Episode 632 Then Give Me Some Reward 4

"F-Fine. I get it. Just stop."

Alfoy hastily calmed Claude down. This territory had far too many reckless individuals prone to causing trouble when things didn't go their way. As someone who belonged to that very category, Alfoy understood it all too well.

Of course, Alfoy wasn't planning to just sit back and take it.

'Just wait. As soon as the lord returns, all of this will be invalidated. I'll have my revenge.'

To temporarily defuse the situation, Alfoy signed the document. He believed that once the lord returned, everything would be resolved. The lord's good mood, after successfully completing the dragon hunt, was a key factor in Alfoy's optimism.

And who contributed the most to that dragon hunt, if not him?

Alfoy signed the contract, which stipulated he would become a lifelong servant of the kingdom in exchange for a reduced sentence for his treason. Claude grinned with satisfaction as Alfoy's signature was inked onto the document.

Of course, Claude wasn't naive enough to be oblivious to Alfoy's intentions.

'This bastard probably thinks he just needs to survive for now.'

Regardless, Claude's actions were "legally" sound. Alfoy had committed crimes that warranted execution.

Still, the chances of the lord pardoning Alfoy upon his return were quite high, and the thought made Claude uneasy.

'In that case, I'll make sure he's forgotten.'

Claude tucked the signed document into his breast pocket and pulled out another set of papers.

"Criminal Alfoy will immediately be transferred to the Rift Research Facility in the eastern region. There, he will dedicate himself wholeheartedly to Rift research to atone for his crimes. For treason, this punishment is practically a reward."

"What? Hey, you bastard!"

Alfoy shouted furiously.

He had expected to be assigned to the Rift Research in the Fenris territory, alongside other mages. But Claude's actions were clearly aimed at ensuring Alfoy wouldn't be able to meet the lord.

Alfoy's face twisted with anger as he realized he was being exiled to the eastern region, where he would endure grueling labor—no, research work.

"Arrrgh! I'll kill you! How dare you do this to me, a '5th-Circle Dragon Slayer Mage of White Liberty' who defeated a god?!"

Alfoy screamed at the top of his lungs, but the knights held him down and dragged him away. By the end of the day, he would be on his way to the eastern region with the other mages.

Claude watched Alfoy being taken away with a pitiful expression and muttered to himself.

"Goodbye, bro. Take care of yourself. I'll miss you. Oh, and take that Kkokko or whatever that horse's name is with you! Ah, this feels so refreshing."

"…"

Wendy watched the entire scene unfold with a look of utter disdain.

She would, of course, report everything that had happened. When the lord returned, a full report would reach him through multiple channels. For now, she simply observed the two fools flailing about in desperation.

Once Alfoy was dealt with, Claude quickly moved on to the next pressing issue.

"Let's get moving. We need to gather funds."

Dealing with Alfoy had been a minor distraction. Claude was confident that once Alfoy was fully immersed in his research, he would regain some sense of perspective.

However, securing military funds was a life-or-death matter.

Claude began pulling out all the bribes he had accumulated over time.

"Ugh, it took me so much effort to collect these…"

There was no other choice. He would just have to start over and collect more.

Then, he intensified efforts on a business project he had been managing for a while.

Gathering the people he had personally hired, Claude spoke urgently.

"We need to accelerate the production of The Chronicles of Fenris, Second Edition and the portraits of Lord Julien. As fast as possible!"

Claude had long been documenting everything about Julien, knowing how popular he was.

In addition, products featuring other famous individuals were being developed to meet demand—everyone except Alfoy, of course.

This time, he avoided using Fenris resources or public funds. Instead, he financed the project entirely out of his own pocket and hired independent workers to get it done.

Although technically it was illegal to sell someone's likeness or story without permission, Ghislain was turning a blind eye for now, likely planning to deal with it later.

As for Julien, he couldn't care less about who profited from his face.

Even after pouring all his earnings into these ventures, Claude was still short of the required funds. His excessive gambling had drained far too much.

