Chapter 634
How About Coming to Our Territory? (2)
Ghislain quickly glanced at Marquis Gideon’s expression before continuing.
“If we’re going to relax anyway, let’s do it together in our territory. Then, when we get some intel, we can go after those guys right away.”
“Hmm……”
“Parniel already agreed. The Salvation Church bastards are all gone now, right? Rather than wandering around alone to find them, it’s better to use an information network.”
“That makes sense.”
“Right? Besides, everyone we know is coming to our territory anyway, so it’d be fun if you joined us too.”
Marquis Gideon still looked skeptical as he asked, “Julien won’t have to go through any trouble, will he?”
The Ritania Kingdom, specifically Fenris territory, was notorious for being absurdly eventful.
Moreover, Marquis Gideon had witnessed firsthand how Ghislain handled matters multiple times.
Ghislain’s way of doing things was pure recklessness. The results were always right, but the process of getting there was painful.
Knowing what Gideon was thinking, Ghislain let out a dry chuckle and responded,
“Oh, we’re just going to relax and have fun. There’s nothing dangerous or busy left to deal with, right?”
Ghislain wasn’t lying.
Once they returned, they planned to develop the territory and investigate the truths of the past by hunting in the Forest of Beasts.
However, to Ghislain, this was nothing more than a camping trip with friends, an opportunity to enjoy the forest and nature.
At this moment, Fenris had the greatest military strength in the history of the kingdom.
And if Julien joined them?
The Forest of Beasts would become as easy as a goblin-infested woodland.
Wouldn’t that count as relaxing?
Unaware of the difference in their definitions of “relaxing and having fun,” Marquis Gideon was convinced by Ghislain’s earnest attitude and nodded.
“Julien, I don’t think it’s a bad idea. If you stay in Fenris for a while, I’ll do whatever it takes to stabilize the kingdom in the meantime.”
Julien was already disliked by the king. And now, after securing the funds for the soldiers’ rewards, the hostility from both the king and the nobles had intensified.
Marquis Gideon wanted to keep them from meddling with Julien as much as possible.
Julien had overwhelming support from the soldiers. The public sentiment was also entirely in Julien’s favor. The nobles should be grateful that Julien had no interest in power.
‘I will take care of everything myself.’
Marquis Gideon resolved to seize even greater authority for Julien’s sake.
And he had more than enough power to do so.
While he led the army to stabilize the kingdom, Fenris Territory was likely the only place where Julien could rest in peace.
Julien fell into deep thought.
‘Which choice should I make?’
Julien’s instincts were telling him to find Gartros. But after hearing Ghislain’s suggestion, his resolve wavered slightly.
The feeling that he needed to search for Gartros was stronger, yet the problem was that he wasn’t sure if that feeling was correct.
Unable to fully trust his supernatural intuition anymore, Julien hesitated for a long moment before finally nodding.
“Alright. I’ll stay with you for now.”
When he found it difficult to make a decision, he would follow Ghislain’s judgment. That was the principle Julien had established throughout the war.
Hadn’t he always said he would trust Ghislain’s decisions?
And personally, it also seemed like the better option. At the very least, the people of Ritania didn’t seem particularly uncomfortable around him.
In fact, sometimes, they treated him with an almost baffling level of ease especially Alfoi and Claude.
“You made the right choice. Let’s enjoy ourselves.”
Ghislain grinned. It was a waste for someone like Julien to exhaust himself over unnecessary matters. That strength had to be used for the right things.
Besides, Julien didn’t really have a place to belong to.
In his past life, Ghislain had witnessed time and time again how the King of Turian would pick fights with Julien for no reason, refusing to cooperate with anything related to him.
Even Julien’s own father was like that. So how could the other nobles be any different? They schemed endlessly in the shadows, trying to bring him down.
‘If that’s the case, it’s better for him to come to our territory and stay with us.’
That, at least, was his genuine belief. A friend who had fought for the world shouldn’t have to endure such mistreatment.
Seeing Julien accept Ghislain’s offer, Marquis Gideon felt a little relieved as well.
There was no benefit to Julien staying in Turian, which was bound to be swept up in turmoil soon.
And so, Ghislain took Julien and headed for Ritania.
“Waaaahhh!”
“His Grace the Grand Duke has arrived!”
“The hero who saved the continent!”
The streets of Cardenia, the capital, were overflowing with people.
Every corner, every window, every rooftop was packed with citizens. It was as if the entire city itself had come alive, their cheers spreading in waves.
“Our savior!”
“Long live His Grace the Grand Duke!”
“The Guardian of Ritania!”
