Chapter 392: Things Went Smoothly (2)
While the Marquis of Branford gathered the kingdom’s army and prepared for the expedition, Ghislain unfurled a map and began marking the locations of the rifts.
“We can’t miss this opportunity. We must move as quickly as possible.”
In times of calamity, humanity as a whole had to unite and fight together. Everyone needed to be prepared. But until now, that wasn’t a situation Ghislain could reasonably convince others of.
If he had brought it up, he would have been dismissed as a lunatic.
Thus, Ghislain decided to prepare on his own and lead the kingdom by force if necessary.
“Thanks to Lavierre, things have gone smoothly.”
Battling a ducal family and dragging the Royal Faction along by force was no easy task. He had braced himself for how exhausting it would be.
However, the information he gained in his previous life, the preparations he had made thus far, and the mistakes of his enemies had aligned with impeccable timing. This time, he could even say the heavens had lent him their aid.
“First, I need to secure the Ritania Kingdom.”
While the other rifts across the continent were important, the Ritania Kingdom, being his base, took precedence.
Convincing other kingdoms would inevitably take time, so it was crucial to eliminate as many rifts within the kingdom as possible.
Only then could Ghislain fight for a longer period.
“This area is clear… and there was one here… Was there one here?”
When the kingdom was invaded, Ghislain had naturally memorized the rift locations. However, he couldn’t recall every rift that had formed and disappeared during his early years.
For reasons unknown, the enemies had opened a significant number of rifts in the south, where the ducal family resided.
“Although eliminating them raised the morale of the Salvation Church and the ducal family, the damage was equally severe. Those bastards couldn’t care less about such things.”
They were enemies who pursued incomprehensible goals and schemed endlessly. Judging them by common sense was sheer folly.
Even so, the ducal family had managed to protect many of the fortresses and castles in the south. Looking back now, it seemed the rest had been offered up as sacrifices.
“The picture is becoming clearer.”
By combining the information from his past life with the conspiracies he uncovered in the present, many of his questions began to be answered.
Ghislain marked the map not only for the Ritania Kingdom, but also for other notable locations across the continent.
Although he couldn’t pinpoint every rift perfectly, he remembered the famous ones from the calamity and the ones that persisted until the One-Year War.
When Ghislain presented the map to the Marquis of Branford, the latter examined it carefully.
“Hm… Are you saying there are this many in the kingdom?”
“Yes, I’m fairly certain.”
“If we search these locations and find nothing, the credibility of all the information we’ve gathered so far will be called into question.”
“I’m confident most of them are accurate. Besides, with the Four Major Temples already involved, things can’t get much worse.”
“True, but still…”
The Marquis tilted his head while inspecting the map.
“You mean to say there isn’t a single one in the north?”
“That’s correct.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m there.”
“…”
The Marquis let out a long sigh. Ghislain’s growing fame left no room for rebuttal, which only added to the Marquis’s irritation.
Ghislain, knowing full well what the Marquis was thinking, feigned ignorance.
In truth, the absence of rifts in the north likely had more to do with the Forest of Beasts than with Ghislain himself. But since the forest was effectively his domain, his statement wasn’t entirely inaccurate.
There were still many things Ghislain didn’t know about the Forest of Beasts, including why the enemies avoided it. There was no need to disclose such uncertainties yet.
The Marquis, despite his unease, eventually nodded.
“Fine. Let’s start with the closest location.”
“This place is a small rural village. It’s not even properly marked on the map.”
“Then we can afford to take a modest number of troops.”
However, the sight of the assembled army made Ghislain’s expression turn incredulous.
The kingdom’s army of 10,000 soldiers, 100 knights from the Marquisate, and 200 knights from the kingdom were all lined up in formation.
For investigating and attacking a small village, the scale was… excessive.
Ghislain openly voiced his disbelief.
“Anyone would think you were marching off to a territorial war.”
“When a lion moves, its majesty must overwhelm the world.”
The Marquis of Branford spoke with an air of self-assurance, perfectly embodying his role as the kingdom’s most powerful figure.
The west and south were off-limits for open investigations. Thus, the Marquis and the kingdom’s army headed for the village closest to the capital.
At first glance, it appeared to be a peaceful village. However, as soon as the kingdom’s forces surrounded it, the villagers revealed their true nature.
Chuchuchuchuchuk!
Human skin ripped apart as grotesque creatures emerged. It was a sight horrific enough to shock anyone.
“W-What is this?!”
“Those aren’t just strange they’re disgusting monsters, worse than before!”
