Chapter 330: I Have Many Questions (2)
Raul wasn’t originally from the Ritania Kingdom.
Even the members of the ducal family had no idea where he came from. At some point, he simply appeared, gained the Duke’s trust, and was granted a title, taking charge of the family’s affairs.
Initially, the long-serving retainers of the Duke opposed him vehemently. However, those who protested too loudly disappeared without a trace.
“That demon changed His Grace ever since he joined the ducal family.”
People whispered, but there was no stopping Raul, who already held all the power. The Duke himself had handed over everything to Raul, saying he could do as he pleased.
Raul’s limited knowledge about the secrets of the Forest of Beasts stemmed from the oral traditions and documents gathered by the organization he belonged to.
“The Forest of Beasts is an exceedingly dangerous place. Even if the kingdom pours all its resources into conquering it, success is uncertain. And after that… when ‘that day’ comes, an enormous military force will be necessary.”
Thus, Raul hoarded military resources with near-obsessive dedication.
Of course, the strategists under him didn’t understand the exact reasons. They simply followed the directives issued by the ducal family, even if they didn’t make sense.
In any case, Raul spent years persuading nobles, bolstering the faction loyal to the Duke, and diminishing the strength of the Royalist Faction.
The ducal family, already the kingdom’s most powerful force, moved with this newfound might, and everything seemed to progress smoothly.
That was until Ghislain appeared.
“I never imagined he’d be this formidable. Unbelievable.”
Raul had personally met Ghislain during the Marquis of Branford’s banquet.
Even then, he had recognized Ghislain as an impressive individual someone who had won wars and created new products that brought in an astronomical amount of wealth.
What stood out most was his unyielding courage. Ghislain didn’t flinch before Raul; instead, his eyes were brimming with hatred, leaving Raul puzzled.
Despite this, Raul believed Harold could handle him. After all, there had been a significant gap in ability between Harold and Ghislain at the time.
“And yet… that brat defeated Harold and is now hailed as the strongest in the North?”
The things Ghislain accomplished were so extraordinary that Raul couldn’t simply chalk it up to his own miscalculation.
Even based on the limited information available, it was clear. Calling him a mere genius wasn’t enough.
It was as if… Ghislain knew everything about them and acted accordingly.
“Impossible.”
Raul shook his head, dispelling the thoughts.
“No matter. The moment he meddled with the Forest of Beasts, this became irreversible.”
When Raul learned that Ghislain had ventured into the Forest of Beasts and obtained a Runestone, he immediately ordered Harold to destroy Ferdium.
The Forest of Beasts held paramount importance to Raul.
“I didn’t think anyone would dare touch it… That audacious brat not only attempted it but succeeded?”
Although Ghislain had only explored the forest’s outskirts, his actions had greatly displeased Raul.
In the end, Harold, following orders, initiated war through Digald, but the plan failed.
It must have been around that time when everything began to unravel, ultimately leading to the current state of affairs.
“It can’t be helped. That brat from Fenris… I’ll rip him apart myself later. For now, prepare for the main event.”
“Do you mean…?”
Raul’s voice turned icy as he continued.
“Exactly. I’ve made my decision. But ensure that we can win the civil war with minimal losses. And while preparing, persuade as many as possible to join our side quickly.”
“Understood.”
The strategists left with stiff expressions.
A civil war was no simple territorial skirmish. It meant that all the lords and nobles of the kingdom would split into two factions and fight.
While the Duke didn’t seem to care about the damage their side might sustain, others didn’t share his indifference.
Even in war, victory had to come with minimal casualties to ensure future plans could proceed. That required extensive preparation, carried out with precision and no room for error.
After the others left, Raul, now alone, sank into his thoughts.
“I still can’t figure him out.”
He wasn’t thinking about Ghislain. His thoughts were on Ernhardt Delfine, the man he served.
It was Raul and the organization he belonged to that had awakened Ernhardt to his mission and guided him into a new path.
Yet, Ernhardt’s thoughts remained an enigma.
Having delegated everything to Raul, Ernhardt allowed him free rein to act as he saw fit. But what troubled Raul were the occasional flashes of eerie intensity in Ernhardt’s gaze.
He recalled their first meeting vividly. When Raul revealed the secrets of the ducal family and awakened Ernhardt to his mission, Ernhardt had smiled and said:
“So, I was special after all. A long-standing question of mine has been partially answered.”
