We Can Take It Later (1)
Near the capital, the commander of the Kingdom Army's 2nd Corps, Viscount Jacqueline, welcomed Ghislain inside his massive barracks.
Jacqueline checked the document Ghislain handed him and frowned.
"What? I'm dismissed?"
Ghislain nodded and replied.
"Yes, as of today, you're fired."
"........"
It was said so plainly that it almost sounded like a joke. However, the document bore both the royal seal and the commander-in-chief's seal.
No matter how he looked at it, it was genuine. For Viscount Jacqueline, this was a serious problem.
'This is strange. What on earth happened?'
He was part of Marquis Falkenheim's faction. The commander-in-chief also had close ties with him.
Being dismissed without any prior warning didn't make any sense.
Moreover, the way his opponent spoke and acted was odd. He seemed to have thrown all manners away. Something was definitely off.
Some unknown guy suddenly barged in with the Royal Knights, the Royal Guard, and a bunch of mercenaries, handing him this suspicious document. Of course, it was suspicious.
"Who the hell are you? I was told the Royal Knights were coming for me, but I've never seen your face before."
"I'm Ghislain."
"You rude bastard. And you're the one delivering an official document?"
"I usually treat people the way they treat me. Consider it a mirror treatment."
"..."
Viscount Jacqueline narrowed his eyes. He had been the one who acted rudely first, but his status allowed it.
At least in this area near the capital, he knew exactly whom he needed to be polite to.
He wasn't humble enough to show courtesy to a mercenary who dressed however he pleased.
In the end, Jacqueline turned to the vice-commander of the Royal Knights standing beside Ghislain.
"Who is this guy?"
"He is the vice-captain of the Yulian Mercenary Corps—"
"What? A mercenary?"
"Currently, he is also His Majesty's advisor and representative, as well as the acting prime minister and commander-in-chief."
"....."
Viscount Jacqueline's face twisted in disbelief. If what he just heard was true, then this mercenary had risen to a position higher than his own.
That was absurd. A mere mercenary could never climb that high.
Jacqueline squinted his eyes and glared at Ghislain.
'Something has gone terribly wrong at the capital!'
The commander-in-chief must have fallen to these people. They must have stolen his seal as well.
Yet, he had received no news of it before they arrived. That meant the king was moving extremely fast.
If he was mistaken about this, it would be an act of treason. But… there was no way he was mistaken.
Sitting across the table from Ghislain, Jacqueline asked,
"Where is the former commander-in-chief?"
"He was executed for treason."
Jacqueline subtly gripped his sword. His escort knights beside him also sensed the tension and placed their hands on their hilts.
Ghislain, too, moved his hand toward his waist. This was an important moment for him as well.
The Kingdom Army here numbered five thousand. If they all turned against him, it would be a major loss. He could still win, but fewer troops would be left to absorb afterward.
Ghislain looked Jacqueline in the eye and spoke.
"If you hand over command peacefully, I'll spare your life. I always keep my promises."
" ...."
Jacqueline furrowed his brows several times. He didn't know exactly what was happening, so he couldn't make a rash decision.
If he moved the army now, it would be outright treason. But Jacqueline was not in a position to decide on rebellion.
If the commander-in-chief or Marquis Falkenheim had given the order, he would have acted immediately. But now, he didn't know if he should act on his own.
'The capital has clearly fallen into their hands. What is Marquis Falkenheim thinking? Is he just letting this happen? Or was there some secret arrangement?'
No, there was no such thing.
Even Marquis Falkenheim didn't know what had happened yet.
But Jacqueline couldn't even imagine that Ghislain had moved faster than Falkenheim. That was why he kept hesitating.
After a long internal debate, Jacqueline finally offered a compromise.
"I cannot accept my dismissal immediately. I need to verify what has happened first."
"The king has given his order. What is there to verify?"
"I... I might be unjustly implicated in treason."
"If you step down peacefully, I promise that won't happen."
"What about Marquis Falkenheim?"
"He is the leader of the rebellion."
Hearing that, Jacqueline was convinced.
The king was making his final desperate move.
That meant he had to get out of here and inform Marquis Falkenheim.
"Kill this bastard immediately!"
Crash!
Jacqueline shouted loudly as he flipped the table. At the same time, his escort knights sprang into action.
Using the distraction, Jacqueline tried to slash open the tent and escape. Once outside, he could mobilize the entire army.
