483

Episode 483 I have a question. (1)

After the battlefield was cleared, the Fenris Mobile Force began to move again, leading the prisoners.

Now it was time to join the royal army and decide what to do next.

Erenes asked Giselle.

"Was it necessary to kill him right away? I think it would have been better to let him live and extract information from him."

"You probably don't know much about the Salvation Church. Most of the Duke's vassals just follow orders from above."

"You seem to know them very well."

"Well, I know quite well."

In fact, he knew because he had fought in his past life, but Erenes simply thought that Giselle knew him well because she was a noble of the kingdom.

Since she had been trapped in the Forest of the Barrier for a long time, she had no choice but to rely on Jiselle's information for that part.

Erenes, who was talking to Giselle, glanced at her.

He felt hot gazes. Parniel was looking at him with a smile.

Erenes, whose eyes met mine, shook his head and avoided eye contact. It wasn't because he was afraid, but because he knew what those hot eyes meant.

'Such a radical saint… … .'

Parniel, who announced that she was a saint, seemed very restless. It was obvious that she wanted to fight Erenes once.

It seems that she was the saint chosen by the goddess of war.

'ha....'

Erenes glanced at Parniel again and sighed.

Long ago, the saint she had met was different.

A noble person who hates fighting, loves everything, and can sacrifice himself for the world… … .

'stop.'

Erenes bit his lip and placed his hand on his forehead.

I didn't want to think about it. It was something that had already happened. Missing it wouldn't change anything.

When Erenes turned his head away and pretended not to notice, Parniel smacked his lips.

I wanted to have a showdown, but since I was a saint, I couldn't pick a fight, so it was really ambiguous.

Still, Erenes' spirit was truly admirable.

'There are many great people in the world.'

The high priest of the Salvation Church was certainly strong. However, by his own standards, he was bound to be lacking.

But when I followed Jiselle to the Northern Army, I saw several outstanding people.

Parniel looked around like a beast searching for prey.

'That woman named Belinda is no pushover either.'

Her energy is clearly weaker than mine, but her skills that I saw briefly were so excellent that it was mind-boggling. If I were suddenly attacked by her, I would be badly injured and have to fight.

Even though he secretly suggested a fight, Belinda waved her hand with a playful expression.

"I don't really like that kind of thing. I have a lot of work to do. Hahaha."

Even though he said things like that, he looked like the kind of person who would laugh and stab someone if he got hurt.

It wasn't just Belinda. Gillian looked formidable too.

The momentum flowing from his body was amazing. After seeing him a few times, his fighting style was similar to mine.

Anyone would feel chills when faced with an attack using that momentum.

Not only his prayers, but his skills were also excellent.

Fighting Belinda seemed like it would be a headache, but fighting Gillian felt refreshing.

So I tried to flirt with Gillian, but all I got was rejection.

"Since the saint is stronger than me, I don't think there is any need to compete with her."

Even if you are stronger, you have to fight to find out.

But what can he do if he doesn't like it? Parniel could only smack his lips in regret.

There was one guy who seemed like he would fight if you asked him to… … .

'Did you say Kaor?'

He looks quite skilled, and his gaze is provocative, like a fighting dog, but it was a little disappointing.

'Everything was good, but I couldn't get over the wall.'

If he could get over the wall, he would be a really great opponent. That's how wild and raw Kaoru was.

"Ah! Shit! It's annoying! It's all just annoying! Why is it only me who does this!"

Not only his spirit, but also his face full of complaints and his gruff mouth made him look like that of a beast.

Parniel decided to put aside the desires stirring in his heart for now. Once the war is over, he can freely request a duel.

Until then, we can only hope that a strong one will emerge while fighting the Salvation Church.

A being who spreads the will of the Goddess through battle and feels joy. That is what a Saint of War is.

The Fenris army, moving in such a subtle atmosphere, finally encountered the royal army.

"Eww! Nephew!"

Maurice, who arrived late leading the royal army, was moved to tears.

The entire Delphian army that had rebelled was annihilated. In addition, countless prisoners were captured and incorporated into the royal army.

A miracle occurred in which the number of friendly forces, which had decreased due to the war, increased again.

Maurice, who had no more fear, shouted curiously.

"At this point, isn't it true that all the troops except for the ones guarding the south have been annihilated? Now, let's invade! We must immediately cut off the Duke of Delphine's head!"

Jiselle shook her head at his words, which showed the commander-in-chief's authority without reserve.

