Ghislain glanced at Marquis Gidion's expression and quickly continued speaking.
"If we're going to hang out anyway, let's do it at our territory. Then, if any information comes in, we can immediately go after those guys."
"Hmm…"
"Lady Parniel agreed too. Now that the Salvation Church bastards are completely wiped out, it's better to use an information network than to wander around alone looking for clues."
"That makes sense."
"Right? Everyone we know is already coming to our territory, so you should join us and have fun too."
Hearing Ghislain's suggestion, Marquis Gidion asked with a still skeptical look.
"Lord Yulian won't have to go through any trouble, will he?"
The Kingdom of Lutania, especially Fenris Territory, was notorious for being unusually busy with constant problems.
Moreover, Marquis Gidion had witnessed several times how Ghislain handled matters.
Ghislain's methods were reckless. The results were always right, but the process was painful.
Aware of this perception, Ghislain gave a hollow laugh and replied.
"Oh, we're just going to relax and have fun. There's nothing dangerous or hectic to worry about anymore."
Ghislain wasn't lying.
Once they returned, the plan was to develop the territory and subjugate the Forest of Demonic Beasts to uncover the truth of the past.
But Ghislain saw this as more of a camping trip to enjoy nature with friends.
Currently, Fenris's military strength was the best in the history of the kingdom.
And if Yulian joined them? The Forest of Demonic Beasts would practically turn into a low-level goblin forest.
Wouldn't that still count as relaxing?
Marquis Gidion, who didn't know that Ghislain's standard for "relaxing" was different, was convinced by Ghislain's earnest tone and nodded.
"Lord Yulian, it doesn't sound bad. I'll try to stabilize the kingdom while you stay in Fenris for now."
Yulian was already disliked by the king. The process of securing rewards for the soldiers had further increased hostility from the king and nobles.
Marquis Gidion hoped they wouldn't target Yulian.
Yulian had strong support from the soldiers. Public sentiment was also entirely on Yulian's side. They should consider themselves lucky that Yulian had no interest in power.
'I'll handle everything myself.'
Marquis Gidion resolved to seize firm control for Yulian's sake.
He had enough power to do so.
While he led the army to stabilize the kingdom, Fenris seemed to be the only safe haven for Yulian.
Yulian fell into deep thought.
'Which path should I choose?'
His instincts told him to search for Gartros. But hearing Ghislain's proposal, he wavered slightly.
The feeling that he should find Gartros was a bit stronger, yet he wasn't sure if that instinct was right.
Unable to fully trust his supernatural senses anymore, Yulian pondered for a long time before nodding.
"Alright, I'll rely on you for now."
When it was hard to decide on his own, Yulian followed Ghislain's judgment. That had been his principle throughout the war.
Hadn't he always vowed to trust Ghislain's judgment?
And personally, this seemed like the better choice. At least the people of Lutania didn't seem uncomfortable around him.
Sometimes, they even treated him with surprising ease—especially people like Alpoi and Claude.
"You made a good decision. Let's enjoy ourselves."
Ghislain grinned widely. It would be a waste for someone like Yulian to exhaust himself unnecessarily. His strength should be used for the right purposes.
Besides, Yulian had nowhere to belong.
Ghislain had witnessed countless times in his past life how the king of Turian would pick fights with Yulian and refuse to cooperate on anything related to him.
If even his father treated him like that, how would the other nobles act? They constantly plotted to bring Yulian down.
'It's better to have him in our territory.'
That much was sincere. A friend who fought for the world shouldn't be treated so poorly.
With Yulian accepting Ghislain's suggestion, Marquis Gidion felt somewhat relieved.
Yulian's presence wouldn't be helpful in the storm brewing in the Kingdom of Turian.
Thus, Ghislain set off with Yulian toward the Kingdom of Lutania.
***
"Waaaaaaaah!"
"His Grace has arrived!"
"The Hero Who Saved the Continent!"
The streets of the capital, Cardenia, overflowed with people.
Every corner, every window, every rooftop was packed with crowds. It was as if the entire city had come alive, and waves of cheers rippled outward.
