Most of the secret organizations of the duchy, hidden in the capital, were exterminated.
Some managed to flee outside the castle, but they were all captured and killed by the kingdom's army and Ghislain's forces, led by Gillian.
The nobles, who had been worried about lacking justification, sighed in relief when they saw the monsters appear.
"The duchy colluding with a cult to create something like that… It's a good thing we struck first."
"This turned out perfectly. The kingdom will be stirred."
"There were too many witnesses. The duchy won't have any excuses left."
The nobles, while discussing the events to come, couldn't stop smiling.
The power of religion is stronger than one might think. Now that the duchy was tied to the cult, they could pressure the duke faction nobles, ignoring most justifications.
As a result, Ghislain's reputation soared once again, to the point where people began calling him a saint.
Of course, Forisco, hearing those rumors, constantly pouted.
'What? That guy is a saint? Ha, if he's a saint, then I'm a goddess.'
The idea of such a reckless man being called a saint was laughable.
Still, it presented a great opportunity to expand the influence of the church.
Moving faster than other churches was crucial. That way, one's reputation could rise as well.
"Hurry, hurry! Summon all the knight templars across the land! Call the priests back too! I'll coordinate with Marquis Branford and reassign them! Oh, leave the ones in Fenris for now."
The Juana Church in Lutania was already under Forisco's control. Acting as the de facto head in place of the figurehead archbishop, he directed everything.
While everyone was busy moving, Dragon Heart finally came into Ghislain's possession.
Marquis Branford, with a somewhat uneasy expression, spoke.
"This is not something to give to just anyone. Use it only where it's truly needed."
"Don't worry. It will be of great help."
Ghislain smirked as he examined the Dragon Heart.
Since it wasn't a fully intact Dragon Heart, it was rather small—only about the size of a child's fist.
But the power contained within was so overwhelming that anyone would covet it. Using this would significantly strengthen Fenris' forces faster than before.
"As expected of you, Marquis. To handle matters so swiftly."
It was a treasure of the royal family. Though it had been taken out with the prime minister's approval, no one would have dared oppose Marquis Branford's decision.
The king, bedridden and barely clinging to life, left all kingdom affairs in Branford's hands.
In truth, the civil war was practically a battle between Marquis Branford and Duke Delphine. As Ghislain was about to leave after thanking him, a question suddenly came to mind.
"Marquis, have you ever thought about becoming king?"
If he had become king earlier, the kingdom might have seen more peace. Perhaps, in his previous life, Perdium might not have fallen.
Knowing how the civil war had unfolded in his past life, Ghislain already expected Branford's answer. Still, he wanted to hear it from the Marquis himself.
At the question, Marquis Branford chuckled.
"Don't joke around. Protecting the royal family is my duty."
"I thought you'd say that."
Ghislain smiled as he turned to leave.
Everyone has something they wish to dedicate their lives to protecting.
For Marquis Branford, that was the kingdom and the royal family.
***
"Those guys might not just be accomplices but the masterminds…"
On his way back to his estate, Ghislain organized his thoughts.
Had he not met Ravier this time, he would still believe the duchy was simply distributing an improved mana cultivation technique.
However, Ravier claimed he had personally begun the research.
"The ones Idun mentioned are likely from the Salvation Church."
In his previous life, Idun, the man who beheaded him, was from another country. There was no reason for him to come to Lutania.
But if he was part of the Salvation Church, the pieces fit.
The Salvation Church hadn't just supported Duke Delphine during the war—they'd been pulling the strings from behind all along.
"What on earth are they after?"
If their goal was merely to overthrow the kingdom, the Salvation Church's involvement wouldn't be necessary. The duchy's power alone would have sufficed.
This implied they had a different objective.
Based on his experiences so far, Ghislain made some inferences.
"There's something in the Forest of Demonic Beasts."
When he first probed the Forest of Demonic Beasts, Harold reacted immediately. There was no way he'd do that without orders from the duchy.
There was also an oddity in the information he gathered in his previous life.
"The map of the Forest of Demonic Beasts had a section blacked out."
Even high-ranking officials couldn't access that information. Ghislain himself hadn't been able to uncover it.
