Chapter 505
Chapter 505: I Will Question the King for His Crimes (3)
The madness of Berhem did not stop at consuming people.
“Is the war preparation not finished yet?!”
He had to kill Count Penris, who had pushed him to this point. Just thinking about him fueled his anger to an unbearable level.
He incessantly urged Marquis Domont. He wanted to push the North away with his great army as soon as possible.
Marquis Domont was sweating bullets, trying to dissuade Berhem.
“Your Majesty, we still need more time. Please wait just a little longer.”
War cannot be waged just because one wishes to do so, especially against a powerful enemy like the Northern Army.
The Northern Army’s defensive capabilities were already proven during their fight with Marquis Roderick. To defeat them, who had become even stronger since then, thorough preparation was necessary.
Food supplies were dwindling, and siege equipment needed proper maintenance.
“There are still lords who have not replied. We must gather their armies as well.”
“Ugh… How can those ungrateful bastards not be rushing here after I’ve returned?!”
The regional lords and nobles were not actively following the king. They were still assessing the situation.
The problem was Count Raybold, who had sneakily taken part of the East. Taking advantage of Marquis Branford’s fall from grace, he had already seized six territories.
All the armies needed to be gathered, but they were acting independently. In such a scenario, the Kingdom Army couldn’t be sent fully to the North.
They were the ones terrified that the other lords might rebel.
Marquis Domont continued to soothe Berhem and said,
“The lords will follow you sincerely, Your Majesty. They are just frightened right now.”
“Frightened?”
“Yes. They have fought against the Duke Faction before, haven’t they? Since a ceasefire was negotiated, they would be wary of future repercussions.”
“Then what should be done?”
“If Your Majesty shows great magnanimity and forgives their sins, it will resolve itself. Just promise to protect them.”
“Alright, that is not a difficult matter. Once that is solved, is that all?”
“Even if they all join with their armies, we must proceed with caution.”
Even with the local territorial armies joined, it would not be sufficient to face the Northern Army. The display of power they had shown was astounding.
Moreover, the Allied Forces with their 100,000 troops were still in place. To deal with all of them with the current Kingdom Army was out of the question.
At least there was the fortunate fact that the Duke Faction had indeed committed to providing definite support for this war.
Placus, who was taking care of Berhem’s health, spoke up.
“Please hold on a little longer. There’s news that the Duke Faction will be departing soon.”
“Ugh…”
Berhem groaned. He hated that as the lord of this kingdom, he had to keep begging the Duke Faction.
‘After taking the North and recovering my health, I will show my dignity.’
Berhem suppressed those words within himself. To him, the Duke Faction was merely a disloyal vassal to be crushed in the end.
He waved his hand dismissively.
“My head hurts. Bring me the sacrifices. Make sure to prepare some young ones today.”
Absorbing human life force was not an easy task. Without a proper core, he suffered from chronic headaches.
His head pounded as if it would burst, often bleeding from his nose. This was proof that the side effects were getting worse.
Seeing Berhem hold his head, Placus frowned slightly.
‘At this rate, he might die before the core is even made.’
His body was too weak to endure the procedures properly.
The ‘Life Gem’ couldn’t just be made quickly because there were many sacrifices. It required a long time on the altar.
‘Well… it might not matter. I think I can manage to depart before dying. The Life Gem can be used for creating other priests.’
He had to stay alive until he obtained the Kingdom Army. To achieve his future grand designs, the Kingdom Army was essential.
He had lost too many troops already, and he would lose even more while fighting the Northern Army, so there was no way around it.
However, soon the Duke Faction would finish all their preparations and move. As long as the king stayed alive until then, it would suffice.
Consuming this fallen kingdom had become a much easier task now.
But then things took a bizarre turn.
“Marquis Perdium has sent proclamations everywhere and has incited rebellion!”
“W-What?! That bastard has started a rebellion?!”
One day, during a national meeting, Berhem was shocked by the news. He had intended to sweep through the North using the excuse of a rebel, but he never thought that a rebellion would actually happen.
How foolish could he be to attack first even knowing that he had allied with the Duke Faction! He was completely out of his mind.
Berhem shouted angrily.
“That’s actually perfect! Those bastards have crawled out! Immediately send all the Kingdom Army to kill those wretched fools!”
The nobles swallowed hard in tension.
The king had no idea what the kingdom’s finances or troops were like. The nobles beneath him had devoured everything.
In reality, supplies were dismal, equipment was in shambles, and morale was nonexistent.
