Ch.203203. Rebellion

Gilbert, who had crossed over from Ork to Bismarck, headed straight for the Hart Marquis’s mansion.

Thanks to the mage guarding Bismarck’s warp gate remembering Gilbert’s face, a considerable amount of time was saved.

As he made his way to the Hart estate, every citizen he encountered bowed their heads in greeting to Gilbert, who had returned after a long time. This was quite different from how they used to whisper and curse behind his back before.

This change stemmed from the successful defense against the Sigurd clan’s attack.

There wasn’t a single person among the citizens who didn’t know about the Sigurd clan’s attack, and everyone knew that Gilbert was the one who had repelled them without suffering any casualties.

Though they had once unhesitatingly called him a scoundrel, things were different now.

Especially the long-established citizens of Bismarck treated Gilbert with even greater respect. They were the generation that had experienced war with the Sigurd clan and knew their strength better than anyone.

They understood all too well that without Gilbert standing in their way, the peaceful daily life they now enjoyed wouldn’t exist.

And so, one by one, those who had spoken ill of Gilbert disappeared, and those who accepted the changed man increased, resulting in the current situation.

“You’re respected by the citizens. That’s just like you, Sir Gilbert.”

“I don’t know about that. Until recently, I was the one being cursed at.”

“You, Sir Gilbert?”

“I was a scoundrel, after all.”

Leaving behind the saint who had opened her eyes wide in surprise, Gilbert gave a perfunctory answer and hurried his steps toward the Hart estate. Veronica, tilting her head at the mention of “scoundrel,” followed closely behind him as he strode forward.

A scoundrel? Sir Gilbert?

Come to think of it, Veronica remembered hearing rumors about him being the scoundrel of the marquis family.

From the moment he was nominated as a hero candidate, his past reputation had followed him. The investigation confirmed that he had indeed lived a dissolute life, but he had since reformed.

Believing only what she saw with her own eyes, Veronica had withheld judgment until meeting him in person.

After actually meeting him, Veronica’s assessment was that his character was excellent. She couldn’t judge whether the stories about his past were true, but the Gilbert she saw possessed all the virtues befitting a hero.

He’s even loved by the citizens.

Veronica nodded as she quickly followed Gilbert, who had already moved far ahead.

Upon arriving at the Hart estate in one breath, Gilbert gestured to the guards who recognized him and saluted, then entered the mansion.

“You’ve arrived, Sir Gilbert.”

Permo, who had served as Gilbert’s adjutant during the previous Sigurd clan attack, welcomed him.

“Seeing that Sir Permo is here, I assume news of what happened in the capital has already been delivered.”

“Seeing that you’ve come to Bismarck, Sir Gilbert, it seems to be true.”

“Lady Briana used a dedicated communication device to inform us, so it’s reliable.”

Permo’s smiling face immediately darkened. The weight carried by the word “rebellion” was certainly not light.

“I’ll go see the Marquis.”

“He’s waiting. Let’s go together. By the way, the person behind you is…”

“May the glory of the Lord be with you. Hello, I’m Veronica.”

“May the Lord’s blessing be with you. Welcome, Saint. I am Permo Vincent Garner.”

Gilbert, watching the exchange of greetings between Permo and Veronica, briefly pondered how to explain why she was accompanying him. There was no proper reason for a saint of the Holy Empire to be following him around.

Bringing up the hero, the Demon King, and the revelation from the deity presented numerous complications. Information is most useful when known by as few people as possible.

Especially after discovering the existence of the Demon King or whatever entity stood in opposition to him, it was best to keep the revelation secret.

But without mentioning the revelation, he had no plausible explanation.

Although Veronica acted like an awkward maiden in front of Gilbert, she was officially a saint representing the Holy Empire—one who enjoyed tremendous popular support, a true saint in every sense of the word.

How could he explain her traveling alone with him without any escorts?

“Sir Gilbert, I hope I’m not being presumptuous, but… you haven’t fallen back into your old habits, have you?”

Gilbert, who had been wracking his brain for an excuse, furrowed his brows at Permo’s disrespectful gaze.

He immediately caught what Permo was implying.

“Sir Permo.”

“Well… I didn’t think you would. But I simply cannot imagine why the Saint would be traveling alone with you, Sir Gilbert.”

Gilbert barely managed to swallow a sigh that almost escaped. He wanted to say that he was pondering the same thing, but of course, he didn’t.

“The Saint said she had a request for the Imperial Princess. I visited the Holy Empire to review her request, and during that time, the rebellion broke out. The Saint has graciously accompanied me, so please refrain from strange speculations.”

“I see. Understood.”

Gilbert ended up casually using Seraphina’s name, but it wasn’t entirely untrue. Veronica had indeed requested to invite Gilbert to the Holy Empire, and Gilbert had gone there to hear that request.

“I should meet with the Marquis first.”

“He’ll be waiting. And…”

Permo’s gaze shifted to the Saint as his words trailed off.

While she was certainly an honored guest, his look conveyed that Veronica, as an outsider, couldn’t accompany them during this time of rebellion.

The perceptive Veronica gave Permo a gentle smile, indicating that he needn’t worry.

“I’ll wait in the meantime, so please don’t concern yourself with me.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Not at all.”

The head butler, who had been standing discreetly aside, escorted Veronica with great care to the reception room. Gilbert waved his hand slightly, watching Veronica follow the butler for a moment before heading straight to meet Marquis Lithuania.

The Marquis was in the conference room rather than his office, suggesting he had already convened a meeting of his vassals. Gilbert lightly knocked on the conference room door.

– Knock knock

“It’s Gilbert.”

“Enter.”

