As Claude watched the captured spy being dragged in, he glanced at Ghislain and asked quietly, "How did you know they were a spy?"
"Well," Ghislain crossed his arms and paused thoughtfully.
In his past life, Duke Leinster of the Artrode Kingdom had led a powerful faction within the Allied Forces.
Thinking back, it was only natural. The nobles who had rebelled across the continent were all in league with the Salvation Church.
Even in his past life, those nobles had likely supported Leinster from within the Allied Forces.
But at that time, the Salvation Church was considered just another cult, so identifying the enemy was nearly impossible.
"I couldn't be certain at first. There were several people I suspected," Ghislain began.
Among the nobles participating in the Allied Forces, quite a few had been part of Duke Leinster's faction in his past life.
That didn't necessarily mean they were all spies. As the faction was strong, it was natural for many nobles to follow Duke Leinster.
Duke Leinster himself was known as a good man, so there were likely those who followed him without any connection to the Salvation Church.
The issue was determining whether someone had aligned with the faction because of the Salvation Church or simply because of political trends.
Thus, Ghislain kept a close eye on those with significant military authority and considerable power.
"At first, everyone fought hard, right? Whether dealing with the rifts or facing the rebel forces," he continued.
Even among those who had been part of Leinster's faction in his past life, many had perished in the war. This naturally narrowed the list of suspects.
But then, one person began to act strangely during military operations.
"When Hellnik first appeared, that guy didn't order a retreat at the front-line fortress. Instead, he commanded them to fight to the death."
The intention seemed to be gathering forces near the capital to prepare for battle, but it was highly suspicious.
It was obvious that the troops at the front-line fortress couldn't hold out for even a day.
Retreating to join forces would have been the better strategy. Yet the order to hold the position was never rescinded.
"Thanks to Jerome, they managed to retreat. Otherwise, they'd all have died there. I started suspecting him from then on."
There was no way the order had been due to incompetence; no commander was that foolish.
Before Hellnik appeared, that kingdom had dealt with most of its rifts and rebel forces faster than other kingdoms.
With that kind of experience and capability, such an irrational order seemed highly suspicious.
"But I still wasn't sure, so I kept observing. That guy acted even more strangely—leaving Jerome to fend for himself."
No matter how powerful Jerome was, he couldn't handle Hellnik's army of the undead alone. All he could do was use powerful magic to delay them.
The strategy itself wasn't flawed, but there was no reason for Jerome to fight alone.
They kept retreating and only pretended to hold positions briefly before abandoning them. Even though they had troops stationed in the rear, no reinforcements were sent.
"If they had provided even a small amount of support, Jerome could have held out longer and more effectively. But they left him alone, not offering even token assistance. All they did was thank him afterward."
Ghislain's suspicion grew stronger.
"And then, during this battle, he kept opposing my plans, insisting we only defend the supply lines. Seriously, supply lines? I'm a specialist in mobile warfare. Look, if we'd only defended as he suggested, we'd have been crushed."
'Oh, so he targeted the guy who opposed him.'
Claude thought to himself, interpreting it simply as Ghislain having taken aim at someone who disagreed with him and just happened to get it right.
Of course, Ghislain hadn't been able to pinpoint the traitor immediately. One person was the most suspicious, but unfortunately, other commanders had also been part of Duke Leinster's faction in his past life.
It wasn't until three of the dispatched corps took heavy losses that he could be certain.
"Two corps were wiped out almost immediately. It's fortunate I had preemptively ordered the remaining corps to retreat if things went south."
Replacing a corps commander in the Allied Forces wasn't easy.
Each commander was a leader of their respective kingdom's forces, and maintaining unity required considering the opinions of the other nations.
Ghislain's influence as the Allied Forces' leader was the only reason he could push his strategies through.
But if there was a spy, it was better for them to be in charge of the corps. If they were lower-ranked, it would have been even harder to identify them.
Ghislain smiled coldly at the man kneeling before him.
"So? Was my guess right? Marquis Suffolk, I didn't expect you to be such a devout follower of the Salvation Church. It turns out you were clearing out the rebel forces just to stab us in the back."
"..."
The man kneeling before Ghislain was Marquis Suffolk of the Farsali Kingdom.
As the commander of the kingdom's forces, he had consistently avoided fighting Hellnik directly, failed to aid Jerome, and ensured the undead had plenty of materials to work with.
Marquis Suffolk, disheveled and covered in wounds, let out a hollow laugh.
"So you deduced my identity from such flimsy evidence? There were plenty of incompetent commanders."