"It's time to regroup and rest. We're all too tired."

The Kingdom and Allied forces fought without stopping. Many were broken.

The Northern Army was busier than any other army, and the Fenris Mobile Force was even busier.

If you've moved this much, you need to rest. It's not a good idea to just squeeze everything out. You have to rest when you have to so you can keep fighting.

Morris knew that too, but he didn't want to miss his chance now.

"I know that too! The South has a huge population! You know they're all well off, right? Give them time and they'll gather more troops. You have to attack when all the legions are annihilated now, right?"

In normal circumstances, it would not have been wrong. It was clear to anyone that now was the right time for a counterattack.

But Giselle still opposed it.

"The power of the Duke is not all there is. The priests of the Salvation Church will also gather. We also need to reorganize our troops and prepare for the next war."

"Next… … war?"

"Yes. The priests of the Salvation Church are not all of those who have come out now. The same goes for the Duke's military history."

The Duke's power was formidable. If it had ended at this level, the Duke would have been swept away in a single breath by the army of the Mercenary King, one of the seven powers on the continent, in his previous life.

If the Duke had wanted to, he could have overthrown the kingdom a long time ago.

'Come to think of it, the Earl of Forwood said something like that to the Marquis of Branford a while ago.'

When the Earl of Desmond attacked Fenris, the enraged Marquis of Branford had imprisoned the Earl of Forwood, who was in charge of foreign affairs for the duke's faction.

At that moment, when he was ready to fight the Duke, Count Forde said:

― It is not the royalists who are suppressing the civil war, but the Duke's Viscount Joseph. He is a reasonable man. We really wanted to shed as little blood as possible.

Raoul was holding back the war. That's why the Duke didn't wipe out the kingdom earlier.

Of course, at that time, the priests of the Salvation Church that had spread across the continent had not gathered, so the power of the Duke's family would have been weaker than it is now.

'The Duke wanted to use his full power somewhere other than the civil war. Was it the Forest of Demons?'

And that turned out to be the duke's biggest mistake.

'Because I've had time to grow, build an army, and gather people.'

Since he knew the future, he used that information to gradually grow, but in fact, even Jisel did not know the full intentions of the Duke. He only guessed that the Forest of Demons was involved.

It was only recently that they learned that they had been wronged by their mother a long time ago and had naturally changed their plans to take over the kingdom.

'As we continue to fight, my questions will be answered one by one.'

Whatever the reason, when Giselle firmly opposed the counterattack, Maurice spoke again with a regretful expression.

"Really not?"

"No."

"I want to go."

"Then you will go to the goddess first."

"… … ."

Morris didn't hide his regret.

I don't know about anything else, but my nephew was really good at ending war. So it would be best to do whatever he says. Among the soldiers of the castle, he was practically considered a god of war.

After all, hasn't the army led by Giselle never been defeated even once?

It must have been a decision made after careful consideration.

'If I had a grandmother, I would have asked her.'

If the fortune teller had told him to go in, he would have gone straight south with the authority of the commander-in-chief.

Since I don't have it now, I have no choice but to listen to Jiselle.

"Okay… … . Okay. Then, for now, we need to start gathering troops and reorganizing them."

There were too many prisoners. They had to be distributed appropriately so that they could follow orders well.

Suddenly Maurice asked as if something had occurred to him.

"Oh, then what should we do with Count Leipold?"

The war is not over yet. There will be a brief lull. But Amelia has taken over four other people's territories.

Surely, the lords and other nobles who lost their fiefs will be in chaos.

"Isn't this already over? Just push through. If it's really difficult, tell them I supported you."

"Ugh… … . Okay."

War does not end with simply fighting and winning. Afterwards, there are procedures for recovering the damage caused by the war and coordinating the struggle for vested interests.

It was also the Commander-in-Chief's job to assess the forces of the Royal and Allied Forces who were forming the defensive line and send them down to the southern front.

Maurice was already starting to get a headache thinking about the countless times he would have to see the aristocrats in such a pitiful state.

"Ugh. Let's head to the capital for now. It would be better to rest and reorganize there."

So the Royal Army and Fenris Army moved towards the capital. The Northern Army will also move along with them.

With the entire legions of the Delphian army annihilated, the soldiers heading to the capital could not have felt more at ease.

News of the annihilation of the Delphian army spread widely even in the capital.

"Whaaaaaaaah! It's the Northern Army!"

"The Earl of Fenris has arrived!"

"We won!"

In Cardenia, the streets were packed with so many people that they seemed to burst open.

