Chapter 195
Chapter 195: Wait for Me Ahead. (3)
Thanks to Amelia, Ghislaine had managed to dodge the pressure from the Duke’s faction and Harold up until now. But that couldn’t last forever.
Eventually, Harold decided to make Ghislaine his target.
Of course, all of Harold’s retainers were shocked by that decision. Harold was someone so capable that the Duke’s faction trusted him enough to assign him the command of the North.
And now, he was outright refusing the Duke’s commands.
One of the retainers, sweating coldly, hesitantly asked, “Do you mean we should prioritize the destruction of Penris and Perdium?”
“Yes. All funds, troops, and resources currently being used to prepare for Amelia’s rebellion will be redirected to attacking Baron Penris. Amelia said she’ll manage on her own, so only the essentials should be assessed for support.”
The retainers simply could not comprehend his decision.
While Baron Penris had been on a rise lately, no comparison could be made to the importance of Amelia’s plans.
“If Amelia fails in her rebellion, it will create a massive problem. Currently, they have no one who can match Jurgen, the ‘Greatest Sword of the North,’ and they are severely lacking in troops to succeed in this rebellion. Are you truly okay with this?”
“We’ll untangle the knot starting from here. If we let that guy be, the situation in the North will worsen. Count Raybold is also struggling to muster troops due to the drought, so it’s better to deal with him first.”
“Baron Penris is still weaker compared to Count Raybold. We might as well stretch ourselves a bit and quickly finish Amelia’s rebellion…”
“Enough.”
Seeing Harold’s displeasure grow, the retainer immediately shut up. One more word, and his neck would surely be on the line right then and there.
Harold looked around at his retainers again and said, “No matter the means or methods, I will crush him first. Everyone understand and prepare accordingly.”
This was no longer the same as before. Harold recognized Ghislaine not as a lucky fool he could deal with later, but as a definite ‘enemy’ that needed to be dealt with immediately.
He began to reassess the current situation accordingly.
“We cannot allow him to claim the iron ore. If that happens, there will be significant disruptions in our long-term power supply. Prepare food and reinforcements to be sent to Count Cabaldy immediately.”
“Right now? Surely the Duke’s faction is negotiating with the Crown Prince faction. Wouldn’t it be wiser to wait and see the results of the negotiations…”
“Too late. Get it ready now.”
“Understood.”
Under the life-or-death glare of Harold, the deputy lowered his head instantly.
As expected by Count Proud, Harold made a swift decision.
That was also because he now acknowledged Ghislaine’s abilities.
Due to the time constraints, there was no luxury to prepare leisurely. The immediate task was simply to gather a troop and food to hold out for a moment.
“We will depart immediately, my Lord.”
Emerson, in charge of the operation, saluted before Harold.
He was a renowned individual known for leading a cavalry unit and excelling in mobility warfare.
If Viktor hadn’t been there, the commanding position during the Perdium Siege would have been filled by Emerson.
It was such a desperate situation that he could afford to send someone like him without reservation.
With a solemn expression, Harold instructed Emerson, “Utilize any means necessary and deliver the food to Count Cabaldy’s castle as quickly as possible. Just hold out, and I will send a second reinforcements soon.”
“Understood. I will absolutely succeed.”
“I believe in you.”
Emerson quickly galloped away with a thousand troops and supplies.
Compared to the Penris Army, they were at a disadvantage, but if Count Cabaldy’s forces responded in time, joining forces wouldn’t be difficult.
Harold figured that once they combined, their numbers would even out, discouraging the enemy from engaging in open battle.
“Don’t stop running! We’re close enough to arrive before the Cabaldy Army collapses!”
Emerson had no doubt the operation would succeed.
Siege wars could take a long time. Especially if they dragged things out while besieging.
Counting on the proximity of Desmond’s and Cabaldy’s territories and Harold’s swift decision, they should be able to arrive well before the Cabaldy Army starves or surrenders.
But his expectations were brutally shattered the moment he stepped outside the territory.
“W-what is this…”
In the fastest route to Count Cabaldy’s territory, at least five thousand troops were lined up, clearly stationed there.
It was the forces of the Ruthania Kingdom’s 2nd Corps, sent by Marquis Branford.
As Emerson panicked, someone approached on horseback.
“Is this who I think it is? The illustrious Sir Emerson from the North?”
The grinning figure was Baron Dorren, the commander of the 2nd Corps.
He was monitoring the area near Desmond on the orders of Marquis Branford.
In the worst-case scenario, to strike against Count Desmond.
Slightly flustered, Emerson lowered his head a bit, biting his lip as he spoke, “I see you, Commander of the 2nd Corps. But why has the 2nd Corps, supposed to guard the northern side of Cardenia, come this close to our territory? This is highly irregular.”
