Chapter 529
I Know Everything. (2)
Honestly, I [a][b]had half given up. Searching for a single refugee in times of war was nearly impossible.
Fortunately, tracking refugees who had crossed over from another country was relatively easier.
Thanks to the efforts of Byron’s administrators, combined with a stroke of luck, I was able to find Anna.
"Would you like to go see her now?"
At the administrator’s question, Claude nodded vigorously.
"Let’s go. Let’s go right now. No, wait, cover my face first."
Disguising himself, Claude cautiously made his way to the refugee camp.
Having led the Ritania army, he had seen many refugee camps before. Given the circumstances, their conditions were dire.
They barely had enough to eat, and security was nonexistent. Fights broke out constantly, and many people perished from disease.
Yet, the kingdom couldn’t spare resources to help them. Dealing with the rifts and the rebels was already overwhelming.
But Byron Kingdom’s camp was different.
"This place…"
Claude and Wendy were slightly taken aback by what they saw.
Ample food, clean clothing, and medicine were being distributed, and soldiers were stationed to prevent conflicts.
The refugees, unaccustomed to such provisions, wore expressions of disbelief.
Unaware that this was all orchestrated to impress Claude.
With a subtle smile, the administrator spoke.
"As you instructed, we haven’t said anything yet. We've ensured that no issues arise."
"…Thank you. I won’t forget your consideration."
The administrator who had guided Claude looked satisfied. It was a relief to be able to offer even a small token of gratitude to the savior of the kingdom.
Additionally, this would likely strengthen the relationship with Ritania.
Claude's eyes trembled as he gazed toward a corner of the camp.
Anna was resting among a group of people. She looked extremely haggard and disheveled from all the hardship she had endured.
Yet, the gentle smile on her face remained unchanged. She had always tried to smile, no matter how difficult things were.
"Anna…"
Claude's throat tightened.
She was someone who didn’t deserve to live like this. A woman born into a prestigious family had her life ruined because of him.
From then until now, she had never had a moment of peace. The guilt still hadn’t left him.
Even when he had turned Alfoi into a slave, he hadn’t felt this way. That was how much Anna was an aching wound to Claude.
"…At least she’s okay."
Several people were looking after Anna. Judging by their attire, they appeared to be from the academy she had been dispatched to.
They must have been the reason she had avoided any severe misfortune in this war.
Now, he had to finally settle the matter that had haunted him for so long. Hadn’t he pursued vengeance for his master to bring closure to his past?
Claude turned to the Ritania administrator who had accompanied him.
"I'll allocate some troops. Ensure that the refugees from the Kingdom of Seiron return safely to their homeland."
"Understood."
"Make sure they have food and shelter so they can focus on rebuilding their lives without worry."
The Kingdom of Seiron was now under Ritania's influence. Before long, it would be fully incorporated, making it far safer than Byron Kingdom.
In the meantime, he planned to station troops there to protect them. That should be enough to let them live in peace.
"They’ll hear that I avenged my master."
As the acting governor of Seiron, there was no way his name wouldn’t reach them.
She would surely seek him out… but he would never return there. She wouldn’t be able to find him.
"Is this enough?"
The guilt of having ruined her life wouldn’t disappear, but there was nothing more he could do for her.
Soldiers approached the refugees and relayed Claude’s orders. The refugees from the Kingdom of Seiron were overjoyed at the news.
"We can go home again?"
"They’re giving us food and shelter too?"
"Ritania Kingdom is really helping us!"
Anna clasped her hands together in joy.
She had no idea how long she would have to keep wandering, but now she was told she could finally return home. They even promised food and shelter—how could she not be happy?
Then, suddenly, an odd feeling washed over her, and she turned her head. Amidst the cheering crowd, someone was staring at her intently.
‘Who is that?’
It was an unfamiliar face. And yet, for some reason, it felt oddly familiar.
The man continued watching her for a moment longer before slowly turning away.
Without realizing it, Anna murmured,
“…Claude?”
But she quickly shook her head.
She knew that Claude had followed the Duke of Fenris. And she also knew that the Duke of Fenris’ army had come to aid this kingdom.
But the Claude she remembered was timid, cowardly, and all talk. He had nothing to do with the battlefield.
‘He always said that safety came first.’
He was probably working as an administrator in Fenris’ domain. There was no way Claude could be here.
Anna glanced at the departing man for a moment before laughing and chatting with the people around her.
—
As Claude left the camp, Wendy cautiously asked,
“Are you sure? You’re not going to meet her…?”
“It’s fine. What good would come from that?”
“But… you looked for her for so long.”
“I just… I just wanted peace of mind. Because of me, she lost her father and had to live a hard life.”
“……”
Wendy said nothing. She thought she understood at least a little of the guilt Claude carried.
Seeing how he worked back in the estate, one would think he had no conscience.
Now that he felt somewhat at ease, Claude spoke in his usual flippant tone.
“Besides, a successful ex suddenly showing up only works in revenge stories. I’m the one who broke up with her. What right do I have to go see her now?”
At that, Wendy smirked. Broke up with her? He ran away in fear, not some noble act of rejection.
And as for success? Claude’s official status was still that of a ‘slave.’
