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Call Count Forde immediately!"

When Marquis Branford heard of the destruction of the 2nd Legion shortly before Desmond's forces attacked the fortress of Stonehaven, he was furious.

No one expected that Count Desmond would make such a sudden move.

Since they were gathering troops, everyone was somewhat nervous and expected a civil war to break out.

But I never dreamed that he would raise an army alone, without any warning, and annihilate the royal army.

Earl Forde, the 'Duke's Mouth' who was staying in the capital, was forcibly brought in and stood before the Marquis of Branford.

"Your Majesty, Marquis. I hope you have been well… … ."

"Count! Attacking Fenris without a justification! Is this what the Duke wants right now?"

"That, that Count Desmond has nothing to do with us… … ."

"Are you trying to make a joke in front of me right now?"

Earl Forwood bowed his head as the Marquis of Branford gave him a murderous look.

Earl Desmond had always maintained neutrality, but now everyone knew that he was a member of the Duke's party.

Since we are not fools, we already noticed it during the Cavaldi War.

Count Forde, who felt he could no longer evade his words, stammered and opened his mouth.

"I, I don't know what's going on right now. This is really Viscount Josef's… … no, it's not the Duke's will."

The Duke is preparing for civil war, but it is truly a last resort.

Raoul wanted to take control of the kingdom with minimal damage. That was why he was trying to attract the lords of each region through threats and persuasion, even though it was time-consuming and troublesome.

Leaving only those who will never be persuaded, making up a suitable excuse to kill them and easily take over the kingdom.

That was the Duke's basic strategy, until a guy named Giselle showed up and shook things up.

'But even Count Desmond can move on his own… … .'

Raoul was extremely angry. He was the type of person who hated having his board shaken.

Now, Count Desmond was no longer a comrade to Raoul, but a pawn he could manipulate.

"We… … promise that we will never interfere in this matter. We will not attack the Earl of Fenris."

The Marquis of Branford continued speaking as the Earl of Forde took a step back.

"You're going to pretend not to know even though it's something that happens in the same faction? And you're not going to take responsibility?"

"Didn't we interfere in Earl Fenris's business before? I wonder if Your Majesty would mind keeping your hands off… ."

It means that we should treat it as a personal matter like before.

The Marquis of Branford licked his lips. The Earl of Forwood looked at him and shook his head.

'Fenris is finished anyway. We can't defeat Earl Desmond. It doesn't matter whether the royalists get involved or not.'

It was a whopping 30,000 troops. It was obvious that Earl Fenris would not be able to hold out for long and would be beheaded. Even if the royalists tried to subdue Desmond afterwards, they would have to endure considerable blood loss.

Count Desmond is a man of great ability. His subordinates are also formidable. Perhaps the pro-Prince faction could have been defeated repeatedly and the war could have been prolonged.

'If that happens, it's to our advantage. We can start a civil war right away when we have the chance. It's not that we're stalling because we don't have the strength.'

The power of the Duke is immense. Even now, if they want to, they can turn the kingdom upside down.

However, the reason that a civil war does not break out is because Raoul, the brains of the Duke family, is obsessed with minimizing damage.

As if there was still room for strength even after taking over the kingdom.

Whatever the reason, Count Forde believed that the royalist faction was still alive thanks to Raoul's policies.

The Marquis of Branford, who had been glaring at the Earl of Forde, smiled, placing his hand on his forehead.

"You're really making things complicated. Fenris's destruction is a done deal, so now that it's come to this, let's have Desmond try to provoke us. If we attack, he'll fight and weaken us, and if we retreat, he'll safely eat Fenris. Either way, it's fine."

Earl Forde bowed his head without answering. After all, the Marquis of Branford probably didn't expect an answer when he said that.

The Duke drew the line that he had nothing to do with this matter. In that situation, there was nothing the royalist faction could do. Except fight Desmond after Fenris was destroyed.

The Marquis of Branford smiled coldly at the leisurely appearance of the Earl of Forde.

"I can't stand your tricks any longer."

"It is a misunderstanding. We do not want war, so we do not care, Your Majesty."

"Yes, I suppose so. I'm sick of your puns now, Toleo."

The Marquis of Branford called out to the knight commander who was standing next to him. Toleo bowed his head with an expression that said, "This is what I expected."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Put that guy in jail right now and arrest all the nobles of the Duke faction in the capital."

"I will accept it."

As soon as Toleo raised his hand, the knights around him immediately grabbed Count Forde's arms. The knights who followed Count Forde were also immediately subdued.

Count Forde cried out in bewilderment at the sudden turn of events.

"Huh? Huh? Your Majesty! What is the situation right now? I am in charge of the Duke's diplomacy! As per custom, I am responsible for ensuring my safety… … ."

"If Earl Fenris is defeated, I will cut off the heads of you and all the nobles of the Duke's faction and send them to the Duke."

"yes yes?"

Count Foud blinked in disbelief. Are you suggesting that we start a civil war over a little northern punk?

That wasn't all. Even more unbelievable statements were coming out of the Marquis' mouth.

"butler."

"Please give your order."

"Tell the 3rd Legion stationed closest to the North to immediately go to Earl Fenris's support."