Left with no other option, Claude mobilized some of his forces.

"Gather all the information on nearby bandit groups!"

The continent was far from stable. Although the internal situation of the Ruthania Kingdom had improved significantly, the same couldn't be said for regions outside its borders.

Cities were rife with criminal organizations, and bandits plagued the countryside.

This was especially true for the recently annexed Ceyron Kingdom and territories set to be integrated soon.

These groups needed to be dealt with to maintain public order. Claude decided to kill two birds with one stone by eliminating them and seizing their resources to cover the financial shortfall.

Dragging his weary body, Claude personally joined the effort to eradicate the bandits.

"I need to either quit gambling or die…"

With time running out, Claude worked harder than ever to wipe out bandit groups and criminal organizations.

His efforts quickly improved the security of the newly annexed regions. The residents of these areas began to praise the Ruthania Kingdom.

In the end, Claude and Amelia's seemingly chaotic gambles turned out to benefit the kingdom's people.

***

Gatros was a fugitive. Yet, even in his state of flight, he never neglected gathering information.

After all, the more he knew about what was happening outside, the better his chances of evading capture.

The knights under his command moved cautiously, seizing every opportunity to collect intelligence along the way.

One day, while on the run, a piece of startling news reached Gatros.

"A dragon? Are you saying an actual dragon has appeared?"

"Yes, sir. All the allied forces have already moved to the fortress in the Turian Kingdom. It's said that the cause of the monster wave is this dragon."

"What? How could they possibly know that?"

"The information is reportedly from the Fenris Duke's camp."

Gatros's face twisted in displeasure. That name again.

"Fenris Duke! Fenris Duke! Is there anything that man doesn't meddle in?"

Every event seemed orchestrated by Ghislain, leveraging his knowledge of future events. This time, he had even received substantial information from Ereneth.

It was natural that no one but Ghislain could comprehend or keep up with the unfolding situation.

After venting his frustrations for a while, Gatros finally calmed himself.

"Fine. At least things are proceeding as foretold. The 'White Dragon of the Apocalypse' surely refers to this dragon."

Gatros didn't know if a dragon truly existed or what kind of dragon might appear. However, the circumstances aligning with the prophecy only solidified his beliefs.

He turned to look at Ernheart.

Despite hiding out in bandit dens, Ernheart didn't look the part. He always maintained a pristine appearance and smelled of fine fragrances. Not once had he looked disheveled.

While part of this was thanks to his butler's meticulous care, even that didn't fully account for his immaculate condition, which seemed almost supernatural.

Even now, he was sitting elegantly in the center of the bandit camp, sipping tea.

In contrast, Gatros glanced at his own filthy attire and hesitated before speaking cautiously.

"Your Highness, it seems the prophecy is finally coming to fruition."

"Hmm…"

"If a dragon truly appears, even the Fenris Duke will have no choice but to struggle. The allied forces will suffer great losses, and perhaps even the Fenris Duke and the superhumans by his side might perish."

Gatros's face flushed with anticipation. If the Fenris Duke, the one who brought ruin to the Salvation Order, were to die, the greatest threat to their cause would vanish.

And if the allied forces' superhumans and commanders fell alongside him, the continent would once again plunge into chaos.

Seeing Gatros's excitement, Ernheart asked calmly, "And who will slay this dragon? Us?"

"If it opposes the allied forces, perhaps it could ally with us."

"And if it opposes us as well?"

"The 'White Dragon of the Apocalypse' is a sign of the king's imminent return. Once we find the king, everything will be resolved."

Ernheart regarded Gatros with a faintly pitying gaze.

Gatros was undoubtedly a genius. He had revived a religion thought lost to history and was himself more powerful than most superhumans.

But his every thought was bound to the contents of the scriptures and the resurrection of the king. His mind was filled only with the desire to manifest the will of God upon the world.

Because of this, his thinking was inflexible.

Even now, he showed no interest in the nature of the dragon itself. He merely assumed that finding the king would solve all problems.