The deafening chorus of voices rang out like thunder.
Children sat atop their parents’ shoulders, waving their tiny hands, while the elderly bowed deeply with teary eyes.
Petals rained down endlessly from the sky. Some scattered from windows, others from balconies, cascading down in great handfuls.
Scarlet rose petals, white lily petals, golden marigold petals they twirled in the spring breeze, dancing as they fell.
“Waaaahhhh!”
“Please, look this way!”
“Oh, Goddess! Bless His Grace the Grand Duke!”
As Ghislain rode forward on Black King, the crowd’s excitement soared to even greater heights.
Celebratory banners fluttered in the wind throughout the streets. A grand anthem played by the orchestra echoed through the air.
Bouquets thrown by the people piled up at Black King’s feet.
Famine, rifts, plagues, civil wars, and a continent-wide conflict everyone had suffered for far too long.
Though the deep wounds had yet to fully heal, on this day, it seemed as if everyone had momentarily forgotten their pain.
The streets of Cardenia were filled with the energy of a festival. True joy was evident on people’s faces for the first time in a long while.
At the center of it all was Ghislain.
Because of him, the people had held onto hope even amidst suffering, and at last, their perseverance was rewarded with the joy of victory.
“Waaaaahhhh!”
Amidst the thunderous cheers, an elderly woman standing by the roadside smiled as she held her grandson in her arms.
“Peace will finally come….”
It was the earnest wish of all. The people, who filled the streets to their very limits, engraved this moment deep in their hearts.
The end of war and the beginning of peace - this was a historic moment.
The procession stretched all the way to the royal palace.
When Ghislain arrived before the palace gates, someone was already waiting for him.
Dismounting, he stepped forward.
“Ghislain!”
Zwalter approached, his eyes shining with emotion. Beside him stood Homerne, Albert, Randolph, Fergus, and other key figures from Ferdium.
“My son, my son has finally returned.”
Hearing Zwalter’s trembling voice, Ghislain smiled. Even after becoming king, Zwalter remained as humble as he had been in the North.
“I’m back, Father.”
“Yes, yes. You’ve been through so much. You truly worked hard. Come inside.”
No one had fought harder against the Salvation Church than Ghislain.
As a father, Zwalter felt immense pride, but at the same time, he had spent every day worrying.
When Elena had returned first, he had rushed out barefoot, tears streaming down his face.
Now, as he stood before his son, who had become a Grand Duke, he was doing his best to maintain his dignity.
Ghislain let out a hearty laugh as he observed his father’s face aged significantly since they last met.
“You look like you’ve had a harder time than I did during the war.”
“Don’t even mention it. I regret becoming king. I feel like throwing it all away and going back home.”
Zwalter shook his head bitterly.
For those without responsibility, a throne was an endless source of pleasure.
For those with responsibility, a throne was an endless burden.
And Zwalter was the latter.
He was struggling far more than he had when he governed the poor lands of the North.
After back-to-back disasters, he had been working tirelessly day and night to restore the kingdom.
The vassals under him were no different.
Homerne, Albert, and Randolph looked gaunt and exhausted, their expressions hollow.
“Can’t we just go back home?”
“This is harder than when we were poor.”
“Ugh, I just want to quit everything and go home!”
They had once clamored to rise to higher positions, yet now they just wanted to throw it all away. The other retainers from Ferdium felt the same.
From the start, this was beyond what they could handle.
Managing Ferdium Estate alone was one thing, but governing an entire kingdom was on a completely different scale.
The only reason they had managed to endure until now was because many people had lent their support.
“It’s such a relief that Your Grace has returned safely.”
Mariel and Rosalyn greeted him with warm smiles.
Ghislain returned their smiles just as warmly. It was no exaggeration to say that the kingdom had stabilized quickly thanks to these two.
Managing the kingdom’s vast treasury required people with their level of experience.
Looking at Ghislain, Mariel gave a nostalgic smile.
‘It feels like just yesterday when I came here to sell cosmetics.’
Yet that was already several years ago.
The young, inexperienced noble from the frontier had now become the most influential man on the continent.
She had been the first to recognize the potential of his cosmetics and had fully supported him. The same held true during the war.
Thanks to her keen eye, the Aylesbur family had risen to become the most prominent noble house in the capital.
After exchanging warm greetings, Mariel subtly nudged Rosalyn forward toward Ghislain.
Ghislain smiled at Rosalyn once more.
“I heard the kingdom stabilized quickly thanks to your efforts. I truly appreciate it.”
“Oh, it was just something I had to do.”
Unlike her usual demeanor, Rosalyn seemed a little flustered.
