Chapter 592
It Seems to Be Helping Me. (2)
Ghislain let the divine power seep into his body. He didn’t feel that it would do him any harm.
The divine power spread throughout his body. It moved as if inspecting him, then gathered toward his head.
— Uwaah! What the hell! What is this!?
Dark’s scream echoed within his consciousness. Surprisingly, the divine power had infiltrated even his mind.
Ordinarily, he would have blocked it, but Ghislain chose to let it be.
“Huh…”
Ghislain soon let out a breath of admiration. The divine power spread across his consciousness and settled naturally, as if it had always been a part of him.
At that moment, he felt like he understood how priests manipulated and wielded divine power.
“…Can I use this?”
Ghislain focused his will.
He could feel how the divine power interacted with his body, but he couldn’t activate it.
It stubbornly remained in place, as if telling him now is not the time.
“Hm, that’s a bit disappointing.”
Still, it was fascinating.
He couldn’t use it, but he now possessed divine power just like the priests.
After reaching the level where he could perceive the flow of the world and embracing the dream, a change had finally begun.
“It feels like the Saintess is helping me.”
She had given him a battle that pushed his limits and even passed on divine power to him. There was no way she had done it without reason.
“Is it because of Gartros? Or their king?”
It seemed to mean there was still an enemy he needed to face.
Even so, Ghislain remained calm. There was no need to worry about an unknown enemy in advance.
All he had to do was keep growing stronger until he could crush whatever came his way. And he was confident he could do just that.
With the enlightenment he had gained from the dream, he knew he would become even stronger.
Ghislain absentmindedly fiddled with the necklace that had aided him and muttered,
“Is this useless now?”
When he examined it, it felt like nothing more than an ordinary necklace. It seemed the divine power that had been within it had transferred into his body.
Still, he had no intention of discarding it. He decided to keep wearing it just in case.
As he was examining the necklace, the door suddenly burst open, and Claude rushed in.
“L-Lord! We have a problem!”
“What is it?”
Claude, about to speak, suddenly paused. He scanned Ghislain from head to toe and muttered,
“…What? Why do you feel different? Something’s off. Did you eat something weird?”
“……”
“I swear, you feel oddly… sacred. You’re the farthest thing from holy. Am I imagining this?”
“……”
“Hah, this is strange. Why do you give off a different vibe? Did you, by any chance, repent and decide to fix your shitty personality? Or did something go wrong with your body?”
“……”
Claude, deep in thought, suddenly clapped his hands and shouted.
"Ah! That’s it! You haven’t been able to go to war and cause a proper mess lately! That’s why you’re sick! Ugh, who’s going to fix that personality of yours?"
"……."
Ghislain leisurely nodded. That bastard Claude had sharp instincts. He could sense the subtle changes in him.
And it was true things had been a bit too peaceful lately.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
A small commotion erupted in the corner before quickly settling down.
Claude, now rubbing his bruised, swollen eye, reported,
"The sealed rift… has expanded."
"What? The rift got bigger?"
"Yes. We’re reinforcing the magic circle for now, but… we still don’t know the cause. We’re checking other locations as well."
"Hm…"
Ghislain frowned and crossed his arms.
Normally, rifts grew by absorbing the surrounding energy. The bigger they got, the more Riftspawn emerged, eventually leading to the appearance of massive monsters.
Even in his past life, rifts had expanded this way. They had failed to prevent it in time, which resulted in far more terrifying creatures emerging than now.
But this time was different. He had slain Equidema and erased its domain. He had also blocked the influx of energy.
He hadn't completely eradicated the rift, but he had successfully prevented its expansion. This method had worked even in his past life.
Yet, despite all that, the rift was still growing.
What’s different from my past life?
Ghislain fell into deep thought. There had to be a reason.
After pondering for a long time, he realized one key difference.
Back then, the rift had already grown uncontrollably.
Since the initial response had failed, the rifts had become colossal.
Gigantic monsters, referred to as the "masters of the rifts," had emerged everywhere, and Riftspawn had poured out endlessly.
That was why humanity had been forced into such a grueling battle.
I need to check it myself.
A hypothesis formed in his mind. He needed to inspect the rift personally and confirm the differences.
"I’ll take a look in person. Let’s go."
Without hesitation, Ghislain led a small force toward the nearest rift.
No one lived near the rifts anymore. People had relocated to distant areas, fearing that monsters could emerge at any moment.
Around the still-fluctuating rift, numerous magic circles and defensive structures had been installed. Several mages were stationed here, monitoring the rift and tracking the flow of mana.
