Chapter 524: I've Come to Save You (2)

The soldiers couldn't fully grasp the meaning of those words—it was too sudden.

There were other points of confusion as well.

'What is this? How did they get through that fog?'

'What happened to the monsters inside?'

'Did they just break through?'

When one witnesses an unbelievable event, the mind tends to freeze. The soldiers of the Seiron army struggled to come to their senses in the face of an army that shattered their understanding of logic and appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

The commander of the Seiron army stammered as he asked, "Who... who are you?"

Though he'd never met the person before, his tone was instinctively polite. The overwhelming aura of the army behind the speaker was simply too fierce.

Even the mere fact that they had broken through the fog suggested this was no ordinary force.

The person, Ghislain, spoke clearly once more.

"I am Duke Fenris of the Lutania Kingdom."

He refrained from mentioning his title as Grand Duke of the North—it still felt awkward to use that term.

The commander repeated the name several times, as if to process what he had just heard.

"Lutania Kingdom... Fenris... Fenris... Wait! Count Fenris? No, Duke Fenris?"

The commander was shocked. The Count Fenris of the powerful Lutania Kingdom was well-known even in the Seiron Kingdom.

"H-How is this possible? I thought Lutania was still in the midst of a civil war..."

"It's been resolved. The Lutania Kingdom has been unified under a new king."

Ghislain briefly explained the situation. He understood that news traveled slowly in a region nearly isolated due to the encroaching Rift.

The commander's face lit up as he asked,

"Does that mean... you've truly come to help us?"

"That's right. We've already dealt with one Rift on the way here. We'll take care of the rest as well."

"Uwaaahhh!"

The soldiers of Seiron erupted in loud cheers.

It had been a situation devoid of any hope. Most expected to either starve to death or be devoured by the Riftborn.

Escape wasn't an option either—the areas surrounding the Rifts were so strategically placed that fleeing seemed impossible.

Now, with reinforcements arriving from the Lutania Kingdom, hope was reignited.

Ghislain smiled leisurely and spoke, "We'll skip unnecessary formalities. We'll rest for a day and then move immediately, so prepare food and stones for the catapults."

The mobile army only carried dry rations, sufficient for combat but not for a proper meal. To eat well, they needed supplies from the field.

As for stones for the catapults, sourcing them locally would make clearing the Rifts more efficient.

Hearing Ghislain's demands, the commander hesitated and responded cautiously.

"Understood. I'll send a report immediately."

Stones wouldn't be an issue; they had plenty stockpiled to construct defensive lines.

But food? That was uncertain. Even their own forces were starving. Supplying rations for an army of twenty thousand would be nearly impossible.

Since the decision wasn't his to make, the commander quickly sent a messenger.

Not long after, a group arrived on horseback to meet Ghislain in haste.

"Oh, Duke Fenris! I am Marquis Purrane, the commander-in-chief of the Seiron Kingdom's forces."

"Pleasure to meet you. I've come to assist in dealing with the Rifts."

Marquis Purrane beamed brightly.

Ghislain's reputation as the strongest in the North had preceded her. The Lutania Kingdom had always been a military powerhouse, and it seemed they had even toppled the formidable Duke Delphine.

Having such a figure aiding them was reason enough for joy.

"Thank you so much! Please, let us head to the castle to meet His Majesty. We'll arrange a grand banquet in your honor."

As a duke of the Lutania Kingdom, Ghislain was someone they needed to stay on good terms with at all costs. Marquis Purrane had already informed the castle of his arrival.

Ghislain frowned slightly and said, "It seems my message wasn't conveyed clearly. We plan to deal with the Rifts immediately after resting for a day. Is the supply ready?"

"Ah, yes, I've been informed. Of course, we'll provide the supplies you need. However..."

Marquis Purrane glanced nervously at those around him. Many Seiron soldiers were listening in.

Ghislain quickly grasped the situation. It was obvious the soldiers weren't well-fed.

"Are you short on food?"

"Ahem, well, our food situation isn't exactly favorable... Duke, let's discuss this in private..."

Ghislain ignored the Marquis' suggestion.

"We provided substantial support. Why is food in short supply?"

When the Rifts opened and the Salvation Church gained power, and even when the Allied Forces were formed, Ghislain had ensured massive support for neighboring countries.

Even countries not directly participating in the alliance had received considerable aid.

