509

Because I'll see the end of episode 509. (2)

"Lead us!"

"Please ascend to the throne!"

"Please drive out the Salvation Church and save this kingdom!"

Zwalter was taken aback by the enthusiastic response from the people.

"This, this… … ."

Almost all the people he had encountered on his way here had already followed him. Zwalter did not reject them, but accepted them all.

Since he was determined to become king anyway, he was able to accept the people. However, it was really not right to ascend to the throne so blatantly.

"What's going on? I heard that Jiselle had organized the capital, but I never heard of it being in this state."

Those who came with Zwalter were equally perplexed. They had only heard the news that the capital had been taken and the king had been killed.

It was understandable that people were excited. It would have been strange not to be happy that the tyrant was gone.

But I really didn't know that so many people would volunteer to become king.

"What will the other nobles and lords think then?"

Although several nobles accepted his appeal and agreed to join him, none of them agreed to let Zwalter Ferdium become king.

This is because the message that Zwalter sent was not about becoming king himself, but about stopping the king's tyranny.

After killing the king and reviving the existing council, he tried to ascend to the throne through proper procedures. If he accepted what the people wanted, he would have nothing to say even if the other nobles opposed him.

As Zwalter was too embarrassed to say anything, Claude, who had come along to help with administrative work, spoke.

"Your Majesty, people are very excited right now. I need to 'calm things down' so would it be okay if I step in for a moment?"

"Yes, yes."

Zwalter nodded obediently. Claude coughed a few times and stepped forward to shout.

"I am Claude, the General of Fenris and currently serving as the assistant to Marquis Ferdium!"

"Wow!"

As soon as the name Fenris was mentioned, people cheered. Claude loved that.

He continued speaking in a loud voice, his shoulders tense.

"I know your pain! How long have you suffered under the tyranny and oppression of the tyrant! In order to save you as soon as possible, the Earl of Fenris came first and killed the king!"

"Wow!"

"As expected, it is Earl Fenris!"

"He has killed the tyrant!"

Claude looked around and shouted, as if to say, "That's it."

"Who is the father of that Earl of Fenris!"

"This is Marquis Ferdium!"

"Who sent the proclamation and raised an army for you!"

"This is Marquis Ferdium!"

"Yes! It was Marquis Ferdium who raised an army to save the kingdom and sent his son, Earl Fenris, ahead of time to kill the king!"

"Wow!"

Zwalter, who had been watching quietly, blinked. He had been trying to calm her down, but it seemed like he was becoming more and more agitated.

Instead of calming down, everyone stood up, raised their hands, and started cheering. It seemed as if their excitement was reaching its peak.

Claude gestured to those people and shouted again.

"I will ask you once more! When all the nobles were afraid of the king and kept quiet! When they turned a blind eye to the suffering of the people! Only one person had the courage to raise an army for this kingdom! Who is that?"

Now not only the people of the capital but also those who followed shouted together.

"This is Marquis Ferdium!"

"Then who is truly fit to be king? Who can be called a true king who looks after the people?"

"This is Marquis Ferdium!"

"Yes! So Marquis Ferdium will become the new king of this Kingdom of Rutania!"

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

A hot heat enveloped everyone. Claude had confirmed it to everyone.

Although Jiselle already said it once, isn't it different if the person in charge comes and declares it himself?

"… … ."

Zwalter looked at Claude with a cold sweat running down his face. He had tried to calm him down, but he ended up creating a festive atmosphere.

When I looked around, everyone was smiling. The knights and soldiers of Ferdium were no exception.

Jiselle, who was watching with the same smile, patted Porisco on the side. It was meant to be a proper wedge drive while the mood was lively.

Porisco ran forward and shouted.

"Listen, everyone! I am the 'Archbishop' and 'Saint' Polisko, the representative of the four major religious orders of the Kingdom of Rutania!"

"Wow! It's a saint!"

First of all, Porisco's fame was no less than Giselle's here. When he came out, the people's cheers grew louder.

"On behalf of the Order, I, the Archbishop and Saint, Porisco, acknowledge the ascension of Marquis Ferdium to the throne! This is my will as the Archbishop and Saint, and also the will of the Goddess. Anyone who opposes is an infidel! The coronation will take place soon!"

"Wow!"

Several times Porisco repeated the words Archbishop and Saint, his ambition being to use this opportunity to firmly imprint them in the minds of the people.

Zwalter laughed in vain when things turned out this way. After all, has anything ever been done according to procedure with his son involved?

It seemed that he had no choice but to seek separate understanding from the nobles.

In fact, the nobles would not have been able to strongly oppose it. No one was bold enough to oppose what most of the people wanted. In the first place, the other nobles were no match for Ferdium in terms of military power.

