Chapter 483
Chapter 483: I Have a Question. (1)
Once the battlefield was cleared, the Penris Mobile Army began to move again, leading the prisoners.
Now, they had to join forces with the Kingdom Army to determine their next steps.
Ereness asked Ghislaine, “Was there really a need to kill them right away? I thought it would be better to keep them alive for information.”
“They probably don’t know much about the Salvation Society. Most of the vassals of the Duke Faction simply follow orders from above,” Ghislaine replied.
“You seem to know them quite well.”
“Well, I do know them fairly well.”
In truth, Ghislaine drew from his experiences from his past life, but Ereness assumed he was just knowledgeable because he was a noble of the Kingdom.
Having been trapped in the Forest of Barriers for a long time, she had no choice but to rely on Ghislaine’s insights.
While conversing with Ghislaine, Ereness suddenly turned her head. She felt a burning gaze directed at her. Parniel was smiling while looking at her.
When their eyes met, Ereness shook her head and averted her gaze. Not because she was scared, but because she understood the meaning behind that intense look.
“To think a Saint could be so aggressive…”
Parniel, who had announced herself as a Saint, seemed to be itching for a fight; it was obvious she wanted to clash with Ereness.
It seemed she was indeed the Saint chosen by the Goddess of War.
Sigh…
Ereness sighed again as she briefly glanced at Parniel.
The Saint she had met long ago was different.
She was noble and self-sacrificing, someone who hated fighting and loved everything about the world…
“Enough.”
Biting her lip, Ereness rested her forehead in her hand.
She didn’t want to think about it. It was a past she had left behind. No amount of nostalgia would change anything.
As Ereness pretended not to notice and turned her head away, Parniel licked her lips.
It was frustrating for Parniel, who wanted to duel but couldn’t because of her status as a Saint.
Yet, the aura Ereness exuded was truly impressive.
“There are indeed remarkable people in this world.”
The High Priest of the Salvation Society was undoubtedly strong. However, by her standards, it still felt lacking.
But upon following Ghislaine to the Northern Army, she had seen several outstanding individuals.
Parniel gazed around like a predator seeking prey.
“That Belinda woman isn’t to be underestimated, either.”
Her aura was certainly weaker than Ereness’s, but the techniques Ereness had glimpsed were astonishingly refined. If taken by surprise, Ereness could suffer grave injuries before fighting back.
When she casually hinted at wanting to spar, Belinda waved her hand with a nonchalant expression.
“Oh, I’m not really into that stuff. I have too much to do, you see. Ho-ho-ho.”
Though her words suggested disinterest, Belinda looked like someone who would smile while stabbing with a dagger if things went awry.
It wasn’t only Belinda; Gillian also seemed formidable.
He emanated a powerful aura. After watching him a few times, she noticed their combat styles were quite similar.
Anyone who faced an attack powered by that aura would surely feel their heart race.
His skills were impressive, too, not just his prayer.
While a fight with Belinda felt like it would give her a headache, one with Gillian would likely be invigorating.
So, she tried casually hinting at a duel with Gillian, but the response was a refusal.
“It’s best if I don’t fight you, since the Saintess is stronger than I am.”
Even if one claimed to be stronger, experience in battle was what mattered.
But what could she do if he didn’t want to? Parniel could only click her tongue in regret.
There was one person she thought would actually fight if challenged…
“Kaor, was it?”
He seemed to possess quite a bit of skill, and his eyes carried a provocation that told her he was eager for a brawl—yet he left her feeling a bit disappointed.
“He’s good, but he couldn’t cross the wall.”
If only he could overcome that wall, he would be an excellent opponent, radiating raw wildness.
“Ah! Damn it! I’m so frustrated! Everything is annoying! Why am I the only one like this?”
Not only the aura, but the face filled with complaints and a rough demeanor made him look like a beast.
Parniel decided to shelve her smoldering desire for now. Once the war ended, she could challenge as much as she wanted.
Until then, all she could do was hope for strong opponents to arise while fighting the Salvation Society.
Being an existence that transmits the Will of the Goddess through combat—a Saint of War was just that.
Amidst this nuanced atmosphere, the Penris Army finally encountered the Kingdom Army.
“Uaaaaaa! Nephew!”
Maurice, who had led the Kingdom Army, arrived late and was overcome with emotion, tears brimming in his eyes.
The rebel Delphine Army had been completely wiped out. Additionally, they had taken numerous prisoners to integrate into the Kingdom Army.
A miracle had occurred: the number of allies, which had dwindled due to the war, was now swelling again.
With nothing left to fear, Maurice boldly declared, “At this rate, hasn’t everyone from the South been annihilated? Let’s go and strike now! We must immediately behead Duke Delphine!”
At his words, Ghislaine shook her head, demonstrating her authority as the Supreme Commander.
