Chapter 112
UCaThe postwar period progressed without setbacks.O5R
wykmcNorvek was returned to the underground dungeon of the White Palace, and the soldiers accepted the new lord without offering much resistance.SYht9
R5kKGGhAmong them, there were more than a few who seemed even happier knowing they could now move to Asagrim.Wlj2u
DMfKGareth, who had been sent to take possession of the territories occupied by Calix, returned shortly after with a bright expression.r7acjz
3HPrwZo“Just as you said, Your Highness. It was so easy I felt stupid for worrying. They opened the fortress gates without resistance.”ZqkW
0JT7“And what about the citizens’ reaction? Was there no confusion over the change in ruler?”KIW
x0E“They were actually on the verge of chaos due to the security vacuum, but we contained it in time.”y1eAa
UDEcJlJust as Lucian had foreseen, Norvek had dragged even the smallest security forces off to war.hSJUOq
nEzG3r8It was inevitable that a huge breakdown of public order would occur, and the territories were on the brink of unrest.HRmFWZ
pwUcFortunately, the knight order arrived before the situation spiraled out of control.sJx2s
4ju50NJ‘Good thing I sent the Blue Rose Order first.’O6T5gDN
7mv9If he had relaxed even a little, the administrators would have taken advantage of the chaos to vanish without a trace. Acting quickly had been a providential decision.6Wctpw
GS9“Since there were no security forces available, we decided to provisionally recognize some of the civilian militias organized by the citizens themselves.”UFyDM
WNNaI1r“Militias? Isn’t that dangerous?”8Q9yk
W5FxbAcMilitias sound good as local defense, but in the end, they’re usually impulsive young groups.P1seEoO
SRxIf given authority carelessly, they could end up becoming gangs that oppress the citizens themselves.cti6S
RGLSensing his concern, Gareth smiled confidently.r4OHLWM
a4C9“Don’t worry. I made it very clear what would happen if they forgot their duty or crossed the line. If they have any common sense left, they won’t dare to try anything foolish.”M1oGtr
yBrlo“Hmm… in that case.”qdBY
K2LE5YLucian finally relaxed. It wasn’t blind confidence, but certainty based on experience.rrg73
nUkSu2‘That’s strange. The Blue Rose Order is an imperial order—why are they so skilled in postwar management?’uwf3Ij8
McqDA3Postwar administration is crucial, but it’s also one of the most detested tasks among knights. The “flower of the battlefield” lies in the vanguard, not in cleaning up after others have taken the glory.kPkp
tO4sWVBThat’s why, among knights, postwar duties are often seen as thankless work to be pushed onto someone else.aMWwE
dzKIh‘Don’t imperial orders usually delegate these tasks? Why does Gareth seem so used to them?’ARqZ
Rwbj0SLucian almost asked but held back. If they had voluntarily taken on a job no one else wanted, there was probably a story behind it.g5D
N9hBetter to wait for him to bring it up himself.QMok
93W“Well done. Soon you’ll have to go out again to stabilize the occupied territories, so rest well.”wtC
MiRI“Yes, Your Highness. Thank you for your consideration.”8yt5zqV
lTw49rGareth bowed and left the office.Hku
IpmAZQCOnce alone, Lucian leaned back in his chair and murmured softly.c9ZB99
0Jo“With this, the preliminary conditions are complete.”j2LF
V8iATbThe hostile forces remaining in the north had been completely eliminated with this war.LxXIoi
SvebCFurthermore, communication with the empire was cut, so no one would interfere with what he did.Zneiy66
Dlf3pBoHe had even officially received full discretion from the emperor over the use of magic.P0aI
jLwDF‘Now I can finally research magic seriously without anyone giving me trouble.’Kk710
F3TXnvLucian felt a tingle of excitement in his chest and gave a slight smile.SSHIx
YkRIANUIt was time to bring to light the legacy of the ancient royal family of the north, which had slumbered for nearly a thousand years in the underground darkness.w5Jr7
aeegJ9***vlgk1q
v4yThat same night, Lucian gathered his vassals again. As soon as they arrived, they began bombarding him with questions.gBz
