The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 365

Marquis Rodrick continued to laugh as if he were thoroughly entertained. In truth, this incident was nothing more than a delightful diversion from the monotony of his daily life.

Flexing his power and instilling fear in others—this was what he enjoyed most.

“It’s been rather dull lately,” he mused.

It had been some time since anyone dared to oppose him so openly. The few who tried were nothing more than insignificant pests.

Rodrick had long been the undisputed ruler of the West, a dominant force for as far back as anyone could remember.

Power, when amassed, seeks release. After years of consolidating his rule, Rodrick’s growing strength had left him itching to wield it.

However, the Duke’s firm control over the kingdom had forced him to suppress that urge. Now, with this opportunity at hand, there was no way he would let it slip by.

“When’s the cosmetics caravan due?”

“Next month, my lord,” his advisor responded.

“Oh, splendid. We should prepare quickly. Tenant!”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Hit the caravan first. Just enough to test the waters. Let’s provoke both that brat in Fenris and Marquis Branford while we’re at it.”

“How many men should I send?”

“Send a decent number—let’s say… around a thousand.”

A thousand men was a force sufficient to wage a small-scale territorial skirmish. Yet, for Marquis Rodrick, it was a trifling number, perfect for merely raiding a trade caravan.

Tenant nodded without hesitation, as if such a number were no more than a minor detail.

“I’ll make sure the name of Marquis Rodrick is etched into their minds and bring back the goods as well.”

“Excellent. Just thinking about their inevitable protests already sends shivers down my spine. Things will get even more entertaining when we escalate to a full-blown war.”

Rodrick shuddered with delight, a genuine thrill coursing through him. At this point, he was almost grateful to his dead son for the chaos his death had sparked.

“Once preparations are complete, let all the nobles know we have legitimate cause for our actions. That way, we can openly harass that brat in Fenris.”

With that, Marquis Rodrick set his plans in motion, gearing up to raid Ghislain’s cosmetics caravan.

***

Although Rosaline had been entrusted with the sale and expansion of the cosmetics business, Fenris wasn't completely hands-off.

Delivering the cosmetics to each branch was Fenris's responsibility.

Initially, they only sent products to the capital, but as the cosmetics business expanded, Fenris's workload increased accordingly.

Clatter, clatter, clatter.

A caravan was moving toward a branch in the Western region. Dozens of wagons were loaded with goods, and the escort alone numbered close to 400 people.

Watching from a distance, a knight remarked, "What's with their attire? Why do they all look like beggars?"

He clicked his tongue. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed the Fenris cosmetics caravan. The flags of Fenris and Marquis Branford were displayed, confirming their identity.

But all the guards and workers were wearing dark robes. To an onlooker, they might be mistaken for an assassin's guild.

Scanning the caravan, the knight muttered to himself, "Hmm, but the number of escorts is much higher than expected."

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According to the information they had, the escort for the cosmetics caravan heading to the West was usually around 200 people.

That was already quite a lot. Since they were operating in regions not aligned with the Royalist faction, they naturally deployed extra guards.

But now, twice that number had come.

"Seems they're more scared than I thought."

The knight was the commander of the force sent by Marquis Rodrick to ambush the caravan.

'So, despite boldly rejecting the Marquis's request, they've beefed up their defenses.'

He glanced back at his own troops.

He had brought about 800 soldiers, with an additional 200 waiting elsewhere.

"We probably won't lose, but their numbers are higher than expected. Better to proceed cautiously. If they fight back, we'll just have to engage them."

They had planned under the assumption that the caravan would flee rather than fight. If the escorts weren't fools, they'd quickly realize they were being targeted.

But with this many guards, there was a chance they might decide to stand and fight.

"It would be better if they panicked and scattered. That way, we could take them down more easily..."

Muttering to himself, the knight raised his hand.

Flutter!

The banner of Marquis Rodrick rose above the soldiers.

He had no intention of masquerading as bandits. He wanted to make it clear who was attacking them and escalate the conflict.

"Move out!"

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The Marquis's forces began moving toward the caravan. Seeing a large force suddenly approaching, the caravan's escorts appeared flustered.

They identified the approaching banner and immediately turned to flee.

The emblem of two crossed axes over a central tower—the well-known crest of Marquis Rodrick.

"Hahaha! They're running without even putting up a fight! This is perfect!"

The knight commanding the Marquis's forces laughed heartily.

It seemed the caravan had increased their escorts as a precaution, but seeing a force twice their size charging at them, they must have been shocked.

Even better for him. The fleeing caravan probably had no idea what awaited them ahead.

"Don't chase too quickly! We need to herd them to the designated spot!"

All of his troops were cavalry. On the other hand, the caravan, even if some were mounted, was hauling numerous wagons.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

Although they could overtake them immediately, the knight adjusted their speed to steer the enemy in the desired direction.

Sure enough, as the pursuit continued at a seemingly catchable but unclosed distance, the Fenris caravan had no choice but to move as the Marquis's forces intended.

In this area, there were no escape routes aside from the path used by the caravan. The knight knew this and had deliberately set up his ambush here.

"We're almost there."

In the distance, a low canyon came into view. Cornered by the pursuing forces, the Fenris caravan had no choice but to enter the canyon.

Watching them, the knight smirked wickedly.

"Foolish. This entire region is in the palm of our hand. This might be easier than I thought."

He chuckled, pleased. Wiping out a force of 400 would surely earn him significant merit.

Moreover, it would weaken Fenris's overall strength.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The Fenris caravan, fleeing desperately, eventually came to a stop without exiting the canyon.

On the opposite side, a group of soldiers had set up barricades and were waiting. Trapped by the enemy, they had fallen into a perfect ambush.

