The commander of the Capital Guards hid atop the walls, nervously biting his fingernails.
'What… what should I do? Should I open it? Or not?'
The strength and reputation of Count Fenris and the northern army were legendary. Moreover, he had only recently been assigned to this post and had no battle experience.
No matter how formidable Cardenia's walls were, he doubted his ability to hold them against such a force.
'Damn it, why couldn't they have come a bit later?'
The capital was already in the process of preparing for a full evacuation. They had planned to flee in two days, but no one expected Count Fenris to arrive so soon.
As he wrestled with indecision, another loud shout echoed from below.
"Are you opening the gates or not?!"
Count Fenris repeated his demand to open the gates as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The Capital Guards commander could only sweat profusely in silence.
The knights and soldiers nearby looked at him with a mixture of disdain and pity.
Then, a voice thundered like a bolt from the blue.
"If you're not opening the gates, I'll come up myself!"
"What?"
The Capital Guards Commander was startled. Come up? Over these high walls?
Thinking he might have misheard, he heard the voice call out again.
"If anyone tries to stop me, they'll die!"
"..."
The Capital Guards Commander froze, wide-eyed. A soldier hurriedly ran over to him.
"Count Fenris is climbing up the wall!"
"What? How? How is he climbing?"
"He's using daggers to anchor himself into the wall and leaping upward…"
"..."
"He's almost here."
The soldier's words turned the Capital Guards Commander pale. He shouted in panic.
"S-stop him! Stop him! No, capture him when he comes up! Why isn't the wall's magic activating?!"
Despite being the capital's ultimate bastion of defense, the walls were still manned by a significant number of troops. The knights and mages stationed here were elite.
If Count Fenris came up alone, it seemed there might be a chance to stop him.
Thunk!
At that moment, Ghislain reached the top of the wall.
The Capital Guards Commander screamed, his voice cracking with desperation.
"He is alone! Capture him! Attack him!"
But no one moved. Naturally, no one in their right mind wanted to fight when Ghislain himself had appeared.
"What… what are you all doing?! Are you disobeying orders?! Arrest this traitor immediately!"
The Capital Guards Commander stumbled backward, trembling.
Despite his frantic orders, no one obeyed. He couldn't understand why.
Ghislain smirked and walked toward him, as soldiers naturally stepped aside to clear his path.
Ghislain glanced around and made a casual remark.
"Hey, you're all still alive. It's been a while."
Ghislain had often frequented the capital. Many of the knights and soldiers recognized his face.
As Ghislain greeted them, the knights and soldiers responded with awkward smiles.
The Capital Guards Commander, his mind blank, could only stare at the scene unfolding before him.
Approaching him, Ghislain grinned.
"We're all friends, aren't we?"
"You… you filthy traitor…!"
The Capital Guards Commander gritted his teeth.
It turned out that the Count Fenris was well-acquainted with the Capital Guards. Who could have known?
But he wasn't about to die here. He had worked hard and bribed his way into this position. The past few months had been blissful, and he wasn't about to let it end so easily.
Gathering his wits, he dropped to the ground and begged.
"Please, spare me! I surrender—"
Slash!
Before he could finish, his head flew from his shoulders, Ghislain's sword cutting cleanly through his neck.
Flicking the blood off his blade, Ghislain muttered.
"You should've opened the gate when I told you to."
The capital and the strongest fortress in the kingdom, Cardenia, fell so easily.
No matter how strong a fortress might be, it was powerless if its defenders had no will to fight.
Rumble…
The gates of Cardenia, designed with 12 complex mechanisms and requiring mages to operate the magic circuits, began to creak open.
The massive gates, difficult to breach, slowly swung wide.
Through the open gates, the Fenris mobile army marched in with their flags held high. No force stood in their way.
The capital remained eerily quiet. Most people had chosen to stay indoors, avoiding the streets.
A few who saw the advancing army hurriedly slipped away, keeping their heads low to avoid being noticed.
Those hiding in their homes peeked through their windows, watching the direction the army was heading.
Some of them recognized the flags of Fenris.
"That… that flag…"
"It's Count Fenris! Count Fenris is here!"
"The Saint is here!"
At the exclamation, those hiding indoors rushed to their windows. The people on the streets also stopped, looking up to confirm the flags.
"It's true…"
"It's really Count Fenris…"
"That's the Fenris mobile army's flag!"
