NOVEL WEB Chapter 412
Chapter 412: Time is Running Out (3)
Clang!
The swords of the two clashed, sparking as they fell apart.
Ghislaine smiled and said to Arel, “Let’s try again.”
“Understood.”
Despite the busy schedule of the territory, Ghislaine didn’t neglect to teach Arel.
Arel had grown into a striking young man who could make the hearts of many women flutter.
But even more famous than his looks was his skill. Arel had endured hellish training and grown faster than anyone else.
The mercenary knights who had followed Ghislaine from the beginning were taken aback by how fiercely he trained.
And that wasn’t all. Ghislaine didn’t just let Arel focus solely on brute strength. She connected him with scholars to teach him various subjects, including military science.
This was a schedule that would be difficult for an ordinary person to manage. Yet, Arel undertook this life earnestly, without complaints.
— A piece of work, indeed.
— Where did the lord pick up such an extraordinary fellow?
— But why push him so hard?
People whispered whenever they saw Arel. He looked impressive, but they were also curious about Ghislaine’s intentions in teaching both swordsmanship and academics.
Ghislaine was aware of their reactions.
‘They don’t know yet. What kind of guy he was in his past life.’
Commander of the Northern Fortress Kaifiller.
The fated genius known as the Barbarian Slayer, the Terror of the North, and the Holy One of the Kingdom.
Arel Haidun the Baron.
He caught the eye of Count Harold Desmond, who had risen to Duke, and was rapidly promoted due to his talents and efforts.
Thus, he was entrusted with the mission of guarding the Northern Fortress, replacing the fallen Perdium.
Arel’s name also appeared in the Forest of Monsters’ records.
When the Grexes spilled out of the Forest of Monsters, Arel, guarding the Northern Fortress, had no choice but to lead his troops down.
‘He had considerable fame here.’
Arel superbly guarded the North with a thirst for revenge and his skills, sweeping away the barbarians.
So much so that the barbarians would gnash their teeth and curse just by hearing his name.
Of course, unlike the past Perdium, this was possible thanks to the Kingdom’s full support.
‘I didn’t see his face in his past life, but still.’
Arel had vehemently opposed the Kingdom’s negotiations with the barbarians for the clearing of the Forest of Monsters a year before the war began. But he couldn’t go against the tide.
The barbarians continued to plunder small villages out of sheer amusement even after negotiations, and the Kingdom turned a blind eye to such “minor” acts.
But not Arel. In his rage, he led his troops and wiped out that tribe.
As a result, tensions rose again between the barbarians and the Kingdom. The Kingdom, prioritizing the clearing of the Forest of Monsters, framed Arel for treason and locked him in prison.
Afterward, the Kingdom exhausted massive manpower in the Forest of Monsters and pushed more than half of the forces from the Northern Fortress into it.
Once negotiations with the barbarians progressed smoothly, there was no need to maintain a large troop presence at the Northern Fortress.
‘That was the end of the records.’
Thus, Ghislaine also didn’t know what happened to Arel afterward.
However, through various records, she remembered his name and could take Arel under her wing.
In any case, Ghislaine was pleased that Arel was following her intentions well. So she encouraged him even more by teaching and supporting him diligently.
The driving force behind Arel’s restless movements was loyalty to the territory and hatred for the barbarians who had massacred his family and village.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Arel’s sword was fierce, for Ghislaine was his master. But it didn’t just happen because he learned from Ghislaine.
To perfectly master Ghislaine’s swordsmanship, one needed emotions that transcended mere skill. Hence, Arel absorbed Ghislaine’s sword technique faster than anyone else.
He, too, had experienced similar pain as Ghislaine.
Clang!
As their swords met, Ghislaine asked, curious about Arel’s feelings after he had opposed negotiating with the barbarians and ended up in prison in his past life.
“Are you still feeling unsatisfied?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then why not suggest we fight the barbarians?”
“……Because I signed a treaty with the territory.”
“That was meant to minimize damage and obtain what you wanted. But if you wish, we can fight the barbarians endlessly. I am not a master so impoverished that I cannot grant a single wish to my only disciple.”
When Ghislaine smiled and spoke, Arel replied without hesitation.
“Revenge is important, but the territory, which is my home, is even more important.”
“Are you worried about causing trouble?”
“No. Because the territory and its people are more precious than my revenge. And I believe protecting them is my lifelong duty.”
At Arel’s unhesitating, sincere answer, Ghislaine smiled.
Arel had changed a bit from his past life. He prioritized protecting what was dear to him over revenge.
If legendary heroes truly existed, wouldn’t they share a temperament similar to Arel’s today?
