Chapter 363: Now You Must Choose (2)

Glenn momentarily looked puzzled. Beggars? What beggars could there possibly be here?

It took him a while to realize that Amelia was referring to them as beggars.

"What do you mean, beggars!"

"Exactly what it sounds like. After taking money from the Duchy, taking money from Count Desmond, and still failing to deal with the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower, now you come to me for money? What exactly have you accomplished so far?"

"Wh-what…"

"People who do nothing and keep begging for money, what else are they but beggars? Do I look like someone running a charity from the temple?"

"You, you…"

Glenn, flustered by Amelia's insulting words, stammered and failed to respond. It was true that they had received an enormous amount of money from the Duchy and Count Desmond.

However, he felt it was unjust. All that money had been spent trying to starve the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower into submission.

If they succeeded, all the money spent would not have been wasted. Even if they failed, Amelia had no right to speak to them this way.

"Your words go too far! Your duty is to support us on behalf of Count Desmond! I will not tolerate any further insolence!"

At this, Amelia twisted her lips into a smile.

"And what will you do if you don't tolerate it?"

"I will go to the tower lord and report this matter immediately! The Duchy will not stand idly by either!"

"You won't be going back."

"How dare you!"

Glenn, realizing Amelia's intentions, hurriedly gathered his mana. But before he could act, someone suddenly appeared behind him.

Thunk!

"Urk!"

Glenn looked down at the saw-shaped blade protruding through his abdomen. The one who had stabbed him was none other than Caleb, the leader of the Wildcat Smugglers.

"You, you traitorous wench…"

Glenn trembled as he spat blood, his hands shaking violently. He could not comprehend why Amelia had suddenly done this.

The only thought filling his mind was that Amelia had betrayed him.

Slash!

Caleb, who had already withdrawn his blade, silently decapitated Glenn. Glenn's head, with wide-open eyes, rolled to the floor. Amelia coldly muttered as she watched his head tumble.

"Insolent fool."

Then she turned and spoke.

"Conrad."

Conrad, the leader of the Actium Merchant Guild, bowed his head in response.

"Yes, my lady."

"Lead a disguised merchant guild with Caleb and wipe out the Crimson Tower. Finish it before Delmud completes the exchange meeting."

"Under whose name should it be left?"

"Fenris."

"Understood."

Conrad grasped Amelia's intention. The Crimson Tower was the hidden dagger of the Duchy. Even if the Crimson Tower was destroyed, the Duchy could not openly act.

For Amelia, who sought to weaken the Duke's power, it was a golden opportunity. Moreover, the enraged Delmud would inevitably seek a confrontation with Ghislain.

Amelia smirked slyly.

"No matter how much of a 7th-circle mage Delmud is, he won't be able to handle Fenris alone."

Whether Delmud went mad with rage and died or fled after losing all his foundation, Amelia would benefit.

This was a perfect chance to get rid of the beggars who kept coming to her for money under the Duke's name.

Nearby, Vulcan, a former bandit leader, suddenly shouted excitedly.

"Me! Let me go too! You know I'm the best at killing people!"

Vulcan, feeling restless lately, jumped up and down in excitement. However, Amelia shook her head.

"You're too conspicuous."

The Crimson Tower was located within a large city. Someone like Vulcan running wild would risk exposing their identity.

At this, Vulcan sulked. But Amelia reassured him.

"I'll give you another mission instead."

"Ooh! What is it?"

Rustle.

Amelia unfolded a map and pointed to a location.

"We need to handle everything before the civil war. A representative sent by the Duchy is on the way. Take your men and kill them all. Don't forget to disguise yourselves."

Vulcan, who commanded most of the northern bandits, found disguising as bandits and killing people a trivial task.

The location Amelia pointed to was a desolate area. It was a perfect spot to kill without leaving any traces.

"Understood!"

Vulcan left cheerfully, swinging his club.

Amelia instructed the remaining vassals to prepare their forces and check their food supplies.

They needed to be fully prepared before the civil war broke out.

Amelia didn't care whether the Duchy or the Royalist faction won. She planned to tear everything down and rebuild it from scratch anyway.

Her plan was to weaken both sides while watching for an opportunity amidst the chaos.