Zwalter closed his eyes. He had never thought that he, a poor lord from the border, would end up in this position.

Although it's all thanks to my son, I didn't know I would be this popular.

After a moment of silence, he slowly opened his mouth.

"I am a weak person. All I can do is be with you. But if you want… … ."

The son-in-law was filled with silence. Everyone was waiting for Zwalter's next words.

Zwalter spoke to everyone with a kind smile.

"I will become the king of this country."

"Wow!"

Everyone cheered and rejoiced. It was the moment when the tyrant was finally gone and a new king appeared.

The fame of Marquis Ferdium was widely known. Even in the North, where life was so difficult, the people of the territory did not escape until the very end because of his virtue.

Even before Giselle showed her abilities, Zwalter led everyone as a good monarch.

Everyone knew that so well that they couldn't help but be so happy.

Belinda, who was watching the scene, sobbed and wiped away her tears. Giselle laughed beside her.

"What, are you crying again? Why do you keep crying like that these days?"

"You suffered all your life and then became king. So you don't cry? I wish Lady Annette could see this."

"I heard you two were against the marriage?"

"At first, yes. To be honest, what is there to see in the Marquis?"

Belinda didn't like Zwalter at first.

Zwalter was just a poor nobleman from the frontier. He married Annette, who had power equal to that of the king, and was even the most powerful woman in the kingdom?

Anyone who saw it would have been against it. It's only natural.

Belinda had grumbled many times when she was young.

- What's good about a person like that? He's poor and can't fight. He doesn't come from a prestigious family. He's not that good of a person.

Every time, Annette said with a soft smile.

- Appearances aren't everything. He's a good person.

At first, I didn't understand. But after spending many years with Belinda at Ferdium, I came to know her too.

His character was so noble that no one in the kingdom could match it.

Zwalter treated everyone equally, regardless of age, gender, gender, race, or nationality.

He also had a great sense of responsibility. No matter how difficult it was, he never gave up on Yeongjimin. He risked his life to protect them.

The people of Ferdium trusted such a lord and followed him to the end, risking their lives.

Although all the nobles ignored and ridiculed Zwalter, only Annette noticed this side of him.

And eventually, Zwalter ascended to the highest position in this kingdom.

Although he greatly benefited from Giselle's virtues, there was no one more fit for the throne than him.

'Annette will surely be watching from heaven.'

Belinda forced a smile at that thought.

Annette must be smiling happily, because the man she chose has finally ascended to the most noble and high position in the kingdom.

Zwalter and Ferdium's army confidently headed towards the castle.

The coronation was postponed for now. The entire kingdom was in shambles, and the Duke's army was on the move. There was too much work to be done immediately.

"Reduce taxes and distribute food generously. Also, tell the nobles to follow our advice for the time being. We will sort out the pros and cons later."

Although he declared that he would become king according to the will of all, he did not receive the consent of the nobles.

If others used that as an excuse to rebel, it would only benefit the Duke. For the time being, the nobles had to be appeased.

Fortunately, the nobles of the capital sided with Zwalter.

"The Marquis of Branford has issued a statement supporting the new king!"

"The Marquis of Macquarie also made the same statement!"

"The Earls of Aylesbury and Norton… … ."

The major nobles who had led the kingdom so far simultaneously issued statements of support as if they had made a promise.

Of course, they didn't come forward and take sides themselves. They just announced it through their agents, but that alone was a huge help.

As long as they have the support of the religious order and the powerful nobles of the capital, it becomes difficult for the local nobles to express their dissatisfaction.

That gave him a breath of relief, but that wasn't the only problem plaguing Zwalter.

"Ugh, there's so much to do."

Governing a remote territory was very different from running a kingdom. The king's nobles were so engrossed in the government that the finances were very limited.

Jiselle helped with that part.

"The men who ran away with their property are all being captured now. Support will continue to arrive from Fenris. All the officials will also need to be replaced, so please ask Claude for help with that."

"Yes, if stability is restored quickly, the people's lives will improve."

"The Countess of Aylesbury and the Marquis of Branford will also assist in the administration."

After defeating the king, Giselle first met Rosaline and Meriel. The two were very happy and welcomed Giselle warmly.

The abilities of these two people have already been sufficiently proven. They will be of great help in stabilizing the kingdom.

"You can leave the money management to two people for the time being. Never leave it to Claude."

"...i get it."

Officials will also come to Ferdium to help. Albert will be the Royal Treasurer, but Meriel and Rosaline will be joint treasurers.