There was a reason for this. Their survival ensured Lutania could end its civil war more swiftly.

For the Seiron Kingdom to be short on food now made no sense.

In front of everyone, Ghislain pressed Marquis Purrane.

"It seems our administrators didn't handle matters properly. I apologize for that. Unfortunately, I cannot personally oversee every detail."

"N-No, that's not the case."

"How much did you receive? Speak now so I can hold my administrators accountable if necessary."

"W-Well, you see... Duke, uh..."

Marquis Purrane broke into a cold sweat.

The only reason the Seiron Kingdom had survived this long, despite its halted production, was due to the massive food support from Fenris and Perdium.

Claiming otherwise was impossible. Ghislain would know exactly how much aid had been sent.

'Why did this have to come up now...'

But after reducing rations for everyone under the pretense of scarcity, how could he admit the truth here and now?

As Marquis Purrane hesitated, Ghislain coldly repeated, "The food. What's the situation?"

"W-We have enough. We've been storing it well..."

At those words, the Seiron soldiers began to stir.

They had begrudgingly accepted reduced rations, understanding that resources were tight due to the Rifts.

They'd cursed the nobility for eating well, but with so few nobles, they figured that was manageable. They assumed there simply wasn't enough food to go around.

Now, to hear that massive amounts of food had been sent and hoarded? A deep sense of betrayal began to spread among them.

Ghislain chuckled softly and said bluntly, "Are you out of your mind?"

"..."

"I distinctly recall saying not to hold back. The soldiers don't look in great condition."

His tone was rude, but Marquis Purrane had no retort. He had hoarded the food instead of distributing it properly.

Still, he felt a twinge of unfairness.

"Duke, our kingdom's production base is entirely destroyed. We had no choice but to conserve as much as possible."

"Conserving is fine. What was your plan afterward?"

"..."

What plan? He'd intended to flee before everything ran out. Better to abandon the kingdom than face death.

Ghislain looked at Marquis Purrane with disdain.

"Preparing for a banquet suggests the higher-ups are eating well?"

"..."

Clicking his tongue, Ghislain thought, Nobles are all the same.

'A kingdom on the brink of collapse is beyond saving. Claude will clean up the mess later.'

He could understand their logic—lacking the courage to confront the Rifts directly, yet unwilling to abandon their kingdom entirely.

But to hoard food meant for the soldiers? He had given them supplies to endure, and they'd barely managed to keep their soldiers alive.

It might have been better if they'd eaten well and fled to another country.

"Bring out the food immediately. We'll handle the Rifts. And as promised, distribute it properly to the soldiers. Let me remind you—that food is all my property."

The civil war was over, and there was no longer any need to tolerate the whims of neighboring aristocrats. Ghislain was ready to sever ties with any region that didn't aid in crushing the Salvation Church.

With a dejected expression, Marquis Purrane reluctantly complied.

"Understood…"

The soldiers of Seiron bit their lips, holding back their anger. They had fought tirelessly to defend the capital's defensive line, even if they had given up on other regions.

Yet the nobles had worked them to the bone, withheld food despite having plenty, and failed to share it properly.

The more they learned, the deeper their sense of betrayal burned.

'If this is how it's going to be, let the kingdom fall.'

'It'd be better if the Lutania Kingdom took over.'

'At least they'd feed us properly.'

Marquis Purrane, sensing the soldiers' icy stares, quickly fled the scene. He couldn't deny that a rebellion might break out at any moment.

'Damn it! That arrogant bastard! That insolent fool! Shouldn't a fellow noble show some understanding? Is he looking down on us because we're a small country?'

It wasn't disdain for being a small country—it was disdain for stupidity, though Purrane couldn't comprehend that.

The next day, a massive shipment of food arrived at the camp. The Fenris mobile army ate their fill and prepared for battle once more.

The soldiers of Seiron also participated, though their role was limited to transporting stones and supplies rather than direct combat.

As they followed Ghislain into the fight, they couldn't hide their fear. They had always fought to block Riftborn from outside the zones—never had they directly entered a Rift zone like this.

Soon, however, they witnessed an astonishing sight.

Kaaaaak!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Massive spells tore through the Riftborn. While the mages annihilated the vanguard of the Riftborn, the mobile army didn't remain idle.

Fwoosh!

Arrows rained down on the Riftborn like a torrential downpour. At the same time, hundreds of catapults were assembled.

