"Lead us!"
"Take the throne!"
"Drive out the Salvation Church and save this kingdom!"
Faced with the overwhelming enthusiasm of the people, Zwalter was left stunned.
"Th-this is..."
Even on the way here, most of the people they encountered had already begun following him. Zwalter, unable to turn them away, had accepted their allegiance.
After all, he had resolved to become king. But ascending to the throne so blatantly wasn't what he had envisioned.
"What is the meaning of this? I heard Ghislain had secured the capital, but no one mentioned it being in this state."
Even those who had accompanied Zwalter were equally at a loss. They, too, had only heard that the capital had been captured and the king dealt with.
The people's jubilation was understandable—after all, the tyrant was gone. But for them to clamor for Zwalter to take the throne, and so fervently at that, was beyond expectations.
"What will the other nobles and lords think of this?"
Many nobles had pledged their support after receiving Zwalter's proclamation, but none of them had explicitly agreed to him becoming king.
The proclamation Zwalter had sent out wasn't about claiming the throne. It was about stopping the king's tyranny.
The plan had been to deal with the king, restore the old council, and follow proper procedures to ascend the throne. If he accepted this outpouring of support on the spot, it would invite backlash from the nobles.
As Zwalter hesitated, unable to find the right words, Claude, who had come along to assist with administrative matters, spoke up.
"Lord Marquis, the people are very emotional right now. Perhaps I might take the floor for a moment to calm things down?"
"Very well, do so."
Zwalter nodded, and Claude stepped forward after clearing his throat.
"I am Claude, the head butler of Fenris and currently serving as the assistant to Marquis Perdium!"
"Woooooaaaah!"
At the mere mention of Fenris, the crowd erupted in cheers. Claude couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
With renewed confidence, he raised his voice.
"I understand your pain! How much you've suffered under the tyranny and oppression of a mad king! It was for your sake that Count Fenris marched ahead and struck down the tyrant!"
"Woooooaaaah!"
"As expected of Count Fenris!"
"He slew the tyrant himself!"
Claude basked in the adoration and continued.
"And who is the father of Count Fenris?"
"Marquis Perdium!"
"And who sent out the proclamations and raised an army for the sake of this kingdom?"
"Marquis Perdium!"
"Indeed! Marquis Perdium raised an army for the kingdom's salvation, and his son, Count Fenris, came ahead to slay the tyrant!"
"Woooooaaaah!"
Zwalter blinked. He'd expected Claude to stabilize the situation, but instead, it seemed like he was inciting even more excitement. The people were not calming down; they were rising to their feet, cheering with arms raised, their fervor reaching new heights.
Claude raised his hands to signal for attention and continued.
"Let me ask you again! When all other nobles cowered in fear of the king, when all others ignored the suffering of the people, who was the only one brave enough to raise an army for this kingdom?"
The citizens of the capital and those who had followed the march all shouted in unison.
"Marquis Perdium!"
"Then who deserves to sit upon the throne? Who can truly be called the king who cares for his people?"
"Marquis Perdium!"
"That's right! Marquis Perdium shall be the new king of the Lutania Kingdom!"
"Woooooaaaah!"
The crowd was on fire with enthusiasm. Claude had effectively declared Zwalter king.
While Ghislain had already hinted at this earlier, having it formally announced by someone in Zwalter's entourage carried much more weight.
"..."
Zwalter looked at Claude with sweat on his brow. He'd thought Claude meant to calm things down, but instead, he'd whipped the crowd into a frenzy.
Looking around, he noticed everyone smiling. Even the knights and soldiers of Perdium seemed amused.
Seeing this, Ghislain nudged Forisco with his elbow, signaling him to seal the deal while the atmosphere was ripe.
Forisco eagerly stepped forward, shouting loudly.
"Hear me, all of you! I am Forisco, representative of the Four Great Churches of Lutania, the Archbishop, and the Saint!"
"Woooooaaaah! It's the Saint!"
Forisco's reputation was immense, rivaling even Ghislain's. His appearance brought even louder cheers.
"On behalf of the church, I, the Archbishop and Saint Forisco, hereby recognize Marquis Perdium as the rightful king! This is my will as Archbishop and Saint, and it is also the will of the Goddess! Let the coronation be prepared!"
"Woooooaaaah!"
Forisco emphasized the titles "Archbishop" and "Saint" repeatedly, determined to solidify his newfound status in people's minds.
Faced with this turn of events, Zwalter could only let out a resigned chuckle. Nothing seemed to go as planned when his son was involved.
He'd have to seek understanding from the other nobles separately.
In truth, the nobles wouldn't be able to offer much resistance. Few would dare oppose something so strongly supported by the people, especially given Perdium's overwhelming military advantage.