Seeing her expression, Claude let out a dry cough.
“Ahem, uh, anyway. I’ve done enough.”
Anna would live without hardship now. The administrators of Seiron’s territory would keep quietly supporting and protecting her.
That alone was enough for him to feel relieved. Now, all that remained was to completely eradicate the Salvation Church so people could live in peace.
There was also the matter of avenging his master, who had been falsely accused by the Revolutionary Group—but who knew when that would happen?
Feeling somewhat lighter, Claude prepared to leave the Kingdom of Byron. As usual, he hopped along in his exaggerated, playful manner.
And Wendy quietly followed behind him.
—
With their maintenance complete, the Ritania army immediately marched toward the neighboring kingdom.
During the journey, Ghislain received letters from Julien, keeping him updated on the progress of their advance.
As promised, they would meet in the Kingdom of Sardina, so sharing battlefield updates was essential.
Thanks to Dark, whom Ghislain had sent ahead, both armies were able to communicate much more quickly.
Beside him, Belinda wore a half-skeptical, half-expectant expression as she asked,
“Do you think they’ll really make it safely? The Salvation Church bastards aren’t exactly easy to deal with. They have to suppress rebellions in two different kingdoms.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. That guy’s insanely strong—this much won’t be a problem. Besides, it’s not like the Salvation Church still has their main forces.”
“How do you know he’s strong? He only just revealed himself. The stories about his achievements sound way too exaggerated.”
“I just know.”
“……”
Like Claude, Belinda was at a loss for words.
She had always wondered if Ghislain actually had some kind of foresight—it was almost eerie.
“Well then, shall we check in on Elena’s training today?”
Ghislain considered it a waste to leave such talents idling in the kingdom, so he kept Elena and Rachel by his side.
And whenever there was spare time during the march, he forced them to practice the Mana Refinement Technique.
After learning it, both of them frequently contributed to battles against the Riftspawn.
As soon as Ghislain appeared, Elena and Rachel’s faces paled.
The Elemental Mana Refinement Technique was undoubtedly effective, but the problem was the sheer pain that came with it.
Elena spoke with dead, hollow eyes.
"Can't we stop this already?"
"No."
"Then let’s take a break today."
"No…?"
Whoosh!
Before she even finished speaking, Elena’s fist tore through the air, aiming straight for him. She was trying to knock him unconscious with a surprise attack.
"Oh?"
Ghislain dodged lightly and swiftly closed the distance, wrapping his arm around her neck. At the same time, he pressed his palm against her back, pouring mana into her body.
"AAARGH!"
Elena couldn’t withstand the pain and struck Ghislain’s side with her elbow—a clean, practiced blow honed through training.
Crack!
Ghislain clenched his teeth at the searing pain, feeling as if his ribs were about to snap. No, he was pretty sure they had actually cracked.
"Urgh! You monster!"
“Sh-Sh-Shut up! Don’t call me that! AARGH!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Elena thrashed violently, slamming her elbow into his body again and again.
She had always been naturally strong due to her divine power, but now that she had learned the Elemental Mana Refinement Technique, her strength was increasing exponentially.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
As he took the hits, Ghislain thought to himself.
'This is crazy. At this rate, we might actually see an Eighth Strongest on the Continent. Damn, this hurts.'
If not for his abnormal regeneration and defense, he would’ve been done for. Any regular knight would have had their ribs shattered instantly.
In that regard, Rachel was much easier to deal with—she simply passed out when she reached her limit.
But Elena, the monster in human form, was only getting tougher. Even her endurance had improved to the point where she no longer fainted.
As soon as the forced mana refinement session ended, Ghislain hurriedly backed away from Elena and declared,
"From now on, you can do it yourself. That should be enough. I’m exhausted too, you damn monster princess."
“Uuuugh…”
Still lying on the ground, Elena glared at him, full of resentment. She couldn’t understand why she had to endure such suffering.
Other noble ladies were living gracefully in the capital, yet here she was, rolling around on the battlefield.
Something about the duties of nobility or whatever? It wasn’t exactly wrong, but that didn’t make it any less infuriating.
So Elena unleashed all her pent-up frustration on the Riftspawn.
Boom!
She slammed Proclaimer of Destruction into the ground and stared ahead.
Until now, she and Rachel had been following behind the knights, gradually gaining experience.
But this time was different. Ghislain had decided that they were ready and placed them at the front alongside the knights.
KIIIIIEEEEEH!
A horde of Riftspawn rushed toward them, but Elena wasn’t afraid. On the contrary, her eyes burned with a terrifying intensity.
She desperately needed an outlet for all the stress that had built up inside her.
"RAAAAAAH!"
With a fierce battle cry, she swung her massive warhammer.
BOOOOOOM!
KIIIIEEEH?!
The Riftspawn charging toward her were obliterated in an instant.
[a]I can't remember if the first person view has ever been used before but at least not recently, it doesn't fit the usual style
do with this what you want, to me it would still feel weird if I we just put the next three sentences in ''... so rewrite to third person?
[b]Let's rewrite it all in third person. I can't do it now, my duty is around 10:30. I'll be back around 8pm