Chapter 384: You Should Raise Your Circle Too (1)
The secret factions of the Ducal Family that had been hiding in the capital were nearly eradicated.
Some managed to escape outside the city, but they were intercepted and killed by the kingdom’s forces, who had been waiting, along with Ghislain’s troops led by Gillian.
The nobles, who had been worried about the lack of justification, sighed in relief upon witnessing the emergence of the monstrous creatures.
“To think the Ducal Family colluded with cultists to create such abominations. It was a good decision to strike them down this time.”
“A very fortunate turn of events. The kingdom will be in an uproar.”
“Too many witnesses saw what happened. The Ducal Family won’t be able to defend themselves.”
As the nobles discussed the aftermath, their conversation was filled with laughter.
The influence of religion was stronger than expected. Now that the Ducal Family was linked to the cultists, any moderate justification would suffice to suppress the nobles who sided with the Ducal faction.
Thus, Ghislain’s reputation soared once again. People even started calling him a saint.
Of course, when Porisco heard such rumors, he pouted in frustration.
‘What? That guy is a saint? Hah, if he’s a saint, then I’m a goddess.’
What kind of reckless man could be called a saint?
Still, thanks to this man, the Church gained an excellent opportunity to expand its influence. This was the kind of situation where it had to act faster than other religious groups to bolster its own reputation.
“Hurry up, quickly! Gather all the Temple Knights from across the region! Call back the priests as well! I’ll reassign them after consulting the Marquis of Branford! Oh, leave the ones stationed in Fenris for now.”
In Ritania, the Juana Church was already under Porisco’s control. He commanded all operations in place of the Archbishop, who had been reduced to a mere puppet.
While everyone was busy moving, the Dragon Heart finally fell into Ghislain’s hands.
The Marquis of Branford handed it over with a slightly uneasy expression.
“This isn’t something that should be given lightly, so make sure it’s used wisely.”
“Don’t worry. It’ll be a tremendous help.”
Ghislain smiled broadly as he examined the Dragon Heart.
It wasn’t a complete Dragon Heart, so its size was considerably smaller only about the size of a child’s fist.
However, the power contained within was enough to tempt anyone.
If used properly, Fenris’ forces could grow much stronger, far faster than before.
“You truly are remarkable, Marquis. Resolving this matter so swiftly.”
The item was a royal treasure. While it was taken out after discussions with the Chancellor, no one could oppose it if the Marquis of Branford decided on it.
The king, stricken with illness, barely clung to life. All the kingdom’s affairs rested in the Marquis of Branford’s hands.
In truth, the current civil war was essentially a battle between the Marquis of Branford and the Duke of Delfine.
As Ghislain finished expressing his gratitude and turned to leave, a question suddenly crossed his mind.
“Marquis, have you ever considered becoming king?”
If this man had ascended the throne earlier, the kingdom might have been more peaceful. Perhaps the fall of Ferdium in his previous life could have been avoided.
Of course, since Ghislain had witnessed the events of the civil war in his past life, he already knew how the Marquis would respond. Still, he wanted to hear it directly from the Marquis of Branford.
The Marquis let out a faint chuckle at the question.
“Don’t speak nonsense. Protecting the royal family is my duty.”
“I expected you’d say that.”
Ghislain smiled in return and turned to leave.
Everyone has something they wish to protect and take responsibility for in their life.
For the Marquis of Branford, it was this kingdom and its royal family.
* * *
“Those people may not just be collaborators but the masterminds themselves…”
On his way back to his territory, Ghislain continued to organize his thoughts.
If he hadn’t met Lavierre this time, he would have still believed that the Ducal Family had merely modified and distributed the mana cultivation techniques.
However, Lavierre had claimed to have started the research himself.
“The people that Aiden mentioned are likely from the Salvation Church.”
In his previous life, Aiden, who had beheaded him, was a foreigner. He had no reason to come to Ritania.
But if Aiden was also a member of the Salvation Church, the pieces fit together.
The Salvation Church wasn’t just aiding the Duke of Delfine during the war they had been active behind the scenes all along.
“What are those bastards really after?”
If they only wanted to overthrow the kingdom, the Salvation Church wouldn’t have needed to intervene. The Ducal Family’s power alone would have been sufficient to accomplish that long ago.
This suggested they had a different goal in mind.
Drawing from his experiences, Ghislain inferred a few possibilities.
‘There’s something in the Forest of Beasts.’
When he first touched upon the Forest of Beasts, Harold had reacted immediately. There was no way he would act without orders from the Ducal Family.
