Ghislain carefully observed Ernheart’s face. Even in his previous life, this was the first time seeing him in person. Of course, he had seen countless portraits of the man—depicting a middle-aged face with a gentle smile. That made it all the harder to believe what Ernheart had just said. “You’re... the Duke of Delphine?” He looked far too young. At most, he appeared to be in his early thirties. It was well-known that the Duke of Delphine and Marquis Branford were of the same age. The two had even attended the same academy in their youth. But such a youthful appearance? The Duke of Delphine had neither trained in mana cultivation nor studied magic. Even if he had, maintaining such youthful looks would require an extraordinary level of mastery. Ernheart, still smiling gently, nodded. “I am indeed the Duke of Delphine. You seem surprised by my appearance.” “...” Ghislain curled his lips into a sneer. That relaxed demeanor, even with an enemy standing before him, irritated him. A double? No... The elegance and natural composure in his every move suggested otherwise. A clumsy impersonator couldn’t fake such grace. And his youthful appearance added to the overall aura. Ernheart, once called the most handsome man in the kingdom during his prime, would still make even Ricardo, the famed Ferdium beauty, pale in comparison. Such features were rare. Sighing deeply, Ghislain asked. “Fine, let’s say you are the Duke of Delphine. Why are you still here? You had plenty of time to escape.” Ernheart nodded without hesitation. “I was planning to leave, but I wanted to see you first.” “Me?” “I wanted to see the man who has managed to ruin so many of my plans. I needed to know what kind of person you were.” Ghislain let out a harsh laugh. “And was it worth risking your life to satisfy that curiosity?” Ernheart simply smiled and seated himself gracefully. He picked up a glass of wine from a small table nearby. To Ghislain’s surprise, a man who appeared to be a butler set up a small table and chair in front of him as well, placing some refreshments and a bottle of alcohol on the table. “...” Ghislain scoffed, then sat down. He decided to hear whatever nonsense Ernheart had to say. Around him, the knights lined up in formation, filling the Hall of Glory and even the corridors outside. With this many soldiers, there was no chance the Duke could escape. Ghislain decided to watch carefully for any tricks. After a sip of wine, Ernheart began to speak. “I discovered my ‘mission’ and began having a recurring dream. It was so vivid that it felt real. The dream continued every night.” “...” “No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a prophecy. Everything in those dreams came true. It was as if a god was delivering revelations directly to me. Because I knew the future, I could patiently await the results.” Ghislain folded his arms, unimpressed. Talk of dreams seemed absurdly out of place. Nevertheless, Ernheart continued as if talking to himself. “Eventually, I fulfilled the prophecy and seized the kingdom. Even afterward, I continued working toward my goals—until the ‘demon’ appeared.” “...” “That demon was incredibly powerful. It sent shivers down my spine. No army in this kingdom could stop it. The demon was like a formless cloud of death.” “...” “Yet, in the end, we managed to stop it. Only through the sacrifices of countless heroes. Afterward, I was able to resume my goals. I was so close—just a little further. Even if it was only in the dream.” Ghislain smirked coldly. “Did you wait for me just to tell me about some silly dream?” “Would you care to listen a little longer? It might concern you more than you think.” Ernheart’s faint smile persisted. Ghislain chuckled dryly, shrugging. “One day, the dream changed. Everything had been unfolding according to the dream, but then it began to shift.” “...” “The dream turned into chaos. It became impossible to tell where it began and where it ended. The revelations I received became fragmented, mixed with irregularities of time and space.” Ernheart’s face flushed slightly, as though he found the situation thrilling. “...” “Even the ‘demon’ returned. That was when you first appeared on the southern front. The demon began to overshadow everything I had.” “...” “So, I traced back through the past. I wanted to know when the dream that had guided me became chaotic.” Ghislain remained silent, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Ernheart. The Duke’s words were grating on him. Noticing this, Ernheart smiled and said. “It began when you defended Fenris against Count Digald and claimed it as your own. From that point, the dream began showing me fragments of the past instead of the future.” “...” “When you defeated Count Cavaldi, when you killed Count Desmond, and when you crushed Marquis Rodrick... each time, the chaos intensified.” Leaning slightly forward, Ernheart seemed eager to study Ghislain up close. Then, with a laugh of pure delight, he declared. “That’s when I realized it. Ghislain Ferdium, you are the demon. You are my nemesis. You are the one obstructing my path.” Ghislain said nothing, continuing to glare at Ernheart. The Duke, unfazed, continued. “When I came to that realization, the dreams stopped altogether. The revelations ceased, and the future became unknowable. Because of you, everything was thrown into disarray.” Ernheart stood, smiling. His curiosity had been satisfied. He had wanted to meet Ghislain to confirm his suspicions. Ghislain also rose, drawing his sword. “That was an interesting story. I’ll give you that.” To anyone else, Ernheart’s tale might have sounded like the ravings of a lunatic. But Ghislain, being a regressor, couldn’t dismiss it so easily. There was something undeniably mystical about Ernheart’s experiences, something eerily similar to his own past life. Pointing his sword at Ernheart, Ghislain spoke coldly. “It doesn’t matter what the future holds. You won’t live to see it.” Ernheart met his gaze, his eyes gleaming with a mad intensity. “You know something, don’t you? That’s not how an ordinary person reacts.” “...” “Now I’m certain. Seeing you in person, I have no doubts. My mind feels clearer than ever.” “You won’t escape.” Ernheart pulled a small orb from his robe—a Life Orb, used by high priests of the Salvation Order. Ghislain scoffed. “Do you really think that will help you now?” Despite his