Zwalter closed his eyes briefly. That a poor lord from the frontier would rise to this position was unimaginable.
Of course, he owed much of it to his son, but he hadn't realized he was so popular.
After a moment of silence, he slowly opened his mouth to speak.
"I am but a humble man. My only wish is to serve alongside you. But if you truly desire it…"
The crowd fell silent, holding their breath as they awaited his next words.
With a kind smile, Zwalter addressed them all.
"I will become your king."
"Woooooaaaah!"
The people erupted into cheers, celebrating the end of the tyrant's reign and the emergence of a new king.
Marquis Perdium's reputation was already well known. Even in the harshest of conditions, the people of the north had remained loyal to him because of his benevolence.
Even before Ghislain proved his mettle, Zwalter had been a virtuous leader who commanded respect.
As such, the people's jubilation was only natural.
Watching this scene, Belinda wiped her tears. Ghislain teased her with a grin.
"What's this? Crying again? Why do you keep tearing up lately?"
"How can I not? After a lifetime of hardship, he's finally become king. Lady Annette would've loved to see this."
"Didn't you oppose their marriage at first?"
"I did. Honestly, what was there to like about him at the time?"
Belinda had initially disapproved of Zwalter.
He was just a poor nobleman from the frontier. How could someone like him marry Annette, who was equal in power to a king and the strongest in the kingdom?
Of course, she had opposed it. Who wouldn't?
As a child, Belinda had complained incessantly.
— What's so great about him? He's poor, can't fight, and he's not even from a noble lineage. He's not particularly handsome either.
Every time, Annette had simply smiled gently and replied:
— What you see on the surface isn't everything. He's a good man.
Belinda hadn't understood back then, but over the years she spent at Perdium, she came to see it for herself.
Zwalter's character was unmatched in its nobility.
He treated everyone equally, whether they were old or young, male or female, noble or slave. His sense of responsibility was extraordinary, and he never abandoned his people, no matter how dire the circumstances.
Because of this, the people of Perdium trusted him wholeheartedly and followed him to the end.
While every other noble mocked and scorned Zwalter, only Annette had seen his true worth.
And now, Zwalter had risen to the most exalted position in the kingdom.
Though he owed much to Ghislain, there was no one more deserving of the throne.
"Lady Annette must be watching from the heavens," Belinda said with a smile, trying to hold back her tears.
Surely, Annette was smiling warmly, proud that the man she had chosen had become the most revered and noble figure in the kingdom.
Zwalter and the Perdium army marched proudly toward the royal castle.
For now, the coronation was postponed. The kingdom was in disarray, and the Delphine family's army was on the move. There was too much to address immediately.
"Reduce the tax rates, and distribute food generously. Tell the nobles that we will deliberate the details later, but for now, they must comply with our directives. We'll address disputes later."
Though Zwalter had declared his intention to follow the people's will and become king, he still needed to gain the nobles' formal consent.
Allowing dissent now would only benefit the Delphine family. For the time being, appeasing the nobles was crucial.
Fortunately, the capital's nobles expressed their support for Zwalter.
"Marquis Branford has issued a statement endorsing the new king!"
"Marquis Macquarie has also voiced his support!"
"Count Ailesbur and Count Norton have followed suit..."
The prominent nobles who had led the kingdom thus far seemed to have coordinated their endorsements, issuing them simultaneously.
While they didn't personally step forward, opting to make announcements through representatives, their support was significant nonetheless.
With the church and the capital's influential nobles on his side, provincial nobles found it difficult to express dissatisfaction.
This provided some much-needed breathing room, but Zwalter's challenges were far from over.
"Hmm, there's far too much to be done."
Running a kingdom was vastly different from governing a frontier estate. The royal treasury was in shambles, plundered by the nobles who had sworn loyalty to the late king.
On this front, Ghislain stepped in to provide assistance.
"The ones who fled with their wealth are being rounded up as we speak. More support will arrive from Fenris soon. As for replacing the current administrators, you should rely on Claude's assistance."
"Yes, we must stabilize things quickly so people's lives can improve."
"Countess Ailesbur and Young Lady of the Branford family will also assist in governance."
After dealing with the king, Ghislain had immediately met with Rozalin and Meriel. Both were overjoyed and welcomed him warmly.
Their capabilities had already been proven, and they would greatly aid in stabilizing the kingdom.
"Leave financial management to those two for now. Whatever you do, do not let Claude handle it."
"…Understood."
Additional support was expected from Perdium's administrative staff. While Albert was set to oversee the royal treasury, Meriel and Rozalin would jointly manage finances alongside him.
Claude, drawing on his experience managing Fenris, would handle issues outside of finance, ensuring that stability was only a matter of time.
