SWNOVELXO Chapter 527
Chapter 527: Finally Moving (2)
The civil war in the Kingdom of Turian came to an end with the appearance of a man.
All that remained of Turian’s army gathered around him. They pushed through the rift and the rebel forces with unstoppable momentum.
With each fight, he grew stronger.
Having lived trapped in a tower, he had little actual combat experience, but that was no hindrance whatsoever.
It was as if he were awakening knowledge he had long ago forgotten. Such was the brilliance of his talent.
His sword glimmered blue as it cleaved someone’s body in half. The one who was split was the last remaining superhuman of the Turian rebels.
“Gurk… Who… are you…?”
The priest of the Salvation Society asked, blood spewing from his wound.
The Kingdom of Turian was on the brink of destruction. Just a little bit more pressure, and it would have been over.
Yet, with the appearance of the man before him, everything had turned to naught.
Even the enemy couldn’t help but feel awe at his formidable strength, prompting them to inquire about his identity.
[Clank.]
The man sheathed his sword and answered curtly.
“Yulien.”
The abandoned prince of the Kingdom of Turian.
He cast aside everything but his name.
But the high priest of the Salvation Society realized who Yulien was simply from hearing that name.
“Cough! You’re… the prince of the Tower of Thorns. I thought you were dead long ago…”
With those words, the priest collapsed, his body neatly severed into two halves.
Thus, the forces of the Salvation Society in the Kingdom of Turian were utterly obliterated.
“Waaaaaah!”
The soldiers of Turian raised their weapons high, shouting in jubilation.
Thinking they were doomed to die without any hope in sight, a miracle had occurred.
Just one person.
The incredible strength of that one individual had overturned the entire situation.
Marquis Gideon, leading the Kingdom Army, spoke with a joyous expression.
“Your Highness, congratulations. Now the kingdom can rise again.”
His tone was exceedingly respectful. However, Yulien slowly turned his head to look at him.
Marquis Gideon flinched under Yulien’s icy gaze. He realized his blunder.
“I apologize. Lord Yulien.”
“Please continue to call me by my name.”
“Understood.”
“What will you do now?”
While Yulien was a symbol of hope, he was not in command. The role of leading the Kingdom Army fell to Marquis Gideon.
In response to Yulien’s question, Marquis Gideon wore a slightly troubled expression.
“First… I think we should return to the capital. Now that the civil war is over, we need to distribute rewards and also reorganize the army.”
Now, they had to gather and reorganize the remaining forces. No place was better for consulting with many nobles than the capital.
Yulien nodded solemnly, maintaining his expressionless face; he was merely moving to save people, not to achieve any glory.
Thus, the Kingdom Army organized the situation and headed toward the capital.
“Waaaaah!”
“Long live Lord Yulien!”
“The savior of the kingdom!”
The people welcomed Yulien with immense enthusiasm.
He was no longer the forgotten prince. Rumors about him spread like wildfire across the kingdom.
The savior who rescued the kingdom from despair.
Just that fact alone made all the people of the kingdom lean on Yulien.
However, the king and the central nobles did not feel the same. To them, the sudden rise of Yulien was undoubtedly burdensome.
King Hayden of Turian trembled and said,
“Why… have you come out of the tower?”
“……”
“Didn’t you say you would live in the tower for the rest of your life?!”
“I… came out to save the people.”
“Who told you to do such a thing?! I never gave such an order!”
“……”
Yulien showed no signs of moving. He looked as if he had anticipated this.
Hayden looked exceptionally haggard. Naturally, given that the kingdom was on the brink of destruction.
Yet, the one who saved him from that crisis was the person he disliked and feared the most, making his mood understandably uncomfortable.
“Return to the tower at once!”
He heard Yulien was strong enough to eradicate rifts alone. He was now backed by the fervent support of the army and the people.
The king could no longer kill him. Thus, all he could do was scream like a madman.
“I should have killed you long ago!”
“……”
Yulien said nothing, merely gazing at his father with his impassive face.
As a child, he sometimes wondered why his father hated him so much. He had spent nights feeling sad and in pain.
