Chapter 379
Chapter 379: I Can’t Believe You’re Here. (1)
No one really knows exactly when the Age of Turmoil began in my previous life.
At some point, monstrous creatures began rampaging across the continent.
One thing is clear, though: it was after the civil war in Ruthania ended and the Duke’s family started venturing into the Forest of Monsters.
At that time, Ghislaine was working as a mercenary while constantly training. Only after making a name for himself during the Age of Turmoil could he ascend to the position of the Mercenary King.
‘The timing is oddly precise.’
He certainly changed the future. He defeated Count Desmond and claimed supremacy over the North.
Because of him, wars that didn’t happen in his past life were now occurring, and many things had changed. Therefore, people think Ghislaine hastened the civil war.
‘That’s true, but…’
Looking at the current situation, it does seem he brought the civil war forward. However, compared to the past, the timing of the civil war was almost the same.
The Crown Prince Faction, which had already fallen due to the drought, was completely finished at this point.
‘In my past life, the Duke’s family would have easily pushed the weakened Crown Prince Faction away by now.’
But the reason the Duke’s family is acting this time isn’t just because the Crown Prince Faction has weakened; it’s because everything got messed up because of Ghislaine. The Duke’s family had no choice but to show their strength.
Ghislaine’s efforts expedited things, but by aiding the Crown Prince Faction during the drought, he effectively delayed the timing again.
As if something destined to happen had to happen right on schedule.
‘It’s actually a good thing for me.’
As long as the future doesn’t completely deviate, it won’t be hard for him to control the situation.
Right now, Ghislaine was preparing not just for the civil war but for the Age of Turmoil as well.
He needed to clean up all the nuisances before that time came.
“You need to make a decision quickly.”
“Hmm…”
At Ghislaine’s urging, Marquis Branford could only sigh.
He was a proud noble who valued honor. He had never acted without justification. That’s why he was respected among the nobles of the kingdom.
For someone like Marquis Branford, hitting someone without a reason was extremely difficult.
Actually, the epitome of simplicity next to him, Maurice, was better suited for this kind of thing.
“What are you thinking about? They’re bad guys! Let’s hit them right now! I’ll take responsibility!”
Having received a ton of gifts, Maurice was in high spirits and seemed ready to take on anyone Ghislaine asked him to.
Ghislaine subtly chimed in.
“If the Marquis is uncomfortable, I can secure the capital with the troops I’ve brought.”
“…”
Marquis Branford chuckled. It was ridiculous. How was that any different from setting him up as a puppet while they did the dirty work?
‘So it’s a time to prove with strength…’
Anyway, fighting was essentially a given. If he wanted to cover himself, it would be efficient to deal with suspicious characters first.
‘This is an opportunity to strengthen the monarchy.’
Like a seasoned politician, he was also looking for other benefits. People would become fearful if he wielded power without justification. That fear would become the foundation for strengthening the monarchy.
All he had to do was abandon his beliefs and honor, even if it meant bearing the stain of being a minister above the king.
“I will distribute the list I received. Let’s ambush before they catch on. Inform the lords of each territory immediately.”
With that decision, Ghislaine smiled. The nobles of the Crown Prince Faction donned expressions of tension.
Now, they truly had to raise their swords without justification.
Only Maurice shouted bravely.
“Let’s gather everyone and take them all out!”
He cheerfully jumped into action, followed by other nobles of the Crown Prince Faction.
Marquis Branford, shaking his head a few times, couldn’t hide his fatigue and asked Ghislaine.
“It seems you still have something to say.”
“Yes, I have a request.”
“…”
It seemed this guy never asked for anything without some ulterior motive. What could he possibly want this time?
Sure enough, Ghislaine grinned and said, “Just one piece of that gift, please.”
“…What is it?”
“I would like to get a fragment of the Dragon Heart from the Royal Treasure Vault.”
“…”
It wasn’t a secret that the royal family had a few pieces of the Dragon Heart. The fragments of the Dragon Heart were among the highest treasures in the royal vault.