efTgz2“My lord! Is it true you gave Lady Felicia an incredible suit of armor? They say it’s even mass-produced! Where did you get it?”qmUOk
UCh0A“Was the Grimaldi family’s inheritance really that impressive? I thought they’d fallen into ruin!”ETyK
KwSyFaced with the avalanche of questions from Hans and Ian, Lucian let out a bitter smile.PDam5rE
RzMZqf“I see they’ve already told you.”E1c
JDeap9“Sorry. Since the war is over, we thought there was no harm in mentioning it…”xoqZe
Hs5“No, you did well. I called you here to talk about that anyway. But first, there’s someone I want to introduce to you.”tK9yGZ
niB4XpLucian clapped his hands lightly. Then, someone outside entered, clearly nervous.0okC
oYwM46“A… mage…”nNE72DJ
XUtAOpiHans muttered unconsciously upon seeing Colin. Under the concentrated gazes of everyone present, Colin bowed his head with a tense expression.aLpa
dYH“It’s a pleasure to see you again. It’s been a long time since the Swordmaster last visited the White Palace.”OAJTh
FNa“Hm.”frQOTb
Jni1JdHThe vassals accepted the greeting, but their sharp stares didn’t waver.sL9U
SEPThey had heard that Lucian valued his abilities highly and had given him the position of court mage.Kfxz
cQ14DIHowever, being hired and being invited here were entirely different things.mnP0
z9f4UbpIt meant he was no longer seen as just a useful subordinate but as someone truly worthy of trust.wDmj
uCQ5tHM‘Is this suspicious mage now a vassal like us?’uy6gP
UCH9That doubt was clearly visible in their eyes. Unlike them, who had served Lucian since his days as the third son of the Valdeck family, Colin was an outsider.fYD
YZCYvAnd not just any outsider—someone who had once been hired for an assassination attempt by Count Calix and then surrendered.oL0
qgSEven a common knight would have been viewed with suspicion, let alone a mage of unknown origin.UTkJ
UON9x0“Your face looks familiar. You were beside His Highness when he came to greet me.”rIIG
SWjeZIt was Eisen who saved Colin from the oppressive atmosphere. Stroking his beard, he spoke in a gentle tone.Qyujz4K
3fV“You were shrinking so much even as you greeted me that it was frustrating. I was about to tell you to straighten your back and speak more confidently.”CKeflfo
bg5“I-I’m very sorry.”0VYb
L5sUJ“From what I see, you seem to have some pride in your skills. So why do you go speechless before me? Do I scare you?”MLRm
rKsgJ3At the direct question, Colin hesitated for a long time. As the silence dragged on, Lucian answered for him.AHNuzT
g5mEdOK“It seems he feared Sir Eisen would view him negatively. Especially knowing he was involved in the witch hunts.”Tz43
qANr“I figured, so that was it. The witch hunts aren’t pleasant memories.”aDFsF
uN3c2Seeing Colin frozen like a statue, Eisen gave a bitter smile.0OL
OVwNeA faint discomfort appeared on his face, as if it truly was an unpleasant memory.2MO70T
2J0“They called it a witch hunt, but most of them were mediocre mages who couldn’t even resist. They weren’t even worthy of being called apprentices.”Gu4m
rsNIt wasn’t that cruel or monstrous mages didn’t exist. Some could launch fire from their hands or freeze entire rivers.8Nk9zXR
42MWhBBut those were the minority. The vast majority could barely spark a flame.ikJqkoJ
5eq“Women abandoned by their masters due to lack of talent, children who accidentally learned magic and could barely make a flash of light, men who gave up magic but didn’t know how to hide their mana—each had their own story.”NzWV0
7u0kJTo Eisen, most hadn’t been corrupted by greed; they had simply stumbled upon magic.XmdWz
G82ZThey were people who, if left alone, probably wouldn’t have caused any problems.MCy
pxCfBQBut the witch-hunting brigade knew no mercy.etw9Kp
8F1MdjI“Even if I wanted to let them go, I couldn’t. We always acted as a group, so I had no room to make decisions on my own. That’s why I saw many things I’d rather not have seen.”OJyLp
Hgtbt“…”roN
uAPv6c“When people hear I was part of the witch hunts, they imagine heroic tales of defeating dangerous dark mages. But in reality, it was nothing more than a hunt and a massacre.”q8Xqu