Leading the vanguard, astride a massive black horse, was Count Fenris himself—someone they had all seen before. Everyone recognized Ghislain's face.
"Count Fenris is here!"
One by one, people began stepping out of their homes. Those who had fled earlier now gathered around the army.
They wept upon seeing the Fenris flag and Ghislain's face. Some collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
They had been waiting. Waiting for someone to save them.
Rumors had spread that the Wolf of the North, Marquis Perdium, would come to their rescue. Ghislain, who had defeated the beasts of the rift and held back the duchy's army, would come.
They had clung to this tiny hope, and at last, Ghislain had appeared.
"Count Fenris!"
"Lord Count, please save us!"
"Save us!"
People fell to their knees before Ghislain, pleading for salvation. Their cries echoed farther and farther.
Hearing the commotion, even more people came out into the streets. Soon, the capital's avenues were teeming with people.
Desperate cries erupted from every corner, begging to be saved.
Ghislain, listening silently, clenched his fist and raised it high. In an instant, the crowd fell silent.
Amid the hush, only Ghislain's voice rang out.
"You no longer need to worry! The tyranny of the tyrant ends today!"
The people held their breath, waiting for his next words. With a firm voice, Ghislain declared.
"My father, Marquis Zwalter Perdium, will usher in a new era!"
"Uraaaaaah!"
The people erupted into cheers at Ghislain's proclamation.
The Wolf of the North, Zwalter Perdium, was famous even among them. Stories of his responsibility and love for his people were well-known.
If he became king, the world would undoubtedly be a much better place. And his son was Ghislain, the one revered as a saint by the people.
It was clear to everyone that Ghislain would be the next king, and that filled them with joy.
Belinda whispered to Ghislain.
"Are you sure it's okay to announce it this early? Marquis might find this troublesome."
Even in a coup, one didn't openly proclaim their intentions to take the throne. The usual path involved subduing the tyrant, then reluctantly accepting the crown with noble support.
But here was Ghislain, boldly declaring Zwalter's kingship for all to hear. Zwalter would undoubtedly be embarrassed by this.
Ghislain shrugged.
"He's going to take the throne anyway. What's the point in pretending? Besides, look how happy the people are."
"Hmm, that's true."
The people, exhausted from tyranny, responded enthusiastically to Ghislain's words. Such directness resonated even more with them.
For the first time in a long while, the capital was alive with energy. People cheered and wept openly.
And no one came to stop them. The defense forces and security troops had all surrendered.
Now, only the palace guards and the Royal Knights remained.
"Let's head to the palace!"
"Uraaaaah!"
The enraged crowd, armed with whatever they could find, followed behind Ghislain. It was a chaotic mix of rebellion and a popular uprising.
More people joined them as they marched. The streets echoed with chants of Ghislain's name.
At that moment, a figure stepped into Ghislain's path.
"Hm?"
Ghislain blinked several times. The person before him was someone who shouldn't have been there.
"Bishop Forisco?"
The archbishops and bishops of the Four Great Churches had fled the capital long ago. The priests who had stayed to help the people had all been captured and killed.
Naturally, Ghislain had assumed that Forisco, ever shrewd, would have fled.
Yet, to his surprise, the man was still in the capital.
Thin and haggard, as if he had been starving, Forisco's eyes glistened with tears.
"You… you really came! You really came! I'm saved! I'm saved!"
Ghislain looked at him in mild astonishment and asked.
"Wait, you didn't flee?"
"I tried to flee!"
"Then why didn't you?"
"…Because of the children."
"The children?"
Looking closely, Ghislain noticed a group of ragged children huddled behind Forisco. The children looked malnourished and weak.
With a sigh, Forisco explained.
"I was trying to escape, but when I saw the children from the slums running to me… I hid them, and then…"
Forisco trailed off, as if about to complain that the children had held him back, but with so many people around, he swallowed his words.
Ghislain gave him a disbelieving look and asked.
"You… hid the children? You, Bishop?"
"…Yes."
When the king purged the slums, Forisco had initially intended to flee with whatever wealth he could gather.
But as he was escaping, the children saw him and cried out.
— Saint, save us!
Having become addicted to the fame and prestige of being called a saint after meeting Ghislain, Forisco couldn't bring himself to ignore the children's pleas.
He hid them in a secret chamber in the temple and attempted to flee alone, but he missed his chance and ended up trapped with them.
