Chapter 526
Finally, You’ve Made a Move. (1)
“Hey, you’re alive?”
A mere gang leader had managed to survive and make it all the way to the capital. Considering how far Austern was from the capital, it could only be described as sheer luck.
Crank scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
“Y-Yeah. Somehow…”
His back was drenched in cold sweat. After all, his history with Claude was nothing short of disastrous.
Crank had once tried to frame Claude for fraud and have his wrist cut off. He had also kept tabs on him, watching his every move.
And yet, the man he had tormented had now returned as an incredibly powerful figure. If Claude so much as lifted a finger, Crank’s life would be forfeit.
“No way! Do you know what I’ve been through just to survive? I refuse to die like this!”
Sure enough, Claude smirked coldly.
“Do you know what’s the first thing we’d do after taking over a territory?”
“Ah, yes, I do.”
Stabilizing an occupied region wasn’t as simple as just distributing food. Ghislain, in particular, placed great importance on law and order.
That was why, in every new territory they conquered, the first order of business was to completely eradicate the criminal organizations.
The same had already begun in the Kingdom of Seiron. Anyone who had even slightly engaged in vile acts had been rounded up.
With reports from the people and intelligence gathered by the kingdom, the most vicious criminals were executed on the spot.
Crank had managed to evade execution only because he had kept a low profile after losing his influence. But now, with Claude standing before him, there was no escape.
“P-Please spare me!”
He immediately prostrated himself. He knew all too well that Claude had personally removed the king and nobles alike.
Even back at the academy, Claude had been infamous for holding grudges. There was no way he would let someone like Crank walk free.
Sure enough, Claude flaunted his pettiness with relish.
“Nope. Can’t do that. I was actually really hurt back then.”
“Waaah! Please, I’m begging you!”
“No can do. Our policy is to create a crime-free, livable society.”
“I’ve already turned over a new leaf!”
“But you’ve already committed so many crimes in the past. Hey, take this guy away.”
The soldiers immediately seized Crank. As he was being dragged away, a sudden thought struck him, and he shouted desperately.
“Anna! I know where Anna went!”
“What?”
Claude’s head snapped around. Despite all his efforts, he had been unable to track down Anna’s whereabouts.
“You’d better not be lying. If you are, you’ll die twice.”
“I-I swear! Please, spare me!”
“Where did she go?”
Crank had considered bargaining, but he quickly abandoned the idea.
Trying to outmaneuver this petty bastard would only bring greater trouble later. It was best to cooperate.
He spoke honestly.
“She left for the Kingdom of Byron.”
“What? Are you sure?”
“P-Probably. I caught a glimpse of her when the refugee groups split. I swear it’s true.”
“Hm…”
Claude narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t naive enough to take a criminal’s word at face value.
But Crank looked genuinely desperate.
“It’s the truth. I’m not mistaken, and I’m not lying.”
“Explain in detail.”
“Well, you see…”
When the Rift erupted, refugee groups had formed everywhere. It wasn’t uncommon for people from different regions to cross paths.
Likewise, it wasn’t unusual for people to split off based on differing opinions on where to go.
The group Anna had been with had decided to leave for a neighboring kingdom, while Crank’s group had chosen to head for the capital, believing that staying where they were familiar with was the better choice.
Claude nodded as he listened.
“I see. That makes sense.”
He already knew that some refugees had fled to other kingdoms. If Anna wasn’t in the Kingdom of Seiron, it was plausible that she had gone elsewhere.
Even if it was just a possibility, it was better than assuming she was dead.
Crank rubbed his hands together and tried to flatter him.
“Now that you’re in such a high position, you should be able to find her again soon. And since you’ve avenged your master, you can finally—”
Thwack!
Claude smacked Crank across the back of his head.
“That’s not it, you idiot. I’m just looking for her because she’s my master’s daughter.”
Sure, avenging his master felt good. But that didn’t erase the fact that his own mistake had led to his master’s death.
Anna and he had already chosen different paths. If the world hadn’t fallen into chaos, he would have simply moved on after their parting.
But now, with monsters and cultists running rampant, he just wanted to confirm that she was safe.
It was nothing more than an attempt to ease the guilt of his past. That was all.
Crank kept nodding eagerly, rubbing his hands together again.
“Of course, of course! I know well how merciful and magnanimous you are, Governor. So… since I gave you this valuable information, you’ll spare me, right?”
