Chapter 524
I Came to Save You. (2)
The soldiers couldn’t immediately grasp the meaning of those words. It was all too sudden.
There were other questions as well.
‘What’s going on? How did they get through that mist?’
‘What happened to the monsters inside?’
‘Did they just break through?’
When witnessing something unbelievable, the mind tends to freeze. The army of Ritania had appeared, shattering common sense, leaving the soldiers of Seiron in a daze.
The commander of the Seiron army stammered as he asked,
“W-who did you say you were?”
He had never seen the man before, but the words came out respectfully. The force standing behind him radiated an overwhelming presence.
Even just breaking through the mist suggested that this was no ordinary army.
Ghislain spoke again, clearly this time.
“I am the Duke of Fenris, of the Kingdom of Ritania.”
He didn’t refer to himself as the Grand Duke of the North. That title still felt awkward to use.
The commander repeated the name several times.
“Ritania Kingdom… Fenris… Fenris… Hah! Count Fenris! No, Duke Fenris?”
He gasped in shock. The powerful nation of Ritania’s Count Fenris was well-known even in Seiron.
“H-how is this possible? I heard Ritania was still in the middle of a civil war…”
“It’s already been settled. The Kingdom of Ritania has been unified under a new king.”
Ghislain briefly explained the situation. Given that they had been trapped in the Rift’s domain and effectively isolated, it was understandable that their news was outdated.
The commander asked with an eager expression,
“Then… you truly came to help us?”
“Yes. We’ve already cleared one Rift on our way here. We’ll handle the rest as well.”
“Uwaaaaa!”
The soldiers of Seiron erupted in cheers.
They had seen no hope in this situation. They had expected to either starve to death or be devoured by the Rift.
Escape wasn’t an option. The way the Rift’s domains were positioned made it terrifying to even attempt fleeing.
And now, reinforcements had arrived from the Kingdom of Ritania. Hope reignited in their hearts.
Ghislain smiled leisurely and said,
“There’s no need for unnecessary formalities. We’ll rest for a day and then move immediately. Prepare food and stones for the siege weapons.”
The Mobile Corps always carried only powdered combat rations. To eat properly, they needed to secure supplies locally.
Gathering stones here for the trebuchets would also make clearing the Rifts much easier.
Hearing Ghislain’s request, the commander hesitated slightly before responding.
“U-understood. I will report this at once.”
The stones weren’t an issue. They had stockpiled plenty to create defensive barriers.
But food… That was uncertain. Even they were starving. Preparing supplies for an army of twenty thousand was nearly impossible.
Since this wasn’t a decision he could make, the commander quickly dispatched a messenger.
Before long, a group of riders hurried toward Ghislain.
“Oh! Are you the Duke Fenris? I am Marquis Perrain, Supreme Commander of the Seiron army.”
“A pleasure. We’ve come to aid in clearing the Rifts.”
Marquis Perrain beamed with joy.
He had heard of Ghislain’s reputation as the strongest in the North for a long time. Moreover, Ritania had always been a military powerhouse. From what he had heard, Ghislain had even defeated the formidable Duke of Delfine.
With such a man offering help, how could he not be thrilled?
“We are truly grateful! Please, come to the castle and meet His Majesty. We will prepare a grand banquet in your honor.”
This was a man who held the rank of a duke in the Kingdom of Ritania. Someone they absolutely had to treat with the utmost respect. Marquis Perrain had already sent word to the castle.
Ghislain frowned slightly and said,
“…It seems my message wasn’t delivered. We plan to rest for a day and then head out immediately to clear the Rifts. Is the supply situation prepared?”
“Ah, yes, I heard as much. Of course, we must provide supplies… However…”
Marquis Perrain hesitated and glanced around. Many Seiron soldiers were listening.
Ghislain quickly grasped the situation.
It was obvious at a glance. The soldiers hardly looked well-fed.
“Are you short on food?”
“Ahem. Our own food situation isn’t great at the moment… Duke, perhaps we could move to a more private location first—”
Ghislain ignored him.
“We provided a significant amount of supplies. Why is there a food shortage?”
When the Rift first opened, when the Salvation Church rose in rebellion, and when the Allied Forces were formed—Ghislain had provided massive amounts of support to the surrounding nations.
Even those who hadn’t joined the Allied Forces had received considerable aid if they were struggling.
There was a reason for this. Their survival was crucial for ending Ritania’s civil war quickly.
However, it didn’t make sense for the Kingdom of Seiron to already be experiencing a food shortage.
Ghislain pressed Marquis Perrain in front of everyone.
"It seems our administrators have not handled matters properly. I must apologize. I can’t personally oversee every little detail, after all."
