Chapter 108
knclS1w‘Knight.’c48V4U
ALsAt such a sweetly intoxicating echo, Hugo’s mind turned hazy. That someone who had once been a thug from the back alleys could become a true knight and found a new house—it was hard for him to tell if this was reality or a dream.eSOs4
trQ‘Hugo Maien.’VK5Nv
rBDaEvery time he savored the new surname he had been given, his body trembled as if struck by lightning.27kPEA7
mlJ6PsYHe had never doubted his lord, but Hugo’s shortcomings were many. Even if his lord had been unable to fulfill the promise, he had come to accept that he had no right to resent it.QScsuGa
pWHp“What are you doing?”IT8
IFvLLucian’s voice pulled him out of his daze. Only then did Hugo realize his discourtesy and hurriedly stood up.s0eAS
rov“S-sorry. My legs gave out…”N3lX
CA8iRs“No, I mean why are you making that face like you’ve got nothing left to do. Are you going to settle for fulfilling an old dream and stop there?”TX6S
SRu“Huh?”EFN12
niyLucian smiled at Hugo’s stunned expression.obG
7SiFd“Now that you’ve decided to rise, you should aim higher. Don’t you think?”Gb19C4
R5yc“…!”j19O
jGBROVHugo’s eyes opened wide. Beyond knighthood, weren’t only landed nobles with titles left? The other vassals also looked puzzled by Lucian’s words.M92v7Av
CyD“My lord, aiming high is fine, but now’s not the right time to be aspiring to a title.”BfD1OSg
TzAvc“Why not?”QH7Cpp
j5Xd3A“Because… right now, we’re cut off from the imperial court, aren’t we?”xgoq
skv4Raymond frowned with unease. No matter how high the title, granting land to someone else required imperial authorization.hvbwa
4g65Granting land without that permission—even one’s own—was considered a serious crime equivalent to treason.C11t
ZIKhKxAnyone who received such land would end up swearing loyalty to the local lord, not to the Empire.Txqtq
9haB“My lord holds two titles, but whether as a duke or as border marquis, granting land at will is still a serious crime.”IqGgnw
8GV6“Oh, really? Then I just need to rise to a position from which it is allowed to grant land freely.”3z2
pNi0“To my knowledge, there is no such title with that kind of privilege…”LpY2
spgRli“There is one. King.”0fLIg8
vd4UbK“…!”vSO
l2PXxzRThe vassals stared at Lucian with expressions of utter shock. It was no wonder—since the founding of the Empire, no noble had ever been elevated to the rank of king.OYZ
BAm3At most, conquered royal houses had been allowed to keep their thrones as vassal states. And yet, Lucian was speaking of aiming for a royal crown for the first time.AiqphCg
TDJPfy“M-my lord… does that mean…”JVcBcg
jKlu0l“I’m not saying we’ll rebel against the Empire or exploit the current situation to blackmail them. I’m saying that when the opportunity comes, I won’t hesitate. Those who don’t set a goal end up hesitating even after they’ve seized the opportunity—and let it go.”Kf9K
RxHXBFLucian looked around at his vassals with a serious gaze.ePiMRGn
KXq“Remember this well. Times of chaos like these are one of the few chances to rise. It’s the only time when concepts that have lasted hundreds, thousands of years are overturned.”ypN9e1
cec“…”Lkw4R
Wpq“When this period ends and peace returns, everything will settle again. Then, when do you think a chance like this will come again? In a hundred years? Two hundred?”dWw
xKxoBBMaybe only after the house is annihilated and not even a single line bearing its name remains.e5vMORs
L3Ms9And even then, to say that they had risen enough, that it was time to settle down and stop? To Lucian, that wasn’t even funny.yLBpDtI
0N1“I plan to go all the way. Until the day peace returns and everything is fixed again. What do you plan to do?”niiUWo1
fTGtw5VThe hearts of the vassals burned. They had always believed that the one who would leave a mark in history was their lord, and that they merely existed to stand on the shoulders of that giant, clearing immediate obstacles so he wouldn’t trip on a mere stone.enhg
t83RAnd now, that same lord was asking them if they were willing to become giants themselves—and leave their own mark on history.xuT91
