Chapter 632
Then Give Me Some Reward. (4)
"F-Fine. I get it. Just stop for now."
Alfoi calmed Claude down. There were already too many lunatics in this estate who caused trouble the moment they lost their temper. He knew that very well because he was one of them.
Of course, Alfoi had no intention of just sitting back and taking this.
‘Just wait and see. Once the lord arrives, all of this will be nullified. Look forward to my revenge.’
For now, he signed the document to get past this crisis. As long as the lord arrived, everything would be resolved. He was in an exceptionally good mood right now, thanks to the successful dragon hunt.
And no matter what anyone said, the one who contributed the most to that hunt was none other than himself.
Alfoi signed the contract, agreeing to have his sentence for treason reduced in exchange for becoming a lifelong slave to the kingdom. Seeing this, Claude grinned in satisfaction.
Of course, Claude had a good idea of what Alfoi was scheming.
‘This bastard probably thinks he just needs to get through this moment, huh?’
Regardless, legally, what Claude was doing had no issues. Alfoi had genuinely committed crimes worthy of execution.
Still, there was a high chance the lord would release him the moment he arrived. And that possibility made Claude sick to his stomach.
‘In that case, I just have to make sure he’s forgotten.’
Claude tucked away the signed document and pulled out another.
"The criminal Alfoi is to be immediately transferred to the Rift Research Facility in the eastern region. There, he will devote himself entirely to rift research to atone for his sins. For a crime like treason, this punishment is practically a reward."
"What? Hey, you bastard!"
Alfoi shouted at the top of his lungs.
Originally, he was supposed to conduct rift research along with other mages but within the Fenris Estate.
But now, Claude was banishing him to the east, ensuring he wouldn't be able to meet the lord at all.
Alfoi’s face twisted with fury. There was no way around it, he was doomed to a life of forced labor… no, research in the eastern region.
"AAAARGH! I’LL KILL YOU! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME A ‘5th-Circle Dragon Slayer, White Free Mage Who Defeated a God’!?"
Alfoi screamed like a madman, but the knights swiftly restrained and dragged him away again. By the end of the day, he would be on his way east, alongside the other mages.
Claude muttered with feigned regret.
"Goodbye, bro. See you later. Stay healthy, alright? I’ll miss you. Oh, right! Hey! Take that… whatever its name was, Kkoko, with you too! Ugh, I feel so refreshed."
"……."
Wendy watched the entire scene unfold with a look of pure disdain.
She was going to report everything anyway. The moment the lord arrived, the full details would reach him through another channel. Those two fools were just flailing about in vain.
Having successfully driven Alfoi out, Claude hurried to take action.
"Alright, alright. Let’s get the money ready first."
In Truth, Dealing with Alfoi Was a Trivial Matter.
Alfoi would eventually come to his senses once he devoted himself to research.
However, securing military funds was a matter of life and death.
Claude took out all the bribes he had received so far.
“Ugh… Do you know how hard I worked to gather this…?”
There was no other way. He would just have to work hard and save up again.
He also put more effort into the business ventures he had been running for some time.
Gathering the people he had personally hired, he spoke urgently.
“We need to increase the production of the Fenris Grand Duke Chronicles second revised edition and portraits of Lord Julien. As quickly as possible!”
Claude had been secretly gathering information and recording everything about Julien for a long time. He knew that Julien was extremely popular.
Alongside that, he was also producing merchandise of other famous figures based on demand, everyone except Alfoi, that is.
This time, he didn't use estate manpower or public funds but gathered people with his own money to run the business.
Of course, selling someone else's face and story at will wasn’t exactly ethical but Ghislain was turning a blind eye for now, intending to clean up everything at once later.
Julien himself didn’t care whether his face was being sold or not.
Claude poured all the money he had earned so far into these ventures, yet it still wasn’t enough to cover the shortfall. The real problem was that he had placed too many bets.
With no other choice, Claude decided to mobilize some troops.
"Gather all the information on the surrounding bandits!"
The continent had yet to be fully stabilized. The Ritania Kingdom had been mostly secured internally, but the areas outside its borders were a different story.
Cities were still teeming with criminal organizations, and bandit groups were scattered all over.
