The people in the castle all hid inside their homes.
Having lived under the cruel Marquis Rodrick, they feared all nobles. They were terrified that the invading army might plunder them.
Despite the western region being one of the wealthiest in the kingdom, the standard of living for its people was no different from other territories.
Unbothered by the reaction of the citizens, Ghislain headed straight for the lord's castle and plopped himself onto Marquis Rodrick's chair.
"The chair's a bit large. Anyway, Walter, I have a new order for you."
"At your command!"
Walter responded loudly. He had been dragged along all the way here as an interim commander. Since things had turned out this way, he figured his life would be easier if he earned Ghislain's favor.
Ghislain looked at him and spoke.
"Select 3,000 soldiers, excluding the wounded. I'll entrust this task to you."
"To... to me?"
"Yes. Eat well and rest today, then head to the location I'll assign you tomorrow."
"Understood. Where should I go?"
"Head to the County of Selverk nearby."
Count Selverk was a vassal of Marquis Rodrick. While this territory had also been forced to supply troops and food, it was still better off than other regions in the west.
Due to its location, Selverk hadn't been raided by Ghislain, and it was strong enough to fend off bandits.
Moreover, the Count disliked Marquis Rodrick and had not participated in this war.
"Deliver my message. Tell him to come here immediately and swear loyalty to me in front of everyone. If he refuses, tell him I'll march my army to his castle, burn it to the ground, and leave no one alive."
"Understood! But... what if he refuses?"
Technically, sending a messenger alone would suffice for such a message. Yet, Ghislain entrusted an army of 3,000 to Walter. That could only mean there was more to be done.
"Lay siege to the castle and let no one escape. Wait there, and I'll come to seize it myself."
"Understood!"
Walter replied with confidence. The enemy that had once terrified him now felt like an ally, and the thought gave him boundless confidence.
Just receiving orders made him feel reassured and secure. The reputation of the northern forces as the strongest was well-deserved.
Linderstein had a massive stockpile of food. It had been hoarded from the citizens and gathered from vassals for the war.
Ghislain distributed it generously to his soldiers.
"Eat well and rest. You'll be busy again soon."
The soldiers, startled by the sudden abundance of food, erupted into excitement.
"Whoa! Meat!"
"They're giving us this much?"
"Surrendering was the best choice!"
For the soldiers, just surviving was enough to lift their spirits. When food, especially delicacies that were hard to come by for soldiers, was distributed freely, they were overjoyed.
As they ate to their heart's content, they said:
"Man, Count Fenris really treats its soldiers well."
"No wonder they fight so hard."
"Did you see them charge? I nearly wet myself!"
Although their weapons had been returned, they had no thoughts of rebellion. Having no loyalty to Marquis Rodrick, they naturally preferred serving a better master.
Some might mock them for switching sides so quickly, but human instinct is to value one's own life above all else.
Walter selected 3,000 relatively uninjured soldiers who had eaten and rested well over the day.
Proudly bearing Fenris's flag, they marched toward Selverk County.
Ghislain reorganized the remaining soldiers, allowed the injured to rest, and issued a new command.
"Now, distribute the rest of the food."
As this was the supply hub for 100,000 troops, the stockpile of food was enormous.
Ghislain planned to leave only the bare minimum necessary for maintaining the army and distribute the rest.
Following his orders, vast amounts of food were handed out to the citizens.
"Wow! They're giving all this to us?"
"They're not taking it away?"
"We were barely surviving because of the war taxes!"
The citizens, who had initially feared the Fenris Army, gratefully accepted the food.
Rumors of Count Fenris being prosperous had reached them, but few had believed it, as the northern region was too distant for confirmation.
However, seeing the food distribution and efforts to stabilize the region made some begin to trust the rumors.
In truth, Ghislain had little interest in winning hearts. He was simply distributing food to use it up.
"Long live Fenris!"
"We're Fenris people now!"
"Welcome!"
With just a bit of food, the people's sentiment shifted drastically. This demonstrated how oppressive Marquis Rodrick's rule had been.
For common folk, eating well has always been the highest priority. Who ruled them hardly mattered.
Even if Marquis Rodrick were to reclaim the region, what could he do about food already consumed?
