Chapter 420
Chapter 420: Conversation, Empathy, Persuasion (3)
Count Jimbar finally found his senses and asked again.
“Is that everything? I can’t be hearing this wrong, can I?”
“You heard perfectly. From now on, all the armies of the North will fall under my command.”
He’s really crossed the line this time. What is a lord? It’s someone who possesses autonomy in exchange for loyalty to the royal family.
It means having power equal to that of the king in one’s own territory.
And now, he’s asking for the army, the very force that is a lord’s private property and means of protection.
Bang!
Count Jimbar slammed his hand on the table and rose from his seat.
“Count! No matter how much you’re the commander of the Northern Army, this is too much of a demand! How can you ask lords to hand over their private property like that?”
“If we don’t stop the rift, we’re all going to die anyway.”
“T-That’s profit!”
With Ghislaine’s chilling reply, Count Jimbar gritted his teeth. It was infuriating that this kid, who used to be a little brat when Jimbar was young, had now risen to the point of threatening him.
As the atmosphere turned hostile, the other lords beside him hurried to intervene.
“Now, now, we didn’t gather here to argue like this, did we? Please, sit down, Count.”
“Count Penris, your jest has gone too far. Even according to royal law, the maximum is half, right?”
“Exactly, who would pledge loyalty to the royal family if their rights as lords aren’t guaranteed?”
“In fact, asking for half is already excessive. Even considering the kingdom’s crisis, such circumstances have never occurred before.”
After some coaxing from the lords, Count Jimbar huffed and sat back down. However, Ghislaine maintained her unyielding expression and demeanor.
“This is precisely the crisis of the kingdom. The number of monsters emerging from the rift will continue to grow.”
“Are you really demanding we surrender our entire army?”
“Yes. But I will ensure sufficient compensation, including food, once the war is over.”
Even with that promise, the lords shook their heads. If all their troops were seized, they would be left powerless later, and honestly, they couldn’t even feel the current crisis yet.
One lord cautiously asked, “What if we refuse?”
Ghislaine revealed her teeth and smiled viciously. “Do you think I would just sit back and watch? If Penris marches out and suffers even a single defeat, you all would be targeting our territory!”
At her words, the lords all paled. In truth, they had considered such a possibility.
Now Penris had become a symbol of wealth in the North. If Ghislaine led her army and lost, there was every chance they could seize the Penris territory.
So, out of fear of missing such an opportunity, they, too, wished to conserve their troops.
Count Jimbar growled, “Count! No matter how much of a reputation you have as the strongest in the North, this is too arrogant. Do you think we just showed up here? Weren’t you trying to borrow our strength to avoid loss? Are you saying you want to fight us here?”
Lords wouldn’t just come to such a meeting without bringing their armies. They were aware that they might be taken hostage.
Thus, troops from each territory stood nearby, brimming with tension. The lords were accompanied by a multitude of guard knights.
Ghislaine glanced around. Just counting the forces that the lords had brought along, it seemed to surpass 5,000 at a glance.
Although the number was significantly greater than Ghislaine’s, she smirked and replied, “Do you think I can’t handle it?”
“Are you really going to follow this through to the end?”
At Count Jimbar’s threat, Ghislaine raised one hand.
“Gillian.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“From now on, if a lord refuses to comply with my wishes, attack their troops.”
“Understood.”
Gillian rode up and shouted loudly, “All units, combat preparation!”
Clank! Clank! Clank!
The knights mounted their horses and raised their spears, as if ready to charge at a moment’s notice.
Since the armies of the lords were all waving their respective flags, spotting their target wouldn’t be difficult.
Once all the knights had mounted, only Tenant, wearing a mask, remained beside Ghislaine.
The sight of the Penris army preparing for battle caused a stir among the other lords’ troops.
“W-What’s going on?”
“Are they really planning to fight all of a sudden?”
“Everyone, prepare for battle! Get ready for combat!”
The soldiers, who had followed thinking it was merely a conference, were bewildered. The lords who had been seated were just as perplexed.
They hadn’t expected Ghislaine to act so boldly.
One lord wiped the sweat from his brow and asked, “Count, is this really necessary? Isn’t there a better way?”
“What do you suggest?”