But that was no longer the case. No words held any significance for him now.
Instead, the surrounding nobles seemed restless, trying to calm the king.
“Your Majesty, please temper your anger.”
“The first prince is the kingdom’s benefactor.”
“You must provide him with a fitting reward.”
These were people who had wielded power by the king’s side. Naturally, they had been too busy shunning Yulien, who had been trapped in the tower, to give him any attention.
But the situation had changed now.
‘The true power in this kingdom is the first prince.’
That was the common thought among them.
If Yulien so wished, he could topple this kingdom at any moment. Setting aside his individual strength, how could one defeat someone backed by the powerful army’s support?
Noticing the atmosphere, the king became increasingly frantic.
“Shut up! Who even says he’s the first prince! That guy’s qualifications as an heir were revoked long ago! Imprison that fool! I command you to imprison the one who disobeyed royal orders!”
The nobles shook their heads. It was like tying a bell on a cat’s neck. Who would dare take the strongest in the kingdom?
Unable to tolerate it anymore, Marquis Gideon whispered to Yulien.
“Let’s leave for now. The king seems… uncomfortable.”
Yulien slightly nodded before promptly turning his body. He strode out toward the exit.
“You brat! Where do you think you’re going! Grab him at once!”
As the king yelled, drool flying from his mouth, the nobles rushed to him, trying to soothe and calm him. But no one moved to capture Yulien.
The king then realized something. While Yulien was there, no one would listen to his orders.
Ruffling his sweat-soaked hair, the king muttered with great difficulty.
“That guy will be the ruin of this kingdom… Everyone’s going to die…”
The people surrounding the king all internally clicked their tongues.
What blasphemy it was to say such things about the hero who had stepped forward to save the kingdom.
No matter how jealous one might be of a child’s accomplishments, that was an egregious remark.
Everyone shared the same thought.
‘The king has gone mad.’
So now, the one locked away at the tower would be the king.
*
Outside, Yulien asked Marquis Gideon.
“What about the other kingdoms?”
“Not good. It seems they have to deal with both the rifts and the rebels at the same time.”
Though he had been trapped in the tower for a long time, Yulien was now somewhat aware of what had happened.
He had heard many stories while fighting and had witnessed quite a bit himself.
While the situation in the Kingdom of Turian was particularly dire, the other kingdoms weren’t much different.
After a moment of contemplation, Yulien spoke.
“I plan to head to another kingdom.”
“What do you mean? Is it because of the king? There’s no need for that anymore. Everyone supports Lord Yulien.”
“No. I just want to save other people as well.”
“Ah…”
“And if the nearby kingdoms fall to them, we will ultimately be in danger as well.”
“That’s true. We’ll have to fight again.”
This was no longer just the affair of one kingdom. Defeating the forces of the Salvation Society didn’t mean it was over. If their power grew, they would become a threat once more.
Yulien nodded and continued.
“Thus, we need to exterminate the Salvation Society while the people still have the strength to fight.”
Marquis Gideon looked at him with admiration.
Thinking about how to save more people rather than just focusing on their own safety.
Thanks to that heart, this kingdom could survive.
‘This man is a true candidate for the throne.’
It was truly unfortunate. Had Yulien grown to be the official heir, the kingdom would not have fallen into such peril.
He could not comprehend why the king seemed to detest such a person.
Marquis Gideon straightened his chest and spoke.
“I will also lead my army to follow you.”
“There’s no need for that.”
“No. If the nearby kingdoms get completely occupied, we’ll be next. As Lord Yulien said, it’s right to unite our strengths before that.”
“The king will not permit it.”
“We have enough justification. I will take care of that.”
Yulien nodded.
Whether or not his army came with him, it didn’t matter much to him. But to save people, it was better if the military moved alongside.
Marquis Gideon cautiously said.
“Then I will inform them that we will join the allied forces.”
“Understood. However… what’s the situation with the allied forces?”
Yulien was not well-informed about the surrounding circumstances. After all, he had only fought since coming out of the tower.
