Chapter 525: I’ve Come to Save You (3)

At Claude's words, Marquis Purrane responded with a bright expression, "Oh, so you're from this kingdom? Which noble family are you from?"

"I'm not a noble," Claude replied.

"Ahem, ahem. Is that so?"

Marquis Purrane and the nobles frowned slightly. It was already unpleasant that someone was investigating them, and now it turned out that this task was entrusted to someone who wasn't even a noble!

However, Claude was someone who had brought an army of 100,000 and was the head butler of the Fenris Duchy, a position that commanded authority far beyond the reach of ordinary nobles.

As such, they couldn't dare to question him or act rudely.

They didn't know Claude's true background as a former slave, and their reactions were based on ignorance.

"Well, let's move somewhere more appropriate. I'll explain everything to you in detail," Marquis Purrane said with a slightly relaxed smile, believing that someone from this kingdom would be more likely to heed their words.

However, Claude shook his head.

"I'll begin the investigation immediately."

"Wha—why the rush?"

"I'm busy by nature. Hey! Move it!" Claude gestured, and Fenris administrative officers, accompanied by soldiers, marched into the royal palace and began rifling through documents.

Claude had returned to the Seiron Kingdom with the intention of overturning everything. Ghislain, understanding his situation, handed over full authority to him, signaling his trust and saying he could handle matters as he saw fit.

The nobles and Marquis Purrane, flustered, shouted in protest.

"This is outrageous!"

"No matter how much aid you provided, you cannot act like this!"

"Do you think we're a weak nation to be looked down upon?"

Claude ignored their objections. The administrators, knights, and soldiers from Fenris rummaged through the royal palace as if it were their own property. It was practically an invasion.

The nobles, who had never imagined such a situation, were left dumbfounded. Even if they wanted to stop it, they couldn't.

The northern army of Lutania exuded a menacing aura. It truly felt like the kingdom could be wiped out with a mere gesture from Claude.

While the administrators overturned the palace, Claude strolled leisurely to meet the King of Seiron.

The king, Cordeno, who had been waiting for a joyful banquet, turned pale upon hearing the news.

"What on earth is going on? Why are you doing this?" he asked, suppressing his anger with a trembling voice.

Claude smiled faintly and replied, "I'm just conducting a little investigation."

"Leave at once! This humiliation is intolerable! We'll return the aid supplies!"

With the rift gone, production facilities could be restored. Though it would take some time, it wasn't impossible.

Returning the aid seemed like a reasonable solution, and the king felt there was no justification for Claude's high-handedness.

However, Claude shook his head again.

"There's still more to investigate."

"What could a foreign head butler possibly need to investigate further? The Seiron Kingdom is a sovereign and independent nation! Didn't you say you were born and raised here? How can you show such contempt for your homeland?"

Cordeno shouted angrily.

Yet, the royal knights dared not act. If they clashed with Fenris, a kingdom without superhumans like theirs would meet its end.

Claude turned to Marquis Purrane and asked, "Do you recognize me?"

"Recognize you? I don't. This is the first time we've met."

At his response, Claude smirked faintly. He vividly remembered being dragged alongside his mentor to their execution for the same fabricated charges.

Marquis Purrane, part of the faction hostile to his mentor, had witnessed the scene. The king was no exception.

'Ah, that's right.'

To them, he had been nothing more than a bug, someone not even worth remembering.

That was fine. He would make them remember from now on.

Claude turned to King Cordeno and said, "From now on, you won't ever forget my face or my name."

"What nonsense are you spouting? Guards! Throw this man out immediately! We'll return the aid, so leave now!"

In a calm, low voice, Claude spoke again, "My mentor's name is Benedito."

"W-what?"

Both Cordeno and Marquis Purrane's eyes widened in shock. Benedito was the man they had falsely accused of treason and executed long ago.

And now, his disciple was standing before them as Duke Fenris' right hand?

"You... you... no way…"

Cordeno's hazy memories began to surface. Though time had passed, he could now recognize Claude's face.

The nobles, breaking out in a cold sweat, stared at Claude. At last, they understood the gravity of the situation.

Claude grinned wickedly and continued, "Since you violated the agreement and embezzled aid supplies, you'll have to repay it all from the kingdom's treasury. Right now."

Marquis Purrane, pale-faced, stammered, "W-we don't have the means to repay it at the moment."

They had been stingy in distributing rations to the people but had feasted themselves. A considerable amount of time had passed since receiving the aid. Now, with production halted, there was no way to replenish what they had consumed.

"Then it's bankruptcy. I'll take land as collateral for the debt, with interest," Claude said coldly.

"Th-this is absurd…"

"Why is it absurd? It's a legitimate process."

If nobles borrowed money and failed to repay, it was customary to cede their land.

While the rationale was sound, it felt unfair, as they now understood Claude's identity.

"What... what is it you're trying to do?" Cordeno stammered.

"You still don't get it?"

"I… I don't know…"

"My mentor was falsely accused of treason and killed. What do you think his disciple would do?"

"L-listen, there must be some misunderstanding…"

"Misunderstanding? Everyone knew. My mentor was innocent. Yet, he was framed for treason and killed. Do you know how to erase the injustice of that death?"

"H-how?"

Claude's eyes burned with intensity as he clenched his teeth and declared, "By committing real treason. That way, there's nothing unjust about it anymore."

"W-what nonsense! Are you insane? What are you saying?!"

"I'm saying, as a native of the Seiron Kingdom, I'll carry on my mentor's will and rebel. By bringing in foreign powers."