‘This… I was only relying on the Duke Faction.’
‘The Kingdom Army alone cannot possibly fend off the Northern Army.’
‘I have to buy time somehow…’
During the ceasefire negotiations, the Delphine Army prisoners were never returned. Berhem had stubbornly refused.
He thought it was fine since they could reclaim them later, so he didn’t pay much attention.
By including them all in the reorganization, the Kingdom Army had at least gathered considerable numbers. If all of them rushed in, they could buy some time.
The nobles planned to use that opportunity to grab their wealth and run.
Unaware of their intentions, Berhem continued to yell furiously.
“Quickly issue summons to all the lords! To kill the rebels!”
According to feudal contracts, normally each lord’s autonomy was guaranteed, but in times of war, they all had to follow the king’s orders.
Since Perdium had started a civil war, even the lords who had been passive up until now had to gather their armies and come to the capital.
Berhem really thought it would turn out that way.
However, the news that followed was only despairing.
“The Third Legion has surrendered completely!”
“Other legions are surrendering without even fighting!”
“Our troops are uncontrollable!”
The Kingdom Army that met the Perdium Army surrendered just like the Third Legion, without even putting up a fight.
Some armies had lower commanders and knights assassinating their commanding officers and surrendering en masse.
“What do you mean?! Why is everyone surrendering?! Does not one single soldier fight for me?!”
“Even if they go out to fight, as soon as Count Penris arrives, the soldiers all flee.”
The soldiers didn’t have to surrender right away; the result was still the same. In the army that refused Zvalter’s suggestion to surrender, the commanders’ heads rolled off first.
Just having Ghislaine rush in would cause the soldiers to panic and escape, exposing their commanders.
To the soldiers of the Kingdom Army, Ghislaine was like a god of war and a hero. They never had any desire to fight in the first place.
Once Ghislaine took out the higher-ups, the soldiers comfortably joined the Perdium Army.
The next piece of news was even more absurd.
“Wow, the kingdom’s citizens are arming themselves and joining the Perdium Army.”
“W-What?!”
“Everywhere the Perdium Army passes, the citizens… are following them.”
Berhem was horrified upon hearing this. It meant that all the people of the kingdom were hostile toward him!
And worse still, it was those cowardly peasants defying him, their king!
“Those filthy insects… born from dirty blood…”
Berhem had lived his whole life consumed by insecurity. He felt unbearable rage at the idea that even the citizens of the kingdom were opposing him.
Especially since they were mere beings that existed for him!
But the problems surfaced elsewhere as well.
“Your Majesty! The lords from various regions are starting to support Marquis Perdium!”
“What?!”
Berhem’s expression turned to despair. It meant that the lords who had not followed him had ultimately chosen Marquis Perdium!
And indeed, it was true. The lords, who had hesitated, received proclamations detailing Zvalter’s sincerity and made their decisions.
Originally, they were lords who had fought to protect the Kingdom. They couldn’t possibly agree with the king’s actions now.
They issued the same declaration from their respective territories and raised armies.
— We will overthrow the tyrant and restore the kingdom.
Realizing the situation, Berhem trembled and asked,
“A-Are all those armies coming to the capital? What about the Duke Faction, what are they doing right now?!”
“It seems the Duke Faction will soon be taking action, but…”
“Why? Why? Isn’t it enough if the Duke Faction arrives?”
“The armies of the central and eastern lords have all moved to the southern front.”
“S-Not the capital, but to the southern front?!”
“While the Perdium Army attacks this area, it seems they are trying to block the Duke Faction’s army. Most of the Allied Forces and the Western Army have also gone south.”
No matter how strong the Duke Faction was, they could not push through such a large army. By the time the Delphine Army reached the capital, the place would likely be in ruins.
Everything happened far too suddenly. Berhem, growing restless, anxiously asked.
“What if we take Marquis Branford and the nobles as hostages?”
“That would be futile. Do you think those who have already revolted would care about hostages? Besides, capturing them would result in great losses.”
Marquis Branford still had high-ranking knights and soldiers with him. The same was true for the nobles who once led the kingdom.
Of course, they were outnumbered here, and while they would win in a fight eventually, there would still be losses on this side.
In the current situation, draining manpower would only lead to more damage on this side.
“Then what are we to do?! Everyone, share your thoughts!”
Berhem looked around the conference hall. However, the number of nobles participating was noticeably fewer than usual.
“W-Why haven’t you all come to the royal castle in such a critical situation? U-Quickly summon everyone! We need to find a way out of this!”
