The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

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Chapter 493: There’s Something You Need to Do. (2)

Surely, there isn’t a soul in this world without ambition. Whether grand or minuscule, every human desires to achieve something.

Zvalter was no exception. He had dreams of his own.

Stabilizing the North and ensuring that the territory’s residents lived happily. And on top of that, he wanted to live a life free from great hardships alongside the ones he loved.

He thought that was enough.

‘My dream was coming true.’

Thanks to his son, the territory had flourished, and the long-standing troubles of the North had been quelled. The remaining barbarians mingled with the people of Perdium, resulting in villages sprouting up steadily.

Zvalter’s dream fulfilled through sheer responsibility.

It was just that he missed his late wife and felt somewhat lonely. Other than that, he lacked nothing.

‘I thought it was enough.’

It truly was. Once this war ended, he planned to pass his position to his son and enjoy the rest of his days.

Having lived a life filled with worries, he felt he deserved it.

But then, they suddenly wanted him to become king? Could it just be done by saying ‘okay’?

Zvalter, struggling to calm his racing thoughts, asked in a trembling voice.

“I— I am a noble devoted to the kingdom.”

“You know that means nothing now.”

“……”

The king had teamed up with a court filled with murders. If they stayed still, they were certain to be killed.

So yes, it was meaningless.

“But… I don’t want to be king.”

Zvalter truly didn’t have that kind of ambition. He was content just being a grand lord of a prosperous territory.

Becoming a king was something he had never even considered. To be honest, he wanted to retire early and rest.

Ghislaine looked at the still-stunned Zvalter and said,

“The kingdom’s people and nobles need a focal point.”

“That doesn’t have to be me. You could do it instead.”

Whoever became the new king would need to overthrow the kingdom by force. The only person who had the strength to do that was Ghislaine, leading the Northern Army.

Logically, it would make sense for Ghislaine himself to ascend to the throne.

But Ghislaine didn’t think so.

“No, ‘not yet.’ My father is better than me.”

“Why is that?”

“I must continue to fight on the front lines with my retainers. Also, I need to go help allied countries. It’s difficult to oversee the kingdom as a whole from just one territory.”

“Hmm…”

“And other nobles will prefer my father over me.”

In terms of reputation alone, Ghislaine was overwhelmingly superior to Zvalter. But the nobles felt uncomfortable around Ghislaine.

If the kingdom were upended, everyone would follow out of fear, but they wouldn’t be fond of a rough, young war lord.

Zvalter was different. His title was high, and he was of considerable age. His consistent dedication to guarding the North was widely known.

Having been poor, they scorned Perdium, but few spoke ill of Zvalter’s character.

To the nobles, he was someone with whom they could feel less pride hurt when they yielded.

Zvalter understood that implication.

“…Oh, I see.”

Even though it was a significant matter, they couldn’t oppose it like before. They’d die if they didn’t comply.

In the awkward atmosphere, the Chief Officer, Baron Homern, cautiously asked,

“If we succeed… I will be the Chancellor… right?”

Everyone shot glances at Homern. Was that really the important matter in such a serious situation?

Ghislaine seemed to have not considered that as well, blinking a few times before answering.

“Yes… well… for now?”

Regardless, they needed to appoint people from Perdium to key positions until the national affairs stabilized. The retainers of Count Penris had to continue the war alongside him.

In response to Ghislaine’s answer, Homern gave a forced smile while looking at Zvalter.

“Brother… I mean, my lord. We have no choice to survive, do we? It seems we have to…”

“……”

This time, the Treasurer, Albert, slightly asked.

“M-me too? Kingdom Treasurer?”

“Yes… well… for now…”

Albert softened his usually cold expression and suppressed a smile as he spoke to Zvalter.

“My lord, there’s no other way. I think the Grand Duke is right.”

“……”

Randolf stepped forward with an expectant expression.

“Then I’ll become the Commander of the Kingdom Army?”

“No, that’s for me.”

Ghislaine answered decisively. All armies must move under his orders.

Randolf felt a bit downcast.

“I’ll give you the position of the Royal Knight Commander instead.”

Randolf smiled again. That position was as good as the Commander’s.

“Brother! It’s certain that the king and Duke Delphine won’t leave us alone! Let’s just turn everything upside down!”

“……”

The other retainers looked at Ghislaine in disbelief. He was recklessly assigning the kingdom’s key positions.