The knight leading the Marquis's forces raised his hand, signaling his troops to slow down as they entered the canyon.

"Hey there, Fenris brats! I am Sir Brian, a knight of Marquis Rodrick!"

Brian shouted arrogantly, behaving unbefitting of a knight. From the Fenris caravan, a figure stepped forward.

Still wearing a robe, the person's face remained obscured.

"Why is the Marquis's house pursuing us?"

"You don't know? Or are you just pretending? Did you think you could refuse the Marquis's request and continue your business here unscathed?"

At Brian's mocking words, the robed figure calmly replied, "Do you intend to interfere with a business in which Marquis Branford is involved? We have an existing contract with Marquis Rodrick."

Just because they belonged to different factions didn't mean they ignored each other. After all, they were all nobles of the same kingdom, differing only in political alignment.

Usually, they helped where they could and competed where they must. In Ghislain's previous life, conflicts only escalated when the Duke's ambitions became overt.

Even Marquis Rodrick couldn't arbitrarily obstruct cosmetics that many nobles in the West desired.

Even people within the Marquis's own house used them. There was no need to block something so effective.

But the situation had changed. Marquis Rodrick wanted war.

Brian smirked and continued, "That contract is now void. We have just cause to act against Fenris. Actually, 'act against' isn't the right term. The difference in our levels is too vast. To be precise, we're going to keep harassing Fenris from now on."

At those words, the man in the robe sighed and shook his head.

"In that case, you should first notify Marquis Branford and settle matters properly."

"We'll kill you first and then handle that. Maybe a messenger has already reached Marquis Branford by now. One thing's for sure..."

Brian drew his sword and pointed it at the robed man.

"You're all going to die here, and we'll take those cosmetics. So there's no need to surrender—we won't accept it anyway."

The robed man nodded a few times and then pushed back his hood.

Underneath the white hair, a face hardened with resolve appeared—it was Gillian.

Gillian addressed those around him.

"Unload the cargo."

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The escorts began unloading long wooden crates from the wagons. Seeing this, Brian laughed even louder.

"What, are you surrendering now? Think offering that up will save you? We're just going to kill you and take it all anyway. Are you northern bumpkins that dense?"

Ignoring Brian's taunts, Gillian gestured to his subordinates.

"Open them."

Clank, clank, clank.

The crates were opened. Inside were not cosmetics but sharp, long spears and massive greatswords, packed tightly.

"What the hell? These aren't cosmetics! Who are you people?"

Brian looked bewildered. All the crates unloaded from the wagons were filled with weapons.

Still ignoring him, Gillian knocked on the door of the central carriage and spoke.

"It doesn't seem they have any other tricks up their sleeves."

Click.

The carriage door opened, and Ghislain stepped out slowly. He glanced around and clicked his tongue.

"So, this is all there is? Just a simple ambush? Honestly, if they'd openly challenged us, we could've fought straightforwardly. Why bother splitting their forces and setting up such a tedious trap?"

At that moment, a man standing beside the carriage pulled back his hood and spoke.

"See? I told you we should've just fought them head-on! Why are you always so curious?"

The grumbler was Kaor. He had been dragged here as soon as he returned to the territory.

Ghislain shrugged.

"Well, handling them all at once like this is more efficient, right? It's obvious what they're up to."

"Then let's kill them now. I've been itching for a fight lately. And seriously? Who's bullying whom? This is ridiculous. Let's show them who does the bullying around here."

In Kaor's view, Ghislain was the world's best at tormenting others. He considered himself a close second.

Their cheeky exchange caused Brian's expression to turn icy as he asked, "Who are you? Are you the leader of this caravan?"

Ghislain frowned.

"What? You don't recognize my face? Haven't received my portrait yet? Am I not famous enough?"

"......"

Brian was momentarily speechless. The man's self-important attitude was irritating.

Moreover, his nonchalant demeanor was inexplicably grating.

"I asked who you are."

"I'm Count Fenris."

"......!"

At Ghislain's response, the Marquis's soldiers momentarily held their breath.

Count Fenris was rumored to be a Master-level warrior. If that rumor were true, their current forces wouldn't be enough to stop him.

'But...'

Among the Marquis's troops, another rumor circulated—that Ghislain's reputed feats were actually the accomplishments of his subordinates.

This was based on the assessment of Tenant, a high-ranking knight who had personally visited Fenris.

Of course, that rumor also came with a caveat to remain cautious, as there might be more to him than met the eye.

Bryan cautiously asked again, "Are you really Count Fenris?"

"Yes, I am Count Fenris."

Judging by his confidence, it seemed genuine, but words alone weren't enough to confirm it.

At that moment, a knight approached Brian and whispered. He was someone who had accompanied Tenant to Fenris.

"It's him. I saw him with Sir Tenant."

'Got him!'

Brian's heart pounded fiercely.

He trusted Tenant's assessment more than widespread rumors.

If he could capture Count Fenris—the shining star of the North and a great lord—right here...

His path to success would be guaranteed.

Having made up his mind, he shouted loudly, "Attack! Kill everyone except Count Fenris! If necessary, you may kill him too! Just bring back his head intact!"

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The Marquis's cavalry spurred their horses, charging forward in an instant.

Watching the approaching forces, Ghislain said, "Prepare yourselves. It's been a while since they've gathered like this."

The 400 men Ghislain had brought were all Fenris knights. To ensure a decisive victory, he had brought his entire contingent.

Clank, clank.

The knights drew their greatswords from the crates. Spreading his arms wide, Ghislain declared, "Leave no one alive. It's time to instill fear of us in the West."

Whooooosh!

Hundreds of spears remaining in the crates slowly rose into the air.