keugh!”
Puhook!
His fingers pierced through the man’s neck, completely tearing it open. Blood gushed out, soaking his clothes.
“Kuh, keugh...!”
The man dropped his sword, his body convulsing.
Ghislain, his hand now drenched in blood, slowly pulled the man closer to his face.
A voice, thick with ecstasy, echoed out.
“You have no idea ... how long I’ve waited for this moment. I’ve dreamed of it ... every single day.”
Without hesitation, Ghislain flung his arm backward.
Puh-uhk!
The man’s head was ripped off, his lifeless body collapsing into a heap of trash.
In an instant, one man was dead.
“You, you bastard!”
Another man hurriedly swung his sword down at Ghislain. Ghislain easily dodged and tapped the side of the blade with the back of his hand.
Tang!
With a light sound, the man’s arm, still gripping the sword, was flung upward, exposing his upper body.
Grab!
Ghislain seized the man’s face and slammed him into the ground.
BANG!
A thunderous sound echoed as the back of the man’s head became half-buried in the dirt. Blood started to seep out, possibly from a cracked skull slowly.
However, Ghislain didn’t stop. He continued to grab the man’s head and pound it into the ground.
Bang! Bang! Bang! BANG!
After repeating this several times, the man’s head was completely smashed.
Crunch!
Even the front of his face was utterly crushed by Ghislain’s fist.
Ghislain slowly stood up.
When their eyes met, Frank’s face stiffened. It had all happened so quickly that he was left dazed, unable to respond.
‘What kind of look is that...?’
Ghislain was staring at him with a blank expression.
Frank felt chills run through his entire body. Ghislain resembled a beast, starved for blood. Frank had killed many people in his time, but he had never seen anyone exude such terrifying intensity.
According to the plan, this shouldn’t have been difficult. They had assumed that once Jamal and Philip were dead, no one would be left to interfere.
‘Tch, the intel was completely wrong.’
For a brief moment, Ghislain had clearly used mana. There was no other way he could have moved with such strength and speed.
‘To think someone that young can already use mana.’
There’s a vast difference in power between those who can use mana and those who cannot. A blade infused with mana is solid and sharp enough to cut through even the most rigid steel.
‘Even so, those two went down far too quickly. Were they careless?’
Frank narrowed his eyes, comparing the information he had with the scene unfolding before him.
‘He didn’t even hesitate to kill someone. That’s rare for someone his age. So, despite his reputation as a wastrel, was he always this cruel by nature?’
According to the rumors, the Young lord of Ferdium had never killed anyone and had spent all his time in his territory. Yet, here he was, ruthlessly taking lives as if it were second nature.
If this really was Ghislain Ferdium’s first time killing, then he was undoubtedly a born murderer.
‘When I return, I’ll have to deal with the intel department myself.’
Despite his reputation for incompetence, Ghislain had just taken down two knights who could use mana in the blink of an eye.
It was an unbelievable situation, but Frank could only conclude that the information they had was entirely wrong.
Elena, too, stood there in shock, unable to believe what she had just witnessed.
I shuddered at the cruel sight unfolding before my eyes, but more than that, I was astonished by the fact that my brother had such skill.’Did he really get that strong after just a few days of training? Does that even make sense?’
Elena was momentarily shocked but soon felt relieved.’Well, at least it’s a relief. We’re alive for now.’
No matter how he had honed his abilities, survival was what mattered most right now.
Frank swallowed nervously and slowly opened his mouth.”Young lord Ghislain of Ferdium. This doesn’t match the information we had. Were you hiding your skills?”
At that moment, Ghislain straightened his posture fully and drew his sword.”Whether I was hiding my abilities or not is irrelevant. Let me ask you once more—who ordered this?”
Frank shook his head at Ghislain’s question.”There’s no need for you to know. Your skills are quite impressive, but you’ll die here anyway.”
Though surprised, Frank knew he had to manage the situation.
He hadn’t expected Ghislain to possess such force, but he didn’t think it would be enough to make him a real threat.
Ghislain nodded.”Right, I didn’t expect you to talk so easily. Villains usually don’t.”
“Don’t get cocky just because you beat my men. I’ll admit your skills are remarkable for your age, but you won’t defeat me with that level of experience and maturity.”
Ghislain let out a dry laugh. Who was this guy to talk about experience and maturity?”I’ve probably lived more days than you have.”