“And where are you rushing off to in such haste?”
“We are… conducting mobility training.”
“How fortuitous! We were also conducting training in this area.”
“What do you mean by that? We haven’t heard anything about this!”
Emerson’s face turned sour.
Regardless of being the Royal Army, moving troops around another lord’s territory without permission was akin to open hostility.
“Hmm, it seems there’s been a bit of misunderstanding on your part.”
Baron Dorren said politely.
Even a commander of the Kingdom’s corps could not treat Emerson, a knight and commander under Count Desmond, with disrespect. Count Desmond himself was a noble of great might.
Instead, he brought out a document from his chest with a relaxed smile.
“This is a formal training sanctioned by the Royal Family. It seems you haven’t delivered this to Count Desmond yet. Wasn’t it agreed that you’d cooperate with the Royal Army’s official training?”
“That… profit…”
Emerson gritted his teeth.
This was undoubtedly a scheme from the Crown Prince faction. They aimed to ensure no one would help Count Cabaldy.
“Then please, step aside for now. We still need to finish our training.”
“Oh no, that would be quite difficult. We have already taken control of this area. It would be uncomfortable for both sides if some unnecessary conflict were to arise, so I ask you to yield for a few days.”
“Corps Commander!”
“I’m only following orders, so please be understanding. If I can’t conduct my training properly, I’ll have to resign my position, you see? My child is enrolling in the academy soon, and the tuition is sky-high… Oh, raising a child in this day and age is really challenging due to money. Tsk tsk tsk.”
Breathing heavily at the slick words of Baron Dorren, Emerson could only exhale.
This was a problem he couldn’t resolve if he wasn’t going to confront the Crown Prince faction right then. He had no choice but to send a messenger to Count Desmond.
A full day later, a messenger arrived in a hurry, holding a letter for Baron Dorren.
Upon reading the letter filled with threats of rage, Baron Dorren scratched his chin with a troubled expression.
“Ahh, it seems Count Desmond is quite angered. We may not be able to continue like this.”
By himself, Baron Dorren could not handle the powerful Count Desmond of the North. But he did have some avenues of support.
“Then please wait just a moment. I need to send some messages to get the Royal Family’s consent.”
“Corps Commander! Please clear the way immediately!”
“Ahh, I’d like to, but there are protocols, you see, protocols. It’s not something I can just decide on. If I resign, will you take responsibility? You won’t pay for my daughter’s academy tuition, will you?”
It was a ridiculous statement. How could a corps commander not have the authority to halt a training exercise or clear a path?
Despite Emerson’s ongoing objections, Baron Dorren remained steadfast.
“I’d like to return quickly too. Our administrative staff are slow to process. We need to reform our organization quickly, I tell you. Anyway, since I still haven’t received a response, please wait just a little longer.”
They wasted a whole five days bickering like this.
Given that much time, they could have easily reached Count Cabaldy’s domain.
Filled with fury, Emerson decided to force his way through.
Later, it would surely lead to significant troubles, but fulfilling Harold’s commands was more important to him.
So when he met Baron Dorren once more for the final notification, a soldier rushed in shouting, “Baron Penris has seized Cabaldy’s castle!”
‘It’s over.’
As Emerson shut his eyes, he could practically hear Baron Dorren’s sly soliloquy.
“Ahh, it’s getting so bothersome that I can’t even conduct training properly. I guess I should just head back.”
‘I want to kill.’
That was genuinely how Emerson felt.
*
The news of Ghislaine’s victory in war quickly spread to the capital.
The nobles of the Crown Prince faction, who had been gathering daily to discuss ineffective measures, suddenly fell silent upon hearing the news.
Especially Marquis Maurice McQuarry, the Supreme Commander of the Royal Army, was left in shock.
“What?! They’ve already… won? That duck-like kid? Did they use black magic or something?”
Who was Count Cabaldy? He was known as one of the strongest fighters in the North, literally top-notch regarding the soldiers’ armament.
No matter how short their supplies, was a quick victory truly possible like this?
“How could it be that they’ve already won? Did Count Cabaldy surrender that fast?”
Maurice asked the knight reporting to him, but the knight shook his head.
“We need to ascertain more details, but it’s reported that Count Cabaldy didn’t surrender; instead, they fought and captured the castle. The rumor is spreading swiftly.”
“Ahh…”
With Maurice’s exclamation, gasps of admiration emerged among the surrounding nobles.
“Was Baron Penris really that militarily capable? To end a siege this quickly! Especially against Count Cabaldy?”
“Wasn’t it just luck again? The Cabaldy Army must have starved and weren’t able to fight properly.”
