The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations - Chapter 277

Chapter 277: I’ll Buy Us Some Time (4)

Harold nodded in satisfaction. Baron Hutton was one of the most formidable individuals in the Desmond camp, ranked among the best in personal combat.

“Good. Ignore the others and make sure to kill that one first.”

“Understood.”

Baron Hutton immediately spurred his horse forward. As he approached the fortress, his gaze remained fixed on Gillian’s movements.

A man who, with ruthless strength, was ceaselessly cutting down knights and soldiers alike.

Under normal circumstances, Baron Hutton wouldn’t dare to claim victory against someone of Gillian’s caliber.

But now, it was evident that Gillian’s strength had waned from prolonged combat. His momentum had grown more ferocious, but his power and speed had noticeably diminished compared to when the battle first began.

The strain of war and the exhaustion of battle—things no one could ignore—were taking their toll.

‘This should work now.’

As Baron Hutton reached the fortress walls, he leapt from his horse and scaled the ladder. With only two agile leaps, he landed lightly atop the battlements.

He drew his sword, his gaze locking onto Gillian.

Chaang!

The sharp sound of steel rang out, catching Gillian’s ear and prompting him to turn his head slowly.

Just the sound of the blade being unsheathed was enough to convey that this was no ordinary foe.

‘Finally, someone real shows up.’

Though Baron Hutton’s steps were steady, each one exuded a wave of immense power.

Gillian adjusted his stance and faced Baron Hutton head-on.

Baron Hutton, too, examined Gillian up close, his expression hardening.

‘This might just be my last day alive.’

Before him stood a wounded, cornered beast. A single mistake could easily lead to having his throat torn out by this ferocious opponent.

The overwhelming aura emanating from Gillian made it difficult to even approach him without hesitation.

Both men instantly recognized the other’s skill.

Neither wasted time on words, immediately lunging at one another with their weapons.

Kaang!

As axe and sword collided, a piercing sound echoed, accompanied by fierce sparks.

Their weapons moved at speeds imperceptible to the eye. Each clash sent out shockwaves, rippling violently through the air around them.

Kwaang! Kwaaang!

Soon, there was no one left around them. The soldiers, unable to withstand the shockwaves, had all retreated to a safe distance.

Pahng!

Gillian’s axe came down toward Baron Hutton’s crown, but the baron raised his sword and deflected the blow.

Kaang!

The intense rebound forced both of them to momentarily lose their footing, creating a brief pause.

Baron Hutton looked at Gillian with sharp eyes and spoke.

“I heard most of Count Fenris’s subordinates are mercenaries. What’s your name?”

“Gillian.”

“A mere mercenary, yet impressive. I am Baron Hutton, the man who will kill you today.”

Gillian smirked, glaring at Baron Hutton with undiminished hostility in his eyes.

“You sure talk big for a pup.”

Baron Hutton’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

Though his opponent appeared older, Baron Hutton himself was already well into middle age—hardly young enough to be called a pup.

But Gillian’s retort didn’t end there. As a mercenary who had lived through countless brutal years, Hutton’s provocation wasn’t even enough to faze him.

“Plenty of fools like you have said the same to me. They’re all buried underground now. A blade doesn’t care about age or rank.”

Having survived countless near-death encounters, Gillian had faced many arrogant opponents like Baron Hutton in his time.

But in the world of mercenaries, the strongest were the ones who survived.

Gillian had lived long enough for his hair to turn white. That survival was a testament to his life—a badge of pride.

Baron Hutton chuckled lightly in response.

“No manners, I see. But we’ll see soon enough who ends up getting buried.”

Kwaang!

The two clashed again. It was as though the space around them had become its own world, separate from the rest of the battlefield.

The knights and soldiers of Fenris and Desmond alike had halted their fighting and withdrawn.

The area of destruction from the two combatants’ clash was expanding rapidly. Staying nearby risked being torn apart by the sheer force of their battle.

Kwaang! Kwaaang!

The ground cracked, and shards of stone flew outward. The shockwave was so intense that soldiers hit by the fragments collapsed on the spot.

Baron Hutton’s swordsmanship was flawless and refined to the point that anyone who saw it couldn’t help but be impressed.

