Chapter 528
I Know Everything. (1)
The Kingdom of Atrode.
This nation, one of the strongest on the continent, was the heart of the Salvation Church.
Duke Leinster, the king's younger brother and the true power behind the throne, was a devout follower of the Salvation Church and provided them with a safe haven.
Gartros had served as a royal scholar, advising Duke Leinster since his days as a prince. Over a long period, he had steadily persuaded the duke and instilled the doctrines of the Salvation Church into him.
He had also orchestrated events from the shadows, elevating Duke Leinster—who had been pushed down in the line of succession—to become the kingdom’s most influential figure.
It was only natural that Duke Leinster placed immense trust in Gartros.
Thus, when Gartros returned from his failed mission in Ritania Kingdom, the duke was taken aback.
“I never expected you, Master, to suffer such a disgrace.”
“I apologize, Your Highness. A significant variable arose in Ritania Kingdom.”
“I have heard the news. Count Fenris… no, he has now risen to the rank of Grand Duke, hasn’t he? I would never have imagined even the mighty Duke of Delfine would fall to such a man.”
“His growth rate was extraordinary. Beyond that, numerous unforeseen factors hindered our plans.”
Even as he spoke, Gartros struggled to contain his frustration. So many unexpected figures had appeared, obstructing their path.
He had no way of knowing that Ghislain had experienced the exact same frustration in his past life.
Duke Leinster smiled gently.
“No matter. We simply start again, do we not? This kingdom is nearing its end anyway.”
Indeed, most of the Atrode Kingdom was already under Duke Leinster’s control. Only the capital and its surrounding areas remained.
The only reason he had yet to take full control was that resistance was fierce, and he wished to minimize unnecessary losses. But it was only a matter of time before the kingdom fell completely into his hands.
For Duke Leinster, Ritania Kingdom was a conquest that could wait. He had only approved the mission because Gartros insisted on acquiring the relic first.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“I have summoned the priests back here. We need to reorganize and prepare to fend off Ritania’s army.”
“Hmm… Is Ritania’s army truly that formidable?”
“They are warriors armed with unknown techniques. We must not underestimate them.”
“I see. If even you, Master, suffered setbacks, then they must not be ordinary opponents. We must take the kingdom quickly and prepare for what’s ahead.”
Duke Leinster’s ambition did not end with seizing this kingdom.
His ultimate goal was to use the power of the Salvation Church to dominate the continent and establish an empire.
At first, it had seemed like a straightforward endeavor. After all, most of the continent’s kingdoms had already plunged into chaos due to the Salvation Church.
But now, Grand Duke Fenris was moving across the land, systematically dismantling everything they had built. This was a serious problem for Duke Leinster.
“We must find the relic as soon as possible. At this rate, other strongholds will soon collapse. No, worse yet, we ourselves may fall.”
“Hmm…”
Gartros fell into deep thought.
The next relic was believed to be in the Kingdom of Grimwell. The problem was that it was an incredibly powerful nation.
Even while embroiled in a civil war, Grimwell Kingdom had enough resources to send reinforcements to the allied forces. This meant the Salvation Church had to summon priests to prepare for an assault on Grimwell Kingdom.
If they withdrew priests from their current strongholds, the Salvation Church’s forces in those areas would be easily overwhelmed.
Gartros let out a weary sigh.
“This is troublesome. If we focus all our forces on Grimwell, the allied forces will crush us elsewhere. And if we delay too long, they may send reinforcements before we can take the kingdom.”
Yet prioritizing the allied forces meant they would have no idea when they would finally conquer Grimwell Kingdom.
Ultimately, they had no choice but to split their forces—holding back the allied forces while simultaneously striking Grimwell Kingdom. But now that they were on the defensive, such a strategy was far from ideal.
‘If only that damned man weren’t in the way…’
Gartros struggled to suppress his rising fury.
There were many obstacles, but without a doubt, Grand Duke Fenris’s relentless efforts had dealt the greatest blow to their plans.
He needed to exact revenge on the man. But the situation was not in his favor.
As the two continued to agonize over their strategy for several days, Aiden arrived at Atrode Kingdom, leading a force of troops.
Upon hearing that Ritania Kingdom’s civil war had ended during his return, he had diverted his course to come back here.
“Ohh! My loyal sword has finally returned!”