Even the Ruthania Kingdom, with its long history, had barely acquired one Dragon Heart. Humans could not absorb it all, and so they had gradually chopped it up for use by loyal subordinates throughout generations.
“That can only be given to those who show loyalty to the royal family.”
Loyalty alone was not enough; it was given only to those who truly needed it.
In this generation, the royal Swordmaster and the head of the Mage Tower had received pieces of the Dragon Heart.
In any case, it could not be given to Ghislaine. Not only was he not the type to be loyal to the royal family, but his territory was also distant from them.
Ghislaine said somewhat exasperated, “This isn’t the time to be stingy. We need as many people as possible to raise our fighting capabilities.”
“You’re already a master, aren’t you? Do you need to be that greedy?”
“It’s not for me.”
“Then who do you intend to give it to?”
“Are you not aware that we have a 6th Circle Mage in our territory? They have the talent to break through to the 7th Circle but lack sufficient mana. Just a fragment of the Dragon Heart wouldn’t solve that problem.”
“Hmm…”
“Bypassing the Duke’s family, there are Count Valzac and Eloise among us. And under them, there are many capable knights and mages as well. We cannot outnumber or outclass the Duke’s family. We need at least one more superhuman.”
“Hmm… but isn’t it possible that they might still not break through the 7th Circle?”
The royal Swordmaster broke through after receiving a fragment; however, the head of the Mage Tower didn’t manage to break through even with one.
They became a mage with enormous mana even while being a 6th Circle Mage.
Ghislaine said firmly, “I’m sure they will. They already have enough realization and knowledge. They simply lack the mana needed to break through.”
Vanessa, who had climbed to the 7th Circle in his previous life even with a horrible Mana Circulation Method, was a genius whose magical talent was unmatched on the continent.
Marquis Branford also understood that Vanessa was a quite young mage to reach the 6th Circle. Such geniuses were rare in the history of the kingdom.
Still, he was reluctant to give up royal treasures.
What if that reckless guy became a master, and his subordinates hit the 7th Circle? After taking care of the Duke’s family, no one would be able to stop that guy. Just thinking about it was terrifying.
“Are you really going to do this? I brought along such valuable gifts this time, you know?”
“…”
“I’m offering three times, you know, three times!”
“…”
“If you don’t take all this, you’ll find the war difficult, you know?”
“…”
Ghislaine persistently harassed Marquis Branford.
Marquis Branford sighed. This guy was relentless until he got what he wanted.
And even though he was reckless, it was evident he didn’t care about the throne. It would be better to have at least one more strong ally to fight against the Duke’s family.
“Fine. I will consult with my ministers and get the fragment as soon as possible. Just wait a few days.”
“Thank you!”
Ghislaine beamed a bright smile after a long time.
Now that Vanessa had entered the 6th Circle, she would undoubtedly absorb enough fragments and ascend to the 7th Circle.
“Well then, I’ll help clean up the capital while waiting. Let me know if you need any troops.”
“…Sure.”
With a fatigued expression, Marquis Branford waved his hand dismissively.
As always, he was someone who firmly collected what he wanted.
*
“Miss, it’s been a while. What brought you to call for me? Is there anything else you need?”
Jeffrey, the merchant leader of the Kelya Trading Company, greeted Rosalyn with a sneaky smile.
He was the leader of a trading company based in the East and focused mainly on trade connecting the East and the capital. Thus, he often stayed in the capital.
He particularly had many transactions with the Marquis of Branford. Since Rosalyn’s group was large, they needed a lot of supplies.
Crunch.
Rosalyn opened her fan to cover her eyes and spoke.
“You’ve had quite a bit of fun at our expense, haven’t you?”
“Pardon? Ah… Transactions with the Marquis’ family are always an honor. Thanks to your consideration, our company has managed to operate in this manner. I am always grateful.”
Trying to smooth things over with her seemingly sharp words, Jeffrey played it cool.
Rosalyn snickered before continuing.
“Starting today, all transactions are over.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”
“The Kelya Trading Company will have to close its doors starting today. All assets of the merchant in the East will be seized by the Marquis’ family.”
