Berhem's madness did not end with consuming people.
"Is the war preparation still not complete?"
He had to capture and kill Count Fenris, who had driven him to this point. Just thinking about that man filled him with uncontrollable rage.
He repeatedly pressured Marquis Domont, wanting to march his mighty army north and crush them.
Marquis Domont, drenched in cold sweat, kept trying to calm Berhem down.
"Your Majesty, we still need more time to prepare. Please be patient for just a while longer."
War wasn't something one could start on a whim, especially not against a formidable foe like the northern army.
The northern army's defensive capabilities had been proven during the battle against Marquis Rodrick. Beating them now, when they had grown even stronger, required meticulous preparation.
They needed to secure food supplies, which were running low, and properly maintain siege equipment.
"There are still lords who haven't responded to our summons. We need to gather their armies as well."
"Ugh… Those insolent fools! How long has it been since my return, and they still haven't come to me?!"
The regional lords and nobles were not actively supporting the king. They were still watching the situation, biding their time.
Countess Rayfold, who had slowly been encroaching on eastern territories, was especially problematic. Taking advantage of Marquis Branford's fall, she had already seized six territories.
The king needed all their armies, but they were acting independently. In such circumstances, he couldn't send the entire royal army north.
These lords were also afraid of rebellion among their peers.
Marquis Domont continued to placate Berhem as he spoke.
"The lords will follow Your Majesty with unwavering loyalty. They are merely frightened."
"Frightened?"
"Yes. They have fought against the duchy before, haven't they? The truce negotiations must make them wary of future consequences."
"Then what must I do?"
"If Your Majesty shows magnanimity and pardons their sins, they will pledge their loyalty. A promise to protect them is all it will take."
"Fine, that much is not difficult. Will that solve everything?"
"Even if all their armies join us, we must tread carefully."
Even with the regional lords' armies, they were still insufficient against the northern army. The northern army had displayed overwhelming strength.
Additionally, the allied forces, with 100,000 soldiers, remained intact. Facing them with the current state of the royal army was unthinkable.
The only saving grace was that the duchy had committed to supporting this war.
Flaccus, who was attending to Berhem's health, spoke from the side.
"Please be patient, Your Majesty. News has come that the duchy will soon deploy their forces."
"Ugh…"
Berhem groaned. He hated having to grovel before the duchy, despite being the ruler of this kingdom.
'Once I conquer the north and restore my health, I will show the duchy my true might.'
Berhem swallowed his frustration. To him, the duchy was just another group of disloyal subjects that he would eventually crush.
Waving his hand dismissively, he spoke.
"My head aches. Bring me more sacrifices, and prepare some young ones today."
Absorbing human life force was no easy task. Without a proper core, Berhem suffered from chronic headaches.
His head felt as though it would split open, and he frequently had nosebleeds. These symptoms were evidence of worsening side effects.
Seeing Berhem clutch his head, Flaccus frowned slightly.
'He'll die before the core is even complete.'
His body was too frail to withstand the procedures.
The Orb of Life wasn't something that could be made easily, even with many sacrifices. The refinement process required significant time.
'Well… I suppose it doesn't matter. As long as he lives long enough to lead the campaign, the orb can be used to create other priests.'
Berhem had to survive until he had control of the royal army. Achieving his ambitions required their full might.
The kingdom had already lost too many troops, and fighting the northern army would cost even more. It was an unavoidable reality.
However, the duchy would soon finish their preparations and mobilize. Berhem only needed to survive until then.
Consuming this chaotic kingdom had become an easy task.
But then, things took an unexpected turn.
"Marquis Perdium has sent proclamations across the land and has risen in rebellion!"
"W-what?! That scoundrel has rebelled?"
One day, during a council meeting, Berhem was shocked by the news. While he had planned to use the excuse of rebellion to crush the north, he hadn't expected them to openly rise against him.
Even knowing that he had allied with the duchy, they dared to strike first? It was sheer madness.
Berhem growled angrily.
"So be it! They've walked into my trap! Send the entire royal army and kill those wretched traitors immediately!"
The nobles nervously swallowed their dry throats.
The king had no idea of the kingdom's current financial or military state. The nobles beneath him had plundered it all for themselves.
