Episode 88: Half of it, I demand. (3)
“We… lost?”
Receiving the report, Harold’s face flushed bright red. One corner of his mouth trembled uncontrollably.
Rage surged within him to the point of dizziness. He could barely form words, just gaping his mouth.
“Whooo….”
Harold forced himself to take a long exhale to calm his rapid breaths.
In front of him sat the knights and soldiers.
They all looked like they could collapse at any moment, suffering from burns.
As soon as the defeated soldiers arrived, he received the report prepared by the staff officers, but he couldn’t believe it, so he called the survivors directly.
Lost? Desmond’s army, which prided itself on being the strongest in the North, had lost?
And against an overwhelming number that easily surpassed Perdium’s troops?
“How on earth did we lose! Fire magic? Traps? Who in this kingdom can wield magic strong enough to burn thousands of soldiers?”
Harold raised his voice.
The knights couldn’t say a word.
Even those directly involved couldn’t understand what had happened, let alone those back in the territory.
Seeing everyone clammed up, Harold erupted in strong anger.
“You idiots! You’re telling me that a whole army was decimated, and you have no idea what took you down? Viktor! What happened to Viktor!”
Those who had fled the battlefield early had no way of knowing what had happened to Viktor.
Boom!
In the stillness that persisted, Harold slammed his fist down on the desk, shattering it.
Viktor, whom he had nurtured and cared for, was now missing.
To be missing in action in war meant being captured… or dead.
There was no way someone of Viktor’s caliber would have been left alive, so the likelihood of him being dead was high.
It was a loss not just of the engineers, who took time to train compared to regular soldiers, but also dozens of knights that were incomparable in value.
The most heartbreaking loss was that of Viktor, a truly outstanding talent.
“Who on earth…!”
To decisively crush Perdium, Harold had meticulously analyzed their strength before the war.
He sent them with overwhelming numbers and mages.
According to the survivors’ reports, Perdium’s strength was indeed not much different from what he had assessed before the war.
Even the quantity of supplies matched his predictions.
If that were the case, it meant there was a lethal variable that exceeded his expectations.
Harold opened the report again.
“Is it really those bastards?”
The report detailed the exploits of the “Black Brigade.”
Harold envisioned the battlefield situation as described in the report.
Even if the commander had been Harold himself, he felt they would have been caught off guard by the movements of the “Black Brigade.”
Their unpredictable and bold actions seemed almost beast-like.
“It’s just a coincidence. It’s just luck… there can’t be such a person in Perdium.”
Deep down, he repeated that to himself, but Harold well knew that the exploits of the “Black Brigade” were far from mere coincidence.
I knew it well.
To dismiss it as a coincidence would be too much when the trap prepared at the end was so effective.
‘But how on earth could such magic…’
Even the two 7-circle mages in the kingdom couldn’t cast such incredible magic.
Harold couldn’t contain his frustration and gritted his teeth. It was hard to think deeply with annoyance and rage overwhelming him.
As time went on, his face hardened into a blank expression. Seeing this, Desmond’s retainers and staff officers subtly began to distance themselves from the Count.
Harold was a thorough and cold person. He rarely got excited and wouldn’t hesitate to kill subordinates who made mistakes.
He was afraid to see him angry for the first time, but as his demeanor grew colder, the thought crossed his mind that he might hold them all accountable for losing the war and decide to kill them.
“Hm… This isn’t the time.”
Harold tore his gaze from the report and shot a fierce glare at his retainers.
They were already planning to run away instead of figuring out how to make up for the failure.
It would have been better had he killed that guy last time.
‘If I had just a little more time, I would have wiped them all out.’
Swallowing his annoyance, Harold commanded his retainers and staff officers.
“We need to prepare for Raybold’s movements.”
It wouldn’t be immediate, but Raybold would soon learn about the situation.
Count Raybold, who was constantly eyeing to conquer the North, wouldn’t let this opportunity pass.
Though Desmond was competing for supremacy in the North, it was difficult for him to handle Raybold after losing troops.
“I will hasten Amelia’s rebellion. For the time being, put everything else on hold. Focus solely on that.”
“Understood.”
Seeing Harold’s bloodshot eyes, the staff merely bowed their heads.
If anyone dared to question him at this moment, their head would be on the chopping block.