“Why didn’t you come to me with this right away?”
Claude spent several days scouring the kingdom in search of Anna. Even if people had seen her, they wouldn’t have been able to provide any useful information unless they knew who she was.
But Crank knew her.
Crank’s eyes widened as he spoke.
“If I show up, you’ll either kill me on the spot or at least send me off to forced labor. You were about to do that just now, weren’t you? That’s why I’ve been avoiding you as much as possible.”
“You bastard… You know me too well.”
“Hehe, but still, we used to gamble together back in Austern, didn’t we?”
“Fine, since you told me where she is, I’ll let you live.”
“Oh! Thank you! Long live the Governor! Long live!”
Crank prostrated himself on the ground, his face bright with relief. Claude then slung an arm around his shoulders and spoke.
“Enlist.”
“Huh?”
“Join the Seiron Reconstruction Army. Got it?”
“……”
“Or die.”
Claude was becoming more like Ghislain with each passing day.
“I… I’ll enlist.”
Tears welled in Crank’s eyes as he accepted. It was better than being dragged away and executed.
As he watched Crank leave with his head bowed, Claude fell into deep thought.
“The Kingdom of Byron, huh…? This works out well.”
After Seiron, the next place Ghislain had gone to save was the Kingdom of Byron. Claude was planning to head there soon as well.
Finding Anna would be even more difficult in the Kingdom of Byron. It was larger than the Kingdom of Seiron and was also home to the Salvation Church’s forces.
Anna might have already died there, or perhaps she had fled to another country.
Still, until he knew her whereabouts for certain, Claude would continue searching for Anna.
—
The Kingdom of Byron was already more than half consumed by the Salvation Church and the Rift.
As a minor nation, Byron had managed to hold on to even half its territory only thanks to the civil war in the Kingdom of Ritania.
Some of the priests stationed in Byron had withdrawn and moved to Ritania, allowing Byron to endure for the time being.
The Rift’s unchecked expansion was another reason. Even the nobles who had allied with the Salvation Church to stage a rebellion had to avoid the Rift’s domain.
“Damn it! This isn’t what we prepared for! You said it could be controlled!”
Bang!
Marquis Brodes, leader of the Byronan rebels, slammed his fist on the desk, swallowing his anger.
It was maddening. Fighting against the Rift’s domain meant casualties for his troops, so they had no choice but to avoid it. Meanwhile, the kingdom’s forces had solidified their defenses.
While the kingdom’s army only needed to contain the Rift’s expansion, his forces had to maneuver around it while also attacking the kingdom’s forces.
And that wasn’t the only issue.
“When the hell are they sending the superhumans back?!”
The rebels were currently bogged down by the kingdom’s fierce resistance.
From the start, their forces had been slightly weaker than the kingdom’s army. However, with the aid of the Salvation Church’s superhumans, they had been advancing with unstoppable momentum.
Then, the civil war in Ritania broke out, and most of the superhumans stationed in Byron had been reassigned there. Without them, the rebels could no longer push forward.
“Hurry up and contact them again! Tell them to send even one back!”
As he was urging his staff, a shocking report came in.
“T-The priests have all disappeared!”
“What?”
“The priests of the Salvation Church are nowhere to be found! They must have fled!”
“T-This can’t be….”
Marquis Brodes’ face turned pale.
Even without the superhumans, the Salvation Church’s ordinary priests had been a tremendous asset. They had taken on the role of mages and had also facilitated communication with the Salvation Church.
For all of them to disappear in a single day… Now, they would have to face both the Rift and the kingdom’s army at the same time.
“Those bastards ran the moment things got tough!”
Marquis Brodes felt utterly betrayed. They had enticed him with the promise of seizing the kingdom, only to abandon him when it mattered most!
Then, even more devastating news arrived.
“The civil war in Ritania has ended! The Duke of Delfine and the Salvation Church have been defeated!”
“The Duke of Fenris has mobilized an army of 100,000!”
“The Duke of Fenris’ vanguard of 20,000 has already begun pushing the frontlines back! We need a plan immediately!”
Marquis Brodes trembled violently. The superhumans were gone. The priests had fled. And now, an army of 100,000 men was marching toward them?
Even if they combined all their remaining forces, they would barely reach 100,000. And they had no superhumans left.
They were already barely holding their own against the kingdom’s army. If the enemy’s numbers suddenly increased by 100,000, victory would be impossible.
