Chapter 492
There’s Something You Must Do (1)
“Grrk… What are you talking about…?”
Even as he struggled to breathe, the envoy sensed that something was terribly wrong.
He had heard rumors about Count Fenris’ foul temper and had dismissed them, thinking it was merely the arrogance of a man leading the kingdom’s strongest army.
But never did he expect him to speak so harshly about the king.
Given how fiercely Count Fenris had fought against the ducal family, the envoy had assumed he was at least loyal.
He had thought of him as someone who simply carried out his duties in a rough manner.
A grave misjudgment.
A traitor.
This man was ready to commit treason at any moment.
Ghislain let go of the envoy’s throat and smirked.
“Oh dear, I might’ve been a little too harsh. But I told you to speak quickly. You know I’m impatient. Then again, it’s not really your fault, is it? You’re just the messenger, after all. Isn’t that right?”
“Cough! Y-Yes! I only came to deliver His Majesty’s orders. P-Please, spare me.”
Terrified by the hand axe in Ghislain’s grasp, the envoy prostrated himself and begged.
“Alright, I get it. So the Marquis of Branford and the rest of the nobles are safe, correct?”
“Y-Yes! Right now, only the nobles who were previously suppressed by Marquis Branford are siding with His Majesty. Even His Majesty is hesitant to act against them due to the political burden.”
“When does he plan to replace the commanders leading the retreating royal forces?”
“The Royal Knights have already been dispatched, so the commanders were likely replaced during the march.”
“I see.”
Ghislain grasped the situation. The Marquis of Branford and his followers would be safe for now.
The royal army wasn’t the only force at play many lords and nobles across the kingdom also supported the marquis.
It would take Berhem years to stabilize the political landscape and strengthen the royal authority. Only after that could he move to eliminate the Marquis of Branford.
That is, if the king lived that long.
And the marquis, knowing this, had likely stepped back for now.
Ghislain cast a cold gaze at the envoy.
“There’s something else I want to know.”
“Ask me anything.”
The envoy answered without a moment’s hesitation. He might not have realized it himself, but he was a fast learner. Ghislain, satisfied, continued.
“The mage who healed the king was he a priest of the Salvation Church?”
“T-There are such rumors. But no one knows for sure. Still, who else could wield such power but a priest of the Salvation Church? And why else would His Majesty suddenly decide to negotiate with the ducal family?”
“That’s true.”
Ghislain nodded. If it were a high-ranking priest of the Salvation Church, such sorcery wouldn’t be beyond their means.
The rift’s magic circle, the crusaders, and even Melchior, whose mana core had shattered—
They had a talent for using human life force to fuel their bizarre rituals.
The king had likely allied himself with them in a desperate bid to survive.
And they had accepted.
But why?
‘Was it simply because the current situation was unfavorable for them?’
Exiling the Marquis of Branford and joining forces with the royal army to attack the Northern Army… It was a plausible scenario.
But it wasn’t convincing enough. Something was still off.
‘They’ve been persistently targeting the royal family. And now they heal the king instead of killing him?’
Ghislain pressed his fingers against his temple, furrowing his brow. There had to be another reason.
He already knew that their goal wasn’t mere territorial conquest it was the capital and the royal family itself.
But apparently, it wasn’t the king’s life they were after.
If that had been their goal, they would have killed him the moment they got close.
Which left only one possibility.
‘There’s something they need from the royal family.’
Whether it was the king himself or another royal family member, there was something the ducal family and the Salvation Church sought.
Attacking him with the king’s forces was just a secondary objective.
Ghislain pressed the blade of his hand axe against the envoy’s throat.
“One last question.”
The envoy flinched, his face pale as he hurriedly responded.
“Y-Yes! Ask anything.”
“You said there are already rumors that the mage is a priest of the Salvation Church. If it’s a rumor, that means the royal family is working with the Salvation Church, doesn’t it?”
“Y-Yes. That’s why the people in the capital are so uneasy.”
“Aren’t the bishops of the temple reacting? They’d oppose the ceasefire negotiations.”
“They’re all just watching for now. No, to be honest… It seems they’re preparing to flee.”
Ghislain chuckled. He understood the bishops' predicament. They were too afraid to openly oppose the ceasefire negotiations.
If that mage truly was a priest of the Salvation Church, then the priests of the Four Major Temples could be killed at any moment.
Now that the power dynamics had shifted, opposing the ceasefire was no longer an option. The king had already used the people’s suffering as a justification for it.
Ghislain then asked the most crucial and intriguing question.
“What did the king promise that bastard in return, whether he’s a priest of the Salvation Church or not?”
“As I mentioned, he agreed to end the war. The duchy’s army was completely defeated, wasn’t it?”
“Was there anything else?”
“Huh? No, there were no other conditions.”
“No, there must be. Even if it’s just a rumor, try to think of anything.”
