Chapter 377: I Brought a Gift (1)

"Idun, Idun, huh..."

Ernheart, usually indifferent to most things, showed quite an interest in Idun this time.

And it was understandable. Idun's abilities were remarkable enough to rival anyone in the duchy.

"Well, you came to assist me?"

"Yes, Your Grace. I will be of great help."

"Does the situation here seem so dire that someone like you was sent?"

Ernheart was still smiling, but his words carried a sharp edge. After all, he didn't need much help to take over the kingdom.

Idun responded with a bright smile of his own.

"Would we dare to underestimate Your Grace's power? It's just that the matter with Lutania needs to be resolved a little quicker."

"What do you mean?"

"It seems we must accelerate the timeline for opening the 'door.'"

At this, Ernheart raised his eyebrows, intrigued.

"Oh, really? Why is that? The appointed date is still far off, is it not?"

"Things rarely go as planned, do they? We've encountered pursuers."

"Who are they?"

"It appears that the 'Saintess of War' and the 'Guardian of the World Tree' have caught wind of our plans. We've already clashed with them several times in the shadows."

"Hmm... Even with all the precautions, they discovered us sooner than expected."

"Perfection is impossible in human endeavors. Our reach spans the entire continent, which naturally increases the risk of mistakes. Moreover, they've been wary of our existence for a long time."

"Indeed, just as we have our mission, they have theirs."

"And… there's also the matter of the Kingdom of Lutania urging us to hasten."

"This kingdom?"

Idun raised his head and locked eyes with Ernheart as he continued.

"Yes, because of Count Fenris."

"Count Fenris?"

Count Fenris was a name Ernheart had been hearing often lately.

The man had derailed Raul's plans to take over the kingdom easily. Now, brute force was the only option left.

But Ernheart had thought that Fenris' influence was confined to the kingdom alone. For him to cause a shift in their grand plans?

"Explain."

"It's because of the Forest of Demonic Beasts."

"The Forest of Demonic Beasts?"

"I've heard rumors that Count Fenris has developed the Forest of Demonic Beasts. It was one of the last places we had under consideration. And… we recently confirmed the death of the first guardian who protected its barrier."

Ernheart leaned forward slightly, his eyes now gleaming with a different kind of fervor.

"Are you certain about the Forest of Demonic Beasts?"

"Absolutely. We've already ruled out every other forbidden place on the continent except the Forest of Demonic Beasts. Around the time Count Fenris began developing the forest, the light of one of the holy relics was extinguished. We must deal with Lutania's affairs before he further disrupts the forest."

"Ha, hahahahahaha!"

Ernheart burst into loud laughter.

The vassals were baffled, unable to comprehend the content of their conversation, let alone why Ernheart was laughing so hard.

After laughing heartily for a moment, Ernheart turned to Raul with a mad gleam in his eyes.

"Raul."

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Break the neck of that puppet king immediately and raze the Forest of Demonic Beasts."

The duchy had always prohibited anyone from touching the Forest of Demonic Beasts, believing it might hold what they sought.

But now that it was confirmed, there was no reason to hold back.

Raul bowed his head as he replied.

"I'm already preparing for war. To minimize damage while taking over the kingdom…"

Before Raul could finish, Ernheart interrupted coldly.

"You mean to drag this out again?"

"Y-Your Grace. I understand, but if the Forest of Demonic Beasts truly holds what we seek... We'll need a substantial force to conquer it. If we make a mistake, we might lack the troops for later battles..."

Ernheart, uncharacteristically, glared at Raul with murderous intent.

"I don't care if every single person in the kingdom dies. After taking the kingdom, arm all the citizens and send them into the forest. Do you understand?"

"...I will follow your orders."

"This time, there must be no mistakes."

After giving Raul a frosty glance, Ernheart turned back to Idun.

"What will you contribute?"

"I will eliminate anything that obstructs Your Grace's great mission. And..."

Idun smiled his signature dazzling smile as he continued.

"I will bring you the head of Count Fenris."

***

The Royalist nobles had been agonizing for days after gathering at the royal palace.

This was because Marquis Rodrick was now openly moving to attack Fenris.

"Marquis Rodrick officially declared war on Fenris! His forces are preparing to march! That bird-brained fool has forced a civil war ahead of schedule!"

At Maurice's angry outburst, Marquis Branford replied with a calm expression.

"Wasn't civil war inevitable, whether we liked it or not? Marquis Rodrick merely acted first."

"His actions have ruined all the strategies we laid out! Now we have to deal with the western army before even facing the duchy!"

The Royalist faction's primary strategy had always been defense. The goal was to guard other fronts while consolidating their main force to strike at the duchy.

But things had gone awry. They couldn't afford to lose Fenris, so now they had to fight the western forces first.

Everyone knew mediation was no longer possible.

"Considering the chaos he caused in the west, we have no choice."

Rumors had spread across the kingdom that Ghislain annihilated Marquis Rodrick's 20,000 troops and even pillaged them.

Now, even if the king himself stepped in to stop it, the war could not be avoided.

Marquis Branford still couldn't comprehend Ghislain's motives.

'Why would he provoke the west so deliberately?'

From the Royalist perspective, it would've been better to gather strength and prepare for the inevitable war. Moving the army now would only create openings for the duchy to exploit.

As he pondered, Marquis Branford muttered under his breath.

"He's not someone who acts without a plan."

"He doesn't have a plan! Because he doesn't think at all!"

Maurice exclaimed, pounding his chest in frustration.

To him, Ghislain was just someone who lived recklessly. But thanks to sheer luck, all his endeavors seemed to succeed and appear well-thought-out.

