The king had declared a campaign of subjugation against the rebel Marquis Berlio Eiger.
Thus... Marquis Eiger was officially designated a traitor to the kingdom and became the target of the campaign.
According to the reports... nobles from the queen dowager's faction had already gathered in the marquis's domain, and soldiers were being assembled.
As of now, the confirmed enemy strength was fifty thousand, and it was said their numbers were still growing.
The royal army, led by Crown Prince Richard, numbered approximately one hundred thousand. This would be the largest civil conflict since the founding of the kingdom.
"Now that it's come to this... wouldn't it be better to attack and crush them before their soldiers can fully assemble?"
Right before the army was to march.
Having returned to the Rosemary Marquis family's townhouse in the royal capital for his final preparations, Rest murmured, looking puzzled.
Unusually clad in armor, Rest wore a mantle over his back, upon which two family crests were displayed side by side.
One was the crest of the Rosemary Marquis family, and the other was the four-leaf emblem... the crest of the Viscount Clover family, newly ennobled.
"His Majesty the King likely intends to use this opportunity to completely purge the nobles of the queen dowager's faction."
It was Primula who answered Rest's question, gazing at him with concern as she observed his armored form.
"In this nation, beset by both internal strife and external threats, the thing most crucial to avoid is a civil war dragging on and becoming a quagmire. This time, the queen dowager's faction must be severed completely."
For years, the Kingdom of Aiwood had been politically hampered by the machinations of the queen dowager's faction.
To put an end to this situation, they were moving to eliminate all opponents of the royal faction and attempt to recentralize power once more.
Centralization. If power concentrated solely in the king, it could potentially give rise to another tyrant like the previous monarch.
However, given the current uncertain international climate with tensions simmering among neighboring nations, centralizing the state's power so it could be unified at a moment's notice was not necessarily a poor choice.
"But... if we lose here, it will all have been for nothing. If we lose, isn't everything over?"
Viola said with worry, handing Rest his sheathed sword.
Rest fastened his sword to the belt at his waist and nodded in agreement. "Yeah."
"Going for a short, decisive battle is fine and all, but if we lose, it's all for nothing. In other words… we absolutely have to win this one."
Rest clenched his fists.
A short, decisive battle. A one-shot all-out war.
If they won, they could sweep away the rebel elements. But if they lost, the royalist faction would crumble.
Even the king and the crown prince's lives would be in jeopardy—it would be a national crisis.
"Now that I think about it… His Majesty the king never once mentioned Rodele's name until the end…"
Eiger the marquis had been named as the mastermind behind the rebellion, but the Third Prince Rodele—the figurehead—was never mentioned.
Was it a father's mercy, or had the king seen through the fact that Rodele was nothing more than a puppet being used by Marquis Eiger?
Or perhaps… he simply didn't want it publicly known that a member of the royal family had any involvement in the rebellion.
"Either way… I'm going to win. I finally became a noble and even received a domain—there's no way I'm letting it end here."
It wasn't as though he had obtained his title and domain by choice.
Becoming the son-in-law of House Rosemary was more than enough. He hadn't asked for anything more than that.
But still… having the fruits of the life-and-death battle against Sabnock vanish like foam was, no matter how you looked at it, unacceptable.
Besides… if the royal army lost this battle, the queen dowager's faction would seize control of the Kingdom of Aiwood.
The first thing they would do upon gaining power would be to eradicate their opposing faction. House Rosemary, the heart of the royalist faction, would be wiped out.
(If that happens, then Viola and Primula too… I won't let that happen. I'm going to win, no matter what. I'll win and come back here…!)
Right now, Rest had people waiting for him.
He would win, return, and absolutely reunite with them.
"Rest… do your best, okay?"
"Lord Rest, please come back safely!"
"Yeah, I'm heading out now!"
Leaving Viola and Primula behind, Rest departed the manor of House Rosemary.
Though his name had changed to Rest Clover upon receiving his noble title, he was in essence the representative of House Rosemary.
Following Rest out of the manor came the magicians belonging to House Rosemary, beginning with Diebl.
Thus began Rest's first war against fellow humans.