Chapter 475: You Should Have Realized by Now? (3)
Maurice asked with a frustrated expression.
"They just claim the land as their own after taking it?"
"Yes, currently, the Delfine forces have advanced north and occupied three abandoned territories."
"No, but how did they take three territories in such a short time, even if they were empty? They need to station troops! The Raypold forces are right there!"
Just declaring a piece of land as their own wouldn't automatically make it theirs. Even if the land was unoccupied, it should be necessary to station troops to claim it as their territory.
The messenger, still looking unsure, answered hesitantly.
"W-Well... They claimed it under the pretext of maintaining security, and I heard they stationed about a hundred soldiers and one or two administrators in each lord’s castle..."
"....."
It meant they had sent only the bare minimum personnel needed to create a pretext for occupation. If anyone tried to remove them by force, it would basically mean war.
This was no different from banditry.
No, actually, bandits at least stole valuables and left. They didn’t shamelessly swallow up entire territories like this.
Maurice turned to Ghislain with a dumbfounded expression.
"W-What kind of situation is this?"
Amelia had indeed said it before any land affected by a rift or held by the ducal family, she would take care of and claim it as her own.
The Royalist nobles had scoffed at that condition and agreed to it. At the time, they thought such an event was unlikely to happen.
Even if it did happen, they didn’t believe Amelia alone would be capable of reclaiming the lost territories.
But now that she was devouring territories like this, things were becoming extremely complicated.
Maurice pressed his fingers against his temples and spoke.
"We agreed to take back territories occupied by their forces, right? Not just take over empty land! Doesn't this seem a little off?"
The areas Amelia had taken over were places the Delfine forces had already swept through. Technically speaking, they were territories no longer under the Royalist faction’s control but still within the enemy's sphere of influence.
And yet, the Delfine forces weren’t officially stationed there. The land had been left vacant.
Since their main objective was the capital, they had left those territories behind and simply marched forward.
This left Maurice's mind in turmoil.
"Ah, damn. Wow, this is… What… What are we supposed to do?"
With his thoughts at a standstill, Maurice kept repeating himself.
The lords who had lost their lands would surely cause an uproar. They would be eager to drive out the Delfine forces and reclaim their domains.
But now, it wasn’t the Delfine forces occupying the land, it was Amelia. And telling her to back off was an entirely different matter.
Maurice turned to Ghislain, who was simply laughing.
"Stop laughing and tell me what the hell we're supposed to do!"
"We recognize it."
"What? Recognize this?"
"Wasn't that what was agreed upon during the negotiations? In exchange for Raypold’s participation in the war."
"No, we agreed to let them fight, not to go around planting flags on empty land!"
"But they did fight."
"Hah… This is driving me insane."
There was nothing technically wrong with what Ghislain said, but something about it felt completely different. It wasn’t a proper battle; they had just launched surprise attacks, retreated, and then claimed the vacant lands.
Maurice scratched his head furiously as Ghislain continued with a grin.
"You should just recognize it. They’re the only force in the east that has managed to deal damage to the Delfine army."
"Urgh... The lords will strongly oppose this."
"It can’t be helped. Regardless, they lost their lands, and it’s true that Count Raypold has now taken them back."
"Still! Do we really have to acknowledge that they’ve taken over?"
"Yes. We have to let this be for now."
Ghislain’s eyes gleamed as he spoke firmly.
Amelia had agreed to block the barbarian invasion in exchange for support on this matter. This was part of honoring that agreement.
But it wasn’t just about the agreement. Right now, her strategic insight and capabilities were crucial.
Ghislain placed a finger on the map, pointing at the eastern region.
"The land Count Raypold occupied is behind the Delfine army’s lines."
That was obvious. Per the agreement, she could only take unoccupied land, which meant it had to be territory that the Delfine forces had already passed through. And that location...
Maurice's eyes lit up as he followed Ghislain's finger. He may act like a fool most of the time, but when it came to war, he was no fool at all.
"The rear... That means... Their supply lines are in danger?"
"Yes, the Delfine forces must be feeling quite uneasy. They still have to fight through another defensive line ahead, and now their supply lines are vulnerable to Count Raypold at any moment."
"They might try to turn back and secure their rear."
"That’s right if Count Raypold holds her ground, that is."
There was no way Amelia would foolishly fight head-on against such a massive army. She would abandon the occupied territories and flee once again.
After all, there were plenty of places in the east where she could plant her flag.
Ghislain laughed as he traced several lines on the map.
"To the Delfine forces, Count Raypold will be like a pebble in their boot, constantly irritating them. If they push forward, their supply lines are at risk; if they turn back, they’ll waste time."
"T-That’s true."