And there was one more clue. The information he’d obtained in his past life contained something peculiar.
‘The map of the Forest of Beasts had obscured sections.’
The information that even high-ranking administrators couldn’t access, and Ghislain couldn’t uncover, was the area on the map of the Forest of Beasts that had been blacked out.
Previously, when he captured the Grexes, he had found it suspicious. Now, he was certain that the obscured area was linked to the Salvation Church.
“It seems that those who need the Forest of Beasts have joined hands with those who wish to take over the kingdom entirely.”
But currently, the Forest of Beasts was under his control. That meant they would eventually have to confront him if they wanted to seize it.
“The civil war is imminent anyway. Once the fighting starts, everything will fall into place. There’s no need to chase them down first.”
With that thought, Ghislain arrived at his territory. As soon as he returned, he summoned his retainers.
“We’re creating a new mana concentration array.”
Claude tilted his head in confusion.
They had been steadily building mana concentration arrays using the surplus runestones in the territory. These were essential for improving the skills of knights and mages. Naturally, they spared no effort in creating them.
“What kind of new mana concentration array are you talking about?”
“We’ll incorporate this into it.”
Ghislain took out a small object, drawing the curious gazes of those present. Only a few who could sense mana stiffened upon perceiving it.
Claude, who couldn’t sense even a trace of mana, scrutinized the object and asked again.
“What is that?”
“It’s a Dragon Heart.”
“Pfft!”
Claude bursted into laughter.
He knew what a Dragon Heart was a treasure obtainable only by slaying a dragon. And Ghislain had never killed a dragon. No matter how strong their lord was, Claude was certain he’d be reduced to a bloody pulp in a fight against one.
“Oh, come on, what kind of joke is that? Wendy, take a look! He says that’s a Dragon Heart.”
Calling Wendy over, Claude turned his head with a dismissive grin. But her expression was frozen solid.
Puzzled, Claude glanced around. Everyone who could handle mana had the same rigid look on their faces.
Only Gillian, who had accompanied Ghislain to the capital, remained unfazed.
“I-Is that really a Dragon Heart?”
“It is.”
“W-Wow! What even is that? Where did you get it?”
“It’s a royal treasure. I brought it back. Impressive, right?”
As Ghislain boasted, his retainers were left in utter shock.
The Dragon Heart was a treasure so precious that even a king would hesitate to part with. What could Ghislain have done to acquire such a thing?
Ghislain gave a brief explanation of what had happened in the capital. Even as they listened, the retainers found it hard to believe.
Cultists appearing out of nowhere, monsters running rampant it all sounded like a made-up story.
Of course, Ghislain didn’t care whether they believed him or not. That wasn’t the point.
> “Regardless of what happened, we have a lot to prepare. Gather all the mages immediately and start creating a new mana concentration array. I’ll divide the Dragon Heart into portions small enough for each array.”
Even a fragment of the Dragon Heart, no larger than a fingernail, contained immense magical power. It would undoubtedly be a great aid to the knights’ training.
Whether the events in the capital were true or just their lord’s bravado, one thing was certain: Ghislain had brought back fragments of a Dragon Heart. The retainers, now excited, left the hall in a noisy clamor.
Taking advantage of the moment, Ghislain called Vanessa aside.
“You’ve gained enough insight and knowledge about the 7th Circle, haven’t you?”
“W-Well… I think so, but I’m not confident because I lack enough mana.”
Vanessa replied nervously.
They had obtained plenty of 7th-circle grimoires from the Crimson Flame Tower. She had also conducted numerous experiments using runestones, as they had in the past.
But her current mana level wasn’t even at the 3rd Circle, so she couldn’t be sure.
Ghislain took out a small piece of the Dragon Heart and said,
“It’s fine. If you absorb this, you’ll definitely advance.”
“M-My Lord, I can’t! That treasure should be used for everyone’s benefit”
“No. Our territory needs at least one strong individual. We’re starting right now, so get ready.”
Even though Vanessa tried to refuse, Ghislain didn’t budge. It was no exaggeration to say that he had acquired the Dragon Heart for her in the first place.
He couldn’t keep letting her rely on other mages for mana. They all had their own tasks to focus on.
Under Ghislain’s firm insistence, Vanessa reluctantly headed to the training grounds and sat down.
“You won’t need my help this time. Still, I’ll stay by your side just in case.”
“Understood…”
Taking a deep breath, Vanessa reached for the Dragon Heart.
