King Dawid had officially declared the subjugation of the traitor, Marquis Berlio Eiger.
The decree formally branded the Marquis an Enemy of the State, marking him as a target for elimination. According to intelligence reports, nobles belonging to the Queen Dowager Faction had already begun to rally at the Marquis’s territory, gathering their private armies.
The enemy forces were currently confirmed at fifty thousand, and their numbers were expected to grow. To face them, Crown Prince Richard would lead a Kingdom Army of approximately one hundred thousand. It was poised to be the largest civil war since the founding of the Kingdom.
"It might be a bit late to ask this, but... wouldn't it have been better to strike before the enemy finished gathering their troops?"
Rest murmured the question as he made his final preparations at the Marquis Rosemary Townhouse in the Royal Capital.
He was dressed in armor, a rare sight for him. On his shoulders hung a mantle bearing two distinct crests: the house of Marquis Rosemary, and the Clover Crest—the four-leaf emblem of the newly-risen Viscount Clover House.
"His Majesty likely intends to use this opportunity to sweep away the Queen Dowager Faction entirely," Primula answered. She watched Rest with a look of concern as he adjusted his gear. "In a nation plagued by both domestic unrest and foreign threats, the one thing we must avoid is a prolonged, stagnant civil war. We must use this chance to break the power of the Queen Dowager’s nobles once and for all."
For years, the Queen Dowager Faction’s political maneuvering had hamstrung the Aiwood Kingdom. To end the stalemate, the Royalist Faction intended to annihilate their rivals and re-establish centralization.
Centralization of power under the King carried the risk of creating a tyrant like the Former King. However, given the precarious state of international relations with neighboring countries, the ability to mobilize the nation's full strength in an emergency made it a necessary choice.
"That may be true, but it won't matter if we lose," Viola said, her voice laced with worry as she handed Rest his sheathed sword. "If we're defeated, everything ends."
Rest secured the sword to his belt and nodded. "You're right. A short, decisive battle is all well and good, but only if we come out on top. In other words, losing isn't an option."
He clenched his fist. A short, decisive campaign. A total war that would be decided in a single stroke. A victory would allow them to purge the rebellious elements, but a defeat would mean the total collapse of the Royalist Faction. The lives of the King and the Crown Prince would be forfeit, and the Kingdom itself would face ruin.
"Come to think of it... His Majesty never mentioned Rodel's name during the announcement, did he?"
Though Marquis Eiger had been named as the ringleader, no mention had been made of the Third Prince, Rodel, who served as the rebellion's figurehead. Rest wondered if it was a father’s lingering mercy, or if the King simply viewed Rodel as a hollow puppet being pulled by Eiger's strings. It was also possible the King simply didn't want the public to know a member of the Royal Family was complicit in treason.
"Whatever the reason... I have to win. I finally earned my title and land; I’m not about to let it all go up in smoke now."
He hadn't sought out a peerage or territory for his own sake. Being the matrilocal husband of the Marquis Rosemary House was more than enough for him. But he had risked his life to slay Subnock to earn these rewards, and he had no intention of letting them vanish like mist.
Furthermore, if the Kingdom Army lost, the Queen Dowager Faction would seize control of the nation. Their first order of business would be the systematic elimination of their enemies. As the heart of the Royalist Faction, the Marquis Rosemary House would be the first to be purged.
If that happens, Viola and Primula will... No. I won't let that happen. I will win. I'll win and come back here, no matter what.
Rest finally had people waiting for him to come home. He would emerge victorious and see them again.
"Rest... please be careful."
"Lord Rest, please return to us safely."
"I will. I'm off!"
With those final words to Viola and Primula, Rest departed from the Rosemary estate.
Though his name had officially changed to Rest Clover, he marched as the representative of the Marquis Rosemary House. As he stepped out, a company of mages led by Dieble followed closely behind him.
The curtain had risen on the first war of Rest’s life—one fought not against monsters, but against his fellow man.