All Amelia desired now was confusion.

***

'Legs… how many legs…?'

While pondering the riddle Vanessa had posed about an animal's legs, Ghislain's eyes shot open. Thinking about it made his head hurt, and he could no longer stay lying down.

"My lord!"

Vanessa exclaimed joyfully as Ghislain opened his eyes.

The nearby Gillian and knights also sighed in relief.

Ghislain, with his parched lips, weakly asked, "How many legs… No, how long has it been?"

Gillian quickly replied,

"About a week."

"I've been lying down for quite a while."

"This time, it was truly dangerous."

"Of course. Facing a 7th-circle mage, one must expect that."

Ghislain chuckled faintly. When fighting the Blood Python, he had lost consciousness as well, but this time was worse.

This time, he felt like every bit of strength within him had been drained, leaving him withered.

"Ugh…"

Barely managing to sit up, Ghislain assessed his condition. His mana reserves felt completely dry, like parched, cracked earth.

'That's odd. This is too early to wake up.'

Under normal circumstances, a person would already be dead. Even someone as strong as Ghislain should have been in a coma for at least a month.

Although he felt like he had slept for a long time, compared to his condition, it was far too soon to wake up.

While he was wondering, a weary voice echoed in his mind.

— Ugh… You're finally awake.

'Hm?'

— Damn it! Do you realize how close you were to dying? If it weren't for me, you'd be dead!

'Oh, what did you do?'

— What else! I used all my strength to hold onto your fading life force! And I kept stirring up your emotions.

'Emotions?'

— Yes! That damned fury of yours! It burned so fiercely as if you refused to 'die' again. By constantly provoking it, you were on the brink of death but didn't cross it.

Ghislain chuckled softly. He hadn't known Dark had such abilities.

Dark must have desperately wanted to avoid death, so he worked hard to keep Ghislain alive.

Seeing his effort, Ghislain couldn't help but laugh.

— You're laughing? Do you always fight so recklessly? Living for today, no thought for tomorrow?

'If you'd seen my past life, you'd understand.'

— ...

Dark knew. In his past life, Ghislain fought as if his life were expendable, as if he didn't care if he died.

But it wasn't that he truly didn't care about dying; it was just that he was so resolute in every battle.

Dark's voice trembled as he asked,

— Master… Did you really go back to the past?

'Yes.'

Ghislain spoke casually. After all, Dark had already glimpsed fragments of his past memories, so there was no need to hide it.

Hearing the answer, Dark, still in disbelief, exclaimed.

— That's impossible! How did you do it? Was I any different in the past? Oh! So that's how you found and captured me! Is it true? Did you really return to the past?

Dark rambled, unable to believe it yet too curious to ignore it. But Ghislain shook his head.

'Ask me later. We don't have time to idle right now.'

Shutting Dark up, Ghislain asked Gillian, "Was there any significant news?"

Gillian responded with a grim expression.

"The Crimson Tower has been destroyed."

"I killed Delmud myself, didn't I? And I took care of the rest. Naturally, it would fall."

"That's not it… the tower was attacked, and the remaining disciples were all massacred. It's been reduced to nothing but ashes."

Ghislain was slightly surprised. With Delmud dead, the fall of the tower was inevitable.

But the Crimson Tower had been one of the most formidable in the North. The remaining disciples should have been numerous and highly skilled, yet it had been entirely reduced to ashes.

"Who attacked it?"

Gillian hesitated briefly before answering.

"Well… rumors say it was us. A few corpses were found wearing our uniforms and carrying our identification."

Ghislain tilted his head slightly in thought before asking,

"Claude?"

There weren't many people in the North bold enough to commit such outrageous acts. Naturally, he started by asking about one of the lunatics.

"No, the head butler has actually raised the alert level. We've been falsely accused, and he's cautious. As of now, we don't know who's responsible."

"Hmm…"

Ghislain crossed his arms, sinking into thought. After a moment of consideration, a particular person came to mind, and he nodded a few times.

'Amelia.'

She had both the skill and the decisiveness to pull off such an operation. Her motives were also clear.

'She must be trying to weaken the Duke's power first, considering the Royalist faction is still at a disadvantage.'