bj42I4wEisen’s words made the vassals lower their heads solemnly.Sz1l
KL1Felicia remained calm, but Raymond stood with his mouth slightly open, as if he’d just woken from a dream.i78
d8QhHe seemed shaken to learn what lay behind the heroic tales of his childhood.9WkXzW2
UKTq“Your name was Colin, right?”NTK
kYznv2S“Y-yes!”XwaGrg
xPVCMva“Always watch your behavior and be grateful to His Highness. This is a salvation that came like a miracle. If out of reckless ambition you drag yourself and your people into the abyss again, you won’t be able to bear that sin.”pwfklG9
7y0Colin trembled at the stern warning—not out of fear, but from the emotion of receiving genuine concern from a Swordmaster.LDjXqZ
5pz“Thank you for your words. I’ll carve them into my heart.”oAY4Sbv
tqvgZ3q“Oh, thank His Highness, not me.”xk1
n7dEisen’s joke slightly lightened the mood. The looks toward Colin weren’t as harsh as before; the prejudice against mages had eased somewhat.se0M9I
fK9M“If we’re going to share secrets, it’s best to accept him as one of the vassals.”n9pOG
u5GKeHT“If our lord trusts him, we’ll trust him too.”xflH
9yyV0s“If he has any shame, he’ll repay that trust with his life.”VIqWe
TmlRaymond, Hugo, and Felicia each added a sentence. Unlike the recently arrived vassals, they seemed to know something more.psm7uT1
lZcBefore more questions could arise, Lucian stood up.L3S0X
OcG“Let’s go. I’ll show you the royal family’s legacy.”js7q9
ONeEBV**sjpEU
2jX85MxLucian led the vassals toward the throne. They didn’t move secretly—they passed a few servants along the way, but it wasn’t an issue.IBR
o2Nvags‘It’ll be public soon anyway. No point hiding it now.’WpRhe
1GOXIgThe legacies hidden underground weren’t objects Lucian could use at will.XoVg
gGVsrThey were technologies whose true value could only be revealed through open research and public development.oFN5
ZSU3‘Though that doesn’t mean I’ll let them into the vault.’drPg
n5zyhs3After clearing the area around the throne, Lucian took out the key. When he touched it like before, a bright light ran along his wrist.GdrEq
HfgzNMClick.VnkU
aLjV0“This is…!”VNUjY9
kYOW“Go ahead.”0Qaq
8ee7VFaced with the passage under the throne, the vassals entered one after another, still in disbelief.ImEh0Y
yJUL“By the heavens…!”x60g
3Ls8“Am I dreaming?”ZWQZ5UA
F1WFZ“…”9Wck00E
HB6GKHans and Ian were completely stunned.nhDkL
z0pColin was on the verge of fainting, unable to speak.aIQe
GRoV5qThe only one who remained composed was Eisen, who had already seen part of the treasure.gzwISjn
uGW5Vk“Now I understand where those treasures come from.”6h4Jcs
bPabUVa“An ancestral legacy I stumbled upon by luck.”m7Q
2PmxqaLucian spoke with false modesty and gave the vassals a soft clap, prompting them to scatter toward whatever interested them most.lhjJf
tjJHans examined coins and jewels. Ian observed seedlings and herbs. Lucian approached Colin, who was inspecting ancient books.D7E6H
ENbkrl5“How is it? Can you understand what it says?”Iaz7PD
jgyD4NLast time, Lucian had only been able to confirm they were methods for creating magical tools, but the terms were too technical.BGV
5ErAn expert like Colin should be able to read them fully.aFNr
Khcu“M-my lord…”X5h
IrWv7NEColin looked at Lucian with trembling, unfocused eyes.3b6H0
ya4ilnw“What is it? Are the magic tool techniques that impressive?”bSpx8
6mJZ“…It’s not magic tool techniques.”WGY9T7
L5h9“What?”HzE
Pmn“What’s written here are methods for creating artifacts. Not just sturdy weapons, but ancient weapons capable of erasing mountains and evaporating rivers.”Slod8C
Z9TJrvq“…?!”vx2a8FR
pZSLucian froze.5KQtbO
yqcMhArtifacts. Ancient weapons feared even in past eras, capable of destroying kingdoms in a single day and reshaping the geography itself.XSNC
fAwrkW“And the required materials?”iDt
cfQZThe rest could wait. What mattered was whether the materials still existed.jJZdQM
Q34“Dragon horn, giant heart, fairy dust… and mermaid essence.”w5Q5
5YVMG“…”2YwlGb
vfZKGUNLucian clenched his fist and slowly lowered it.DwmQGgo
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