Chapter 504
I Will Hold the King Accountable (2)
The Fenris territory had been continuously developing. Numerous academies had been established, child labor had been banned, and massive funds had been allocated to welfare policies.
All of this was done to cultivate a powerful army.
As a result, young men who grew up healthy steadily enlisted in the military, and Fenris’ production output soared.
The aggressive policies that had been enforced for years were finally bearing fruit.
These policies were implemented in Ferdium in the same manner. Ghislain provided support to Ferdium, ensuring they followed Fenris’ policies as closely as possible.
Thanks to this, Ferdium was able to amass a military force that other territories wouldn't have even dared to dream of.
The number had reached a staggering 30,000. At this rate, they would be able to build an army of over 50,000 within a few years.
A small frontier territory that once had fewer than 5,000 troops had now acquired military strength worthy of being called a great domain.
Moreover, thanks to the Mana Refinement Technique supplied by Ghislain, the number of knights had increased to a remarkable 200.
Knights and soldiers equipped with Galvanium gear were several times more powerful than any other domain’s forces.
And now, this army was marching toward the capital, ignoring everything in its path.
Hearing the news, Ghislain smirked.
"That's just like Father."
Even though he had been told what to prepare, Zwalter hadn't waited—he had taken action first. He likely couldn't bear to see the people suffer any longer.
"Well, there's no helping it. I'll have to take care of the rest myself."
Simply storming in, striking down the king, and proclaiming oneself as the new ruler wouldn't be enough for everyone to acknowledge it.
After toppling the royal family, they needed to have personnel ready to govern the nation immediately. They also needed the support of the other nobles.
That was the only way to ensure that the kingdom moved forward without falling into chaos and division.
Given the dire state of affairs, winning the nobles’ support shouldn't be too difficult. The real problem, however, was the duchy.
"Move the Allied Forces and the Western Army to the southern front. Once news spreads that the Ferdium Army has mobilized, the forces of the Duke of Delfine and the Salvation Church will react immediately. The Northern Army will merge with Ferdium's forces."
The west was being governed by Count Selverk as a regent. Working alongside Fenris' administrators, he had stabilized the region and gathered an army of about 50,000.
Count Selverk’s army had been recruited from the entire west. The number of the west’s army is understandable given how devastated the region had been in the past, even this was nothing short of a miracle.
Currently, the Western Army was under the command of Tennant, whom Ghislain had sent in advance. With the remaining forces of the Allied Army numbering around 100,000, their combined arms would be of great help.
"As for the central and eastern regions… it's hard to say how the remaining lords will respond."
They were well aware that the Royal Family and the Duchy had joined forces, so they might choose to stay neutral and simply observe.
No matter how powerful the Northern Army was, it was difficult to predict the outcome of a battle against the Duchy.
Ultimately, they had to bring down the Royal Family while simultaneously holding off the Duchy. Only then would the remaining nobles join them.
The problem was that the Western Army and Allied Army alone would not be enough to stop the Duchy' main force.
"Gillian, take the Northern Army and head to the southern front. I will lead only the Mobile Corps and join Ferdium."
"Understood."
The operation had already been meticulously planned. Gillian, along with Ereneth, Parniel, and Vanessa, would head to the southern front.
To counter the Duchy's extraordinary warriors, they needed to muster a comparable level of power.
Belinda was supposed to go as well, but she strongly opposed the idea, so she would be accompanying Ghislain instead.
Piote and the Priestly Order, along with Kaor and the Assault Corps, also moved toward the southern front. Among the Assault Corps were new members.
‘Where are we going?’
‘Why are we even here?’
‘Squad Leader… no, isn't Count Fenris coming with us?’
The 3rd Infantry Company of the 2nd Legion, who had successfully escaped from the Kingdom Army, had been incorporated into the Assault Corps without knowing why.
Claude followed Ghislain. It was to assist in governing the kingdom after seizing the capital.
Ghislain and the Fenris Mobile Corps, who had set out in advance, easily joined the Ferdium forces marching toward the capital.
Upon seeing Ghislain, Zwalter smiled.
"I'm sorry. I was feeling restless."
Ghislain also smiled and shook his head.
"It's fine. I felt the same way as you, Father."
It was true that they could use a bit more preparation, but moving now wasn’t a bad decision either. Berhem’s tyranny had intensified drastically.
If they had waited longer, allowing Berhem and the nobles to commit even greater atrocities, it would have been easier to overthrow the royal family. The harsher life became, the more fervently the people would yearn for a new leader.
But neither Zwalter nor Ghislain were the kind of people who could sit back and watch such suffering unfold.
News that Ferdium had drawn its sword against the royal family spread quickly.
It was impossible to conceal the army’s movements, but they had also deliberately sent messages far and wide to inspire hope among the people.