They value the greater good over petty personal feelings. They know how to distinguish between public and private matters and understand what justice is.
And thus, they endure personal pain for the sake of everyone.
Arel was similar to Ghislaine yet completely different in essence.
Ghislaine felt admiration.
‘The boy has grown so upright in this territory.’
Honestly, there were too many influences that could lead Arel astray in the Penris territory.
Claude, Alfoy, Kaor, Ascon, Cain, and even the knights Gordon and Lucas were all filled with the potential to teach him the wrong things.
Yet, Arel always resisted their temptations and focused solely on his progress.
He had grown far too upright.
Ghislaine chuckled, lowered her sword, and continued, “That’s enough for today. If you’re going to train alone, practice a bit more and then head to your evening class.”
“Understood.”
“And you will soon find yourself fighting the barbarians again.”
At her words, Arel’s eyes widened. Currently, Penris, Perdium, and the barbarians had entered an agreement to trade food and horses. Fighting with the barbarians would mean breaking that agreement.
“That means……”
However, it was a dangerous situation to divert efforts into engaging the barbarians when the Kingdom, no, the entire continent was in an uproar.
Ghislaine smirked. “Even if I don’t strike, those brutes will move anyway.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Woroka is an extremely greedy one. If a civil war breaks out, he will definitely make a move. He might even act before that. Knowing him, he’ll surely realize that he will end up begging for food if this continues.”
In his past life, when Ghislaine invaded the Kingdom, Woroka had inevitably wormed his way in to seize land.
This time, with the involvement of the four great orders and the Salvation Society, civil war would be on a larger scale. The Kingdom would fall into chaos, and Woroka would undoubtedly try to take advantage of that confusion.
So it was essential to prepare in advance.
Of course, Ghislaine didn’t know how Woroka would attack. But she was sure he would make a move.
“So wait until then. I will ensure you become a key player in that war.”
“Understood!”
Arel responded vigorously, desiring to contribute to the coming war.
Not for vanity, but for revenge. He needed victory to protect his territory.
After Ghislaine left, Arel dedicated himself to his training with all his might. He had goals and determination that were worth it.
After finishing his personal training and heading to class, Arel ran into Alfoy, who had just popped out during a brief moment of free time.
“Hey, Arel! Why don’t you just join me for a round of gambling today? I’ll let you win a bit at first.”
In front of Alfoy was Piote, sniffing and looking like he had been fleeced again.
Arel politely nodded to Alfoy and said, “I must go to military science class.”
“Just a few rounds? It’ll be over quickly. You’re not going to keep being so uptight, are you?”
“My apologies.”
“Hey! Are you ignoring me?”
“Not at all.”
“Or is your life in the territory coming to an end?”
“…….”
“Do you think being the lord’s disciple makes me look down on you? Want to taste some 6th Circle magic?”
“…….”
“Today, you’re absolutely playing one round. You must have saved up some money by not spending anything, right? The priest here says he’s out of cash now.”
“My apologies.”
“Hey! I’m asking you right now……”
Just as Alfoy seemed ready to get upset, a sharp voice came from behind.
“Alfoy! You said you would take a break but popped out again?!”
Light suddenly flashed as Vanessa appeared before Alfoy.
“Uh, no, it’s not like that……”
“Why are you stopping someone going to study? Arel is working hard! And when did you bring Piote along?”
Alfoy awkwardly stammered his excuses.
“Well, it’s just that… I happened to meet Piote, and I ran into Arel too. But this guy seems to have such a dull life… Ah, he says he has no friends! It aches my heart to see him like the old you…”
While Alfoy was making excuses, Arel respectfully nodded to Vanessa, the best mage and hard worker in the territory.
Vanessa returned the gesture, bowing her head in respect to Arel. Such well-mannered individuals.
“Arel, don’t mind me and hurry off to class. Piote, you should take care of what you need to do as well.”
“Yes, thank you, Vanessa.”
Thus, Alfoy was forcibly taken away by Vanessa, freeing Arel and Piote.
As Arel resumed his path to class, he encountered Kaor and the knights, just finishing their training and heading off for drinks.
“Hey, Arel. Finished training? We just wrapped up too; wanna join us for a drink?”
“I’m good, Kaor.”
“Come on, you can’t avoid us forever. You’re grown up now, so you should drink a bit! What, a real man should loosen up sometimes, right?”
“No, thank you.”
“Or is your knight life coming to an end?”
“…….”
“I can’t let this go on. Today, I’m making Arel a real man. You’re not getting away today. Got it? The lord’s out inspecting somewhere anyway. The time has come.”
