"Summon Count Forwood immediately!"
Shortly before Desmond's forces attacked Stonehaven Fortress, Marquis Branford erupted with rage upon hearing the news that the 2nd Corps had been annihilated.
No one had anticipated that Count Desmond would act so suddenly.
While many had expected some sort of civil war, given that he was gathering an army, they had merely been on edge, waiting for a clear signal.
But no one could have imagined that he would raise an army and obliterate the kingdom's forces all on his own, without any prior notice.
Count Forwood, known as "the mouth of the Duchy" and residing in the capital, was forcibly dragged before Marquis Branford.
"L-Lord Marquis. Have you been well...?"
"Count! Attacking Fenris without justification—does this represent the duke's intentions?!"
"T-this... Count Desmond has nothing to do with us..."
"Do you dare to play word games with me right now?"
When Marquis Branford shot him a murderous glare, Count Forwood lowered his head.
Though Count Desmond had claimed neutrality thus far, it was now widely understood that he aligned with the duke faction. Everyone had realized this during the Cabaldi War.
Count Forwood, realizing that denial was futile, stammered as he began to speak.
"W-we are also unsure what is going on. This is truly... not the will of the Duchy or Viscount Josef..."
The Duchy was indeed preparing for civil war, but that was meant to be a last resort.
Raul, the brain of the Duchy, sought to take control of the kingdom with minimal damage. For that reason, he had been painstakingly persuading and pressuring lords across the territories.
The strategy was to isolate and eliminate those who could not be swayed, creating an excuse to kill them and seize the kingdom without resistance.
This was the Duchy's standard strategy—until that man, Ghislain, had appeared and disrupted everything.
'But for Count Desmond to act on his own accord…'
Raul was furious. He despised disruptions to the game he had carefully crafted.
To Raul, Count Desmond was no longer an ally but a dispensable pawn.
"We swear... we will not interfere in this matter. We will not cooperate in an attack on Count Fenris."
Marquis Branford responded to Count Forwood's retreating stance.
"You're saying you'll turn a blind eye to your ally's actions? Without taking any responsibility?"
"In the past, we also refrained from interfering with Count Fenris's matters. Wouldn't it be better if you also withdrew from this, Lord Marquis?"
It was a suggestion to dismiss the conflict as a personal matter, as before.
Marquis Branford twitched his lips in displeasure. Count Forwood carefully observed his reaction, calculating his next move.
'Fenris is doomed. Count Desmond cannot be defeated. Whether the royalists intervene or not doesn't matter.'
Count Desmond commanded 30,000 troops. Count Fenris was doomed to fall quickly, likely to be executed. Even if the royalists managed to suppress Desmond afterward, it would come at a steep cost.
Desmond was a formidable man, and his subordinates were equally capable. It was possible the royalists would suffer repeated defeats, dragging the conflict into a protracted war.
'In such a scenario, we stand to gain. If we seize the opportunity, we can trigger a civil war. It's not because we lack strength but because we are biding our time.'
The Duchy was immensely powerful. Even now, it could overthrow the kingdom if it so desired.
However, Raul was obsessively focused on minimizing losses, as though he had a greater use for that power after seizing the kingdom.
Whatever the reason, Count Forwood believed the royalists owed their survival to Raul's cautious approach.
Marquis Branford finally laughed as he rubbed his forehead.
"What a convoluted game you're playing. Fenris's downfall is inevitable, and you hope Desmond will weaken us through provocation. If we fight, we'll deplete our forces; if we withdraw, you'll safely devour Fenris. Either way, it's a win for you."
Count Forwood remained silent, bowing his head. Marquis Branford hadn't been expecting a response anyway.
The Duchy had declared itself uninvolved. In such a situation, the royalists had no choice but to confront Desmond after Fenris fell.
Seeing Count Forwood's composed demeanor, Marquis Branford sneered coldly.
"I've had enough of your scheming."
"This is a misunderstanding. We wish to avoid war and have no intention of intervening, Lord Marquis."
"Fine, I'm sure. But your wordplay tires me. Toleo."
The marquis called for his knight commander, who responded with a knowing nod.
"Yes, my lord."
"Arrest this man immediately and detain all noblemen of the duke faction residing in the capital."
"Understood."
At Toleo's command, the knights seized Count Forwood. His escort knights were swiftly subdued.
In the sudden chaos, Count Forwood shouted in panic.
"W-what? Lord Marquis! What is happening? I am responsible for the Duchy's diplomacy! According to protocol, my safety must be guaranteed—"
"If Count Fenris falls, I will have your head and those of the duke faction nobles delivered to the duke."
"W-what? What?!"
Count Forwood blinked in disbelief. Was this truly happening because of one upstart in the north?
