Chapter 104
PSUHquLucian sent Hugo toward the place where the rumors about Eisen were coming from and then calmly waited for a response.mYW
r87JHe had already finished everything he needed to do, so instead of acting rashly, it was time to observe the situation until a clear result appeared.CRRE1
vZdp‘The same goes for the magicians still in hiding and for Norvek, who escaped not long ago. Right now, the ones in a hurry aren’t me, but them.’95Wf4HB
B6sMwAs long as Lucian held the initiative, it was enough to observe the enemy’s reactions and respond calmly. The more desperate a person is, the more easily they make mistakes.bigYHyi
cPMHowever, there was still one matter left to settle.zIk0mky
xpAR“Sir Lothier, what do you plan to do now?”J9pfQ4
dCp“…”RM1V51
p5kThe former captain of Asagrim’s garrison, Lothier, couldn’t answer Lucian’s question. And it wasn’t surprising—he didn’t know what he should do from this point on.gE5PQUT
wMZPLucian sighed exaggeratedly on purpose and spoke.Cm4N
5K7s“Just to be clear, your positions have already been revoked. You’re no longer under my command nor fulfilling any imperial mission. At this moment, you’re nothing more than an armed group without any purpose.”T7W
IYa“…I know.”RtYx
mzsYsCk“Then this will go faster. It’s time for you to decide. Disarm and remain in Asagrim, or keep your weapons and leave for another territory?”ZaiY1
QNdgILothier clenched his teeth. Disarming was absolutely out of the question. The garrison had already lost imperial support and was essentially nothing. If they handed over their weapons too, they wouldn’t even be able to protect themselves.r3z
8Mm‘Damn it… If I had known it would end like this, I should’ve at least earned the people’s favor. I only clung to my pride, and now I’m surrounded by enemies.’R8Bjvu
CY29He regretted his past, in which he had never avoided conflict with the northern people.9IRWKfU
rozRrIf you only counted the pilgrims mistreated because of him, the number would be equal to entire villages.fn35Y
HxjNow that contact with the Empire had been cut off, even if a fraction of them sought revenge, the result would be disastrous.qIDX
Pnm5lG‘Even if we manage to leave the north alive, it’s still a problem. Without supplies, how are we supposed to reach Tibron?’C0W2k1R
17yzAs Lucian had said, the garrison was nothing more than an unaffiliated armed group—well-equipped, but with no support. If they moved as a group, no territory would accept them.5fQ
OPnFTzQTo secure food and shelter in other lands, they’d have no choice but to disband and scatter.1DJm
1Z0v8The real problem was that the guards’ safety wasn’t guaranteed during their return.fWCnOp9
xWDL‘I’m not even expecting cooperation from neighboring lords. It’d be enough for the Empire to show some outrage if something happened to one of the guards…’fVjEBjn
DvI1haBut no matter how much he thought about it, the current Empire didn’t seem capable of that. They were barely providing the bare minimum support needed for a safe return.PXYUKX
MzJ1Would they really bother to do something that required even more effort?zjiXht
a7Q3rx“Haven’t you made a decision yet?”Hk8VN
nppghkAt Lucian’s insistence, Lothier shut his eyes tightly. After a moment, now resolved, he raised his gaze and met Lucian’s.1qf
dA8pR1“Your Highness, I have a request. Please allow me and the other guards to stay here indefinitely, until the Empire returns to normal.”b9ps
urD8“Denied. Do you think that makes any sense?”lqQoZt
0qHBHw“Then in exchange, I’ll reveal Asagrim’s secret.”qaeApr
Cbv“Asagrim’s secret?”B2EIK1
J7cLULucian flinched at those unexpected words. Did this man know something about a royal family relic?RDK8
fj6zN“You’ve probably seen the barrier-generating device I said I had discovered some time ago. In truth, Asagrim’s defensive functions aren’t limited to that; there are still several more.”4zLf2
2cC9o“…Oh.”AosTI
sUFXgLucian sighed inwardly with relief, but his eyes lit up. It wasn’t a royal relic, but forgotten functions lost over time.fn1IT
oe4“I found them by chance. I only verified and hid them, so the other guards know nothing.”8BtQ
737I“I don’t need them.”0jiBQpU
9O9AEU“I figured. But for me to speak…”54onv
m9pMt“Huh?”WNuY
VUKO4“I said I don’t need them. That’s enough. Leave.”ULc