“It is time to regroup and rest. Everyone is far too exhausted.”
The Kingdom and Allied Forces had fought tirelessly without rest and had suffered many losses.
The Northern Army had been busier than any other, but the Penris Mobile Army had been even more occupied.
After moving so much, they certainly needed a break. Simply pushing themselves to the limit wasn’t the answer; rest was essential for ongoing fights.
Maurice understood this, but he didn’t want to miss the opportunity.
“I know that! But the South has an enormous population! Everyone knows they’re living well! If we give them time, they’ll gather more troops! Now, while their legions are all wiped out, it’s the perfect time to strike!”
Under ordinary circumstances, it wouldn’t be wrong. Clearly, now was the right moment for a counterattack.
But Ghislaine still opposed it.
“The Duke’s power is not just this. The priests of the Salvation Society are surely gathering as well. We must also regroup and prepare for the next conflict.”
“Next… conflict?”
“Yes. The priests of the Salvation Society are not just those who have appeared. The Duke’s full strength is the same.”
The power of the Duke was not to be taken lightly. If this little skirmish was all there was to it, the Duke would have been swept away by the army of the Mercenary King, one of the continent’s seven great powers, in a heartbeat.
If the Duke had really intended it, he could have toppled the Kingdom ages ago.
“Now that I think about it, Count Proud did say something like that to Marquis Branford before.”
When Count Desmond attacked Penris, an enraged Marquis Branford imprisoned Count Proud, who was responsible for the Duke’s diplomacy.
At that time, when he was prepared to confront the Duke, Count Proud had said:
— It’s not the Crown Prince Faction suppressing the civil war; it’s Baron Joseph of the Duke Faction. He’s a reasonable man. We only wanted to shed the bare minimum of blood.
It was said that Raoul had been suppressing the war. That’s why the Duke hadn’t already swept through the Kingdom.
Of course, at that time, the priests of the Salvation Society weren’t gathered across the continent, so the Duke’s strength was probably weaker than it was now.
“The Duke was trying to use his entire power elsewhere rather than in a civil war. Was it the Forest of Monsters?”
And that had turned out to be the Duke’s biggest miscalculation.
“I gained time to grow, build an army, and gather people.”
Knowing the future allowed Ghislaine to utilize that information and grow steadily, but in truth, he didn’t fully understand the Duke’s intentions; he only guessed that it had something to do with the Forest of Monsters.
He had only recently discovered that they had drastically changed their plan to capture the Kingdom after having been struck down by the Mother long ago.
“Perhaps as we continue to fight, one by one, the mysteries will be revealed.”
For better or for worse, when Ghislaine firmly opposed a counterattack, Maurice looked disappointed and spoke again.
“Really can’t we go?”
“No, we can’t.”
“But I want to go.”
“If you do, you might meet the Goddess first.”
“……”
Maurice couldn’t hide his dismay.
Even if he didn’t know anything else, his nephew was exceptionally skilled at war. So it was best to defer to his wishes. Among the soldiers lately, he was almost regarded as a god of war.
But then again, Ghislaine’s forces had never lost a single battle.
It had to be a thoroughly considered decision.
“If only I had a grandmother to ask,” Maurice mused.
If a fortune-telling crone had suggested it, he would have charged into the South under his command.
But since she was not there, he had no choice but to listen to Ghislaine.
“Alright… I understand. Then, for now, we’ll have to handle the troops and the reorganization.”
There were too many prisoners. They needed proper distribution to ensure they could follow commands properly.
Suddenly, as if he recalled something, Maurice asked, “By the way, what will we do about Count Raybold?”
The war wasn’t completely over yet. They would enter a brief lull. Meanwhile, Amelia had seized four territories from others.
Clearly, the lords and nobles who had lost their lands would be in an uproar.
“Isn’t that already settled? Just push through. If it’s too difficult, say I supported you.”
“Alright… I guess.”
War didn’t simply end with a victory. There followed the process of addressing the damages and resolving conflicts over interests.
Assessing the forces of the Kingdom Army and Allied Forces set up in defense was the duty of the Supreme Commander, sending them back down to the Southern Front.
Feeling a headache just thinking about witnessing the nobles’ stubborn faces, Maurice sighed.
“Ugh. For now, let’s head to the capital. It would be best to rest and reorganize there.”
Thus, the Kingdom and Penris armies moved toward the capital. The Northern Army would move alongside them.
With the total annihilation of the Delphine Army, the spirits of the soldiers heading to the capital could not have been higher.
The news of the Delphine Army’s demise had spread widely in the capital.
“Waaaah! The Northern Army has arrived!”
“Count Penris has come!”
“We won!”
The streets of Cardenia thronged with people, bursting with excitement.
The capital’s citizens, upon hearing the victory news, quickly poured out to cheer for Ghislaine.
