I Regressed to My Ruined Family – 54

 #I returned, and my family was ruined (55)

After the outer gate opened.

Silvia approached.

“You must have had a hard time.”

“Hard time? We haven’t even started the real battle yet.”

The main forces of the viscount would remain in the inner castle. Considering that, they had not yet completely occupied the viscount’s territory.

Typically, the main forces were stationed in the inner castle rather than the outer castle.

Silvia spoke to Ethan.

“Recently, rumors about the Grand Duke have been spreading throughout the duke’s territory.”

“Rumors?”

“Yes. There are many stories that the Grand Duke took up arms so soon after awakening because he could no longer tolerate the cruel exploitation of his relatives.”

That wasn’t the only rumor Silvia mentioned.

She added that the lands he had conquered were like the duke’s domain of the past, a paradise that anyone would want to live in.

Having said that, Silvia looked at Ethan.

“How about we use this to our advantage? Here’s the plan.”

She explained the plan, and Ethan readily agreed.

Even if it took a little longer than just crushing them outright, this plan had the advantage of securing the hearts of the people.

“Nothing is more important than the hearts of the people.”

Especially when it came to a battle of principles, there was no better element than this.

If it was something that all the people desperately wanted, even the king of a country could not simply ignore it.

A battle with the collateral branches.

Holding the public sentiment in that battle would become a huge advantage as time went on.

“Let’s go. Everything is already prepared.”

He and Lawrence began to move toward the center of the outer city.

* * *

Marcus.

He was one of the executives of the Blue Scorpions, a group formerly known as the Eight Gates of Darkness in Karagas.

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Now, he and the members of the Blue Scorpions were in the center of Demorian from early in the morning.

The reason was simple.

Their leader, the strategist, had given the order. As they waited endlessly in the center of town,

someone rushed toward Marcus.

“Success. Outer city. Neutralized.”

He delivered the news in a simple code word and disappeared between the streets.

“Ahem!”

Marcus cleared his throat and shouted loudly.

“Everyone, have you heard the news?”

His deep voice, combined with his rugged face covered in a thick beard and his large build, drew the attention of the townspeople passing by on the main street.

“The Grand Prince has finally marched into the Duchy of Dekun! The Duke of Lokkan! The descendant of the great hero, who could no longer tolerate the tyranny of that evil noble, has finally drawn his sword!”

Murmurs!

The townspeople’s eyes began to sparkle. They were commoners who lived a relatively prosperous life in the duchy.

Of course, their prosperity was relative to the general population, who were starving to death all around them.

The people of the small villages and the townspeople alike were fed up with the exploitation. They just couldn’t express it openly.

For the townspeople, the visit of the grand duke was like a rain in a drought.

“According to the latest news, not only did he capture the outer walls in one fell swoop, but he will also give a speech in the central square for the residents of the vassal state!”

Gulp.

The townspeople were now listening intently to his every word. Looking around, Marcus shouted energetically.

“Everyone, you have suffered under the tyranny of Viscount Lokkan! Now is the time for us townspeople to rise up together! Let’s all go to the central square! Let’s offer our humble help to the Grand Duke!”

For a moment, the street fell silent. Marcus gave a very skillful nod. Then, the windbags who had been hiding among the crowd began to shout vigorously.

“That’s not wrong! When a hero like the Grand Duke has come, isn’t this the time for us to rise up?”

“I’m going! I can’t live in this pain any longer!”

“Damn it! I’m going too!”

It was just a few words.

But the effect was dramatic.

Deep in their hearts.

The discontent they had kept hidden began to burn like oil thrown on a fire.

It was a stunning catalyst.

“Yes! That man is right! How long are we going to suffer under that bastard’s exploitation? Let’s all go to the Grand Prince! The Grand Prince will surely punish that bastard!”

In an instant, an angry crowd began to rush toward the central plaza.

It wasn’t just here.

The medium-sized city of Demorian.

This was because informants spread throughout every corner of the city began to incite the people.

Even before the Grand Duke took his seat.

The central plaza was already filled with countless angry people.

The Ardan family.

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They waited endlessly for the descendant of the great hero who would save them.

* * *

Ethan looked at the central plaza. There were already countless serfs gathered there. There were literally thousands of them.

Naturally, the plaza was so crowded that it was difficult for even a single person to move.

Not only that, but the streets spreading out in all directions were also filled to capacity, making it difficult to breathe.

“There are so many of them.”

His gaze naturally turned to Lawrence standing next to him.

He had heard that he had formed an information group, and it seemed that it was proving to be very useful.

“Everyone is waiting for the Grand Duke.”

“Yes. I’ll be right back.”

Ethan stepped onto the platform set up in the plaza.

The Grand Duke.

As soon as they saw him, the people all knelt down and bowed their heads. He was a hero who deserved to be worshipped.

Everyone bowed their heads and remained silent.

What story would the descendant of a hero come to tell in the central plaza?

Soon, a masculine voice echoed throughout the plaza.

“In the past, you heard about the Duchy from your parents.”

In the past, the Duchy was a paradise where the people of the entire continent dreamed of living.

He was sure he had heard such stories before.

Many had actually experienced it.

At least until fifteen years ago, that was definitely the case. Ethan continued indifferently.

