The Fenris Territory had continuously developed over the years. It established numerous academies, banned child labor, and invested enormous amounts of money into welfare policies.
All of this had been aimed at cultivating a powerful military.
As a result, healthy young men steadily enlisted in the army, and Fenris' production surged.
The aggressive policies they had pursued for so long were now beginning to bear fruit.
These policies were also being implemented in Perdium. Ghislain had supported Perdium and encouraged them to adopt the same policies as Fenris.
Thanks to this, Perdium had rapidly gathered a military force that no other territory could even dream of.
Their number had reached an astounding 30,000. At this rate, they would be able to raise an army of over 50,000 in just a few years.
What had once been a small, remote territory with fewer than 5,000 soldiers now had the military power of a great territory.
Moreover, thanks to Ghislain's support of the mana cultivation techniques, the number of knights had increased to over 200.
The knights and soldiers equipped with Galbanium armor could now display combat abilities several times greater than those of other territorial armies.
Now, this force was marching towards the capital, ignoring everything else.
When Ghislain heard the news, he chuckled.
"As expected of my father."
Although he had informed Zwalter about what needed to be done, Zwalter did not wait and moved first. He could no longer stand to see the suffering of the people.
"What can we do? I guess I'll have to handle the rest."
It wasn't as simple as just going to the capital and declaring himself king. After toppling the royal family, preparations had to be made to run the government. Support from other nobles was necessary.
Only then could the kingdom move forward without falling into chaos and division.
Given the current situation, gaining noble support shouldn't be too difficult. The problem, however, was the duchy.
"Move the allied forces and the western army to the southern front. Once the news reaches the duchy that Perdium Army has moved, the duchy will act immediately. The northern army will join Perdium's forces."
The western territories were being managed by Count Selverk, who had stabilized the region alongside Fenris' officials and raised an army of about 50,000.
Though it was relatively small for an entire region, given how devastated the western territories had been in the past, this was nothing short of a miracle.
Currently, the western army was under the command of Tenant, who was sent by Ghislain in advance. With the remaining allied forces totaling around 100,000, joining them would be a great help.
"As for the central and eastern regions... I'm not sure how the remaining lords will respond."
They knew that the royal family and the duchy had allied, so they might be sitting on the fence, waiting to see how things unfold.
No matter how strong the northern army was, it was hard to predict who would prevail against the duchy.
In the end, the advance of the duchy's army had to be halted while the royal family was overthrown. Only then would the remaining nobles join the cause.
The problem was that even the combined forces of the western army and the allied forces couldn't stop the duchy's main force.
"Gillian, lead the northern army to the southern front. I'll take the mobile army and join Perdium."
"Understood."
The plans were already in place. Gillian, along with Erenes, Parniel, Vanessa, and others, would head to the southern front.
To face the superhumans of the duchy, they needed to be prepared with equivalent strength.
Though Ghislain had considered sending Belinda as well, she had vehemently refused, so she would remain with Ghislain.
Piote, the clergy, Kaor, and the assault corps also headed to the southern front. The assault corps now had new recruits.
"Where are we going?"
"Why are we here?"
"Squad leader... No, Count Fenris isn't coming with us?"
The third infantry company of the royal army's second corps, who had successfully escaped, was now part of the assault corps, dragged along without understanding why.
Claude followed Ghislain. He was there to help manage the kingdom's affairs after the capital was taken.
The mobile army, which had been stationed earlier, quickly joined Perdium Army as it marched towards the capital.
Zwalter smiled when he saw Ghislain.
"Sorry about that, I just couldn't hold back."
Ghislain smiled and shook his head.
"It's fine. I was thinking the same thing as you, Father."
While a little more preparation was needed, it wasn't a bad idea to move now. Berhem's tyranny had escalated rapidly.
If they waited to prepare more and let Berhem and the nobles continue their madness, it would have been easier to overthrow the royal family. The more the people suffered, the more they would demand a new leader.
But neither Zwalter nor Ghislain were the types to sit idly by and watch such things unfold.
The news that Perdium Army had drawn their swords against the royal family quickly spread.
It was impossible to hide the movements of the army, but Ghislain had sent messages ahead to offer hope to the people.
Before leaving, Zwalter also sent proclamations to various lords and nobles.