The nobles lowered their heads in gloomy expressions. The sharp-minded ones had already fled with their wealth upon hearing the news.
Only now did Berhem realize that the situation was far more serious than he had thought.
“W-Where have those who swore loyalty to me gone? D-They really fled? No one wants to defend this kingdom?!”
“…Your Majesty.”
“T-Those garbage scum… Didn’t I grant them ample power and rewards?! And yet they betray me?!”
Seeing Berhem explode with rage, Marquis Domont wore a bitter expression. In truth, he too had never expected things to unfold this way.
Who would have imagined that the Kingdom Army would surrender without fighting? He believed that combined with the Duke Faction, they could easily handle the Northern Army.
But everything had quickly fallen apart.
Catching his breath, Berhem’s face turned pale as he said,
“Bring Marquis Branford to me. I must ask for his mediation. Quickly, quickly bring Marquis Branford…”
“…Your Majesty.”
“If Marquis Branford comes, he can protect me. Didn’t they all follow Marquis Branford? Quickly tell him the current situation…”
Berhem, who wanted more than anything to kill Marquis Branford, found himself with no one else to rely on but him.
In a monumentally ugly state, Berhem begged,
“Wasn’t Marquis Branford loyal to the royal family? He must come. He must resolve this matter.”
He had never felt such a threat in his life. Every problem had always been resolved by others.
In the past, the leader of the Shadow Knight Group had protected the royal family. After that, Marquis Branford had done the same.
While they held their positions, no one dared to rebel against the royal family. They were simply too powerful for that.
They were the ones who had also deterred the powerful Duke Faction.
But Berhem only viewed them as usurpers who had taken away his power. Always tormented by insecurity, he wished for their removal.
He wanted to kill them all and wield absolute royal power. He thought that was right.
Only now did he realize that he had enjoyed a comfortable life under their protection.
That they had safeguarded the royal family in place of his feeble body.
He had naively believed that once he grabbed power, everything would be solved.
Berhem roared,
“Bring Marquis Branford to me, now!”
Marquis Domont answered with a pained expression.
“…Your Majesty, you must save yourself.”
It was pointless to summon Marquis Branford now. The flames of rebellion had already spread uncontrollably.
The fact that the people were following Marquis Perdium was evidence of this.
If he sought comfort, he should not have cast out Marquis Branford. Having lusted for power, he now had to bear the consequences.
Berhem, staring vacantly, asked,
“Where to? Where do you mean to run? This land belongs to me!”
“…We may have to go to the Duke Faction.”
The only place that could protect the king now was the Duke Faction. Since he had allied with the Salvation Society, he could not flee to another kingdom.
Berhem asked Placus,
“Can you guide me to the Duke Faction?”
Placus fell into deep thought for a moment. With the collapse of the Kingdom Army, Berhem had truly become useless.
But that was not for him to decide. After all, Berhem still had the symbolism of being the owner of this kingdom.
Whether he was to be abandoned or not would be determined by the Society and the Duke Faction.
“Do not worry. I am a superhuman. Hurry and summon the royal knights and the capital defense force. I will escort you to the Duke Faction.”
“Y-Yes. That’s what we must do. Hurry and prepare!”
The leader of the royal knights, Count Palantz, and Marquis Domont moved to escape the capital.
However, the enemy was moving faster than they had anticipated.
One of the lower commanders came running, pale-faced.
“Y-Your Majesty! The capital is surrounded!”
“What do you mean? I thought the Perdium Army was moving slowly! How can the capital already be surrounded?!”
“Count Penris has brought his own army! It seems to be that renowned Mobile Army!”
The Perdium Army, having absorbed the Kingdom Army and the citizens, had slowed their pace considerably.
While their momentum was remarkable, worthy of the king’s march, they could not be slow forever.
News also reached them that the Duke Faction was mobilizing.
Thus, Ghislaine rushed ahead with only the Mobile Army toward the capital.
Cardenia.
A fortress that has never been sieged by any force, impenetrable and unconquerable.
Once again, Ghislaine came to occupy this place.
In a previous life, he had come with a powerful army and shattered the defenses outright. No matter how strong the walls of Cardenia were, they couldn’t hold up against the continent’s Seven Great Armies.
Currently, he was somewhat lacking in strength, but it posed no problem in seizing Cardenia.
However, Ghislaine thought it unnecessary to bother with breaking the castle down.
He boldly shouted,
“Open the gates!”
Immediately, an uproar began on the castle walls.