Duke Leinster warmly welcomed Aiden. He had already received a letter detailing how Aiden had recruited the Revolutionary Group and even won over Helgenik.
“Have you been well, Your Highness?”
Aiden gracefully bowed in greeting. The White Knights, which he led, were an order established by Duke Leinster.
Since they were not bound to any single nation, Aiden was free to move between different kingdoms as he pleased.
“I see. I have already heard the news that you have completed your task safely.”
“The Revolutionary Leader will soon join us with their forces.”
“In these difficult times, you bring me good news. That pleases me greatly.”
Duke Leinster chuckled heartily, acknowledging Aiden’s accomplishments.
Then, turning his gaze to Helgenik, who stood beside Aiden, he asked,
“So, you are the one they call the Master of the Dead?”
“Yes.”
Helgenik gave only a slight nod, prompting Duke Leinster to frown. However, aware of Helgenik’s formidable power, he chose to overlook the necromancer’s lack of courtesy.
This was a time when every strong ally mattered.
Gartros felt the same way. Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to tear Helgenik apart for killing a priest, but fighting among themselves now would only be a foolish waste.
The most urgent issue at hand was dealing with the United Forces gathering as one and the army led by Duke Fenris. They had to devise a strategy to counter them.
As the key figures of the Ducal Families and the Salvation Church gathered, differing opinions were raised.
"Should we deal with the United Forces first? It would be best to strike before they grow stronger."
"If we eliminate them, we will be free to act as we wish. We can always retrieve the Relic afterward."
"Ridiculous! The Relic is our most important objective. How could you suggest delaying its recovery?"
"Without the Relic, we cannot control the Rift, nor fulfill the Church’s mission!"
"But if we lose to the United Forces, we will be utterly finished. There will be no coming back. Who knows how many years this war will last? Holding our ground and securing the Relic first is the logical choice."
"But if we focus on the Relic first and get picked off one by one, wouldn’t that be just as disastrous?"
Both arguments had merit. The shifting power balance across the continent was growing increasingly unfavorable, and they had to make a careful decision.
As the others debated, Helgenik finally spoke.
“The best course of action is to stall the United Forces from fully assembling before we take control of the Kingdom of Grimwell. That way, we can claim the Relic while focusing our main forces on Grimwell.”
Gartros nodded.
“That makes sense. But Duke Fenris’ power is formidable. Ordinary forces won’t be enough to even slow him down.”
Gartros was well aware of the immense strength gathered within Ritania's Northern Army. That intelligence had already been shared with everyone present.
And the problem wasn’t just Duke Fenris. A terrifying new warrior had also emerged in the Kingdom of Turian, and powerful figures from other kingdoms were beginning to unite.
“No matter how strong we are, dividing our forces would be suicidal. That is why we are struggling to decide our priority.”
Hearing this, Helgenik shrugged and let out a chuckle.
What an amusing situation.
“I would like to see this ‘powerful army’ for myself. Provide me with a small force, and I will stall them. In the meantime, seize Grimwell.”
“Do you really think you can do that?”
“All I have to do is blanket the battlefield with undead legions. That should buy you enough time. As long as you prepare the things I require.”
“You mean…”
Gartros’ eyes gleamed. He had always known that Helgenik was a Necromancer, but was he truly suggesting that he could hold back an entire army alone?
Helgenik grinned and added,
“You people don’t seem to understand. The battlefield is where I am at my strongest.”
—
Having dealt with both the Rift and the rebels in the Kingdom of Byron, the Ritanian Army entered a brief period of rest.
Before moving on to their next target, they needed to replenish supplies and rearm their forces.
Thanks to Ghislain, Byron had barely survived, and in gratitude, the kingdom had agreed to send reinforcements. The plan was to gather more troops in this manner as they moved from one kingdom to the next.
As Ghislain rested, waiting for their forces to regroup, a messenger from the Kingdom of Turian arrived.
“Hm, so the Turian Army plans to march this way?”
“Yes. His Highness, the Grand Duke, believes it would be wise to establish the Kingdom of Sardina as the central stronghold for the United Forces.”
“That is not a bad idea.”
The Kingdom of Sardina was located at the center of the continent, making it easy to extend its influence in any direction.
To travel from the Kingdom of Byron to Sardina, one only needed to pass through a few kingdoms. The same applied to the Kingdom of Turian.
War was raging across the continent. Ghislain was on the move, providing assistance, but the allied forces needed a place to gather as one.