injuries, Ghislain had hundreds of elite knights at his disposal, not to mention the 80,000 soldiers surrounding the castle. Even if Ernheart consumed the orb, there was no guarantee he could endure its effects. Even if he did, a half-formed superhuman couldn’t possibly overcome these odds. Ernheart, however, shook his head calmly. “There’s no need to rush, Ghislain. Now that we know each other’s existence, that’s enough for today.” “Kill the Duke,” Ghislain ordered. The knights surged forward, but Ernheart’s assassins moved to intercept. Boom! Boom! Boom! The assassins fought valiantly, as expected from the Duke’s last line of defense. But the sheer difference in numbers overwhelmed them. In moments, they were cut down. As the knights closed in on Ernheart, he crushed the orb in his hand. Crack. A black darkness surged forth, enveloping Ernheart. The knights’ swords couldn’t pierce the strange energy shielding him. Ghislain frowned. So it’s that method again. It wasn’t magic, though it resembled a high-level warp portal. Instead, it seemed akin to the life-draining rifts the Salvation Order used. With enough life force to create a superhuman, it’s plausible to open a connection to another space. In his previous life, Ernheart must have used this method to evade capture repeatedly. It likely wasn’t something he could do often. Creating just one Life Orb required tens of thousands of lives. He must have a predesignated location. Random teleportation was too risky. Ernheart would have set up a safe destination in advance, likely where the Salvation Order was hiding or within a kingdom they controlled. The knights looked to Ghislain in confusion. He shook his head. “Stand down. There’s no need to push further.” The darkness around Ernheart began to dissipate. His voice echoed from within. “Ghislain... we will meet again soon. I am bound to fulfill the will of the gods... and at the end of that path, I will see you.” Ghislain smirked viciously at the vanishing darkness. “Listen carefully, Ernheart.” “There will be no place left for you to hide. I’ll hunt you all down, crush every last one of you cockroaches. You won’t even dare to breathe in fear of me.” A faint chuckle came from the shadows, followed by Ernheart’s final words. “...I look forward to it.” With that, the darkness vanished completely. Without hesitation, Ghislain turned away. This place was finished. All that remained was to eliminate the remnants on the southern front, and the Ruthania Kingdom would be united once more. Turning to Count Mowbray, Ghislain said. “I’ll leave the clean-up here to you for now.” “Understood.” Someone had to remain to handle the Duke’s fleeing retainers and maintain order. Leaving the city in Count Mowbray’s care, Ghislain immediately turned his army southward. It was time to finish the job. Once the internal strife was over, the Ruthania Kingdom would recover, and Ghislain could assist the neighboring kingdoms in their fight against the Salvation Order. Gripping the reins of his black steed tightly, Ghislain’s expression grew cold. I will find you and destroy you. Though Ernheart had escaped, killing him wouldn’t have ended things anyway. The Salvation Order, spread across the continent, needed to be eradicated. But it wouldn’t take long. Once the Ruthania Kingdom recovered, its powerful army would rise again. The Salvation Order would soon face the full force of Ghislain and his soldiers. *** The command, now passed to Judge Gatros after Kaien’s fall, initiated a calculated withdrawal of the forces. “We’ll take over the fortress we previously fought against. All we need to do is wait until Count Balzac arrives.” The kingdom’s army and Ferdium troops were advancing southward. There was no need to engage and incur unnecessary casualties. Moving to the fortress where they had clashed with the Northern Army earlier would provide a strong defensive position. From there, they only needed to hold their ground until Count Balzac returned. Although Gatros was the highest-ranking and strongest figure left, he was not well-versed in military strategy. As such, he granted considerable autonomy to the commanders of the individual units. “When the battle begins, act freely within your designated positions and give it your best. I trust you all. Our primary goal is to hold out until Count Balzac arrives. Focus on that.” It was a sound decision. The commanders of the Duke’s army were all highly capable. The Delphine forces began a slow, deliberate retreat. They were not particularly concerned about being pursued. After all, it was they who had initially sought to engage the enemy. Losing Count Balzac from their ranks hadn’t significantly weakened them. “Support reinforcements will take a little more time to arrive. Given that we’ve been in constant battles, there’s no need to overexert ourselves. Take this as an opportunity to rest.” Following Gatros’ orders, the Delphine troops moved with a more relaxed pace. Their confidence remained high, bolstered by their substantial numbers and strength. As the Delphine army advanced, Amelia observed them intently from atop the fortress walls. The sheer size of the army and its sluggish pace made their movements easy to track. After studying the enemy for some time, Amelia gestured to her side. “You called for me?” At her summons, Gillian approached, and Amelia spoke in a calm tone. “Prepare to deploy. We’re mobilizing the entire army.” “Right now...?” The reinforcements had not yet arrived. It seemed a rash decision, especially given their previous avoidance of direct confrontation. Ignoring Gillian’s hesitation, Amelia continued. “Yes. We can’t guarantee Ghislain will win against Count Balzac. If he loses, the situation here will turn against us. Before that happens, we need to strike decisively and cut their numbers—at the very least by half.” Gillian wanted to counter her argument, to insist that Ghislain would surely emerge victorious. But he closed his mouth, realizing Amelia’s words weren’t meant as a debate. Instead, he asked what needed to be asked. “Do we stand a chance?” Hearing this, Amelia shot a sharp glance at him and responded. “If we move now, yes. Start preparing.” Having issued her orders, Amelia turned her gaze back to the distant Delphine army, slowly making its way forward. A cold smile spread across her lips as her sharp eyes locked onto her target.