fIwOUhvLothier opened and closed his mouth, stunned by the unexpected reply. Seeing this, Lucian showed a faint smile.vaMgX4
SXWuUL“Did you think I’d beg you to tell me? Sorry, but I have no intention of doing so. I won’t resort to torture or moral speeches. Just keep your secret. That’s all I ask.”R30DSO
K8S7“Y-Your Highness! Please, listen to me for a moment! This isn’t something to be taken lightly!”Nr58
kW5pF9“I’m the one who decides what’s important, not you.”PEpcF3
WRT“Your Highness!”zoc
VHE“If you can’t give me an answer, I’ll get up now. I’ll give you a bit more time, so I expect you to respond properly by then.”gC364
a4WulSkLucian coldly dismissed Lothier, who was trying to cling to him.ym0
IrRmu1When he stepped into the hallway of the White Palace, a cold smile spread across Lucian’s lips.oyT
aFYC‘How ridiculous. Negotiate with me? What do I have to regret?’PpMM4
XRG5There were no enemies capable of launching a siege immediately, and no risk to the White Palace. The only one openly opposing Lucian, Norvek, was about to self-destruct on his own.hmkz
nIQcEven if nothing was said, a careful investigation could be done later.UcR
QBDIf he knew nothing about magic, that would be a problem—but he had Colin and was planning to hire more mages.6d4Y
tp0‘For me, just knowing that this castle still has more defensive functions is enough.’7xi6l
6BSMaybe Lothier thought he was offering a tempting bait, but to Lucian, it was just nonsense. Why bite into bait with your mouth when you can just take it with your hand?HEVGfDI
FsqAnd above all, the one in need wasn’t Lucian, but Lothier. As long as Lucian did nothing, the situation would continue tilting in his favor, so there was no reason to accept a deal immediately.RLhCsK
Bzvwk6v‘How long will it take before his attitude shifts from negotiation to begging?’5F3
iMgGlIf he realized that with time, the conditions would only worsen, it wouldn’t take long. Though, knowing that knight’s personality, it was unlikely he would return in just a few days.GXb0
ehybWC***WkD
GPQqThe visit of the Swordmaster to the north. It was an unprecedented event that turned the north upside down—in a good way.s3W
YnyR70GIt was a region where a martial spirit that revered strength still endured. And this wasn’t just any famous knight, but the Swordmaster, the strongest of his era.X8STD
STrh“The Swordmaster is coming to Asagrim? For what purpose?”Yl7y2
6bK4FhL“They say the knight who was beside the duke—sorry, His Highness—was the Swordmaster’s adopted daughter.”LRyo
1A4rW“What? So she wasn’t just for show, but a real expert?”sOzk
YgC“Not only that. They say she’s a genius capable of inheriting the next Swordmaster title.”tgUiM
9s21s“Then, if we go now and try to build some connection…”dFNjsc
jFKZE3“It’s too late to visit him now. Do you think it’s okay to leave your territory unattended for so long?”00hp
ROvulh“Of course not. Damn it, nothing ever goes smoothly.”O1gAx
9BzFThe northern lords, though full of regret, had no choice but to leave the White Palace. As heads of families and rulers of their lands, it was already a burden to remain away for so long.bGE9aN
AjzJOnce they departed and Asagrim returned to calm, a letter from Hugo soon arrived.ach
DwSpV— Hans, Ian, and some men who used to serve under me are with the Swordmaster. On the way, they also met the two who were sent by my lord. They’re hurrying, so they’ll arrive soon.OCTtYV
jmrNtBV“…”DuY
YF75UnZUpon hearing the news he’d been waiting for, Lucian let out the breath he’d been holding in.nkexmB
A4UaeIMore than anything else, he had wanted Hans and Ian to be safe. With his greatest worry lifted, Lucian immediately began preparations to receive the Swordmaster’s group.EdSTu
Ctaz“The Swordmaster hates pomp and flashiness, so we’ll hold a simple ceremony with just the Order of the Blue Rose Knights. Can I count on your cooperation?”bNuOonv
N4nl“Of course! I’ve been hoping to meet him, so I appreciate you suggesting it first.”iWuYAun
DmXGareth, commander of the Order of the Blue Rose Knights, beat his chest with an eager expression.P1Vq6
ehWio7RAs a knight, he seemed genuinely thrilled at the opportunity to meet the Swordmaster in person.5JBjHOV
OABJ3JqWhile preparations continued, Lucian also summoned Colin, who had recently become the chief mage.4su5
Rww“You should come greet him as well.”Tm1tjv