Marquis Brodes spoke urgently.
"Mobilize all troops and block the path! Those bastards will have to avoid the Rift's territory, so we just need to cut them off there! In the meantime, contact the Salvation Church in the other kingdoms again..."
"It... It’s no use."
At the aide’s words, Marquis Brodes frowned.
"What? What do you mean, it's no use?!"
"D-Duke Fenris is..."
"What about Duke Fenris?!"
"He’s simply pushing forward, even through the Rift, and heading straight here. They say he’s taking almost no damage."
"......"
Marquis Brodes felt dizzy. Was that even possible? Could a human army be that powerful?
If such a force existed, why had humanity suffered at the hands of the Rifts for so long?
There was only one answer—this army had surpassed the limits of human strength.
"N-No wonder why the Salvation Church decided to attack the Kingdom of Ritania first."
As far as Marquis Brodes knew, all the high-ranking priests from the neighboring kingdoms had flocked to Ritania.
Yet, despite that, Fenris had defeated them and was now supporting other kingdoms as well?!
"R-Run! Get ready! We have to escape!"
Marquis Brodes made a swift decision. The problem was that he tried to take everything with him.
Had he fled with only his close aides, he might have escaped safely. After all, wherever the Salvation Church existed, he could always regroup.
But he insisted on bringing his army and supplies. He wanted to retain power even in another kingdom.
"We have plenty of time."
The distance was considerable, so he naturally assumed as much. He had completely miscalculated the speed of the Fenris Mobile Corps.
Dudududududu!
Until 20,000 cavalrymen appeared right on their heels.
"W-What the hell is that?! This can't be real!"
Marquis Brodes felt like he was seeing ghosts. The Fenris Mobile Corps had arrived even before his messengers could deliver the warning.
Kwooooom!
"Uaaghhh!"
There was no declaration of war. No negotiations.
They simply charged in and crushed everything.
Desperate attempts to resist were futile. The difference in combat strength was too vast.
Marquis Brodes watched his forces being annihilated, his mind going blank.
The world called the Salvation Church demonic.
But that was only because they had never seen Duke Fenris' army.
This was a force that truly belonged to demons.
Boom! Boom! Kwooooom!
At the front, a man with glowing red eyes sent soldiers flying. No one could stop him.
The warriors at his side were the same. They cut down soldiers like they were chopping straw, relentlessly advancing.
Marquis Brodes felt warmth spreading down his legs before realizing—he had wet himself.
That demon, grinning viciously, had already closed the distance and was standing right before him.
"D-Duke Fenris...?"
"That's right."
"I-I surrender—"
"Not interested."
Schlak!
Ghislain ended it with a single swing, beheading Marquis Brodes.
And with that, the rebellion in the Kingdom of Byron was over. A few remnants remained, but Claude was leading his forces to mop them up.
Ghislain and his 20,000 cavalrymen had a different mission—to strike key locations first.
They had expected an easy victory, and indeed, it was.
Yet, Ghislain tilted his head, puzzled.
'Where are the priests?'
Other than one or two early encounters, they had not seen a single priest of the Salvation Church.
That could only mean one thing—they had all fled.
The high-ranking priests from the neighboring kingdoms had surely taken part in the Ritania civil war, so their absence made sense.
But even the regular priests were nowhere to be found. That was strange.
'So those bastards are gathering their strength elsewhere.'
They were clearly regrouping to avoid being picked off individually.
When those cockroaches clustered together, they became terrifyingly powerful. The other kingdoms needed to rally their forces as soon as possible.
It would be troublesome, but the Northern Army of Ritania had no choice but to push even harder.
As Ghislain clicked his tongue, preparing for the next battle, a welcome piece of news arrived.
"The civil war in the Turian Kingdom has ended! They’ve just sent word—they want to join the alliance!"
It was the second kingdom to finish its civil war after Ritania.
Everyone who heard the news widened their eyes in shock.
Turian had struggled even before the Rifts and the rise of the Salvation Church, constantly battling crazed monsters. That was why they had been unable to join the alliance earlier.
And yet, they had already ended their war? It was an unbelievable feat.
But Ghislain was not surprised.
Because he knew one of the Seven Strongest on the Continent was in the Turian Kingdom.
A grin spread across Ghislain's face.
'So that bastard finally made his move.'
The man who, in his past life, had been hailed as the greatest swordsman on the continent.
Soon, he would meet him again.