The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 331: Chapter 330: I Have So Many Questions. (2)

Chapter 331: Chapter 330: I Have So Many Questions. (2)

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Raul was not originally from the Lutania kingdom.

Even those within the Duke faction didn't know where he came from. He simply appeared one day, gained the Duke's trust, and was granted a title, taking charge of the Duchy's affairs.

At first, the long-serving vassals of the Duke fiercely opposed him, but those who voiced dissent mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

- Ever since that devil came to the Duchy, His Grace has changed.

People whispered, but no one could stop Raul, who now held all the power.

The Duke, far from intervening, handed everything over to Raul with the instruction to do as he pleased.

Raul's limited knowledge of the secrets surrounding the Forest of Demonic Beasts came from the oral traditions and documents gathered by the group he belonged to.

"The Forest of Demonic Beasts is an incredibly dangerous place. Even if the kingdom pours all its resources into conquering it, success isn't guaranteed. And afterward... when 'that day' comes, we'll need a large force.'

This was why Raul hoarded his forces with near-obsessive caution. The aides didn't understand the full reasons; they simply followed orders, knowing that it was the direction given by the Duchy.

Over time, Raul painstakingly swayed the nobles, expanding the Duchy's power while steadily diminishing the strength of the royalist faction.

The Duchy, already the kingdom's most powerful force, found everything progressing smoothly—until Ghislain appeared.

'I never imagined that man would amount to this. It's unbelievable.'

Raul had met Ghislain in person during Marquis Branford's banquet. Even back then, he thought Ghislain was quite impressive: a man who won battles, created innovative products, and amassed enormous wealth.

What stood out most was Ghislain's courage. He didn't flinch in Raul's presence; in fact, he even stared at Raul with a look of deep resentment, which Raul found peculiar.

Still, Raul had believed Harold could handle him. At the time, the gap between Harold and Ghislain was significant.

'But that man... has now defeated Harold and is called the strongest in the North.'

Calling it a mistake on Raul's part didn't feel adequate-Ghislain's accomplishments were too extraordinary.

Even from the available information, Ghislain's actions defied explanation. It felt as though he knew everything about them in advance.

"That's impossible.'

Raul shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

'It doesn't matter now. The moment he touched the Forest of Demonic Beasts, there was no turning back.'

When Raul heard that Ghislain had begun pioneering the Forest of Demonic Beasts and obtained rune stones, he wasted no time in ordering Harold to destroy Perdium.

The Forest of Demonic Beasts was that crucial to Raul.

'I never thought anyone would dare touch it... but that whelp had the audacity to do so. And he succeeded.'

Though Ghislain had only entered the outskirts, his success in the Forest of Demonic Beasts was an affront to Raul.

Harold had subsequently launched an attack using Digald but failed.

That failure marked the beginning of a series of complications that led to the current situation.

"It can't be helped. I'll personally tear that Fenris brat apart someday. For now, prepare for the larger operation."

"You mean..."

Raul's voice turned cold as he replied,

"Yes, I've decided. Prepare for civil war, but ensure we can achieve victory with minimal casualties. In the meantime, sway as many individuals to our side as possible."

"Understood."

The aides left with grim expressions.

Civil war was not the same as a territorial skirmish.

It meant that all the lords and nobles of the kingdom would split into two factions and fight.

The Duke didn't seem to care about the potential losses, but others did.

Even in war, victory with minimal damage was essential for what came next.

Preparation would be critical, and every effort had to be made to avoid mistakes.

Once the aides had left, Raul was left alone, deep in thought.

"I still can't figure him out."

He wasn't thinking about Ghislain.

He was referring to the one he served-Ernheart.

It was Raul and his organization that had approached the Duke, revealed the Duchy's secrets, and guided him onto a new path.

Even so, he couldn't fathom what Ernheart was thinking.

The Duke had given Raul complete control, allowing him to lead as he saw fit, but the

occasional glint of cold malice in the Duke's eyes unsettled him.

When Raul first met Ernheart and revealed the secrets of the Duchy, enlightened him to his mission, the Duke had smiled and said,

"So I am indeed special. A part of my long-standing doubts has been resolved."

