Hearing the news, Ghislain shook his head.
'I told them to run.'
Before the alliance split paths due to Hellnik, Ghislain had sent word to the Grimwell Kingdom. They had been given more than enough time to escape.
Still, Ghislain had expected they wouldn't flee.
'Prideful to the core, as expected.'
The Grimwell Kingdom had always been a military powerhouse, rivaling even the Lutania Kingdom. This strength stemmed from the three pillars of the kingdom—their renowned superhumans.
'They are strong, no doubt… but…'
The Salvation Church is stronger. Even without the half-completed priests, they have many strategic weapons in the form of superhumans. Among them is Aiden, who would later be counted among the Seven Greats of the continent.
But what was even more fearsome was—
'Count Bipenbelt, the master tactician.'
At the thought of him, Ghislain felt a pang of bitterness.
In his previous life, when the veiled Artrode Kingdom had fought alongside the human alliance, Ghislain had often been awed by Count Bipenbelt's tactical brilliance.
Of course, Count Bipenbelt had also been deeply impressed by Ghislain's prowess in battle. The two had mutually respected each other as comrades-in-arms.
When Ghislain first returned to the past, he had briefly entertained the idea of recruiting him. But once he realized the Artrode Kingdom was colluding with the Salvation Church, such a thought became impossible.
'One of us must die for this to end.'
Ghislain cast off his lingering regret.
Despite their commanders, superhumans, and elite forces, the Grimwell Kingdom was no match for the Salvation Church.
Having ignored his warning and chosen to fight, their fate was predictable. The royal capital had fallen, and even their king had been captured.
A messenger followed up with additional information.
"The entire territory has not yet been occupied! The Artrode forces have concentrated solely on capturing the royal capital. Lords from surrounding regions are mobilizing their armies."
Ghislain nodded. Most people wouldn't understand the Salvation Church's strategy. This war wasn't merely between nations; it was a war between humanity and the Salvation Church. Capturing a king didn't mean the conflict was over. Total occupation and annihilation were necessary, leaving no need for pretense or justification.
Yet Ghislain understood the Salvation Church's urgency.
'Holy relic.'
Had Gartros obtained the holy relic he sought? What other holy relics might they be after besides this necklace?
Ghislain recalled the vision of the saintess he'd seen in his dream.
'Yes… it's certain…'
The saintess had been wearing the very same necklace.
And there was one more thing. On her wrist, there had been a bracelet. Much like the necklace, it was an unassuming piece.
'Could it be that?'
Though he wasn't certain, it felt likely. Given that he had recovered the saintess's goblet, he was curious about how he might confirm it.
Lost in thought, Ghislain suddenly chuckled to himself.
'These strange dreams… Those people have certainly stirred up my curiosity.'
In the past, he might have dismissed such things. Yet this time, he found it difficult to simply ignore. There was something deeply unsettling, pulling at him in ways he couldn't shake.
'That adversary… He seemed immensely powerful. Is he the so-called king the Salvation Church speaks of?'
The adversary had reminded him of himself when amplified by Dark. However, during his days as the mercenary king, before acquiring Dark, Ghislain had never wielded such power.
Could that adversary possess something akin to Dark?
Not knowing Dark's true nature, Ghislain couldn't say for certain. Still, with every dream, a peculiar unease grew within him, as if something had been lost.
'Why do I keep dwelling on these dreams?'
Shaking off his thoughts, Ghislain refocused. Distractions were dangerous.
Whether it was dreams or the Salvation Church's strategies, what mattered was acting on their own plans, not being swayed.
"Sweep through the rest. Afterward, we'll advance to the Grimwell Kingdom. Send word to Grimwell's remaining lords not to engage rashly."
Returning to the original plan, Ghislain pressed forward.
The Lutania army, while slow-moving due to its size, was swift in battle. As a result, their overall advance was quicker than other allied forces.
The allied forces steadily occupied strongholds. With Lutania handling the most formidable fortresses, their task was relatively easy.
Receiving regular updates via Dark and messengers, Ghislain maintained his composed demeanor.
"This won't take long."
The remnants of the Artrode forces were no match for the allied forces. Even they must have known that.
Still, they clung on. To supply their main force attacking Grimwell, they had to maintain control over Artrode.