Was it really that easy to do?

But if they succeeded, they might finally claim a position for themselves.

They knew they had to handle Perdium at the same time, but they had recruited many administrators, so it wouldn’t be a significant problem.

Certainly, running the kingdom was more important.

Everyone thought it was natural to secure their own positions.

‘If the Grand Duke says to do it, we will.’

‘Yeah, if we fail, we die, so who cares?’

‘Regardless, if we dissuade him, he won’t listen.’

If they succeeded, a new dynasty would rise. If they failed, they would end up as traitors, but it was a situation they couldn’t shy away from, so everyone decided to indulge in happy imaginings.

In unison, they spoke to Zvalter.

“My lord, you must make a decision. The king will come after us alongside the Duke.”

“The Grand Duke is right. If we’re going to fight, we must prepare thoroughly from now on.”

“We can’t just sit still and wait to be attacked, can we?”

“The king has teamed with a court filled with murders. We cannot follow them.”

That atmosphere spread like wildfire among everyone.

Had it been in the past, they would have trembled with worry, unsure of what to do. They would’ve fought reluctantly just to avoid death.

Now, they still didn’t want to die, but the atmosphere was completely different.

‘With the Grand Duke, we can achieve victory.’

‘The Northern Army is the strongest in the kingdom.’

‘When have we ever lost?’

All of this was thanks to Ghislaine. With Ghislaine around, the people of Perdium felt confidence.

And so, they all stared at Zvalter with eyes full of desire.

‘Wow…’

Zvalter chuckled at his retainers.

These beings who had always been poor and timid were now revealing their ambitions, trusting Ghislaine.

Since they would die if they stayed still, they now wanted to turn everything over.

How odd it was to see such a serious situation being accepted so casually.

His son had now grown to be a person of great stature.

While he felt proud of his son, Zvalter was also engulfed in deep thought.

‘Do I really have to do this?’

He had pride in being a loyal minister to the kingdom.

Honor, loyalty, and responsibility. Those were the very elements that comprised Zvalter’s life.

If this were merely a struggle for power, he would have simply refused Ghislaine’s proposal without such angst.

‘Why would the emperor make such a choice?’

The Salvation Society had created rifts, incited wars, and killed countless innocent people. They would continue to do so in the future.

By siding with them, the king meant he would tolerate those acts of evil.

‘No. If the Salvation Society wins, the people of the kingdom will all become sacrifices.’

Zvalter couldn’t simply stand by and see that happen. Hadn’t he spent his whole life guarding the Northern Fortress to protect the people?

‘The other kingdoms and the four great orders won’t leave this kingdom alone either. They would eventually tear it apart and divide it among themselves.’

He was loyal to ensure the safety of the kingdom, not to bring ruin upon it.

Even if Zvalter were to defend the king’s poor decisions, the king and duke would surely aim to eliminate the Northern Army.

In the end, there was no option left.

‘My dear, I never thought I’d see a day like this in my lifetime.’

Zvalter was unaware that his wife, Annette, had once protected the royal family.

And Annette, too, likely didn’t know that her husband and son would endeavor to topple that very royal family.

The massive tides of history sometimes flowed in directions no one could predict.

Brought to agonizing contemplation, Zvalter nodded.

He had no choice but to postpone his retirement a little longer.

“Alright, I will do as you wish.”

As Zvalter made his decision, the faces of his retainers brightened. They were tense, but excitement over crafting a new history outweighed their anxiety.

Belinda, who had followed Ghislaine, clenched her fist.

‘Our young master is really going to become the “Grand Duke of the North!”’

In the past, it had all felt forced. But if this endeavor succeeded, he could wear that title with pride.

Of course, it was rare for a duke’s position to be granted to a king’s child, but since they had grounds as local rulers, they could simply claim it.

He would push for it.

Zvalter looked at Ghislaine and continued speaking.

“When do you plan to move?”

“I will be moving soon. I’m currently gathering intel on the capital’s situation.”

Never before had the spies been so active. The information Ghislaine desired would soon arrive.

Nodding several times, Zvalter stood.

He slowly looked around at his retainers and spoke.

“Check all supplies and gather the troops. If Count Penris seizes his chance, we will march on the capital together.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The retainers all bowed their heads. A solemn determination hovered over their faces.