But Ghislain didn’t particularly notice.
As they walked toward the palace, he asked the first thing that came to mind.
“How is the cosmetics business doing?”
Even Claude wasn’t well-versed in cosmetics. Rosalyn had been entrusted with everything. The war had significantly impacted sales, and revenue had dropped sharply.
The corner of Rosalyn’s mouth twitched slightly. However, since they were in the presence of the king and high-ranking officials, she couldn’t afford to show her frustration.
She responded calmly.
“Sales have been picking up again since the fall of the Salvation Church. We’re currently exploring trade deals with other kingdoms, so things should improve even more.”
“Oh! That’s fantastic news.”
Ghislain beamed.
Finally, their cosmetics could spread across the world.
As expected of Rosalyn she had already prepared everything in advance.
Considering the massive costs required for post-war reconstruction, money was always welcome.
Taking the opportunity, Ghislain continued walking beside her, eagerly asking all the questions he had been curious about.
“How’s the arrow delivery and road construction progressing?”
“It’s still ongoing. As part of the economic recovery plan, we’re hiring as many workers as possible…”
Many of the kingdom’s large-scale projects involved Rosalyn’s oversight.
After all, she currently served as Treasurer alongside Mariel.
Rosalyn was exceptionally competent when it came to her work.
No matter what Ghislain asked, she answered without hesitation.
“What about the costs for equipping the soldiers?”
“What about the distribution of wheat and meat?”
“The rifts are still active, so is the production of medicine continuing?”
As the conversation went on, Rosalyn’s expression became increasingly blank.
It was because Ghislain wouldn’t stop talking about money.
Sensing the atmosphere turning cold, Zwalter awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Ahem, Ghislain. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen everyone. Can’t you save the business talk for later? At least settle in first, and discuss this after the banquet…”
Even as king, Zwalter still found it difficult to deal with Rosalyn, the daughter of Marquis Branford.
However, Ghislain had always prioritized doing whatever he wanted.
“Just a moment. This is important. I need to assess the situation in advance.”
At his words, Mariel merely shrugged and stepped aside.
Even after that, Ghislain continued to inquire about key financial matters until he was finally satisfied.
“I see. That puts my mind at ease. Anyway, about the kingdom’s finances—”
The moment he brought up money again, Rosalyn finally exploded.
She suddenly halted in her tracks and shouted,
“Hey! Do you seriously have nothing else to talk about besides money when you see me?! How can you keep talking about finances the moment we meet?! What else?! What other question do you have now?! Is it because there’s too much to do and we don’t have enough funds?! Should I bring you the ledgers?!”
“…I truly appreciate your efforts.”
“……”
A brief, awkward silence followed.
Truly, one should always let others finish speaking before reacting.
Everyone froze in place, staring at Rosalyn.
Taking a deep breath, she then turned to Zwalter and bowed.
“Your Majesty, please forgive my rudeness. I momentarily lost control of myself.”
“N-No, it’s fine. I know how tirelessly you’ve been working for the kingdom. I completely understand how you feel. My son… well, he’s always been a little strange.”
With another bow, Rosalyn pulled out her fan.
Snap!
She covered her face with it, glared once at Ghislain, then swiftly turned and fled.
This time, everyone turned to look at Ghislain.
Feeling slightly awkward, he cleared his throat.
“I’ll… apologize later.”
People clicked their tongues.
Every time they saw him, they were reminded that he only cared about two things fighting and work.
Zwalter shook his head.
“You… Sigh. Honestly, who’s ever going to marry you? When do you plan on getting married?”
“……”
Now that the war was over, everyone had returned to pestering Ghislain about his marriage.
After all, he was now the heir to the kingdom.
Of course, Ghislain still had no interest in such matters.
There was still too much left to do.
Sensing that the conversation was about to veer into marriage talk, he quickly cut in.
“I’ll be heading out first.”
“Where? You’ve just returned, shouldn’t we at least catch up and share a drink together?”
“I’ll be back in time for the banquet. I need to meet someone right now.”
“Who? Everyone you need to see will be at the banquet anyway.”
“I need to meet the Grand Chieftain of the Elves.”
Ereneth had returned to Ritania Kingdom with Claude but was currently residing in seclusion.
She hadn’t attended any royal events, refused all meetings with nobles, and had completely withdrawn from public life.
She likely wouldn’t attend the banquet either.
That was why Ghislain planned to visit her personally.
‘Arterion was definitely not normal.’
He needed to hear more details about the past from her.
Why had the dragon gone insane?
And did she know anything about the unknown force that had seeped into Julien’s body?