Boom! Boom! BOOM! “Arghhhhh!” As Ghislain charged into the Delphine army’s central formation, the front ranks began to crumble immediately. Count Kandore, who had been momentarily dazed, snapped back to his senses at the sight. “Mages! What are the mages doing? Why aren’t they attacking?!” The mages, too, had been momentarily frozen in shock. The Salvation Order’s priest, their supposed trump card, had been struck down without even putting up a proper fight. “Hurry! Attack now!” Snapping out of their stupor, the mages began casting their spells. As expected of an army with high-circle mages, powerful magic surged forth. Thud, thud, thud! Even so, the Fenris cavalry showed no signs of slowing. There were those among their ranks specifically prepared to handle such attacks. “Endairon.” Wooooosh! Ereneth summoned a high-tier water elemental, conjuring a vast barrier of water. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The spells raining down from the sky collided with the watery shield and dissipated harmlessly. “By the Goddess!” Crash! Parniel slammed his mace into the ground, sending a shockwave of divine energy rippling outward. RUMBLE! The radiant ground blocked the magic welling up from beneath the earth. The mages stared in disbelief, their eyes wide with shock. “Wh-what is happening?” “This isn’t magic! It’s elemental and divine energy!” “Who are these people?!” Confusion and panic spread among the mages. Who could wield such overwhelming power that dozens of high-circle spells could be nullified so easily? With their magic rendered ineffective, the mages were at a loss. They could do nothing but gape at the approaching Fenris army. This was a force that included three individuals who would later be recognized as among the continent’s top seven. It was only natural that the 5th Corps stood no chance against such might. Boom! Boom! BOOM! “Arghhh!” Ghislain and the Black King tore through the Delphine ranks, dismantling their formation with shocking ease. Each strike of Ghislain’s spear sent dozens of soldiers flying, leaving devastation in its wake. Following closely behind him, Ereneth, Parniel, Belinda, and Gillian plunged into the fray. “Stop them! Stop them!” The four transcendents cut through the enemy ranks like a hurricane. The Delphine knights who tried to intercept them were quickly overwhelmed. Rumble! Ereneth’s earth elemental caused sections of the Delphine formation to collapse, sowing chaos. Boom! Boom! BOOM! Parniel and Gillian’s weapons swung with devastating force, cutting down soldiers in droves. Slash! Slash! Slash! Belinda’s daggers flew through the air, targeting and eliminating enemy knights with surgical precision. The Delphine formation crumbled in moments. Through the gaps, the Fenris cavalry charged, their momentum unstoppable. BOOM! “Arghhh!” With their formation shattered, the Delphine forces were powerless to stop the cavalry’s assault. The charge trampled over them like a tidal wave, leaving no room for resistance. This was no battle—it was a slaughter. Count Kandore clutched his spinning head, overwhelmed by despair. “So, this is the difference...” Even though his soldiers were starving and exhausted, he hadn’t expected them to be defeated so easily. No matter how powerful Count Fenris was, he had believed the Salvation Order’s priest could at least put up a fight. He had been gravely mistaken. This misconception, more than anything, had led him to repeatedly clash with Fenris. He simply couldn’t grasp that his opponent was beyond conventional understanding. Boom! Boom! BOOM! The black horse rampaged closer, its rider cleaving through soldiers as if they were mere weeds. Each swing of his spear decapitated dozens at once. Count Kandore realized that the time had come to make his final decision. “This is it...” But he wasn’t ready to die just yet. BOOM! With each thunderous explosion, Ghislain cut through the forest of soldiers, leaving a clear path in his wake. Kandore dismounted, his trembling hands barely steadying his sword. As he faced the blood-drenched figure charging toward him, he involuntarily swallowed hard. Thud, thud, thud! Ghislain, too, noticed Kandore, channeling energy into his spear. One throw, and Kandore’s head would be obliterated. Ghislain tightened his grip on his spear, ready to hurl it, when... “I surrender!” Kandore dropped to the ground, prostrating himself as he shouted. “Huh?” Ghislain hesitated, lowering his spear in surprise. Never before had a commander of the Delphine army surrendered—neither in this life nor in his previous one. The unexpected sight brought an involuntary laugh to his lips. Meanwhile, Kandore continued shouting from his position on the ground. “I surrender! All of you, stop fighting! Drop your weapons and lie down!” All across the Delphine ranks, similar cries erupted. “Do not resist!” “Lie down!” “Drop your weapons! We surrender!” Already on the back foot, the soldiers obeyed without hesitation. “We surrender!” “Please, don’t kill us!” “We’ve dropped our weapons!” Weapons clattered to the ground as soldiers dropped to their knees. The Fenris cavalry, caught off guard, paused their advance, turning their eyes to Ghislain for guidance. The battlefield grew eerily silent as the momentum evaporated. Clop, clop. Ghislain guided the Black King slowly across the battlefield, weaving between the prostrate soldiers. Stopping in front of Kandore, Ghislain spoke. “I never thought I’d see a proud noble of the South grovel like this.” “...There’s no need for unnecessary sacrifices.” “I didn’t expect you to go this far.” “I wanted to make my intentions clear.” “Well, you’ve certainly done that.” In the chaos of the battlefield, such a blatant surrender was indeed hard to misunderstand. As the heat in Ghislain’s voice faded slightly, Kandore cautiously got to his feet. “I repeat: we surrender. Please treat us as prisoners according to custom.” “Hmm, custom, is it?” According to tradition, captured nobles could pay a ransom for their release and would be treated with respect until then. But Ghislain wasn’t known for respecting such traditions. If anything, he and Amelia—the Usurper—were infamous for breaking