"N-no, that’s not the case!"
"Then tell us right here and now how much you’ve received. If it hasn’t been delivered as I ordered, I’ll have to hold the administrators accountable."
"A-ah, um… Your Grace, that is…"
Marquis Perrain was drenched in cold sweat.
The only reason the Kingdom of Seiron had managed to hold out despite all production having ceased was because Fenris and Ferdium had provided massive amounts of food aid.
That meant he couldn’t lie and claim they hadn’t received enough. His opponent knew exactly how much had been sent.
‘No, of course we got the food, but why bring this up here, of all places…?’
The problem was that they had been cutting rations under the excuse of food scarcity. How could he explain that now, with everyone watching?
Ghislain coldly pressed him as he hesitated.
"The food. What happened to it?"
"Th-that is… It’s s-sufficient. We have… w-well stocked it…"
At those words, the soldiers of Seiron stirred.
They understood, to some degree, why their rations had been cut—the entire kingdom had been thrown into chaos by the Rift.
They had grumbled about the nobles eating well, but with so few of them, they assumed that was still manageable. There just wasn’t enough to feed all the soldiers and refugees.
After all, the nobles always complained about how the kingdom’s finances were drained.
But now they found out that not only had an enormous amount of food been provided, but it had also been hoarded instead of distributed. A deep sense of betrayal began to seep into their hearts.
Ghislain smirked and spoke bluntly.
"Are you insane?"
"……."
"I distinctly remember telling you not to hold back. The soldiers don’t look too well."
His tone was outright rude, but Marquis Perrain couldn’t say a word. The truth was, they had deliberately hoarded the food and failed to distribute proper rations.
Yet, he still felt somewhat wronged.
"Your Grace, our kingdom’s production base has been completely destroyed. We had no choice but to conserve our supplies."
"Conserving is fine. But after hoarding all that food, what was your plan for when it ran out?"
"……."
The plan? It was simple—flee before everything was gone. Letting the kingdom fall was better than dying with it, wasn’t it?
Ghislain looked at Marquis Perrain with utter disdain.
"Considering you’re even preparing a banquet, it seems the higher-ups are enjoying their share just fine?"
"……."
Ghislain clicked his tongue. Nobles were all the same, no matter where he went.
‘A kingdom on the verge of ruin really is hopeless. Claude will take care of it.’
He could understand, to some extent. The nobles didn’t have the courage to fight the Rift openly, but they also didn’t want to abandon the kingdom just yet.
But to the point of hoarding food meant for the soldiers? They were barely keeping them alive, just enough to claim they were still fighting.
It would’ve been better to let them eat their fill and then escape to another country.
"Bring out the food immediately. We’ll eliminate the Rift. And as promised, distribute the rations properly to the soldiers. Let me remind you once more—that food is all mine."
With the civil war over, he no longer had any reason to tolerate the circumstances of the surrounding nobles. Any region that didn’t contribute to crushing the Salvation Church would be dealt with decisively.
Marquis Perrain answered with a dejected expression.
"…Understood."
The soldiers of Seiron clenched their lips, holding back their anger. They had given everything to defend the capital’s defensive line, even if they had abandoned everything else.
But the nobles had simply worked them to the bone while hoarding supplies instead of distributing them properly.
The more they learned, the more bitter the betrayal felt.
‘At this rate, let the kingdom collapse for all I care.’
‘I’d rather the Kingdom of Ritania conquer us.’
‘At least they’d feed us properly.’
Feeling the soldiers' cold, sharp gazes, Marquis Perrain hurriedly made his exit. If a rebellion broke out now, he wouldn’t even have an excuse.
‘Damn it! That bastard! That disrespectful bastard! Shouldn’t a fellow noble be more understanding? Is he looking down on us because we’re a small nation?’
No, it wasn’t because he was from a small nation. It was because he was an idiot. Not that he’d ever understand that.
The next day, a massive amount of food was delivered to the garrison. The Fenris Mobile Corps ate their fill and prepared for battle once more.
The soldiers of Seiron also joined the fight, though their role was mainly to transport stones and food rather than directly engaging in combat.
Even as they followed Ghislain, they couldn’t fully hide their fear. They had always fought to keep the Riftspawns outside the borders, but this was the first time they were marching straight in.
And soon, they witnessed something unbelievable.
Kaaaah!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A massive spell swept away the Riftspawn. While the mages eradicated the vanguard of the Riftspawn, the Mobile Corps did not remain idle.
Paaat!
Arrows rained down upon the Riftspawn like a torrential downpour. At the same time, over a hundred trebuchets were assembled.
"Bring the stones!"
