Chapter 394: Let’s Just Destroy It. (1)
The Royal Faction, acting on the intelligence Ghislain had provided about the Salvation Church’s hideouts, was gradually moving the kingdom’s army toward the southern regions.
Despite the chaos spreading throughout the kingdom, the Ducal family remained silent, issuing no statements or declarations.
Since they had already been branded as heretics by the Four Major Temples, it was clear they intended to resolve everything through force. Thus, the kingdom’s army was being mobilized in preparation for war.
In the midst of this, news of Marquis Roderick’s advance shocked everyone.
“100,000? Are you saying he’s bringing one hundred thousand troops?”
Maurice, who had been in a meeting at the royal palace, asked in disbelief upon hearing the news.
The messenger who brought the report nodded solemnly.
“Yes! He has issued a full conscription order to gather the remaining vassals’ forces. Currently, sixty thousand are marching toward Fenris, and forty thousand are moving towards the capital. He claims to offer assistance in the fight against the Ducal family.”
“Hah, so the entirety of the Western forces is mobilizing just to catch one guy?”
It was only a short while ago that news came of twenty thousand soldiers being routed in battle, yet now Roderick had managed to assemble a force of one hundred thousand men in no time.
He truly deserved his reputation as the most powerful great noble of the West.
Maurice scratched his beard, his face wrinkling into a frown.
“Ahem… Assisting in the fight against the Ducal family is good and all, but what about that little brat?”
At Maurice’s question, Marquis Branford responded with an indifferent expression.
“Leave it for now. It’s a fight between two people.”
“What? How can you say that! How’s he supposed to stop sixty thousand troops? Doesn’t Fenris only have one or two thousand soldiers? That’s all he has! We’re not in a position to just let him fend for himself!”
“…”
The other nobles looked at Maurice in disbelief.
He had always been hostile towards the Count of Fenris, and yet, his attitude seemed to have shifted completely.
“What? Why are you all looking at me like that? He’s like a nephew to me!”
“…”
Recently, the second wave of supplies sent by Fenris had been distributed to the kingdom’s army. Maurice, who served as the army’s Supreme Commander, had been so delighted that his face nearly split into a grin.
“There’s no way I can just let him be! Shouldn’t we mediate for him again? If we start fighting among ourselves with a war against the Ducal family looming, what do you think will happen?”
Marquis Roderick, however, had firmly refused the Royal Faction’s attempts at mediation. Even when urged to postpone resolving the matter until after the civil war, he stubbornly held his ground.
Since Roderick had a legitimate reason for his actions, the Royal Faction couldn’t press him further.
Maurice, as if realizing something, turned to Marquis Branford and said,
“That bastard is trying to join us, knowing we’ll probably win against the ducal family because we have the Four Major Temples on our side.”
“I’m aware.”
“And yet, you’re just letting it happen?”
Roderick had long been a threat to the royal family. For now, his support in the fight against the Ducal family was indispensable, but it was clear that he would become a significant problem once the war ended.
Especially if Roderick managed to seize Fenris, which was rich in resources it would essentially create a new Ducal family.
Even so, Marquis Branford nodded with an indifferent look.
“Trust in Count Fenris. He won’t go down so easily. Hasn’t that always been the case?”
“Well, true, but… this time the odds are overwhelming.”
“He has always managed to overcome the odds.”
“Hrm…”
Maurice was left speechless. Whether it was luck or skill, Ghislain had always emerged victorious in the end.
“Fine, whatever. Let’s monitor the situation and think it through again later.”
Although he said this, Maurice and the other nobles couldn’t conceal their unease.
Still, there was no way to suppress Marquis Roderick by force in the current situation.
The fact that Roderick had severed ties with the Ducal family was already a considerable gain. If that force of one hundred thousand soldiers had joined the Ducal family and marched toward the capital, it would have been pure hell.
In the end, Fenris and Roderick had to resolve this matter themselves.
The anxiety was warranted. The atmosphere of Roderick’s army advancing toward Fenris exuded overwhelming confidence.