"No matter how incompetent, no one would leave their only hope alone on the battlefield like that."
Of course, this wasn't Ghislain's sole reason for suspecting him. His knowledge of the past had strengthened his conviction.
Marquis Suffolk and Claude could never understand that aspect.
Jerome, sitting nearby with a haggard look, appeared deeply saddened. He had believed the commander's actions were due to desperate circumstances, not betrayal.
"So that's how it was…"
Realizing someone he thought was an ally had tried to kill him was a painful blow. It nearly cost him his life.
Marquis Suffolk bit his lip repeatedly before speaking.
"There's no way out for me, is there? Just kill me."
Behind him knelt others who had been his subordinates, also captured as spies.
Ghislain nodded and stood, pulling out a hand axe.
"Death is inevitable. Jerome, would you like to do it?"
The betrayal likely hurt Jerome the most. However, Jerome shook his head with a forlorn expression.
"You're always so soft-hearted."
Ghislain chuckled as he raised the axe.
Thud!
"Guh…"
The axe fell, and Marquis Suffolk collapsed lifelessly.
Having already been extensively tortured by professionals, there was no need to prolong his suffering further.
The others were dragged off to face execution as well. Their actions had inflicted significant harm on the Allied Forces, leaving no room for mercy.
After handling the spies, Ghislain turned to Parniel.
"Good work. Thanks to you, we captured them easily."
"It was nothing difficult."
Marquis Suffolk commanded the largest forces within the Farsali Kingdom's army. Any attempt to apprehend him by force would have resulted in significant losses.
Thus, as soon as the battle with the Artrode Army ended, Parniel and Tenant moved swiftly to capture him.
Parniel's status as a saintess proved invaluable in situations like these.
— I've come for an inquisition. Anyone who obstructs me will be deemed a heretic.
In the current climate, where the Salvation Church was the enemy, no one dared stand in the saintess's way. Marquis Suffolk was captured without resistance.
The experts(?) who interrogated the Marquis Suffolk were separate. They were members of the Lutania army led by Tenant.
Ghislain tapped the shoulder of the representative standing in front of him and spoke.
"Good work. I knew you'd do well. You liked getting promoted this time, didn't you?"
"Y-yes, yes…"
The man, sweating nervously and nodding repeatedly, was Harrison, a cavalry company commander from the Lutania Army.
He was someone who had previously worked as a leader for one of Desmond's spy teams before defecting to Fenris. Of course, even his name was an alias.
Recently, during the last battle, he had suddenly been promoted to an inspector officer and tasked with interrogating the Marquis Suffolk.
While the promotion was welcome, it felt increasingly like walking on thin ice.
'What is this? Of all people, why was I given this task?'
Even as he interrogated Marquis Suffolk as ordered, he couldn't shake his unease. What made it worse was that the two subordinates who had defected with him were also assigned directly under his command.
The coincidence was too much to ignore. Three former spies turned inspectors, now interrogating another spy.
Feeling a fear he hadn't in a long time, they gave their all to the interrogation of the Marquis Suffolk. They employed every bit of torture knowledge they had.
As a result, they managed to extract all the names of the subordinates from the Marquis Suffolk.
Ghislain looked at Harrison with a meaningful gaze and said, "You'll keep working hard from now on, right? Getting promoted feels good, doesn't it? Don't forget, I'm always watching you."
"Y-yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"
"Why are you so tense?"
"I-it's such an honor to be in a private audience with Your Grace…"
Even in his nervous state, flattery came out naturally. Truly, it was the tongue of a spy, honed to perfection.
Ghislain smirked and continued, "We've caught the big fish, but there could still be knights or soldiers tied to the Salvation Church. We have plenty of time now, so investigate thoroughly and catch them. Request any personnel you need from the commanders of each kingdom or from Claude."
"Understood!"
The three shouted in unison. Although the Salvation Church had collapsed, the spies they had planted over the years were likely still widespread.
However, the three of them were inspectors in the Lutania Army. Wherever they went, their requests would have to be met. Such was the extent of the authority they had been granted.
They could feel the unspoken pressure to capture even one more spy. To survive, they would have to do whatever it took.
'We'll dig as deep as we can.'
'We're seasoned spies ourselves.'
'We even evaded detection in Fenris… Ah, but he definitely knows, doesn't he…'
Still, they were confident. A spy knows a spy best.
After wrapping up the matters related to the spies and waiting a few more days, Yulian arrived.
When news came that the enemy corps had been completely wiped out and the revolutionary leader had been killed, the soldiers erupted in cheers once more.