In short, Ghislain was a man blessed with uncanny fortune.

As they debated and struggled to formulate a new strategy, a knight of royal family entered and announced.

"Lords, Count Fenris is here."

At those words, the eyes of every Royalist noble lit up. This was their chance to question him about his intentions and future plans.

"Bring him in."

When Marquis Branford spoke, the knight hesitated with an awkward expression.

"Um…"

"What is it?"

"Please step outside."

"…What did you say?"

"Yes."

The knight's audacious demand brought a moment of stunned silence to the meeting room. Maurice was the first to recover, shouting in anger.

"Is that bastard insane? Does being a Master make him think he's above everyone? Does he think he can summon us like this?"

Being a Master didn't justify such arrogance. Yet, the Royalist nobles believed Ghislain's rise was due to their backing. They thought they had nurtured and supported him, which wasn't entirely untrue.

By rank, influence, and age, they were undoubtedly his superiors.

"Has he grown so arrogant just because he's gained some fame? Hey! Call all the knights! Masters who act so insolently in the capital will die for it!"

Maurice, shaking his thick beard, sprang from his seat. As one of the most powerful figures in the kingdom, he could no longer tolerate Ghislain's insolent behavior.

He hadn't liked him from the start.

The knight tried to explain defensively.

"Well, it's just that... Count Fenris brought some gifts, and he insists you need to see them yourself…"

"You fool! Is that supposed to be an excuse? If he brought gifts, he should have brought them here courteously!"

"The amount he brought… it's not something that can be brought here…"

"Silence! I'll go and fix that brat's attitude myself right now!"

With a face full of bluster, Maurice called the knights to move out. The nobles of the Royalist faction followed him, their curiosity piqued.

When the knights and nobles from other factions joined, the numbers became substantial. Indeed, it was a display of the kingdom's ruling powers.

Even Marquis Branford shook his head in resignation and followed them outside.

The moment Maurice stepped out, he shouted loudly.

"Where is that brat? Where is he?"

He had expected Count Fenris to be waiting outside, but no one was there. While Maurice looked around in confusion, the knight who delivered the news hurriedly caught up and explained again.

"He's outside the castle walls."

"What? He dared to summon us outside the castle walls?"

"No, it's just that..."

"Bring my carriage... No, bring my horse! Summon the soldiers, too! We're going right now!"

Impatient as always, Maurice didn't even listen to the knight's explanation properly and rushed off. He was determined to teach Ghislain a lesson and knock some sense into him.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The most powerful nobles of the kingdom moved en masse, accompanied by knights and soldiers. The commotion startled everyone in the capital.

People stepped aside, worry etched on their faces, as the atmosphere seemed charged as if war might break out any moment.

When they finally reached outside the castle, what they saw was a sea of wagons and soldiers under the flag of Fenris.

Even at a glance, there seemed to be at least a thousand soldiers.

Seeing this, Maurice shouted at the top of his lungs as he approached.

"Look! That lunatic dragged his troops all the way to the capital!"

Marquis Branford and the other nobles also frowned. There were far too many soldiers to simply be an escort for a merchant guild.

To bring this many troops near the capital without being stopped was peculiar, to say the least.

As Maurice advanced with his knights, Ghislain greeted him with a slight bow.

"Marquis Macquarie, it's been a while."

"You brat! What do you think you're doing? How dare you bring so many soldiers near the capital! Is this rebellion?"

At the provocation, Ghislain answered with a sullen expression.

"It's not that many, is it? They're just here for escort purposes."

For a merchant guild, the number was significant, but it was far from enough to threaten the capital. Even as a Master, Ghislain couldn't possibly stage an insurrection with such a force.

When Maurice was about to explode again, Marquis Branford stepped in to restrain him and asked instead.

"Fine, why did you summon us all the way out here?"

"Marquis, have you been well?"

"Enough with the pleasantries. Get to the point."

At Branford's still-cold demeanor, Ghislain clicked his tongue before speaking.

"I brought some gifts."

"What kind of gift requires this much trouble?"

Instead of answering, Ghislain gestured to the soldiers. As they moved aside, the wagons behind them became more visible.

The sight of hundreds of wagons lined up was nothing short of spectacular.

Every noble present gaped in astonishment.

Even at a glance, the wagons were loaded with food, weapons, and various supplies. Despite being some of the most powerful figures in the kingdom, they had never seen such a massive amount all at once.

Watching their dumbfounded expressions, Ghislain grinned broadly.

"These are supplies—food, armaments, herbs, and various military provisions. A gift from me to the Royalist faction. They'll be quite useful during the civil war."

Even Marquis Branford, known for his stoic expression, widened his eyes in surprise.

Although the effects of the drought were beginning to subside, resources were still scarce. Everyone, nobles included, was forced to conserve their supplies.

For Ghislain to bring such a large amount of provisions as a gift was beyond belief.

"Is this... for real? Are you really giving us all this?"

"It's rare to hear you stammer, Marquis."

"...I asked if this is truly real."

"Yes, it's real. Marquis, your suspicions have grown over time."

Considering Ghislain's usual tendency to take rather than give, it was hard to believe. But as he confirmed it, the nobles could barely contain their shock, clutching their racing hearts.

All eyes turned to Maurice. He had just accused the man who brought such a monumental gift of rebellion and berated him.

"You, you brat..."

Maurice, flustered, dismounted his horse. Striding toward Ghislain with determined steps, he looked as if he had something to say.

"What is it?"

Ghislain responded curtly, his tone still annoyed. Maurice hesitated momentarily before suddenly shouting.

"You brat!"

And then, like a man reuniting with a long-lost family member, he hugged Ghislain tightly.

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