[... The king has now allied with the Salvation Church and become a mad tyrant. Under his cruel rule, the kingdom is being reduced to ruins.
Now, only those who cannot even be called nobles remain around the king.
... For the future of the kingdom, for the oppressed people, and for the honor of the crushed nobles, I rise.
I urge you all.
In this dark age, join together...]
Zwalter was different from Ghislain. He wrote a long, heartfelt message, calling for action for the kingdom's future.
He was trying to persuade people with sincerity, asking for their help.
Zwalter's proclamation wasn't just sent to the lords and nobles. It was widely distributed, even among the commanders of the royal army.
Soon, something extraordinary began to happen.
Low-ranking commanders of the royal army started deserting with their soldiers.
"I can't stay here anymore."
"At this point, it's the same whether I die here or there."
"It's better to fight against a mad king than fight Perdium."
As deserters increased, the royal army became frantic, trying to monitor their soldiers.
There was fear of facing Ghislain, but more than that, there was the hopelessness that the kingdom no longer had a future.
Rather than continue to live under such conditions, they chose to fight for a new era alongside Perdium.
Those who successfully deserted made their way to Perdium's forces.
Zwalter welcomed them with open arms. They joined Perdium Army and marched toward the capital together.
The advancing Perdium army, steadily growing in size, was blocked by the third corps of the royal army.
The new commander of the third corps, Count Mckidd, shouted with an arrogant expression.
"Most of the northern army is gone! This is a fight we can win!"
Even if Perdium had become stronger, he still saw them as just a poor border army.
It was said that most of the northern army had gone to the southern front. Only about 20,000 had joined Perdium, making their forces comparable to the third corps.
Eager to prove himself as the new commander, Count Mckidd shouted confidently.
"I'll crush them with my brilliant tactics!"
If he defeated Perdium Army here, he would prove both his own ability and the false reputation of Fenris.
Unlike the confident Count Mckidd, the soldiers were grim-faced. The third corps had fought alongside Fenris Army during the war with Desmond County and knew the strength of Ghislain's forces.
'Count Fenris is a monster.'
'He could probably kill half of us by himself.'
'Just how strong are those knights and soldiers?'
They had fought alongside them for a long time, and honestly, they didn't want to fight them.
Mckidd didn't like the strange atmosphere among his soldiers.
"What are you all doing?! Are you so intimidated by a false reputation that you're already scared?!"
The soldiers glared at him in response.
'Pathetic fool. He doesn't understand anything.'
'His first time commanding a corps, huh? He's desperate to make a name for himself.'
'Idiot.'
Before Mckidd could say anything more, Zwalter appeared from the Perdium army's camp.
Clop, clop, clop.
Riding slowly toward them, Zwalter shouted.
"I don't want to fight you!"
"What's this fool saying?"
Count Mckidd frowned. If he didn't want to fight, then why was he standing there, trying to act tough?
Zwalter spoke in a heavy voice.
"I will hold the king accountable for his crimes. You are merely following his orders! If you disarm and surrender now, I will accept all of you!"
Count Mckidd, enraged, shouted back.
"Shut up! You traitor, what nonsense are you speaking?! If you don't surrender now, you will meet a miserable death!"
"I'm not speaking to you!"
Zwalter glared at Count Mckidd with fiery eyes and shouted.
"I'm speaking to the soldiers who are defending this kingdom, not you trash!"
"This, this bastard... a bastard guarding the border dares to say such things to me...."
Mckidd trembled with rage. How dare this man speak to him like that, someone who had earned the king's favor.
Mckidd had long despised the northern barbarians, and he immediately issued the order.
"Attack! Kill him now!"
The soldiers grabbed their weapons as trained, but their morale had already been broken.
In the tense atmosphere, one soldier dropped his weapon and knelt.
"I surrender!"
All eyes turned to him. What was he doing?
The already furious commander would not let this act of defiance go unpunished.
Count Mckidd shouted furiously.
"Kill that man immediately!"
Such disgrace before the battle even began! Not only was it humiliating, but it was also a blow to the morale of the troops. He had to die immediately.
However, despite the order, no one moved to kill the kneeling soldier. Soldiers standing nearby also dropped their weapons and knelt.
"We don't want to fight Perdium!"
