Chapter 617
Why Don’t You Know How to Converse? (1)
Ernhardt, who had been staring down at his hands for a long time, finally lifted his head.
“Gartros.”
“Speak, my lord.”
“I’m curious about your thoughts. Do you truly believe the future is predetermined?”
“Yes. Everything will unfold as promised. The fact that I am still alive is proof of that.”
Had they failed to retrieve the relic, Gartros would have perished completely, his very soul erased by Jerome’s magic.
But the relic left behind by their archenemy, the Saintess, had saved him.
It was nothing short of a miracle, a clear sign of divine favor, urging them to fulfill their purpose.
At his words, Ernhardt countered,
“The revelation given by God did not come to pass exactly as foretold. There was a deviation along the way. The future did not flow as promised.”
“……”
Gartros was momentarily at a loss for words.
Only Ernhardt knew what transpired in his dreams. Gartros had no way of knowing what had happened in them.
Even if he did, he doubted he could empathize. There was no need to agonize over something as trivial as a dream. A dream was just a dream.
Their only duty was to prepare for the King’s return and hasten his resurrection.
They had stumbled a few times, but no matter what had happened, the prophecy would eventually be fulfilled.
Even so, he couldn’t just dismiss Ernhardt’s dream as meaningless nonsense. Ernhardt truly believed in it.
‘Even if it was a revelation, isn’t it natural for minor variables to exist?’
Bowing his head slightly, Gartros replied with utmost respect,
“The scriptures do not detail everything precisely. There are bound to be minor variables and deviations. What truly matters are the omens and the final outcome, are they not?”
“Hm…”
“The great famine, the rifts, the plagues, the wars all these signs have already manifested or are unfolding naturally. It proves that everything is happening according to the prophecy.”
Ernhardt chuckled faintly before asking,
“But weren’t most of those caused by us? We made the prophecy come true.”
“…That, too, was predestined. We were born for this purpose.”
“I see. And since these events also occurred in my dream, I cannot entirely dismiss them.”
“Indeed. Everything has been arranged since long ago. Please do not trouble yourself too much simply await the King’s resurrection. You are the last remaining Apostle, Your Highness. You must wait for the promised day.”
While others remained unaware, Gartros had long addressed Ernhardt as an Apostle. Only the high-ranking members of the Salvation Church knew this truth.
Ernhardt leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes.
As expected, no one understood him. Not even Gartros.
“Yes… everything will proceed as fate dictates, and all I must do is wait.”
Surely, that must be the case. Even now, signs continued to appear, foretelling the King’s imminent resurrection.
He could feel that the divine power spreading across the world was growing stronger.
"May our King be reborn soon."
No one wished for it more than Ernhardt. The King had to return for him to obtain what he desired.
The King’s resurrection, and the fulfillment of his own wish through it, these were certainties of the future. He believed that.
That was why he always waited with joy in his heart. That thought filled his mind at all times.
But the revelation had not been perfect. The future Ernhardt had known had completely collapsed. All that remained was chaos.
And now, within Ernhardt’s mind—
‘Ghislain Ferdium.’
That name alone consumed his thoughts.
- - -
Ghislain, who had been deeply contemplating the true nature of the Duke of Delfine’s household, eventually let out a sigh.
"I need to hunt him down and kill him quickly, but I have no idea where he is."
Ernhardt had neither trained in swordsmanship nor magic. When Ghislain faced him directly, he hadn’t sensed even a trace of power. If he had any strength, he would have surely played a role in the war.
Yet, Ernhardt had left everything to his subordinates and done absolutely nothing himself. He simply watched events unfold, as if he were an observer rather than a participant.
That unsettling composure continued to bother him.
Ernhardt exuded an aura that was different from the dignity expected of a high noble, something inexplicable and foreign.
And considering his past actions, he was truly an unpredictable madman.
‘— That demon was incredibly strong. It sent shivers down my spine. No army in this kingdom could stop that demon. It was like a formless cloud of death itself.’