And yet, even more shocking words emerged from the marquis's mouth.
"Butler."
"Yes, my lord."
"Send orders to the 3rd Corps stationed nearest the north to immediately support Count Fenris."
"Understood."
"Which of the duchy territories is the weakest?"
"The baronies of Harrington in the north and Colind in the east are the easiest targets."
"Good. If Fenris falls, tell Marquis Macquarie to occupy those two territories. We'll form a separate force to deal with Desmond."
"....Understood."
Despite the drastic orders, no one dared oppose the marquis.
In Marquis Branford's territory, his word was absolute.
Count Forwood, nearly hysterical, screamed.
"Lord Marquis! Waging war without justification? Are you truly starting a civil war? We have nothing to do with Count Desmond!"
Count Forwood could not comprehend how the marquis could make such a decision. Risking the royalists' fate over such a matter seemed utterly insane.
Branford glared at him, growling.
"You think I'll let your scheming and lies drag me around forever? Enough talk. If you want to live, pray that Fenris emerges victorious. Take him away!"
"Lord Marquis! Lord Marquis!"
Count Forwood screamed in desperation as he was dragged out.
The audience hall fell into heavy silence. The vassaks, crushed by the marquis's fury, barely dared to breathe.
After a long pause, the butler finally spoke.
"My lord... Are you certain this is wise?"
Until now, no one had worked harder to avoid civil war than Marquis Branford. He knew the true strength of the Duchy.
The balance of power between the royalists' defensive strategies and the Duchy's caution had preserved the current status quo.
That was, until Desmond moved, emboldened by Ghislain's interference.
The marquis sighed, closing his eyes.
"Fenris... no, Ghislain Perdium. It seems this was inevitable from the moment I accepted him."
He had known Ghislain was talented, but his growth had exceeded all expectations. Conflict with Desmond had always been destined.
If Desmond didn't crush him now, he would become too great a threat.
The butler, visibly concerned, replied.
"The 3rd Corps will not arrive in time. They must circle around duchy territories, which will delay them."
News of the 2nd Corps' destruction had just arrived. A siege might already be underway.
Even with immediate departure, reaching Fenris's territory would take over a month due to incomplete roads.
The impoverished northern royalist lords were of little help. Their numbers were small, and their poorly trained troops would only add to the losses.
Marquis Branford nodded knowingly.
"Ghislain, as he is now, cannot defeat Count Desmond. He will eventually lose."
"If he retreats, he may survive. After all, Marquis Perdium is still alive."
"Yes, but he'll have to relinquish the Cabaldi region. Perhaps even Fenris as well."
If that happens, supporting Ghislain will have been meaningless. Stripped of his foundation and technology, left impoverished again, how long would it take for him to recover?
Perhaps it might be impossible forever. Count Desmond would be standing in his way.
The fall of Perdium was only a matter of time. Count Desmond wouldn't leave any future threats behind.
"In any case, Ghislain's story ends here. But we must still fight Count Desmond. The Duchy will watch from the sidelines, waiting for us to exhaust ourselves."
"My lord..."
"Civil war was always inevitable. Better that we instigate it first. If not, we'll all eventually be devoured little by little, unable to resist, and meet our end."
With that, Marquis Branford closed his eyes.
His decision meant that the royal family and the pro-royalist nobles would now all prepare for war. He had tried so hard to avoid civil war, yet now it had come to the point where he had to ignite it with his own hands.
There was only one way left to avoid civil war and buy more time to gather strength.
Ghislain had to win.
'That's impossible,' he thought.
No matter how exceptional he was, it was simply unachievable. Marquis Branford shook his head, discarding any lingering hope.
Deploying more of the kingdom's forces to protect Ghislain was pointless. If civil war erupted later, the same problems would arise again.
If Ghislain had been stronger, the civil war might have started elsewhere. But as things stood, the commander of the 3rd Corps, Viscount Clifton, received the marquis's orders swiftly.
"The objective is to support and rescue Count Fenris. If, by the time we arrive, Count Desmond has already secured victory and Count Fenris is dead, attack the duke faction's Harrington Barony. Hmm, not an easy task."
After nodding a few times, Clifton immediately called for his adjutant.
"Prepare for the fastest possible deployment. We march to aid Count Fenris."
The kingdom's 3rd Corps, under the marquis's command, began their march toward Fenris.
***
The chaos caused by Count Desmond's attack wasn't confined to the pro-royalist faction.
Ghislain's father, now Marquis Zwalter Perdium, looked utterly dazed upon hearing the news.
"Count Desmond... invaded Fenris? And annihilated the 2nd Corps as well?"
"Yes, sir! He's already entered Fenris's territory!"
