Chapter 432: The Only Option Left is to Threaten Them Again. (2)
Ricardo trembled as he stared at Skovan.
“C-Captain of the Guard… Is that really you…?”
“Sh-shut up! It’s not my fault!”
Skovan shook his head violently.
His self-consciousness ran amok. How could he be the one attracting all these disasters to Ferdium?
It was a coincidence. Purely a coincidence. It had to be.
Gritting his teeth, Skovan said, “Let’s get a bit closer to check.”
“Get closer?”
Ricardo asked in alarm, and Skovan nodded.
“We don’t know for sure if that’s really what we think it is yet. It could be some other anomaly.”
“Doesn’t it look exactly like a rift?”
“Damn it! We still need to verify it properly! We have to check the speed of its expansion too! Something feels off here!”
The mist ahead was spreading so rapidly it was visible to the naked eye. He had heard numerous explanations about rifts, but never had he heard of one expanding this quickly.
They had to confirm the details accurately before reporting back. He was a responsible knight.
“Let’s just get a little closer for confirmation. I have no intention of going inside.”
The patrol cautiously approached the rift’s area. They were still some distance away, but on horseback, they closed in quickly.
Skovan murmured as he observed the blue mist spreading before him.
“This is… the rift zone…”
Even turning his head sideways, he couldn’t see the end of it. Just how long had it been expanding to cover this much ground?
Ricardo, also surveying the area, suddenly shouted.
“U-uwaah! It’s actually moving closer!”
The blue mist slithered towards them. Slowly, but undeniably expanding in real time.
At this rate, it would swallow the Northern Fortress within days.
Skovan dismounted and stepped closer.
Swish.
He reached out, extending his hand into the mist. The fog wasn’t thick enough to obscure his vision. It simply covered such a vast area that it seemed more concentrated.
He could see his hand reaching past the boundary. Beyond that, a grim, lifeless landscape stretched out, void of any sign of vitality.
Kaaaah!
A shriek echoed from the distance.
They had never seen it up close, but the patrol knew all too well what lurked within.
Even Skovan didn’t have the nerve to step into that mist.
“L-let’s head back.”
Just as Skovan withdrew his hand and turned to leave
Kaaaak!
“Uaaah! Captain!”
Ricardo screamed as something lunged. Skovan swiftly drew his sword from his waist and spun around.
Slash!
Skovan’s blade, radiating blue mana, sliced through something.
It was a Riftspawn, its grotesque face and fanged maw twisted in a snarl. Half of its body had emerged from the mist, only to be cut down. The upper half fell to the ground.
Ssssss…
The creature’s severed form shriveled up and crumbled into dust, disappearing completely.
It was evident this thing didn’t belong in the living world.
“Ugh…”
Seeing the horrific Riftspawn up close for the first time, Ricardo and the patrol members turned pale.
Kaaaak!
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
More monstrous shrieks echoed, followed by the sound of something massive approaching from the distance.
Skovan, his face paling, leapt back onto his horse.
“B-back to the fortress!”
They turned their horses and galloped at full speed toward the fortress.
Back when Ghislain led the Northern Army into battle, there had reportedly been nearly a hundred thousand Riftspawn spread across various regions. Despite the efforts of the lords who built defensive lines and fought bravely, the numbers were overwhelming.
Yet, in the north, no one had even known the Rift existed. No defensive lines had been built.
A considerable time had passed since Ghislain’s departure. How many Riftspawn now lurked in the endlessly expanding mist, having devoured the northern lands?
The thought alone was terrifying.
Riding hard, Skovan mentally shouted to himself:
‘This isn’t my fault!’
But a sinking feeling told him he might be banished from Ferdium if this continued.
Because Ricardo wouldn’t be able to keep his big mouth shut.
* * *
Thanks to Ghislain and the Northern Army’s efforts, the plague was swiftly contained.
Though a few scattered outbreaks remained, those who had taken the medicine were immune, allowing most people to return to their daily lives.
Of course, Ghislain hadn’t solved the plague crisis throughout the entire kingdom. He also had the Rift to fight.
Countess Mariel and Rosalyn had taken care of the capital and eastern regions, trusting Ghislain’s instructions and preparing thoroughly.
Now, one of the heroes responsible for ending the plague, Rosalyn, had arrived at the Northern Army’s camp after receiving a message from Ghislain.
“Do we need to deliver medicine and supplies to other countries now?”
“Yes. The plague in the Ritania Kingdom is nearly eradicated. We must prevent the spread in neighboring nations so everyone can focus on fighting the Rift.”