By cutting off external energy, they were preventing the rift from growing further.
"Hmm…"
As expected, the rift was slightly larger than before.
That meant it was expanding regardless of the surrounding energy.
So, this method isn’t enough after all.
Ghislain proceeded to cut off the surrounding energy once more. However, that alone wasn’t the complete solution. It only served to suppress the expansion.
In reality, Jerome and the mages had already been researching ways to shrink the rifts. Since Ghislain wasn’t knowledgeable in that area, he could only use temporary measures for now.
Still, he hadn’t expected the rift to continue expanding like this.
It seems like the rift itself possesses a force that drives its own growth.
He didn’t know where it was drawing energy from, but it was likely that the surrounding energy only served to accelerate the process.
In his past life, the rifts had already grown to their full size, so even the mages might not have known the exact mechanisms behind their expansion.
“Hah…”
Ghislain sighed as he observed the rift. The other rifts were probably growing as well.
The lack of external energy made the process so slow that no one had noticed, but it was happening nonetheless.
For now, the rifts were still too small for their "masters" to emerge. However, at this rate, it was only a matter of time before they did.
"Gather the mages. We need to prioritize research on suppressing the rifts."
Mages played the most critical role in stabilizing the situation. Their magic was invaluable for construction and reinforcement.
But more urgently, they needed to stop the rift from expanding. Even if the process was slow, it would inevitably reach a breaking point if left unchecked.
"I'm lucky to have Jerome."
Now that the war was over, Jerome had started researching the rifts much earlier than in the past life.
Since he had achieved some results before, they would surely find a way to halt the expansion this time as well.
The news spread quickly. Since the United Human Army included key nobles from various kingdoms, communication was efficient.
Everyone understood the danger of the rifts. Not a single person objected to the research initiative.
Thus, all high-circle mages began studying methods to suppress the rifts.
* * *
Somewhere in the Kingdom of Grimwell, Duke Leinster sat anxiously, waiting for the outcome of the war.
In front of him, a man lounged casually, sipping wine with a relaxed demeanor.
Duke Leinster looked at the man before him and asked,
"Are you not worried, Duke?"
"What do you mean?"
"If we lose this war, we will never recover. We have no army left."
"What would change by worrying? We can only place our faith in those who went to battle."
The man smiling leisurely was none other than Ernhardt Delfine.
Having fled from the Ritania Kingdom, he was now with Duke Leinster.
Unlike the restless Duke, Ernhardt showed no interest in the war’s outcome.
"Hmph…"
Duke Leinster cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair. Seeing his companion’s unshaken composure made his own anxiety seem pathetic.
He tried to maintain a dignified front, but inwardly, his nerves remained on edge.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Ernhardt smiled faintly and asked,
"What will you do if you win, Duke?"
"Isn't it obvious? I will seize control of the continent and rule it."
Duke Leinster's eyes gleamed with ambition. His dream was to dominate the continent and establish a vast empire.
Until recently, he had been convinced that his plan would succeed. Everything had been progressing exactly as he envisioned.
That was until Duke Fenris appeared.
With a slightly reproachful tone, Leinster continued,
"If only you had taken control of Ritania more quickly, things would have been much better. Instead, Duke Fenris has grown into such a formidable force."
"Hmm… That is true. Duke Fenris is indeed a fascinating figure."
Despite the clear criticism, Ernhardt remained completely unfazed. His expression was indifferent, as if he didn’t care at all.
His eyes showed no sign of disturbance, and his lips even carried a faint, enigmatic smile.
Leinster did not like that.
Clicking his tongue in irritation, he thought,
‘Tch, how can he be so carefree after failing so miserably? He should have acted decisively from the start!’
To him, both Duke Delfine and Gartros were frustrating figures.
They had cowered in fear of that so-called "Commander of the Shadow Knights" and remained hidden for too long. Even after that, they suppressed civil war to minimize losses.
And for what? He couldn’t understand why they had been so obsessed with the Forest of Beasts either.
Then there were the other misfortunes that had stacked up.
Marquis Branford, an exceptional figure, had opposed the ducal faction, and one of the lords they had nurtured had ultimately betrayed them.
All those coincidences had piled up, and in the end, gave birth to the monster that was Duke Fenris.
‘Tch, if not for Gartros, I wouldn’t even have to deal with this man. He’s nothing more than a fallen noble, a relic of a ruined house.’
Thus, Duke Leinster had no reason to like Ernhardt.
The only reason he was treating him with respect was because Gartros was an important figure within the Church of Salvation.