them. Even Kandore knew this, but he pressed on cautiously. “You may not know this, but all our vassals have family members held hostage by the ducal house. We had no choice but to participate in the war.” “So, you want me to spare your life?” “...Yes. I’m not asking for luxury, just the bare minimum of respect.” Ghislain tilted his head, studying Kandore’s face closely. The man’s features stirred something in his memory, growing clearer as he delved deeper into his past life. “You’re Count Kandore, aren’t you?” “...That’s correct.” “You must care deeply for your family, seeing as you were forced into this war for their sake.” “Ahem, of course. Anyone would.” “True, true. If your family’s being held hostage, I suppose you’d have no choice.” Ghislain nodded a few times before speaking again. “I don’t have a habit of killing those who surrender. There’s no fun in it.” A faint smile crossed Kandore’s lips. ‘This fool... As soon as I return, I’ll ensure this humiliation is avenged. I’ll make him pay for this disgrace.’ Kandore had already resolved to endure this indignity for the sake of survival. Forcing a composed expression, he said, “That’s an admirable belief. Shall we discuss the terms of our surrend—” Thunk! “Huh?” Pain exploded in Kandore’s chest as he looked down slowly. Ghislain’s spear had pierced his heart. “Cough!” Blood gushed from Kandore’s mouth as he raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief. “Why...?” Hadn’t Ghislain just said he wouldn’t kill those who surrendered? Ghislain smirked coldly as he replied, “But you’re an exception.” In his past life, Ghislain had investigated many nobles before the war began. After the Delphine duchy seized the kingdom, Kandore had been richly rewarded. Yet his actions afterward were unforgivable. Kandore, who professed love for his family, had none. He had murdered his first wife—a noblewoman from a prestigious family—and even killed his own children to secure his position. A man like that couldn’t be allowed to live. “I can’t let someone like you walk away.” Shing! Ghislain withdrew his spear, and blood sprayed from Kandore’s chest. “Ugh...” With a final, hate-filled glare, Kandore collapsed. He had endured countless humiliations for the chance at revenge, only to have his efforts end here. As Kandore’s lifeless body hit the ground, Ghislain chuckled. “Who’s calling who ruthless now?” The Delphine knights and mages, watching the scene unfold, tensed. If Ghislain could so easily kill a surrendering noble, they didn’t stand a chance if he decided to massacre them. But Ghislain had other plans. He looked around and gave his next order. “Gather the prisoners. They’ll be reorganized into the Kingdom Army. High-circle mages will be assigned to the Northern Army.” The mages sighed in relief, some even smiling faintly. Skilled mages were valuable assets. Given time, they might regain their status and freedom. But Ghislain’s next words shattered their hopes. “Ensure they’re properly bound by slave contracts. Send them all to Alfoy.” The mention of slavery turned their relief into horror. A mage leading the 5th Corps’ magic unit stepped forward, his voice trembling. “I-I’m a 6th-circle mage...” “And?” “We have plenty of 6th-circle mages. Even more 5th-circle ones,” Ghislain replied indifferently. Years of war had allowed him to amass a large number of captured mages, whom he had distributed between the Kingdom and Northern armies. “But... I’m a 6th-circle mage!” the man repeated, desperation creeping into his voice. “And? Do you think I’m supposed to be impressed?” Ghislain retorted, unimpressed. “I don’t understand... how can you treat mages as slaves?” “In our domain, all mages are slaves. It’s a policy created thanks to certain troublemakers.” This system had originated from Alfoy and his ilk, whose antics had led to the institutionalization of mage slavery—a tradition that continued to this day. Faced with Ghislain’s icy gaze, the mages realized the futility of resistance. “We... understand,” they murmured reluctantly. They would rather live as slaves than die. The knights, on the other hand, were easier to sway. Many had already grown disillusioned with the duchy’s alliance with the Salvation Order. Thanks to Kandore’s quick surrender, Ghislain gained nearly 30,000 soldiers, who would be reorganized into the Kingdom Army to defend the southern front. Once the battlefield was cleared, Ghislain raised his spear high and shouted, “Another victory!” “Hurrah!” The Fenris cavalry erupted in cheers, celebrating their triumph. This battle had felt almost too easy, likely because of the overwhelming number of transcendents on their side. And the best part? The 5th Corps had been the last Delphine force marching toward the capital. “Does this mean the war’s over?” “Won’t the duchy surrender now?” “They’ve lost over 200,000 soldiers!” “Ha! We’re officially the strongest force in the kingdom. The duchy’s done for!” With the annihilation of the Delphine army’s four corps, the soldiers believed the war was effectively over. All that remained were the Salvation Order and the rifts. Given their experience thus far, they were confident in victory. Even rumors of high-ranking Salvation priests converging on the region didn’t faze them. With Ghislain and their growing number of transcendents, what was there to fear? “Let’s save the world!” one soldier shouted, drawing laughter and cheers. Their morale soared, filled with determination and pride. Watching his men, Ghislain smiled. “A promising sight.” With each battle, his forces grew stronger. They were undoubtedly the kingdom’s strongest single army. But Ghislain knew things wouldn’t go as smoothly as his soldiers hoped. “All the small fry are dealt with,” he thought, his expression turning grim. He knew the duchy and its allies well. Hidden powers and high-ranking Salvation priests were beginning to emerge openly. The real fight was just beginning. For now, though, there was time to rest and prepare for what lay ahead. The Salvation Order might be gathering its forces, but Ghislain wasn’t worried. Their plans would fall apart soon enough—because someone truly monstrous was about to enter the fray.