Chapter 120
Chapter 120
Translation: godsn
At that moment, a fierce battle was raging before the castle walls between the rebel forces attempting to invade the royal castle and the Gilifos army blocking their advance.
Crash—!
Marquess Gilifos swung his mace from the front lines.
With a terrifying whoosh of wind, four or five rebels were sent flying at once.
"Gilifos! They said you were Valdina's last hope as it rots away, but even that was a lie! Can't you see the suffering of the people?!"
One of the rebels shouted at him.
It was an attempt to undermine Gilifos's reputation and break his momentum.
"People, you say? All I see are mercenaries who smell of coin!"
Instead, the surrounding rebels hesitated and stepped back in fear at the sight of Gilifos raging like a wild tiger.
"Y-you! If you're old, go lie in a coffin! What are you doing! Are you really shaken by just a few soldiers? We outnumber you ten to one!"
Horols, hearing Gilifos's booming roar, flared up in agitation and began to rage.
"What are you doing! Kill him! Kill that old man!"
A volley of arrows was simultaneously loosed at Gilifos as he swung his mace.
Just then, a knight swiftly rode forward, raising his shield to block Gilifos's path.
Thud-thud-thud—the arrows that fell upon the shield all had their shafts broken.
In the brief moment before the shield was raised, someone on horseback had swung their sword and cut down every arrow.
"Dianzel!"
Gilifos was startled to recognize the familiar figure on horseback.
"Master, what are you doing here? And who are these wretches?"
"Dianzel! You, who should be guarding His Majesty on the battlefield—why are you here?!"
This was someone he absolutely shouldn't have encountered in Valdina at this moment.
"Worry not. Do you think there's any other reason we'd be here unharmed?"
"Don't tell me... the war is over?"
Gilifos's voice trembled with a mix of shock and elation.
"Yes, we have won. We've reclaimed the plains tribes."
Dianzel grinned.
"His Majesty is on his way as well. I came ahead with a scouting party to assess the situation at the royal castle, but I didn't expect to run into a battle so suddenly."
Yet his sharp gaze remained fixed on the rebel banners.
"A peasant uprising?"
Gilifos quickly wiped the tears from the wrinkles around his eyes upon hearing the news of victory and answered.
"Not exactly. There are traitorous scum mixed in, drunk on power."
"What? Who would dare?!"
Dianzel's expression darkened. Then he paused, realization dawning.
"...She was never that bold of a child. This is the first time she's sent me a letter like this. Something must have happened to Dea."
'Could this be why His Majesty told us not to announce our victory? And why Her Highness the Princess suddenly changed...'
"What happened in Valdina while we were away?"
At Dianzel's question, Gilifos scoffed.
"Oh, many things. Just as there were enemies on the plains, here too there are Magic Beasts hiding in human guise at every turn."
"......"
Dianzel's expression hardened as he nocked another arrow toward the rebels.
His gaze remained fixed on Gilifos.
Twang—! From where the arrow flew, a distant scream echoed like a wail.
"No wonder. I thought some of the rabble seemed too skilled with their blades—mercenaries bought with coin."
Having lived through years of battlefields, he immediately recognized the disguised mercenaries among the rebels.
'We were away for too long.'
Dianzel seethed with anger even as he lamented.
An empty throne and victory slipping further away—it had been more than enough time for someone to grow ambitious.
"Could it be... the Regent?"
Even from his master's cryptic words, Dianzel grasped the heart of the matter at once.
It was a commander's instinct—to discern the enemy even amidst a sea of faces.
When Gilifos answered with a smile, Dianzel gritted his teeth.
'That greedy wolf. He's finally bared his fangs.'
As if sensing its master's fury, Dianzel's warhorse snorted threateningly.
"But there's no need to worry. He will never obtain what he desires."
Marquess Gilifos glanced sideways at the rebel soldiers who were shrinking back in fear.
As more began slipping away from the frontlines, their leader bellowed furiously.
Her Highness Medeia instructed us to let them advance as far as the castle walls.
The princess's orders were only to prevent the rebels from scaling the royal castle. If they were frightened too much, they might retreat entirely.
After briefly gazing at the distant white walls, Gilifos suddenly roared in a booming voice.
"This is enough! We withdraw now!"
"Yes, Master!"
Gilifos' elite knights swiftly disengaged from the battlefield.
Their discipline was astonishing—their formations remained flawless, a testament to their rigorous training.
"Master, their forces are a pitiful mix of militia and mercenaries. Why not crush them first before entering the royal castle?"
Dianzel, just as Gilifos once had, made no effort to hide his bewilderment at the strange command.
Yet Gilifos responded with an abrupt question instead.
"Dianzel, how many of the Agema did you bring with the scouts?"
"Huh? About twenty. We didn't bring many, as they're needed for His Majesty's protection."
The corners of Gilifos' lips curled in satisfaction.
"That should suffice. You and I have somewhere to go."
He pointed toward a small village outside the royal castle.
"Grand Duke Castulo's forces are hiding in that village. They're trying to stake a claim in this country."
"W-what? What do you mean, Master?"
Seeing Dianzel's utterly baffled expression, Gilifos recalled the princess's letter.
[The remnants of Grand Duke Castulo's forces, recently expelled from the royal castle, likely remain in Valdina.
Seizing the opportunity, they will attempt to meddle in the rebellion to exert influence. I ask Your Lordship to crush them, drag them out, and expose Kazen's true face to the world.]
After receiving the letter, he had secretly tracked the Grand Duke's movements.
Just as the princess predicted, Grand Duke Castulo had not left Valdina—instead, he had been covertly moving between Duke Claudio's estate.
Soon after, disguised troops infiltrated Valdina in large numbers. Their skills far surpassed those of the rebels.
Gilifos recognized them as the Grand Duke's hidden operatives.
Even earlier, during the assault on the royal castle, the Grand Duke's men were aiding the rebels from behind.
Though they had concealed themselves again when Gilifos appeared, trying not to be discovered.
Had Her Highness Medeia not warned us in advance, we would have lost the royal castle without even realizing Kazen's poison had seeped in.
Could a coup d'état, achieved with the Empire's help, truly belong to Valdina alone?
It was no different from declaring themselves puppets of the Empire.
Does that bastard Claudio think nothing matters as long as he steals the throne?! What of this country's future...!
Gilifos shuddered with fury at the Regent's selfishness—yet at the same time, his body trembled with anticipation at the thought of shattering that selfishness.
"When the signal comes shortly, we will storm that hill and ambush the Grand Duke's forces. Of course, we had no idea they were from Kazen—we simply assumed they were allied with the rebels. Hiding like rats in the shadows, it's only natural we'd mistake them, no?"
Dianzel could only stare blankly as his master's words tangled past and future together.
"Master, I truly don't understand what you're—"
"Fool. Just remember this—we crush them. By Her Highness the Princess's command."
"Her Highness the Princess?"
At Gilifos' answer, Dianzel's eyes widened.
Had our princess, who sees even the distant battlefield with perfect clarity, devised yet another plan?
His dissatisfied expression immediately softened as he nodded.
"Then we must act at once."
"Did you take a rock to the head on the battlefield...?"
This stubborn brat, complying so readily? As Gilifos hesitated, his disciple replied.
"Master, you don't know, do you? Had it not been for Her Highness the Princess, we'd all be dead."
"What?"
"I'll explain everything in detail once this is over. You won't believe it."
Gilifos snorted.
"Hmph, you think you're the only one with unbelievable tales? I've got plenty to say myself, you brat."