“The children of this generation have never seen or experienced it.”

That was true.

The prosperous past always left behind an unfulfillable longing.

A land of paradise that was once ruled by a benevolent monarch.

If only it were possible, he wanted nothing more than to return to the past.

“The viscount committed many sins. Far from continuing the duke’s legacy, he brought nothing but despair to you all. That is why I have no intention of forgiving him.”

The hall was filled with suffocating silence. But it was not only silence that filled the air.

An eerily intense heat was slowly rising.

“After I cut off the viscount’s head, I will restore everything to the way it was before. To the duchy that the children of today cannot remember.”

“…!”

Thud.

Thud.

The footsteps slowly faded away. Only then did the people of the domain begin to raise their heads one by one.

“Let’s go.”

Sling!

It was the moment when the Grand Duke drew his sword.

“Draw your swords!”

With the words of the Knight Commander Menhattan, forty knights drew their swords.

The knights were disciplined and orderly.

The sight of the Grand Duke moving among them was like a painting. The eyes of the villagers filled with passion.

It was at that moment.

“Oh, Grand Duke! I am also a citizen of the Duchy! I will follow you! Please take me with you!”

A deep voice rang out.

He was face to face with a man with a full beard.

“I… I’ll go too! Please let me follow you! I won’t blame you even if I die!”

“Grand Duke! Take us with you too!”

The words of the people of the domain burst forth like a dam breaking.

Ethan nodded as he looked at them and said,

“It’s not a bad idea to see for yourselves what your future holds. Just don’t get too far ahead.”

“Yes!”

Everyone naturally began to follow him.

* *

Inside the inner castle.

The viscount, who had been encouraging his soldiers and locking the castle gates tightly, widened his eyes.

He could see a huge number of people approaching from afar.

“Wh… What?”

The viscount was shocked.

He was told that the Grand Duke had only brought a few knights with him. There couldn’t be thousands of knights.

Then, were they private soldiers?

Looking closer, that wasn’t the case either.

The people following the duke like lambs were unarmed.

“No… no way!”

Were they the vassals of the viscount?

That was it!

The people who breathed the air of his domain, paid taxes, and fulfilled their duties were now following the Grand Duke like baby birds, all gathered together.

He was speechless.

“What… what the hell!”

The viscount was in shock.

It was as if he had heard the news that his wife had committed adultery long ago.

When he heard that his wife had been unfaithful.

Murmurs!

The soldiers on top of the inner wall were greatly agitated. It wasn’t difficult to recognize who they were. There were thousands of them.

Among them were many people who were familiar to the soldiers.

“…Mother?”

“Why, Father?”

“Milia?”

Family, lovers, friends.

They were people who could be included in every category. Seeing the soldiers in turmoil, the viscount shouted loudly.

“Draw your bows!”

“Draw!”

The knights who heard the viscount’s order shouted loudly. However, no one drew their bows.

The person leading the peasons at the front was the grand duke, who thought of himself as a hero.

Behind him were familiar faces.

How could anyone pull back their bows in such a situation?

At that moment.

“Stop!”

A voice like thunder echoed throughout the inner castle. It was like a god from a fairy tale revealing its name. “Heeek!”

Soldiers throwing their bows appeared from all directions. The soldiers were in utter confusion.

The knights were different.

“What is this?”

The voice that had just echoed through the inner castle.

That voice contained tremendous power. Even the commander of the knights of the Duke could not underestimate that power.

Everyone’s faces froze.

The Grand Duke approached the inner castle.

“Duke. Open the gate and pay for your sins.”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Who are you to question me?”

“How dare you raise your hand against the name of Ardan?”

“…You’re not even the lord of this castle, yet you talk big! What are you waiting for? Shoot them!”

The viscount looked at the knights with an angry expression.

“From now on, anyone who disobeys my orders will be beheaded!”

“Everyone, draw your bows!”

“If you don’t, your heads will be cut off!”

“……”

Some soldiers raised their bows in response to the fierce threat, while others trembled in silence.

“How dare you!”

Swoosh!

Just as a knight raised his sword high, something flew toward him.

It was so fast that only the knight could see it.

It was so fast that only the knight commander could barely make out what it was.

It was a collection of energy filled with solidified mana.

“…Oh my god!”

The knight commander widened his eyes.

It flew over the towering castle walls.

How terrifying must be the control of mana needed to accurately fire a magic bullet at a knight standing on top of it!

The captain of the knights knew exactly.

Bang!

“Aaah!”

It was a projectile traveling at an incredible speed.

The knight who raised his sword in a hurry to block it let out a scream.

The force was so tremendous that not only was the sword bent, but the knight’s wrist was completely broken.

A 4-star knight.

Even the knights inside the inner castle, who were skilled in their own right, fell silent at the knight’s scream.

The same was true for the other knights who had been threatening the soldiers.

“If you touch my people again, I’ll tear you in half.”

The knights trembled at the fierce voice.

Ethan leaped up like lightning.

His body flew high into the sky like a free wind and landed on the castle wall without making a sound.

The Grand Duke and Lord Rokan.

Their gazes met naturally.

“It’s time to pay for your sins.”

Waves of fire began to ripple across Ethan’s sword.