As for other issues besides money, there was no need to worry too much, as Claude would help with his experience running Fenris. It would just take some time, but things would eventually stabilize.

Giselle, who had roughly summarized the urgent matter, spoke to Zwalter.

"I'm going to go now. I hear the fighting on the southern front is getting more intense."

Zwalter looked slightly worried at Giselle's words.

"You have to be careful."

"Don't worry. This time, I'll definitely finish it."

Jiselle chuckled.

The Northern Army was currently fighting the Duke on the Southern Front. He had to go quickly and join them.

If we can just eliminate the Duke House, the Kingdom of Rutania will quickly find stability. After that, all we have to do is eradicate the Salvation Church scattered across the continent.

Zwalter nodded with a stern expression.

"Yes, let's go. The Ferdium Army and the Kingdom Army will follow right behind."

There was no longer any threat to the capital. Zwalter planned to send all his forces to the southern front, leaving behind only a minimal security force.

Since moving together would inevitably be slow, this time only Jisel and the mobile force moved first.

The people of the capital gave them a great cheer as they left.

"Win this time too!"

"Please drive out the Duke and the Salvation Church!"

"Goddess! Bless the Fenris Army!"

Leaving the capital amid cheers from the people, Giselle and the Mobile Forces galloped toward the southern front.

At the same time, the Ferdium army and the royal army led by Randolph also began to move south.

* * *

The Western and Allied forces were waiting in a fort on the southern front. Their mission was to join the Northern forces and block the Duke's advance.

Gillian was given the overall command of the Southern Front, primarily because he was the most experienced and qualified to lead.

As a Duke, I couldn't miss this opportunity either. If I attacked from behind while the Ferdium Army was fighting the Kingdom Army, I could deal a huge blow.

They couldn't just let the royal army they were supposed to use be destroyed.

Indeed, when news reached them that the Ferdium Army and the Fenris Mobile Force were heading to the capital, the Duke immediately raised an army of 200,000 and began to advance north.

The two armies entered into battle as soon as they met. The Delphine army led by the First Sword of the Kingdom was incomparably stronger than those they had faced before.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

On both sides, magic and catapult stones were constantly being shot. The Salvation Church's superhumans also launched wide-range attacks from the air.

Even with the combined power of Vanessa, a member of the 7th Circle, and hundreds of wizards, they were unable to completely block the magic.

"Stop it! You can stop it!"

Under Gillian's command, the soldiers fought hard.

The number of troops gathered here was a whopping 200,000. Since the fighting power was similar, the operatives could not easily break through.

Thanks to the priests of the Salvation Church, the number of superhumans was greater, but each and every superhuman in the Northern Army was extremely strong.

As the battle dragged on, casualties between the two sides increased day by day. In particular, the Western and Allied forces, which were poorly trained, suffered the most.

As Gillian grew frustrated with the growing damage, Kaien, who led the Delphine army, also fell into deep thought.

"If Earl Fenris himself took action, the Royal Army would be unable to stop him."

Count Palantz must protect the royal family. It will not be easy to stop the suddenly moved Ferdium Army and Fenris Mobile Force with just the royal army.

To stop them, they would have to gather all the royal forces together, but there was no way they would make such a decision quickly.

As some more time passed, news came that the royal forces were continuing to surrender to the Ferdium forces.

"this...."

Cayenne gritted his teeth. The entire force of the royal army was moving towards them.

If they had all rushed to the southern front, even if we won, the damage would have been even greater.

Bad news kept coming.

"The lords… are coming here? Not to the capital?"

"Yes. It seems that he decided to join forces with Marquis Ferdium after receiving his urging. Ferdium asked him to block this place."

Up until now, we have been fighting each other and causing considerable damage, but this means that the opposing side has new troops. If we were not careful, the odds could have tilted in their favor.

If they backed down here, they would have to prepare for defense. That was not possible.

'We just have to take it down before Earl Fenris arrives.'

Then the rest will be easier to deal with.

"I guess I have to finish this quickly, even if it means pushing myself a little harder."

While Cayenne was so troubled, the faces of the Northern Army were filled with joy.

They welcomed the armies of the lords who joined one by one, because the more troops they had, the easier it would be to defend this place.

Of course, not all lords were welcomed warmly.

Gillian gritted his teeth, trying not to show it, as he watched the army approaching with sharp aura.

He bowed his head slightly to the figure riding in front.

"Are you here?"

"Yeah, it's been a while."

Amelia greeted him without hiding her annoyed expression. Behind her, 50,000 Leipold troops were waiting.

Gillian couldn't relax because she had a vague idea why Amelia was in a bad mood.

Jiselle had dragged her out again, half by threats and half by persuasion.