“You’re quite the foolish one.”
Frank raised his sword and took a stance. It wasn’t in his best interest to stay here for long, so he was determined to finish this quickly and return.
Ghislain also raised his sword, a smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth.”Then, let’s begin.”
Pahng!
Ghislain was the first to make a move.
Frank quickly blocked the attack and immediately attempted a counterstrike.
Kwaang!
The two swords clashed violently.
Elena, her heart pounding with anxiety, clasped her hands together tightly. If Ghislain lost, she was as good as dead, but she could do nothing to help. She could only shuffle her feet in panic.’Sh-should I run?’
Maybe going to call for help would be the wisest thing to do. But the thought of leaving her brother behind weighed heavily on her. Plus, she didn’t know how many more enemies lurked around.’If I act on my own, I could end up in even more danger.’
Unable to decide, Elena slowly began to back away, trying to stay unnoticed. She figured that if things didn’t look good after watching a little longer, she’d rush back to the castle and ask for help.
Kaang! Kaaang!
As Elena wrestled with her decision, the battle between the two men grew fiercer.’Of course, Jamal and Philip would’ve been easy opponents.’
From Ghislain’s perspective, Frank was an outstanding knight. The amount of mana he emitted and how he utilized it was far superior to most knights.
No wonder he had been confident enough to come all the way to the Ferdium estate.’The longer this drags on, the worse it’ll be for me.’
With only a week’s worth of accumulated mana, it wouldn’t be easy for Ghislain to handle Frank.
Ghislain, lacking physical abilities and mana, could only hold his ground thanks to his exceptional swordsmanship.
Frank was thinking along similar lines.’What kind of swordsmanship is this?!’
Ghislain’s swordsmanship was so brutal and practical that it went beyond frightening— almost awe-inspiring. His sword wasn’t like the typical knights’ swords, nor did it follow the techniques of the Ferdium family. It was ferocious, filled with a thick killing intent, and its movements were unpredictable. Just when Frank thought he had blocked an attack, the blade glided along his own, aiming for vital spots from unexpected angles.
No knight would wield such a cruel sword.’This is definitely not the Ferdium family’s swordsmanship. How on earth did he master such techniques at his age?’
To Frank, Ghislain’s swordsmanship was a few, if not several, levels above his own. If it weren’t for his body, which was greatly strengthened by his superior mana, he would have been torn apart and killed long ago.’But I’ll still win.’
Frank drew more mana to hasten the battle’s end. As time passed, wounds began to accumulate on Ghislain’s body.
Kaang!
Ghislain barely managed to block the incoming blade, his eyes locked onto Frank’s. He was trying to gauge whether his family’s enemies were involved in this incident.”Shall I guess who’s behind this? The Duke of Delfine? No, it’s more likely Count Desmond.”
Count Desmond managed the northern territories under the Duke of Delfine’s command. No matter how powerful the Delfine Duchy was, it was difficult for them to handle every estate personally. Attacks on smaller territories were often delegated to other families loyal to the duchy.
It was possible that the Duke of Delfine had directly sent underlings, but Ghislain doubted they would have cared enough about Ferdium to intervene personally. Either way, whether it was the duke or his lackeys, they were all in league together.
Frank’s eyes widened in shock at Ghislain’s confident tone, but he quickly recovered, masking his expression as if nothing had happened.”You’re a dangerous man.”
Without saying more, Frank swung his sword again.
But Ghislain had already seen enough from that reaction.”Heh, I knew it. So it was you lot.””Shut up.”
As expected, his family’s downfall resulted from those bastards’ scheming. It confirmed his suspicions that all the conspiracies had begun with Elena’s death.
Now that he had his answers, it was time to stop them before they could make another move.
Clang! Clang!
Their swords clashed violently, filling the air with the unpleasant screech of metal. Ghislain gritted his teeth and smirked.”There’s nothing left to confirm. Let’s end this.”
“Don’t be stubborn. Your swordsmanship is impressive, but you still can’t defeat me with that amount of mana. Whatever you think you know, it won’t matter once you’re dead.”
Frank responded with confidence.Ghislain had already suffered many injuries. If just a bit more time passed like this, Ghislain would draw his last breath.
Rumble!
The two men glared at each other, channeling mana into their swords with all their might. Ghislain’s sword was gradually being pushed back. Frank was sure of his victory.