The Duke calmly accepted his mission.

However, his subsequent actions were shocking even to Raul.

Ernheart killed his own wife and annihilated her family.

"There were rumors of the Duchess's infidelity. Overcome with rage, he acted out of

grief."

People sided with the Duke, reasoning that someone as kind and good-natured as him wouldn't act without cause.

Later, the Duke killed his own children.

-- "They plotted to overthrow their father. Such treachery is unforgivable."

Once again, people sided with the Duke.

Then, the Duke killed all his siblings and every member of his extended family. No man,

woman, or child of the Duke's bloodline was spared.

Even those who had left the family were hunted down and killed. If their descendants existed, they were also executed. Any resistance led to the destruction of their entire families.

By this point, no one could justify the Duke's actions. His wholesale slaughter left no excuse

or justification.

When the last of his kin was slain, the Duke, drenched in their blood, smiled and said,

—— "At last, I have gained a sliver of freedom. I have severed one of the heavy chains that

bound me."

Rumors of the Duke's madness began to spread after that. Even the few who still supported him speculated that Raul had orchestrated these atrocities, concocting conspiracy theories to

rationalize it.

But Raul had never asked for any of this.

He hadn't anticipated such actions from the Duke, nor did they serve any purpose for their

grand plan.

Yet the Duke had carried out the slaughter, handed everything over to Raul, and secluded

himself.

To this day, Raul didn't know why the Duke had done such things.

"Maybe he really is insane..."

Raul clicked his tongue and shifted his focus. Whether the Duke was mad or not didn't matter

to Raul. His mission was to secure Lutania and the Forest of Demonic Beasts.

Raul's gaze fell on the massive map before him. It didn't only depict Lutania but the entire

continent, with all its nations and independent factions marked.

In certain areas, blazing black suns were drawn.

"Not much longer now." Soon, one of those symbols would adorn Lutania. That was Raul's ultimate goal.

***

"So that bastard has gone to the Forest of Demonic Beasts again?"

Amelia frowned upon hearing Bernaph's report.

Ghislain had already made an enormous fortune from his first exploration into the Forest of

Demonic Beasts using the funds he had extorted from her.

Honestly, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Ghislain's rise to power was largely thanks to

her.

Hearing about the Forest of Demonic Beasts always put her in a foul mood.

At Amelia's sharp tone, Bernaph hesitated and replied, "Yes. According to reports from our spies, he recently led his forces into the forest."

Rayfold's proximity to the north gave it quicker access to information about Fenris than the

Duke faction.

Additionally, Ghislain's lifting of territorial restrictions meant that spies swarmed Fenris.

While critical facilities and sensitive information remained hidden, they now had a clearer understanding of the general state of the territory.

"Hmm... will he succeed this time as well?"

"Most likely. He's already succeeded once, hasn't he? If only we'd known about the valuable

resources there earlier, we could've claimed them ourselves."

Bernaph's thoughts were straightforward. Ghislain was strong, as was the Fenris military.

If they'd succeeded once, they could undoubtedly do so again.

But Amelia's perspective differed.

It wasn't that she doubted Ghislain's success, but rather the method.

"If it were that easy, the Forest of Demonic Beasts would've been developed long ago."

As someone from the north, Amelia knew the forest's grim reputation.

It was shrouded in ominous rumors and deemed commercially unviable. For centuries, there had been attempts to develop the Forest of Demonic Beasts.

The ancestors of Perdium had tried, as had other northern lords in collaboration.

All had failed, leaving the forest a taboo.

Records of these failures were well-known, so Amelia couldn't help but wonder.

'How did he do it? At the time, Ghislain didn't even have overwhelming strength.'

Even Perdium, despite its poverty, boasted seasoned soldiers with extensive experience in the

north.

Yet Ghislain accomplished what they couldn't. It didn't make sense.

The more she pondered, the more frustrated she became, unable to unravel the mystery.

Then, Bernaph made an unexpected remark.