Before departing, Zwalter even sent proclamations to lords and nobles across the kingdom.
[…The king has now joined hands with the Salvation Church and transformed into a mad tyrant. Under his brutal rule, the kingdom is crumbling into ruin.
Only those unworthy of being called nobles remain at his side.
For the future of the kingdom, for the oppressed people, and for the trampled honor of our noble people, I rise in rebellion.
I appeal to you.
In this dark age, together…]
Zwalter was different from Ghislain. He poured his sincerity into a long, impassioned letter, calling upon others to take action for the kingdom’s future.
He was unlike those who had ruled purely by force.
Instead, he sought to persuade people with genuine conviction, asking for their aid.
Zwalter’s proclamation was not only sent to the lords and nobles. It was distributed so widely that even the kingdom’s military commanders could see it.
Before long, something remarkable began to unfold.
Lower-ranking officers of the royal army started deserting with their soldiers.
"I can’t stay here any longer."
"Either way, we’re going to die—what difference does it make?"
"Better to fight against the mad king than against Ferdium."
As desertions increased across the army, the royal forces found themselves preoccupied with keeping their own troops in check.
There was, of course, the fear of fighting Ghislain. But more than that, a sense of despair had taken hold—there was no future left in this kingdom.
Rather than staying in a doomed cause, they chose to stand with Ferdium, who promised a new era.
Those who successfully deserted naturally gravitated toward Ferdium’s forces.
Zwalter welcomed them with open arms. They were absorbed into the Ferdium army and continued their march toward the capital together.
—
As Ferdium’s forces advanced, steadily growing in size, they were intercepted by the kingdom’s 3rd Legion.
The new commander of the 3rd Legion, Count Makid, wore an expression of supreme arrogance as he shouted,
"Most of the Northern Army isn’t here! This is a fight we can win!"
Even though Ferdium had grown significantly stronger, in his mind, they were still just a poor, insignificant border force.
Most of the Northern Army’s forces had reportedly been deployed to the southern front. Only about twenty thousand had joined Ferdium, making their numbers roughly equal to the 3rd Legion’s.
For Count Makid, who was commanding a large force for the first time, this was an exhilarating opportunity.
‘I’ll crush them completely with my brilliant strategy.’
His name would spread across the entire kingdom. He had never liked Count Fenris. He always thought the praises surrounding him were nothing, but overblown myths.
If he could defeat Ferdium’s forces here, he would simultaneously prove his own ability and expose the lies surrounding his opponent’s reputation.
But unlike the confident Count Makid, his soldiers wore grim expressions.
Especially the 3rd Legion—many of them had fought alongside Fenris during the Desmond War, and they knew well how powerful Ghislain was.
‘Count Fenris is a monster.’
‘Even alone, he could kill half of us here.’
‘And the knights and soldiers under him are just as terrifying.’
Having fought on the same side for so long, they had no desire to face him in battle.
Count Makid disliked the strange atmosphere among his troops.
"What’s wrong with you all?! Are you really so frightened by mere exaggerated tales?!"
But instead of encouragement, his words only earned him cold glares from his men.
‘What an idiot. He doesn’t know anything.’
‘This is his first time leading an army, right? He’s just desperate to make a name for himself.’
‘Fool.’
Before Count Makid could say anything else to address the uneasy mood, Zwalter emerged from Ferdium’s ranks.
Clop, clop.
He slowly urged his horse forward, then raised his voice.
"I do not wish to fight you!"
"What is he saying?"
Count Makid scowled.
"If you were going to surrender, you should have done so sooner. Why come out just to put on airs?"
Zwalter spoke in a heavy voice.
"I will hold the king accountable for his crimes. You all merely followed his orders! If you disarm and surrender now, I will accept you all!"
Count Makid shouted in fury.
"Shut up! How dare a traitor like you spew such nonsense! If you don't surrender immediately, you'll meet a miserable end!"
"I'm not speaking to you!"
Zwalter roared, his eyes blazing as he glared at Count Makid.
"I'm speaking to the soldiers who protect this kingdom, not to garbage like you!"
"Y-You bastard... A mere border guard dares to speak to me like this…!"
Count Makid trembled with rage. How dare this wretch speak such words to him, a man favored by the king?
He had already harbored deep resentment toward the crude northerners who had been rising in power lately.
Having looked down on the North for a long time, he immediately gave the order.
"Attack! Kill that bastard at once!"
The soldiers raised their weapons as they had been trained to do. But their fighting spirit had long since withered.
In that tense atmosphere, one soldier suddenly threw down his weapon and prostrated himself.
"I surrender!"
All eyes turned to him.
What the hell was he thinking? Does he have no fear?
A legion commander who was already in a foul mood wouldn't tolerate a soldier defying orders and falling to his knees.