Upon receiving permission to enter, Gilbert and Permo stepped into the conference room. It was already filled with vassals serving the Hart Marquis, including Leila, the captain of the Golden Mane Ranger unit.

“Gilbert Lion Hart. I’ve come urgently due to the crisis in the Empire.”

“Hmm, sit down.”

Gilbert and Permo found empty seats, and the meeting resumed.

“Since we have new arrivals, I’ll repeat what was said. According to recent communications from the capital, His Highness Richard has staged a rebellion.”

“His Highness the Prince?”

“Though we haven’t verified it conclusively yet, all warp gates leading to the capital have been blocked.”

The vassals’ expressions hardened at the Marquis’s words.

The signs of a bloody civil war suddenly looming over the peaceful empire were beginning to show.

Gilbert, noticing they hadn’t confirmed the rebellion yet, quietly raised his hand to speak.

“Lady Briana contacted me to inform me that a rebellion has occurred. That’s why I’ve come here.”

“The Sword Saint, you say?”

The Marquis’s eyes flashed sharply. It was fierce enough to make even someone with considerable courage flinch.

But Gilbert was no ordinary person. Even before his possession, he had been strong-hearted enough not to blink an eye even with a missile flying right in front of him.

Besides, he had done nothing wrong.

He was simply stating the facts and information he knew, so he had nothing to be ashamed of.

“I received the message while visiting the Holy Empire at the Saint’s request. I only got a brief message through a dedicated communication device saying that a rebellion had broken out and I should return quickly. I don’t know the details either.”

“So at least we can confirm that a rebellion has occurred.”

Marquis Lithuania rubbed between his eyebrows as if he had a headache. As a border marquis family guarding the empire’s frontiers and traditionally loyal to the imperial family, the Hart family couldn’t be pleased with the current situation.

Given their position, mobilizing their forces was something to be postponed until the very last resort. It was clear that if they withdrew a significant number of troops, they would fail in their most important duty of guarding the border.

“We must immediately recruit troops and provide support. This is no ordinary matter—it’s rebellion!”

“We must observe the situation for now. If we withdraw troops, the defense system of the Lithuania region may collapse.”

The vassals each conveyed their thoughts to the Marquis, but none were easy to accept. Both opinions were completely valid.

Gilbert, who had been quietly listening to their opinions, raised his hand again.

“Do you have something to say?”

“It’s not something I can discuss openly. I need a private audience.”

Marquis Lithuania narrowed his eyes at Gilbert, who was boldly expressing his opinion. He intended to see through Gilbert’s expressionless face.

But despite being experienced, the Marquis couldn’t penetrate the thoughts of his son Gilbert. While he might have been able to during Gilbert’s days as a so-called scoundrel, since his enrollment at Demeia Academy, his inner thoughts had become difficult to guess.

“Very well. Let’s take a break for now and continue the discussion later.”

The vassals left the conference room without protest. As long as the successor hadn’t changed, Gilbert was still the eldest son of Marquis Lithuania and the heir.

Since the heir had requested a private audience with the Marquis, it was proper for them as vassals to leave.

After all the vassals had left and confirming that no one was around, Gilbert quickly brought up the reason for his visit.

“I understand that the Hart family has a warp gate directly connected to the imperial palace.”

“You’ve figured that out well. I never told you about it.”

Marquis Lithuania had never revealed any of the Hart family’s secrets to Gilbert when he was a scoundrel. He didn’t know how Gilbert had discovered the existence of the warp gate, but he didn’t press the issue.

Even that could be considered a testament to Gilbert’s abilities.

“I’ve also heard that it can be used even in situations like the current one. Is that correct?”

“Yes. It’s possible because it’s a warp gate bestowed only to a few families who have sworn loyalty to the imperial family. Judging by your bringing this up now, are you saying you want to go yourself?”

“I don’t know whether the current situation is optimistic or not, but the only person who can go there and change the atmosphere is undoubtedly me.”

This wasn’t arrogance or overconfidence. Even from the cold-eyed Marquis Lithuania’s perspective, if someone trustworthy were to be sent through the warp gate, it could only be Gilbert.

He was already a divine warrior knight who had proven his worth and made his name known throughout the empire.

If someone had to be sent through the warp gate, there was no one else but him.

“That day, you told me you would remember. And when you returned, you handled a series of incidents admirably.”

The Marquis’s eyes recalled the events of half a year ago—how Gilbert had repelled the Sigurd clan’s attack without any casualties.

He felt the same feeling now as he did then. The realization that his eldest son, who used to engage in debauchery, had come to his senses and become more outstanding than anyone else.

“I’ll trust you. I won’t mention the past anymore. You’ve shown me through your actions that you’ve changed, and you’ve proven it. I believe you’ll handle this well too.”

The cold Marquis Lithuania who used to cut him down was no more. Instead, he looked at Gilbert as a father whose son had risen to become a hero of the empire.

“The fate of the empire may depend on your actions. Remember that.”

“I understand.”

“Then come when you’re ready. I’ll provide the warp gate.”

Gilbert bowed his head in respect and left the conference room. He too recalled the moment when he first possessed this body.

Everything had changed since then, but unlike then, his emotions weren’t as turbulent. He simply accepted the situation calmly.

Gilbert went to find Saint Veronica in the reception room and explained the situation to her in broad strokes. He told her to wait there since going together might involve unknown dangers, but she firmly refused.

After several back-and-forths that led nowhere, he finally remembered the urgency of the situation and surrendered, agreeing to go with her.

In the process, there was some scolding from Marquis Lithuania about how the existence of the direct warp gate couldn’t be revealed to foreign countries, but they managed to get past it thanks to her title as a saint.

Standing on the warp gate, Gilbert steeled himself and flew to the imperial palace of the Infractus Empire with Veronica.