"All right."

"Which territory among the current Peacock faction's territories has the weakest power?"

"The quickest places to hit are the Barony of Harrington in the north and the Barony of Colind in the east."

"Very well. Tell Marquis Macquarie to seize those two fiefdoms as soon as Earl Fenris is defeated. Desmond will raise a separate army and attack."

"...All right."

Despite the harsh orders, none of the vassals could stop the Marquis.

When the Marquis gives an order, it must be done. No one is allowed to go against the Marquis' authority.

The Marquis of Branford was a place that rolled like that.

Count Forde shouted with a look of delirium.

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"Your Majesty! You are waging war without a justification! You must not do this! Are you really trying to start a civil war? We have nothing to do with Count Desmond!"

Earl Forde could not believe, even when he saw it with his own eyes, that the Marquis of Branford had made such a decision.

No matter how much you favor Earl Fenris, why would you risk the fate of the royal family and the royalist faction for such a reason!

The Earl of Fenris, the Earl of Desmond, the Marquis of Branford, they all seemed to have gone mad.

The Marquis of Branford glared at the Earl of Forwood and growled.

"How long do you think I'll be dragged around by your tricks and wordplay? There's no need for a long story. If you want to live, you'll have to pray that Earl Fenris wins. Take me away!"

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Count Forde was dragged away, screaming almost like a scream.

A heavy silence fell over the palace. The vassals could barely breathe, crushed by the wrath of the Marquis of Branford.

It was only after a long time that the butler finally opened his mouth.

"Your Majesty… … Are you sure that's okay?"

The person who has done the most to avoid civil war so far has been the Marquis of Branford, because he knows the true power of the ducal family.

The defensive strategy of the pro-prince faction and the passive attitude of the dukedom were intertwined to maintain the current power structure.

Until a guy named Giselle showed up and shook the board, causing Earl Desmond to make a move.

The Marquis of Branford closed his eyes and sighed.

"Earl Fenris… … No, it seems like it was destined to turn out this way from the moment you accepted Giselle Ferdium."

I knew he was a great guy, but he grew up much faster than I expected. So it was inevitable that he would eventually run into Count Desmond at some point.

Count Desmond knows very well that he himself would be in danger if he did not thoroughly crush that sprout before it grew any bigger.

Marquis Branford also tried to protect Giselle until she grew up, even sending the royal army to her, but he really didn't know that his opponent would be so ignorant.

The butler answered with a slightly dark expression.

"The Third Corps will not arrive in time. They will have to turn back, as the fastest route is through the lands of the Dukes of the Peacock faction."

News has just arrived that the 2nd Corps has been annihilated. They may already be under siege.

The 3rd Corps was stationed further south than the 2nd Corps. Even if they set out immediately after receiving the order, it would take at least a month to reach Fenris Territory, as the roads were not yet fully completed.

The poor princelings of the North are of little help. Sending a small and poorly trained force will only result in losses.

The Marquis of Branford nodded as if he knew.

"The current Giselle cannot defeat Count Desmond. She will eventually lose."

"If you step down, you can save your life. Marquis Ferdium is still alive."

"Yeah, but I guess I'll have to spit out the Cavaldi region. Maybe even Fenris."

Then there would be no point in pushing Jiselle. How long would it take for him to recover after losing all his base and skills and becoming poor again?

It may never be possible, because Count Desmond will stand in the way.

And the destruction of Ferdium is only a matter of time. There is no way Count Desmond will leave any regrets behind.

"Anyway, Giselle is finished here. But we have to fight Earl Desmond. The Duke will just sit back and watch the situation unfold, waiting for our strength to wane."

"Your Majesty… … ."

"A civil war will happen someday. If that happens, it's better for us to start the fight first. Otherwise, we'll just be eaten up little by little like we are now, and we'll all die without being able to exert any strength."

With those words, the Marquis of Branford closed his eyes.

By his own decision, the royal family and the nobles of the royalist faction will all begin preparing for war. He wanted to avoid civil war, but in the end, it came to the point where he had to start it with his own hands.

There is only one way to avoid civil war and to accumulate some more strength.

It's Giselle who wins.

'That can't be true.'

Even for the greatest of men, that would be impossible. The Marquis of Branford shook his head and shook off his foolish thoughts.

Realistically, deploying more royal troops to provide protection was pointless. If a civil war broke out at any time, something similar to what happened now could happen again.

If Giselle had been stronger than she is now, the civil war would have started somewhere else first.

Thus, the commander of the 3rd Corps, Earl Clifton, quickly received orders from the Marquis of Branford.

"The objective is to support and rescue the Earl of Fenris. If it is determined that the Earl of Desmond is victorious and the Earl of Fenris is dead before the 3rd Corps arrives, then attack the Duke's Harrington Barony. Hmm, not easy."

He nodded several times and then called his adjutant.

"Prepare to depart as quickly as possible. We are going to assist Earl Fenris."

The 3rd Corps of the Royal Army, under the command of Marquis Branford, began to move towards Fenris.

* * *

It wasn't just the royalists who were in an uproar over Count Desmond's attack.