If Ghislain hadn't arrived and killed Delmud himself, things could have gotten very troublesome.

The Crimson Tower would have fallen anyway, and the remaining mages from the tower would have inevitably clashed with Fenris.

It was fortunate that Ghislain had handled Delmud one-on-one. If a 7th-circle mage had appeared on the battlefield with dozens of mages in tow, it would have been hell.

Even if they had won in the end, Fenris would have suffered significant damage. Amelia had not only eliminated the Duke's hidden weapon but also sought to weaken Fenris's forces simultaneously.

'She never misses a chance to take advantage of an opportunity.'

Ghislain clicked his tongue. He had set the stage, but Amelia hadn't let anything slip through her fingers. She was relentless.

Of course, he had planned to destroy the Crimson Tower himself anyway. Amelia merely took care of the rest, making things easier for him.

From her perspective, it was a partial success.

"Forget it. There's no need to make excuses. After all, I did kill Delmud. Let them scold me; I'll endure it."

It no longer mattered who had dealt with the rest. With Delmud dead, Ghislain would inevitably be seen as the instigator.

However, the Duchy couldn't officially act. No one knew they were behind the Crimson Tower, so they could only gnash their teeth and simmer in frustration for now.

"Let's prepare to leave. There's much to do back in the territory."

Before Ghislain could even finish speaking, the door burst open, and Hubert and the elders entered.

"Oh my! Lord Count! You're finally awake! The strongest in the North! The Swordmaster!"

Hubert approached Ghislain excitedly, his eyes sparkling as though honey would drip from them.

Initially surprised, Hubert quickly grasped the situation and leaped with joy. The Crimson Tower, their longtime rival, had crumbled completely. They were once again the most prestigious tower in the North.

Though Ghislain had done all the work, Hubert didn't care who was responsible. As long as the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower was the strongest in the North, the money would keep flowing, and they could continue their extravagant lifestyle.

"By the way, I heard the Crimson Tower has been completely wiped out? Oh, if only you'd let me know in advance, we could have helped!"

Hubert spewed empty words. If Ghislain had indeed asked, Hubert would have found excuses to avoid getting involved.

But Ghislain had no intention of letting them get away with such behavior anymore.

"You're curious why it happened?"

"Well, yes, the result is good, but it all seemed so sudden…"

"The Crimson Tower was raised by the Duchy. Their mission was to destroy the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower. That's why I dealt with them."

Hubert and the elders went pale.

The thought that the Duchy had targeted them was terrifying and incomprehensible.

"Why? Why would the Duchy use the Crimson Tower to attack us?"

Ghislain explained the events so far and revealed that the Duchy was preparing to instigate a civil war.

"Unbelievable… So the Duchy is eliminating all potential obstacles before the war?"

"That's right. Destroying the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower was part of that plan. You've likely heard about several other towers disappearing in other regions."

Unconsciously, Hubert nodded. Towers in several locations had indeed vanished for various reasons.

But the thought that all of it was orchestrated by the Duchy had never crossed his mind.

If Ghislain's words were true, then the unspoken rules among mages meant nothing. When the civil war broke out, every tower not affiliated with the Duchy would have already been destroyed.

Only the towers under the Duke's control would remain, free to move as they pleased. The mere thought sent chills down their spines. They had been preparing for this for years!

Ghislain issued a warning to Hubert.

"Now you must choose. Either stay as you are and die at the hands of the Duchy, or fight alongside me."

Hubert and the elders swallowed hard. Frankly, they didn't want to fight.

Hubert's mind raced, and he came up with a clever idea.

"What if… what if we sided with the Duchy?"

At that, Ghislain smiled brightly and said,

"Then you'll die at my hands first. We're closer, after all. Or should I do it now? Gillian."

Gillian drew his axe and bowed his head.

"Just give the order."

Seeing this, Hubert and the elders stared blankly, their mouths agape. Once, Ghislain had arbitrarily raised the price of runestones; now, he was openly threatening to kill them.

And there was nothing they could do to stop him. He was now the strongest in the North.

'I knew I should never have gotten involved with someone so reckless!'

Hubert sniffled and lowered his head deeply. A single tear welled up in his eye.

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