lQfmyW“I don’t think I need to hear your answer.”MMUc02
UbS6dbpLucian smiled as he waited, because the longing reflected in their eyes was already more than enough.Edc
eQAL7vm***rzrN
AMmliThe vassals had been assigned official positions, but the real problem began from there.KnzAzkT
Pi63If the most important thing—the inhabitants—was not reinforced first, not a single one of the planned initiatives could be carried out.yEMy
qsBFHyBFortunately, two days later, the news Lucian had been waiting for finally arrived.tGJux
OJUBF4t“Calix has moved?”v5tWV4
QsSfI“Yes. According to reports, he is currently marching toward Asagrim.”qJvefT
akBHOUpon hearing Torkel’s report, Lucian gave a crooked smile. Advancing without even declaring war proved they had no intention of respecting legitimacy or even the most basic rules.aP4uU
yvrEE“Perfect. I was just waiting for them. If they want to skip the boring talk and go straight to fighting, it works perfectly for us.”cjDnW6B
nlDlf“What’s your plan, Your Highness?”rEoU3
FWPpz5“Crush them head-on. Is there another option?”h1izhk
0tS4Fji“That’s not what I meant. I was wondering if, for this war, you plan to request support from other lords.”dkBPG
QRDTorkel looked at Lucian expectantly. Not long ago, when Lucian had no military force of his own, he had relied on the help of other lords to make his moves.y9kYl
xWvEven now, with knights and elite troops lent by the empire, the more allies the better.kf9RAC
ifOuFIt wouldn’t have been strange to ask for reinforcements as previously planned.p6Ijt
982iiK“If you give the order, I’ll return to my house immediately and bring troops.”vgF1
GE1ybt“You talk big for someone who isn’t even head of House Osgor. Besides, didn’t you say your father beat you up when you last visited home?”8LFf7
vpF“…That’s an exaggeration. He only hit me once.”FfqV
nJCsN“I heard that one hit made your cheek swell to twice its size. That you couldn’t even open an eye and had a rough time until the swelling went down.”yxTgkP
vMrJP“Ahem, ahem.”mlJIe
lw4Avoiding Lucian’s gaze, Torkel bowed his head. After clearing his throat several times, he looked back at him seriously.YfluAr
7aB“In any case, if Your Highness requests support, House Osgor will respond immediately.”DOH
op4CE1“Of course. Baron Harald has always wanted to support me. And his grudge against Calix isn’t small.”DdIhHr
oIhYdg“Then, at once—”Z9so
57PyT“But if it were the old Calix, I’d understand. The Calix of now doesn’t require outside help. This time, I plan to crush them with my own forces alone.”HXt
gcNTorkel looked at him, wide-eyed. To face House Calix alone, without anyone’s help?BdPaDLM
QQdRTm“Your Highness, I don’t think you’ll lose. Objectively speaking, there are no factors for defeat.”NrS
QUGThe entire North had already turned its back on Calix. No allies, no authority, no legitimate pretext. Just a flick of Lucian’s finger and everyone would rush to tear them apart.42l9
cp3FGIf all went well, they could be wiped out before even reaching Asagrim.4sl
imT“But if you fight them with only your own forces, the damage will be considerable. Calix is still a great house that’s taken root in the North for hundreds of years.”dxGW
VXQYeh“I know. That’s exactly why I want to face them alone.”2Pk
T2Z5jq“What do you mean by that…?”GI7xoj
t8Xm“I don’t want to share Calix with other lords.”eMaZSE
u2Az9jIf he borrowed troops, he would have to divide the spoils according to each one’s contribution.D8cEPy
ps507pDFor Lucian, who desperately needed resources and people, sharing rewards was inconvenient.zMT
RAJ“If I couldn’t face them like before, I’d accept that cost. But now that I can do it without issue, it would be foolish to seek unnecessary losses.”7u9
ZyN“But if your troops are worn down too much, won’t it weaken your hold over the other lords?”Dtf0Eb2
pOfTKZI“That’s true. But if I alone squeeze them dry, no one will dare challenge me.”3TBh
dWVkTorkel looked at Lucian in disbelief. Even if Calix had no chance of victory, their enemy was Norvek—a man who had lost his son and stood on the brink of ruin, driven solely by hatred.8NzmAn