As expected, Count Makid roared in anger.
"Kill that bastard immediately!"
For this to happen before the battle had even begun! The humiliation was bad enough, but the blow to morale was even worse. That man had to die at once.
However, despite the command being given, no one stepped forward to execute the kneeling soldier.
Instead, others who had been hesitating followed his lead, throwing down their weapons and kneeling.
"I don't want to fight Ferdium!"
"Why must we fight our own people?!"
"This damned world! Kill me if you want!"
More and more soldiers began to kneel, each shouting their own thoughts.
It didn’t matter whether they died this way or that. If they were going to die anyway, they had no desire to perish fighting for this rotten kingdom.
That was their sincerest sentiment.
Count Makid's face turned red as he trembled in fury. This was no different from losing the battle before it had even begun. If the enemy attacked now, they would be helplessly slaughtered.
Fortunately, Zwalter simply watched the scene in silence.
"Disciplinary unit! What are you waiting for? Kill those traitors at once!"
The disciplinary officers, who had been mixed within the ranks, lowered their heads with gloomy expressions.
Their duty was to execute any soldiers who tried to flee or disobey orders. But at this moment, they had no desire to do so.
They had long since grown weary and disillusioned with the king and the nobility’s conduct.
Clatter.
One by one, weapons slipped from the disciplinary officers' hands and hit the ground. They, too, slowly knelt.
The wave of surrender spread indiscriminately. Even the soldiers who had not been thinking much, even Count Makid’s private troops, all knelt naturally.
Even the lower-ranking officers, sensing inevitable defeat, fell to their knees of their own accord. Only a fool would fail to grasp what was happening.
"You... You bastards…!"
Count Makid trembled, his face twisted in disbelief.
What kind of commander lost a battle without even fighting? And yet, that was exactly what was happening to him.
He shouted at the knights around him.
“G-Go! Kill them! Kill them all!”
With all his soldiers having surrendered, fleeing would be near impossible. And yet, rather than trying to escape, Count Makid was ordering his knights to slaughter his own men.
Blinded by rage, he could no longer make rational decisions.
The knights stared at Count Makid with cold, emotionless eyes.
He had never been a true commander and he had never been a commander that these men acknowledged. He was a man who indulged in drinking and women, wasting his days in the military camp.
Under the pretext of military discipline, he frequently punished and tormented his soldiers. Many had died by his hands—both soldiers and civilians alike.
No knight was willing to follow Count Makid, a man who had been suddenly placed in a high position simply because he had sided with the king.
As the knights remained motionless, Count Makid finally began to panic.
“Y-You scoundrels! Why aren’t you obeying my orders?!”
Only the knights who had followed him from his own household drew their weapons, their expressions tense.
In an instant, everyone present had turned into an enemy.
Zwalter approached on horseback, alone. Seeing him, Count Makid shouted at his guards.
“Capture him now! Hurry!”
This was his chance. If he could just take the Marquis of Ferdium hostage, he could turn the situation around.
But his knights didn’t move.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Instead, the kingdom’s knights drew their swords, surrounding Count Makid.
“What is the meaning of this?! You are my subordinates! Are you committing treason?!”
Count Makid screamed, his face pale. But the knights only held their swords at the ready, saying nothing.
Then, Zwalter spoke in a commanding tone.
“Arrest him.”
At his single command, the knights lunged at Count Makid. His few remaining guards immediately threw down their weapons and surrendered.
“Aaaargh! You bastards! Do you think you’ll get away with this?! His Majesty will—mmph!”
His rant was cut short as a gag was shoved into his mouth. He was forced to his knees, utterly defeated without even a fight.
Shing…
Zwalter dismounted, drawing his sword.
He had raised an army to cleanse the kingdom of its corruption. This was not a task to be left to others.
His expression was resolute as he swung his blade.
Slash!
Count Makid’s head flew from his shoulders in an instant, his face still frozen in terror.
Holding his bloodstained sword, Zwalter declared,
“Pick up your weapons and rise!”
The soldiers retrieved their discarded weapons, their expressions noticeably lighter.
Zwalter looked at them with satisfaction and shouted,
“Those who wish to save this kingdom—stand with me!”
“Waaaaahhh!”
The soldiers roared in unison.
Even common soldiers knew the world had gone astray.
Even common soldiers knew what they were truly fighting to protect.
This was the battle they had been waiting for. Ferdium and Fenris were the leaders they wanted to follow.
Thus, Zwalter absorbed the entirety of the kingdom’s Third Legion and marched forward.
The armies that stood in his way hurried to surrender one by one.
As their numbers grew, the Ferdium army’s pace slowed. But with each step forward, their momentum and resolve only grew stronger.
This army—
This was the army of a true king.