The capital was shrouded in fear.
People were being seized by soldiers, regardless of guilt.
All were sacrificed for Berhem.
Initially, soldiers roamed around to earn achievements, but now, they captured people to save themselves.
It became common for a neighbor to disappear overnight. Everyone trembled in terror, unsure when their turn might come.
Eventually, rumors began circulating among the people.
'The king... has gone mad.'
'They say he's eating people.'
'What on earth is happening?'
Not long ago, they had celebrated victory in the war. Thanks to Count Fenris, they overcame droughts and plagues.
The kingdom was chaotic, but hope still lingered in people's hearts.
Count Fenris and Marquis Branford had resolved problems one by one, leading everyone forward.
But now, everything is different.
Marquis Branford had fallen from power, and the northern army had reportedly retreated.
The king rampaged in madness, and people were being taken away and killed without understanding why.
"They say the person who treated the king is a priest of the Salvation Church."
"What will happen to us, then?"
"Even the priests of the Four Great Churches can't do anything."
Sinister rumors spread endlessly.
There was talk of negotiating with the Duchy. Wouldn't this empower the Salvation Church, which caused the rifts and deaths?
Everyone wanted to flee the capital. But strict surveillance made it impossible.
People minimized their outdoor activities. To avoid being taken, they had to hide.
Economic activity naturally came to a halt, and the atmosphere in the capital became eerily desolate.
When the number of captives decreased, Berhem committed another insane act.
"How can there be beggars in this beautiful capital? Get rid of all the vermin!"
Following that order, the poor in the capital were forcibly captured.
In truth, they weren't beggars anymore. Continuous relief efforts had helped them become increasingly self-sufficient.
This was all thanks to Fenris, whose abundant food supply had exceeded expectations.
Yet, everyone in the slums was taken away merely because of where they lived.
And they all became sacrifices for Berhem.
"Aaaargh!"
"Please, spare us!"
"We have done nothing wrong!"
From the depths of the palace's chambers, constant screams echoed. They were killed, their blood and life force sustaining Berhem's health.
Berhem no longer hid his atrocities; he carried them out openly, and everyone lived in terror.
Even the nobles who followed the king knew something was wrong but feigned ignorance.
"His Majesty has suffered so much because of Marquis Branford."
"Indeed, he needs to vent some of his frustrations."
"After all, only criminals and beggars are being taken, aren't they?"
By now, they couldn't ignore the Salvation Church's involvement. But since a ceasefire negotiation was imminent, they suppressed their worries.
Frankly, they were better off now than before. They no longer had to endure Marquis Branford's scrutiny, which had kept them from enjoying a noble's life.
"Marquis Branford lacked the awareness of a noble."
"Making us work—how absurd is that?"
"Even with consecutive disasters, we lost too much of our wealth."
Nobles shouldn't have to work. Their status alone should sustain them. Troubles were for the lower classes to deal with.
Marquis Branford had shattered this perception, constantly imposing responsibility on the nobles.
But the king was different. He acknowledged that nobles, born with blue blood, were the most noble of all.
Thus, the nobles turned a blind eye to the king's madness.
The Salvation Church also terrified them. They didn't want to risk provoking its wrath. As long as they avoided harm to themselves, it was fine.
While fervently killing people to sustain his life, Berhem grew increasingly anxious.
"Flaccus, there are not enough prisoners. Proceed with the negotiations immediately."
"I've already sent word. The date will soon be set."
"Good, good. With the royal army now in my hands, we can proceed with the negotiations."
Prisoners from across the kingdom had already been consumed. Even so, Berhem's body continued to deteriorate.
This was because he lacked a proper core to store and circulate the life force.
No matter how much life force he absorbed, it would dissipate like smoke.
To prevent this, he needed an artifact from the Salvation Church called the 'Orb of Life.' Only by absorbing it could he sustain his life force.
Berhem had decided to exchange the royal family's treasure for it.
But he needed confirmation.
"Chamberlain! Are all the commanders of the royal army replaced with those loyal to me?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Every commander has been replaced, and the royal army awaits near the capital."
Hearing Marquis Domont's report, Berhem smiled. He finally felt relieved.
"Good, that's a relief."