He'd been waiting for an opportunity to escape, and when he heard the uproar from outside, he cautiously came out to investigate.
The result was surprising.
"Wow! He truly is a saint!"
"He saved the children!"
"I knew he would!"
The crowd began cheering for Forisco. Most of the priests had fled, but Forisco had stayed behind to protect the children.
If someone like him wasn't a saint, who could be?
Forisco looked bewildered.
"…?"
In truth, he had only locked the children in the chamber to fend for themselves while he tried to flee. He had no intention of taking responsibility for them. The chamber had some dried rations, so he thought they wouldn't starve immediately.
That was the extent of his plan. Soldiers had cornered him, and he had been forced to stay with the children. Now, thanks to Ghislain, he was finally safe.
Yet the people were cheering for him. This was an opportunity Forisco wouldn't let slip.
His expression shifted, and he loudly proclaimed.
"How could a servant of Goddess abandon children to flee?"
"Uraaaaaah!"
"If not me, who else would bear the burden of hell?"
"Uraaaaaah!"
"Today, in the name of Goddess, I shall punish the wicked king!"
"Uraaaaaah!"
"…"
Ghislain watched the scene in silence. In an instant, the atmosphere had shifted to favor Forisco.
As he had thought before, this man was no ordinary character.
Ghislain signaled to a nearby defense soldier and said.
"Distribute the Capital Guards' food supplies to the children and anyone starving."
"Understood."
As Ghislain prepared to march toward the royal palace, Forisco quickly followed.
"Take me with you!"
"Hm? Why?"
"I'm the only bishop left in the capital! I'll testify to the king's crimes and officially declare support for Marquis Perdium. This is the will of the Juana Religious Order! I'm a real saint now!"
"Oh?"
While they were determined to put Zwalter on the throne regardless, having the church's support would lend credibility and prestige. After all, priests had the moral authority to condemn a king who had allied with a heretical cult.
Forisco was the only bishop who hadn't fled. It was certain he would become an archbishop, and he could even finally receive the saintly title he had always coveted.
His endorsement would help quell opposition from the nobles and bolster their claim to legitimacy.
Ghislain readily nodded.
"Very well. Come with us."
"The damn king is finished. He's absolutely screwed," Forisco grumbled as he followed Ghislain, still fuming over the hardships he had endured.
Knowing Ghislain's strength, Forisco no longer felt any fear. After all, Ghislain had already driven out the Salvation Church's priests who had infiltrated the capital.
With Forisco and the Fenris army leading the people, they reached the royal palace.
There, a contingent of troops awaited them.
"Halt."
At the forefront was Count Palantz, the Royal Knight Commander, who spoke with a stern expression.
"Hm."
Ghislain smirked, then dismounted his horse.
Even combined, the palace guards and the Royal Knights were far too few in number. They couldn't possibly stop the Fenris mobile army and the enraged citizens.
The palace guards already looked terrified, and even the Royal Knights were visibly tense.
Count Palantz's hardened expression was the only thing holding firm.
Ghislain drew his sword and said.
"We meet again."
Grit.
Count Palantz ground his teeth. Memories of the humiliation of losing an artifact to Ghislain resurfaced.
Still, he had no choice but to acknowledge Ghislain's skill.
The royal army had completely betrayed them, siding with Marquis Perdium. This wasn't solely due to the marquis's character and reputation; the sheer presence of Count Fenris was the decisive factor.
This left Count Palantz with deep regret.
"I should have eliminated you when we moved against Marquis Branford."
"If you had, the king would've died back then."
"You…!"
Count Palantz ground his teeth again as Ghislain coldly offered him a choice.
"I'll give you a chance. Will you fight, or will you surrender? But know this—if you surrender, you will still die."
The Royal Knight Commander was too dangerous to be left alive. Even Ghislain, who valued talented individuals, couldn't afford to spare him while planning to overthrow the king.
"…Hah."
Count Palantz exhaled deeply. The situation had completely turned against him.
Even escape had failed. He had been told Perdium Army was advancing slowly, but Ghislain had arrived far sooner than expected.
It felt as if they had been playing into his hands the entire time.
But what could he do? As Royal Knight Commander, he had pledged loyalty to the king. He couldn't abandon his post and flee.
Still, he saw no need to drag his subordinates to unnecessary deaths.
There was only one way to resolve this.
Count Palantz extended his sword and said.
"I challenge you to a duel, Count Fenris."
If he could just kill this man…
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