Chapter 503
I Will Hold the King Accountable (1)
“Puhaha!”
Perched atop the hot air balloon, Ghislain bursted into laughter, exhaling deeply.
It had been a long time since he had felt such an exhilarating sense of danger. Even across his past life, there had only been a handful of moments where he had run this fiercely.
And the fact that he had struck a blow against both the ducal family and the kingdom’s army made it all the more exhilarating.
Watching his excitement, Belinda shook her head.
“Sigh, you really are reckless.”
Had anything gone wrong, he would have been caught and killed. Even Belinda had felt a chill run down her spine when she saw the enemies closing in.
Yet, Ghislain was too busy laughing, as if he was having the time of his life.
Belinda gave him a sharp look and chided,
“Are you seriously that happy?”
“Of course. Moments like these, when I land a solid hit, are the most thrilling.”
“Who am I to stop you? Anyway, did you get what you wanted?”
At her words, Ghislain pulled an item from his coat. Keeping it intact during their escape had been quite the struggle.
All eyes focused on what he had retrieved. Everyone was eager to see what had caused such a commotion.
When he revealed the object Berhem had called the Orb of Life, their expressions darkened. It exuded an ominous energy, the same eerie aura that had seeped from the rift’s magic circle.
But when they saw the goblet and necklace, gasps of admiration filled the air. None were more astonished than Parniel and Piote.
“That’s an immense amount of divine power.”
“W-Wow! My lord, is that a holy relic too?”
Ghislain shrugged.
“No idea. Those bastards called it a relic, but I don’t know what it actually does. We’ll have to figure it out.”
As he took the necklace out of the goblet, the radiance of divine energy dissipated. Everyone marveled at it, unable to take their eyes off it.
Everyone except Ereneth.
‘Why is that here?!’
Her expression had hardened completely.
She knew exactly what that item was. She didn’t understand why it was brimming with divine power, but there was no doubt—it was something she recognized.
The necklace had belonged to a companion who had fought by her side long ago against a calamity that had swept across the world. The goblet, too, was the same.
Time had passed, but how could she ever forget?
‘Why do the Ritania royal family and the Salvation Church have this…?’
Noticing her deep contemplation, the others turned their gazes toward her. Her reaction stood out too much.
Realizing the shift in attention, Ereneth quickly eased her expression.
Narrowing his eyes, Ghislain asked,
“What’s this? Do you know something about it?”
But Ereneth shook her head.
“I don’t.”
“Sure about that?”
“I don’t.”
“Hmmm…”
Not only Ghislain but also the others regarded her with suspicion.
It was painfully obvious—her acting was terrible.
Letting out a long sigh, Ereneth finally spoke, her voice stiff and measured.
“It just reminded me of an old companion’s possession for a moment. It looks similar, but it’s not the same. My companion’s necklace didn’t have that kind of divine power. It was just an ordinary necklace.”
Ghislain let out a small chuckle and nodded.
"Yeah. I thought there might be a clue, but that's a shame. Well, I can take my time figuring it out. In the meantime, I'll have to carry it with me."
'What do you mean, no?'
Ereneth had been fighting against the Salvation Church for a very long time. She must know something.
But since she didn’t seem willing to talk about it just yet, Ghislain let it slide for now.
He could investigate slowly and subtly probe for answers. That noble Elf High Chieftain was not someone who could be intimidated into speaking.
Everyone else seemed to have the same thought as Ghislain and chose to feign ignorance. After all, who in this world didn’t have a story of their own?
Belinda frowned deliberately and changed the topic.
"Young Master, what are you going to do with that unpleasant orb?"
"Hmm."
Ghislain fell into brief contemplation. He could absorb the power contained in the orb, but he doubted it would have a positive effect.
Normally, he would use whatever means necessary to increase his strength, but this one felt particularly disgusting and unsettling.
After all, wasn’t it created by draining the life force of countless people? And in an excruciatingly painful way, no less.
As Ghislain was deliberating, Parniel spoke up.
"That orb contains only malevolent thoughts. It would be best to destroy it and free the remnants of will trapped inside."
"Remnants of will?"
"Yes. The lingering fragments of those who had their life force drained against their will. It seems the priests of the Salvation Church use the anger of these unjustly slain souls to amplify their power."
Piote nodded in agreement and interjected.
"Y-Yes! We need to bless those poor souls and send them off properly!"
"I see."
He had already thought the orb was unsettling, but he hadn’t realized it was that bad. For Parniel and Piote, who possessed divine power, it must have felt even more abhorrent.