All she had to do was absorb it using the mana control technique method Ghislain had taught her. But that was easier said than done.
“Nghhh!”
The immense mana from the small fragment began to flow into Vanessa’s body.
Normally, mana cultivation involves gradually absorbing mana from the atmosphere to increase one’s own reserves. The amount that could be absorbed at one time was limited.
However, the power of the Dragon Heart flowed entirely into her body as it was. Whether one could withstand it or not depended entirely on their will and ability.
As the incredibly dense mana, incomparable to atmospheric mana, surged into her, it became increasingly difficult to endure.
“Ugh…”
Still, Vanessa gritted her teeth and endured. If she failed to concentrate properly, the mana would dissipate again.
‘I can do this.’
‘I must endure.’
‘I… I need to become stronger.’
She was no longer the same person who had first arrived here. Now, she was a vital force for the territory and the mentor of its mages.
But Vanessa wasn’t holding on merely out of a sense of duty.
‘I have to… protect this land…’
Her life had changed since she came to this place, and she now had people she loved. She couldn’t bear the thought of this place being trampled underfoot.
Just like during her first war.
This time, Vanessa didn’t fight because of someone else’s orders or requests. She wanted to protect this land by her own will.
A surge of power roared within her as the absorbed mana tried to erupt violently from her body. Vanessa focused all her strength on controlling it.
Her mind felt as if it might black out. Her body felt like it was swelling to the point of bursting.
‘I can… do this…’
Unlike the natural process of gathering mana through cultivation, forcibly increasing mana reserves using a treasure came at a price.
Blood began to seep from various parts of her body.
As the grueling process went on, her consciousness started to fade. No matter how much she tried to hold on, it was becoming impossible.
‘Is this… failure…?’
As expected, a treasure like the Dragon Heart wasn’t something just anyone could absorb.
Just as she was about to lose consciousness, Ghislain’s voice cut through her haze.
“You did well, Vanessa.”
Crack!
Vanessa’s eyes snapped open, and at the same time, an incredible wave of mana bursted outward.
The surge of mana spread beyond the training grounds, startling everyone nearby.
“Ah…”
Vanessa realized she had changed. She felt an overwhelming power that seemed like it would explode out of her.
Previously, she had relied on absorbing other people’s mana to cast spells. Though effective, it wasn’t pure and caused her pain.
But the energy now coursing through her body was incomparably purer and cleaner than the borrowed mana.
The purity of mana directly affects its efficiency. The purer the mana, the faster it could be channeled.
“This is… the power I’ve gained…”
Muttering to herself, she raised her hand slightly.
Zing! Zing! Zing!
Dozens of magic circles appeared in the air instantly. Each magic circle contained at least the power of a 4th Circle spell.
Seeing this, Ghislain grinned with satisfaction.
‘As expected, just like in my previous life.’
Her signature skill, Multi-Casting, which she had been unable to use properly due to insufficient mana, was finally unleashed in its full form.
Vanessa’s talent allowed her to cast dozens, even hundreds of low-circle spells simultaneously.
In other words, Vanessa alone could fulfill the role of dozens of mages.
“My Lord…”
Vanessa looked at Ghislain with a deeply moved expression.
Ghislain replied teasingly,
“Did you realize it took you three whole days to absorb the Dragon Heart?”
“Huh? Three days?”
Startled, she exclaimed. She knew some time had passed, but she hadn’t expected to be seated for three entire days.
Completely immersed, she hadn’t noticed how much time had gone by.
She was even more shocked to realize that Ghislain had stayed by her side the entire time.
“I-I’m sorry. You must have been so busy…”
“It’s fine. It’s not a small thing to witness the birth of a new transcendent in our territory. That much, I can spare.”
Ghislain was in an excellent mood. Vanessa was now, without a doubt, a transcendent figure in the kingdom.
And her newfound strength would play a pivotal role in the upcoming war.
As the two shared a moment of satisfaction, others rushed into the training grounds.
“Young Lord! What’s going on? What happened?”
“Who hogged all the good stuff for themselves?!”
“Vanessa! Did you really reach the 7th Circle?”
Belinda, Kaor, Alfoi, and others came running in, having felt the chillingly powerful surge of mana.
Seeing them, Ghislain seemed to recall something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny fragment of the Dragon Heart, no bigger than a thumbnail.
He strode over to Alfoi and said,
“Alfoi.”
“Huh?”
“You should level up your Circle too.”
“W-What?!”
Alfoi stared at Ghislain with a dumbfounded expression.
.