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Chapter 716
Chapter 716
I Told You, Didn't I? (4)
Due to Ghislain’s threat, the Marquis' forces couldn’t make a move either way.
This army had gathered under the orders of Marquis Falkenheim. If they ignored the Marquis’ well-being, their entire existence would be meaningless.
But they couldn’t surrender either. In this situation, surrender would undoubtedly lead to a tremendous bloodbath.
After all, the lords and the king leading the Suppression Army wouldn’t want to leave any loose ends behind.
Е̇ n̄ u mа̇
Thus, Count Godiff couldn’t make any decision on the spot.
As the Marquis' forces stood still, a loud ruckus broke out from the Suppression Army’s side.
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“Surrender! The Marquis has been captured, what’s the point in fighting?!”
“There’s no meaning in continuing to fight now!”
“Surrender! Surrender!”
The Suppression Army was ecstatic. Thanks to Ghislain, the situation had completely flipped.
Ӗn ū m̈.а̃.і d
The commanders of the Marquis' forces bit down on their rage.
“Those worthless bastards…”
“Even the traitors are all giddy now.”
“We should’ve crushed them earlier and negotiated.”
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They were confident that they could win if it came to a fight. On their side stood two Transcendents Count Godiff and Count Grozian.
The mages, led by a 6th-circle master, were also leagues above in terms of power.
Еn.ǔ m a
That wasn’t all. The soldiers were vastly superior in both quality and training compared to those of the Suppression Army.
But once Marquis Falkenheim was captured, all of that became meaningless. Even as the Suppression Army hurled jeers and taunts, they had no way to respond.
The commanders of the Marquis' forces quickly gathered around Count Godiff.
“What should we do?”
“We need to negotiate. We can’t keep fighting like this, can we?”
“Do you really think they’ll let the Marquis go? There’s no chance of that happening.”
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“But if we surrender, we’ll all be dead. Surrender is not an option.”
They were all in a bind. They couldn’t ignore Marquis Falkenheim and continue the fight, but surrendering meant throwing away their lives.
Count Godiff bowed his head and let out a rough breath.
“That lunatic actually went through with it…”
The Suppression Army was clearly collapsing. But that madman must’ve already known it would happen.
That was why he had boldly thrown the Suppression Army in as bait and moved separately. And he’d foolishly rejoiced, thinking victory was already his.
W̃е̇ b.nо̂vе̃ l̇ En̄u̇m̂а
If it was that madman, overflowing with creativity, they should’ve expected he might do something even more outrageous.
It was humiliating and infuriating. But now, there was no way out.
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Barely managing to steady himself and calm his breath, he asked Ghislain.
“What do you want?”
“Surrender.”
“…That’s not possible.”
Ё nü m а̌ .іd̈
If they surrendered, they would all die. He couldn’t throw away their lives in vain. In that case, fighting was the better option.
But if they chose to fight, there was no guarantee how many among the Marquis' forces would follow his orders.
If only the Marquis had died, they could have cried out for revenge and fought right away. But with him still held hostage, that wasn’t even an option.
While leisurely observing the state of the Marquis' forces, Ghislain shouted loud enough for everyone to hear.
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“If both sides fight now, the kingdom will fall into great chaos! As the Supreme Commander, I absolutely do not want that! There is only one thing I seek! Peace for the kingdom!”
“…”
Ѐ n̂ ŭm̊а. і ḋ
Both the Suppression Army and the Marquis' forces wore dumbfounded expressions.
For the very person who had caused all this chaos to say something like that… He was so brazen, they began to wonder if they had misunderstood something.
Regardless of what people thought, Ghislain continued without hesitation.
“Only Marquis Falkenheim shall be punished according to the law, and everyone else will be granted amnesty! Return to your own territories! The Suppression Army will be disbanded as well!”
With those words, both the Suppression Army and the Marquis' forces began to stir.
While part of them still wanted to settle this to the bitter end, a bigger part just wanted it all to stop. If they both backed down now, neither side would lose anything.
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Ghislain looked at Count Godiff with a grin.
“How about it? Why not end it here? With the Marquis captured, there’s no need to fight to the end, is there?”
“…”
“Of course, if you insist on seeing this through, I won’t stop you. I’ll just toss the Marquis’ head your way to get things started.”
Count Godiff glared at Ghislain for a long while. What he had just said was no different from telling him to betray the Marquis. Yet, it was also the only lifeline left.
But he couldn’t openly accept it either. The moment he declared that he would betray the Marquis, the burden of that decision would fall squarely on him.
Ẅ ě bnо̄ vе ĺ Ě nü m̊а̃
The Marquis' command staff all turned their eyes to Count Godiff. If they couldn’t save the Marquis right away, backing off was the wisest course.