When the people of the capital heard the news of victory, they all rushed out to cheer for Giselle.

"The Goddess's blessing upon the Kingdom of Rutania!"

"Count Fenris, please look here!"

"Defender of the Kingdom!"

The cheers weren't just for Giselle. People knew. There were those who fought together as one to protect this kingdom.

"You all fought really well!"

"Long live the Royal Army! Long live the Northern Army!"

"The Allied Forces helped us too!"

There are too many for the entire royal army to enter, so most of them wait outside the capital, and only a few troops come in. They are lucky enough to have the honor of receiving cheers from the people.

Although the Northern Army was almost done, it was true that the Royal Army also contributed its strength.

The faces of the knights and even the soldiers were all refreshed. The backs and shoulders of the tired soldiers straightened. Their gait became more confident.

It was a really tough battle. The southern front was devastated and many people were killed.

But they never gave up. They tried to fight by somehow creating a defensive line.

Their presence allowed Giselle and the Northern Army to move before the capital was taken.

It was touching to know that there were people who recognized that.

"Cool."

"Don't cry, little one."

"Cheer up."

One by one, the soldiers began to sob. It felt as if all the hard work they had done was being forgotten.

That's what it means to be recognized for what you do.

Jisel, who had become a general, smiled above the Black King.

I received a lot of cheers like this in my past life. But even when I received cheers, my heart always felt empty.

'It's different after all.'

It's different now than it was then.

My heart was full, even if it wasn't as full of emotion as when I first defended Ferdium.

This is because the current victory meant that the Duke and the Salvation Church behind him had been stopped.

It's not over yet, but it's okay to enjoy this feeling for a little while.

"Ahem, ahem."

Maurice felt slightly jealous of Giselle, who received more cheers than he, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Army.

Since Giselle almost did everything on her own in the war, I had no choice but to acknowledge it.

'Anyway, I'm telling you, he's a great guy.'

When I first saw him, I didn't like him at all. I thought he was some arrogant brat who was getting favored by the Marquis of Branford.

But look now.

Jiselle was the kingdom's treasure. If it weren't for him, all the nobles of the royalist faction would have died.

Maurice, who quickly threw away his momentary jealousy, also smiled brightly.

Didn't he give Giselle as much authority and support as the Marquis of Branford?

'So I guess I have some virtue too.'

Thinking that way made me feel better. I had planned to continue to show off and worry the other nobles.

In front of the palace stood the Marquis of Branford and many high-ranking nobles.

The Marquis of Branford also smiled as he watched Giselle approach confidently.

'Heaven helped us.'

It was Jiselle who came to him first. He must have had a big intention of using him to get various things, but it turned out to be a stroke of luck.

Even though everyone was against it, they believed in him and pushed him forward. Who would have thought that that trust would be rewarded like this?

'It was the biggest investment of my life.'

The war was not over yet, but Marquis Branford thought that with this momentum, they could win.

We've already lost over 200,000 troops, so how long can the Duke hold out?

He also couldn't help but think that way because he didn't know the true power of the Duke and the Salvation Church.

"Welcome. Thank you for your hard work."

Jiselle got off her horse and bowed her head slightly.

"It's been a while. How have you been?"

"I've been doing well thanks to you. I was worried at first, but I really didn't know that the Northern Army could do that."

The Marquis of Branford showed his joy without hiding his emotions. Even he, who was usually as cold as ice, could not remain calm in this situation.

"Now, let's go in. There's a victory banquet being prepared and there's a lot I want to hear."

Before the other nobles could speak, the Marquis of Branford dragged Giselle in.

But the banquet wasn't important to Giselle right now.

"Please give me a moment."

"… … What's going on now?"

The Marquis of Branford stepped back slightly, his expression trembling. When this guy talks like that, he's going to take something away.

At that sight, Jiselle narrowed her eyes in bewilderment. It was obvious what she was thinking.

I really wonder what kind of person he sees himself as.

"I'm not asking for anything… I just have a few questions."

"Uhm, okay. Okay, I understand."

The gathered nobles can wait a bit. They will have a lot to talk about with Maurice and other nobles who participated in the war anyway.

The Marquis of Branford and Giselle moved into their study in the royal chambers.

"Okay, what are you curious about?"

Jiselle took a moment to collect his thoughts. He was wondering how to bring up the subject, so he just got straight to the point.

"I want to know about the Shadow Knights."

The Marquis of Branford's expression hardened when he heard that name.