“I disagree. Didn’t Baron Penris perform significantly during the Perdium conflict too?”
“If it had been a fair fight, there’s no way Baron Penris would have won.”
The nobles’ opinions quickly became polarized. Since no one had actually seen Ghislaine in battle, chattering and questioning began.
But everyone could agree on one fact.
“Still, it’s a good thing! The Duke’s faction promised not to intervene for now, didn’t they?”
“Exactly! This way, our influence will surely grow in the North!”
“Hohoho, Baron Penris has accomplished something huge. Other lords will surely think the Crown Prince faction is not significantly overshadowed by the Duke’s faction.”
The nobility showed clear delight, seeming to forget their attempts to avoid conflict with the Duke’s faction completely.
They were worried that an intervention by the Duke would escalate matters, or that Baron Penris—who had invested the royal family’s wealth—would suffer a huge defeat and lose their clout in the North.
But due to the favorable outcome, the Crown Prince faction nobles regained a sliver of confidence.
“Have we been too passive thus far? While the Duke’s faction nobles seem threatening, you can’t know until you fight, can you?”
“Exactly. The rumors around Count Cabaldy made him sound like a great force, but in reality, he was nothing significant.”
“True, if Baron Penris can win, it seems we might have a shot too. The North isn’t really that formidable, is it? Hohoho.”
The nobles of the Crown Prince faction exchanged pleasantries in a jovial atmosphere.
Seeing Baron Penris’s victory inflated their confidence, inspiring them to think they could face off against the Duke’s faction.
However, Marquis Branford could not hide his disdainful gaze toward them.
“Tsk tsk, they’re already making such a fuss. This isn’t the time to be celebrating. Is it so easy to laugh like that?”
Reports of Count Desmond mobilizing his troops had also come in. Had they not preemptively moved the Royal Army to intervene, the situation could have escalated severely.
Thanks to Marquis Branford’s foresight, they managed to avoid a disastrous escalation of war.
“Count Desmond is definitely allied with the Duke’s faction. He has been so shameless all along.”
Until now, having only suspicions due to the lack of concrete evidence, he could now be confident.
That alone was a huge gain. Knowing who the enemy is will aid immensely in future strategies.
As evident by Count Desmond, the Duke’s faction’s reach extended throughout the kingdom. It was increasingly difficult to distinguish friend from foe.
There may even be traitors within the Crown Prince faction.
“Duke Delphine… If he has kept Count Desmond on his side, he surely intends to go all the way.”
Marquis Branford recalled his long-time friend and rival, Duke Delphine.
The Duke would not sit idly by. Or rather, his aide Raoul would not let him stay idle.
Duke Delphine likely would have no interest in Count Cabaldy.
“Speaking of which, I wonder how he has been.”
It had been over ten years since he last saw his face.
Since then, the Duke had not stepped out of his territory even once. He only ever stayed holed up in his castle, becoming increasingly reclusive.
As time went on, there were rumors that the Duke was merely a puppet and that all authority was wielded by Raoul as he pleased.
But Marquis Branford didn’t think so.
He knew better than anyone that Duke Delphine was not someone who could be easily manipulated.
What he intended by isolating himself remained a mystery, and the long-time friend who had once stood by his side could not even guess after more than a decade of rivalry.
He simply couldn’t forget the contradictory gaze that seemed indifferent yet yearning when they last met.
Marquis Branford shook off his distractions and focused his thoughts.
“Well, maybe this is for the best.”
It was certain that the Duke’s faction would eventually draw their sword. Up until now, it had only been about keeping that threat at bay.
Meanwhile, Ghislaine’s exploits seemed to breathe new life into the Crown Prince faction. It gave the previously timid Crown Prince nobles a slight confidence boost.
Those who are unaware and arrogant must be on guard, but ultimately, if a fight is inevitable, showing confidence is much better than succumbing to fear.
“Thanks to that kid, our atmosphere is changing little by little. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
Reaching that conclusion, the Marquis felt a buoyant sense of elation. After becoming Ghislaine’s guardian, he had experienced emotions he’d never felt throughout his life.
“By the way, his talent for surprising people hasn’t faded at all. It’s astonishing how he gathered troops like that, yet succeeded in the siege so swiftly. I’ll have to provide more support as he asks for what he needs going forward.”
Without realizing it, Marquis Branford closed his eyes and smiled with satisfaction.
The Crown Prince nobles who had been chattering away suddenly fell silent, shocked by his expression.
Marquis Branford, who had never smiled even when his daughter was cured, now smiled upon hearing the news of Baron Penris?
Every noble gazed in astonishment, staring at him for a long time.
