Chapter 380: So, You Were Here (2)

"Graaaah!"

Jeffrey, impaled by the spear, was hurled backward.

Boom!

The force behind the spear was so immense that Jeffrey was slammed into a wall and pinned there.

"Grkkk!"

Even then, he did not die. His glowing red eyes flashed as he let out a beastly roar.

"Graaaah!"

Jeffrey shattered the spear embedded in his body and dropped to the ground.

Rozalin, startled, quickly turned around. The man who had thrown the spear clicked his tongue and stepped in front of her.

"Tsk, tsk. I had a feeling it'd be like this here, too."

"Count!"

"Are you all right?"

The man who appeared with calm, measured steps was none other than Ghislain.

Saving a damsel in distress is an overused, yet endlessly popular, trope. Most noble ladies had read at least one story like this as children.

A dashing knight pledging loyalty and slaying a wicked dragon to protect her.

At that moment, Rozalin felt like she had stepped into one of those childhood fairy tales.

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she called out to Ghislain once more.

"Count Fenris!"

"Why are you tearing up? Did you get an eye infection?"

"..."

This man clearly knew nothing about romance. Rozalin held back a grimace and took a deep breath before asking.

"How did you come here?"

"I ran."

"No, I mean, how did you know what was happening?"

"Creatures like that are wreaking havoc all over the capital."

Rozalin's eyes widened in shock. If that was the case, it meant similar monsters were at all the locations the royalist faction had attacked.

Ghislain had been right—agents of the duchy were indeed operating everywhere.

Ghislain looked at Rozalin and said.

"Anyway, I'm glad you're safe. As soon as I heard, I rushed here. It's normal to be startled the first time you see those things—they're incredibly tough, too."

"Then… you came here first to save me?"

Ghislain nodded with his usual bright smile.

"Of course. I had to save you first in this entire capital."

"C-Count..."

Thump!

Rozalin clutched her chest as her heart raced, her face turning red.

To think he prioritized her over all the other influential nobles in the capital. She truly felt like a princess in a storybook.

"You must care so much about m—"

"You're in charge of managing the finances and sales of our cosmetics guild. Of course, I came here first. Oh, it would've been a disaster if something happened to you. Losing all that money? Just imagining it is horrifying."

'Do you ever talk about anything besides money, you scoundrel?'

Rozalin's face twisted in frustration. This man cared about nothing but money. She was furious at herself for misinterpreting his actions.

"Why that face? Are you unwell? Oh, I'd better handle that thing quickly. There are other places I need to check, too. Busy, busy."

With his usual nonchalant stride, Ghislain walked toward Jeffrey.

The Marquis's soldiers, aware of Ghislain's reputation, made way for him.

"Graaaah!"

Jeffrey, enraged by Ghislain's interference, let out a feral roar and charged at him.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Jeffrey swung his sword with the speed of a high-level knight, but Ghislain dodged effortlessly.

He didn't counterattack immediately, as if observing something.

"Graaaah!"

Frustrated that his attacks weren't landing, Jeffrey continued to let out beastly growls.

After watching him a few more times, Ghislain muttered.

"Hmm, definitely weaker than Harold."

Compared to Harold's transformation, Jeffrey was much slower, and his attacks were far less precise.

It seemed the strength gained after transformation varied depending on the individual's original capabilities.

"But the madness is the same."

Jeffrey had completely lost his reason, like a wild beast. Apart from the singular goal of killing someone, he appeared incapable of rational thought.

Without a target, he'd likely go on an indiscriminate killing spree, much like Vanessa in her previous life.

"Well then, let's finish this."

Fwoosh.

A dark red energy flared around Ghislain's clenched fist.

Thud!

"Graaaah!"

Jeffrey staggered as Ghislain's fist slammed into his face. Ghislain didn't let up, landing blow after blow like a storm.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Graaaah!"

Jeffrey, unable to mount any proper resistance, was pummeled relentlessly. Each hit broke more bones in his body.

The onlookers were shocked. The creature that had been impervious to blades was now being subdued by mere punches.

Boom!

Ghislain's final punch drove into Jeffrey's head, smashing him into the ground.

"Urgh…"

Jeffrey, collapsed on the floor, began trembling uncontrollably.

"Wh-What is this… Why me…?"

He couldn't comprehend the situation. Once transformed, he was supposed to lose reason and fight to the death. That's what had happened to the other test subjects.

But after taking a few hits, his sanity returned.

"To think… I'd die so… meaninglessly…"

It was a last-resort power. His plan had been to create chaos, even if it cost him his life, by killing Rozalin. But he had failed.

Ghislain muttered as he looked at the dying Jeffrey.

"Hmm, that part hasn't changed."

A strong enough impact seemed to disrupt the effects. This meant the duchy hadn't perfected their enhancements yet.

"Well, the timeline's been accelerated too much."

The fully enhanced versions he had seen in his previous life had appeared after he became Mercenary King. That was still far in the future.

Jeffrey's body began to shrink, aging rapidly.

"You… Who are you…?"

But Jeffrey couldn't finish his question. His core had been destroyed, and his life force completely drained.

He turned into a mummified corpse and died without getting an answer.

The onlookers' faces were filled with tension as they watched.

"What in the world is this?"

"Becoming a monster right before death…"

"How could something like this happen…"

Rozalin was equally bewildered. She hurried to Ghislain and asked.

"What is this creature? Are things like this really rampaging across the capital?"

"Yes, it's the mana cultivation technique developed by the duchy."

"The duchy created something this horrific?"

