Chapter 717: Chapter 717

Since the war had been won, rewards and a victory banquet were the natural next steps.

Ghislain was the first to discuss rewards for those who had voluntarily taken part in the war with Alex.

“I think it would be better to first return the marquisate to the royal family and distribute the wealth obtained from there.”

The marquisate was separated from the territories of the neutral lords. The surrounding lands had all belonged to lords who followed Marquis Falkenheim.

So even if land was granted, it was obvious it wouldn’t be properly managed.

Instead, they planned to replace land grants with large sums of wealth and tax reductions as rewards.

Alex simply nodded at Ghislain’s proposal.

In truth, he had never governed a nation, so he had no idea how to handle such matters. Seeing Ghislain push forward so quickly without hesitation only filled him with awe.

“You are remarkable. How is it that you even handle matters like this so well?”

Though his status was that of a mercenary, he acted like someone who had spent time ruling as a king somewhere.

Ghislain grinned and said,

“I’m just as good at distributing as I am at taking.”

“…I-I see.”

Alex flinched slightly. The timid man found those words – being good at taking – somehow frightening.

As he nervously wondered if even the throne might be taken from him, Ghislain spoke.

“We’ll be leaving soon. So, Your Majesty need not worry about us too much.”

“Huh? Ah, no. There’s no need to leave so hastily. Where do you plan to go? If you need it, I can grant you a territory and a title. You are true contributors to the realm. Why not simply take the marquisate?”

Hearing a definite answer that Ghislain was leaving filled Alex with both relief and fear.

Though Marquis Falkenheim had been removed, Alex had few loyal forces of his own. The other lords across the land would scramble to expand their influence and stir chaos to take Falkenheim’s place.

The same went for the neutral lords. Most of them had joined the Suppression Army not for the sake of the king but because they hated Marquis Falkenheim.

So, Alex didn’t feel capable of protecting himself at that moment.

As Alex pleaded, Ghislain shook his head with a look of regret.

“I would also like to stay by Your Majesty’s side to protect you… but there are things we must do.”

“Please, don’t say that. I’ll give you anything you want. Can’t you stay just a little longer?”

As Ghislain kept trying to withdraw, Alex grew even more desperate. If Ghislain were to leave now, it was obvious that the other nobles would once again target his position.

For now, the Julien Mercenary Corps needed to stay. At the very least, they weren’t after his life.

Ghislain kept subtly pulling away with a deliberately troubled expression on his face.

“Ha, this is rather troubling… It doesn’t look good for a mere mercenary like me to be meddling in the kingdom’s affairs.”

‘You’ve been doing whatever you wanted all this time!’

Alex wanted to argue, but he swallowed the words. If he rubbed that madman the wrong way, who knew what might happen?

Eventually, Ghislain let out a sigh and held up three fingers.

“I can’t stay myself. But instead, I’ll recommend three people to protect Your Majesty.”

“Three people? Who are you referring to?”

“Count Nodehill, Count Larks, and… Count Valesant. I’ll ask them to protect Your Majesty.”

“Those three… can they really protect me?”

“Of course. Everyone knows that our mercenary corps is on good terms with them. And if needed, you can always call on us again.”

“O-Oh… I see!”

Alex exhaled in admiration. In a way, this was the best outcome for him. He could minimize the interference of the Julien Mercenary Corps while still using their name.

On top of that, the three men Ghislain mentioned always did whatever the mercenary corps told them to. Surely, they would do their best to protect him. But Ghislain wouldn’t offer something like this for free.

“However, they would need the appropriate authority, wouldn’t they? There are many vacant positions in the royal government now. I believe they should fill them.”

“Hmm? What positions do you mean?”

“Appoint Count Nodehill as Chancellor and Supreme Commander. Give Count Larks the position of Treasurer. And appoint Count Valesant as Head of the Privy Council.”

“…”

Alex couldn’t give an immediate answer. These were the top positions in administration, military, finance, and counsel of the kingdom.

Originally, Alex had planned to place his own people in those roles. That was how he   intended to reclaim his power.

But if he went along with this, the real powers of the kingdom would be those three men and the true authority behind them would be the Julien Mercenary Corps.