A portion of the map had been completely blacked out.
When dealing with the Greggs previously, he had felt something was off, but now he was certain that part of the forest was linked to the Salvation Church.
"The ones who need the Forest of Demonic Beasts have joined hands with those who want to take over the kingdom."
However, the Forest of Demonic Beasts was now in his hands. This meant they would have to face him to claim it.
'With the civil war imminent, they'll inevitably reveal themselves during the fighting. There's no need to hunt them down preemptively.'
With his thoughts in order, Ghislain arrived at his estate. As soon as he arrived, he summoned his vassals.
"We're creating a new mana concentration circle."
Claude tilted his head in confusion.
They had been continuously creating mana concentration circles using the surplus rune stones in the estate.
These circles were essential for improving the skills of knights and mages, so they had spared no expense.
"What's this new mana concentration circle?"
"We'll add this to the design."
When Ghislain took out a small object, everyone looked at it curiously. Only those sensitive to mana stiffened their expressions.
Claude, unable to sense even the tiniest trace of mana, examined it closely before asking again.
"What is that?"
"A Dragon Heart."
"Pfft!"
Claude burst into laughter.
He knew what a Dragon Heart was. It was a treasure obtained only by slaying a dragon. And Ghislain had never fought a dragon. He was certain that no matter how strong their lord was, he'd be reduced to a pulp against a dragon.
"Come on, what kind of joke is this? Wendy, take a look. He's saying that's a Dragon Heart."
Calling Wendy over, Claude turned his head, but her expression was frozen.
Puzzled, he looked around to find that everyone capable of sensing mana had the same reaction.
Only Gillian, who had accompanied Ghislain to the capital, appeared unaffected.
"Is… Is that really a Dragon Heart?"
"It is."
"Wow! Where did you get it?"
"I received it as a royal treasure. Impressive, right?"
As Ghislain spoke proudly, his vassals were in shock.
A Dragon Heart was a treasure so valuable that even a king would hesitate to part with it. What on earth had their lord done to acquire it?
Ghislain gave a brief account of the events in the capital. The vassals listened, struggling to believe the tale.
Outlandish cultists, monsters appearing—everything sounded like a made-up story.
But Ghislain didn't care whether they believed him or not. That wasn't the point.
"In any case, those events happened, and we have much to prepare for. Gather all the mages and start designing the new mana concentration circles. I'll portion out the heart's fragments for each magic circle."
Even a fragment of the Dragon Heart, no bigger than a fingernail, held immense power. It would undoubtedly aid the knights' training.
Regardless of whether the events in the capital were real or their lord's bluff, the fact that he had acquired pieces of a Dragon Heart was indisputable. Excited, the vassals chattered as they left the hall.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Ghislain called Vanessa aside.
"You have sufficient understanding and insight for the 7th Circle, right?"
"Th-that... I think I do, but I'm not sure because I lack mana," Vanessa answered anxiously.
Plenty of 7th-circle magic tomes had been acquired from the Scarlet Flame Magic Tower. Numerous experiments with rune stones had also been conducted, just as before.
However, with her mana still below even the 3rd circle, she couldn't be certain.
Ghislain pulled out a small fragment of the Dragon Heart and spoke.
"It's fine. If you absorb this, you'll definitely ascend."
"L-Lord, that's not right. Such a treasure should be used for the benefit of many..."
"No. Our estate needs as many strong individuals as possible. We're starting now, so get ready."
Even as Vanessa refused, Ghislain paid her no mind. It wasn't an exaggeration to say he had obtained this specifically for her.
He couldn't continue to let her rely on absorbing other mages' mana to fight. The other mages had their own responsibilities.
Unable to resist Ghislain's insistence, Vanessa reluctantly went to the training ground and sat down.
"This time, I don't think I'll need to help you. Still, I'll stay by your side, just in case."
"Yes..."
Vanessa took a deep breath and placed her hand on the fragment of the Dragon Heart.
All she had to do was absorb it using the mana cultivation technique Ghislain had taught her, but it was easier said than done.
"Ugh!"
An enormous surge of mana flowed into her body from the tiny fragment.