Sitting atop a massive horse befitting his large frame, Marquis Roderick wore a sinister grin.
“At last, I’ll get to crush that little whelp.”
Everyone knew by now that Ghislain was a Master. Even so, Roderick wasn’t concerned.
The disparity in numbers was simply too vast for one Master to handle.
“Increase the marching speed! I can’t wait to see the despair on his face!”
At Roderick’s command, the soldiers quickened their pace. Although the journey to the North was long and exhausting, Roderick didn’t care.
He believed that overwhelming numbers alone would guarantee victory.
To attack the Fenris territory, Roderick’s army had to pass through the lands of several lords. One of these was the domain of Count Albans, a member of the Royal Faction.
Typically, lords did not easily grant passage through their lands to others. After all, there was always the risk that the army could turn against them.
Moreover, it was a matter of pride and honor.
Count Albans, unsurprisingly, reacted like any other lord.
“What? They suddenly demand to pass through my lands to head North? Who gave them the right to make such demands!”
Count Albans, though not a grand lord, was still a fairly influential noble.
With the royal faction backing him, even the most powerful nobles in the west weren’t inclined to easily give him free passage. It wasn’t for Ghislain’s sake but rather to avoid wounding their own pride.
“Tell them to return to their lands! Or bring a proper justification and compensation if they wish to proceed.”
Preparing for a potential conflict with the ducal family, Albans had gathered and trained his forces adequately.
Of course, he’d lose if they fought, but even so, he didn’t believe Marquis Roderick, who had recently joined the royal faction, would risk starting a fight recklessly.
While Count Albans stood his ground, a messenger soon arrived and shouted loudly.
“Marquis Roderick has entered the territory without permission! He sent a message saying he would pass through, and we should not interfere.”
“What nonsense is this about him entering my territory unbidden?!”
Count Albans rose from his seat in fury. Even if Roderick didn’t intend to attack, crossing his lands without permission was a blatant show of disregard.
If he let this slide, it would invite mockery and scorn from other nobles. He had to take action to make them retreat.
“Bring me my armor at once and summon the troops! Even if we must use force, we will stop him! How many troops does the Marquis have?!”
“Well, um…”
“Speak clearly!”
“One hundred thousand, my lord!”
“…One thousand?”
“One hundred thousand! One hundred thousand!”
“……”
Count Albans, who had been frozen momentarily by the messenger’s words, collapsed back into his seat. He exhaled deeply several times, staring at the ceiling, before speaking quietly.
“…Show them the fastest route. Escort them with the utmost courtesy to ensure no inconvenience befalls them on their journey.”
“…Understood.”
This was no time to stand on pride. Other nobles would surely understand.
Every territory in the path of Marquis Roderick’s advancing army held their breath. None dared to oppose them.
While some nobles, like Count Albans, attempted to resist the advance, Marquis Roderick ignored them and pressed onward.
Whether the lords were aligned with the royal faction, the ducal faction, or neutral, none had the courage to confront him.
As he passed through each land, Marquis Roderick chuckled repeatedly.
“Fools. How dare they think they could block my path?”
The situation greatly pleased him, this is a clear reminder of his power. With the ducal family defeated in the future, there would be no one left in this kingdom to stop him.
“It’s about time to split the forces. Tennant, order the Second Legion following us to move toward the capital region.”
“As you command.”
Currently, Roderick’s army consisted of the First Legion of 60,000 troops led by the Marquis himself, with the Second Legion of 40,000 moving slowly in the rear.
Although they hadn’t received formal approval from the royal court to station near the capital, Roderick deemed it prudent to act now, anticipating the need for coordination.
As orders were relayed to the Second Legion, Marquis Roderick gazed towards the northern sky.
“We’ll be reaching Fenris soon.”
The army’s massive numbers slowed their advance, which frustrated him. He was eager to crush Fenris underfoot as quickly as possible.
Still, the weather was excellent, and it lifted his spirits. He enjoyed the pleasant mood as he reflected on his impending victory.
