SWNOVELXO Chapter 525
Chapter 525: I Came to Rescue You (3)
Claude’s words prompted Marquis Pherain to ask with a bright expression.
“Oh, so you are from this kingdom? Which family do you come from?”
“I am not a noble.”
“Ahem, is that so?”
Marquis Pherain and the nobles frowned slightly. It felt unpleasant to be investigated by someone who wasn’t even noble!
But he was a man leading an army of a hundred thousand. Additionally, as the Chief Officer of the Duke of Penris’ Territory, he had authority that any noble could hardly ignore.
Thus, they couldn’t dare to question or act recklessly.
Their reaction stemmed from the fact they didn’t know Claude was actually a slave.
“L-let’s move to a different place. I will explain in detail.”
Marquis Pherain smiled a bit more relaxed. He thought someone from their kingdom would listen to them.
But Claude shook his head.
“I will begin the investigation right away.”
“W-what’s the rush?”
“I am usually busy. Hey! Move it quickly!”
As Claude gestured, the administrators of Penris brought soldiers and began rummaging through the royal castle’s documents.
Claude had come back to Seiron Kingdom with the intention of turning everything upside down. Ghislaine, who was aware of Claude’s situation, handed over full authority and slipped away. It was a clear signal for him to handle it as he saw fit.
Marquis Pherain and the nobles shouted in bewildered expressions.
“What is this rude behavior!”
“No matter how much help you provided, this shouldn’t be acceptable!”
“Are you looking down on us because we are a weak nation?”
Despite the nobles’ protests, Claude ignored them. The administrators, knights, and soldiers searched through the Seiron Royal Castle as if it were their home, entirely like an invading army.
The nobles, who had never expected such a scenario, were left dumbfounded. Even if they wanted to intervene, it was impossible to do so.
The Northern Army’s momentum was menacing. With just a gesture from Claude, the kingdom could be toppled.
While the administrators turned the royal castle upside down, Claude leisurely walked to meet the king of Seiron.
The king, waiting joyfully for a feast, was now pale and shaken.
“W-what is happening? What is the meaning of this?”
King Cordeno of Seiron asked with a trembling voice, trying to suppress his anger.
Claude replied with a smile.
“I’m just here to conduct an investigation or two.”
“Leave at once! I cannot tolerate such humiliation! Just return the support supplies!”
Now that the rift was resolved, they could restore the production facilities. It would take some time, but it was not impossible.
It was fundamentally a matter of just returning the supplies. The other party had no right to act so rudely.
However, Claude shook his head.
“There’s more to investigate.”
“What could a foreign Chief Officer possibly investigate! The Kingdom of Seiron is a sovereign independent nation! Did you not claim to be from this kingdom? How dare you look down on the place where you were born and raised!”
Cordeno shouted in great anger.
Yet the knights of the royal castle couldn’t intervene. If they clashed with the Penris, this kingdom without any superhuman would meet its end.
Claude replied to the furious Cordeno.
“Do you not recognize me?”
“How can I possibly know a foreign Chief Officer!”
Claude looked at Marquis Pherain and asked again.
“Do you not know me?”
“N-no, I’ve never seen you before.”
At those words, Claude chuckled. After all, he had been brought in alongside his mentor under the same charges when his mentor was executed.
The rival faction of his mentor, Marquis Pherain, had witnessed that scene. The king did too.
‘Sure, that was the case.’
He was nothing more than a bug they didn’t need to remember.
It didn’t matter. He would make them remember from now on.
Claude looked at Cordeno and said.
“You will never forget my face and name for the rest of your life.”
“What nonsense are you speaking! Guards! Throw this person out at once! Just give back the support supplies and leave!”
Claude quietly opened his mouth.
“The name of my mentor is Benedito.”
“W-what?”
Cordeno and Marquis Pherain’s eyes widened. Benedito was the name of the person they had framed and executed for treason long ago.
But… his disciple was a close associate of the Duke of Penris?
“Y-you… it can’t be….”
Cordeno dredged up a fragmented memory. Although some time had passed, he could finally recognize the face.
The nobles of Seiron also broke out in cold sweat as they looked at Claude. They were just now beginning to understand the situation.
Claude grinned and continued.
“You breached the promise and misappropriated support supplies, so you must return everything from the national treasury of Seiron Kingdom. Right now.”
Marquis Pherain, who had played a big role in harming his mentor, replied with a pale expression.
“I-I don’t have the luxury to give it now.”
Although they had saved rations for the soldiers and townsfolk, they couldn’t provide everything. They had already eaten well.
Quite a bit of time had passed since they received the support. With production stopped now, they couldn’t possibly match what they used up until now.
“Then it seems I’ll need to take your land as repayment, along with interest.”
“T-that’s preposterous…”
“Why is that unreasonable? Isn’t it a legitimate procedure?”
When nobles borrow money but cannot repay it, they instead hand over territory. That was only natural.
The justification was correct, but it felt very forced. That was because they knew Claude’s true identity.
“W-what are you trying to do right now?”
“Don’t you know?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“My mentor was wrongfully accused and passed away. What do you think the disciple ought to do?”
“W-wait, it seems there’s a misunderstanding here…”
“Misunderstanding? Everyone knew the truth. My mentor was innocent. But he died with the accusation of treason hanging over his head. Should I tell you what needs to be done to make that death less unjust?”
“What do you mean…?”
Fierce flames flickered in Claude’s eyes. He gritted his teeth and spoke.
“Simply staging a real rebellion. Then there’s no injustice, right?”
“W-what nonsense! What are you…?”
“I am now as a member of the Seiron Kingdom, continuing my mentor’s will by orchestrating a rebellion. Drawing in foreign powers, of course.”