At those words, the envoy’s eyes darted around as he tried to recall something. But as the cold blade of the hand axe pressed harder against his throat, he hastily spoke up.
“W-Wait! I-I’m thinking!”
“Good. Say whatever comes to mind if you don’t want to die.”
Ghislain’s chilling words made the envoy blurt out the first thing he could think of.
“I-It’s not certain, but during the banquet, His Majesty said something to the mage while drunk. The nobles quickly caught wind of it.”
Ghislain’s eyes gleamed.
“Go on. What was it?”
“He said he wanted ‘it’ as soon as possible.”
“What is ‘it’?”
“I-I don’t know. That’s all he said before they laughed it off. The nobles assumed it was some sort of gift and didn’t think much of it. That’s everything I know.”
Ghislain pondered for a moment before smirking.
‘Just as I thought.’
The king and the Salvation Church had made an exchange. This was the real condition of their negotiation.
Now, he just needed to find out what it was.
Ghislain withdrew his hand axe and spoke.
“I’ll spare you, but deliver my message.”
“Y-Yes! I’ll deliver anything you say!”
“The Northern Army will not be disbanded.”
“Yes!”
“And I will continue to hold the position of Northern Army Commander.”
“Y-Yes!”
The envoy nodded fervently. He knew that delivering this message would enrage the king, but he had no choice. If he argued here, he would die.
“And tell them this I have no intention of negotiating a ceasefire with the ducal family.”
“U-Understood. I’ll make sure to deliver the message.”
“Good. Now go. I’ll have you treated before you leave.”
At Ghislain’s signal, Piote rushed over to heal the envoy. The moment his shoulder was mended, he fled the Northern Army’s camp as if his life depended on it.
Once the envoy had left, Ghislain sat down, deep in thought.
His close aides wore grim expressions. They were on the verge of an important battle, yet internal conflict had erupted.
At this rate, they would end up fighting the kingdom’s reorganized army as well. No, considering that Ghislain had refused to disband the Northern Army, a confrontation with the kingdom’s forces was inevitable.
Ghislain’s political backing came from the Marquis of Branford. Thanks to his unwavering support, he had been able to suppress the nobles’ complaints and push forward with his plans.
But now that the marquis had lost his power, things were different.
After some deliberation, Claude spoke up.
“How… Will you go to the capital to rescue them?”
Ghislain pondered briefly before shaking his head.
“No, I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”
“Why not?”
“One traitor is enough. There's no need for all of us to become one. And how would I rescue so many nobles anyway?”
Ghislain grinned. Even if he attempted a rescue, the Marquis of Branford would undoubtedly refuse.
That man had chosen to step down despite having the chance to kill the king. There was no point in complicating matters with an unnecessary rescue mission.
“All I need to do is cut off the king’s head.”
Why go through the trouble of a rescue when he could just seize the capital? If he got too involved, those nobles might end up as hostages instead.
At Ghislain’s nonchalant remark, the others' expressions darkened.
It was now undeniable.
They were about to become rebels.
Ghislain placed a flag on a specific spot on the map the capital, Cardenia.
“We will take the capital. The royal family that Marquis Branford tried to protect is finished.”
“……”
His subordinates nodded grimly.
Now that the king had allied with the ducal family, he would never leave them alone.
The time had come to overthrow the kingdom.
None of them had expected this day to come.
Ghislain grinned as he continued.
“We could attack right now… but let’s wait a little.”
Claude tilted his head in confusion.
“If we’re going to strike, now is the perfect time. The royal army is still retreating and hasn’t fully grasped the situation.”
“I know. But if we’re doing it, we need to do it properly. The king may be a figurehead, but he’s still the king. Now that the Marquis of Branford has retired, the kingdom needs a new focal point.”
Once the royal family collapsed, the Marquis of Branford would never return to politics. He could no longer serve as a unifying force.
And Ghislain needed to understand what the king and the Salvation Church truly wanted from each other. That was the key to uncovering the truth behind this war.
This was his chance. He could take the capital whenever he wanted.
Claude understood immediately.
“I see. You’re saying the kingdom needs a new leader to rally around. It doesn’t matter to us, but the common folk and the other nobles will care.”
The others also grasped the meaning behind his words. Though Kaor and Alfoi seemed puzzled, they still nodded along.
No one was particularly concerned about whether the royal army had time to reorganize. They were confident in the Northern Army’s strength.
Ghislain swiftly gave his orders.
“Send word to the allied forces immediately. Tell them the king has aligned himself with the Salvation Church. Have them move their troops to the western and northern borders and prepare for defense. From now on, they take orders only from me.”
“Understood.”
It wasn’t difficult to rally the allied forces. They had come here specifically to fight against the Salvation Church. And it had been Ghislain who led the negotiations in the first place.