At that moment, a haggard-looking messenger approached, clearly having ridden without rest.
With a curious expression, Marquis Roderick asked, “What is it? Where are you from?”
“Count Fenris, my lord…”
“What of him? Is he offering his surrender? I’ve no intention of accepting his surrender.”
“N-no, my lord. That’s not it.”
“If not, then what?”
The messenger, after taking a deep breath, shouted loudly.
“Count Fenris has launched an invasion to the west with a cavalry force of 10,000!”
“What?”
Marquis Roderick tilted his head in confusion. He couldn’t comprehend why Count Fenris would attack the west while knowing about the invasion targeting his territory.
Had he abandoned Fenris entirely? The situation made no sense.
Standing beside the Marquis, Tennant frowned deeply and demanded,
“Explain yourself properly! How could Count Fenris have appeared in the west?”
“Exactly as I said! Count Fenris has attacked the west! Every vassal lord in his path has been captured or killed! Fortresses are falling one by one! His forces are advancing towards the Marquis’ territory!”
At those words, everyone’s expressions turned grim. The vassal lords’ territories currently had almost no troops left, as they had all been requisitioned by Marquis Roderick.
The same was true for the fortresses across the region. Although minimal forces had been left behind to deal with lingering bandits, it was hardly sufficient.
Fenris’ forces were adept at scaling walls. A small force wouldn’t stand a chance against an army of 10,000.
No, in the current situation, Count Fenris, a Master, could potentially take them on by himself.
Tennant spoke urgently, his face filled with concern.
“Marquis! We must divert part of our forces to stop them!”
It didn’t matter if the other territories were occupied and trampled. Once Fenris was conquered, Ghislain would have no choice but to relinquish everything.
In any case, it was impossible to properly defend the vast west with just 10,000 troops.
But there was a more pressing problem.
“If the Marquisate is occupied, our supply lines will be cut!”
Given the distance between Roderick and Fenris, the supply line was already excessively long. If it collapsed, the 100,000-strong army would eventually starve.
Marquis Roderick snapped back to his senses and shouted in fury.
“Then don’t just divert a portion redirect the entire army immediately! If we capture Count Fenris, it will all be over!”
Tennant, however, objected firmly.
“That won’t work. This is Count Fenris’ strategy.”
“What?”
“If Count Fenris avoids direct confrontation and continues to flee, we won’t be able to catch him. All of his forces are cavalry.”
“Hmm… So, that’s what that madman is thinking…”
“Exactly. If we pursue him, we’ll be dragged all over the place. Right now, he’s using the supply line as leverage to force us to withdraw. He knew the west would be left undefended.”
“That lunatic even abandoned his own lands to pull this off…”
“Because there’s no other way for him. He likely judged that this massive army couldn’t be stopped by defensive means. He’ll probably continue hitting the supply line.”
Marquis Roderick ground his teeth.
“Rumor has it he knows how to wage war, and it seems he does have a head on his shoulders.”
“There is, however, a way to capture Count Fenris and take Fenris as well.”
“And how might that be?”
“Send the Second Legion, which is en route to the capital, to the Marquisate. They can cut off Count Fenris from behind and secure the supply line. Meanwhile, the First Legion can proceed to conquer Fenris.”
“And what if my castle falls before that?”
“It won’t. They’ll never take it so easily.”
“Why not? Isn’t he a Master?”
“The Fenris forces consist entirely of cavalry. That’s why they’ve been able to reach the west so quickly.”
“Oh, in other words…”
Marquis Roderick slapped his knee as if he understood.
Tennant smiled as well and added.
“It means they don’t have any siege weapons. Ultimately, all they can do is disrupt the supply line.”
It was said that a Master could face thousands of soldiers alone.
If it were a small fortress with minimal defenders, a Master might indeed take it single-handedly. However, no matter how strong a Master was, it would be impossible to capture a large fortress or castle alone.
And there was one such stronghold in the west, Marquis Roderick’s castle, Linderstein.
That was a place that could never be taken without siege weapons.