He had delayed the negotiations for this reason. Securing military power was essential for a smooth negotiation.
He had to be cautious not to lose the royal treasure without ensuring leverage, so he had prepared meticulously.
"Make sure the negotiations proceed without issue. I will personally verify the artifact."
Berhem, imbued with the power of Flaccus, was confident in identifying its authenticity.
"And once the negotiations are over, we shall crush the rebellious northern army!"
Berhem's eyes flickered with madness once again.
***
The northern army was ready to march at any moment. Having no other tasks, they simply awaited the right time.
Claude had entrusted all administrative duties to his officers and was resting. He had slipped away under the pretense of reorganizing the northern army.
Lowell, managing the capital's intelligence, was the only one tirelessly working.
With preparations for departure completed sooner than expected, a bored Claude summoned Alpoi.
"Want to play some card games?"
"Card games?"
"Yeah. You said you needed mental stimulation. Things will only get busier, so let's enjoy a little downtime."
"Sounds good. Are we playing just the two of us?"
"Hmm, it'd be boring with just us. Let's rope in one more person."
Claude glanced slyly at Erenes.
'I've got to extend that contract beyond 30 years.'
He had to get Erenes into the gambling. By turning her into a gambling addict and piling up gambling debts, he could extend her contract and secure his survival beyond 30 years.
Thus, Claude approached her.
"Grand Chieftain, want to try a card game? I'll lend you some money to start."
"..."
Erenes gave Claude a look of utter contempt.
A noble elven Grand Chieftain being invited to gamble? In all her long years, she had never encountered such audacity.
"No, thank you. Enjoy yourselves."
"Oh, come on. Just once."
"I said no."
Despite her refusal, Claude persisted. He had to make her addicted to gambling somehow.
"Grand Chieftain, I'm not just suggesting this for fun."
"...What do you mean?"
"You've lived in the forest for a long time. That means you're still a bit unfamiliar with human ways, right? To truly understand the intense emotions of humans, this experience is essential."
Erenes chuckled softly at that. This fool had no idea what kind of life she had led.
Intense human emotions? She had seen enough in the great wars of long ago—conflicts beyond anyone here's imagination.
"How naive. Do you think I wouldn't have experienced that in all my years?"
"But you haven't experienced the emotions of the gambling table, have you?"
"..."
That was something she had no interest in. Just as she considered whether to teach him a lesson, an unexpected voice chimed in.
"Grand Chieftain, just give it a try. It's fun."
It was Ascon, another elf. He persuaded Erenes for different reasons.
"Elves scattered across the continent drink and gamble all the time. Grand Chieftain, you should experience it too, to better understand us."
In truth, Ascon simply wanted to see Erenes lose in gambling.
But Erenes couldn't dismiss his words. She felt guilty for the hardships endured by elves who had lived as slaves.
Eventually, she sighed and said,
"...I'll try, just this once."
Claude gave Ascon a grateful glance. Ascon winked and smirked.
Thus, the gambling began. News that Erenes was gambling quickly spread, and people flocked to watch.
The attention was uncomfortable, but Erenes closed her eyes and calmed her mind.
'Just this once.'
The game was a simple card game called "Stud." Players matched pairs of illustrated cards to determine the winner.
"Alright, let's begin!"
Claude shuffled the cards with enthusiasm.
After a few practice rounds to teach Erenes the rules, the real game commenced.
For the first few rounds, they took turns winning and losing, exchanging money.
But the real issue arose elsewhere. Claude's original plan was to get Erenes hooked on gambling. He even let her win on purpose.
However, as the game progressed, Alpoi grew greedy, aiming to take all the winnings for himself.
'This bastard Alpoi...'
'Claude, this time I'm going to crush you.'
Alpoi held a grudge against Claude. Because of Claude, he had become a gambling addict and a slave.
Since cards weren't his main game, he hadn't developed any magic tricks for card manipulation yet. However, having gambled quite a bit in the past, he knew a few techniques.
He planned to use them to strip Claude of all his money.
As the game continued, tensions between the two grew increasingly heated. The spectators, sensing the escalating emotions, watched nervously.
When it was Alpoi's turn to shuffle the cards, he slowly began shuffling, focusing his mind.