After all, the Marquis was still alive, wasn’t he?
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Grit.
Count Godiff clenched his teeth. He couldn’t bring himself to speak. The moment he declared they would retreat, his honor would be crushed into the dirt.
He wanted nothing more than to rush out and kill that arrogant mercenary on the spot.
Just then, the other Transcendent in the Marquis' forces, Count Grozian, spoke up.
Ӗ n̆ ů m̃а̂ .і̇ d̄
“I’ll share the responsibility with you. Let’s do it.”
“…”
Count Godiff stared at Count Grozian. With a languid expression, Count Grozian did not avoid his gaze.
The two of them were not only the Marquis' vassals but also rivals. They had long found each other’s presence uncomfortable.
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Count Grozian had also been displeased that Count Godiff was appointed Supreme Commander for this war.
Count Godiff quickly saw through Count Grozian’s intentions.
Ẇ_ӗ b̊ǹ.о̀v е̊l E ṅ u.mа
‘So, he’s trying to seize this opportunity to gain his freedom.’
Marquis Falkenheim had fallen in an utterly disgraceful manner. There was no longer anyone who could command that vast power.
From the beginning, Count Grozian had little loyalty. He would now do everything he could to gather vassals and form his own faction.
To become the next Marquis Falkenheim.
‘Could that mercenary bastard have even predicted this situation?’
Unable to suppress the sudden question, Count Godiff threw it directly at Ghislain. With things already in shambles, there was nothing left to lose.
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“Now that it’s come to this, we could just get rid of the Suppression Army and start thinking about what comes next.”
“Others won’t think like that. They’ll be careful, trying to preserve their troops. If they lose forces here, the next power-hungry noble will devour them.”
“…”
“No one really pledged their loyalty to the Marquis anyway. Why pretend otherwise?”
“…”
“If anyone truly loyal existed, they wouldn’t have allowed this operation to begin in the first place. They would’ve risked their lives to save Marquis Falkenheim.”
W̄ е bn о̀v.е̊ l Е nu m̃ ã
“…”
“And… do you really think you can win if you fight now? The situation looks a lot different than it did before I got here, doesn’t it?”
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“…”
Count Godiff closed his eyes. He had no rebuttal whatsoever.
With the Marquis captured, morale had plummeted, and the vassals would only seek to preserve their own forces. If they clashed with the Suppression Army in such a state, even if they won, the damage would be enormous.
To think he believed the man knew nothing of military strategy it had been a grave misjudgment. That bastard clearly had a deep understanding of war.
Ẅе b̂n о̂v е l̈ En ûmа
After a long pause, Count Godiff finally nodded.
“…I’ll accept the proposal.”
If another Transcendent was willing to share the responsibility, the burden on him would lessen. And now, for his own survival, he had to swiftly build a new power base.
The same would apply to the other lords. This kingdom was about to become a battleground of countless competing factions.
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He still couldn’t believe that all of this had been stirred up by a mere mercenary corps.
In a weakened voice, Count Godiff continued.
Ẃе b̃.nȯ v е́ľ Е̇ ń ūm̊ӑ
“But if the Suppression Army isn’t disbanded, we’ll regroup again.”
Ghislain gave a wide smile and nodded.
“Sure, don’t worry. As promised, I’ll disband the Suppression Army too. Oh, and the Marquisate will be transferred to the royal family as compensation for the Suppression Army, so make sure you don’t lay a hand on it.”
For Ghislain, this much was enough. From here on, they’d all be too busy keeping each other in check to unite again.
With a heavy heart, Count Godiff bowed his head toward Marquis Falkenheim.
“I’m sorry. We had no other choice. Without you, my lord… this army, and the fight against the Suppression Army none of it holds any meaning.”
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“…”
Marquis Falkenheim showed no reaction, as if he had expected this all along. He simply glared at Count Godiff with a cold gaze.
If he weren’t gagged, he would have ordered them to fight, even if it cost him his life.
In truth, Count Godiff had also thought the Marquis would do just that. The Marquis he knew was that kind of man.
But Count Godiff, under the excuse of needing to keep the Marquis alive, had prioritized his own safety. In the end, he too had judged that forming his own faction would be more advantageous.
The fall of the kingdom’s absolute authority… was a new opportunity for the ambitious.
The Marquis' forces began to slowly retreat. Now, their heads were filled only with thoughts of who to align with and how.
Ẅеb n̊ о̂ v̈еĺ Е nu̇ ḿа̂
Just as Ghislain had predicted, there wasn’t a single one among them loyal enough to risk their life for Marquis Falkenheim.