At the knights' command, the soldiers of Seiron hurriedly carried stones. They were so busy they couldn't even see how the battle was unfolding ahead.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
The hundred trebuchets relentlessly launched stones without end. The Riftspawn couldn't even get close.
It was an overwhelming display of firepower. By the time the soldiers of Seiron regained their senses, most of the advancing Riftspawn had already been obliterated.
"U-Uwaaah..."
"They took down that many that easily?"
"Amazing. Just how powerful are they?"
The fear that had been etched onto the soldiers' faces was replaced with awe. They had never seen an army this formidable before.
"Let's go!"
At Ghislain's shout, the army resumed its advance.
The first day of battle against the Rift was always the most intense. Riftspawn poured in from all directions.
But once the first day was overcome, the rest was not difficult. Most of the Riftspawn perished on the first day. In fact, reaching the area where the Equidema resided took longer than dealing with the Riftspawn themselves.
There was no need for the entire army to participate in the battle against the Equidema. Ghislain, the other superhumans, the mages, and the priests were enough.
Kaaang!
Even they alone were comparable to the military strength of an entire kingdom. No matter how powerful the Equidema was, it could not withstand such a force.
Thus, within just a few days, the Rift was completely eradicated, and the soldiers of Seiron erupted in loud cheers.
"Waahhhhhh!"
"They really destroyed the Rift!"
"We survived! We're alive!"
They had thought they were doomed, yet the problem had been resolved so effortlessly. It was only natural for them to rejoice.
This was possible only because there was no presence of the Salvation Church here. The nearby Salvation Church forces had all flocked to the Ritania Kingdom.
Amidst the cheers of the soldiers and people, Ghislain's group returned to Seiron's capital. By that time, the Northern Army led by Claude, numbering a hundred thousand, had also arrived.
The people of Seiron, having never seen such a vast army before, could only gasp in amazement at its sheer scale.
All of Seiron’s high-ranking nobles came out to welcome Ghislain.
"As expected of the Ritania Kingdom."
"We have long heard of the great name of Duke Fenris."
"On behalf of His Majesty, we extend our deepest gratitude."
"Come now, let us head to the castle. Enjoy the banquet and relieve your fatigue."
The nobles showered Ghislain with flattery, trying to win his favor. It was obvious they wanted to use this opportunity to establish a connection with him.
After all, forging ties with a grand noble of Ritania, a military powerhouse, was a rare opportunity.
They also harbored considerable fear towards Ghislain, who had arrived leading an army of a hundred thousand.
However, Ghislain coldly rejected the nobles' invitation.
"I have urgent matters to attend to, so I must leave immediately. I must head to the next kingdom."
Marquis Perrain, the leading noble among them, hurriedly grabbed Ghislain, flustered.
"But how can we let our savior leave just like that? Please, stay for just a few days and rest."
"No. I must reduce the Salvation Church’s forces as much as possible before they can regroup."
"Ugh… If that is the case, then we have no choice. I wish you good fortune."
Marquis Perrain, rather than being disappointed, was relieved. The Rift’s expansion had been halted, and frankly, it was better that someone as burdensome as Ghislain was gone.
However, what followed was a thunderous declaration.
"The Chief Overseer will remain to investigate the use of the aid supplies. Be aware of that."
"W-What?"
"You must be held accountable if you broke your promise."
"A-Ah…"
Marquis Perrain and the other nobles were flustered. They had indeed promised to distribute the supplies to the soldiers and people, but who actually conducted investigations on such matters?
Even among nobles, this was going too far.
Before Marquis Perrain and the other nobles could even come up with an excuse, Ghislain turned and left without another word.
As the nobles stood there dumbfounded, licking their lips, Claude spoke with a blank expression.
"I shall meet with His Majesty and conduct a proper investigation."
"Ahem, ahem… You are the Chief Overseer of Fenris?"
"Yes, I am. I hail from the Kingdom of Seiron. I once studied at the Seiron Academy."
Claude's lips curled into a faint smile.
His master had been branded a traitor and executed by this kingdom for ties with the Revolutionary Group.
The king and nobles had known his master was innocent yet still condemned him—simply because he belonged to an opposing faction.
Moreover, his master's daughter, Anna—Claude’s fiancée—had been sold to another noble because she could not pay her ransom.
Until Ghislain had saved her, Claude had lived as a broken man.
The Revolutionary Group and the Kingdom of Seiron had been objects of his hatred. He had buried that pain deep in his heart for his entire life.
And now, Claude had finally returned to the Kingdom of Seiron.
Entrusted with full authority by Ghislain, and accompanied by an army of a hundred thousand.