If the Artrode Kingdom fell, the main force in Grimwell would find it difficult to continue the fight.
Count Bipenbelt surely knew this.
'They'll take what they can here and procure the rest locally.'
The Grimwell Kingdom would soon face relentless plundering, rendering recovery impossible.
The Lutania army advanced slowly but steadily.
When they reached a particular fortress, Ghislain noticed something unusual.
"…They've fled."
The fortress was abandoned. Clearly, the defenders had concluded they couldn't win and evacuated.
Still, they wouldn't have fully retreated. Their goal must have been to hold out long enough to transport as many supplies to Grimwell as possible.
Indeed, the Artrode forces had shifted their approach.
Apparently aware of the Operation Meteor, they had abandoned all strongholds along Lutania army's path to consolidate their forces at one location.
Looking at the assembled forces, Ghislain smirked.
"…It makes sense, but…"
This was their best option. If they couldn't fight back piecemeal, their only choice was to concentrate their strength and attempt a single decisive blow.
Approximately 100,000 troops were gathered. Though the forces were drawn from various strongholds, this wasn't a number Artrode could reasonably sustain.
A closer look revealed that not all of the 100,000 were in good condition.
Realizing their true nature, Ghislain shook his head.
"Recruits."
In the absence of their main force, Artrode's defenders were mostly the meager garrisons left behind.
Now, with Operation Meteor rendering their fortresses untenable, they had resorted to filling their ranks with recruits to make up the numbers.
Even as one of the continent's wealthiest nations, it was impossible for Artrode to field 100,000 trained soldiers in their current state.
Surveying the recruits, Ghislain frowned.
"…Did they really think this would work? Pathetic."
Most of the front lines consisted of young boys and elderly men. Their equipment was inadequate, and fear was evident on their faces.
The proper soldiers and knights were positioned at the rear, using the recruits as cannon fodder to wear down the Lutania army.
"Waaaaaaaah!"
The Artrode army suddenly let out a battle cry and charged. Lacking sufficient mages, their only viable tactic was to attack first.
Unfazed, Ghislain watched the approaching enemies.
Their attempt to muster courage by shouting was obvious, but their faces betrayed the terror of death.
"…"
It was a pitifully disorganized charge, almost embarrassing to watch. Clearly, they had received no proper training—their formation fell apart almost immediately.
Some young recruits cried as they ran forward, while an old man stumbled and was trampled by his own comrades.
Ghislain observed the pitiful recruits with a twinge of pity.
"Such is the nature of war."
Most of them had been dragged here against their will, pawns in the plans of those in power.
They had no say in their fate.
Even knowing this, Ghislain showed no mercy to those who stood in his way. In war, killing the enemy was the only way to survive.
But now, for once, Ghislain had the power to decide how this war would unfold.
"Prepare."
Ghislain spoke quietly.
Clang, clang, clang.
Suddenly, the knights dismounted and raised their shields. Kaor and the Assault Corps joined the knights.
Gillian, Tenant, and Belinda naturally moved to Ghislain's side.
Ghislain glanced at Parneil.
"Using holy power might make this easier."
"Shall we call for Jerome?"
"Not now. It would only confuse the enemy further. Besides, he's busy. This is a good chance to train the soldiers as well."
"Understood. I, too, am uneasy about this."
Dismounting from his steed, Ghislain signaled to the mages and priests in the rear.
"Let's begin."
Rumble!
A massive stone wall rose in the path of the charging Artrode forces.
Vanessa and the mages focused on blocking the enemy's advance rather than directly attacking.
Only a single gap remained in the center.
"Wha-what's this?"
The Artrode soldiers, mostly recruits, panicked. They had no means to climb or destroy the massive wall.
The enemy mages, preoccupied with protecting the commanders, offered no assistance.
"Move! Out of the way!"
"Head that way! That way!"
"Don't push!"
When the charge was blocked, the large mass of soldiers quickly became entangled. None of them knew what to do.
The recruits had no choice but to rush toward the single gap left open.
Watching them quietly, Ghislain extended his hand to the side. A knight handed him a short baton made of Galbanium.
Whoosh!
From various points within the Lutania army's formation, beams of holy light flared. Priests and Piote blessed the soldiers on the front lines.
Ghislain pointed the baton forward and gave the command.