This was especially true for the Kingdom of Seiron, which had recently been annexed, and for the regions that were about to be incorporated into the kingdom.
Either way, these scum needed to be dealt with for the sake of public security. Since he had to clean them up anyway, he figured he might as well squeeze them dry to secure the funds he needed.
Dragging his exhausted body, Claude moved to lead the bandit suppression himself.
“I either need to quit gambling or just drop dead…”
Time was running out, so he focused harder than ever on eliminating bandit groups and criminal syndicates.
Thanks to that, the security of the newly annexed regions rapidly improved. The people living there began to praise the Ritania Kingdom.
In the end, despite their somewhat questionable methods, the gambling between Claude and Amelia ultimately benefited the kingdom’s citizens.
* * *
Gartros was a fugitive. But even while on the run, he never neglected information gathering.
The more he knew about the outside world, the better he could evade capture.
The knights under his command moved cautiously, collecting intelligence whenever the opportunity arose.
One day, an astonishing piece of news reached Gartros.
"A dragon? Are you saying a dragon is really going to appear?"
"Yes. The entire United Army has already moved to the fortress in the Kingdom of Turian. They say the reason for the Monster Wave is because of the dragon."
"Hah? And just how do they know that?"
"I understand the information came from the Duke of Fenris."
Gartros’s face twisted in frustration. That name again.
"Duke of Fenris! Duke of Fenris! Is there anything that bastard doesn’t get involved in?"
Everything was being orchestrated by Ghislain, who possessed knowledge of the future. And this time, Ereneth had provided an exceptional amount of information.
It was only natural that no one but Ghislain himself could understand or keep up with the situation.
Gartros fumed for a while before finally managing to calm himself down.
"Well… at least things are progressing according to the prophecy. The White Dragon of the Apocalypse must certainly refer to this dragon."
Gartros had no way of knowing if there truly was a dragon or what kind of dragon it might be. But the circumstances aligning with the prophecy only solidified his belief even further.
He turned to look at Ernhardt.
Despite still living as a fugitive, raiding bandit hideouts to survive, Ernhardt never looked the part.
He always maintained a spotless appearance, carrying a pleasant fragrance wherever he went. Not once had he appeared disheveled.
Of course, this was in part thanks to his butler, who attended to his every need. But even taking that into account, his cleanliness defied common sense.
Even now, he was sitting gracefully in the middle of a bandit hideout, sipping tea as if he were in a noble’s estate.
In contrast, Gartros glanced down at his own unkempt appearance before cautiously speaking.
"Your Highness, the prophecy of the scripture is finally coming to pass."
"Hmm…"
"If a dragon truly reappears, not even the Duke of Fenris will be able to do anything. The United Army will suffer immense losses, and perhaps… even the Duke of Fenris and the Transcendents at his side may perish."
Gartros’s face was slightly flushed. If the Duke of Fenris, the one responsible for the downfall of the Salvation Church, died, then the greatest threat would be eliminated.
And if the United Army’s Transcendents and commanders perished as well, the continent would once again fall into chaos.
Watching Gartros, Ernhardt asked,
"In that case, who will slay the dragon? Us?"
"If we’re hostile to the United Army, wouldn’t the dragon consider forming an alliance with us?"
"And if it’s hostile to us as well?"
"The White Dragon of the Apocalypse is a sign meant to hasten the resurrection of the king. Once we find the king, everything will be resolved."
Ernhardt gazed at Gartros with a look of faint pity.
Gartros was undoubtedly a once-in-a-generation genius. He had practically revived a lost religion and was stronger than most Transcendents.
His entire mind was consumed by the scripture and the king’s resurrection.
Gartros's way of thinking revolved solely around the teachings of the scripture and the revival of the king. His mind was filled only with thoughts of spreading the will of God across the world.
Because of that, his thinking lacked flexibility.
Even now, he showed no interest in what kind of existence a dragon actually was. He simply believed that as long as they found the king, everything would be resolved.
"If only your faith were a little less absolute… If that were the case, we might have conquered the continent long ago."
"Your Highness…"
For Gartros, that was an impossible thought. His faith in God was the very reason he lived.
Ernhardt understood this all too well and shook his head.