Rosalyn spoke in a trembling voice.
“You’re… not that kind, are you?”
“……”
“Saving people like you did this time… why would you do something so ‘good’…?”
“……”
Ghislain scratched his head with a reluctant expression.
Rosalyn wasn’t wrong. He didn’t go out of his way to do good deeds.
His only goal was to destroy the ducal families and the Rift. Everything he had done so far was necessary to achieve that goal. His methods had just been a little extreme.
So, it was understandable that Rosalyn would misunderstand. To her, Ghislain was just a maniac obsessed with profit.
Suddenly, Rosalyn clapped her hands together and exclaimed.
“I’ve got it! You’re trying to win over public sentiment now to gain even greater power! Just how greedy can you get?!”
She shook her head in disbelief.
Historically, there had been many rulers like that. Those who pretended to care for the people just to secure powerful support from the masses.
And most of the time, the results were positive. She thought Ghislain was working on the same strategy now.
Ghislain let out a sigh and shook his head.
‘Just what kind of person does she think I am?’
From the way she spoke, it sounded like the monster trying to swallow the entire kingdom wasn’t Duke Delfine, but Ghislain himself.
That kind of thing was Amelia’s specialty, not his. He had no such ambitions.
“I’m not greedy for power.”
“……”
This time, both Rosalyn and Ghislain’s close aides showed doubtful expressions.
‘Who’s the one rounding up all the lords under the pretext of being granted authority?’
On the surface, he appeared to be wielding power so forcefully it was as if he was beating people over the head with it.
Ghislain spoke with a bored expression.
“Don’t we need to get through this period quickly? Even if the kingdom’s civil war is quelled, it won’t be good if the Rift and the Salvation Church consume the other regions.”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
Rosalyn nodded. The continent had already been embroiled in chaos for a long time.
It wasn’t enough for the Kingdom of Ritania to remain intact. If other nations were consumed by the Rift and the Salvation Church, they would keep invading this place endlessly.
Whatever Ghislain’s true intentions was, stopping those threats as soon as possible was indeed the best course of action for everyone.
“Understood. I’ll discuss it with Countess Aylesbur and prepare the supplies separately. Is there anywhere in particular that needs help first?”
“Of course, the kingdoms bordering Ritania. After that, the Turian Kingdom.”
“The Turian Kingdom?”
“Yes. Please prioritize helping that nation first. Fenris will also prepare medicine and food.”
“Is there a special reason for helping the Turian Kingdom specifically?”
“Well… They’re already struggling enough with just the monsters from the Shadow Mountains, aren’t they? So they’ll be having a harder time than most.”
Ghislain gave a vague excuse. But that wasn’t the real reason.
‘Because stabilizing that place faster is crucial.’
A monster of a man resided there. Once he revealed himself, the Turian Kingdom would stabilize in no time.
At least that’s a place that needed to recover quickly to support the future battles. And for that, sufficient medicine and food were essential.
Ghislain had simply chosen the place where support would be the most effective.
“And there are a few more kingdoms that require our aid.”
He shared his list of priorities with Rosalyn.
Fenris alone couldn’t aid every kingdom. Besides, he was busy dealing with the Rift within Ritania itself.
Having a renowned figure like the Marquis of Branford support other nations would be a great help. Most of the practical work would be handled by Rosalyn and Mariel anyway, so he was just passing on the instructions.
Rosalyn nodded. Looking at the bigger picture, Ghislain was right.
“But giving all this aid for free seems a bit…”
“You can’t approach this like a trade deal. Think of it as sharing what we have because we can afford to do so.”
“Hmm…”
“We can receive repayment later. This isn’t the time to delay things for such reasons.”
Indeed, the Kingdom of Ritania was better off than other nations. Thanks to Ghislain, they had been able to prepare in advance, even if just slightly.
So, Rosalyn couldn’t completely reject his stance.
“Alright. But Count, you’ve really changed.”
The man who once cared only about money was now advocating for aiding others without hesitation.
Since she didn’t fully understand Ghislain’s true motives, it was natural for her to misunderstand.
So, just in case, she cautiously brought it up.
“By the way… our cosmetic sales have been dropping lately…”
It was obvious. Sales would drop during wartime. Because of that, Rosalyn was considering scaling back the business and delaying payments.
But Ghislain, with a nonchalant expression, replied,
“Ah, you still need to follow the contract. Make sure the payments are done properly.”