"It allows an ordinary knight to unleash several times their usual power. Of course, it kills them in the process, but the damage they cause before dying can be substantial."

Ghislain explained what he knew to Rozalin.

These monsters were indeed formidable, but their power had a time limit. If one knew what they were dealing with, they weren't impossible to defeat.

"If these creatures run rampant, the soldiers will suffer heavy losses. Their strength varies depending on their original abilities, but knights can handle them with composure."

Once accustomed, they were no more than berserk knights with enhanced strength, manageable for trained knights. Of course, if hundreds or thousands of such creatures emerged, it would be a different story.

"Please take care of this one. I need to assist other areas. People must be panicking right now."

"Ah, I understand."

"And since there's so much to prepare, please hurry up with this month's financial report."

"Do you ever talk about anything other than money!"

Rozalin roared like a lion, startling Ghislain.

"What's with your voice all of a sudden?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. That was… my inner thoughts slipping out…"

She snapped her fan open to hide her face, though her eyes still burned with fury.

'Ugh, her temperament is still as unpredictable as ever. Better get out of here quickly.'

Ghislain, looking uneasy, quickly left the fuming Rozalin behind.

Boom! Boom!

"Aaaaah! It's a monster!"

"A madman's appeared!"

"Run!"

The chaos wasn't confined to the Marquis's mansion. Across the capital, panic reigned as rampaging monsters attacked. People fled in terror, while knights and soldiers pursued the berserk creatures.

"Catch it!"

"Kill it quickly!"

"Surround it now!"

Knights and soldiers were busily moving throughout the capital.

While some monsters had already been killed, others managed to evade capture, scattering in all directions and attacking indiscriminately.

Of course, the number of monsters killed far exceeded those still alive. The knights of the capital were far more skilled than those of most territories.

The real issue lay in the locations with only a small number of troops. They were caught off guard by the sudden rampages and failed to contain the monsters.

Ghislain leapt across rooftops, swiftly assessing the number of rampaging creatures. Fortunately, many had been subdued on the spot, leaving only a few remaining.

Fwoosh!

Dark red spears of mana formed around him.

"Go."

Boom!

The spears shot out with a deafening roar, shattering a monster's head.

As Ghislain weaved through the buildings, killing monsters one after another, many people caught sight of him.

"It's Count Fenris!"

"The Master of the North has arrived!"

"Waaah! It's the Saint!"

The mere sight of Ghislain boosted the morale of the knights and soldiers. Even fleeing citizens stopped in their tracks to cheer.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The monsters' heads exploded as if they were made of fragile clay under the impact of Ghislain's mana spears.

Though many monsters had been lurking in the capital, there always seemed to be more crawling out of the shadows.

But this was no ordinary city—it was the capital.

"Kill those creatures immediately!"

Toleo, the Marquis's knight commander, appeared and decapitated a monster in one swift motion. Other knights from noble households joined the fray, cutting down the creatures with efficiency.

Even mages joined in, with some monsters being captured alive.

Watching this, Ghislain smirked.

"Hah. What's the point of gathering all the strong ones in the capital?"

Given the presence of the royal family and high-ranking nobles, it was inevitable, but Ghislain couldn't help but feel it was a waste.

If those elite forces were deployed on the frontlines, they could have clashed head-on with the duchy's army.

"Time to move to another area."

He had stepped in to minimize the damage, but with such skilled fighters handling the situation, it was no longer a concern.

Now, he needed to target places the nobles couldn't easily touch.

Ghislain headed straight for the Temple of Juana. Inside, someone awaited him, surrounded by heavily armed guards.

"Are you well, Bishop Forisco?"

"Ah… Count, you've arrived?"

Forisco, surrounded by temple knights, greeted him.

Lately, Forisco had been living a dull life, unable to commit any misdeeds due to his reputation as a "Saint." While he didn't particularly enjoy the tedium, he didn't dislike the fame either, leaving him in a conflicted state.

His ascension to the position of archbishop was practically guaranteed, so he didn't want to risk ruining everything.

As soon as he saw Ghislain, Forisco sidled up to him and whispered.

"Are you sure… it's okay to attack them?"

"I told you, those guys are all pawns of the duchy."

"It won't tarnish my reputation, right?"

"If anything, it'll elevate it."

"All right. I'll trust you and go for it."

"Don't trust me. Trust in your faith, Bishop. Aren't you the capital's foremost clergyman and the Saint chosen by the goddess? You have a responsibility to guide the ignorant masses."

"Y-You're right. There's no one but me for this, is there?"

Forisco nodded several times before boldly declaring.

"If not I, who shall descend into hell? Today, I shall purge the darkness lurking in the capital!"

"Waaaah!"

At Forisco's proclamation, the temple knights erupted in cheers.

With newfound zeal, they marched toward a large building on the outskirts of the capital.

[Cardenia Theological Society]

The society's name suggested a scholarly institution, but it was actually a gathering of individuals from various religious orders who voluntarily spread the will of the goddesses and performed acts of service.

Its reputation and location made it untouchable to most nobles.

For years, they had served the needy in the capital, earning widespread support. Attacking society would send public sentiment into chaos. Even without justification, striking such a place was a sensitive matter.

Most nations, including Lutania, strictly adhered to the separation of politics and religion.

In such circumstances, the only way to wipe them out without political repercussions was clear.

A figure with the people's trust, a figure renowned as a Saint, backed by the church.

And the capital had one such person.

"Drag out those heretical bast— I mean, heretics! Seize all their possessions and prepare for the pyre! Hahaha!"

The false Saint Forisco cackled with maniacal glee as he gave the order.

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