Hearing this only solidified his decision. He had no desire to absorb such a thing. Destroying it would be the best course of action.
"We'll make sure to dispose of it properly once we return. For now, is everything ready?"
Gillian nodded in response.
"Yes, we can depart at any time. Ferdium has also sent word that their preparations are nearly complete."
The Northern Army had long since completed its war preparations. It was only Ferdium that had needed a little more time to get ready.
After all, establishing a new king wasn’t something that could be done simply by winning a war.
As Ghislain fastened the necklace around his neck, he spoke.
"Alright. Now, let's go takeover the kingdom."
—
Crash!
"Aaaargh! More! Bring me more of them!"
Berhem hurled objects around in a fit of rage, his bloodshot eyes burning with madness. His furious outcry sent shivers of terror through everyone nearby.
The king was growing increasingly unhinged. He was now openly capturing and killing people indiscriminately.
But for him, there was no other choice. If he wanted to keep his body from deteriorating, he had to continuously absorb the life force of others.
"Chamberlain! Why is it taking longer and longer?!"
"Your Majesty, please wait just a little longer. More prisoners will arrive tomorrow."
"And the ducal faction? Are they receiving their share as well?"
"Yes, half of the secured individuals are being sent to the South."
Marquis Domont gave his report, his expression dark.
To create another Orb of Life, an immense amount of life force was needed. Not only did they require prisoners to sustain the king's body, but they also needed additional ones to be sent south.
To maintain the king’s condition while crafting the orb, at least a hundred thousand lives would be required.
However, it was impossible to create that many prisoners all at once. As a result, the supply of people was becoming increasingly difficult.
Berhem drooled as he spoke.
“Aren’t there any more prisoners in the capital? If not, just make more!”
“Your Majesty, Cardenia is the heart of the kingdom. If we reduce the population of the capital any further, the entire kingdom will cease to function properly.”
“Grrr….”
Berhem clenched his teeth, suppressing his desires.
For him to continue existing as king, the kingdom could not collapse. Since he could not turn the capital into ruins, he refrained from carrying out a large-scale massacre.
Instead, the population of other regions was dwindling rapidly. Armies under Berhem’s command indiscriminately rounded up people.
The royal demesne was beginning to suffer from a lack of people. So many had been taken that even basic production activities could no longer function properly.
In desperation, the royal family pressured the lords to hand over their subjects and prisoners.
The regional lords and nobles were at a loss over the situation.
—
“The king has completely lost his mind.”
“As if it wasn’t enough that he joined hands with the ducal family and the Salvation Church, now he’s slaughtering the people like this.”
“Demanding even our subjects is too much!”
By now, it was no secret that the king was using the Salvation Church’s forbidden arts to sustain himself.
“We cannot surrender any more of our people.”
“But do we have a choice?”
“There’s no one who can stop the king’s madness.”
At first, the lords had tried to comply by only giving up their prisoners, hoping to get by. But as time passed, the demands became excessive.
The problem was that the king had seized power during the war and commanded an overwhelming military force.
With the army applying pressure, refusing his demands was not an option.
To make matters worse, the king had entered into a truce with the Ducal Families and allied with them. No one could stand against their combined might.
By now, the Northern Army had withdrawn to prepare for an inevitable confrontation with the royal and ducal forces, and there were even rumors that the allied forces were preparing to retreat.
The nobles who had once united to protect the kingdom could only lament.
“How did the kingdom end up like this?”
“In the end, the royal family will be devoured by the Ducal Families as well.”
“Only ruthless and cruel people remain at His Majesty’s side.”
Day by day, they suffered in despair.
But the king’s madness wasn’t the only issue. Those who had always harbored ill will toward the Marquis of Branford and the Count of Fenris quickly flocked to the king’s side.
Now, they were thriving like fish in water. Not only were they capturing people indiscriminately, but they also began imposing exorbitant taxes on the remaining populace, stripping them of their possessions.
Even the wealth that the Marquis of Branford and the other nobles had meticulously accumulated was being pillaged.
Everyone was focused solely on filling their own pockets. In just a few months since the king seized power, the kingdom had fallen into complete ruin.
“This kingdom is finished.”
That was the honest sentiment of the remaining nobles. No, it was no longer the time to worry about the kingdom.
They had once raised their swords against the Ducal Families, and now, at any moment, they could be falsely accused of crimes they hadn't committed and be crushed.
That fear was already widespread. With fewer people left for the king to consume, rumors spread through the capital that he would soon seize an entire territory as an example.
If they wanted to survive, they had to kneel before the king and willingly offer up their people.