The duke aimed to kill them. And now the king had joined in. In the past, they would have only trembled in fear.

But now, Perdium was no longer that weak and impoverished entity. They no longer tolerated unjust and unfair acts.

It was different now. If someone wanted to kill them, they would have to be ready to die too.

Even though Ghislaine had proposed this first, it was something they had secretly longed to do.

Looking at them, Zvalter spoke in a voice full of authority.

“We will save this country.”

*

The atmosphere in the capital was exceedingly dark.

Since the king regained power.

Even among the Crown Prince faction, the nobles who had been suppressed by Marquis Branford immediately flocked to the king.

“Haha! I never imagined there would still be so many loyal subjects in this kingdom.”

The king rejoiced and divided the powers that had been held by the other nobles to share with them.

For the king, it was better to distribute the power rather than concentrating it on a single person. He wouldn’t allow another like Marquis Branford to rise again.

The nobles were also pleased to have received a portion of power that had once been concentrated in the hands of a few.

It was only natural for power to be reshuffled. They wished it would end like this.

If only Berhem hadn’t been up to anything strange.

“Is there a shortage of prisoners?”

“Yes, your majesty. There aren’t many death row inmates in the capital.”

The newly esteemed Marquis Domont said with an expression of difficulty.

Thanks to Marquis Branford, the capital had been exceptionally peaceful. There were hardly any prisoners.

However, to continue treating Berhem, they needed a significant number of ‘death row inmates.’

“Didn’t we send out official documents to every region? With all the thieves running rampant, there should be plenty of prisoners.”

“We are escorting the prisoners to the capital, but it might take a little longer.”

“Ah! I don’t have time! When do you expect me to wait for that?”

“……”

At Berhem’s urgent words, Marquis Domont fell silent. How could they conjure prisoners that didn’t exist on the spot?

At that moment, Flacus hinted to Berhem.

“Why not strengthen the law and apprehend those who commit even minor offenses?”

“Hmm, would that really be okay?”

“Rather, the people would appreciate it more. After all, there would be fewer criminals.”

“Indeed, a crime-free kingdom would indeed be an ideal world.”

“Exactly. Our church dreams of such a world as well. And treating your majesty’s body is even more important. Your majesty is the very embodiment of this kingdom, is he not?”

“That’s true. From today on, I will strengthen the laws. Chamberlain.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“From today on, I will not pardon any offense. There is no distinction in crimes. Therefore, I will unify the punishments to one.”

Berhem grinned cruelly.

“Henceforth, all criminals will face execution.”

Seeing the madness in his eyes, Marquis Domont swallowed hard.

In truth, he was most aware that the king’s sanity was fractured. He had been by his side for a long time, after all.

But as soon as he sat on the throne, his distorted, suppressed nature began to emerge.

‘Did I do well?’

His family had risen to the highest status in the capital after their endeavor succeeded. They had been showered with countless treasures and titles.

But his heart felt like he was walking on thin ice. It was because the king was half-mad.

‘There’s no other choice.’

Marquis Domont gathered his resolve. He had risen to this position only due to a single opportunity, so he couldn’t let it slip away.

“Yes, your majesty. I will implement it immediately.”

In the capital, Berhem held absolute power. Everything proceeded according to his will.

The phrase ‘a crime-free world’ sounded good. Perhaps some might welcome Berhem’s policies.

However, problems arose elsewhere.

“P-please, spare me! I am innocent!”

“Just come along. We’ll investigate, and if you’re innocent, we’ll let you go.”

Even innocent people were apprehended at the slightest hint of suspicion. And they would never return home again.

The soldiers, looking to achieve results, dragged people in indiscriminately by referencing past transgressions. Those captured all became sacrifices for Berhem.

“Ohhhh… I feel strength flooding in.”

In the deep recesses of the royal castle.

In the center of the enormous stone room was Berhem, seated atop a blood-colored magic circle.

The area was filled with corpses. The prisoners they had dragged in until now were used as sacrifices to maintain this magic circle.

The magic circle, filled with the blood flowing from the corpses, glowed a sinister red.

Berhem shouted in madness.

“Quickly! Bring more prisoners! Isn’t this insufficient? If there aren’t any crimes, create them and bring them in!”

Berhem was afflicted by a desperate thirst. To solve this, he needed people.

Even more blood sacrifices.