Berserk: The Prophet

Judging by the time... his mother should have arrived at the sailing ship by now, right? Now that he had no more worries, he would fight to the end no matter what, and would never let the Grand Duke's conspiracy succeed! As Edward thought this, he picked up a handy spear and swung it around.

“Hey Edward, stop daydreaming! A few have slipped through the net and escaped. We need to catch up quickly! If the Grand Duke receives the news in advance and is prepared, we'll be in trouble.”

"...knew."

The two men whistled to summon their horses, mounted, and galloped off. Heavily armored men couldn't run very fast, and Edward and Dick soon spotted several soldiers ahead, their armor and weapons scattered, fleeing in disarray. Edward quickened his pace, charging forward like a swooping eagle.

Hearing the noise behind him, the soldier turned around and frantically tried to draw his sword to defend himself, but the pile of items he had discarded to lighten his load naturally included his two-pound sword.

Without the protection of armor and weapons, Edward's spear quickly pierced through his heart.

Dick was not to be outdone; he beheaded two soldiers with his longsword, and the two quickly dealt with the few remaining survivors running through the streets.

"Do you remember how many soldiers ran out?" Edward asked, since Dick was the one guarding the gate.

Dick frowned and thought for a moment, "There should be these five people, all lying here."

Edward's eyes sharpened. "Are you sure?"

"Tch, the scene was so chaotic back then, I don't remember much. That should be all. Let's hurry up and meet up with those old nobles in the city." Dick looked around guiltily, trying to change the subject.

"Hmph, you can't even remember such a small matter!"

After searching the streets thoroughly without success, the two rode back to the Eugensen family mansion. In any case, time was of the essence for them now, and there was no need to waste too much time on such details.

After all, the Grand Duke has spies in the city, and there's no time to deal with the corpses scattered on the streets. It's only a matter of time before the Grand Duke gets the news.

As they hurried back, they saw a guard who hadn't had time to remove his armor hiding in a corner of an alley, trembling and covering his mouth, afraid to make a sound. He had twisted his ankle, apparently from a fall during the escape.

He listened to the horses' hooves gradually receding into the distance until they disappeared completely before he breathed a sigh of relief. He had to inform the Grand Duke immediately. He took off his heavy armor, leaving only his sword, and limped towards the Halvorsen family's direction.

.........

General Kirsten has been restless and unable to eat or sleep since his meeting with the Grand Duke yesterday; something is very wrong!

Regardless of how you look at this issue, it's said that Gurenberudo has already taken Benedict to the Dragon's Nest, so his granddaughter's safety should be guaranteed.

He already knew about the assassination attempt on Benedict last night, and although he knew that Gurunberudo had already gone there, it kept him awake all night.

With the imminent confirmation that the Grand Duke was the true culprit in the serial murders, General Kirsten remained on high alert in his camp outside the city of Nordkahuatti. Perhaps he really needed to have a talk with Gurenbelud, even if he didn't want to take that position.

He has already conspired with the old nobles of the city's local faith, and is just waiting for Gurenbeldo to make a move so that they can stage a forced abdication. The citizens of Grant will probably be happy to see this happen.

After all, the Grand Duke had long lost the hearts of the people. However, in reality, it wasn't all due to the Grand Duke's inaction. Even a resource-poor island nation with a geographically advantageous and easily defensible location would find it difficult to contend with a powerful continental nation that was well-fed and outnumbered.

The mere existence of this country has exhausted its financial and material resources, so how can we talk about improving people's livelihoods? Whether or not one changes their faith and becomes a member of the Dharma King's Kingdom, in this dog-eat-dog world... the outcome is the same.

Just as Kirsten received the message left by his informant, Hikel had already gone to find Gurenberdo on the Grand Duke's orders.

Looking at the intelligence he had, Kirsten fell into deep thought. How come he had never known that the Grand Duke had sent an envoy to Midland on the continent?

...What exactly is the Grand Duke planning? Is he about to make a move against Gurenbeldo? Speaking of which, Edward hasn't been seen all day... Could it be...?

A sense of foreboding washed over Kirsten. He knew Edward's character well; he would never have acted so quietly unless it was something extremely important. He decided not to wait any longer, gathered a group of trusted men, and sped off towards Gurenberudo and the Dragon's Nest.

...Fate is so unpredictable; Kirsten thus completely missed Edward's plea for help, requesting his immediate support.

.........

After Edward and Dick returned to the Eugenson manor, they mustered their men, donned their personal guard armor and weapons, and joined forces with the various old Grant nobles in the city. The old nobles in the city looked solemn, and the atmosphere was unusually oppressive; clearly, they had also learned of Edward and Dick's reckless actions.

However, in response to the young man's courage, these nobles, who had long harbored resentment towards the Grand Duke, prepared to gather their forces together for Edward and Dick to command.

"...Well, as the Grand Duke's nominal youngest son, although you may not be related to him by blood...do you really want to do this, Edward?"

Edward raised his head, his eyes resolute: "My mind is made up. My father has long since strayed from the path of justice, and now he is doing things that endanger the duchy. I cannot stand idly by."

Dick patted Edward on the shoulder: "Now that we've come this far, we can only move forward."

The head of the Olson family shook his head at the impulsive and inexperienced Dick, realizing that this was not the right time to start. He stroked his beard.

Although now is the best time to side with Gurenbeld, even a weakened giant is still powerful. Even if the Grand Duke will eventually fall, it doesn't necessarily mean it will happen now. As long as he still rules the Duchy of Grant, he will remain the one at the pinnacle of power.

This investment is quite risky. Their family originally stood on the side of the Grand Duke... and were a wealthy noble class with little connection to the local religious beliefs.

But for now, we can only invest in this kid named Edward.

To be able to turn against one's own nominal father and choose to trust someone as reckless as Gurunberdo is truly...

She does indeed have the air of the former matriarch of the Halvorsen family. Given Gurren Belud's personality, it's likely that Edward will have to handle all the political and administrative affairs, big and small, within the Duchy of Grant in the future.

...I wonder how long their deep friendship, which began in their youth, can last in the face of power?

Just as the head of the Olson family was deep in thought, the surrounding old nobles nodded in agreement with Edward's action.

One of the elders said, “Child, we support you, but the Grand Duke’s power should not be underestimated. This action was rather reckless.”

"Perhaps the Grand Duke has already devised a countermeasure; we must expedite our preparations!" an old nobleman said worriedly. Edward frowned: "Indeed, if Kirsten has received the news, he should arrive soon."

"Moreover, if the Grand Duke has already taken the corresponding measures, our manpower alone will not be enough to hold the line. We must defend the south gate no matter what to ensure that General Kirsten's guards can enter the city in time to control the situation." Edward analyzed the current situation and planned the tactics in just a few words.

Just as everyone was discussing the matter, a scout from within the city rushed over. "Report! The Duke has already dispatched troops this way. They are numerous, and I'm afraid we won't be able to withstand them." This news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, and everyone's expressions became even more grave.

Dick clenched his fist. "I didn't expect it to happen so quickly."

Edward took a deep breath. "Without further ado, let's hold the south gate as planned. Seniors, please lead your soldiers to their positions as soon as possible."