"As expected of Lord Yulian."
"Duke Fenris is said to have met his match in terms of skill."
"Some even say he's stronger."
Along with Ghislain, Yulian's reputation soared endlessly. The same was true for other superhumans who had participated in the war.
The victorious Allied Forces were now preparing to move to the Kingdom of Sardina.
The reinforcements and mercenaries had all returned to the Kingdom of Sardina. From the start, Ghislain had no intention of wasting time until they arrived.
Although the crucial war was over, there was still much to do.
There were kingdoms like Grimwell where the royal family had collapsed, and there were still many small nations battling remnants of rebel forces.
It was time to discuss how to assist them and provide support.
Before returning, Ghislain brought out the white horse that Idun used to ride and addressed everyone.
"This horse is a rare steed on the continent. I'll gift it to whoever manages to tame it. But don't use mana to force it."
The white horse Idun had ridden was a living work of art in itself.
Its pure white coat shimmered like a pearl under the sunlight, its slender legs resembled elegant yet strong marble columns.
The muscles beneath it were in perfect balance, as if carefully sculpted by a master craftsman.
Chosen by Idun himself, who demanded only the best, this white horse was more than just a mode of transportation; it was a living symbol of his status and discernment.
Its appearance, reminiscent of legendary steeds ridden by mythical heroes, was enough to capture the attention of everyone around.
"Wow, that's incredible!"
"I've never seen such a beautiful horse in my life."
"So, if we can ride it, we get to keep it?"
Greed sparkled in the eyes of the people. Owning such a horse was equivalent to possessing wealth and honor.
Those of lower rank withdrew on their own, but a few knights, driven by ambition, stepped forward eagerly.
"I'll ride it first!"
Thunk!
Gordon was immediately kicked by the horse's hind legs and sent flying.
"It's definitely mine!"
Thunk!
Lucas was also knocked down.
"Forget it, you filthy beast! You're dead if I see you again."
Thunk!
Ascon, failing to persuade the horse, ended up being carried away with his chest caved in.
"I'm a superhuman!"
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
Kaor only got beaten up and couldn't manage to ride the horse.
"Step aside! A steed like that suits a lady like me! I'm sure it can handle my hammer's weight!"
Elena desperately needed a good horse. Since most horses couldn't bear the weight of her hammer, she had to bring three at a time, which was a hassle.
This white horse, however, was dignified and elegant, just what she desired. It was the perfect steed for a noblewoman!
Thunk!
"You little…!"
Rejected, Elena grabbed her massive hammer, ready to strike the horse. If the onlookers hadn't intervened, the horse would have been killed on the spot.
She was indeed a princess with a fiery temper, especially thanks to her older brother.
Many others tried, but no one succeeded in riding the white horse.
Snort!
The white horse arrogantly surveyed its surroundings. Its gaze seemed to say, "How dare you think you could ride me?"
As expected of a horse ridden by Idun, it was proud and spirited.
Yulian, Gillian, Belinda, Vanessa, and a few others didn't even attempt it. Either they had grown attached to their current horses or had no interest in the matter.
Even the Lutania soldiers, known for their exceptional horsemanship, failed. As Ghislain was considering whether to use Lumina to persuade the horse, Dark spoke up.
"Yulian! Yulian should try!"
Others joined in the suggestion.
"That's right! Give it a shot!"
"That horse would listen to him, I'm sure!"
"Let's have the prince on a white horse!"
At first, Yulian tried to decline, but the enthusiastic support from everyone prompted him to step forward.
Snort…
The white horse glared fiercely at Yulian. But Yulian simply stood still and looked back at it.
After a while, the horse lowered its gaze and slowly knelt, bowing its legs.
It had been overwhelmed by Yulian's presence and surrendered.
When Yulian mounted the horse, it stood up slowly. The sight of Yulian atop the pristine white steed was nothing short of breathtaking.
A prince on a white horse — it was Yulian, through and through.
"Wow!"
"He's found his rightful master!"
"I can't believe that horse surrendered!"
The onlookers erupted in cheers. Yulian's match with the horse was so perfect it left everyone in awe.
No one could dispute it. The white horse now belonged to Yulian. Though Yulian himself seemed indifferent to horses, it didn't matter.
With a smile, Ghislain declared, "No more challengers, right? Then the horse's owner is Yulian..."
"Wait! Didn't you say everyone would get a chance? I'm going next!"
The voice came from one side, leaving everyone stunned.
Alpoi had appeared, boldly proclaiming his intent.
[T/L: I need your support, dear readers. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]