However, he had no idea how skilled his opponent was.
Boom!
Ghislain threw a hand axe, shattering the table and embedding itself in Jacqueline's back.
"Urgh!"
A powerful impact struck his back, forcing him to his knees. Even so, he struggled to rip through the tent and escape.
His escort knights had already engaged the enemy. The soldiers outside must have heard the commotion and were now rushing in.
That should be enough. They should be able to overwhelm them.
Or so Jacqueline thought.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before he knew it, Ghislain had sent his escort knights flying and closed the distance in an instant. He grabbed Jacqueline by the scruff of his neck.
"Viscount Jacqueline, the Kingdom Army belongs to His Majesty. You disobeyed the king's orders and attempted to mobilize the troops for your own cause. You are under arrest for insubordination and treason. If you have anything to say, save it for the trial."
'What? A trial?'
Jacqueline, caught mid-escape, wore a baffled expression.
This man didn't look like someone who would bother with trials.
Jacqueline tried to give orders to the surrounding knights and soldiers—to have them seize these men immediately.
But Ghislain moved swiftly, stuffing a gag into Jacqueline's mouth and tightly binding his arms and legs with rope.
He was so fast that the gathered knights and soldiers couldn't even react in time.
"Mmmph! Mmmphhh!"
Jacqueline struggled and screamed, but no one could understand what he was saying.
Ghislain pulled out the royal decree and shouted.
"I am carrying out the king's orders! If you don't want to be accused of treason, stay where you are!"
"Mmmph! Mmmphhh!"
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances. They had no idea what was going on.
Especially the foot soldiers—they knew nothing of politics.
But the words "royal decree" and "treason" struck their ears clearly.
So, they hesitated.
Some officers stepped forward with serious expressions and asked,
"What is happening here?"
"We weren't informed of anything."
"Suddenly arresting the commander like this..."
With their leader taken hostage, they were at a loss.
Ghislain handed the decree to one of the officers and said,
"Read it yourself. It is His Majesty's command. Do you see any problem with it?"
"Uh..."
The officers looked troubled.
The document was real.
The Kingdom Army was not a noble's private force—it belonged to the king.
Strictly speaking, the king had every right to replace a corps commander. It was only because he had been powerless before that he hadn't done so until now.
The soldiers knew the king was nothing more than a figurehead, but since there was no procedural issue with the order, they had no excuse to stop it.
However, they couldn't just let this slide either. They were well aware that Marquis Falkenheim was the true ruler of this kingdom.
Moreover, they were followers of Marquis Falkenheim and their commander, not the king.
In the end, one of the officers drew his sword. He had been personally placed here by Marquis Falkenheim as an observer.
"Release the commander. We cannot allow such a forceful arrest. We must thoroughly examine the situation first."
"This is His Majesty's command. If you interfere, you'll be charged with treason as well."
"Do you think we're fools? Do you really believe we'll follow every royal decree? Until the commander is released, you won't be leaving this place."
The officer scoffed and raised his hand. If they couldn't attack because their commander was a hostage, they just had to make sure the captors couldn't leave.
At his command, his knights and soldiers moved. Seeing this, Ghislain gripped his staff tightly.
If more people started resisting like this, things would get complicated. Eventually, the entire corps might turn against him.
"There are always fools who only understand when beaten into submission."
Boom!
Before the troops could fully gather, Ghislain moved at terrifying speed.
Thud!
The officer who had been resisting was struck by the staff and crushed to death in an instant.
Everyone froze at the sudden turn of events. Ghislain immediately extended one hand, unleashing threads of mana that spread like vines.
"Guhh!"
In the blink of an eye, the officers were entangled in the mana threads, their faces contorted in agony. The threads constricted them, as if trying to crush their bodies.
Under the immense pressure, the officers had no choice but to fall to their knees.
Ghislain spoke in a chilling voice.
"I don't have time to play games with you. The commander is already captured, and His Majesty's order has been given. If you continue to resist, I will kill you all."
He had intended to keep the officers alive to absorb the Kingdom Army more easily. But if they kept resisting, he would have no choice but to kill them all before the entire corps turned against him.
The escort knights of the captured officers hesitated under Ghislain's oppressive aura.
With their commander taken hostage and most of the officers restrained by some bizarre technique, neither attacking nor retreating seemed like viable options.
