Sssss....

The Phalore arrived at its hiding place and looked around. It no longer sensed the pursuer who had relentlessly followed it.

Thinking it had finally shaken off the pursuer, the Phalore began clearing the stones blocking the entrance to its lair.

It sped up as it anticipated recovering its strength by eating its prey safely inside.

Focused on its task, the Phalore unknowingly released the tentacle covering Gordon's mouth.

Gordon didn’t miss his chance.

“Over here!!”

It was the loudest shout he had ever made in his life.

Screech!

The Phalore, startled, quickly wrapped a tentacle around Gordon’s neck and lifted him into the air.

Though Gordon felt like he was suffocating, he closed his eyes tightly and shouted again.

“Here!!!”

Screech!

Furious, the Phalore threw Gordon to the ground.

Now certain the pursuer would soon arrive after hearing that shout, the Phalore decided it would be better to quickly devour Gordon and hide.

It raised its scythe-like arm high.

“Ugh…”

Gordon, slumped on the ground, shut his eyes.

The fear of death overwhelmed him, and he could no longer muster the strength to scream. He could feel warmth spreading between his legs.

Swish!

Just as the Phalore’s scythe was about to descend on Gordon’s head, something gleamed and flew quickly out of the dark forest.

Thud!

Belinda’s dagger embedded itself in the Phalore’s arm.

Poison coated the blade, causing the Phalore’s pale skin to blacken and burn.

Screech!

The Phalore shrieked in pain, but the cry didn’t last long.

Thwack!

Ghislain’s sword followed right after, piercing through the Phalore’s head.

Crunch!

Finally, Gillian’s axe came down, splitting the Phalore’s body in two.

“I’m alive!” Gordon shouted in relief as he saw the three figures standing before him.

Ghislain tore a Light Scroll and checked Gordon’s condition, smiling as he spoke.

“You held on well, Gordon.”

Hearing those words, Gordon burst into tears.

He was deeply grateful to Ghislain, who had risked danger to chase after him and save him.

Even though he knew crying would cause muscle loss, he couldn’t stop the tears.

“Boohoo! Thank you. Boohoo!”

As Gordon sobbed uncontrollably, Belinda threw in a comment.

“By the way, your clothes... did you wet yourself?”

The tears stopped immediately as Gordon, his face turning red, sheepishly looked away. Belinda laughed at his embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Ghislain inspected the poorly hidden entrance to a cave, blocked by stones.

“So this is their lair.”

Leaving the Phalores' hideout untouched after coming this far would be foolish.

The group entered the cave without hesitation.

Screech!

The Phalores inside screeched the moment they saw the group.

Judging by their torn and battered appearance, it was clear they were the ones who had fled earlier.

“I was disappointed that we didn’t get them all, but here they are, gathered together. This makes things easier.”

Now that they had found the lair, wiping out the Phalores would make the journey ahead smoother.

Ghislain’s cruel smile spread as he gazed at the creatures.

“Kill them all.”

Before Ghislain had even finished speaking, Belinda and Gillian were mercilessly cutting down the Phalores.

Screech!

The Phalores, already weakened from their battle with the mercenaries, were helplessly slaughtered without putting up much resistance.

Even if they had been in better shape, it wouldn’t have been difficult for Ghislain’s group, all of whom—except Gordon—were skilled in wielding mana.

After killing the last Phalore that had been desperately trying to escape, Ghislain surveyed the cave and found something strange.

“What’s this…”

Belinda and Gillian also noticed the piles in the corner and were visibly shocked.

“Aren’t these human bones?”

As Belinda had said, scattered among the bones of monsters were what looked like human bones.

“They must belong to people who explored the Forest of Beasts unofficially,” Gillian said.

Ghislain nodded in agreement.

Throughout history, there had been people who ventured into the Forest of Beasts.

But that was a long time ago.

As far as Ghislain knew, the Ferdium estate had forbidden entry into the forest decades ago.

However, judging by the torn clothes and tools strewn among the bones, it seemed like they hadn’t been there for more than a few years.

‘So someone has been secretly exploring this place recently...’

Ghislain had some ideas, but he couldn’t be certain. It could have just been some adventurers.

He decided to set aside the mystery for now.

After blocking the cave’s entrance again, they returned to the group.

The mercenaries, who had been anxiously waiting for Ghislain’s return, grabbed their weapons when they heard movement in the forest.

They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Ghislain’s face emerge from between the trees.

It was unfortunate that Gordon had died, but they needed Ghislain to survive in this forest.

“The young master is back!”

The mercenaries, wearing expressions of relief, rushed toward Ghislain.