CoeIt was clear he would attack suicidally just to cause as much damage as possible. Even in victory, it would be a bloody one. And yet, Lucian had such confidence.aNk
Gu1uGeM“Has the Swordmaster who recently arrived agreed to intervene?”8aCNU8
eMWeum“No way. He’s already done more than enough. His old age deserves rest.”lblLI
OnRQJz3That he so casually ruled out the Swordmaster only deepened Torkel’s doubts. Seeing his puzzled look, Lucian smiled faintly.WHs
uAcR“You’re wondering where all this confidence comes from, aren’t you?”g1yXiLI
zuKYD“It’s not that, just…”38vcwi
RqzKJC“Never mind. Go back to your territory and study as a proper heir. If you keep wandering around, your father will worry himself to death.”hWSv33D
lm9I“Your Highness.”93OPJ
4zngJcTorkel bowed his head, looking a bit tense. It seemed he thought he was being sent away for not having gained full trust yet. Seeing him like that, Lucian spoke seriously.21C
wA8w“Do you still have the potion I gave you?”L6N
y0Cmx“The glowing liquid one? Yes, I still have it.”wo5RMo
I8SGrP“Go back to your territory and show it to your father. After showing him, you can drink it.”Yrd1re
tRHq3“…?”Xhlukbj
eog“It’s a sign of my trust. The rest—hear it from your father.”oatDR
gB9fWCg“…Understood.”6HUXL7o
Ku7umjZThough confused, Torkel obeyed. Only when he met with Harald would he understand what Lucian had entrusted to him.IOri
XKUTAWhile Lucian was left alone, calmly thinking of how to face Calix—3v7j3q4
ZjtR“…Norvek Calix has requested a duel?”xNqT
zhDNvHearing that it wasn’t a declaration of war but a duel challenge, Lucian let out a disbelieving laugh.ecu
unHH***9YIM6J
YxjN6hm“It’s a trap.”xw7uCce
H0EtZJSwordmaster Eisen, now military advisor, responded immediately upon hearing it. Lucian had already thought the same and nodded calmly.rhO26
STTNtH“They must know we’re not that naïve. Why make such a proposal? Do they have a hidden plan?”61hFtyg
IOMaW“They’re probably desperate, trying anything even if it’s foolish.”uaGfCje
afKEisen spoke with a bitter smile.3qzU
Nhf“There’s a saying—those willing to die are strong. I used to believe it. But from experience, many of those men act pathetically in the end.”9VmDpIV
R2cB9B“Even those who accept death?”35F
xmLf“Yes. Most expect a reward equal to their death. They see their life as so valuable that they expect a result equally satisfying.”QVY3PJ
TuXTo give one’s life for conviction regardless of outcome might be called noble.FsCj
8u2mBut the men Eisen had seen wanted results proportionate to their sacrifice. If they didn’t get it, they saw no reason to die.oPNubV
L0r9zq“Among those obsessed with revenge, there were many like that. If they couldn’t trade their life for their enemy’s, they held back.”9evK
mLUOIq6“What irony. Someone willing to die holding back.”DoH12g
WbcdIK6“They only go through with it if the price of their life is high enough. From this ridiculous proposal, that Norvek seems to be one of those types.”Wow4
XmyHe would propose anything to kill Lucian. He couldn’t stand the idea of dying while Lucian got away with only light wounds.Egm
AIpd“The truly fearsome enemy is the one who, after a cold calculation, aims to take even just an arm or an eye. In comparison, types like this just lose their lives trying to trade for more than they’re worth.”qTAJgEQ
JCT“Then we’ll have to accept.”RB00
EKXesWI“…Your Highness. Did I hear you correctly?”9MLLf2M
f2hDu“Yes. He says he’ll try to prolong things until he sees a clear opening to kill me.”29mMx
wmCYaDIf that’s the case, he wouldn’t fight seriously until such an opening appeared. So the only option was to fake an opening—and strike all at once.fgvhI
iMGryI4Eisen frowned, about to warn him of the danger, when—wmj
BP9“I understand what you’re saying, but look at this first.”djs47P
wAdtjzbTap.1yQS
zm7Lucian placed a box in front of Eisen that he had brought with him. Eisen blinked at the sight of a box the size of a human torso.SAm
MQPRJUR“What is this?”XlIRSM
fieQ22jLucian smiled.SD1l
epznFBc“A legacy of the royal family.”OX9m
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