Claude asked from the side.
"There won’t be any issues with us reaching that place. There aren't any regions with strong Salvation Church influence between Byron and Sardina[a]. But… will the Turian Kingdom’s forces be able to make it safely?"
They, too, had to subdue at least two kingdoms' rebellions before they could meet up with the Ritania forces.
However, the Turian Kingdom’s troops set to join the alliance numbered less than fifty thousand.
It was a significant force for a country that had just ended its civil war, but it was not nearly enough to settle the civil wars of other nations.
Hearing Claude’s concern, Ghislain chuckled and spoke in place of the messenger.
"That won’t be difficult, right?"
At Ghislain’s words, the messenger puffed out his chest with pride. Confidence radiated from his face.
"That’s correct. There’s no need to worry about that at all."
Among the Turian Kingdom’s forces was Julien, the man who had single-handedly dealt with a rift. To the people of Turian, he was practically a figure of worship.
"Alright, let’s go with that plan."
In Ghislain’s past life, the Kingdom of Sabrina had[b] also been the center of the allied forces. All the alliance’s governing bodies had been established around Sabrina, and the one who spearheaded that initiative had been Julien.
Since Ghislain had intended to do the same this time, he had no reason to object. A designated location for the scattered alliance forces to regroup was a necessity.
With Ghislain’s approval, the messenger departed with a pleased expression.
"Have you assessed the current situation? How are things?"
As soon as the messenger left, Ghislain turned to Claude. Ritania’s intelligence agents were working tirelessly, constantly delivering new information.
"The rebels' momentum is definitely weakening. It’s mainly because the Salvation Church’s priests have suddenly decreased in number."
"Where are the priests gathering?"
"Based on their movements, your assumption was correct—it’s most likely the Kingdom of Atrode... But how did you know?"
"I know everything."
"……"
He always spoke like that, leaving no room for argument. There was no solid evidence, yet his guesses were always right, making it impossible to refute him.
In truth, even in his past life, Ghislain had never discovered the Salvation Church’s hideout. Not just him—no one else had, either.
That was because everyone had been too preoccupied fighting the rifts to spare any effort for the Salvation Church.
However, once Ghislain realized that the "we" Aiden had spoken of referred to the Salvation Church, deducing their hideout became much easier.
The White Silver Knights, led by Aiden, were under the command of Duke Leinster of the Kingdom of Atrode.
‘Looks like those bastards are in a bit of a rush this time around.’
In his past life, those cunning scoundrels had the audacity to join the allied forces and act alongside them.
Back then, rebellions had not erupted simultaneously across the continent, which had given them enough leeway to hide their true strength.
But in this life, due to Ghislain interfering with their plans, Duke Leinster had been forced to openly stage a rebellion.
"Since they’re gathering their forces, we should take care of as many areas as possible before they make their next move. We never know when the Salvation Church will strike again."
Although Ghislain had greatly weakened them, the combined might of the Salvation Church still couldn’t be taken lightly. Hidden threats like Aiden likely remained.
The sooner the other kingdoms were secured, the sooner the allied forces could unite their strength.
Just as the Salvation Church was wary of Ghislain, he, too, was on high alert against them.
Remembering how they had operated in secrecy and succeeded in most of their schemes in his past life, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.
"Complete preparations as quickly as possible and prepare to move out."
At Ghislain’s command, the Ritania forces moved swiftly. Thanks to Byron’s active cooperation, resupplying and reorganizing went smoothly.
That wasn’t all. The Kingdom of Byron was also instrumental in identifying refugees from other nations.
"We found them."
Hearing the Byronian administrator’s words, Claude asked in a trembling voice.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes, without a doubt. We verified their identities while accounting for the refugees. They are currently under the protection of soldiers at a refugee camp."
Though Claude was a slave, he was also the second-in-command of the Ritania Kingdom’s northern forces. The Byronian officials had been eager to win his favor.
Thanks to their efforts, Claude had finally found Anna’s whereabouts.
[a]So Sardina is mentioned five times in this chapter but once Sabrina was used. I thought it was mistakenly corrected by google docs or something similar... Coincidentally I checked the name list and there is a Kingdom of Sabrina - actually right under Sardina.....
But it still makes no sense to use Sabrina here... and I can't remember which of the five Sardinas here was originally Sabrina
[b]@[email protected] Changed the Sardina here to Sabrina