Chapter 194

Chapter 194: Go On Ahead and Wait (2)

Count Cabaldi could not hide his confusion as he met Ghislain’s gaze.

It was not the look of a victor. Instead, his eyes brimmed with unexplainable hatred and fury.

That made it even harder to understand.

He had no prior enmity with this brat. At most, it was something to be cultivated in the future.

Count Cabaldi blinked his eyes wildly and asked,

“You... you didn’t attack this place out of mere greed, did you? Then tell me—what’s your purpose in targeting me?”

“There are plenty of purposes. One of them is to kill you here.”

“Ha! Ha-ha-ha! Kill me? And then what? Do you think you and your father will get away unscathed? Your family and estate will be obliterated, not a blade of grass left behind!”

“You seem quite confident.”

“Of course, I am. So retreat now, while you can. You know who’s behind me. The Royal Faction won’t be able to protect you.”

Count Cabaldi sneered as he continued, his words dripping with mockery.

“I acknowledge your skills and wit. But you’re still young; you seem to lack a proper understanding of politics. The ducal families won’t just sit by. If you kill me, things will spiral out of control.”

“.......”

“This is your last chance. Spare me, and I’ll promise to cede half of the region’s iron ore production over the next twenty years during the surrender negotiations.”

Ghislain listened silently to the count’s desperate plea.

Count Cabaldi was certain Ghislain would accept his proposal.

Though he had lost this war, he remained a member of the Ducal Faction and a highly respected noble of the North.

If Baron Fenris were to seize this territory, he would inevitably face indigestion. The other nobles, especially the ducal families, would never let it pass quietly.

Even a fool could deduce that much.

“Sparing me would be far more beneficial to you than killing me. No matter how divided the factions may be, there’s nothing to gain from executing a surrendering noble. And it’s half, mind you! Half of the iron ore production!”

If Ghislain had been an ordinary noble, and if this war had been a mere dispute, he might have accepted these terms.

It would alleviate the political burden while granting immense profits. The prestige of defeating a northern powerhouse would be an added bonus.

However, Ghislain had not come here with such calculations in mind.

“What’s wrong? Do you think it doesn’t matter because a civil war is inevitable?”

“What, what?”

Count Cabaldi was flustered. The fact that the Ducal Faction was preparing for rebellion was a secret that could not be openly acknowledged.

The ongoing conflict with the Royal Faction had been intensifying, and while they likely had some inkling of this, there was no way they could outright admit it.

“What... What kind of dangerous nonsense are you spouting? Factional disputes are nothing more than petty power struggles...”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Count Cabaldi. Did you really think I wouldn’t know?”

“W-what are you saying...?”

“That the so-called neutral Count Desmond is devouring northern territories one by one under the orders of the Duke’s family.”

“W-what...?”

Count Cabaldi’s face turned pale with shock. How could this man be so certain of something that even the Royal Faction hadn’t confirmed?

But Ghislain wasn’t done yet.

“Do you think I’m merely guessing? Shall I go on? How about the fact that the Scarlet Tower is the Duke’s hidden weapon? Raised specifically to stab the Royal Faction in the back when the time is right.”

“You... you...”

“And the plan to incite rebellion within Raypold and take control of it? Not to mention supplying Amelia with iron ore and arming her forces.”

“W-what...”

“Over half of the northern lords have already fallen under Count Desmond’s control without even realizing it. Their retainers have been bribed, and their weaknesses exploited.”

“Y-you... Who are you? How do you...?”

Count Cabaldi shivered, his entire body covered in goosebumps.

This wasn’t conjecture. This man knew every scheme Count Desmond had orchestrated over the years.

Ghislain fixed Count Cabaldi with a piercing glare and continued.

“Baron Fenris has... launched a surprise attack on Count Cabaldi and surrounded him. Currently, Baron Fenris has deployed three thousand troops...”

The lieutenant repeated the detailed report on the current situation.

Harold, who listened with a terrifyingly stern expression, soon closed his eyes.

For once, he didn’t ridicule or dismiss Ghislain as he usually would. He simply suppressed his seething anger and silently reflected on everything that had led to this point.

Although he was furious enough to want to destroy everything, he had no choice but to conserve even that strength for now.

‘Was my judgment wrong?’

He had considered Ghislain a lesser priority, someone annoying but easily crushed when the time came.

But looking back now, was it merely Harold’s refusal to admit his own failure, writing it off as Ghislain having good luck?

In truth, nothing Ghislain had accomplished could be considered ordinary.

He had pioneered the Forest of Beasts, triumphed in the Battle of Ferdium’s Workshop, developed cosmetics, secured the support of the Royal Faction, and even purchased food in massive quantities as if he had foreseen the drought.

While Harold had been focused elsewhere, Ghislain had steadily advanced, growing at a terrifying pace.

‘This was my mistake. There’s no one else to blame.’

When Raul’s assessment came to him, he should have taken it more seriously. He should have eliminated Ghislain, even if it came with great risk.

Even now, Harold maintained that Ghislain’s success was more due to luck than skill. Predicting weather was impossible for anyone.

It was merely coincidence that Ghislain’s actions aligned with the migrant plan, leading to his massive success.

‘But he’s not a man of luck alone.’

It was time to admit it. Luck only favors those with the capability to seize it.

Ghislain didn’t let that luck slip away. Instead, he struck Count Cabaldi at a perfect moment. That level of judgment and decisiveness was no product of mere fortune.

Harold’s mind turned cold.

‘A wolf that bites into its opponent’s weakness.’

Count Cabaldi certainly possessed a formidable force of armored soldiers.

However, in a state of starvation, he wouldn’t dare to take the fight outside. One defeat would spell his end.

Instead, he would likely barricade himself in his castle, waiting for reinforcements.

‘Count Cabaldi cannot withstand a siege.’

The Cabaldi estate had always struggled with food supply issues. There was no way they had reserves sufficient to endure a prolonged war.

Normally, Harold would have sent large quantities of provisions to support them. However, all the stored supplies had already been sold off to Ghislain, leaving them too preoccupied with stabilizing their own situation.

They needed to resolve their own internal issues before they could consider aiding others.

And in that brief gap, Ghislain had struck.

‘Yes, it’s all because of him.’

Because of one brat, everything had started to unravel. What began as a small disruption had spiraled into an uncontrollable mess.

It meant Harold had misjudged the situation’s importance.

‘I was complacent. Both I and the ducal family.’

Raul had warned him about Ghislain, but Harold had dismissed it as less critical than Amelia’s matter.

Everyone had underestimated him, and now the consequences of that disdain had snowballed into a significant burden.

‘He even has the Royal Faction backing him. I need to completely crush him before he grows any further.’

The northern region, which had fallen into chaos, had to be reorganized. With that in mind, Harold decided to prioritize matters according to his judgment.

Regardless of the ducal family’s orders.

There was no need to report his decision. Submitting a report and waiting for a new discussion would take far too much time.

Looking at the lieutenant before him, Harold asked again.

“Amelia said before... if given permission, she would take care of preparing and executing the rebellion on her own, correct?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Tell her to proceed. I will grant her decision-making authority. Tell her to request anything she needs.”

“Pardon? My lord, wasn’t that the matter the ducal family had designated as the highest priority? Delegating such authority...”

Harold cut him off with an emotionless tone.

“From now on, our highest priority will be the destruction of Fenris and Ferdium.”