"Yes, that, too, must be your fate to be devoured by the will of God."
"……."
At Ernhardt’s words, Gartros's expression grew uneasy. He had always felt there was no sign of devout faith in Ernhardt.
‘How could it be… that His closest aide, the most exalted Apostle, is like this?’
Because Ernhardt never revealed his true thoughts, Gartros could not understand the reason behind it.
Even though Ernhardt had received the Apostle’s memories and power, he would sometimes say and do things that made no sense.
Thinking this over, Gartros hesitantly asked,
"Have… many of your memories returned?"
"Not yet. But they are coming back faster and faster, so there’s no need to worry."
"I see. Do you have any memories regarding the dragon that is said to appear?"
"No. But I have glimpsed it before, in fragments, through a past revelation."
"Ohh! What did you see? Was it burning the world to ashes?"
"Yes. Just like the paintings in the temple, I saw it destroying the world and devouring countless people."
Gartros's face lit up with excitement.
"Indeed! Of course! Then this time, the United Army will suffer great losses!"
Ernhardt, who had been silently watching him, spoke in a detached tone.
"It dies."
"What?"
"The dragon. In the end, it dies. Its massive neck will be severed."
"What do you mean…?"
"When I received the revelation, I saw it for a brief moment. the dragon’s severed head weeping tears of blood."
"……."
Gartros bit his lips several times.
He did not trust Ernhardt’s dreams. How could he believe in dreams that had become jumbled and unpredictable for quite some time now?
Ernhardt let out a faint chuckle before continuing.
"I know what you're thinking."
"Ah, no, that’s not—"
"It’s fine. I also know that ever since the Duke of Fenris appeared, the revelations have been in disarray. But it’s all too fast."
"What do you mean?"
"Everything is happening too quickly. The dragon… in the revelations, it wasn’t supposed to appear yet."
"What… do you mean by that…?"
"In the revelation, I saw the dragon’s severed head at a much later point in time than now. But since the revelations have been in chaos for a while now, I can't say for certain. All I can do is speculate that because of the Duke of Fenris, everything has become chaotic and is unfolding at an accelerated pace."
"……."
"Because of that revelation, we can’t have a proper conversation."
Gartros let out a quiet sigh. Not only did he fail to understand the content of the revelations, but every time he discussed them with Ernhardt, the conversation always led back to the Duke of Fenris.
He acknowledged that the Duke of Fenris was an exceptional individual. But was it really possible for a single man to disrupt the predetermined flow of fate?
No, it had to be because the King’s resurrection was drawing near that was the real reason all of this was happening.
Neither of them knew that Ghislain was a regressor, nor did they realize that his rapid growth had forcibly accelerated the course of events.
Because of that, their conversation could only go in circles without ever reaching an answer.
Trying to shift the mood, Gartros changed the topic. For now, he had to outwardly acknowledge the revelation Ernhardt spoke of.
"Then… what did you see in the revelations after the dragon?"
Ernhardt closed his eyes with a smile, as if he were lost in a blissful dream.
"That was the final revelation the last one before the demons appeared and swept everything away. And in the end… we found it."
"What do you mean?"
Ernhardt slowly opened his eyes and spoke.
"The Demonic Abyss."
"…Are you referring to the Holy Land?"
"Yes. In the end, I found the Demonic Abyss. And I reached its very core."
"Ohh! Where was it? Was it truly in the Forest of Beasts?"
Gartros grew visibly excited. Having lost the location of the Holy Land, they had considered many of the continent’s forbidden zones as possible candidates.
The Land of Death at the western edge, the Shadow Mountains in Turian, the Forest of Beasts in Ritania all places too dangerous for people to approach had been regarded as potential Holy Land sites.
And the most likely candidate had always been the Forest of Beasts.
Unfortunately, their failure in Ritania had prevented them from properly investigating it.
Ernhardt slowly shook his head.
"I don’t know. All I can say for certain is that I found the Demonic Abyss."
Although most of Ernhardt’s revelations had proven unreliable, this was the one thing Gartros wanted to believe. The Holy Land was a place they absolutely had to find.
Because it was where the last traces of God remained.
And… because the Saintess of a thousand years ago was waiting there for the King.