“Well, I mean, you don’t have to handle it so forcefully and urgently… How about we have a little more ‘conversation’ first, ensuring we can ’empathize’ with your perspective before ‘persuading’ us?”
The lord tried to appeal to Ghislaine, trying to secure a more favorable outcome. However, he didn’t know what kind of person she truly was.
Ghislaine pulled a sword out and placed it on the table.
Click.
“This sword is one I take great care of. I often use it when dueling opponents. So, I named this sword ‘Conversation.'”
“…?”
Then Ghislaine pulled out an axe from her waist.
“This axe is quite utilitarian for me. Since it’s used for many small tasks, I named this axe ‘Empathy.'”
“…….”
Next, she gestured to Tenant, who, from the saddle of the Black King, handed her a spear.
“This spear is what I primarily use on the battlefield. It allows me to enforce my will upon countless enemies, so I named this spear ‘Persuasion.'”
“…….”
With a fierce gaze, Ghislaine scanned the lords and continued, “Choose. Which one do you prefer?”
The lords dared not respond and just gulped nervously.
This guy is insane. Seeing him in person, he’s even crazier than the rumors suggested.
In this situation, none of them could choose between ‘Conversation,’ ‘Empathy,’ or ‘Persuasion.’
Ghislaine looked at the lord sitting right next to her and asked, “If we don’t stop the rift and the Duke, we all die. This is our last chance. Will you join forces, or will you die here?”
“Uh, er…”
Overwhelmed by Ghislaine’s menacing aura, the lord was dripping with sweat, not knowing what to do.
He looked to the other lords for support, but they were equally flustered.
No one had the courage to openly propose a united front against Penris.
Ultimately, under Ghislaine’s pressure, the lord could no longer utter a word and bowed his head.
“I will follow the Count’s wishes.”
“Uh? Uh?”
“Wait a moment….”
The other lords finally tried to interject, but Ghislaine’s glare made them bow their heads again.
Once one person surrendered, others had no choice but to follow suit.
Overwhelmed by the menacing presence of Ghislaine and her Penris army, none dared to challenge her.
In the end, even the first lord of the ‘Northern Alliance,’ Count Jimbar, surrendered.
“…I will obey.”
Face with an unavoidable atmosphere, all the lords bowed their heads to Ghislaine. Saying they would unite to teach that brat a lesson was easy, but they had no courage to openly fight the strongest in the North, Penris.
Finally, Ghislaine relaxed her demeanor and smiled happily.
“I’m glad everyone agrees with the supreme commander’s wishes. Please ensure the supplies and operating costs are delivered on time. Once we deal with the rift and restore peace to the kingdom, you will receive ample compensation, so please rest assured.”
‘Compensation? What a joke…’
‘Looks like I’m really going to end up broke.’
‘How did I end up with a monster like this instead of my father?’
Though everyone pouted, nobody voiced their dissatisfaction openly.
In any case, the ‘Northern Alliance’, which Ghislaine had no knowledge of, dissolved before it even began.
As Ghislaine stood up, she didn’t forget to give her instructions.
“You don’t need to send anyone in person. I’ll be sending my stewards soon. Please prepare everything without hiding anything.”
“…….”
It was rumored that the stewards of Penris were exceptionally competent.
The whispers of having no mercy were well-known; they were sure to collect everything cleanly.
With tears in their eyes, the lords returned. They had no choice but to scrape together every asset from their territories.
After finishing the meeting efficiently, Tenant asked Ghislaine,
“Do you always handle things this way?”
“Well, usually. I don’t like dragging important matters on unnecessarily.”
At her words, Tenant chuckled.
Ghislaine’s ruthless way of handling matters seemed no different from that of Marquis Roderick. The Marquis also liked to oppress and take by force.
But their intentions were entirely different.
Marquis Roderick was solely busy fulfilling his own greed. Yet, Ghislaine didn’t seem to have any personal desires.
Others pointed fingers, claiming Ghislaine was too ambitious, but Tenant, who had been beside the truly greedy, could sense something different.
‘Is it for the people?’
Still, he couldn’t be sure. However, there was something distinctly different in her approach compared to Marquis Roderick.
He would find out more as he went along, whether he could truly pay the price as a knight.
*
Marquis Perdium did not join the Northern Army. He had to prepare for the barbarian threat that would rise if the kingdom fell into chaos.