In reality, supplies were in disarray, equipment was poorly maintained, and morale was nonexistent.
'Damn it… I was relying on the duchy.'
'The royal army alone can't possibly stop the northern army.'
'We need to stall for time…'
The truce negotiations had not included returning the Delphine prisoners. Berhem had adamantly refused.
The duchy had assumed they could retrieve them later and hadn't pressed the matter.
With those forces restructured into the royal army, their numbers were significant. Sending them all could buy time.
The nobles planned to use that time to escape with their wealth.
Unaware of their schemes, Berhem shouted angrily.
"Send summons to all the lords immediately! Order them to crush the rebels!"
Under feudal contracts, lords had autonomy in peacetime but were required to follow the king's orders during war.
With Perdium inciting civil war, even the hesitant lords would have to gather their armies and march to the capital.
Berhem believed this would happen.
But the news that followed was nothing short of disastrous.
"The third corps has surrendered entirely!"
"Other corps are also surrendering without even fighting!"
"The troops are out of control!"
Royal army corps meeting Perdium's forces surrendered en masse, much like the third corps.
In some cases, lower-ranking commanders and knights assassinated their leaders and surrendered together.
"What is the meaning of this?! Does this mean not a single army is willing to fight for me?!"
"E-even when they go out to fight, the moment Count Fenris appears, the soldiers scatter."
Even when they didn't surrender immediately, the results were the same. In armies that refused Zwalter's offer of surrender, the commanders were the first to lose their heads.
Just Ghislain charging forward alone was enough to send soldiers fleeing, leaving their commanders exposed.
To the royal army's soldiers, Ghislain was a god of war and a hero. They had no desire to fight him.
Once Ghislain dealt with the commanders, the soldiers gladly joined Perdium Army.
The next report was even more shocking.
"Citizens across the kingdom are taking up arms and joining Perdium's forces."
"W-what?!"
"Everywhere Perdium's forces march, the citizens flock to them."
Berhem was horrified. Did this mean the entire kingdom had turned against him?
Even the lowly commoners, whom he saw as nothing more than his property, dared to oppose him!
"These vermin… These wretched scum born of filthy blood…"
Berhem, who had lived his life consumed by inferiority complexes, was filled with uncontrollable rage at the thought of even the commoners turning against him.
Those who existed solely to feed him dared to rebel!
But the problems didn't stop there.
"Your Majesty! The lords across the land are beginning to support Marquis Perdium!"
"What?!"
Berhem's expression turned to despair. The lords who hadn't supported him had now chosen to side with Marquis Perdium!
Indeed, the hesitant lords had made their decision after reading Zwalter's heartfelt proclamation.
These were the lords who had fought to protect the kingdom. They could not condone the king's behavior.
They issued their own declarations and raised their armies:
— "We will depose the tyrant and restore the kingdom."
Berhem trembled as he asked.
"Are all these armies marching on the capital? What about the duchy? What is the duchy doing?!"
"It seems the duchy will mobilize soon. However…"
"What? What?! Won't the duchy solve everything?"
"The armies from the central and eastern lords are all moving to the southern front."
"Not to the capital but the southern front?"
"They seem intent on halting the duchy's advance while Perdium's forces march here. The allied forces, western army, and northern army have also moved south."
No matter how strong the duchy was, they couldn't push through such a massive force. By the time the Delphine army reached the capital, it would already be in ruins.
Everything had unraveled too quickly. Berhem, pacing in panic, asked desperately.
"W-what about taking Marquis Branford and the nobles as hostages?"
"It will be of no use. Those who have risen in rebellion will not care about hostages. Moreover, capturing them will come at a great cost."
Marquis Branford still had high-level knights and private troops. The same was true of other nobles who had once led the kingdom.
Though Berhem's forces vastly outnumbered theirs, they would still suffer losses in the fight.
Losing troops in the current situation would hurt them more.
"Then what should we do?! Someone, offer a solution!"
Berhem looked around the throne room. But the number of nobles attending the council was noticeably smaller than usual.
"W-why have so many failed to attend the council in this urgent situation? S-summon them immediately! We must find a way!"
The nobles bowed their heads with gloomy expressions. The shrewd ones had already packed their wealth and fled the capital the moment they heard the news.