‘Why is this bastard only strict with me?’
Shrrrk.
Rosalyn suddenly pulled out her fan and hid her face below her eyes. She was furious he kept giving stuff endlessly to others while refusing to spare even a single coin for her.
All he ever talked about when they met was money!
She felt so upset that anger surged uncontrollably within her.
Sensing the sudden killing intent, Ghislain instinctively stepped back.
‘What the? Why is she acting like this again? Did I do something wrong?’
He wasn’t the kind of person to give up his rights without reason. If explained properly, of course, he would understand.
However, Rosalyn, having completely misunderstood the situation, was too furious to listen to offer any explanations.
Just as she was about to shout again, a messenger rushed in frantically. Judging by his attire, he was a messenger from Ferdium.
Seeing an opportunity to escape Rosalyn’s wrath, Ghislain stood up from his seat.
“Oh, did my father send you? What’s the matter?”
“Y-Young Lord! T-the Rift….”
“Hmm?”
“The Rift has expanded to the vicinity of the Northern Fortress!”
At those words, the expressions of everyone, including Ghislain’s, turned grave.
There had never been a Rift in the north. Everyone had assumed the Salvation Church hadn’t reached that far or prepared anything there, so they had let their guard down.
But now, a Rift has opened in the north?
This was no ordinary situation. No matter how powerful Ferdium had become, they would be unable to withstand the Rift’s influence.
“Young Master!”
Belinda, her face pale, called out to Ghislain.
To her, Ferdium was practically her home. She couldn’t allow the Rift to consume the Northern Fortress like this.
The ambition of making Ghislain the Grand Duke of the North had only mattered when Zwalter was alive. She had no intention of elevating him by sacrificing Zwalter’s life.
“We must mobilize the northern forces immediately!”
Hearing Belinda’s words, Ghislain slowly nodded.
Of course. Why had he fought so hard until now? It was to protect his territory.
If Ferdium fell, everything he had done so far would become meaningless.
Ghislain’s expression turned cold.
‘So, they’ve finally caused a disaster.’
In his past life, there had been no Rift in the north. The savage tribes living in groups had always rejected outsiders. The vast northern wilderness made it clearly impossible to cultivate, especially because it is occupied by thousands of savages.
For the Salvation Church, secretly creating a Rift in such a region wouldn’t have been worth the effort. It would have made more sense to focus their efforts on other kingdoms. And that’s exactly what they had done back then.
But now, a Rift had appeared in the northern lands. There could only be one explanation.
‘Woroqa…’
It had to be Woroqa, that bastard must have allied himself with the Salvation Church. He had likely even delivered sacrifices himself.
‘You’ve chosen the worst possible move.’
Back then, Ghislain had spared him to minimize damage. As a result, he had gained valuable information, and Fenris had become the fastest-moving force in the region.
But with Woroqa’s betrayal, their fragile agreement had officially ended.
Ghislain lifted his gaze towards the north.
‘Time….’
If the Rift’s influence had reached the vicinity of the Northern Fortress, it would be impossible to mobilize the entire northern army in time. They wouldn’t arrive fast enough.
Ultimately, he would have to move only with the Fenris Mobile Corps. Since the Riftspawn would have likely multiplied massively, he would need to take the ten thousand Fenris soldiers remaining in the north with him instead of the full northern army.
However, while he was fighting the Riftspawn, Woroqa would undoubtedly bypass the fortress and strike Ferdium directly.
‘And then he’ll spread chaos across the north.’
Currently, there was no army in the north to stop the savages. Most of the forces had already been conscripted into the northern army.
If even the Fenris troops were dispatched to the Northern Fortress, the savages would rampage through the empty northern lands, slaughtering and claiming those territories as their own.
That would lead to a major problem. While he dealt with the Rift, there would need to be an army capable of stopping the advancing savages.
‘Looks like I’ll have to use it now.’
There wasn’t a complete lack of options. When the northern forces were assembled, he had deliberately left behind a reserve unit.
And the commander of that force was exceptionally capable so much so that even the King of Mercenaries in his past life had struggled against them. Handling a savage army should be well within their capabilities.
“Bring me a pen and a paper.”
Having made his decision, Ghislain began writing a letter. His pen moved swiftly across the parchment, and he muttered under his breath.
“They won’t listen to polite words anyway. I’ll have to threaten them again, just like last time.”
It had been quite effective back then. In a way, the help he received from that threat was part of the reason he had made it this far.
And so…
It would surely be just as useful this time as well.