Amelia also did not join the Northern Army. Having smartly secured her independence in advance, she could not be forcibly included. And she had no intention of doing so.
Ghislaine knew well that if forced, Amelia would truly retaliate from behind, which would be very troublesome.
And from her request for an eastern territory, Ghislaine had a rough idea of what was on her mind.
‘Well, I suppose I should just leave her be for now. She might be helpful in the future.’
When a civil war broke out, the Duke would most likely have a headache because of Amelia.
Both Ghislaine and Amelia had yet to achieve their desired goals. They had come this far by trying to use each other.
Thus, apart from Perdium and Raybold, the soldiers of the other lords began to gather in Penris.
“The troops from the Jimbar territory have arrived!”
“The troops from the Brivant territory have arrived!”
“The troops from the Promel territory have arrived!”
Since the North was more barren than other regions, its population was smaller, resulting in fewer soldiers.
But combining all the territories of the North, they formed a substantial force.
Ghislaine asked Claude, “Is everyone gathered?”
“Yes, about 60,000 troops have assembled.”
“More than I expected.”
“Our stewards did an excellent job of collecting everyone.”
“They’ll need to adjust to our military discipline. There’s no time for separate training, so they’ll need to train on the go.”
“They’re all exhausted from the march.”
Seeing Claude smile broadly, Ghislaine couldn’t help but smile back.
“What about the mages?”
“The mages were gathered, too, but not in large numbers. After all, there haven’t been many mages in the North, have there?”
“That’s true. But we have a decent number of mages, right?”
“Of course, we’re now nearing 200 mages. Our magical strength is rivaling that of the Duke’s faction.”
Ghislaine had made slave contracts with all the mages of the House of Marquis Roderick. She had secured royal approval to ensure there would be no escaping.
Now Ghislaine had gained enough power to disregard customs and laws to coerce her opponents.
Of course, there could be some betrayals or accidents along the way. That was a risk she had to accept.
“But, wait, Alfoy will manage the mages?”
“Two six-circle mages and a five-circle mage will be managed by Vanessa, but I believe it’d be better for Alfoy and his friends to handle the rest. Isn’t that guy a bit temperamental? They say you need to be strict at the start.”
“Well….”
It felt a bit unsettling, but Ghislaine nodded.
After all, Alfoy had been managing the mages for a while now. He had been good at catching those trying to escape.
Though the sudden influx of mages was a bit concerning, there was no choice but to trust him for now.
“What about the priests?”
“Additional priests were dispatched from each church. In total, there are 120.”
“That’s great.”
Having 120 priests was a substantial number. It showed how important the existence of Penris had become in the kingdom.
“The representative will be Piote, right?”
“Yes, there was a bit of resistance, but I pushed through under your command, my lord.”
“Good, that’s how it should be. Piote will play a crucial role in the fight against the rift.”
Ghislaine smiled. Though the priests wouldn’t be participating in territorial wars, the fight against the rift was entirely different.
Those priests, who had been living comfortably until now, would need to be worked hard.
“What about the mercenaries?”
“We’re moving to secure as many mercenaries as possible from all over. Given that mercenary hiring has been active due to the rift, it should be easy to make contact.”
“Good, don’t hold back on resources in that regard.”
“I understand.”
After finishing the report on the preparations for departure, Claude said,
“The Crown Prince faction has been hastening us. It seems that in some places, the rifts have expanded further, causing the armies to retreat.”
“Did you convey the order to isolate the armies that have come into contact with the rifts?”
“Yes, I had mentioned it earlier, and after vacating several cities and fortresses, they planned to report the situation and reform their positions.”
“Right, even though it’ll be tough to stop, we might be able to reduce it a little….”
Ghislaine trailed off, shaking her head.
Incidents were erupting simultaneously throughout the kingdom. Since she wasn’t a deity, she couldn’t control and monitor everything one by one.
Now she needed to stop worrying about the trivial things and look at the bigger picture. She had to act as swiftly and surely as possible to resolve this situation.
“Let’s go. It’s time for us to take action.”
The total military strength of Penris amounted to 30,000. Of that, 20,000 were to be integrated into the Northern Army, while 10,000 would be responsible for the overall defense and supply of the North.
At last, the total of 80,000 Northern Army troops led by Ghislaine began moving toward the nearest rift.
