Chapter 504
Chapter 504: I Will Question the King
The Territory of Penris had continuously developed over the years. Numerous academies had been established, child labor was prohibited, and an immense amount of funds was allocated for welfare policies.
All of this was to foster a powerful army.
As a result, healthy young people steadily enlisted in the military, and Penris’s production capacity skyrocketed.
The aggressive policies that had been pushed for a long time were finally starting to bear fruit.
These same policies were implemented in Perdium. Ghislaine provided support to Perdium, ensuring it adopted policies identical to those of Penris.
Thanks to this, Perdium quickly assembled a military force that other territories could only dream of.
The numbers reached an astounding 30,000. At this rate, they could form an army of over 50,000 in just a few years.
A small border territory that had previously boasted less than 5,000 troops now possessed a military might worthy of being called a Great Territory.
Moreover, due to the Mana Circulation Method supplied by Ghislaine, the number of knights had increased to about 200.
Knights and soldiers outfitted in Galbarium gear could exhibit combat effectiveness several times that of regular territorial troops.
That military force began marching toward the capital, disregarding everything in their path.
Upon hearing the news, Ghislaine let out a chuckle.
“Just like Father.”
Even though Zvalter had been informed of what needed to be prepared, he didn’t wait and moved first. He could no longer bear to see the suffering of the people.
“There’s no helping it. I’ll just have to manage the rest myself.”
Simply charging in and shouting “I’m the king now!” wouldn’t make everyone recognize him.
After overthrowing the royal family, he needed to prepare personnel to govern the nation efficiently. He would need the support of other nobles too.
That way, amidst the chaos, the kingdom could advance without fracturing.
Given how dire the current situation was, gaining the support of the nobles wouldn’t be an issue. The real problem lay with the Duke Faction.
“Move the Allied Forces and the Western Army to the southern front. Once news gets out that the Perdium Army has been deployed, the Duke Faction will act immediately. The Northern Army will join forces with the Perdium Army.”
The West was governed by Count Selburk, who had stabilized the region with the Penris officials, amassing an army of about 50,000.
Though that number seemed small considering the entire West, it was miraculous given that it had been devastated so badly in the past.
Currently, the Western Army was under the command of the tenant sent by Ghislaine. With the remaining forces of the Allied Forces numbering around 100,000, their joint efforts would greatly aid their cause.
“The Central and Eastern regions… I’m unsure how the remaining lords will respond.”
They were aware that the royal family and the Duke Faction had joined forces, so they might be sitting on the fence.
No matter how strong the Northern Army was, determining who would win against the Duke Faction was difficult.
In the end, they had to block the advance of the Duke Faction while dismantling the royal family. Only then could the remaining nobles join in.
The issue was that the Western and Allied Forces alone could never stop the main force of the Duke Faction.
“Gillian, lead the Northern Army to the southern front. I’ll be with the mobile army along with Perdium.”
“Understood.”
They had already devised a complete strategy. Gillian, along with Ereness, Parniel, and Vanessa, would head to the southern front.
To counter the superhumans of the Duke Faction, they needed to prepare sufficient force on this side as well.
They had intended to send Belinda too, but she vehemently opposed it, opting to stay with Ghislaine instead.
Piote, the priests, Kaor, and the assault forces also headed to the southern front. New faces had joined the assault forces.
‘Where are we going?’
‘Why are we even here?’
‘Squad leader… no, Count Penris isn’t coming with us?’
The 3rd Infantry Division of the 2nd Corps of the Kingdom Army, which had successfully escaped, was included in the assault force, being dragged along without understanding the situation.
Claude followed Ghislaine. After taking the capital, he intended to assist in governing the nation.
With Ghislaine and the Penris Mobile Army already ahead, they easily joined the advancing Perdium Army toward the capital.
Zvalter smiled upon seeing Ghislaine.
“I’m sorry. I was feeling restless.”
Ghislaine shook her head, also smiling.
“No, I was thinking the same as Father.”
It was true that a bit more preparation was needed, but moving now wasn’t a bad idea since Berhem’s tyranny had intensified drastically.
The more they prepared and allowed Berhem and the nobles to act recklessly, the easier it would become to strike at the royal family. The more miserable life became, the more the people would fervently desire a new leader.
However, neither Zvalter nor Ghislaine were the types who could sit by casually watching such a scene.
The news of Perdium brandishing its swords toward the royal family spread quickly.
It wasn’t possible to hide the movement of the army, but messages had been spread far and wide to give hope to the people.