As the Marquis' forces moved away, a massive cheer erupted from within the Suppression Army.
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“Waaah! We won!”
“Hahaha! I can’t believe we won like this!”
“Long live the Julien Mercenary Corps!”
The Suppression Army couldn’t hide their joy. The neutral lords, who had barely survived with their supplies nearly gone, all rushed to Ghislain’s side.
Wе̌ bn̈о vеl Еñů mа̄
Especially Count Herbis, who had temporarily led the Suppression Army, was more delighted than anyone.
“Amazing! Absolutely amazing! To actually pull off such a crazy plan!”
“Well, I’ve done this kind of thing a lot. Haha.”
Ghislain grinned slyly. Even after pulling off something so huge, he behaved no differently than usual, which made Andrew shake his head in disbelief.
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Count Herbis turned to Count Valesant, clearly surprised.
“I had no idea you were on our side. When did you get close to the Julien Mercenary Corps and come up with such a plan?”
Еǹ ü mа̀
“Well… you could say we’ve known each other for a while?”
“Whoa! I had no clue. To think you could fool us all so completely.”
“Well… for the sake of secrecy? Ahem.”
“To think you endured disgrace under a traitor for the sake of the royal family! You’re a true loyalist, Count!”
“Oh, come now… if you say that much…”
Count Valesant’s cheeks turned slightly red, and he tapped the ground with his foot. It was an obvious show of embarrassment.
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Inside, however, he was overflowing with joy.
‘This is crazy. Totally crazy. Am I about to become a national hero or what? This is absolutely insane!’
And so, the Suppression Army rejoiced over a victory achieved without a proper battle. The command staff were busy laughing and chatting as if there had never been a war.
Once the excitement had settled down a bit, Ghislain mounted his horse and shouted to everyone.
“Let’s go home now! It’s time to spread the word of our victory!”
“Waaah!”
W е̂_b́ nо v еl̀ Ӗ ñ uṁa
The Suppression Army began their triumphant withdrawal. Though they were still short on supplies and would have to starve a bit, everyone took it in stride with laughter.
That said, they couldn’t keep marching on an empty stomach. So, they sought a bit of help from the territories they passed through.
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Count Valesant, in a very good mood after recent events, took on the task.
“Oh dear, our boys are sweet, but who knows what they might do if they’re starving.”
“Yes, yes. Just a little will do. We’ll pay it back later.”
“Oh my, my lord’s hands are so small. What am I supposed to do with this much?”
Е̌ ǹ ŭmа
And so, the Suppression Army managed to fill their bellies through what was begging in all but name.
After finally getting a meal, the Suppression Army began to return to their own territories one by one. There was no reason for the conscripted troops to remain any longer.
The neutral lords also disbanded their armies. They headed for the capital with only a small escort.
They hadn’t done much, but they had risked their lives to take part. Receiving a reward was only natural.
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The reward wouldn’t be that great, since they let the Marquis' forces go, but they didn’t mind.
What mattered most was that Marquis Falkenheim had fallen, and they could finally breathe in peace.
Eñuḿ ä
And finally, when they arrived at the capital—
“Waaah!”
“The Suppression Army has returned!”
“The traitor, Marquis Falkenheim, has been captured!”
“The Julien Mercenary Corps saved the kingdom!”
A crowd of people cheered and welcomed them.
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Until recently, high-ranking nobles had stayed in the capital and committed countless atrocities. Naturally, they were all part of Marquis Falkenheim’s faction.
But then Ghislain went on a rampage and arrested all those high nobles. As if that weren’t enough, he even brought back Marquis Falkenheim himself. The people of the capital had every reason to rejoice.
As the Suppression Army returned, Alex came rushing out in a panic. Beside him, Rio looked visibly relieved to be alive.
Seeing Alex, Ghislain gave a playful smile and said,
“Your Majesty! Your loyal servant Astion has vanquished the traitors and successfully captured their ringleader, Marquis Falkenheim!”
At his words, the lords who had followed Ghislain all bowed before Alex.
Ѐn̊ u m̆ a.і̌ d
Having never received such a formal gesture before, Alex looked overwhelmed with emotion.
“O-oh… I—I thank you all. Truly, thank you!”
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Tears welled in Alex’s eyes. At long last, the threat to his life had passed.
He honestly wasn’t sure if he’d regained royal authority. Ghislain standing in front of him seemed even more monstrous than Marquis Falkenheim.
Still, they were on the same side for now, so he had no choice but to trust that it was fine.
“Come now, let’s go inside. We should finish our discussion indoors.”
Е̂ň u m̂а
Ghislain beamed. It was time for the rewards and merit-sharing.
Of course, as always, he fully intended to collect every bit he was owed.
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