At that moment, the vice-commander of the Royal Knights, who had quickly grasped the situation, shouted,
"This man is a superhuman! Fighting him is pointless! Lay down your weapons and surrender immediately!"
The knights and soldiers gasped and instinctively stepped back.
Judging by his display of power, he did seem like a superhuman.
No matter how many of them there were, they couldn't win against someone like that.
In the end, the officers abandoned their resistance.
"We… we will obey the royal decree."
It didn't matter whether they genuinely submitted or were just biding their time. They might betray him later, but that wasn't important right now.
What mattered was that the soldiers had heard their officers acknowledge the king's command. That alone was enough for Ghislain at this moment.
After all, the soldiers didn't care whether the ruler was the king or Marquis Falkenheim. They simply followed the orders of their immediate superiors.
Ghislain smirked and turned to the vice-commander.
"You're quite sharp. I like you. What's your name?"
"Miles, Lord commander-in-chief!"
Smart guy. He answered casually while emphasizing the title "commander-in-chief," reinforcing it in the minds of everyone present.
Ghislain let out a hearty laugh.
"Good. From now on, you're the commander of the Royal Knights. Serve the crown faithfully."
"I will devote my life to it!"
Miles, now promoted to Captain of the Royal Knights, saluted with a solemn expression.
But on the inside, he felt nothing but relief.
'Hah, I survived. No way to know who'll win, so I'll just stick with this side for now.'
His father's advice to always read the situation had proven invaluable.
Watching this ridiculous scene unfold while still bound, Viscount Jacqueline groaned in fury.
"Urrghhh!"
'I made a mistake. I should have met him outside the barracks.'
Since he had come with the Royal Knights carrying a royal decree, Jacqueline had let them in without a second thought.
Had he met them outside, he could have immediately issued orders at the first sign of trouble.
But it was too late now. Overwhelmed by this madman's power and the legitimacy of the decree, every officer had submitted to the king's authority.
It was over.
Ghislain immediately mobilized the Kingdom Army.
Because of this, the forces of Nordhill and Lacus were also able to move freely.
The allied forces of Nordhill and Lacus had brought ten thousand troops. With the addition of five thousand from the Kingdom Army, they now had a grand army of fifteen thousand.
Of course, this was still a hastily assembled, disorganized force, mixing the armies of Crest, Swipel, and the kingdom.
But Ghislain didn't care. Right now, sheer numbers were what mattered.
Returning to the capital with his army, Ghislain declared to Alex,
"Your Majesty! This is Astion! I will now march to destroy the traitors!"
"......"
Hearing Ghislain's bold proclamation, Alex broke out in a cold sweat.
'This… this doesn't feel right.'
Of course, it was satisfying to see his enemies crushed and captured. But something about this whole situation left him feeling uneasy.
Was war supposed to be waged this easily? With no planning? No preparation? Just like that?
"I… I only wanted… a bit of pressure, that's all…."
He had never even dreamed of actually defeating Marquis Falkenheim. His only goal had been to survive, to build a faction strong enough to hold out.
As long as he could endure, the Empire wouldn't allow a forceful change of kingship.
In short, he just wanted to live.
'But now I feel even more suffocated! This is terrifying!'
Never in his life had he felt so stifled. He simply couldn't keep up with Ghislain's way of thinking.
Andrew and Rio felt the same.
They had always known Ghislain was a bit reckless, but they hadn't realized he was this completely unhinged.
Andrew panicked and shouted,
"Wait, wait! The army is completely untrained, and it's a total mess!"
"It's fine."
"…W-what do you mean it's fine? It doesn't look fine at all!"
"I have a plan. Anyway, it's fine, so I won't be taking any objections on this matter."
"......"
There was no stopping Ghislain once he made up his mind.
Rio pointed out another problem.
"But, but what about supplies? We haven't made any preparations for war. If we march now, we won't be able to last long."
Alex and Andrew frantically nodded in agreement.
They desperately wanted him to slow down and plan things properly.
Right now, everything felt way too unstable. If they lost even a single battle, it would all be over.
Under their worried gazes, Ghislain simply chuckled.
As a man once called the God of War, did they really think he hadn't considered these things?
But he always had a plan.
Ghislain puffed out his chest and declared confidently,
"We'll take what we need along the way."
"......."
He had done it before. It wouldn't be difficult.
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