"On top of that, they didn’t bring siege weapons. They must be planning to have the follow-up forces bring them once they reach Cardenia, the capital. Either way, they need to secure their rear first."
"That all makes sense, but what if Count Raypold gets caught and killed quickly?"
"Haven't you been paying attention? Do you really think she’d engage head-on when she knows she's at a disadvantage? The Delfine forces will have to rack their brains to capture Count Raypold."
The situation could change depending on their strategies, but Ghislain didn’t believe Amelia would be captured so easily.
‘If she were that kind of person, she would’ve died at my hands in my past life.’
For now, the eastern front could be left in Amelia’s hands.
Ghislain didn’t care who claimed the lands in the east. He didn’t need them, and if necessary, they could be taken back later.
His only objectives were the Delfine ducal family and the Salvation Church.
Maurice nodded at Ghislain’s words.
"That makes sense. If Count Raypold can just buy time…"
"Then the Northern Army can finish off the remaining Delfine forces and move in immediately."
"Right, that’ll work."
Maurice's confidence returned. With Ghislain and Parniel here, there was no way the remaining Delfine forces wouldn't be dealt with.
Honestly, he had only struggled because they lacked superhumans. If they had just a few, he was certain they could have held their ground.
Though their coalition had superior numbers, none of them were superhumans, and that had been the biggest problem.
Ghislain turned to Maurice.
"In that case, as Supreme Commander, there’s something you need to order Count Raypold to do."
"What is it?"
"Ensure that she actively threatens the Delfine forces' supply lines. That’s the only way to officially recognize her occupation. If the eastern front is completely breached and the capital is surrounded, remind her that she’ll have to fight against the Royalist faction as well."
"Huh? Why? Wouldn’t she do that anyway if she doesn’t want to die?"
"She's an unpredictable person."
Amelia thrived in chaos. She never wanted one side to achieve an overwhelming victory.
That was why she was currently assisting the weakened Royalist faction on the southern front. But if the situation changed, who knew what she would do next?
For now, they had to pressure her into behaving.
She was a troublesome person, but her abilities were too valuable to ignore.
Maurice understood what Ghislain was getting at.
"Got it. I’ll make sure to send that message. Now, about the prisoners…"
Maurice glanced at Parniel.
Honestly, executing such a large number of prisoners was problematic, but taking them along was just as troublesome.
Parniel, already grasping the situation, nodded.
"I have no objections. However, let’s convert them all as a condition."
Maurice’s face lit up at that.
His biggest concern had been the backlash from the nobles and clergy. But if he could pin this decision on the Holy Maiden’s orders, he had an easy way out.
Parniel had the authority and influence to override even the Ritania clergy.
"Heh, well, if the Holy Maiden commands it, what can they do?"
Feeling much more at ease, Maurice nodded solemnly.
"Then all prisoners will be converted to the Moriana Church and reorganized accordingly."
Ghislain smirked. Maurice was so easy to read it was both his strength and his weakness.
With Parniel and the priests assisting, the mass conversion of the prisoners began.
Since there were too many, they were grouped together, and the process was rushed.
The prisoners didn’t resist much. Most of them had originally been followers of the Four Great Temples anyway.
Though they weren’t exactly thrilled about being forcibly inducted into the Moriana Church, it wasn’t enough for them to put up a fight.
As the conversion was nearing completion, ‘Muscle Pisser’ Gordon suddenly stepped forward toward Parniel.
The Fenris Knights were taken aback, and Ghislain simply watched with curiosity, wondering what the fool was up to this time.
"Huuuu…"
Gordon took a deep breath and, all of a sudden, stripped off his armor. He even ripped off his shirt, exposing his bulging muscles.
"T-That crazy bastard, what the hell is he doing?!"
Maurice shouted, pointing at him in disbelief.
How dare this fool bare his upper body and flex his muscles in front of the Holy Maiden?!
"Seize him! Drag that idiot out! That- That blockheaded moron!"
"Puhahahahahaha!"
Maurice shouted in anger, causing Ghislain and the Fenris Knights to burst into laughter.
The kingdom’s commanders and strategists, however, looked on with sour expressions. They had heard that the Fenris forces were a mess in everything except combat, but now they weren’t sure if these men were mercenaries or just an undisciplined regular army.
Gordon, unconcerned with their reactions, flexed his muscles, proudly showing off his pectorals, biceps, and triceps.
“Ohhh…”
Parniel observed him with great interest. She even stopped the soldiers who had come to restrain Gordon, choosing instead to study him.
Moriana was the Goddess of War. Naturally, physical training was considered a virtue. That didn’t mean simply bulking up was the sole path to devotion, but…
Parniel grinned at Gordon’s provocation and rolled up her sleeves to her shoulders.