After briefly addressing urgent issues, Ghislain turned to Zwalter and said:
"I'll be leaving now. The fighting on the southern front is intensifying."
Zwalter, his expression heavy with concern, nodded.
"Be careful."
"Don't worry. This time, I'll see it to the end."
Ghislain gave a confident grin.
The northern army was currently engaged in battle against the Duchy forces on the southern front. He needed to join them as soon as possible.
If they could eliminate the duchy forces, the Lutania Kingdom would quickly find stability. Afterward, it would only be a matter of eradicating the Salvation Church scattered across the continent.
Zwalter nodded resolutely.
"Very well, make haste. The Perdium and royal armies will follow closely behind."
With no immediate threats to the capital, Zwalter planned to send most of the remaining forces south, leaving only a minimal number to maintain order.
To avoid delays, Ghislain and the mobile army would once again move ahead.
As they departed, the people of the capital cheered loudly.
"Victory to you once again!"
"Drive out the duchy forces and the Salvation Church!"
"Goddess, bless the Fenris army!"
Amidst the people's cheers, Ghislain and the mobile army raced southward toward the front lines.
Simultaneously, the Perdium and royal armies, led by Randolph, began their march south.
***
The western and allied forces had gathered at a fortress on the southern front, awaiting orders. Their mission was to join the northern army and halt the advance of the duchy forces.
Gillian had been appointed as the commander-in-chief of the southern front, given his extensive experience and suitability for the role.
The duchy forces, too, saw this as an unmissable opportunity. If they could strike while the Perdium army was engaged with the royal army, they could inflict a significant blow.
Letting the forces they might later need—the royal army—be destroyed was not an option.
Thus, when news arrived that the Perdium army and Fenris mobile army had headed to the capital, the duchy forces immediately mobilized an army of 200,000 to march northward.
The two sides clashed as soon as they met. The Delphine army, led by the kingdom's finest sword, were far stronger than any previous opponent.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Magic and projectiles from catapults rained down continuously from both sides. The Salvation Church's superhumans launched wide-area attacks from the skies.
Even with the support of Vanessa, a seventh-circle mage, and hundreds of other mages working in unison, it was impossible to completely suppress the enemy's magic.
"Hold the line! We can stop them!"
Under Gillian's command, the soldiers fought tirelessly.
This side also had an army of 200,000. With forces evenly matched, the duchy forces found it difficult to break through.
Though the priests bolstered the enemy with additional superhumans, the northern army's superhumans were exceptionally powerful in their own right.
The prolonged battle inflicted growing casualties on both sides. The western and allied forces, being less well-trained, suffered the most losses.
While Gillian grew increasingly frustrated by the mounting casualties, the Delphine forces' commander, Kaien, also found himself in deep thought.
"If Count Fenris himself has taken action, the royal army won't be able to stop him."
Count Palantz had to focus on protecting the royal family. The Perdium and Fenris armies' unexpected movements left the royal army ill-prepared to respond.
Without rallying all their forces, they couldn't hope to stop them—and it was unlikely they could make such a decisive move quickly.
Soon, news arrived that the royal army was surrendering en masse to the Perdium forces.
"Damn it..."
Kaien clenched his teeth. The royal army's strength was essentially being handed over to the enemy.
If they all made their way to the southern front, even if they won, the duchy forces would suffer heavy losses.
More bad news followed.
"Lords are moving their forces...to this front, not the capital?"
"Yes. It seems they've decided to side with Marquis Perdium after receiving his proclamation. They say they've been asked to hold the line here."
This meant that despite the ongoing battle and losses, reinforcements were arriving for the enemy. If things continued, the tide could shift in their favor.
But retreating now would mean taking up a defensive posture, which Kaien found unacceptable.
"If we can break them before Count Fenris arrives, we'll have the upper hand."
Defeating the northern army before Ghislain joined would make the remainder of the campaign far easier.
"Even if it means pushing harder, we have to end this quickly."
While Kaien wrestled with such concerns, the northern army welcomed the reinforcements with open arms.
The arrival of additional troops made defending the line much easier.
However, not all reinforcements were met with such enthusiasm.
As a certain army approached, Gillian's demeanor grew tense, his jaw tightening imperceptibly.
As the approaching army drew closer, he bowed slightly to the figure leading them.
"You've arrived."
"Yes, it's been a while."
Amelia didn't bother hiding her irritation as she accepted the greeting. Behind her stood the 50,000-strong forces of the Rayfold Family.
Gillian, well aware of the source of her irritation, remained on edge.
Once again, Ghislain had used a mix of coercion and persuasion to force her into joining the campaign.
[T/L: I am not getting any support from webnovel platform, so please support me and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]