“W-What are you saying!”
Jeffrey exclaimed in shock at the lightning strike of her words.
Since she was hiding her face with the fan, he couldn’t see her expression. However, the murderous intent in her eyes made it clear this was no joke.
“When did the Marquis’ family become a group of robbers! All nobles and merchants will condemn the Marquis and sever ties with them!”
“I don’t care.”
“What—what did you say?”
“It’s all over now. Dogs of the Duke’s family.”
“What do you mean!”
“Attack.”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The knights and soldiers around Rosalyn drew their weapons and attacked Jeffrey and his followers.
“Ahhhhh!”
The minions of the trading company didn’t even get the chance to draw their weapons before being massacred by the Marquis’ forces. Even calling the knights and soldiers here the elite wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
But then something unbelievable happened.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Somehow, Jeffrey, who had drawn his weapon, managed to block all of the Marquis’ knights’ attacks. His sword was glowing blue.
Rosalyn’s eyes widened with astonishment at that sight.
A mere merchant leader was fending off an onslaught of elite knights?
While the chance was slim, it might be possible if he was exceptionally talented. He could afford to eat well and have ample time to train with plenty of money.
However, it was odd that someone with such skills had not made a name for themselves. In the current situation, it was highly suspicious.
And that suspicion quickly turned into certainty.
“You damn bitch! How did you find out!”
Jeffrey, having already been caught, spat on Rosalyn while confessing.
With a bright smile, she replied, “You don’t need to know. Just die.”
“You—!”
In a flash, Jeffrey tried to charge at Rosalyn. But his movements were blocked by the knights and soldiers.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Jeffrey’s skills were impressive, but even he couldn’t handle the forces there alone. He was starting to fall under pressure.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
Eventually, Jeffrey was seriously injured with wounds all over his body from the swords.
“Hehehe…”
As he bled profusely while laughing, one knight approached him. He was there to behead him.
“Die!”
The knight swung his sword in an instant.
Clang!
“Wha—?”
Surprisingly, Jeffrey managed to raise his sword again to block the attack.
That wasn’t all.
Rumble!
His body began to swell, and his clothes started shredding to pieces.
“W-What the?”
Startled by the bizarre phenomenon, the knight took a few steps back. Everyone else also wore shocked expressions.
Jeffrey’s muscles burgeoned, making his tendons seem as if they might snap.
The knights felt a powerful pressure of mana that caused their bodies to go numb. They couldn’t believe such strength was coming from Jeffrey, who was nearly dead.
Suddenly, Jeffrey let out a primal scream.
“Graaah!”
He looked completely devoid of reason. Everyone hesitated to approach him as he transformed into something monstrous.
“Quickly, kill him!”
Rosalyn shouted urgently as she closed her fan. The soldiers closest to Jeffrey lunged forth to stab him with their spears.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
“What the…”
But the soldiers’ spears couldn’t even pierce Jeffrey’s outer layer.
“Graaah!”
Boom!
As Jeffrey swung his sword, the neck of the soldier at the front flew off in an instant.
“You bastard!”
The knights, who finally regained their senses, swung their swords simultaneously. But Jeffrey charged forward, taking all the attacks head-on.
“Miss!”
“Stop him!”
No one could stop Jeffrey, who suddenly broke free. He only had eyes for Rosalyn.
Even in a state of madness, he hadn’t forgotten his target.
“Th-This is…”
Seeing Jeffrey close in so rapidly, Rosalyn’s face began to pale.
If it were the Marquis’ knights, a decent strongman could probably stop them. But she never imagined Jeffrey was stronger than that.
In fact, it would be more accurate to say she never expected him to turn into a monster.
“Grrr!”
Jeffrey’s distorted face seemed to be grinning.
As he closed in on Rosalyn, he swung his sword.
Rosalyn squeezed her eyes shut. The knights were rushing in too late.
Whiff!
Just before Jeffrey’s sword managed to reach Rosalyn, a sound like the tearing of air resonated.
Boom!
A spear that had flown from behind her pierced right through Jeffrey’s body.
