Episode 617 Why Don’t You Understand the Meaning of Dialogue? 1

Ernheart, who had been silently staring down at his hands for a long time, finally lifted his head.

"Gatros."

"Ask, my lord."

"What are your thoughts? Do you truly believe the future is predetermined?"

"Yes, I do. Everything will flow as foretold. The fact that I am still alive is proof of that."

If the sacred artifact had not been found, Gatros's very soul would have been obliterated by Jerome's magic. However, the sacred relic left behind by their nemesis, the Saintess, had saved him.

It was nothing short of a miracle. Surely, it was divine favor commanding them to fulfill their destiny.

Ernheart's response to his words was questioning.

"Even the divine revelations failed to unfold as they were decreed. They faltered midway. The future did not flow as promised."

"..."

Gatros found himself at a loss for words.

Only Ernheart knew the dreams he had seen. Gatros had no way of understanding what transpired in those dreams.

Even if he knew their contents, he doubted he would empathize. Dreams were just dreams; there was no need to agonize over them. They were fleeting visions, inconsequential in the grand scheme.

Their mission was to prepare for the king's advent and hasten his resurrection. Although they had faced failures, the prophecy would inevitably come to fruition. That was certain.

Still, he couldn't dismiss Ernheart's dream as mere nonsense. Ernheart truly believed in its significance.

'Even if it was divine revelation, isn't it natural for minor variables to arise?'

Lowering his head, Gatros spoke with deference.

"The scriptures do not detail everything. Minor variables and discrepancies are inevitable. What matters are the signs and the outcomes, are they not?"

"Hmm…"

"Famine, fissures, plagues, wars—countless signs have already manifested or appeared naturally. This shows that everything is unfolding according to prophecy."

Ernheart smiled faintly as he posed another question.

"Most of those were events we orchestrated, weren't they? In the name of bringing the prophecy to life."

"...That, too, is part of what was ordained. We were born for this purpose."

"Indeed, even in my dreams, such events occurred. I can't entirely deny their significance."

"…Yes. All of this has been arranged since long ago. So, please, do not fret and simply await the king's resurrection. Your Majesty is the final 'apostle.' You must wait for the appointed day."

Though others were unaware, Gatros had long addressed Ernheart as an apostle—a title known only to the higher ranks of the Salvation Order.

Ernheart leaned back deeply into his chair and closed his eyes.

As expected, no one truly understood him. Not even Gatros.

"Yes, everything will proceed as it must, so all I need to do is wait."

That was likely true. Signs of the king's impending resurrection continued to appear. Ernheart could feel the divine power spreading and growing stronger across the world.

"Our king will soon rise."

That was Ernheart's greatest desire, more than anyone else's. For only when the king was resurrected could he achieve what he yearned for.

The king's resurrection, and the fulfillment of Ernheart's wish through it, were certainties. He believed this wholeheartedly.

That was why he always waited with a sense of joy. His mind was perpetually filled with that singular thought.

But the revelation was far from perfect. The future Ernheart believed in had crumbled entirely. All that remained was chaos.

And now, his thoughts were consumed by a single name.

'Ghislain Ferdium.'

Only thoughts of him filled his mind.

***

While grappling with the truth behind the Duke of Delphine, Ghislain let out a long sigh.

"We need to catch and kill him quickly, but we have no idea where he is."

Ernheart hadn't learned the sword or magic. When Ghislain confronted him, there wasn't even a hint of power emanating from the man. If he truly possessed strength, it would have manifested in the war.

Instead, Ernheart had delegated everything to his subordinates, choosing to observe events unfold without taking direct action. That inexplicable composure was a constant thorn in Ghislain's mind.

Ernheart exuded an aura entirely different from that of a high-ranking noble, a strange and enigmatic presence. Adding to that, his past actions painted him as someone with an incomprehensible psyche.

― That demon was truly strong. It was terrifying to the point of making one shudder. No army in this kingdom could stand against that demon. It was like a shapeless cloud of death.

When Ernheart spoke those words, Ghislain had been inwardly startled.

It was as though Ernheart had been speaking about his own previous life.

How could such a thing be possible? It didn't seem like Ernheart was a regressor like himself.

And that mention of a demon.

At the time, Ghislain hadn't thought much of it, but now he knew quite a lot about the adversary known as the "demon."

The more Ghislain pondered Ernheart's words, the more uneasy he felt. The so-called demon Ernheart had seen in his dreams continued to weigh on his mind.

"A dream, huh…"

Could Ernheart truly be receiving divine revelations in the same way Ghislain had dreams through sacred artifacts?

It was impossible to know for certain.

But one thing was clear.

― Ghislain Ferdium, you are that demon. You were my nemesis. You were the demon who stood in my way.

Nemesis.

Yes, Ernheart and he were fated to be adversaries who couldn't coexist under the same sky.

From their past lives to the present.

A relationship fraught with relentless enmity.

In their past life, Ernheart had been the victor. Now, Ghislain held the upper hand, though the final outcome was far from decided.

The fall of the Salvation Order and the end of the war did not mean everything was over.

"It won't truly end until that bastard is dead."

Once the dragon hunt was over, Ghislain planned to deploy pursuit squads across the continent. He would find Ernheart and eliminate him at any cost.

Only then could Ghislain finally rest.

Following his recent dream, Ghislain redoubled his training efforts. The new insights he had glimpsed guided his path forward.