Even the usually unflappable Marquis of Branford and his knights couldn’t hide their shock.
Ghislain shouted at the startled soldiers and knights.
“These creatures aren’t particularly strong! But their blood is poisonous, so keep your distance when fighting! Knights, protect yourselves with mana!”
Thanks to Ghislain’s warning, the knights and soldiers quickly subdued the mutants. After all, the ones hiding in this small village weren’t numerous.
There were even a few crusaders who appeared to be in charge, but they couldn’t possibly face such a large force.
The sight of the monsters and mutants’ corpses made the Marquis of Branford clench his teeth in anger, struggling to suppress his rage.
“To think such grotesque creatures would appear. That means there must be thousands of kingdom citizens’ bodies buried somewhere in this village.”
He immediately raised his hand and gave an order to Toleo, the commander of the knights.
“Excavate this entire area immediately.”
“At your command.”
With 10,000 soldiers, 300 knights, and even a few royal mages, they didn’t simply resort to ordinary methods like breaking down houses and digging up dirt. Instead, they completely overturned the ground in an instant, demonstrating the terrifying power of their numbers.
“We found it!”
With such an overwhelming approach, it didn’t take long to uncover a hidden space.
After the knights secured the area, the Marquis of Branford descended with his guards.
“Phew!”
As soon as the Marquis entered the underground chamber, he let out a deep sigh.
A foul stench assaulted his nose, and the sight of a bizarre magic circle surrounded by thousands of corpses piled like trash stirred his emotions.
The knights who had entered first and those who followed the Marquis were unable to conceal their horrified expressions.
But the ones who were most shocked were the priests from the Four Major Temples who had accompanied them as witnesses.
“This… This is unthinkable!”
“They are demons! No, they must be demons!”
“To think the heretics who defied the goddess have been operating so freely!”
The priests were the most vocal, making a loud commotion as they expressed their fear.
Deep inside, they were terrified. A passage in the scriptures of the Four Major Temples described a similar scenario:
“Beasts unlike any before shall rise from the abyss, bringing ruin to the land. These strange beasts shall repay men in blood for their labors, for none shall open what is shut, and none shall shut what is opened…”
“This must be exactly what is described in the scriptures! If we don’t stop this, the end times will truly come!”
“But they didn’t rise from below, did they? Couldn’t this magic circle just be creating mutations?”
“How can you say that when you feel this unholy energy permeating the air? No matter what, these heretics must all be executed!”
Scriptural interpretation often depended on the outcome, and the priests were no exception. Each of them found a similar passage in their respective scriptures and began a theological debate.
Meanwhile, others ignored the priests and focused on destroying the magic circle and clearing out the corpses.
The Marquis of Branford, unable to contain his fury, glared at Ghislain with a murderous intensity.
“Ghislain.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Judging by the number of bodies, this has been going on for years. You said there are many such places across the kingdom and the continent? No matter how strong these cults are, they couldn’t have pulled this off without help.”
“That’s correct. They have benefactors enabling their actions.”
“In the Ritania Kingdom, it must be the Duke of Delfine.”
“That’s right.”
“And in other kingdoms, there must be nobles supporting them as well.”
“I believe your assessment is accurate.”
It was clear that the Salvation Church and the Duke of Delfine’s faction had joined forces for some purpose. The Duke of Delfine had undoubtedly aided the Salvation Church’s activities.
The Marquis nodded grimly.
“It must have started when the Duke of Delfine secluded himself and the rumors of his madness began to spread.”
The Duke of Delfine had remained out of the public eye for a long time, and with the power of the ducal family, he could easily have supported the Salvation Church during that time.
Because the Duke of Delfine had openly declared his ambitions for the throne, everyone’s attention was diverted.
People were so preoccupied with the possibility of civil war that they couldn’t properly address the safety of the kingdom’s citizens.
“But how could this happen? How could so many people disappear, and no one noticed?”
“Most of them likely came from the south and the west. And they probably kidnapped people just subtle enough to avoid suspicion.”
The poor, vagrants, travelers, adventurers, wanderers, even mercenaries, bandits, and thieves if one looked hard enough, there were countless individuals who could be abducted without a trace.
In the south, the Duke’s faction exercised total control. There was no issue in consistently supplying people.
The Marquis of Roderick in the west also treated human lives carelessly. Whenever the Duke’s faction requested, he had more than enough capacity to send prisoners or slaves.
“Hah, then they should keep their activities confined to their own territory. Why extend to areas near the capital and other regions…?”