‘This bastard…’

He had known Ghislain wasn’t ordinary, but he hadn’t expected him to try and swallow the entire kingdom.

And it wasn’t even through force like Marquis Falkenheim. Ghislain was suggesting Alex hand it over willingly.

As Alex hesitated, Ghislain stood up.

“I very much dislike forcing people to do things. If Your Majesty is unwilling, then you don’t have to.”

‘If I don’t, I’m dead anyway!’

Alex felt like he was going crazy. Ghislain really wasn’t forcing him, but he had no other choice.

If the Julien Mercenary Corps didn’t protect him, his life would be in danger once again. It was better to just do as he said.

At the very least, these people wouldn’t be after his life.

“Now, now! Who said I wouldn’t do it! I didn’t have anyone in mind for those positions anyway! This actually works out quite nicely.”

“Oh, I must’ve misunderstood because I’m a bit impatient. I thought Your Majesty had others in mind. If you do, please feel free to say so.”

‘I don’t want to. I really don’t. If I say anything, he’ll just walk away.’

Holding back tears, Alex merely shook his head. This was daylight robbery without a blade.

Ghislain fully understood how Alex felt but didn’t retract his words.

To be honest, he had no interest in power. He was going to leave anyway, so there was no point in concerning himself with such things.

However, he did need people who would continue to support Julien without questioning things. To ensure that, those three had to become the true powers within the kingdom.

So, he gave Alex a bit of reassurance.

“None of the three will ever covet the kingdom. I’m recommending them because we need people who will strongly support our mercenary corps when needed.”

“R-Really?”

“Of course. Your Majesty, govern the kingdom as you wish. All three of them will follow your will.”

Blushing with embarrassment, Alex nodded.

It was the Julien Mercenary Corps who had saved his life, after all. He was in a position where he should give them the kingdom if they asked for it.

Power was truly terrifying. He was already trying to keep his benefactors in check. But for now, repaying the debt he owed the Julien Mercenary Corps had to come first.

With newfound clarity, Alex spoke with a relieved expression.

“I’ll follow your advice. And know that this kingdom will always support the Julien Mercenary Corps. Go forth and fulfill your purpose without worry.”

Ghislain smiled brightly and received the gratitude.

“Thank you. You won’t regret having those three with you.”

Andrew and Rio, who now held Count Crest’s and Count Swifel’s territories respectively, could now be considered great lords.

It would take some time to fully stabilize their territories, but securing such high positions in the kingdom would allow them to grow faster.

And wherever the Julien Mercenary Corps might be, they would not hesitate to lend their support.

In fact, Count Valesant was something of a bonus. He was a good man and followed instructions quite well.

Alex promptly issued the official announcement to fill the vacant positions.

“I hereby appoint Count Nodehill as Chancellor and Supreme Commander of the kingdom!”

“I appoint Count Larks as Royal Treasurer! And Count Valesant as Head of the Privy Council!”

The three men were instantly elevated to top tier positions of the kingdom’s power structure. They had taken control of the most critical positions in the royal government.

The ones actually involved were completely stunned by the sudden news.

‘What? Why? Why do I have two positions? How am I supposed to handle both the chancellorship and the role of supreme commander?’

‘We’re already struggling just to manage our territory’s finances…’

‘Oh my, oh my, I’m losing it. This is insane. All I have to do is chat with His Majesty?’

Since the capital’s high-ranking nobles had all been arrested, there was no one left to object.

Rumors had quietly circulated that the three of them were quite capable, so many people actually welcomed the news.

Andrew, who had trusted Ghislain to the end during the war (or so it seemed), earned the nickname ‘Nodehill the Trusted.’

Rio, who had stayed close to Alex and comforted him (or so it seemed), was nicknamed ‘Larks the Stabilizer,’ and for reasons unknown, the nickname ‘Valesant the Graceful’ also spread.

Ghislain’s people now sat in the kingdom’s most important positions. From now on, they would act in accordance with Ghislain’s wishes.

While he was at it, Alex went ahead and raised all three to the rank of marquis. With no one opposing him, he was giddy from his first taste of wielding power and started handing out titles recklessly.

Once again, the three were left in shock.