It was at that moment.
“The fight’s not over until the end. Don’t you think so?”
Ghislain’s eyes suddenly flashed red.
Frank tried to summon all his strength to push Ghislain back, sensing an ominous premonition.
At that moment.
Wooong!
A second core inside Ghislain began to spin, unleashing a torrent of mana. A vivid red light, incomparable to Frank’s mana, enveloped Ghislain’s sword.
“Ugh!”
As Ghislain’s strength surged, a groan escaped from Frank’s mouth.
“What ... What the hell is this!”
Frank shouted in disbelief.
Ghislain slowly pushed his opponent’s sword back, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
“You spent your life in regret, never knowing who the real culprit was. If only you had known, you would’ve done anything to hunt them down and kill them.”
“What?”
“You were one of my biggest regrets.”
Frank couldn’t understand what Ghislain was saying. It didn’t matter, though.
Even as the years passed and he grew older, this memory had never faded. Every time he thought of Elena’s death, he drowned himself in alcohol and stayed up all night.
He always regretted it, but the past was something he could never change.
“This time, it’s different.”
Now that he had returned to the past, all that pain and fury had become pure ecstasy. He could barely contain his joy at the thought of severing the starting point of all his nightmares and exacting his revenge.
Ghislain laughed as he detonated his third core.
Boom!
He unleashed a power several times greater than the mana he had, driving Frank back relentlessly.
“Argh!”
Unable to withstand that overwhelming force, Frank was thrown backward.
“What is this...?”
Frank quickly regained his stance, but he staggered back in fear.
No matter how much mana one drew out, it was impossible to amplify one’s power to such an extent. At most, it would make you slightly stronger than your usual capabilities.
But the power Ghislain was displaying far exceeded that level.
‘Was he hiding his strength from the beginning? No, then why did he endure all those injuries?’
Frank was thrown into confusion, unable to understand the situation.
Ghislain didn’t miss that brief opening.
“Do your best.”
Bang!
Ghislain closed the distance instantly and swung his sword with tremendous speed.
Clang!
Frank barely managed to block the strike, but another attack came before he could gather his senses.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ghislain’s relentless sword strikes rained down without stopping. Frank had no choice but to give ground, overwhelmed by the man who swung his sword wildly, red light gleaming in his eyes.
‘This is impossible! How could he have gained this much power all of a sudden!’
Now, regarding speed, strength, and skill, Frank was utterly overpowered by Ghislain.
Boom!
Ghislain continued his assault like a storm, driving his opponent back.
The time Ghislain could sustain such immense power wouldn’t last for long—just a few minutes. He had to finish the fight within that time.
Clang!
Ghislain’s sword came crashing down on Frank’s sword with tremendous force.
Once again, Frank managed to block it, but Ghislain didn’t stop.
Sizzle!
Mana erupted wildly from Ghislain’s body, creating a tangible aura.
His body, covered in blood from the wounds inflicted by Frank, began to emit a crimson mist.
He looked just like a red reaper.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their swords clashed fiercely again and again.
Crunch.
At some point, Frank realized that something was wrong with his sword.
But his head would fly off if he didn’t block Ghislain’s next attack. He had no other options.
Clang!
As their swords collided once more—
Crack!
Frank’s sword could no longer withstand the force of Ghislain’s attack and shattered.
Among the scattering fragments of his sword, Frank murmured in disbelief.
“How ... How could this happen...?”
Ghislain met his gaze and spoke.
“Don’t think you’ll die so easily.”
5: Messed with Wrong Person
The fight ended in an instant.
Frank couldn’t withstand Ghislain’s power after he detonated all three of his cores.
Thunk!
Ghislain’s sword pierced through the core located just below Frank’s navel.
“Urgh, urgh...”
Frank suddenly felt his mana begin to dissipate.
“You ... don’t tell me...”
While the core was said to be located beneath the navel, it wasn’t a physical object. It was simply a term used to describe mana collection in a space that made accumulating it easier. So, piercing the abdomen wouldn’t necessarily destroy the core. However, there were other ways to destroy it.
“That’s right. I’m going to destroy your core first.”
Ghislain manipulated his mana and collided it with Frank’s core.
“Ugh! Argh!”
Frank screamed in terror.
“You ... Are you insane?”