"All troops... commence 'suppression' of the enemy."
As soon as he spoke, Ghislain surged forward.
The superhumans, knights, and the assault corps quietly followed him, each drawing short batons made of Galbanium from their belts.
Rumble!
The stone wall blocking the enemy's advance suddenly vanished, leaving the enemy's formation in complete disarray.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The mobile army raised their shields and detached the spearheads from their Galbanium spears, transforming them into sturdy rods.
Ghislain grinned as he watched the oncoming recruits.
"I never like giving the Salvation Church what they want. When they expect one thing, I always feel compelled to do the opposite."
Standing beside him, Parneil chuckled lightly and slammed her massive mace into the ground.
Boom!
"Aghhh!"
The ground trembled, causing the recruits to stumble and fall. Ghislain dove into the chaos.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
With precise movements, he wielded the baton, striking down the recruits. His blows were perfectly controlled—enough to incapacitate but not kill.
Thump!
The superhumans following him did the same, taking down the recruits as they moved forward. Knights shielded against any who tried to flank them, while the assault corps struck down those who pushed back.
Despite the overwhelming odds, the recruits continued to press forward. The assault corps struck down these desperate attempts, carving out a path.
Laughing heartily, Ghislain addressed the fallen recruits.
"Consider today a rigorous training session! Opportunities like this are rare!"
The recruits numbered nearly 80,000, seemingly gathered from every nearby town. Despite their overwhelming numbers, Ghislain pressed forward with the battle, treating it more as a "suppression exercise" than actual combat.
Knights and the assault corps grumbled as they pushed back the enemy with shields and batons.
"Ugh! Things have been too easy lately!"
"How long is this going to take?"
"Well, at least we're not the only ones doing the work."
Subduing an opponent is far more difficult than killing them. A single cavalry charge could have trampled the recruits in moments.
Still, as a training exercise, this was excellent. Fighting in a life-or-death situation while restraining oneself was both challenging and valuable.
Parneil refrained from direct combat, instead focusing her holy energy to monitor and heal allied forces.
Over time, the recruits began to lose their resolve.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
As soon as the mobile army arrived, they used their spear shafts to knock back the recruits, widening the gap.
The recruits' attempts to fight back were futile. Armed with Galbanium armor, the Lutania soldiers were impervious to their crude weapons.
Breaking through the Lutania army was impossible for the recruits.
"Our weapons can't pierce them!"
"Push them with your bodies!"
"How are we supposed to kill them?!"
Each recruit that charged was swiftly knocked down by a spear shaft. Those struck groaned in pain but were not killed.
Only then did the recruits begin to realize.
Their opponents were showing mercy.
An elderly man, sprawled on the ground, grabbed a young recruit struggling to rise.
"Stay down."
"What?"
"Just stay down. Duke Fenris is showing us mercy."
The young recruit, realizing the wisdom in the old man's words, quickly lay back down. Glancing around, he saw others groaning on the ground, not attempting to rise.
"I… I survived."
Lying there, the young recruit tried to steady his trembling heart. He had been certain he would die.
Only now did he truly notice his surroundings. The Lutania army was only striking down recruits—they weren't killing anyone.
Others began to understand the situation as well. They had charged recklessly, believing they were doomed, but now the circumstances had changed.
They were ordinary farmers, not soldiers. While they had been forced into this fight, they recognized that the invaders weren't the true enemy. The Salvation Church was the real evil on this continent.
Realizing they could live if they didn't fight, recruits began to fall deliberately, pretending to be incapacitated.
Finally, Ghislain had achieved the atmosphere he wanted.
Sensing the moment, Ghislain stomped his foot hard against the ground.
Boom!
The earth cracked, sending the recruits near him sprawling.
Simultaneously, Ghislain roared.
"Everyone, lie down! Only those who lie down will be spared!"
His voice thundered across the battlefield.
By now, the recruits had seen countless comrades fall before the Lutania army's might—none of whom had died. It was clear their enemies were holding back.
This was their final warning.
Their chance to survive was now.
One recruit threw down his weapon and dropped to the ground. Another quickly followed.
Before long, all 80,000 recruits of the Artrode army began discarding their weapons and collapsing to the ground, as if struck down by an unseen force.
[T/L: I am in dire need of support. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]