Thus, public sentiment quickly leaned toward Fenris. Ghislain had effectively scored points using someone else's resources.
"I'll need to do the same in other places."
Many territories in the west were ravaged, with bandits running rampant. The war had caused food shortages, and maintaining public order was nearly impossible.
The western people likely resented not just Marquis Rodrick but Fenris as well.
Stabilizing other territories quickly was necessary, but Ghislain couldn't personally oversee every region.
Count Selverk found himself in deep contemplation.
"Swear loyalty, he says..."
At the Count's words, his vassals erupted in protest.
"My lord! That's humiliating!"
"Indeed! How can you lower yourself to kneel voluntarily?"
"Isn't Count Fenris being unreasonable? This disregards the honor of the nobility!"
Count Selverk looked at his vassals with disdain. They were all furious but offered no solutions.
"Then what do you suggest? Do you mean to say we should fight the strongest army from the north?"
"If we hold out until Marquis Rodrick wins—"
"Linderstein fell in a day! How are we supposed to hold out? The castle is already surrounded! We can't even guarantee victory over those 3,000 troops!"
"..."
The vassals fell silent. Their protests had been driven by pride, but none truly believed they could defeat Fenris.
Breaking the silence, one vassal cautiously spoke.
"Swearing loyalty publicly would sever our ties with Marquis Rodrick completely. If Fenris loses the war, we're as good as dead."
Count Selverk closed his eyes.
If he swore loyalty to Fenris now, and Marquis Rodrick won the war, he would surely face retribution.
But if he rejected Ghislain's proposal?
He would lose his life today, and his territory would be destroyed. Count Fenris was infamous for showing no mercy to those who opposed him.
Hadn't countless territories already suffered that fate?
Death was certain either way. The only choice was to gamble on the option with a higher chance of survival.
After a long silence, Count Selverk sighed and said:
"Let's go to Linderstein. I will meet Count Fenris in person."
"My lord, what if this is a trap and Count Fenris plans to capture you—?"
Count Selverk chuckled.
"Don't be ridiculous. If he wanted me dead, it would be easier than eating soup."
Most of his forces had already been conscripted by Marquis Rodrick. Even if Count Fenris came alone, he couldn't stop him.
Running away might offer a slim chance of survival, but with 3,000 troops encircling the castle, escape was impossible.
Count Fenris had left no room for maneuver. He was no ordinary man.
Count Selverk soon went to meet Ghislain. When they met, Ghislain got straight to the point.
"Surrender and swear loyalty to me, Count Selverk. I will treat you well."
"If I kneel and swear loyalty here, the world will call me a man without honor."
Ghislain chuckled at this, his tone shifting.
"Was aiding the oppressive Marquis Rodrick's tyranny an honorable act? Though you were far removed, you bear some responsibility. After all, you supplied troops for this war."
"...."
"If you don't choose one of the two options, you'll die. Either way, it's disgraceful. Even if I let you live here, do you think Marquis Rodrick will spare you? You're already a dead man."
"How do you know that....?"
Count Selverk lifted his head in shock.
In truth, his relationship with Marquis Rodrick was poor. The upright Count Selverk had opposed Rodrick's policies multiple times.
The only reason he had survived so far was because his family was one of the oldest and most prestigious in the west, and he himself had considerable power.
But he couldn't abandon his duties as a vassal, so he had sent most of his troops to the war. Once the war ended, Marquis Rodrick would never willingly return them.
'He'll find some excuse to kill me.'
He had anticipated such an outcome. Perhaps this was his chance at a new life.
All he had to do was sacrifice a bit of his pride and honor.
Ghislain also understood this and had chosen Count Selverk for that reason.
He didn't even need to rely on knowledge from his previous life. Rodrick's hatred for Selverk was a well-known fact in the west.
'If I recall, he died after the civil war ended, didn't he?'
In his previous life, Count Selverk had suffered numerous humiliations under Rodrick after the war, ultimately dying miserably under false charges.
In this life, Marquis Rodrick would be crushed by Ghislain, sparing Selverk from that fate.
Ghislain considered sparing him from such a pitiful death as an act of mercy. If Selverk refused his offer, he would kill him.
It would be a minor inconvenience, but Ghislain could find another suitable candidate elsewhere.