"Why must we fight our allies?"
"This cursed world! Kill me if you must!"
More and more soldiers began to kneel, shouting whatever they wanted to say.
Dead here or dead there, the outcome was the same. If they were going to die anyway, they didn't want to die fighting for this rotten kingdom.
That was the soldiers' honest sentiment.
Count Mckidd trembled, his face flushed red. This was defeat before the battle had even started. If the enemy began their attack now, they would be utterly defenseless.
Fortunately, Zwalter simply watched the scene unfold without making a move.
"Disciplinary unit! Where is the disciplinary unit? Kill those men immediately!"
The disciplinary unit, scattered throughout the formation, bowed their heads with somber expressions.
Their job was to kill any allies who tried to flee or disobey orders. But now, they couldn't bring themselves to do it.
They, too, were utterly disillusioned and disgusted by the king and nobles' actions over time.
Clatter.
Weapons held by the disciplinary unit began falling to the ground, one by one. They, too, knelt slowly.
The wave of surrender spread indiscriminately. Soldiers who had been indifferent, as well as Count Mckidd's private troops, naturally knelt.
Even lower-ranking commanders, sensing the inevitability of defeat, knelt of their own accord. Anyone who couldn't grasp the situation now would have to be a fool.
"You... you traitorous scum…"
Count Mckidd trembled with disbelief.
Who had ever heard of a commander losing a battle without even fighting? And yet, here he was, on the brink of becoming that very person.
He shouted desperately to the knights around him.
"Kill them! Kill them all now!"
With all the soldiers surrendering, escaping unscathed was now impossible. Yet, instead of retreating, Count Mckidd was ordering his knights to kill his own men.
Consumed by rage, he could no longer think rationally.
The knights looked at Count Mckidd with cold eyes.
He wasn't even supposed to be the commander. He was a man obsessed with wine and women, who always lazed about in the military camp.
He constantly punished and tormented soldiers under the pretext of military discipline. Many soldiers and civilians had died because of him.
There wasn't a single knight who was loyal to Count Mckidd, who had only risen to this position by following the king.
When the knights didn't move, Count Mckidd began to panic.
"You... you scum! Why won't you follow my orders?!"
Only his escort knights, who had followed him from his family estate, nervously drew their weapons.
In an instant, everyone in the area turned against him.
Zwalter approached alone on horseback. Count Mckidd shouted at his guards.
"Capture him immediately! Do it now!"
This was his chance. If he could take Marquis Perdium hostage, he could turn the situation around.
But the escort knights didn't move.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Instead, the knights of the royal army drew their swords and surrounded Count Mckidd.
"What is the meaning of this? You are my men! Are you committing treason?!"
Count Mckidd shouted, his face pale. The knights, however, remained silent, their swords pointed at him.
Then, Zwalter spoke in a commanding voice.
"Arrest him."
At those words, the knights rushed toward Count Mckidd. His few escort knights immediately dropped their weapons and surrendered.
"Ahhh! You traitors! Do you think you'll get away with this? His Majesty will—mmpf!"
Count Mckidd was gagged and forced to his knees. He had lost without even fighting.
Schlick…
Zwalter dismounted and drew his sword.
He had risen in arms to eliminate those who had thrown the kingdom into chaos. There were things he needed to do himself, not delegate to others.
With a firm expression, he swung his sword.
Slash!
Count Mckidd, frozen in terror, lost his head in one swift motion.
As blood dripped from his sword, Zwalter raised it high and spoke.
"Pick up your weapons and rise!"
The soldiers picked up their fallen weapons and stood. Their expressions were much brighter now.
Zwalter looked at them with satisfaction and shouted.
"Anyone willing to save this kingdom, follow me!"
"Uraaaaaah!"
The soldiers roared in unison.
Even as mere soldiers, they understood that the world had gone wrong.
Even as mere soldiers, they knew what they were fighting to protect.
This was the battle they wanted. Marquis Perdium and Count Fenris were the leaders they wished to follow.
With that, Zwalter absorbed the entirety of the royal army's third corps and continued his march.
Every other army that stood in his way quickly surrendered.
As their numbers grew, Perdium Army advanced more slowly. But every step they took carried an overwhelming momentum and weight.
This army was, without a doubt, the true army of a king.
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