“T-this lunatic is…”
“You misappropriated support supplies, so you have more than enough justification for that. This cramped territory won’t make sense for you, though. Arrest them immediately.”
Boom!
At Claude’s command, the main hall’s doors were shattered, and the soldiers of the Northern Army rushed inside.
“D-don’t let them in!”
Marquis Pherain shouted loudly, but it was useless. A few knights from the Northern Army quickly subdued the knights of Seiron.
The king and nobles were brought to their knees, bound.
They gritted their teeth. Hadn’t they welcomed the invaders into their castle?
Claude smiled at them.
“I personally sent more support supplies to this kingdom than necessary. How was it?”
“W-what about profit?”
“I expected you would breach the contract. After all, you are that kind of people.”
“T-this brat…”
Cordeno’s face turned red with rage.
Initially, they had wasted everything as they indulged, not distributing the supplies properly, which meant they still had plenty for themselves.
But who would have thought that this would all accumulate as debt? Now, finally realizing why they had signed the contract while providing supplies.
That brat had intended from the start to use that contract as a pretext to take over the kingdom.
Claude seated himself on the throne and declared.
“I, the traitor, will assume the position of Acting Governor in place of the Ruthania Royal Family. This authority has been granted by our great king and the Grand Duke of the North. Once the war with the Salvation Society is over, this place will be incorporated into the Ruthania Kingdom.”
“You scoundrel! Be quiet! Do you think other kingdoms will just watch this? This is outright invasion! A disguised invasion, I tell you!”
United Ruthania is stronger than any other kingdom. Other kingdoms would surely fear them.
But Claude merely smiled dismissively.
“No, this is a rebellion that took place within the Kingdom of Seiron. There’s ample justification.”
“Whaaaat!”
He returned to take revenge for his mentor, who was executed, who would dare counter that? Especially with a significantly strong military at his back.
Claude grinned sinisterly.
“Take them away. We will investigate who is guilty and then deliver appropriate punishment.”
Those directly involved in killing his mentor would face the death penalty.
“Let go of me! You thugs! Let me go!”
Cordeno twisted his body and screamed. But it was all in vain. The Northern Army had already taken control of the area.
And thus, the Kingdom of Seiron came to an end. It was impossible to stop Claude, who had come with the intention of toppling the nation.
With the king and high-ranking nobles swiftly dealt with, Claude immediately set to work stabilizing the situation.
He reorganized the soldiers of Seiron and fed them well. He distributed resources to the refugees. Thanks to seizing the support supplies, resources were overflowing.
Naturally, soldiers and citizens cheered. What happened to the king and nobles was of no concern to them.
They were filled with betrayal because they knew the nobles had misappropriated the support supplies.
“I can’t believe we’re getting this much food!”
“Truly the Ruthania Kingdom!”
“I heard rumors that we would be joining the Ruthania Kingdom?”
“Well, isn’t that a good thing? It’s a place with a strong army and abundant food!”
Those who heard the news were unable to sleep from excitement.
They had witnessed how strong the Ruthania Kingdom’s army was. Hadn’t they wiped out the rifts that hadn’t been resolved in this kingdom in just a few days?
And they were distributing food without shortage. If possible, they would even want to willingly hand over their country with their own hands.
And when the news truly came that they would be incorporated into the Ruthania Kingdom.
“Woooooow!”
“Long live the Ruthania Kingdom!”
“Long live the Grand Duke of the North!”
An incredible phenomenon occurred where the landless began to cheer.
After all, they had been living much like slaves. They were tired of the king and nobles, who couldn’t even deal with issues in the kingdom and were only looking after their own interests.
Aside from a few nobles, everyone was happy, so Claude’s “rebellion” progressed swiftly.
The Northern Army left in Seiron Kingdom numbered about ten thousand, the bare minimum needed to stabilize the kingdom. Most of the Northern Army followed Ghislaine to another kingdom.
Although Claude had assumed the title of Acting Governor, he also intended to hand over the Seiron Kingdom to the administrators once he finished one important task.
That was finding Anna.
“Still haven’t found her?”
Most of the people of Seiron Kingdom had fled near the capital. The dean and students of Seiron Academy had also met in the capital.
But they too were unaware of Anna’s whereabouts. While she had been at another academy, the rift incident occurred.
Baron Austin, who had once been holding Anna to raise ransom, was said to have already died. Everyone involved in his mentor’s affair had been dealt with.
He just needed to find Anna, but he had no idea where she was.
“Huff…”
Claude let out a sigh, filled with frustration.
In fact, he had no intention of rekindling anything with Anna. He simply wanted to ensure the safety of her, the daughter of his mentor and his old love, out of guilt.
Seeing him troubled, Wendy cautiously asked.
“…Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Claude smiled bitterly.
At his expression, Wendy grew even more worried. It was the first time she had seen Claude, who usually poked fun, wear such a serious expression.
And for some reason, that expression nagged at her heart.
“Phew, I guess it’s time to move.”
Claude reluctantly decided to leave the search for Anna to the administrators. He couldn’t delay any longer as he had to follow the Northern Army.
Right now, Ghislaine had managed to secure forces and time for Claude’s revenge.
He took one last look around the refugee camp. Although it had already been confirmed that she was not there, he couldn’t help but hold out a glimmer of hope.
“Huh?”
While scanning the camp, Claude spotted a familiar face. The man, upon seeing Claude, immediately tried to turn and escape.
“Hey, hey! Grab that guy!”
The soldiers rushed and brought back the fleeing man. The captured individual forced an awkward smile and said.
“G-governor. How have you been? It’s been a while.”
With a servile grin, it was none other than Crank, the leader of the gangster faction, who had attempted to cut Claude’s wrist.