Zwalter Ferdium, Giselle's father who was now a Margrave, also looked dumbfounded upon hearing the news.

"The Earl of Desmond… …invaded Fenris? And he wiped out the Second Legion?"

"Yes! I heard they've already entered the Fenris territory!"

"This, this… … ."

Zwalter stumbled momentarily, unable to control his body at the shocking news.

I knew that a war would break out someday. After all, Count Desmond was behind the Battle of Ferdium.

But it is true that after joining the royalist faction, those worries were somewhat alleviated.

In the end, when a civil war breaks out, the Duke's faction and the Prince's faction fight together. Jiselle and herself thought they would be able to take on one of the axes.

"I never thought I would be fighting Count Desmond alone… … . I never thought he would attack the Royal Army… … ."

Zwalter muttered, still in disbelief. He had thought that it could be possible, but he really didn't expect it to come so suddenly.

"Brother! Come to your senses!"

Zwalter, who had been in a daze, felt his heart sink at Randolph's shout and came to his senses with a start.

This can't be happening now. The news reaching Perdium meant that a battle had already begun.

"That, that's right. Let's, let's go help Jiselle right now… … . Wait, what about the fortress? Leave a guard at the fortress… … ."

Even for a veteran like him, Desmond's sudden invasion was quite a shock.

Desmond is known as the strongest man in the North. It is said that he raised a 30,000-strong army there. This time, I really thought that my son might die.

No, maybe he's already dead. At that thought, Zwalter's mind went blank again.

"Then reorganize the troops… … Ferdium should also prepare… … ."

Randolph shouted, grabbing Zwalter's flustered arms.

"Brother! Come to your senses! Shouldn't we quickly mobilize the entire army and go to the Archduke's aid?"

"Yes, so the troops to be left in the fortress… … ."

"What does that matter? We're in a ceasefire anyway!"

"I can't trust them. So I'll send a surveillance force… … ."

Zwalter had difficulty making quick decisions as he was weighed down by the weight of his responsibilities and his concerns for his son.

In the previous Cavaldi War, some of the troops were left behind in the fortress and moved.

At that time, since Jiselle was attacking, there was room to choose whether to help her or persuade her to back off.

But now, things are completely different. Giselle has to stop Desmond's army. Even a single trainee would be in bad shape.

"Brother! Anyway, without the Archduke, everything is useless!"

"what?"

"This fortress! Food! Mana cultivation methods! Barbarians! Even the development of our Ferdium! None of this could have been solved without the Archduke!"

"...."

Randolph shouted again, continuing to shake Zwalter's arm, who could not even answer.

"So even if this place is taken over! Even if the North is on fire! If we have the Archduke, we can take it all back! Let's abandon it! Since we've made a ceasefire, let's trust those barbarian bastards and abandon this place!"

"Should I throw it away… …here?"

For Zwalter, who had spent his entire life guarding the fortress, abandoning it was like giving up his sense of responsibility.

In particular, the leader of the barbarians, Woroka, was untrustworthy. That sinister man was forced into an agreement by Giselle's force.

Since we had already obtained some of the food, if we left now, he might try to take over the fortress again.

What if he heard the news of Jiselle's death? It was obvious that Waroka would become even more arrogant and violent. He would lose both his son and the fortress.

If that happens, it will be difficult to retake the fortress, and the barbarians' raids will become more severe. The North will fall into war again.

Still, Randolph spoke as if it didn't matter.

"The Archduke is going to die! Your son is going to die! How long are you going to live for others? If you've lived like that your whole life, then it's time to stop! Take care of your family too! Don't you feel sorry towards your dead sister-in-law?"

"you...."

"Do you think we'll be safe if Fenris falls? Do you think Earl Desmond will let us live? Elena will die too! Ha, damn it! Brother! Why have you suddenly become such an idiot! Come to your senses!"

Zwalter, hearing Randolph's words, came to his senses as if he had been splashed with cold water.

That's right. Even if we defend the fortress, it's over if Fenris falls. After all, Earl Desmond had intended to destroy Ferdium in the first place.

If things continued like this, both Fenris and Ferdium would be destroyed. The situation was so serious that there was no room to worry about anything else.

Zwalter, who had come to his senses, pushed Randolph away and said:

"… … Okay. Let's start by saving Giselle first."

Crack!

Zwalter slapped his cheeks hard as if to urge himself and shouted.

"All troops, without exception, move to Fenris! Send a messenger and tell Homer to prepare in advance!"

Every single man in the fortress was called in, for they had already heard of Desmond's invasion of Fenris.

The strongest territory in the north, a large army of 30,000 people. Even after hearing the shocking news, they were not afraid at all. Instead, their will to fight began to burn even brighter.

There was a reason why they could do this.

Skoban, who had come to deliver military supplies and was caught helping out again, drew his sword and shouted loudly.

"The Archduke is in danger!"

Other knights and soldiers also took up their weapons at the same time. To them, Giselle was now the hero and benefactor of Ferdium. They could not leave her to die like this.

They all shouted together loudly.

"This time, we will go to help the Archduke!"

"Wow!"

With a loud cheer, the Ferdium army also began to advance towards Fenris.