As she flexed her arm—
“Aah…”
Gordon immediately lost all strength in his body.
He knew he couldn’t win. Just looking at her broad shoulders and arms was enough there was no need to see anything else.
Was this what natural talent looked like? That perfect, massive, statue-like physique… It was everything Gordon had dreamed of his entire life.
Ordinary people wouldn’t understand. Only someone like him, who lived solely for muscle growth, could truly appreciate it.
No matter how much he ate and trained, he would never reach that level. She was truly worthy of being called the Holy Maiden.
“……”
Everyone else also fell into silence.
Gordon was the largest of the Fenris Knights. He was born big, and his obsession with muscle-building had only made him even larger.
Yet, even he looked like an ordinary man next to the Holy Maiden. It wasn’t even a contest.
Thud.
In the end, Gordon dropped to his knees and declared,
“I’ve lost.”
“You are impressive as well. You have trained hard.”
“Compared to the Holy Maiden’s muscles, my body is nothing but a lump of fat.”
“That is not true. There are few on this continent who have trained as much as you.”
Parniel smiled warmly.
It had been a long time since she had seen someone with such inflated muscles. It meant he had been training tirelessly, eating well, and following a disciplined regimen.
Even if his muscles were just for show, he had faithfully followed the will of the Goddess.
So, Parniel asked,
“Which god do you serve?”
“I… currently follow the Juana Order.”
In truth, Gordon had originally been a follower of the Moriana Order. It was simply out of habit as a mercenary.
But after witnessing Piote’s overwhelming divine power a few times, he had switched sides. He had never once made a donation, so his faith had always been purely nominal.
Parniel nodded a few times before speaking.
“Would you convert? If you do, I shall bestow my blessing upon you right here.”
“I will!”
“Good. This too is the guidance of the Goddess.”
Parniel immediately placed her hand on Gordon’s head and recited a prayer.
A bright light radiated from her hand and was absorbed into Gordon’s body. From now on, ordinary evil influences would no longer be able to touch him.
More importantly, any devout believer would now think twice before harming Gordon, as he was now under the Holy Maiden’s blessing.
Parniel beamed.
“From this moment, you are a Paladin of the Moriana Order.”
“I don’t know what that means, but thank you! I feel like my muscles are even stronger now!”
“……”
Parniel chose to remain silent.
The ones most shocked by Gordon’s newfound status were the priests who had accompanied Parniel.
“H-how could the Holy Maiden’s blessing be granted so easily…?”
“He just looks like a muscle-headed fool…”
“That… that guy is a Paladin?”
Others also gaped in disbelief.
A direct blessing from the Holy Maiden!
Even if a king begged for it, the Holy Maiden would not grant her blessing unless she was moved to do so. In other words, most people would never see someone receive it in their lifetime.
On top of that, a person blessed by the Holy Maiden was automatically granted the rank of Paladin without any formal evaluation. Normally, one had to prove their divine power and pass the church’s strict assessments. Compared to that, this was an unimaginable privilege.
And yet, some random musclehead had casually flaunted his physique and walked away with it.
“……”
Even Ghislain and the Fenris Knights, who had been laughing just moments before, fell silent.
The fact that someone like him had received such a blessing… The world was truly going mad.
Ghislain shook his head.
“That guy’s luck is downright ridiculous.”
Did that fool even realize what he had just received?
Probably not.
He had simply been so enamored with the Holy Maiden’s muscles that he had converted on the spot.
This was the same Gordon who had been scammed multiple times simply because he couldn’t read.
Yet, from surviving the Forest of Beasts to learning how to read and even writing novels, he had somehow ended up collecting all sorts of valuable things, including a Dragon Heart Shard.
It was safe to say Gordon’s life had turned around ever since meeting Ghislain.
Though there had been a brief commotion, the reorganization continued. With the addition of prisoners, their forces had grown to nearly twenty-five thousand strong.
“Ha… Thanks to my nephew, I finally have the strength to fight again!”
Maurice grinned with satisfaction.
When they had been defeated and forced into retreat, he had felt nothing but despair. But now, with the Fenris forces and the Holy Maiden joining them, he believed they had a real chance against the remaining Delfine forces.
Seeing Maurice’s joy, Ghislain warned him,
“We can’t afford to let our guard down. Let’s rest for today and move out first thing tomorrow.”
“Yes, it’ll be tough, but we must.”
Dark, whom they had left with the Northern Army, had now exhausted his magic and vanished. This meant they no longer had an immediate way to receive updates.
In terms of sheer strength, the Northern Army was superior to the Delfine forces in the central region. However, they were also slower. Whether or not the Northern Army had managed to establish a proper defensive line was the key concern.
The next day, as they prepared to move after reorganizing their forces, a piece of joyous news arrived just in time.