Now that the Marquis of Branford had fallen from power, they would willingly follow Ghislain’s command.
“Tell Lowell to deploy spies in the capital immediately. From now on, I want every movement monitored.”
“Yes, sir.”
Previously, when working with the Marquis of Branford, they had only stationed informants in the capital to gather rumors.
The marquis had done the same, sending spies to Fenris territory but keeping their actions restrained.
Since they had been working toward the same goal, there was no need to provoke unnecessary conflict.
But that had changed. Now, spies would be hunting for information on Ghislain from all directions. And his own spies would be just as relentless.
Ghislain looked around at his men before speaking again.
“Soon, I’ll infiltrate the capital alone. There’s something I need to confirm.”
“You’re going to capture the capital by yourself?”
Claude looked utterly dumbfounded.
Right now, the capital was practically a den of demons. If his presence were discovered, the entire city’s forces would mobilize against him.
No matter how strong he was, even Ghislain couldn’t fight off an entire army alone.
Belinda and the others were about to protest, but Ghislain spoke before they could.
“I’m not going immediately. I’ll explain the details before I leave, so let’s talk about it then. There’s something more urgent to deal with right now.”
His words didn’t ease their worries. They had no idea what he was planning, but they were sure it wouldn’t be anything ordinary.
“For now, let’s return to the north. We’ll be even busier soon, so we need to prepare quickly.”
The Northern Army packed up and moved at once.
Now that the royal family had become their enemy, staying in their current location was dangerous they could be surrounded from both sides.
The political landscape was descending into chaos. The Marquis of Branford’s withdrawal had set everything into motion.
But Ghislain had a rough idea of why the marquis had chosen to step down.
‘The king made a foolish decision.’
He absentmindedly ran a hand over his sheathed sword, his expression dark with murderous intent.
The Marquis of Branford, Maurice, and many other nobles had supported him. Because of them, he had been able to rise to power much faster than expected.
Now, he had the power to overthrow the kingdom at any moment. The only reason he had followed the proper procedures until now was because of his ties with certain individuals.
In a way, the Marquis of Branford had been a shackle holding him back.
But even that had now disappeared.
‘Now that he’s sided with the ducal family, I can’t let him live.’
It was unfortunate for the Marquis of Branford, but the royal family was finished. Now that they had become his enemies, there was no reason to spare them whatever their justifications may be.
‘Nothing has changed.’
In his past life, he had fought against the entire kingdom alone.
Though the timing was different, meaning his forces weren’t as strong as they had been back then, the ducal family had also weakened after fighting against him. It was a winnable battle.
He had no intention of backing down now. Even if the royal army, which had once fought alongside him, stood in his way, he would crush them all.
‘Let’s see this through to the end. Until one of us dies.’
Ghislain curled one corner of his mouth into a smirk.
Now, he could crush anyone who stood in his way without a second thought. Strangely, he felt a sense of relief.
* * *
The Northern Army swiftly moved and stationed itself at Fenris’ frontmost fortress.
Ghislain, accompanied by only a small group, immediately set off for Ferdium. There was something important he needed to discuss with his father.
The moment Zwalter Ferdium heard that Ghislain had arrived, he summoned all his retainers. He, too, had sensed the turbulence in the current political climate.
“I heard the news recently. What in the world is going on? Has the Northern Army retreated?”
Zwalter bombarded him with urgent questions.
The high-ranking nobles who had led the war had all fallen from power, and a new political structure was forming around the king.
For Zwalter, it was only natural to be worried about his son, who had been aligned with the Marquis of Branford.
After giving a brief summary of the situation, Ghislain continued.
“The Northern Army cannot be disbanded. Regardless of whether we disband or not, the king won’t leave us alone now that he has sided with the ducal family.”
“How did it come to this…”
“The Northern Army poses the greatest threat to them.”
“…All the hard-fought battles were for nothing. To think we would be labeled as rebels.”
Zwalter slumped into his chair, murmuring in a defeated voice. The retainers of Ferdium also looked deeply troubled.
They had believed they were on the brink of victory, filled with hope after gaining the upper hand in the war.
But now, they were being branded as traitors to the kingdom.
As silence filled the hall, Ghislain looked around at everyone, his sharp gaze piercing through them.
“No, it wasn’t for nothing. Thanks to our struggles, the Northern Army has become the strongest force in the kingdom. And if Ferdium joins us, we will be even stronger.”
“……”
“A fight is now unavoidable.”
“……”
“If we must fight, then we should ensure victory. That’s why, Father, there is something you must do.”
“…What do you want me to do?”
Zwalter’s voice was laced with resignation. Ghislain slowly opened his mouth and spoke with unwavering conviction.
“Father…”
His voice echoed powerfully through the hall.
“You must become the new king of this nation.”
A stunned silence filled the room as everyone stared at him, mouths agape in shock.