'Cold... A dagger flies straight to the heart. But don't worry. The hand is quicker than the eye.'
He decided this was the perfect time to use his skills.
'One card from the bottom for Claude, one for the Grand Chieftain, and one for me.'
He moved his hands deftly again.
'Another card from the bottom for Claude, and now the final one for the chief.'
As Alpoi handed Erenes her card, Claude suddenly shot up and grabbed his arm, growling.
"Freeze. Bottom dealing, huh?"
"What?"
"You pulled cards from the bottom for me and the Grand Chieftain. Do I look like an idiot to you?"
Alpoi clenched his teeth and scowled.
"Got any proof?"
"Proof? Of course, I've got proof."
Claude smirked sourly and continued.
"You probably gave me a soldier card, a very low card."
Claude flipped over his card, and indeed, it was a soldier card.
"And for the Grand Chieftain, this one, isn't this a slave card?"
Claude snatched the card from Alpoi's hand and held it high.
"Look, everyone! He gave the Grand Chieftain a slave card to claim the pot for himself. Isn't that right?"
The card Claude held up was indeed a slave card. Alpoi gritted his teeth, his face darkening with anger.
"You're spinning a story. Crazy bastard."
Erenes still had one card left from earlier. Ascon, watching from the sidelines, called out.
"Grand Chieftain, check your card! Is it the king?"
The king card was the highest card, but when paired with the slave card, it became the worst combination.
Claude had the next lowest card, the soldier. Normally, this would give Alpoi a winning hand.
Ascon rushed over, trying to flip Erenes's card, but Claude shouted.
"Don't touch the card! Unless you want to lose a hand!"
When Ascon stopped, Claude turned to Elena, who had joined the spectators, and said, "Young lady, please prepare the axe."
"Do we really have to go this far?"
Elena, holding the Harbinger of Destruction, asked nervously. Everyone tensed. A strike from that axe could indeed sever a hand in an instant.
At that moment, Alpoi, his expression icy, spoke up.
"Hold on. Do we really need to shed blood here?"
"Didn't anyone teach you that getting caught cheating comes with consequences?"
Hearing that, Alpoi glared and declared,
"Fine. I'll bet my hand and all my money that this card isn't the king. If you're scared, back out."
"Ha, this bastard. Where do you think you're selling that snake oil?"
"You piece of shit, the almighty Claude suddenly seems to have a long tongue. Oh wait, you've always been talkative. Are you scared?"
"Scared? Ha-ha-ha! Fine. I'll bet all my money and my hand as well. Young lady, chop it off as soon as you confirm it."
"Alright."
Both Claude and Alpoi tied one of their hands, and Elena raised her axe high.
Claude placed his hand over the card and smirked.
"Ready? Let's flip it. Here we go. Drumroll, please... da-da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da-da!"
With everyone focused intently, Claude hummed a tune and flipped the card.
"It's the king, isn't it?"
Ascon's comment came just as Alpoi lunged toward Claude, shouting.
"Energy Bolt!"
Thwack!
"Aaagh!"
The energy bolt exploded against Claude's face. Alpoi quickly cut the rope binding his arm and bolted for the exit.
"Aaaagh! Wendy! Catch that bastard! Chop off his hand!"
Claude, clutching his face in pain, screamed. Piote rushed over, emitting holy power to heal him.
Wendy shook her head, and Kaor and the knights burst into laughter. Vanessa rubbed her forehead while Belinda scoffed.
Even Parniel chuckled quietly, clearly amused.
In truth, everyone here had already noticed Alpoi's sleight of hand.
"..."
Erenes, watching the chaos unfold with a blank expression, rose from her seat.
Why did she keep associating with these fools? She resolved to distance herself from them.
As the pandemonium raged, Ghislain appeared with Gillian and said, "What's this? Looks like everyone's been having fun. Time to get moving."
His words immediately sobered the group. The time to fight had come again—this time, against the royal army, once their allies.
Ghislain's follow-up remark was even more outrageous.
"Remember what I said? I'm heading to the capital first. I've got some business to attend to."
Everyone's expressions twisted in disbelief. It was clear he was planning something absurd once again.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]