"Some lunatic claims to have ventured into the Forest of Demonic Beasts with Count Fenris.

He spills stories like that when he's drunk. The rumors are pretty entertaining, though.

Apparently, there are monsters like nothing we've ever seen."

"What?"

Amelia tilted her head.

It was well-known that Ghislain's knights included mercenaries who had accompanied him

into the Forest of Demonic Beasts.

Not a single one of them had defected; all had become loyal knights of Fenris.

There shouldn't be anyone else who had been to the forest.

"Weren't the mercenaries who first entered the Forest of Demonic Beasts with Ghislain now

all his knights?"

"Exactly, which is why no one takes the claim seriously. Fenris's knights are famous now, so

this guy is dismissed as just some drunk spinning tales. I've seen him myself, and he doesn't

look like someone who'd survive the Forest of Demonic Beasts."

"What does he say?"

"He talks about how he tagged along and fought all sorts of monsters. He badmouths Count

Fenris a lot, too. It's all nonsense, really. I just brought it up because the Forest of Demonic

Beasts was mentioned."

Amelia fell silent, her mind churning. "What kind of monsters does he talk about?"

"Uh... something about creatures immune to attacks without light? He says there were

hundreds of them, and you couldn't kill them without mana. Supposedly, Count Fenris had prepared light scrolls in advance, using them to lure and kill the monsters all at once. But honestly, does that make any sense? How could anyone know about such creatures without any prior information on the Forest of Demonic Beasts? Even as a made-up story, it's too far- fetched. Hahaha."

Bernaph waved his hand dismissively and laughed.

But Amelia didn't laugh.

The atmosphere grew cold, and her cat, Bastet, meowed in disapproval.

"Meow!"

Bernaph quickly stopped laughing, scratching his head awkwardly.

Amelia, still wearing a cold expression, seemed lost in thought.

Then, she spoke. "Bring him to me."

"What? That braggart? Why?"

"Immediately."

"Y-yes, understood!"

No one dared to defy her command. Soldiers moved swiftly to capture the man from the

rumors.

When he arrived, he looked unkempt and reeked of filth, as if he hadn't bathed in days. "H-honored lady, I greet you."

The man, with a rodent-like face, prostrated himself before Amelia, who sat at the head of

the chamber.

It wasn't just because she was the lord; he genuinely held some gratitude toward her.

Amelia had distributed food across Rayfold's towns and villages, ensuring no one starved.

The man had stayed in Rayfold ever since. Amelia frowned slightly at the man's appearance.

He looked like nothing more than a drunken fool who spouted nonsense.

Still, she didn't dismiss him outright. Instead, she asked,

"So, you're the mercenary who claims to have ventured into the Forest of Demonic Beasts

with Count Fenris?"

The man's expression grew tense.

It was supposed to be a secret, but in his drunkenness, he had let bits and pieces slip.

It seemed the rumors had spread.

After hesitating, he sighed and admitted,

"Yes, I've been to the Forest of Demonic Beasts."

His calm response piqued Amelia's interest.

"What is your name?"

"My name... is Manus."

The man was none other than Manus, the mercenary who had fled during Ghislain's encounter

with the Blood Python.

Miraculously, he had survived and had been hiding in Rayfold ever since.

"And your occupation?"

"Well... I've been taking a break, but I used to be a mercenary." Amelia questioned Manus about his background before getting to the point.

"I'm curious about the Forest of Demonic Beasts. Tell me everything you experienced there."

Manus's eyes gleamed slyly.

"The honored lady wants to hear my story?"

Initially, he had intended to keep his experiences a secret, but he had already let slip too much

in his drunken ramblings.

Now that it was out in the open, he decided to use this opportunity to his advantage.

Manus, a man prone to complaints and manipulation, thought this was his chance to extract a

reward and leave Rayfold for good. Feigning a solemn tone, he replied,

"It's not difficult to share my story, but I have a small request for the honored lady."

"What is it?"

"This information cost me my life to obtain. I'd like a modest compensation for sharing it."

"Compensation?"

Daring to haggle over information with her?

A cold smile spread across Amelia's face.

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