“They likely intended to collaborate with groups causing unrest during a civil war to achieve something larger.”
Providing information about the rifts here wouldn’t be convincing, and even if they believed it, it could create issues. At worst, disagreements could arise at a critical moment.
Thus, Ghislain offered a vague explanation. For now, the priority was to eliminate the rift sites as quickly as possible.
The Marquis of Branford spoke with a barely controlled expression of anger.
“I’ll eliminate the sites in areas within my influence as quickly as possible. I’ll also dispatch messengers immediately to inform the other kingdoms of the current situation and the other ritual sites’ locations. What about you?”
The Marquis was not one to seek others’ opinions once he made a decision. But Ghislain was now an exception.
Without Ghislain, the Royal Faction would never have had this opportunity to strike back.
“I’ll return to my territory immediately. There’s little time before the Marquis of Roderick begins to act.”
“Do you truly intend to fight alone?”
“The Marquis of Roderick has already left the Duke’s faction. I can fight without restraint now. My lord, focus on dismantling the magic circles and prepare for the inevitable battle with the Duke’s faction. They’re running out of options.”
“Understood. I will do so. However, if you falter against the Marquis of Roderick, we will intervene.”
At the Marquis of Branford’s reassuring words, Ghislain grinned.
“I appreciate your concern, but such a situation will never arise.”
Ghislain’s confident words elicited a faint smile from the Marquis. In the past, he would have scolded such arrogance.
But now, his thoughts have changed. Though he still felt concern, another feeling was mixed in expectation.
For some reason, the image of Ghislain losing was hard to picture.
The Marquis suddenly realized why his perception of Ghislain had shifted.
He gazed at Ghislain with a far warmer expression than when they had first met.
‘I think I finally understand a little about you.’
He couldn’t fully grasp Ghislain’s motives, which often seemed reckless. That lack of understanding had made trust difficult.
But he had been mistaken. Ghislain had a plan of his own, driven not by a lust for power or ambition, but something else entirely.
Now, the Marquis thought he finally understood what Ghislain truly desired.
Smiling, the Marquis gave a slight nod and said, “I wish you victory, Count Fenris.”
Ghislain’s eyes widened in brief surprise, but he quickly returned the smile and replied,
“I also wish for your victory, my lord.”
After bidding the Marquis farewell, Ghislain led his knights and departed the village. Fenris would now face the Marquis of Roderick in battle.
With the Royal Faction empowered by the Four Major Temples, they should be able to eliminate the rift sites within their territory.
As he watched Ghislain leave, the Marquis of Branford muttered under his breath.
“Toleo, I doubt Count Fenris will ever need to come to me for anything after this war.”
“What do you mean, my lord? If Count Fenris needs something, he’ll come running to you immediately. Lately, he doesn’t even hesitate to ask directly.”
“Why would he bother? If he needs something, he can just take it.”
“Y-Your Grace, surely you’re not suggesting…”
Toleo stammered, but the Marquis laughed heartily.
“Yes, I will name Count Fenris as my true successor.”
“Your Grace! What about the Young Lord of your household?”
“My son? Do you think that boy, who has done nothing but seclude himself in the east, has the capacity to manage the kingdom? He’s less capable than Rosalyn. The rest are no better. It would be a blessing if they could simply inherit the Marquisate safely.”
“Count Fenris is not a loyal servant of the royal family. If this war ends in victory, he could become even more dangerous than the Duke’s faction.”
“I’m aware. But there’s no one as capable as him. And now, I believe I understand what drives him.”
“And… and what is that, my lord?”
“Responsibility.”
Toleo blinked in confusion, clearly baffled by the unexpected answer.
Count Fenris was notorious for his reckless, self-centered behavior. While he had recently supported the Royal Faction, his past as a troublemaker was well-known.
To claim such a man was driven by responsibility seemed utterly mismatched.
Toleo would have found it more plausible if the Marquis had simply called him a rogue. But the Marquis, smiling warmly, continued.
“I recognize it because I live the same way. That man will do anything to protect his territory his family, friends, vassals, and people.”
“…”
“From what I’ve seen, he doesn’t wish to give up a single thing. He’s insatiably ambitious, relentless, and fiercely determined.”
“Then… do you mean…?”
The Marquis burst into laughter.
“Yes, if we entrust the kingdom to him, he will become its guardian deity. That is enough. He’s not one to take the initiative to sever the royal family’s line.”
The Marquis appeared oddly at peace.
Because of Ghislain Ferdium.
For the first time, the Marquis dared to dream of retirement.