When Belinda, Gillian, and finally Gordon—grinning awkwardly—appeared behind him, the mercenaries erupted in cheers.

“Gordon’s back! He’s alive!”

“The young master succeeded!”

In all their years as mercenaries, they had never met anyone like Ghislain.

Most nobles and employers treated mercenaries like expendable tools.

They often sacrificed mercenaries without hesitation when necessary.

Even the mercenaries themselves had come to accept this as normal. But Ghislain’s actions were beyond shocking—they stirred something new within them.

Their employer was a completely different kind of person than the hypocrites they were used to.

“If we follow him, we might actually survive this.”

One mercenary mumbled, and everyone nodded in agreement.

It wasn’t hard to be a good leader for mercenaries.

Feed them well, pay them well, and find them good work.

But to make them trust and follow you wholeheartedly, something more was needed.

The ability to save their lives—even if it was just one more time.

Ghislain fought at the front, protected them, and never gave up on those who followed him.

For the mercenaries, he was the perfect leader.

“His actions so far haven’t been an act. He’s genuine.”

“Yeah, we should return the favor for his sincerity.”

“Never thought I’d see a noble like him.”

The mercenaries, having cast aside their fears, regained their sense of purpose as warriors.

They remembered what it truly meant to be mercenaries—those who lived with death always by their side.

However, there was one person who still couldn’t hide his discomfort, his face twitching even as the others steeled their resolve.

‘Idiots, you were just lucky. How long do you think that will last? You’ll all die in the end.’

Manus, who had survived by hiding behind the other mercenaries, had lived through this encounter as well.

From his perspective, this forest wasn’t normal.

The monsters living here were far stronger than anything outside the forest.

‘Why are they so happy about winning? This is just the edge of the forest! Who knows what horrors lie ahead?’

Although their employer had solved problems so far with his extraordinary abilities, there had been many close calls.

If their employer had been even a little weaker, or made a single wrong decision, they would have all been wiped out.

‘I’m not sticking around for this deadly gamble. You idiots!’

This time had been no different. If their employer had been wrong, they would all have died.

One mistake was all it would take for them to be annihilated.

That was Manus’s evaluation of the Forest of Beasts.

‘Damn, I need to find a few people to take with me. But it looks difficult right now.’

He didn’t have the nerve to go back alone.

There were surely wandering monsters with no territory, and he wasn’t sure how the employer would react if he tried to leave.

‘I’ll have to wait for the right moment. When more people die, they’ll get scared and come to their senses.’

Manus clung to that hope.

For now, everyone was putting on a brave front, but once they faced real danger again, he believed they would see the reality of their situation.

By the time morning came, the mercenaries had packed up and begun to move.

Since they had wiped out the Phalores, there was no need to worry about being followed by monsters.

“This must be Phalore territory, right? There are definitely fewer monsters around.”

“The few we’ve seen seem to be wandering around looking for food, not from around here.”

While monsters still appeared, their numbers and frequency had drastically decreased compared to earlier.

“Still, don’t let your guard down. Follow the employer’s orders carefully.”

With renewed determination, the mercenaries grew more skilled and sharp with each battle.

Watching this, Ghislain smiled in satisfaction.

“Real combat is the best training after all. They’re already better than the estate’s soldiers.”

It was a commonly held belief that while mercenaries might be strong individually, they couldn’t match a trained army in large-scale combat.

However, Ghislain’s mercenaries were now moving with the coordination of a well-disciplined army.

“Their mindset has definitely changed.”

The battles were still dangerous, and there were casualties, but the mercenaries no longer wavered.

They simply followed Ghislain’s orders as best they could.

Thanks to this, it had become easier for Ghislain to lead them.

They trusted him, and that made all the difference.

As he watched the group move as one, Kaor couldn’t help but let out a quiet sigh of admiration.

“Those ragtag mercenaries, lured in by money, are now moving like an army. They weren’t like this before.”

“It’s all thanks to our young lord.”

Gillian responded proudly, his tone brief but filled with meaning. Kaor pursed his lips and turned away.

‘Damn, anyone would think the kid’s his son.’

His tongue itched to say something, but he knew it would turn into a long argument, so he kept silent.

‘Am I seriously avoiding this? Just because I don’t want to argue with an old man?’

Kaor scratched his head in confusion, deep in thought.

As the leader of the Cerberus Mercenary Corps, avoiding conflict was unheard of.

The idea seemed impossible, and Kaor found himself lost in contemplation.

While Kaor was preoccupied with his internal dilemma, the group quickly left Phalore territory behind.