The Duke accepted his mission with a calm demeanor. Yet, his actions afterward shocked even Raul.
Ernhardt personally killed his own wife, eradicating her entire family in the process.
“Rumor has it the Duchess committed infidelity. That’s why he was so enraged,” people whispered, defending the Duke.
The Duke, known for his benevolence and genial nature, wouldn’t have done such a thing without reason or so they believed.
Then, the Duke killed his children.
“They tried to usurp their father’s position. That’s something that can never be forgiven.”
Again, people took his side.
Afterward, he slaughtered his siblings and all collateral relatives every last one of them, regardless of age or gender. No member of the ducal bloodline remained.
Even those who had left to marry into other families were brought back and executed. If they had descendants, they were killed too. If anyone resisted, the Duke obliterated their entire family.
At this point, people could no longer defend him.
Killing powerless collateral relatives and those married off into other families couldn’t be justified under any pretext.
Thus, the Duke unleashed a massacre, wiping out all his kin from existence.
On the day he killed the last of his bloodline, the now-solitary Duke smiled, his face covered in blood. He left only a single remark:
“At last, I have gained a small measure of freedom. I’ve broken one of the heavy chains that bound me.”
It was from that day on that rumors spread of the Duke’s madness. Even those who tried to defend him could only muster conspiracy theories, blaming Raul as the instigator.
But Raul had never demanded such things. He hadn’t anticipated that the Duke would commit such atrocities. None of it contributed to their grand mission.
Yet the Duke carried out the slaughter and then retreated into seclusion, leaving everything in Raul’s hands.
To this day, Raul didn’t understand why the Duke had done what he did.
“Maybe he truly has gone mad…”
Clicking his tongue, Raul redirected his thoughts. Whether the Duke was insane or not didn’t matter. His mission was to seize the Ritania Kingdom and the Forest of Beasts.
Raul’s gaze fell on the massive map before him.
The map didn’t only depict Ritania; it displayed every nation and independent faction on the continent.
Several regions on the map bore the mark of a blazing black sun.
“Not much time remains.”
Soon, the same mark would appear over the Ritania Kingdom. That was Raul’s ultimate goal.
* * *
“He’s gone to the Forest of Beasts again?”
Amelia frowned upon hearing Bernarf’s report.
Ghislain had already struck it rich by developing the Forest of Beasts with the money he had extorted from her.
Frankly, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Ghislain’s rise was thanks to her. That was why any mention of the Forest of Beasts irritated her.
At Amelia’s sharp inquiry, Bernarf glanced at her nervously before speaking.
“Yes, according to reports from our spies, he recently led troops into the Forest of Beasts.”
Being part of the North, Raypold had quicker access to information about Fenris than the ducal family. Since Ghislain had lifted the territorial lockdown, Fenris’ lands were now swarming with spies.
Of course, vital facilities and information were still tightly secured, so gathering critical details wasn’t easy. However, they now had a general understanding of the territory’s state.
“Hmm, do you think he’ll succeed this time as well?”
“Well, why wouldn’t he? He’s already succeeded once. Ah, if we’d known there were such valuable resources there, we should’ve taken them ourselves,” Bernarf remarked casually.
In his mind, the reasoning was simple.
Ghislain was a skilled warrior, and his forces were strong. Therefore, he believed they could once again obtain something valuable from the Forest of Beasts, just as they had before.
But Amelia saw things differently. She wasn’t questioning the likelihood of success but rather how he achieved it.
“If it were that easy, the Forest of Beasts would’ve been developed long ago.”
As a native of the North, Amelia knew well that the Forest of Beasts had long been a forbidden place. The rumors were grim, and the business prospects were nonexistent.
Numerous attempts to develop the forest had been made in the past. The ancestors of Ferdium tried, as did other lords who joined forces.
All those attempts failed, which was why the forest became taboo. The records documented the failures, leaving no one in the North unaware of the forest’s dangers.
And yet, a mere upstart like Ghislain had single-handedly developed part of it. While it was only the outskirts, no northern lord had achieved even that much before.
Naturally, Amelia couldn’t help but be curious.
“How on earth did he do it? Back then, Ghislain’s forces weren’t overwhelmingly strong.”
No matter how impoverished Ferdium was, it was still a territory with seasoned elites who had years of experience in the North.
Yet, Ghislain accomplished something even they had failed to do. It was almost incomprehensible.