"If only your faith were a little less absolute. Perhaps we would have conquered the continent long ago," Ernheart mused.

"Your Highness…"

For Gatros, such an idea was unthinkable. His faith in God was his very reason for existence.

Knowing this, Ernheart simply shook his head.

"Well, that, too, is your fate, consumed as you are by the will of God."

"…"

Gatros's expression faltered. He had long felt uneasy about Ernheart's lack of apparent devotion.

'How can someone so close to Him, one of His highest apostles, act this way?'

Ernheart's inscrutable demeanor left Gatros without answers. Despite receiving the memories and powers of the apostle, Ernheart often made incomprehensible remarks and decisions.

This thought prompted Gatros to ask cautiously, "Have your memories… returned significantly?"

"Not yet. But they're returning faster, so there's no need to worry."

"I see. Do you recall anything about this dragon that's supposed to appear?"

"No. But I've glimpsed it briefly in a past revelation."

"Oh, what was it like? Did it set the world ablaze?"

"Yes. Like the images depicted in the castle, it destroyed the world and devoured countless people."

Gatros's face brightened.

"Indeed! So, the allied forces will suffer immense losses this time."

Ernheart watched Gatros silently for a moment before speaking indifferently.

"It dies."

"Pardon?"

"The dragon dies. Its massive neck is severed."

"What does that…"

"When I received the revelation, I briefly saw it. A decapitated dragon shedding tears of blood."

"…"

Gatros bit his lip repeatedly.

He didn't trust Ernheart's dreams. How could he, when they had become so erratic and chaotic?

Ernheart chuckled softly, as if reading his thoughts.

"I know what you're thinking."

"N-No, Your Highness."

"It's fine. I, too, am aware that the revelations have been in disarray since the Fenris Duke appeared. But everything is moving too quickly."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean everything is progressing too rapidly. The dragon wasn't supposed to appear yet, according to the revelation."

"What does that mean…?"

"In the revelation, the dragon's severed neck was shown at a much later time. But since the revelations have been in disarray for some time, I can only assume it's because of the Fenris Duke. He has accelerated everything, throwing it all into chaos."

"…"

Gatros sighed inwardly. The confusion of the revelations made it impossible to have a clear conversation, and every discussion seemed to circle back to the Fenris Duke.

Gatros acknowledged the Fenris Duke's brilliance, but was it truly possible for one man to disrupt the ordained flow of events?

Surely, the king's impending resurrection was the true catalyst for all these changes.

What they didn't know was that Ghislain, as a regressor, had rapidly grown in strength and forced events to unfold ahead of schedule.

As a result, their conversations inevitably went in circles, unable to arrive at any concrete conclusions.

Hoping to shift the mood, Gatros changed the subject. For now, he had to outwardly accept Ernheart's interpretation of the "revelations."

"Then… what did the revelations show after the dragon?"

Ernheart closed his eyes and smiled as if recalling a pleasant dream.

"That would be the 'final revelation' before the demons appear and sweep us away. We found it at last."

"What did you find, Your Highness?"

Slowly opening his eyes, Ernheart answered.

"The Demonic Realm."

"…You mean the Holy Land?"

"Yes. I finally discovered the Demonic Realm. And I even reached its core."

"O-Oh, where is it? Could it truly be in the Forest of Beasts?"

Gatros's excitement rose. The location of the Holy Land had been lost, leaving many forbidden zones across the continent as potential candidates.

The western Deadlands, the Shadow Mountains of Turian, the Forest of Beasts in Ruthania—all these dangerous places were considered possibilities.

Among them, the Forest of Beasts was the most likely candidate.

Though they had failed to properly investigate it after the incident in Ruthania, it remained a strong possibility.

Ernheart shook his head slowly.

"I don't know. All I know is that I found the Demonic Realm."

Despite Ernheart's tendency for inaccuracies in his revelations, Gatros wanted to believe this particular claim. The Holy Land was something they absolutely had to find.

For within it lay the last remnants of God.

And… the Saintess from a thousand years ago, waiting for the king.