"T-this... this can't be..."
The shocking news left Zwalter momentarily unsteady, stumbling.
He had always known war would break out eventually. After all, Count Desmond had been behind the siege of Perdium territory.
But after joining the pro-royalist faction, he had let go of that concern to some extent.
Even if civil war broke out, the duke and pro-royalist factions would clash. He had assumed that Ghislain and himself would take part as one arm of that struggle.
"To face Count Desmond alone like this... I never imagined he would attack the kingdom's forces as well..."
Zwalter muttered to himself, still unable to believe it. While he had thought it possible, he never expected an assault to come so suddenly.
"Big Brother! Get a hold of yourself!"
Zwalter snapped out of his daze, startled by Randolph's scolding.
There was no time to stand idly. If the news had already reached Perdium, that meant the battle was underway.
"R-right. W-we must help Ghislain at once... but wait, what about the fortress? Should we leave a garrison behind...?"
Even for a seasoned veteran like Zwalter, Desmond's sudden invasion was a significant shock.
Desmond's territory was considered the strongest in the north. With an army of 30,000 mobilized, Zwalter couldn't shake the thought that his son might truly die this time.
Or worse, that he might already be dead. That thought caused Zwalter's mind to go blank again.
"In that case, I should reorganize the forces... and prepare Perdium as well..."
Randolph grabbed Zwalter by both arms and shouted.
"Big Brother! Pull yourself together! We must mobilize all our troops and go help the young lord!"
"Yes, but we must leave some to guard the fortress..."
"What does that matter?! We're in a truce right now!"
"I can't trust them. We need surveillance forces—"
Zwalter, torn between his enormous responsibilities and his concern for his son, couldn't make a swift decision.
During the Cabaldi War, he had left part of his forces behind to guard the fortress.
At that time, they had the luxury of time, whether to aid or persuade Ghislain to withdraw. But now, the situation is entirely different. Ghislain needed every recruit he could muster to stand against Desmond's massive army.
"Big Brother! Without the young lord, nothing else matters!"
"What?"
"This fortress! The food! The mana cultivation technique! The barbarians! Even our development! None of it would have been possible without the young lord!"
"..."
Randolph continued shaking Zwalter's arms, shouting.
"So even if we lose this place, even if the north burns, as long as we have the young lord, we can rebuild everything! Let it go! We're in a truce, so trust the barbarians for now and leave this place!"
"Leave this place...?"
For Zwalter, who had spent his life guarding the fortress, abandoning it felt like abandoning his duty.
He especially couldn't trust Waroka, the leader of the barbarians. That scheming man had only agreed to terms because he was overpowered by Ghislain.
Now that they had some of the food they needed, if the fortress were left unguarded, Waroka might try to seize it again.
And if word came of Ghislain's death? Waroka would become even more arrogant and uncontrollable. Zwalter would lose both his son and the fortress.
Recovering it would be nearly impossible, and the barbarians' pillaging would worsen. The north would once again descend into chaos.
Even so, Randolph insisted without hesitation.
"The young lord is in danger! Your son is going to die! How much longer are you going to live for others? You've spent your whole life like that! It's time to take care of your family! Don't you feel any guilt toward your late wife?!"
"You..."
"If Fenris falls, do you think we'll survive? Do you think Count Desmond will spare us? Elena will die too! Damn it! Big Brother! Why are you acting like a fool all of a sudden? Snap out of it!"
Randolph's words hit Zwalter like a bucket of cold water, bringing him to his senses.
He was right. Guarding the fortress was meaningless if Fenris fell. Count Desmond had always aimed to destroy Perdium.
If they did nothing, both Fenris and Perdium would fall. The situation was dire enough to leave no room for other concerns.
Pushing Randolph aside, Zwalter spoke resolutely.
"...Alright. First, we save Ghislain."
Slap!
Zwalter slapped his own cheeks hard, as if to wake himself up, and shouted.
"Mobilize all forces without leaving a single man behind! Send a messenger to Homerne and tell them to prepare immediately!"
Every soldier in the fortress was mobilized. They had already heard the news of Desmond's invasion of Fenris.
The strongest territory in the north, with an army of 30,000. Despite hearing this terrifying news, the soldiers showed no fear. Instead, their fighting spirit burned brighter.
There was a reason for their confidence.
Skovan, who had been delivering supplies and was caught up helping, drew his sword and shouted.
"The young lord is in danger!"
The other knights and soldiers raised their weapons simultaneously. To them, Ghislain was now the hero and savior of Perdium. They couldn't let him die.
They shouted in unison.
"This time, we're going to help the young lord!"
"Uwaaahhh!"
With resounding cheers, Perdium's forces began their march toward Fenris.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]