Ernhardt, noticing Leinster’s displeasure, asked another question.
"If the King of the Salvation Church is found, what will happen to you, Duke? After all, there can’t be two kings, can there?"
"He will be our spiritual leader, of course. That much is obvious, is it not? The title of 'king' is merely symbolic."
To Leinster, it was only natural that he himself would rule the secular world as its supreme monarch.
He viewed the so-called King of the Salvation Church as nothing more than a Holy One, an exalted religious figure with no real authority.
Ernhardt simply nodded without a word.
As expected, he knows nothing.
The two continued exchanging meaningless small talk, passing the time as they awaited news of the war’s outcome.
Just then—
Kwaaaaaaa!
Darkness surged into the room.
Amidst the swirling shadows, Gartros, wounded and battered, suddenly appeared.
"Cough!"
Gartros, bleeding heavily, looked as if he had been through hell.
Duke Leinster jumped up in shock.
"W-What?! What is the meaning of this?! What happened to the war?!"
For Gartros to appear in such a state, the situation had to be dire. A terrible foreboding crept into Leinster’s voice.
"Speak! Quickly! Tell me what happened!"
Unlike the panicked Leinster, Ernhardt remained seated, his expression as calm as ever.
Gartros looked between the two men, his face exhausted, before he finally spoke with difficulty.
"The war… has been lost. You must flee at once."
"W-What?! We lost?!"
Leinster’s face turned deathly pale.
That meant his entire army his force to conquer the continent was gone.
Even his Order of the White Hawk, his personal knight order, had been wiped out. Leinster slumped into his seat.
"H-How could this happen…? What am I supposed to do now…?"
He was now a condemned criminal of the continent. Without an army, how could he possibly survive?
Behind him, Ernhardt’s languid voice drifted through the air.
"So, it has come to this. Even with such power, you still couldn't defeat Duke Fenris. My old rival has grown truly formidable."
Leinster snapped at Ernhardt’s detached tone, as if this were someone else’s problem.
"You! If you had handled things properly in Ritania, this wouldn’t have happened!"
"Indeed. What a shame."
"What a shame?! You act so carefree, but do you not realize we are as good as dead?!"
"Time."
"What?"
"Given time, all problems resolve themselves. That is the natural order."
"Shut up! How long will you keep spouting such nonsense?! Take responsibility for this mess!"
Leinster had lost all composure. He needed someone to blame, and Ernhardt was the perfect scapegoat.
As the furious duke shouted, Ernhardt simply gazed at him indifferently. Then, he raised his hand and gestured behind him.
"I don’t think we need him anymore. He’ll only be an obstacle in the journey ahead. Get rid of him."
"Understood."
A frail-looking old man standing behind Ernhardt stepped forward.
Among the Duke Delfine's household, there were many stewards. This man was their leader the Head Steward.
He had escaped before Ghislain seized the castle, taking everything important with him.
Leinster’s bloodshot eyes flared in fury as he roared,
"You insolent bastard! Gartros! Kill him! Now!"
At that moment, the old man vanished.
Thud!
"Guh…!"
Before Leinster could react, the old man reappeared before him, plunging a dagger into his heart.
With a look of shock, Leinster turned his head toward Gartros.
But Gartros remained still, his expression grim.
Even the last of Leinster’s knights did not move.
At last, Leinster understood.
"You… damn… traitors…"
He and his forces had been nothing more than tools for the Church of Salvation.
Thud.
Duke Leinster collapsed, lifeless.
As Ernhardt took another sip of wine, he looked down at the body and stood up.
"What a pity. If he had won the war, he would have made a fine ally."
Leinster had gathered many talented individuals under him. Had he won, Ernhardt’s goals could have been achieved much more easily.
But alas, another failure.
Now, he had no choice but to follow the course of nature.
"There will be pursuers everywhere. We should remain hidden for a while."
With that, Ernhardt and Gartros left the Kingdom of Grimwell.
For several days, they moved in secrecy.
Then, suddenly, Ernhardt looked down at his hand.
"Hmm… Already?"
A familiar but long-lost power stirred within him.
The unseen force that lingered in the world had grown stronger.
A force that only they could perceive.
Fwoosh.
Dark energy ignited from his palm.
His power lost for so long was returning.
This meant that the force governing this world, the power of a "King," had strengthened.
Ernhardt smiled.
"It seems the rift that Duke Fenris so desperately tried to suppress has grown a little more."
That was simply the way of things.
No matter how hard Duke Fenris struggled to stop them—
What was meant to happen would happen.