‘What the- ? I’m already a marquis? This happened faster than catching a duck.’

‘I just wanted a quiet life… This is overwhelming!’

‘Oh my, oh my, I’m losing it. This is insane. I’m at the top of the game now.’

The three of them were left dazed. All they’d done was go along with Ghislain’s suggestions, and when they came to their senses, they had become the most powerful figures in the kingdom.

And Alex now had reliable allies who would protect him. It was all thanks to Ghislain.

Once things had settled to some extent, Alex summoned Ghislain and asked,

“Do you truly want nothing? You’ve refused a title, land, and even money, what am I supposed to give you?”

“There is one thing I would like.”

“What is it? If it’s something I can give, I’ll give you anything.”

Despite everything, Alex felt deep gratitude toward Ghislain. So, if it was at all possible, he was willing to give it.

With a pleased smile, Ghislain replied,

“Do you happen to have something like a Dragon Heart?”

“…”

Alex looked utterly dumbfounded not because he was unwilling to give it.

“…There’s no way something like that exists. How could anyone dare claim to own a Dragon Heart? The dragons stand guard over the world alongside us. There isn’t a kingdom anywhere that possesses such a thing.”

‘Hmm?’

Ghislain tilted his head, puzzled. It was just too different from his era.

In his time, there had been several kingdoms that held Dragon Hearts. There were also many legends about “Dragon Slayers.”

‘Did humans hunt them, taking advantage of the dragons’ weakened state after the war?’

As that thought crossed Ghislain’s mind, he found himself wondering again about the curse of the Adversary, the one said to have driven dragons to extinction.

‘No matter how powerful a curse is, I don’t think it could kill or weaken dragons… so how did it happen?’

Ever since he began wielding the Power of Will, he’d had questions about curses.

In the end, a curse was just the lingering willpower the caster left upon the world. No matter how strong that Power of Will was, it shouldn’t have been enough to drive a species as powerful as dragons to extinction with just a curse.

Yet Arterion had definitely grown weaker compared to his prime. There had to be a reason for that.

‘Well… I’ll know once I reach the end.’

Even if he handed the body back over to Astion, he’d already devised a way to make sure he could uncover the truth and to prepare for any unforeseen situations, he always had Astion keep a record.

Eventually, he would be able to uncover all the secrets of this era.

Anyway, now that he knew there wasn’t a Dragon Heart, he had to find something else.

“Then… is there any other treasure, like a Dragon Heart, that’s full of mana?”

“Hmm… Honestly, I’m not sure. I couldn’t personally check the Royal Vault, you see. It had always been managed by someone under Marquis Falkenheim.”

“Would it be alright if I took what I needed from there?”

“Haha, you mean that? I’ll grant you full authority to manage the Royal Vault, so feel free to take whatever you need.”

Alex generously handed over the entire authority. Having regained his life and the royal authority, he was not so petty as to cling to mere wealth.

Besides, even if he had refused, Ghislain would have taken what he needed one way or another. It was simpler to just hand it over now.

“Thank you. I’ll make good use of it.”

He gladly accepted Alex’s generosity.

He hadn’t created many Death Knights yet. It required too much mana to produce high-quality ones.

Even the black grimoires he had obtained from Basilude and Zico contained only filthy methods for gathering mana.

He had discarded those methods, wanting to use only pure mana and that left him short on mana. He had to find another way to gather it aside from Runestones.

The Royal Vault should have some high-quality artifacts. He planned to use them.

The treasures gathered by Marquis Falkenheim would soon be added to the Royal Vault too. He hadn’t had time to check them personally in the rush, but he’d sent part of the royal army to secure them when the Suppression Army withdrew.

They’d collect everything valuable, and he planned to take what he needed from there as well.

“Oho… there’s quite a lot of good stuff here.”

Looking around the Royal Vault, he let out a breath of admiration.

As expected of a kingdom with a long history, the vault was filled with treasures. Many artifacts hadn’t even found an owner.

So many had been wasted, hidden away for fear of wasting them.

“I’ll put you all to good use.”

He grinned. Even at a glance, it looked like he could produce a decent number of Death Knights.

Without hesitation, he began using the mana stored within the artifacts to create the Death Knights.