It was the epitome of knightly swordsmanship, a textbook demonstration of its fundamentals.

Knights from both Fenris and Desmond stood in awe at the sight of his disciplined and elegant technique.

The Fenris knights, in particular, were especially struck with admiration.

“He’s incredible….”

“His movements are like a living swordsmanship manual.”

“There truly are so many exceptional people in the world.”

The swordsmanship they were most familiar with belonged to Ghislain. However, Ghislain’s swordsmanship was beyond their comprehension. At times, it was graceful enough to inspire awe, while at others, it became so ferocious that it seemed to tear everything apart. His style shifted unpredictably, depending on the weapon he wielded and the situation at hand.

Watching him didn’t teach them anything; they could only marvel at his overwhelming skill.

But Baron Hutton was different. His swordsmanship showed, step by step, how a knight should wield a blade. It was the very definition of fundamental.

Kwaaang!

In contrast, Gillian’s movements resembled those of a starving predator.

The sheer ferocity and brutality in his attacks made it feel as though taking one’s eyes off him for even a moment would result in a fatal strike, leaving one’s body shredded to pieces.

The knights of Desmond, in turn, couldn’t help but marvel at Gillian’s wild attacks.

“That’s pure pragmatism.”

“There’s no way to predict where his weapon will come from.”

“How can someone even move like that?”

Every one of his strikes came down like a bolt of lightning from the heavens. Against such attacks, they couldn’t hope to dodge or block effectively.

To them, both combatants were monsters—different in style, but equally terrifying.

Pusshuk!

Baron Hutton’s sword grazed Gillian’s limbs, cutting into his arms and legs and causing blood to spray into the air.

Baron Hutton himself, however, remained unscathed, his body untouched by even a single wound. Yet, his expression was more tense than ever.

“I can’t land a decisive blow.”

Gillian’s relentless, all-out offensive was overwhelming. He absorbed most minor attacks with his body, using sheer force to press Baron Hutton back.

While it was true that Gillian bore more injuries and was drenched in blood, the tide of the battle was subtly shifting. Baron Hutton was the one being forced back, little by little.

Gillian’s axe slashed with brutal power and precise angles. A single mistake, even a glancing blow, would result in more than just a minor injury.

Gillian glared at Baron Hutton with fiery eyes.

“Slippery bastard.”

Normally, under such unrelenting pressure, opponents would grow desperate and lose their composure. But Baron Hutton remained as calm as a still lake.

No matter how skilled someone was, maintaining that level of poise was not something just anyone could do.

Only someone capable of thoroughly controlling their emotions could fight with such unwavering composure.

For Gillian, opponents like Baron Hutton were the most troublesome to deal with.

Kwaang! Kwaang!

As their weapons clashed, both men shared the same thought.

“This won’t end like this.”

If the fight dragged on, it would turn into a battle of endurance, with the victor decided by who tired first.

But this was a battlefield. Their duel had inadvertently created a temporary lull in the larger conflict, with neither side intervening due to the unspoken custom of not interfering in a knightly duel.

Both Fenris and Desmond forces watched with hostile gazes, waiting for the fight to conclude. There was no benefit to prolonging it.

The winner of this duel would elevate their side’s morale and likely tip the scales of the battle.

Gillian realized he had to use a more brutal tactic to finish off his opponent.

‘I’ll give you an opening.’

Kwaang!

Their weapons collided once more, and both men were thrown back. Gillian planted his feet firmly and exposed his chest, gripping his axe tightly.

“Come at me.”

It was a taunt, a deliberate bait. There was no way Baron Hutton didn’t see through it. Yet, knowing this, he still chose to take the bait.

“Let’s end this.”

Baron Hutton’s eyes gleamed as he thrust his sword toward Gillian’s heart. At the same time, Gillian brought his axe down on Baron Hutton.

A simple and primal exchange.

The outcome would be decided by who was faster and stronger.

Shwaaaaak!

Baron Hutton’s mana-charged sword shot forward like a beam of light.

Puk!

Before Gillian’s axe could even swing halfway, Baron Hutton’s full-force thrust had already driven his blade deep into his target.

Feeling the satisfying sensation of his blade piercing flesh, Baron Hutton smiled.

‘It’s over.’