Typically, mana cultivation involves slowly absorbing mana from the atmosphere to gradually increase one's own reserves. The amount absorbed at once is naturally limited.
However, the mana from the Dragon Heart surged into her body all at once, with none held back. Whether she could endure it depended entirely on her willpower and ability.
The overwhelming density of mana, incomparable to ambient mana, made it hard to withstand.
"Ughhh..."
Even so, Vanessa gritted her teeth and endured. If she didn't concentrate, the mana would escape again.
'I can do this.'
'I must endure.'
'I need... to grow stronger.'
This was different from when she first arrived here. Vanessa was now a vital force for the estate and the teacher of its mages.
But she wasn't enduring out of obligation alone.
'I must... protect this estate...'
Her life had changed after coming here, and she had found people she loved. She couldn't bear the thought of this place being trampled by others.
Just as she had during her first war, Vanessa wanted to protect it out of her own volition, not because someone ordered her to.
Guoooo!
The absorbed mana began to rebel, threatening to burst out of her body. Vanessa mustered all her strength to suppress it.
She felt like she was on the verge of passing out. Her body felt as if it were about to swell and explode.
'I can... do this...'
Unlike the natural flow of gathering mana during normal cultivation, forcing the absorption of a treasure came with a price.
Blood began to seep from various parts of her body.
The grueling process made her feel like her consciousness was slipping away. She tried to endure but found it increasingly difficult.
'Is this... failure...?'
It seemed that treasures like the Dragon Heart weren't meant for just anyone to absorb.
As her consciousness began to fade, Ghislain's voice brought her back.
"You've done well to hold on, Vanessa."
ZZZNNGG!
Vanessa's eyes snapped open. At the same time, an immense surge of mana radiated from her body, spreading outwards.
The sheer force of it startled everyone even beyond the training grounds.
"Ah..."
Vanessa realized she had changed. The power within her was so overwhelming it felt as though it might explode.
Until now, she had cast spells by absorbing mana from others. It had been painful, and the mana wasn't of high purity.
But the energy now coursing through her body was far purer and cleaner than any she had absorbed before.
The purity of mana correlates to efficiency—the higher the purity, the faster it can be manipulated.
"This... is the power I've gained..."
She muttered to herself, raising her hand slightly.
Zing, zing, zing!
Dozens of magic circles formed in the air at once. The mana imbued in each circle was at least 4th-circle level.
Seeing this, Ghislain smiled with satisfaction.
'Just as it was in my previous life.'
Lacking mana had prevented her from fully utilizing her specialty: multi-casting. But now, it has finally manifested in full.
Her talent allowed her to cast dozens, even hundreds, of low-circle spells simultaneously.
In other words, Vanessa alone could serve as the equivalent of dozens of mages.
"Lord..."
Vanessa looked at Ghislain with a face full of gratitude.
Ghislain quipped playfully.
"Do you realize it took three days?"
"What? Three days?"
Vanessa was shocked. She had suspected some time had passed, but she hadn't realized she'd been sitting there for three whole days.
Lost in a trance-like state, she hadn't noticed the time. Yet Ghislain had stayed by her side the entire time.
"I-I'm sorry. You must have been busy, but because of me..."
"It's fine. For the birth of a new superhuman in this estate, it was a small thing to do."
Ghislain was genuinely pleased. Vanessa was now indisputably a superhuman of this kingdom.
This power would be immensely helpful in the upcoming war. As the two of them smiled in satisfaction, others came rushing to the training grounds.
"Young Master! What was that? What happened?"
"Who took all the good stuff for themselves?"
"Vanessa! Did you really reach the 7th circle?"
Belinda, Kaor, Alpoi, and others hurried over, drawn by the shockingly powerful mana that had radiated from the training grounds.
Seeing them, Ghislain seemed to recall something and pulled out a tiny fragment from his pouch.
It was a piece of the Dragon Heart, smaller than a thumbnail. Striding toward Alpoi, Ghislain spoke.
"Alpoi."
"Yes?"
"Let's raise your circle too."
"Huh?"
Alpoi stared at Ghislain with a dumbfounded expression.
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]