The knights all laughed at Kaor’s words.
“Of course! If the charge commander is inviting us, we should go!”
“It wouldn’t do for the lord’s disciple to miss a gathering of the territory’s knights!”
“Alright, let’s drink all night today!”
Kaor held a high position in the territory and was someone who could be counted on one hand when it came to stopping him.
Arel sensed that it wouldn’t be easy to slip away this time.
Just then, as Arel was about to be dragged off by Kaor, Gillian appeared, finishing his military training.
Kaor turned his head and muttered, “Geez, I wonder when that old man will finish?”
As soon as Gillian understood the situation, he gestured for Arel to go.
Arel swiftly bowed and took off. Kaor and the knights left with disappointed expressions, licking their lips.
Afterward, Arel faced trouble every time he moved within the territory because of those trying to lead him astray.
Since he behaved so uprightly, numerous people wanted to corrupt him.
Especially Cain, the lord’s cousin, was persistent, using Ghislaine’s lineage as leverage. But at times like that, Belinda would appear to help him.
At least Claude couldn’t do much even when he met Arel.
“Hey, Arel, you want to make a deal with me… AGH! Stop shoving! My leg hurts!”
Wendy would force Claude away whenever he tried to do something.
If those at the top had not appropriately appeared to help, Arel would have been dragged off and led astray long ago.
‘Phew, I’ve safely arrived at class today too.’
Sword training and military studies weren’t the only things he was focused on. Arel was also mentally training himself every day.
Thus, his patience and mental strength had no choice but to grow stronger with each passing day.
The scholars teaching Arel liked him a lot. He grasped things quickly and always approached his studies sincerely. He was a student who made teaching enjoyable.
Having spent a faithful day as usual, Arel found it harder to fall asleep that night.
‘To fight the barbarians again…’
He had hoped for such a day to come someday but now thought it might arrive sooner than expected.
He had to work even harder to gain strength. That way, he could take revenge for his deceased family and village.
And he would bring peace to the North and secure the North from barbarian invasions, so the people wouldn’t have to worry.
‘I will definitely…’
Definitely.
Definitely, he would do it.
So that no one else would have to endure the same pain as him.
*
“A band of thieves? Suddenly?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Having returned from inspecting the territory, Ghislaine cocked her head at Lowell’s report.
With the Kingdom in chaos, it was understandable for thieves to stir. The lords had gathered all troops and deployed them to key strongholds.
Consequently, the security around towns and villages had to weaken.
However, the places where the bands of thieves had appeared were a bit suspicious. It was understandable for other areas, but they had even shown up at the crossroads leading to the boundary between the North and the West.
It was odd that the previously quiet thieves were suddenly emerging now.
Lowell pointed to various locations on the map and said, “With Marquis Roderick gone and the West still unstable, a band of thieves could emerge. But it is suspicious that they appeared so close to our territory.”
The thieves from the West would tremble at the mere mention of Penris. After Marquis Roderick was defeated, many had surrendered.
Moreover, the mobility of the Penris army had become known throughout the Kingdom. Whenever a band of thieves appeared, they could be annihilated in no time.
But to appear near Penris? It was practically begging to be hunted down. They were too dumb to pull off even simple theft.
Ghislaine fell into thought for a moment before speaking.
“Is it a force trying to divert our attention?”
“I think the chances are high. The only ones trying to divert our focus are the Duke Faction and the Salvation Society.”
“Hm, that would mean…”
“Yes, they are trying to hide something from us. And that is…”
Lowell grinned as he continued, “It’s likely the ‘rift’ we missed.”
Ghislaine smiled in response and asked, “Where do you predict it is?”
“Looking at the movements and activity zones of the thieves, they are cleverly blocking the roads of three territories.”
“Which location seems most likely?”
Pointing to one spot on the map, Lowell answered, “If I had to pick one, it would be Baron Phinros’ Territory, which was once a Duke Faction lord’s domain. There’s also a small city at that crossroad.”
Ghislaine stood up immediately.
“I needed to go to the West anyway; this works out perfectly. It’s not too far, so I’ll stop by and check it out on the way. I’ll move right away.”
“How shall we prepare?”
“We need to move quickly, so just prepare 200 knights.”
“Understood.”
“Ah, are the ‘medications’ being sent out?”
“Yes, we are sending them to the Crown Prince Faction and Perdium as they are produced. We provided the formula for production and requested additional supplies. Other kingdoms will have Marquis Branford deliver them.”
“Alright, time is running out.”
Ghislaine looked out at the darkening sky.
Several meteors streaked through far off in the distance.