However, Harold’s furrowed brows showed no signs of relaxing.
‘This is a mess.’
He was considering hastening the rebellion, but he had no intention of proceeding so hastily.
However, in the aftermath of losing the war, everything began to fall apart quickly.
He couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling that his plans were continuously going awry.
“The Duke faction won’t let this go easily.”
The assassination matter was unlikely to lead to a territorial war from the start, and he had many alternatives even in case of failure, so he was okay with that.
But losing in the territorial war against Perdium and suffering heavy troop losses was a major blunder that would put Harold’s competence into question.
It’s true that exceptional talents like himself are rare, so one mistake wouldn’t cost him his life, but he was certainly in a more dangerous position than before.
The Duke Delphine was cruel to the point of being merciless.
And there were those who appeared out of nowhere to aid the Duke every time.
‘The Duke is a problem, but especially those guys…’
The plan to overthrow the kingdom had started only after those guys showed up.
If he failed this time, they would also face losses.
Then, the ones who bore the loss might…
‘No, no. I can’t die here.’
Having attained the position of a great lord after all that effort, he couldn’t just collapse like this.
He had to persuade them. He could say that Raybold was still out there, and that the plan must succeed.
‘If I had won the war, I could have expanded my influence further. If only Viktor was here…’
Grabbing his throbbing head, Harold stumbled out of the office.
*
Meow.
Amelia was sitting in the wagon, shaking some foxtails and playing with Bastet.
Bastet jumped around trying to catch the foxtails.
With a gentle smile, she looked at the cat, then let out a small yawn.
“Isn’t this a bit boring?”
Perhaps they had given up sending messengers from Perdium since no one was coming anymore.
Yet, since the war wasn’t over, Amelia was still blocking the path into Perdium.
Though she had been away for a bit longer, no one would be particularly suspicious.
Since I often attend various social gatherings, I usually spend more time outside than in the castle.
The image I’ve built up over the years helps in situations like this to act freely.
“Why is it taking so long?”
As she absentmindedly shook the dog grass, Amelia straightened her posture.
With that kind of effort, there should already be results, and the lack of news for over a week was strange.
“Something must have happened.”
As soon as she was convinced that Ghislaine had ambushed Digald’s supply squad, she sent people to the battlefield.
To find out what that crazy guy was up to.
Just then, Bernap knocked on the wagon door.
“Lady, the spies have returned.”
A few people hesitantly approached Amelia behind Bernap.
They presented a dirty report, looking shabby and disheveled.
The report was hastily written on the way back, making it hard to read.
Amelia preferred receiving organized documents, but given the situation, the state of the report was poor.
She frowned slightly at the messy piece of paper but silently took the report and began reading.
Her hand flipping through the pages paused several times.
Eventually, Amelia looked up and asked, “Tell me in detail.”
The spies immediately started gesturing and miming the war process as soon as they had permission.
Bernap took a small step back at the sight.
‘It’s cute when she gets angry, but… I want to avoid being on the receiving end of it.’
Since Ghislaine snatched money from Amelia, she had been overreacting and acting cranky about him.
It would probably be no different this time.
Bastet, noticing Bernap’s movements and Amelia’s mood, wisely slid into a corner.
“Hmm… really?”
However, contrary to Bernap’s expectations, she simply nodded without saying much.
After a moment of contemplation, Amelia asked Bernap a question.
“How could they have set up such a trap? A magic powerful enough to swallow thousands of soldiers all at once… Was there a mage of that caliber? Did Perdium even have the resources for that?”
“Even a 7-circle mage would struggle. If they could use such magic, Duke Delphine would have turned the kingdom upside down as soon as he secured a 7-circle mage. To have that level of power, it must be at least 8-circles, don’t you think?”
“That’s right. Not even the court mages could pull this off. So who used such tremendous magic?”
“The only ones capable of that would probably be the ‘Guardian of the World Tree’ or the ‘Lord of the Undead,’ right?”
At that, Amelia chuckled and shook her head.
“…That can’t be it.”
Certainly, if it were them, they could cause such an incident by themselves, but they wouldn’t help Perdium.
Why would they, who live independently and have built their own power, show up in this backwater territory?
Just then, a satisfied smile unexpectedly appeared on Amelia’s lips.