Marquis Gideon informed him as best he could.
“Recently, I heard rumors that the civil war in the Ruthania Kingdom has ended. Duke Delphine has already led his army to aid the neighboring countries.”
“Is that so?”
Yulien was slightly intrigued by the news.
He understood that the forces of the Salvation Society in the Ruthania Kingdom were the strongest. But already ending the civil war and aiding surrounding nations was quite impressive.
Marquis Gideon continued with a smile.
“It’s said that Duke Delphine is the strongest in Ruthania. We also have a quite deep connection.”
“What kind of connection?”
Marquis Gideon shared how Ghislaine had come from the Turian Kingdom and what remarkable feats he had achieved. Since Grant, the commander of Ironcliff, was his direct subordinate, he was well aware of it as well.
He also told of the accomplishments in partnership with the Kingdom of Ruthania and other kingdoms. It included information about the mercenaries led by Duke Delphine being active across the continent.
Yulien listened quietly, nodding.
“He seems to be quite an impressive individual. I would like to meet him once.”
“He’s moving his army in this direction, so you should meet him soon.”
After some contemplation, Yulien replied.
“Let’s move toward that side. By advancing while aiding the neighboring countries, we’ll reach him a bit faster.”
“Toward Duke Delphine’s side?”
“Yes. If we combine our strengths, wouldn’t it be better for us all?”
Moving separately from each region was less effective than pursuing a single grand objective.
Currently, there was no focal point for the allied forces to gather. Everyone was too busy protecting their own land, and only after the Ruthania Kingdom ended its civil war did they start to support others.
If the leaders of the allied forces gathered to strategize together, they would be able to move more effectively.
Marquis Gideon understood Yulien’s intentions and lowered his head.
“Understood. I will plan our advance in the direction of Duke Delphine.”
“Please do so.”
With those words, Marquis Gideon took his leave. He had to prepare the army for departure.
He had no concerns about how to obtain the king’s permission.
‘If I say I’ll take the first prince along, he won’t oppose it.’
In fact, the king would probably welcome that with open arms. He would want Yulien out of this kingdom, endlessly fighting until his death.
While the Kingdom Army prepared for departure, Yulien sought to learn more about Duke Delphine.
In his hand was a book.
[Chronicles of Count Penris and Duke Delphine – Author: Claude]
It turned out not to be so hard to acquire. There were many followers of Duke Delphine.
Having spent his life trapped in a tower, he had no idea that the man known as Duke Delphine was this famous.
He comfortably settled into a seat and turned to the first page of the book.
[For those interested in obtaining the sequel, please contact Chief Officer Claude of Penris ‘secretly.’ It will be offered at a discounted price. Also, other lord items can be purchased through unofficial routes.]
“……”
Yulien didn’t know why such a line was there, but he kept a calm mind as he examined the book again.
The book detailed the achievements of Duke Delphine up to now, and even accounting for embellishments, they were quite remarkable.
And the more he learned, the more fascinating the character became.
He had grown up as the jester of the North and had been reviled by everyone. Whatever he did met with opposition from all.
But Duke Delphine pushed forward with his own conviction and ultimately succeeded in everything.
In the end, he had become the hero who crushed the Delphine Faction and brought the civil war to an end.
Yulien felt his heart racing for the first time in a long while.
Was it because of Duke Delphine’s immense strength?
No, he had no interest in brute force.
Was it because he succeeded despite facing hardships like him?
No, he cared little about that either.
Was it because he was a hero moving to save the current world?
No, he merely thought it was an obligation that someone with power had to bear.
To begin with, he had little interest in most human affairs. Thinking he wanted to know about Duke Delphine was itself an exception.
Indeed, as Yulien read through the book, he felt a strange sensation growing within him. The more he learned about Duke Delphine, the stronger the feeling of nostalgia washed over him.
He did not dismiss his intuition. That supernatural instinct was, after all, what had propelled him to grow this far.
‘I want to meet him quickly.’
Yulien closed the book and shut his eyes.
An unknown something was gently tugging at his heart.