But Baron Hutton didn’t understand. He had no idea what kind of man Gillian truly was.

“……?!”

Even with his body pierced by a blade, Gillian’s axe didn’t stop. Instead, he twisted his lips into a devilish grin and swung it down with unrelenting force.

Baron Hutton, relying purely on instinct, let go of his sword and took a step back.

Kwaaaang!

Chuk!

The impact shattered Baron Hutton’s breastplate, splitting his chest open. A searing pain coursed through him as he looked at Gillian in bewilderment.

‘How? I was certain I pierced his heart….’

Glancing at the position of his embedded sword, Baron Hutton winced. The blade had veered just slightly off its intended target.

‘Could he have shifted his stance while swinging his axe?’

Baron Hutton knew that shifting one’s stance while attacking could subtly alter the position of one’s body. That was why he had aimed to strike before Gillian could fully move.

But even in that fleeting moment, Gillian had gambled. By refusing to stop his attack, he had subtly shifted his posture, managing to narrowly avoid a fatal blow.

It was a daring strategy—one only someone who had staked their life on countless battles could employ.

Paaak!

Blood gushed from Baron Hutton’s chest as he staggered and fell to his knees.

“Cough!”

“Baron!”

Desmond’s knights rushed forward, supporting the bloodied Baron Hutton. Though his wounds were severe, he was still clinging to life.

“Get the baron out of here!”

The knights hurriedly carried Baron Hutton away.

Gillian, too, stumbled back a few steps and pulled the sword from his chest. His hand, still gripping his axe, trembled.

‘I didn’t finish him.’

Baron Hutton’s quick retreat had prevented the axe from landing a deeper blow. Even in that dire moment, his judgment had been exceptional.

“Instructor!”

Fenris’s knights rushed to Gillian’s side, supporting him. Though he stood upright, his condition was visibly poor.

Blood continued to seep from the gaping wound in his chest, and even his tightly clenched lips leaked traces of blood.

Had he truly been fine, he would’ve immediately launched a follow-up attack.

Both sides resumed glaring at one another with their weapons raised.

The fight had reached an uneasy pause. Around Gillian and Baron Hutton, the tension thickened again, and both sides radiated killing intent.

Fenris’s knights swallowed hard, steadying their nerves.

“Damn it… It feels like my body’s about to snap.”

“Our time’s running out.”

“Ugh… I’ll take down as many as I can before I fall.”

They had already reached their limits. Most of them had blood trickling from their mouths.

The only reason the enemy hadn’t noticed was because their faces were hidden beneath black helmets.

Gillian was keenly aware of this and strained to keep himself upright. If he showed weakness now, the enemy would pounce with renewed ferocity.

Dum! Dum! Dum!

The sound of drums echoed again. This time, however, the Desmond forces began to retreat slowly.

They surrounded Baron Hutton protectively, ensuring his safety. He was a critical figure they couldn’t afford to lose.

As the Desmond forces withdrew to the beat of the drums, the Fenris soldiers breathed sighs of relief.

“Thank goodness.”

“That was lucky.”

“If not for the instructor, we’d be done for.”

Had Baron Hutton not been incapacitated, the Desmond forces wouldn’t have retreated so easily.

Of course, if they had known the true state of the Fenris troops, they might have pressed the attack. But thanks to Gillian’s resilience, even Harold had been fooled by the Fenris army’s bluff.

Once it was clear the enemy had withdrawn, Gillian coughed up blood and slowly gave his orders.

“Set up watch and take a break. Don’t let your guard down; be ready to fight at any moment.”

Though he stood tall, his knights couldn’t help but worry as they asked him questions.

“Instructor, are you really okay?”

“Shouldn’t you lie down and get treatment right away?”

“Hey! Where’s the medic? Get some bandages here!”

Gillian waved them off.

“Enough. Go rest and recover your mana. I’ll handle my wounds myself.”

He gritted his teeth against the pain, maintaining his stern expression.

Even if he went to the command post, he’d have to walk there alone. He’d have to treat his wounds himself, showing no signs of weakness. Every soldier was watching him.

With heavy steps, Gillian began to walk away.

Meanwhile, Harold, who had been observing the battle, devised a new plan.

“Better to mobilize all our siege weapons and mages to outright destroy the fortress.”