Additionally, before Zvalter departed, he sent proclamations to the lords and nobles across the lands.
“…The king has now allied with the Salvation Society and transformed into a mad tyrant. Under his cruel rule, the kingdom is falling apart.
Now, only those who can hardly be called nobles remain around the king.
…I am revolting for the future of the kingdom, for the oppressed people, and for the honor of the trampled nobles.
I appeal to you all.
In this dark era, together…”
Zvalter was different from Ghislaine. He wrote a long letter filled with sincerity, calling for collective action for the future of the kingdom.
He was a bit different from those who had wielded power to dictate everything up until now.
He sought to sincerely persuade the people. He was asking for their help.
Zvalter’s proclamations didn’t just circulate among the lords and nobles. They were massively disseminated to the commanders of the Kingdom Army, easily readable by all.
Before long, astonishing events began to unfold.
The lower-ranking commanders of the Kingdom Army started leading their soldiers to defect.
“I can’t stay here any longer.”
“It’s the same whether I die like this or that.”
“It’s better to fight against the mad king than to fight Perdium.”
As the number of defectors increased, the Kingdom Army became busy monitoring their soldiers.
There was a fear of fighting against Ghislaine, but more overwhelming was the sense of despair that there was no future left in this kingdom.
Thus, they decided to join Perdium, which sought to open a new era.
Those who successfully defected flowed naturally into the Perdium Army.
Zvalter welcomed them warmly. They integrated into the Perdium Army and advanced toward the capital together.
As the Perdium Army bulked up, they were confronted by the 3rd Corps of the Kingdom Army.
The new commander of the 3rd Corps, Count Mackid, shouted with an overly arrogant expression.
“Most of the Northern Army is absent! This is a fight we can win!”
Even though Perdium had grown quite strong, in his perception, they were still just a poor army from the border.
Moreover, it was said that most of the Northern Army’s troops had moved to the southern front. Only about 20,000 joined Perdium. In terms of troop size, they were fairly comparable to the 3rd Corps.
Excited to lead a grand army for the first time, Count Mackid was brimming with enthusiasm.
‘With my brilliant tactics, I’ll crush them perfectly.’
His reputation would spread across the kingdom. He had long disliked Count Penris. He believed all the praise directed at him was inflated.
If he could defeat the Perdium Army here, he would prove his own abilities while simultaneously unveiling his opponent’s hollow reputation.
Unlike the overconfident Count Mackid, the soldiers had solemn expressions. Especially the 3rd Corps, which had aided Penris since the Desmond War, understood Ghislaine’s strength well.
“Count Penris is a monster.”
“He could probably kill half of the soldiers here on his own.”
“Just look at how strong the knights and soldiers are.”
They had fought together for a long time. Frankly, they didn’t want to fight.
Count Mackid disliked the peculiar atmosphere flowing among the soldiers.
“What’s wrong with you all? Are you really that intimidated by such a flimsy reputation?”
The soldiers glared back at Count Mackid.
“What a pathetic fool. Clueless about everything.”
“He’s never commanded troops before, right? Desperate to ruin his reputation.”
“Idiot.”
Before Count Mackid could comment again on the strange atmosphere, Zvalter emerged from the Perdium Army’s ranks.
Clatter, clatter.
Riding slowly toward them, he shouted loudly.
“I do not wish to fight you!”
“What are you talking about?”
Count Mackid frowned. Then he should surrender quickly; why was he posturing?
Zvalter continued in a heavy voice.
“I will question the king. You merely followed the king’s orders! If you disarm and surrender now, I will welcome you all!”
Count Mackid shouted in a fit of rage.
“Shut up! What are you rambling on about, you traitor! If you don’t surrender immediately, you will meet a miserable death!”
“I’m not speaking to you!”
Zvalter glared at Count Mackid with fiery eyes.
“I’m addressing the soldiers protecting this kingdom, not scum like you!”
“Y-you bastard… How dare a lowly border guard speak to me like that…”
Count Mackid trembled in rage. How dare he spit such words to someone favored by the king.
He had long been dissatisfied with the crude Northerners who had been thriving lately.
Having looked down upon the North for a long time, he immediately issued the command.
“Attack! Kill that guy right now!”
The soldiers readied their weapons as trained. However, their morale had already sunk to the ground.
Amidst that tense atmosphere, one soldier dropped his weapon and knelt.
“I surrender!”
All eyes turned to that soldier. What was he doing without a hint of fear?
The already irate commander would not let a defiant kneeling soldier go unpunished.
Count Mackid shouted furiously.
“Kill that guy right now!”