"Bring the stones!"

At the knights' orders, the Seiron soldiers frantically transported stones, too busy to even glance at the battle unfolding ahead.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Hundreds of catapults unleashed a relentless barrage of stones. The Riftborn couldn't even approach.

The sheer overwhelming firepower left the soldiers of Seiron stunned. By the time they regained their senses, most of the approaching Riftborn had been annihilated.

"W-Wow…"

"Are they really taking down that many so easily?"

"This is incredible. Just how powerful are they?"

The fear that had gripped the faces of the Seiron soldiers was replaced with awe. They had never seen an army this strong.

"Move forward!"

At Ghislain's command, the army advanced again.

The first day of fighting the Rifts was always the most intense, as creatures surged in from all sides.

But once that first day was over, the rest was much easier. Most of the Riftborn were defeated on the first day, and it often took more time to reach the areas where the Equidema—the Rift boss—resided.

When it came to defeating an Equidema, the army wasn't even necessary. Ghislain, along with superhumans, mages, and priests, was more than sufficient.

Kaaaang!

Their combined strength was comparable to that of an entire nation. No matter how powerful the Equidema, it couldn't withstand such overwhelming force.

Within just a few days, all the Rifts were cleared, and the soldiers of Seiron erupted in cheers.

"Waahhh!"

"They really destroyed the Rifts!"

"We're alive! We're saved!"

Having thought they were doomed, the soldiers couldn't contain their joy at such a swift resolution.

This success was only possible because the Salvation Church didn't have a presence in this region—their forces had been entirely drawn to the Lutania Kingdom.

Amidst the cheers of soldiers and civilians, Ghislain and his forces returned to the capital of Seiron. By then, Claude had arrived with his 100,000-strong Northern Army.

The people of Seiron, seeing such a massive force for the first time, were awestruck by its scale.

All the high-ranking nobles of Seiron came out to welcome Ghislain.

"As expected of the Lutania Kingdom."

"We've heard of Duke Fenris's renown for years."

"On behalf of His Majesty, we offer our deepest gratitude."

"Come, let us go to the castle. Enjoy a grand banquet and rest from your labors."

The nobles showered Ghislain with flattery, eager to earn his favor. It was obvious they hoped to build a connection with him.

Opportunities to form ties with a powerful duke from a military powerhouse like Lutania were rare.

Their fear of Ghislain, who had arrived with an army of 100,000, was palpable.

However, Ghislain firmly declined their invitation.

"I am busy and must depart immediately. I need to move on to the next kingdom."

Marquis Purrane, representing the nobles, hurried to stop him, flustered.

"How could we let our savior leave like this? Please, stay for a few days and rest."

"No. The Salvation Church's forces must be reduced before they can regroup."

"Ugh… if that's the case, I understand. May fortune be with you."

Marquis Purrane, though disappointed, inwardly felt relieved. The Rifts had been contained, and having a formidable figure like Ghislain around was a burden he didn't want.

But then came a thunderclap of words.

"My head butler will remain behind to investigate how the support supplies were used. Be aware of this."

"What? What?"

"You made promises to distribute them properly. If you broke that promise, there will be consequences."

"W-Wait…"

Marquis Purrane and the nobles were taken aback. They had promised to share the supplies with the soldiers and people, but they never thought anyone would actually investigate.

They felt it was excessive, even between nobles.

Before they could offer any excuses, Ghislain turned and left.

As they stood there at a loss, Claude, wearing a neutral expression, addressed them.

"I will meet His Majesty and begin an investigation."

"Ahem, ahem. Are you the head butler of Fenris?"

"Yes. I am also from the Seiron Kingdom. I once studied at the Seiron Academy."

Claude gave a faint, enigmatic smile.

His mentor, once associated with the revolutionary group, had been falsely accused of treason and executed by this kingdom.

The king and nobles had known of his innocence but killed him simply because he was part of an opposing faction.

Furthermore, his mentor's daughter, Anna—Claude's fiancée—had been sold to another noble because her family couldn't pay her ransom.

Until Ghislain rescued him, Claude had lived as a broken man.

To Claude, the revolutionary group and the Seiron Kingdom were objects of deep hatred, wounds he had carried his entire life.

Now, at last, Claude had returned to the Seiron Kingdom.

He came bearing Ghislain's full authority, along with an army of 100,000.

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