“Blessings of the Goddess upon the Ruthania Kingdom!”
“Count Penris, look this way, please!”
“Our kingdom’s protector!”
The cheers were not directed only at Ghislaine. The people knew there were those who fought with a united heart to protect this kingdom.
“Everyone fought exceptionally well!”
“Hooray for the Kingdom Army! Hooray for the Northern Army!”
“And the Allied Forces helped us too!”
It was too many for the Kingdom Army to all enter at once, so most remained outside the capital, with only a portion allowed in. Those fortunate few could bask in the glory of the cheers.
Though the Northern Army did most of the work, the Kingdom Army had indeed contributed.
The knights and soldiers alike had flushed faces. The tired soldiers’ backs and shoulders straightened up, and their steps grew more confident.
It had been an incredibly tough battle. The Southern Front had been utterly decimated, and many had lost their lives.
But still, they had never given up. They had fought to create a line of defense, no matter what.
Because of them, Ghislaine and the Northern Army could act before the capital was overrun.
It was a moving feeling to know people recognized that.
“Sniff.”
“Don’t cry, kiddo.”
“Stand tall.”
The soldiers began to weep one by one. It felt as if all their hard work had finally been released.
Receiving acknowledgment for one’s efforts was just like this.
Ghislaine, now a General, smiled from atop the Black King’s stead.
In his past life, he had also received this kind of cheer countless times. Yet, no matter how much he was celebrated, he always felt an emptiness in his heart.
“It truly feels different.”
This moment was unlike any prior experience.
The emotion he felt now, while not quite the same as when he first protected Perdium, still filled him with elation.
This victory represented thwarting the Duke and the Salvation Society behind him.
Though it wasn’t yet over, savoring this feeling for a moment felt perfectly acceptable.
Ahem.
Maurice felt a slight envy toward Ghislaine, who garnered more cheers than he did, the Supreme Commander of the Kingdom Army.
Though he had to acknowledge that the war had mainly been fought by Ghislaine.
“As expected, he’s something else.”
When they first met, Maurice had disliked Ghislaine immensely, thinking, “What a cocky brat with the Marquis’ favor!”
Yet, now look at Ghislaine.
He was essentially a treasure of the Kingdom. Without him, all the nobles of the Crown Prince Faction would have been dead.
Soon, the brief jealousy faded from Maurice’s heart as he broke into a grin.
He too had pushed Ghislaine to take on numerous powers, just as much as Marquis Branford had.
“So, it’s partially my credit too.”
Feeling satisfied with that thought, Maurice planned to milk it among the other nobles for future favors.
Before the royal castle stood Marquis Branford and numerous high-ranking nobles.
Marquis Branford smiled at Ghislaine, who approached confidently.
“The heavens have helped us.”
It was Ghislaine who sought him out first. Though there was surely a significant motive behind wanting to use him for various gains, that fate had turned out to be a stroke of good fortune.
Even when everyone opposed him, he believed and supported Ghislaine. The trust he placed in him returned as this reward.
“This was the biggest investment of my life.”
The war was still not over. But with the current momentum, Marquis Branford thought that victory was well within reach.
Having already lost over 200,000 troops, how much longer could the Duke weather this storm?
He also could not truly fathom the real strength of the Duke and the Salvation Society, so there was no way for him to think otherwise.
“Welcome. You’ve truly worked hard.”
Ghislaine dismounted and slightly bowed his head.
“It’s been a while. How have you been?”
“I’ve been well, thanks to you. At first, I was filled with worries. I never imagined the Northern Army would achieve so much.”
Marquis Branford’s expression of joy was unrestrained. Even he, who usually had an icy demeanor, could not maintain his stoic facade in this situation.
“Come on, let’s head inside. We have a victory feast prepared and so many stories to share.”
Before the other nobles could say a word, Marquis Branford pulled Ghislaine inside.
But right now, Ghislaine didn’t care about the festivities.
“Please lend me a moment of your time.”
“…What now?”
Marquis Branford stepped back slightly, wearing a skeptical expression. When Ghislaine said that, it usually meant he was about to take something from him.
Seeing this, Ghislaine narrowed his eyes in disbelief. It was clear what was on the Marquis’ mind.
What kind of person does he take me for?
“I’m not asking for anything… I just want to ask a few questions.”
“Hmm, alright. I understand.”
The gathered nobles could be made to wait a little longer. After all, he’d have plenty to discuss with Morris and the other nobles who fought in the war.
Marquis Branford and Ghislaine moved to the office located in the royal estate.
“So, what do you want to know?”
Ghislaine took a moment to gather his thoughts. Pondering how to broach his inquiry, he decided to be direct.
“I want to know about the Shadow Knight Group.”
Upon hearing that name, Marquis Branford’s expression hardened.