Before the fight even began, such a disgraceful scene unfolded! Not only was it shameful, but the morale of their own army was plummeting. They had to kill him at once.
Yet, despite the command, no one moved to kill the kneeling soldier. Soldiers who had been watching from the sidelines dropped their weapons and knelt as well.
“I don’t want to fight Perdium!”
“Why must we fight when we are on the same side!”
“In this shitty world! Whether I die or not doesn’t matter!”
The number of kneeling soldiers grew. They voiced their true feelings.
It was the same whether they died like this or that. If they were to die anyway, they didn’t want to fight and perish for this rotten kingdom.
That was the honest sentiment of the soldiers.
Count Mackid trembled with a red face. Had they already lost before even fighting? If the enemy launched an attack amidst this, they would have no means to defend themselves.
Fortunately, Zvalter quietly observed that scene.
“Assault Squad! What are you doing! Kill those bastards right now!”
The assault squad mixed amidst the ranks hung their heads with gloomy expressions.
Their task was to eliminate allies who fled or disobeyed orders. But right now, they didn’t want to do that.
They had already lost all hope in the behaviors displayed by the king and nobles over the years; they were utterly fed up.
Clack.
One by one, the weapons held by the assault squad dropped to the ground. They too began to slowly kneel.
The tide of surrender swept through everyone. Even those soldiers who had been lost in thought, as well as Count Mackid’s subordinate soldiers, naturally knelt.
Even the lower-ranking commanders, sensing defeat, knelt of their own accord. It was foolish not to grasp the situation unfolding.
“T-these bastards…”
Count Mackid trembled in disbelief.
Where in the world would a commander lose without even fighting? Yet, that was becoming his reality.
He cried out to the knights around him.
“Everyone! Immediately! Kill those bastards! Kill them!”
With all the soldiers surrendering, even fleeing would lead to a tough survival. Yet Count Mackid was ordering the knights to kill the soldiers instead of escaping.
His anger clouded his judgment.
The knights looked at Count Mackid with cold eyes.
He wasn’t even originally a commander. He was a guy who had always indulged in alcohol and women, enjoying himself in camp.
Using discipline as a pretext, he often punished and tormented soldiers. There were many soldiers and civilians who had died because of him.
No knight would follow Count Mackid, who suddenly rose to a high position simply for following the king.
As the knights remained unmoving, Count Mackid finally started to panic.
“Y-you guys! Why aren’t you obeying orders?”
Only the guard knights who followed his family drew their weapons, visibly tense.
In an instant, everyone present turned into opponents.
Zvalter approached on horseback. Count Mackid shouted to his guard knights.
“Arrest that guy! Now!”
Now was the chance. If they could capture the Marquis of Perdium, the tables would turn instantly.
However, the guard knights couldn’t move.
Spear! Clash! Spear!
In contrast, the knights of the Kingdom Army drew their swords and surrounded Count Mackid.
“What is the meaning of this! You are my subordinates! Are you planning to revolt now?”
Count Mackid shouted with a pale face. But the knights merely held their swords, wordlessly.
At that moment, Zvalter spoke with a dignified voice.
“Arrest that man.”
At those words, all the knights surged toward Count Mackid. The few guard knights immediately dropped their weapons and surrendered.
“Uwaaaah! You bastards! Do you think you can get away with such antics? His Majesty will… Ugh!”
Count Mackid was forced to kneel, his mouth gagged. He had truly lost without even fighting.
Swoosh…
After dismounting, Zvalter drew his sword.
He had raised an army to punish those who troubled the kingdom. He had to take action himself instead of leaving it to others.
With a resolute expression, he swung his sword.
Slice!
Count Mackid’s head fell in an instant, blood dripping from Zvalter’s sword.
“Everyone, pick up your weapons and rise!”
The soldiers stood up, grasping the weapons that had fallen to the ground. Their expressions had brightened considerably.
Zvalter looked at them with content and shouted.
“Those who wish to save this kingdom! Come with me!”
“Waaaaah!”
The soldiers raised a loud cheer.
No individual soldier was unaware that the world was broken.
No individual soldier was clueless about what they needed to fight for.
This was the battle they wanted. It was in Perdium and Penris that they truly wanted to follow.
Thus, Zvalter advanced, absorbing the 3rd Corps of the Kingdom Army.
The other armies blocking their path all busied themselves with surrender as well.
As their numbers grew, the forward momentum of the Perdium Army slowed, but every step they took was filled with purpose and weight.
This army could truly be called.
The army of a true king.