When Ernhardt had said that, Ghislain had been inwardly startled.
It was as if he was describing his past life.
How was that even possible? It didn’t seem like Ernhardt had regressed as he had.
And calling him a demon?
At the time, Ghislain hadn’t understood, but now he knew quite a lot about the existence known as the Adversary.
The words Ernhardt had spoken still lingered in his mind, leaving him uneasy. That so-called demon he had seen in his dreams…
"A dream, huh…?"
Just as Ghislain experienced visions through the relic, could Ernhardt truly be receiving revelations?
It was impossible to say for certain.
But there was one thing he knew without a doubt.
— Ghislain Ferdium, you are that demon. You were my greatest foe. You were the demon that stood in the way of my path.
‘Foe.’
Yes, that man and he could not coexist under the same sky.
From his past life to the present—
Their connection had been one of relentless, inescapable enmity.
In the past, Ernhardt had emerged victorious.
Now, he had the upper hand.
But the final outcome had yet to be decided.
The fall of the Salvation Church and the end of the war did not mean everything was truly over.
"It won't truly be over until that bastard is dead."
As soon as the dragon hunt was finished, Ghislain would deploy pursuit squads across the entire continent. He had to find and eliminate him no matter what.
Only then would Ghislain finally be able to take a real rest.
After his recent dream, Ghislain had focused even more on his training. The new realms he had glimpsed were guiding his path forward.
A normal person wouldn’t have gained much from that dream.
But Ghislain was different. He had reached a level where he could harness the power of the world itself. Furthermore, he already understood the techniques of those he had seen in his dream.
He resolved to merge the techniques he had witnessed into a single, unified form. If he succeeded, he would achieve yet another great breakthrough.
Thus, he tirelessly swung his sword in the fortress’s training grounds.
Boom!
Each time Ghislain swung his blade, the ground trembled.
“Hoo…”
While he was absorbed in training, a knight approached him.
"Everyone has gathered."
"Alright."
Over the past few days, the United Army’s commanders had convened once again. They looked somewhat weary.
It was only natural. The moment the war ended, they had been thrown into battle against monsters. It had been an exhausting and gruesome series of fights.
However, thanks to their prior preparations, they had managed to contain the threat without suffering significant losses.
"The Duke of Fenris truly is thorough in his preparations."
"It almost feels as if he knows the enemy’s forces in advance, doesn’t it?"
"We were on the verge of disaster again, but the reinforcements and mages were positioned perfectly."
The commanders murmured among themselves, openly admiring Ghislain’s foresight.
To Ghislain, however, it was obvious as he had already lived through all of this in his previous life.
But to those who didn’t know the truth, he simply seemed like a prophet.
As Ghislain entered the meeting room, everyone greeted him with beaming smiles.
'At last, our job is done.'
'I just want to go home.'
'Forget the dragon I want to run away.'
They had fought non-stop. They wanted nothing more than to be done with it.
Most of all, they had no desire to face a terrifying creature like a dragon.
It was a relief that the Duke of Fenris had decided to handle it himself.
Understanding their sentiments, Ghislain gave them the words they were hoping to hear.
"Everyone has done well. As planned, the rest of you will focus on eradicating the remaining stragglers. The dragon will be dealt with by me, the Transcendents, and the prepared mages."
"Oh… Ohhh! Ahem!"
The United Army’s commanders nearly burst into cheers but managed to restrain themselves.
Even they weren’t foolish enough to openly celebrate in front of the man who would be facing the most dangerous enemy.
Instead, they displayed the refined etiquette they had cultivated over years as nobles.
"Ahem, ahem… Are you certain you'll be alright without us?"
"Sending only us to handle the remnants… We can’t help but feel a little concerned."
"Isn’t this too much of a burden for just a few individuals…?"
They rattled off empty words, saying things they didn’t mean in the slightest.
Because they knew once the Duke of Fenris made a decision, he never backed down.