"Y-you madman…"

"You embezzled aid supplies, giving me all the justification I need. Capture them all."

Crash!

At Claude's command, the doors to the throne room were smashed open as northern army soldiers poured in.

"Stop them!" Marquis Purrane shouted, but it was futile. The royal knights were subdued in no time by a few northern knights.

The king and nobles were tied up and forced to kneel.

They gnashed their teeth. They had welcomed an invader into their palace, only to be brought to ruin.

Claude sat upon the throne and smiled at them.

"I sent far more aid than you needed. How was it?"

"Y-you…"

"I expected you to break the agreement. After all, that's the kind of people you are."

"Y-you bastard…"

Cordeno's face flushed with rage as he trembled.

At first, they had indulged recklessly. Since they hadn't distributed aid properly, they had plenty for themselves.

But to think it would all turn into debt! Now they understood why the contract had been made in the first place.

From the very beginning, this man had planned to use the agreement as a pretext to take over the kingdom.

"I, a traitor, shall assume the position of acting governor here on behalf of the Lutania royal family. This authority was granted to me by our great king and the Grand Duke of the North. Once the war with the Salvation Church is over, this land will be annexed into the Lutania Kingdom."

"You scoundrel! Shut up! Do you think the other kingdoms will stand by and watch? This is an outright invasion! Disguising it as aid is nothing but a ruse for conquest!"

The unified Lutania was vastly stronger than any other kingdom. The other nations would surely be fearful.

But Claude simply smiled as if it were of no concern.

"No, this is a rebellion within the Seiron Kingdom. The justification is sound."

"You wretched...!"

Who could refute Claude, a man who rose to prominence and returned for revenge against his mentor's enemies? Especially when he commanded such a formidable army.

Claude smirked sinisterly and said, "Take them away. We'll investigate their crimes and impose appropriate punishments afterward."

Those directly involved in his mentor's death would receive the punishment of death.

"Let go of me! You bastards, let go! You invaders!"

Cordeno twisted and screamed, but it was no use. The northern army had already seized control of the place.

Thus ended the Seiron Kingdom. From the start, there was no way to stop Claude, who had come with the intent of overthrowing the nation.

Having toppled the king and the high-ranking nobles in one fell swoop, Claude immediately began stabilizing the region.

He reorganized the Seiron soldiers and ensured they were well-fed. He distributed resources to the refugees as well. With the aid supplies confiscated, resources were abundant.

Naturally, the soldiers and the populace cheered. They didn't care what had happened to the king and the nobles.

They were already filled with betrayal after learning about the embezzlement of the aid supplies.

"They're giving out so much food!"

"As expected of the Lutania Kingdom!"

"I've heard rumors we might be joining the Lutania Kingdom?"

"Wouldn't that be better? They have a strong military and plenty of food!"

Hearing these rumors, people were so excited they couldn't sleep.

They had already witnessed how strong the Lutania army was. In just a few days, they eradicated the rifts that the kingdom had failed to handle.

They were distributing food without any shortages. If possible, the people themselves would have willingly handed over the kingdom.

When news finally broke that the Seiron Kingdom was indeed to be annexed into Lutania—

"Wowww!"

"Long live the Lutania Kingdom!"

"Long live the Grand Duke of the North!"

Even those who had lost their country cheered in an astonishing turn of events.

After all, they had been living as little better than slaves. They were fed up with the king and nobles who failed to address the kingdom's problems and only sought personal gain.

With the exception of a few nobles, everyone rejoiced. Claude's "rebellion" proceeded without a hitch.

About ten thousand northern troops remained in Seiron to ensure stability, the minimum necessary force. The bulk of the northern army immediately followed Ghislain to another kingdom.

Though Claude had assumed the role of acting governor, he intended to leave the administration of Seiron to his officers once one last task was complete.

That task was finding Anna.

"Still no news?"

Most of Seiron's population had fled to the area around the capital. Even the dean and students of the Seiron Academy had gathered in the capital.

But none of them knew Anna's whereabouts. She had been at another academy when the rift crisis erupted.

Baron Auston, who had once held Anna and repeatedly raised her ransom, was reportedly already dead. All those involved in his mentor's demise had been dealt with.

Finding Anna was all that remained, but her location was a mystery.

"Ahh..."

Claude let out a heavy sigh of frustration.

In truth, he had no intention of rekindling a relationship with Anna. It was guilt driving him—he only wanted to ensure the safety of his former lover and his mentor's daughter.

Wendy, noticing his troubled expression, cautiously asked, "Are... are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Claude replied with a bitter smile.

That expression only deepened Wendy's worry. She had never seen the usually sharp-tongued Claude so serious before.

For some reason, his expression kept gnawing at her.

"Well, it's time to move," Claude said, exhaling deeply.

Reluctantly, he entrusted the search for Anna to his administrators. He had to follow the northern army and could not afford further delays.

Ghislain had allocated troops and time specifically for Claude's revenge, and he couldn't squander the opportunity.

He made one final visit to the refugee camp. Though he was certain Anna wasn't there, he couldn't shake the faint hope of finding her.

"Wait, what?"

While surveying the camp, Claude spotted a familiar face. As soon as the man saw Claude, he turned away and tried to slip out of sight.

"Hey, hey! Catch that bastard!"

The soldiers rushed and apprehended the fleeing man. Dragged before Claude, the man gave an awkward smile.

"Governor, sir, it's been a while. How have you been?"

It was Crank, the gang leader who had once tried to cut off Claude's wrist, grinning obsequiously.

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