Thus, the kingdom began its collapse. The screams of the people echoed ceaselessly across the land.
“P-Please, spare me!”
“I have done nothing wrong!”
“Please, at least let my child go….”
The Royal Army took people indiscriminately, regardless of age or gender. No, in fact, the younger they were, the more life force they had, which pleased the king even more.
Even the soldiers carrying out these atrocities did not feel at ease. They, too, had once fought against the Ducal Families to protect the kingdom.
But now, most of their commanders had sided with the king. Ordinary soldiers had no say in the matter.
As one young soldier wept while leading the captives away, a senior soldier grabbed him by the collar and growled.
“I told you not to show it, damn it! Do you want to die too?”
“B-But….”
“Shut up. Wipe your tears and endure it. If you don’t, we’re all dead.”
The senior soldier clenched his teeth, holding back his own tears. Even soldiers were dragged away if they displeased their superiors in the slightest.
Those who once defended the kingdom had now become its executioners.
Both the captives and the soldiers leading them were drowning in despair.
Clatter, clatter, clatter…
A heavy silence hung over the convoy transporting innocent prisoners. The only ones laughing were the commanders who had earned the king’s favor.
The prisoners had already abandoned hope, leaving them mute. The soldiers, crushed by guilt, could not bring themselves to speak either.
Even those who had not yet been taken had been stripped of all they owned, left to suffer in starvation. The burden of excessive taxation drove many to take their own lives.
And so, they all cried out in unison:
— “The gods have abandoned this kingdom. The king has allied with the Salvation Church.”
A deep, overwhelming gloom had spread across the land, creating a world where no one could laugh or find joy.
As the convoy of prisoners marched forward, a soldier walking with his head bowed suddenly noticed a piece of paper on the ground.
“Huh?”
Curious, he picked it up.
“What…?”
There was a single line written on the paper.
[Hold on just a little longer. The Wolves of the North will come to save you soon.]
Without realizing it, the soldier lifted his gaze toward the sky.
Though faint, he thought he saw a few birds soaring above. In the distant air, more pieces of paper fluttered down.
Glancing around, he saw that several more had already fallen to the ground.
Quickly, he crumpled the paper and shoved it into his pocket. His face flushed as he struggled to suppress the trembling in his chest.
‘Could it be…?’
Even before the start of the war, ‘Wolf of the North’ had long been used to refer to a particular domain.
A land that had ceaselessly battled against the savages at the border. A land that was mocked for its poverty yet silently fulfilled its duty.
And now, a land that had produced the Northern Army and Count Fenris, hailed as the strongest in the kingdom.
‘Ferdium!’
They were declaring that they would soon be on the move.
At that moment, when the soldiers began to glimpse a light of hope, Ferdium was already preparing to march.
The entire army exuded the sharp momentum of warriors heading into battle against the savages. At the forefront, Zwalter sat atop his horse, his expression more resolute than ever.
Ferdium’s Chief Overseer, Homerne, wiped the cold sweat from his brow as he spoke.
“Lord, the preparations are not yet complete. And yet, you are already setting out. We must also be ready for the movements of the Ducal Families’ army…”
“It’s too late.”
“…What?”
“I said, even now, we are already late.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
Zwalter turned his head to gaze at the sky as he spoke.
“There is no time to wait. The entire kingdom groans in despair. I can no longer stand by and watch.”
“My Lord…”
The king and the nobles had gone far beyond the limits of tyranny.
It was not only the king who sought the Orb of Life. Even the nobles clung to his side, greedily exploiting the people.
Zwalter could no longer stand to witness such a sight.
“I do not raise my army because I covet the throne. I take this stand for the sake of the kingdom. But if I turn a blind eye to their suffering now, what meaning would there be in becoming king?”
“M-My Lord…”
“Even if we are unprepared, even if it costs me my life, there is something that must be done now.”
At those words, Homerne and the retainers bowed their heads. They could not bring themselves to object.
This was the kind of man Zwalter was. It was why, for so many years, he had stood as the guardian of the North, earning the unwavering respect of all his people.
Not long ago, he had been prepared to retire, to pass everything down to his son and live a peaceful life. Yet now, as if such thoughts had never crossed his mind, Zwalter had returned to the man who had once ceaselessly fought against the savages.
The man who had lived with an unbreakable sense of duty and an indomitable will.
Raising his hand, Zwalter slowly opened his mouth.
“All troops…”
His heavy voice echoed through the ranks.
“Advance to Cardenia. We shall hold the king accountable for his crimes.”
Boom!
With Zwalter’s command, Ferdium’s army began its march toward the capital.