He had already declared that only the elite would face the dragon. If they insisted on staying, they would only increase casualties rather than contribute meaningfully.
So, they could afford to put on this show of humility.
"If you ever need our assistance, just say the word."
"Of course! After all, we've fought side by side through this long war, haven’t we?"
"It’s been years now, hasn’t it? At this point, we’re practically sworn brothers, sworn brothers!"
The commanders of various nations spoke boldly, and Ghislain smiled at the display.
Yes, this was what it meant to be comrades. Look at them, all so eager to step forward and lend a hand.
So, he decided to speak freely.
"Truly, your words alone mean the world to me. Fighting alongside you all has been the greatest honor of my life."
"Ahem, ahem, now there’s no need for such words."
"No, no, the honor is ours."
"Perhaps we should form a social club once the war is over, eh? Hahaha!"
Laughter boomed across the room. Ghislain laughed along with them before casually dropping a bombshell.
"I was worried about how to bring this up, but since you all are so kind and supportive, I truly appreciate it. There’s just one favor I’d like to ask of you."
"Hahaha… Well… go ahead and ask…."
The commanders' voices trailed off.
Because they knew the Duke of Fenris never asked for something "reasonable."
Sure enough, Ghislain flashed them a bright smile and continued.
"I recently made a promise to the soldiers, you see."
Their faces turned pale.
They had already heard the rumors. They knew what was coming next.
At this point, if someone didn’t understand the Duke’s personality, they were probably a spy.
Just then, Marquis Alperen, who had been present, quickly jumped in to cut him off.
"Ahem, ahem. Everyone, you don’t need to worry about that. The Duke of Fenris has already agreed to handle it all himself."
Surely, after saying that much, he wouldn’t go back on his word.
At least, that's what they hoped.
But Ghislain was the kind of man who could overturn his own words whenever necessary.
"Ah, but the more I think about it, the more I realize it’s a bit much for me alone."
"……."
"I think all of you should pitch in, even if just a little."
"……."
"Let’s collect some money from each kingdom. Ah, I’ve just been so exhausted lately."
"……."
Silence.
Every kingdom was already on the verge of financial collapse after the prolonged war. Where exactly were they supposed to find this money?
And even if they did inject funds into the economy, it wouldn’t circulate properly, not in this disastrous economic state.
But that wasn’t Ghislain’s problem.
That was Claude’s problem.
"I understand what you're all worried about. We’ve already prepared policies to address those concerns once the war officially ends. Just focus on preparing the funds."
"……."
They all swallowed nervously.
The atmosphere had grown unbearably tense.
Ghislain's expression turned slightly disappointed.
"What’s this? Didn’t you just say I could ask for help anytime?"
All the commanders immediately turned to glare at the one who had spoken those words.
Why the hell did you run your mouth?! Look at what you’ve done!
One commander wiped the sweat from his brow and cautiously responded.
"Well… As you know, the prolonged war has left everyone in a dire situation. In fact, half of our military provisions come from Ritania’s support, don’t they?"
Ghislain let out a small chuckle.
He was well aware that the famine had left everyone struggling.
But that only applied to crops affected by the drought.
"Money-making goods aren't limited to food, are they? I’ll be distributing plenty of food myself. You all just need to contribute something else."
"L-like what…?"
"Gold, silver, precious gems, rare minerals, art pieces, magic artifacts… Even luxury clothing and accessories that have been hoarded… There’s plenty, isn’t there? All of that is as good as money, isn’t it?"
"But… most of those have already been sold off due to the kingdom’s financial struggles…"
"And where did all of that go?"
"Obviously, to the nobles and merchant guilds…."
"So, that’s where all the wealth is concentrated?"
"Well… yes, but… it’s not exactly ours to take…."
Ghislain blinked. His eyes widened in pure, genuine confusion.
As if he truly couldn’t understand what the problem was.
"Then just take it from them."
"……."
It was such a simple and straightforward solution.
Everyone simply stared at him, dumbfounded.