xv9FV4y“M-me?”Wm1vP2y
3GVoCQ“You’re now the chief mage of Asagrim. Of course I need to introduce you.”vPg03w
hQGw“That’s true, but…”uVG8NIk
PRr3VjSeeing Colin hesitate with a worried look, Lucian tilted his head.R7S9
wCKoFrom his behavior, it seemed he was more uncomfortable with Sir Eisen himself than with the ceremony. At that moment, Raymond approached Lucian and whispered in his ear.9Qz
WC2NRb“Sir Eisen cooperated multiple times with the imperial witch hunts in his youth.”Ly2KO
0jHh“…That’s new to me.”fkIsFJH
tvMP“Well, it’s not something one would brag about. The bad reputation of the witch hunts speaks for itself.”2vTgTC
RmALucian nodded absently. After all, there had been cases where entire territories were razed just to catch a single mage.FPLRg
gxsOlGiven Eisen’s personality, which valued honor, it made sense that he wouldn’t bring it up.AgvoS
Jfl‘Though I’ve never heard it from his own mouth, so I don’t really know what he thinks about it.’MjVv0
Nf9ph3Either way, now that Colin was working with Lucian, they would eventually have to meet.MR0
3qo3He didn’t want them to avoid each other and let the situation drag on because of the past. If Sir Eisen didn’t accept Colin, he’d deal with it appropriately when the time came.wxKE
4vy2jsWhen everything was ready, Lucian stood before the white wall waiting for the Swordmaster’s arrival.BpW
33pZ“Your Highness!”wrGC
WVp8TxAt Felicia’s shout, Lucian raised his head. Channeling mana into his eyes, he spotted several figures approaching from afar.1FUxu
TVxbJAt the front were Lesta and Torkel, the ones Lucian had sent. Behind them came Swordmaster Eisen, Hans, Ian, and others.kdZ0
d8mEisen, as if he had sensed Lucian’s gaze, gave a faint smile and moved only his lips.RMjmL
VKR— It’s been a long time, third young master. You look even more imposing now.2Q7Ud
eUleAt Eisen’s manner, identical to when he’d left the family, Lucian smiled.Pccl
AP8bM***uo2D
WwCOThe ceremony ended in the blink of an eye. From the beginning, it had been planned to be simple, and there were too many stories to catch up on to waste time on formalities.SbPND6
zjgAs soon as they entered the White Palace, Lucian dismissed everyone else and exclaimed,Tx8pEB
aEiqO“Thank you for coming, Sir Eisen! And thank you so much for rescuing my retainers!”EZZ
NTl3g“Haha. I’m glad I could still be of use to the third young master, even with this old body. Ah, no, you’re not the third young master anymore, but His Highness the Duke.”dD152
WPNOEisen looked at Lucian with a nostalgic expression. Not long ago, he had been just the son of a noble, and now he was a duke and border marquis, addressed as His Highness.Wk1Xf1
egRIt“It’s truly impressive. Your Highness always exceeds my expectations.”h6DK2p
MaI“You flatter me. It’s not something I achieved with my own power alone, but thanks to His Majesty the Emperor’s generosity.”IDVouu
3EdrZvL“No matter how big a piece of meat is, if the throat is too small, one dies trying to swallow it. If His Majesty granted it to you, it’s because he judged you to have the proper vessel. Surely the Grand Duke also…”JCqIf27
RKRThat’s where Eisen trailed off, his expression darkening. The Grand Duke who had brought them all together was now gone.MW7xMSx
udeolrIn the heavy silence that followed, Lucian turned to Hans.FJkk
6Vpc4“Hans.”fJjN
x82“Yes, young ma—Your Highness.”CJEc
Zd1wLgY“What exactly happened? Did Jordi really start a rebellion?”B4oIZ
MMMHans nodded with a grim face.Bf7Say5
uDCN“I doubted it myself, but in the end, he did. Though I don’t really know how things played out.”gz3xzk
UgL“What do you mean? Weren’t you at the estate when the rebellion broke out?”HDPpbrq
Ux4EM8“To be precise, I fled the estate before that. They let me go surprisingly easily, so I thought everything was fine—but suddenly they came after me and captured me again. I was imprisoned the whole time until Sir Eisen helped me escape at the last minute.”1y0zUu
XWBcgHearing this, Lucian frowned. They let him go, only to chase and capture him again?V2Ocn
FPQbV1To Hans and the others, it must have been confusing, but Lucian was already forming a clear picture of what had happened.Ky1d3BV
yLmG‘That bastard only after I received Asagrim did he try to use Hans as a hostage.’ThtQqc
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!