“I get it.”
“What do you mean?”
“How someone like Perdium could use such amazing magic. There’s only one possibility.”
“What is it? Wait, could it be…?”
“It’s the Runestone. If they used a ton of Runestones, it would be possible. If flames shot up from the ground, they must have buried the Runestones in advance.”
Bernap made a face that said it was absurd.
“If that explosion was that massive, they must have used an astonishing amount of Runestones… Does that even make sense? That amount would equal Perdium’s budget for decades. Pouring all that into a trap?”
It’s a ridiculous, ignorant method.
But Ghislaine is the kind of guy who does things that defy common sense without hesitation.
“No, if it’s that crazy guy, then it’s definitely possible. Right, that’s what makes it manageable to take that kind of loss.”
Amelia was confident that no one understood Ghislaine better than she did.
No one could confidently say they understood Ghislaine better than her.
To deal with Ghislaine, one must not think according to the common sense of ordinary people.
As she reviewed the report again and visualized the situation in her mind, she wore a chilling smile.
“Did they really train the troops and move them this quickly? That brat has some skills after all. Or does he have another advisor or figure backing him? Maybe I’ve missed out on a good man.”
Bernap pouted, but Amelia lightly ignored him and plunged into deep thought.
There wasn’t enough information to be certain. She needed to gather a bit more intel and keep an eye on things.
“Let’s go back. We don’t need to be here any longer. And gather the kids immediately and have them stand by.”
Bernap asked dumbfoundedly at her sudden command.
“Gather the troops? Why?”
“Desmond’s been butchered, and you think my dad is going to sit idly by? That foolish, greedy old man wouldn’t do that.”
“…….”
“I’m sure he’ll find something to latch onto and attack Desmond as soon as the information comes in, right? Touching our ally Perdium! I found out a bit late, but I won’t forgive him even now! You know, making excuses like that.”
Bernap, unable to agree or disagree, scratched his head.
“What does that have to do with gathering our kids…?”
“Bernap, I always told you to think, didn’t I? Harold’s troops have flown away. A considerable number, too. What would happen if my dad decided to raise an army now?”
As Bernap stood there blankly, Amelia sighed and added.
“Does Harold not know that? Harold may be cunning, but he’s not an idiot. So what do you think he’ll do?”
“Won’t he request support from the Duke’s faction?”
“No. The Duke is currently pressuring the royal family. If the Duke raises troops, the royal family won’t sit still either. It would blow up into something too big.”
“Then what?”
“Right, he would hasten my rebellion. They have no other options left now. Thanks to that, I’ll end up with a half-baked Raybold.”
If the rebellion advanced hastily, the damage to the territory would also increase, meaning she wouldn’t be able to secure an intact territory.
Amelia let out a disgruntled sigh.
While it was a pity to see Raybold go to waste, what was currently stirring her anger was a different matter.
“Ghislaine, I really thought you were going to die this time, but you managed to survive again. At this point, I can’t chalk it up to luck alone. Such a disgusting little brat.”
She had denied it out of pride, but she had to admit it.
Ghislaine was not a foe to be taken lightly.
While anger boiled within her, she made an effort to stay calm instead.
The stronger the opponent, the colder she became.
This was the true face of Amelia that Ghislaine had been wary of.
“Ultimately, that guy bought himself some time. Desmond’s momentum has been broken, and the Duke is too busy with more significant matters, so he won’t be able to touch Ghislaine for now.”
“Perhaps it would have been better to act before the war?”
“Hmm…”
Amelia briefly pondered over Bernap’s question.
She had been sure at the time, but she couldn’t be certain now.
“For now, we need to secure Raybold and think it over.”
“How about just ignoring it and leaving it be? I get the feeling Perdium will handle it later anyway.”
Amelia sighed again.
While she desperately wanted to kill Ghislaine, there were many other tasks at hand. She couldn’t afford to waste time on personal grudges.
“Fine, let’s leave it for now. With Harold and Duke Delphine targeting him, he’ll probably die anyway. We need to focus on our own business.”
The Count Raybold position wasn’t the end; it was just the beginning. She had grander ambitions and goals.
“Of course, when the opportunity arises, I will definitely take him down.”
As Amelia uttered her final words, her expression was colder than ever.
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