With a firm voice, Ghislain gave him a final chance.
"If you want to live, swear loyalty. That's the only way you'll survive."
Facing Ghislain's overwhelming presence, Count Selverk swallowed hard. The man before him was someone he could not hope to contend with.
After a long deliberation, Selverk finally lowered his head.
"I will change my flag."
Changing one's flag signified switching allegiance to another, pledging loyalty to a new master.
Though his pride was wounded, Selverk forced himself to think positively. His opponent might be younger than him, but his rank was higher. Ghislain was a great lord of the north and the commander of the northern army.
Rodrick, too, was younger than him.
Ghislain, pleased with the answer, grinned broadly. His fierce demeanor melted away, replaced by a respectful tone.
"You've made the right decision. You won't regret your choice."
Given Selverk's noble status, Ghislain treated him with a degree of respect. After all, Selverk was a high-ranking noble from an ancient lineage within the kingdom.
In front of many witnesses, Count Selverk swore loyalty to Ghislain. Now, his hopes rested on Fenris winning the war.
After the ceremony, Count Selverk asked:
"What should I do now?"
"I plan to make all the western territories we've occupied directly administered by Fenris. After the war, I'll send administrators, but for now, I want you to oversee them."
"My remaining forces are few. Handling so many territories will be difficult...."
"I'll entrust you with the 15,000 prisoners we've captured. Use them, and it shouldn't be too hard. Also, distribute the food stored here generously under Fenris's name."
Selverk was slightly surprised. With a force of 15,000 and control over Linderstein and the western region, he could be considered a great lord himself.
On top of that, there was an abundance of food.
"Are you sure you want to entrust all of this to me, who has just joined you? What if I betray you?"
Ghislain chuckled at the question.
"Feel free to try, if you dare."
Though short, the statement radiated immense confidence. Selverk couldn't help but laugh in response.
This was the man who had defeated a 20,000-strong garrison, annihilated a 40,000-strong pursuing force, and seized Linderstein. Challenging him with a mere 15,000 soldiers would be suicidal.
No, the soldiers—having experienced Fenris's might—would likely flee before even attempting to fight.
"Understood. I'll stabilize the west as quickly as possible."
"Oh, and inform the bandits in the region to surrender under my name. Most of them have already tasted defeat at my hands, so they should comply."
Even at the sight of the Fenris flag, most of those bandits would scatter. Selverk would absorb them without much trouble.
Though Selverk needed Fenris to win to ensure his survival, he also had to prepare for the possibility of their defeat.
Stabilizing the surrounding areas and preparing for war was his best option.
With that, Ghislain entrusted the critical task of stabilizing the occupied territories to someone else, solving it with minimal effort and using the forces of others.
"Now, let's head back and deal with the remaining enemies."
The Fenris Mobile Army began moving north once more.
***
As Ghislain was ravaging the west and occupying Linderstein, Marquis Rodrick's main army arrived at Fenris.
The main force of Rodrick's army was vastly superior, consisting of knights, mages, exceptional weapons, and elite soldiers.
It was on an entirely different level from the 2nd Corps that had been split off to support the royal faction.
This massive force set up camp, preparing to capture Fenris's foremost fortress.
Inside the fortress, the remaining Fenris forces and commanders had gathered.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of knights moving in their armor echoed throughout.
Gillian, leading the group, climbed the wall. Alongside him were Vanessa and other commanders, all stationed on the ramparts.
Yet none of them stood in the center of the command post. Not the Master of Arms Gillian, not Vanessa, the head of the Magic Research Institute, nor Belinda, the head maid.
The same went for Lowell, the spymaster, Alpoi, Priest Piote, Dwarf Galbarik, Elves Lumina and Ascon, Kane, the head of the labor bureau, and other notable figures from the territory.
All of them stood aside, waiting for someone.
Finally, a figure appeared, yawning as they arrived.
"Ugh, finally here? This is such a hassle. Why do people insist on starting fights? Some people just won't learn unless you beat them up!"
The man, wearing an expression full of annoyance, lazily plopped down into the highest chair of the command post.
He was none other than Claude, the current commander-in-chief of Fenris's defensive forces and head butler of the territory, known throughout the north as the Bribe King.
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