"Our Savior!"
"Long live His Grace!"
"The Guardian of Lutania!"
The chorus of voices roared like thunder.
Children sat on their parents' shoulders, waving tiny hands, while the elderly bowed deeply with teary eyes.
Flowers rained endlessly from above. Some threw them from windows, others from balconies.
Red rose petals, white lilies, and golden marigolds danced in the spring breeze.
"Waaaaaaaah!"
"Please look this way!"
"Goddess bless His Grace!"
Riding the black steed, Ghislain drew even louder cheers as he passed.
Banners celebrating the occasion fluttered across the streets. Grand music from bands filled the air.
Bouquets thrown by the crowd piled up at the horse's hooves.
Drought, rifts, plagues, civil wars, and continent-wide conflicts had left deep scars.
Those wounds hadn't fully healed, but at least for today, everyone seemed to forget their pain.
Cardenia's streets were filled with the fervor of celebration. True joy returned to people's faces after a long time.
And at the center of it all was Ghislain. Thanks to him, the people endured their suffering with hope, and now their patience was rewarded with victory and happiness.
"Waaaaaaaah!"
In the midst of the crowd, an elderly woman holding her grandson smiled.
"Peace will come now…"
It was everyone's heartfelt wish. The crowd burned this moment into their memories.
The end of war and the beginning of peace—this historic moment.
The procession continued to the royal palace. As Ghislain arrived, someone was already waiting.
Ghislain dismounted and stepped forward.
"Ghislain!"
Zwalter's eyes sparkled with emotion as he approached. Alongside him were Homerne, Albert, Randolph, Fergus, and others from Perdium.
"My son, my son has finally returned."
Zwalter's trembling voice made Ghislain smile. Despite becoming king, Zwalter retained his simple, down-to-earth demeanor from his days in the north.
"I'm home, Father."
"Yes, yes. You've been through so much. Come inside quickly."
Ghislain had fought harder than anyone against the Salvation Church. As a father, Zwalter was both proud and constantly worried.
When Elena returned earlier, he had run out barefoot, shedding tears uncontrollably.
Now, as a king, he tried to maintain composure for the sake of dignity.
Seeing how much his father had aged, Ghislain chuckled.
"You look like you've had a harder time than during the war."
"Don't even get me started. Sometimes, I feel like giving up the throne and going back to our hometown."
Zwalter shook his head.
For someone without responsibility, the throne offered endless pleasure. But for a responsible man, it brought endless suffering.
Zwalter was the latter. He struggled more as king than when managing the poor northern territory.
Relentlessly working day and night to save the kingdom from back-to-back disasters had worn him down.
His vassals were no different. Homerne, Albert, and Randolph all looked gaunt, their expressions drained of life.
"Can't we just go back to our hometown?"
"This feels harder than when we were poor."
"Ah, I just want to quit everything and go home!"
They had clamored so much about wanting higher positions, but now all they wanted was to give it up. The other vassals from Perdium felt the same way.
From the start, this was more than they could handle. Managing Perdium alone and managing an entire kingdom were worlds apart.
The only reason they had endured this long was thanks to the help of many others.
"Your Grace, we're truly relieved you've returned safely."
Meriel and Rozalin greeted him with bright smiles.
Ghislain welcomed them back with a smile of his own. It wasn't an exaggeration to say the kingdom had stabilized quickly thanks to the two of them.
It took their level of expertise to manage the kingdom's massive finances.
Meriel looked at Ghislain with a nostalgic smile.
'It feels like just yesterday when he came to sell cosmetics.'
That was already several years ago. The inexperienced noble from the frontier had now become the most influential man on the continent.
Meriel had been the first to recognize the value of his cosmetics and fully supported him. She did the same during the war.
Thanks to her insight, the House of Ailesbur had risen to become the most prominent noble family in the capital.
After exchanging greetings, Meriel gently nudged Rozalin toward Ghislain.
Ghislain smiled again as he looked at Rozalin.
"I heard the kingdom stabilized quickly thanks to your efforts. Thank you so much."
"It was only natural for me to do my part."