An ordinary person might not have gained much from such a dream.

But Ghislain was no ordinary person. He had reached a state where he could harness the forces of the world. He already knew the techniques of those he had seen in the dream.

Ghislain resolved to merge the techniques he had witnessed into one. If he succeeded, he would grow even stronger.

In the training grounds within the fortress, Ghislain tirelessly swung his sword.

Boom!

With every swing, the surroundings quaked.

"Haa…"

While Ghislain immersed himself in relentless training, a knight approached him.

"Everyone has gathered."

"Very well."

In the span of a few days, the allied army commanders had reconvened. They all looked visibly weary.

They had gone straight from war to battling monsters, an ordeal so grueling it was almost nauseating.

However, thanks to preemptive preparations, they had managed to fend off the threats with minimal losses.

"As expected, the Duke of Fenris's preparations are meticulous."

"It's almost as if he knows his enemy's capabilities in advance."

"We nearly suffered major losses again, but the reinforcements and mages were perfectly positioned."

The commanders chatted in small groups, praising Ghislain's judgment.

For Ghislain, it was all events he had already experienced in his past life, making his decisions natural. But to those unaware, he appeared to be a prophet.

As Ghislain entered the meeting room, everyone greeted him with wide smiles.

'Finally, our work is done.'

'I just want to go home.'

'Forget dragons; I'd rather run away.'

They had been fighting nonstop and wanted nothing more than to end it all.

Especially when it came to terrifying beings like dragons. The fact that the Duke of Fenris had taken responsibility was a relief beyond words.

Ghislain delivered the words they longed to hear.

"You've all done well. As planned, the rest of you will focus on hunting down remnants across the lands. The dragon will be dealt with by myself, the superhumans, and the prepared mages."

"Oh… Oof!"

The allied commanders nearly cheered but managed to stifle themselves.

They weren't so tactless as to openly celebrate in front of the man tasked with confronting the most dangerous foe.

Instead, they demonstrated the polished etiquette of seasoned nobles.

"Ahem, are you sure you'll be alright without us?"

"Well, it feels strange to leave the most dangerous task to you…"

"Wouldn't it be a bit too much of a burden for just a few of you?"

They poured out insincere concerns, fully aware that the Duke of Fenris never wavered once he made a decision.

The elite would handle the dragon. Their presence would only add casualties without offering meaningful help.

And so, they indulged in exaggerated humility.

"Please, don't hesitate to call on us if you need assistance."

"Of course, we've fought side by side for years now, haven't we?"

"After all this time, we're practically blood brothers!"

The commanders spoke grandly, eliciting a smile from Ghislain.

This is what comradeship is about, Ghislain thought. Everyone stepping up to help.

Relaxing, he decided to speak plainly.

"Thank you all. Fighting alongside you has been the honor of my life."

"Ahem, no need to say such things."

"The honor is ours, truly."

"Maybe we should form a fellowship after the war is over, don't you think? Haha!"

Everyone laughed heartily. Ghislain joined in before casually dropping his next words.

"I was wondering how to bring this up, but you've all been so understanding. I have a favor to ask."

"Haha… Of course… Go ahead…"

The commanders' enthusiasm faded. Fenris's requests were never ordinary.

Sure enough, Ghislain smiled brightly as he continued.

"I recently made a promise to my soldiers."

Every face went pale. They already knew what was coming, having heard rumors.

Marquis Alpheren hurriedly cut in, attempting to preempt the inevitable.

"Ahem. Everyone, no need to worry. The Duke has assured us he'll handle it personally."

Surely, Ghislain wouldn't raise the issue now, for the sake of appearances. Or so they hoped.

But Ghislain was a man who had no qualms about overturning his own words when necessary.

"Well, the more I think about it, I don't think I can manage it alone."

"..."

"I'll need everyone to contribute a little."

"..."

"Let's collect some funds from the kingdoms. I've been so overwhelmed lately."

"..."

Silence filled the room. The other kingdoms' finances were already hanging by a thread. Where would they find such a large sum?

Economic collapse had left even money circulation in disarray.

Of course, Ghislain wasn't worried about such trivial matters. That was Claude's problem to solve.

"I know what you're all worried about. We'll draft policies to address it as soon as the war ends. All I ask is for you to prepare the resources."

"..."

The commanders gulped in unison, the atmosphere growing unbearably tense.

Ghislain feigned disappointment.

"What's this? Weren't you just saying to call on you anytime?"

All eyes turned to the one who had made that ill-fated comment, silently blaming them for provoking this situation.

One commander, sweating profusely, spoke up.

"Well… As you know, the long war has left us in dire straits. Half of our rations are already being supplied by Ruthania…"

Ghislain chuckled. He understood the plight caused by famine.

But that only applied to crops affected by drought.

"Food isn't the only valuable commodity. I'll supply the food. You can contribute other resources, can't you?"

"L-like what?"

"Gold, silver, jewels, rare minerals, magic tools, luxury clothing, jewelry… There's plenty to go around. Aren't those things as good as money?"

"The kingdom has already liquidated most of those to address fiscal issues…"

"Where did it all go?"

"To the nobles and merchant guilds, of course…"

"So all the wealth is concentrated there?"

"Well, yes, but it's not ours to take…"

Ghislain widened his eyes, feigning ignorance.

"Then just take it from them."

"..."

It was such a simple, logical solution that the commanders were left dumbfounded.