Unable to figure out the method, Amelia felt an unbearable sense of frustration.
That was when Bernarf said something unexpected.
“Some lunatic claims he went into the Forest of Beasts with the Count of Fenris. He keeps saying it whenever he drinks, and the rumors are quite entertaining. Apparently, there were some unbelievable monsters there.”
“What?”
Amelia tilted her head, puzzled.
It was well-known that the knights under Ghislain included mercenaries who had accompanied him during the Forest of Beasts expedition.
None of them had ever defected afterward, and all were now part of Fenris’ knightly order. There shouldn’t be anyone left to spread such stories.
“The mercenaries who first went into the Forest of Beasts are all under Ghislain’s command, aren’t they?”
“That’s why no one really believes him. Fenris’ knights are famous now, so people just think he’s a guy spinning amusing tales. I’ve seen him once, too, and honestly, he doesn’t look like someone who’d survive the Forest of Beasts.”
“What does he say?”
“Well, he goes on about how he tagged along, fought some monsters, and then starts badmouthing the Count of Fenris. It’s just nonsense, pure nonsense. I only brought it up because the Forest of Beasts came up, and it reminded me.”
Amelia paused to think before asking another question.
“What does he say about these so-called unbelievable monsters?”
“Ah… something about creatures that can’t be harmed unless there’s light. Supposedly, there were hundreds of them. Without using mana, they couldn’t even be killed.”
“How did they deal with them? At that time, the mercenaries didn’t use mana, did they?”
“He claims the Count of Fenris knew they’d appear and had prepared light scrolls in advance. They lured them and took them out in one go. But come on, does that even make sense? Where would such monsters exist? Even if they did, how would he have known and prepared for them? It’s a ridiculous story, no matter how you look at it. Hahaha.”
Bernarf laughed and waved his hands dismissively, but Amelia didn’t laugh.
As the atmosphere turned cold, Bastet let out a disdainful meow.
“Meow!”
Bernarf stopped laughing and scratched his head awkwardly.
Amelia, still wearing a cold expression, pondered for a moment before giving an order.
“Bring him to me.”
“What? Why bother with a braggart like that?”
“Now.”
“Yes! Right away!”
Defying her was unthinkable. The soldiers moved immediately to apprehend the man in question.
The man brought before Amelia was in a shabby state, reeking of filth as if he hadn’t bathed in days.
“Greetings, Lord of Raypold,” the man, who had a rat-like appearance, said as he prostrated himself on the floor of the audience chamber, addressing Amelia seated on the dais.
His gesture wasn’t solely out of respect for her title. Some genuine admiration was mixed in.
As a resident of Raypold, the man appreciated Amelia. She frequently distributed food to the cities and villages under her rule, ensuring no one starved.
That was why he hadn’t left Raypold since arriving there.
Amelia wrinkled her nose slightly at his appearance. He looked every bit the part of a drunk spouting nonsense.
Still, she didn’t dismiss him outright and asked, “So, you’re the mercenary who claims to have ventured into the Forest of Beasts with the Count of Fenris?”
The man’s expression grew tense.
It was supposed to be a secret, but he had let details slip while boasting in drunken stupor. Word must have spread.
After hesitating for a moment, he sighed and confessed, “Yes, I have experience in the Forest of Beasts.”
His calm tone piqued Amelia’s interest, and she asked again, “What’s your name?”
“My name is… Manus.”
The man was none other than Manus, the mercenary who had fled during the encounter with the Blood Python while accompanying Ghislain in the Forest of Beasts.
Remarkably, he had survived and gone into hiding in Raypold.
“And your profession?”
“I’m… taking a break now, but I used to be a mercenary.”
After questioning Manus about his background, Amelia got to the point.
“I’m curious about the Forest of Beasts. I’d like to hear the details of what happened back then.”
At her words, Manus’ eyes gleamed with cunning.
“So the lord wants to hear my story?”
Initially, he had intended to keep it a secret, but having already let slip bits and pieces while drunk, he decided to seize the opportunity.
Manus, naturally prone to complaints and manipulation, saw this as his chance to make a fortune and leave Raypold.
Feigning a serious tone, he replied, “Sharing the details isn’t difficult. But I have a small request, my lord.”
“What is it?”
“This information was obtained at great personal risk. I’d like a small fee for it.”
“A fee?”
Daring to negotiate under the pretext of information?
A chilling smile spread across Amelia’s face.