Only then did Berhem realize that the situation was far more dire than he had anticipated.
"Where, where have all those who swore loyalty to me gone? Are you telling me, they've fled? That no one intends to protect this kingdom?"
"… Your Majesty."
"Those treacherous scum… Didn't I grant them vast powers and rewards? And yet, they betrayed me?"
Watching Berhem's furious outburst, Marquis Domont's expression grew bitter. He, too, had never expected things to spiral this far out of control.
Who could have imagined that the royal army would surrender without even a fight? He had believed that with the duchy's support, the northern army would be easily dealt with.
But everything had fallen apart in an instant.
Regaining his composure, Berhem spoke in desperation.
"Summon Marquis Branford! I must ask for his mediation. Quickly, summon Marquis Branford…"
"… Your Majesty."
"Marquis Branford will protect me. Didn't everyone follow Marquis Branford? Inform him of the situation immediately and…"
Berhem, who had long desired Marquis Branford's death, now clung to him desperately as his only hope.
"Marquis Branford has always been loyal to the royal family, hasn't he? He must come. He must resolve this crisis."
Never before in his life had Berhem felt such imminent danger. Every problem has always been solved by others.
In the past, the leader of the Shadow Knights had protected the royal family. After that, it was Marquis Branford who had kept the royal family safe.
As long as they stood guard, Berhem never even considered the possibility of anyone challenging the royal family. They were simply too powerful.
Hadn't they even held back the mighty duchy?
But Berhem had seen them only as usurpers who stole his power. Plagued by inferiority, he had wished for their disappearance.
He wanted to kill them all and wield absolute authority as king. He thought that was the proper way to rule.
Only now did he realize that he had lived a comfortable life under their protection.
They had defended the royal family while he, frail and weak, enjoyed his privileges.
He had been blind to the realities of the world, believing that power alone would solve everything.
Berhem cried out in desperation.
"Summon Marquis Branford immediately!"
Marquis Domont replied with a somber expression.
"… Your Majesty, you must flee."
Even summoning Marquis Branford now would do no good. The flames of rebellion had grown beyond control.
The fact that the people themselves were siding with Marquis Perdium was evidence enough.
If he had sought peace, he should never have ousted Marquis Branford. Having sought power, he now had to bear the consequences.
Berhem asked in a daze.
"Where? Where would I flee? This land is all mine."
"… You must go to the duchy."
The only place that could protect the king now was the duchy. Having allied with the Salvation Church, he could not flee to another kingdom.
Berhem turned to Flaccus.
"Can you lead me to the duchy?"
Flaccus hesitated briefly. With the royal army in disarray, Berhem had lost all utility.
But it wasn't his decision to make. For now, Berhem still held symbolic value as the king of this kingdom.
Whether to abandon him or not would be decided by the church and the duchy.
"Do not worry, Your Majesty. I am a superhuman. Summon the Royal Knights and the capital guards, and I will escort you to the duchy."
"Y-yes, let's do that. Prepare at once!"
Count Palantz, the Royal Knight Commander, and Marquis Domont began organizing their escape from the capital.
But their opponents moved faster than they had anticipated.
A lower-ranking officer, pale with fear, rushed in and shouted.
"Y-Your Majesty! The capital is surrounded!"
"What? Wasn't Perdium Army advancing slowly? How could the capital already be surrounded?"
"Count Fenris led a separate force! It appears to be the famed mobile army!"
Absorbing the royal army and the people into its ranks had significantly slowed Perdium Army.
While their momentum was overwhelming, reminiscent of a king's march, they couldn't afford to delay further.
News had arrived that the duchy was also mobilizing.
Thus, Ghislain had taken only the mobile army and marched directly to the capital.
Cardenia.
A fortress with a history of never having been conquered by force.
Once again, Ghislain had come to take this city, just as he had in his past life.
In his past life, he had commanded a powerful army and utterly destroyed it. No matter how strong Cardenia's walls were, they could not withstand the army of one of the Seven Strongest of the continent.
Though his forces were weaker this time, there was no doubt he could still take Cardenia.
But Ghislain saw no need to tire himself with a siege.
He declared boldly.
"Open the gates!"
A commotion immediately broke out on the walls.
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