Rozalin looked a bit bashful, which was unusual for her.
But Ghislain didn't notice. As they entered the castle, he immediately asked what he was most curious about.
"How is the cosmetics business going?"
Claude didn't know much about the cosmetics trade. Rozalin had been entrusted with full authority over it. Sales had dropped significantly due to the war.
Rozalin's lips twitched slightly, but she couldn't show her frustration in front of the king and nobles. She responded calmly.
"Sales have increased again since the Salvation Church fell. We're also reviewing trade with other kingdoms, so it should grow even more."
"Oh! That's great news."
Ghislain grinned brightly. Finally, the cosmetics business could expand globally. Rozalin had prepared everything so well in advance.
Considering the costs needed for post-war recovery, the more money, the better.
Walking side by side, Ghislain continued asking questions, eager to catch up on everything he'd been curious about.
"What about arrow delivery and road construction?"
"They're ongoing. As part of the economic stimulus policy, we've employed as many workers as possible…"
Rozalin's efforts extended into kingdom-wide projects. After all, she was currently managing the kingdom's finances alongside Meriel.
Rozalin was incredibly competent. Whatever Ghislain asked, she answered without hesitation.
"What about funding for soldiers' equipment…"
"Grain and meat distribution as well…"
"Since the rifts remain, medicine production must continue…"
As their conversation progressed, Rozalin's expression grew increasingly blank. Ghislain only talked about money.
Sensing the growing tension, Zwalter cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ahem, Ghislain. It's been a while since we've seen each other. Can't work discussions wait until after dinner? Let's unpack and relax first…"
Even as king, Zwalter found it difficult to handle Rozalin, the daughter of Marquis Branford.
But Ghislain always prioritized what he wanted to do.
"Just a moment. It's important to get a grasp on things in advance…"
At Ghislain's persistence, Meriel shrugged and subtly stepped back.
Ghislain continued asking about financial matters until he was satisfied and nodded.
"I see. That puts my mind at ease. Anyway, about the kingdom's finances…"
The moment he brought up money again, Rozalin finally snapped.
She suddenly stopped walking and shouted.
"Hey! Do you have nothing else to talk about except money? We've just met, and all you do is talk about finances! What now? What else do you want to ask? Think we're short on funds because we're too busy? Should I bring you the ledgers?"
"…Thank you for taking care of it."
"..."
An awkward silence followed. It was a reminder to always listen to the end of someone's words.
Everyone paused and stared at Rozalin.
After taking a deep breath, Rozalin bowed her head toward Zwalter.
"Your Majesty, please forgive my rudeness. I momentarily lost my composure."
"No, no. I understand how much you've been sacrificing for the kingdom. Don't worry too much. My son—well, he's always been a bit strange."
Rozalin bowed again and pulled out her fan.
Snap.
She covered her face, glared at Ghislain one last time, and quickly retreated.
Everyone then turned their attention to Ghislain. Looking embarrassed, he cleared his throat.
"I'll… apologize later."
The others clicked their tongues. Ghislain really only cared about work and fighting.
Zwalter shook his head.
"You… seriously… Who's going to marry you? When do you plan to get married, anyway?"
"..."
With the war over, everyone was back to worrying about Ghislain's marriage. He was now the kingdom's crown prince, after all.
But Ghislain still had no interest in such matters. There was too much left to do.
Sensing the conversation veering toward marriage, Ghislain quickly cut it off.
"I need to go somewhere first."
"Where? We haven't seen each other in ages. Shouldn't we talk and catch up?"
"I'll be back by dinner. I have someone I need to meet."
"Who? Everyone will be at the banquet anyway."
"I need to meet the Elf Grand Chieftain."
Erenes had returned to the Kingdom of Lutania with Claude but was living in seclusion.
She refused to attend royal events or meet with nobles, completely cutting herself off from the outside world.
She probably wouldn't come to the banquet either. That's why Ghislain decided to visit her personally.
'Artherion definitely wasn't normal.'
He needed to speak with her about the past.
Why had the dragon gone mad?
And did she know anything about the mysterious energy lurking within Yulian's body?