Chapter 143
x6Sg6qThe Order of the Blue Rose Knights couldn’t fully grasp Lucian’s words, but they decided to set off to deliver the command.YLspQ6
lalDeciphering the hidden intent behind an order wasn’t a knight’s virtue, but a strategist’s.TX8CP
6koDAs knights, their duty was to obey faithfully, regardless of any underlying motives.gMIVhzh
EDpn3c“Understood. Then I’ll deliver the orders just as we received them to the acting lord.”fsZyWh
Otl1“I appreciate it.”iXAXlA
oDK“However, I’ll remain here. His Highness may not need my guidance, but I brought a horse, so I could be useful if an urgent matter arises.”ou2
ynkELC“That’s true as well.”vs8j1
XTgJjR4Lucian nodded at the proposal of the knight who introduced himself as Moritz. The fact that he had brought a horse meant he could deliver messages quickly if needed.kYvq8
SAAu5xHAlthough Lucian didn’t require a knight’s strength, it was wise to leave someone as a liaison, just in case.CLiqrt
snnHOnce the members of the Blue Rose Order departed and Moritz was left alone, he watched the tribe preparing for migration and let out a quiet exclamation of awe.EcP8m
fZhUx“By the way, on the way here I observed the surroundings, and everyone is impressively built. Are these the former countrymen beyond the wasteland Your Highness mentioned?”qZ38
BvZ0“That’s right. They’re the ones who split from the founder of the northern royal house more than a thousand years ago.”Zr6
4rHP“They all seem to be preparing for migration. It looks like you’ve already brought them all under your command.”acUg
zx7qVqK“In many ways, I was quite lucky. Thanks to that, I’ll be able to return earlier than expected, so it’s a relief.”d7WOd1
CJGLucian said it casually, but the more they spoke, the darker Moritz’s expression became.AHnn
MpFGAt a glance, it was clear that just putting weapons in their hands would make them far superior to any ordinary elite soldier.PqhtHC
3Gk5L6Maybe individually they weren’t at a knight’s level, but if they all took up arms, they wouldn’t be inferior to an average order of knights.jD5GK
SM2Eiy‘We’re no longer an essential presence to His Highness.’YPkp
zVJThat thought left a bitter taste.8ez
KkqOThe Blue Rose Order was directly subordinate to the imperial family.E4g4
nKzUZ3As long as their loyalty lay with the emperor, they would eventually have to complete their mission and return to the imperial palace.pRd
LNKFHowever, at the same time, part of him wanted to put down roots here.yfR
nISj‘This is so much better than those days when we only cleaned up after other imperial orders. Not only do we have His Highness’s trust, but we were also given a treasure like this.’MLMpEi3
NubwxHMoritz’s hand unconsciously moved to the armor on his chest.pbDcz
IiIIt was high-quality armor issued by the imperial palace, but it couldn’t compare to the treasures of the ancient northern royal house.2wUa
4dlCbOn top of that, being treated as a close aide to the new sovereign of the north—for any knight, that was something the heart couldn’t ignore.5EDoHGk
naYH0‘If things go well, maybe we really could settle down here.’zRgW
mk1zm2QBetraying the lord he had sworn loyalty to as a knight was a grave dishonor, but in the current chaos, it wasn’t entirely unthinkable.7Hr
FXz9XjThe emperor, his lord, was missing, and it wasn’t even clear who the successor would be. Add to that the blatant neglect of the Blue Rose Order.dWh
mSGjUnder such circumstances, quietly switching sides seemed possible. He thought that if Lucian sincerely asked, he might accept without too much regret.YcBeXAm
HlII3DBut.xQMmOrB
Vfi6Xl‘There’s no way he would even ask…’lIE2Ma3
OwLMoritz flinched when he heard Lucian’s voice interrupting his thoughts and quickly bowed his head.cp2t
kcs“Ah, it’s nothing. I was just once again admiring Your Highness’s ability to subdue them.”LAiPtj
Cq6“You flatter me too much. Anyway, the migration will take place in five days, so until then, feel free to look around. Once we leave, we won’t return to this land, so it will be a valuable experience.”jPTgU
CIkXosAfter saying that, Lucian walked off to oversee the progress of the migration, leaving Moritz behind. The knight followed his back with a conflicted look.gdT5mnR
a2ujKa‘When I return, I’ll have to tell the others.’DU6mLK
Rb6tThat if they truly wanted to settle down here, they couldn’t just wait for Lucian to make the offer.svVIPqE
qUzL2tMaybe it should be them—the Blue Rose Order—who begged to be allowed to serve him.bnCJk
mVEdj***N44ueu
joEZYA large-scale migration was rarely completed without setbacks.BgXRZu
le29Depending on the distance and the makeup of the population, material losses and even human casualties almost always occurred during relocation.jIK1Z7Q
iB52N3After all, it was essentially a massive move — and the reason there were often casualties beyond material losses was simple.oteaje3
fniJFp6‘Not all migrants are healthy adults.’CC7Xn
2tjjp9OWhen a group had put down roots and lived in a place for a long time, it was natural that its makeup would be diverse. Elderly people, those with disabilities, the sick — many lacked the physical endurance needed to survive such a migration.nmA8hx
MoLUETHaving to travel for weeks or even months made deaths inevitable.S6tID
e6bJxHowever, the tribes of the tundra were free from that problem.LgnS
o1oO“With weather like this, they could keep moving for years, not just weeks. A few days is like taking a nap.”QEXQrFu
KDYKx7w“Still, there must be some people with weak constitutions.”8YLGf
bDOO“It’s not that sickly people aren’t born, but among those who remain, there are none left. They died long ago.”bNL3V
pR0The tundra was such a hellish place that the weak simply couldn’t survive long.fxeGVB
gnNEven if they had family to care for them, if their bodies couldn’t withstand the cold, there was no way they could live for long.jYDSKKv
cmA90Frozen lungs with every breath, shortened life expectancy — none of that could be overcome with dedication alone.TcxWzg
Q2wTz“Everyone migrating now is naturally strong. Unless they kill each other fighting, there’s no need to worry about deaths from exhaustion.”cewA
Xrle“In that case, that’s a relief.”a5O
tGQElWV— Skreeee!brLH1
gsUJaKxWhile speaking with Gunstein, Lucian’s eyes widened at the distant roar of a beast.ZeD
DVvImWhen he asked what was going on and sent someone to check, a member of the tribe who had been at the rear came forward shortly after to explain.bM372
WrN8“A snow leopard appeared. It seems it tried to attack some children who had fallen behind.”92airG
b0UDr0K“Were there any injuries?”sg6hc1
AoU“Eh? The children caught it on the spot.”DzNi
bEQ0OLE“…”9Kv
bUFaWEoLucian was speechless at the tribesman’s expression, as if asking what was so strange about that.GRSVBn
UyBPTTo them, a predator like a snow leopard seemed to be little more than a particularly aggressive weasel.G8ROxs
9xhC8After that, just as Gunstein had said, the migration advanced surprisingly smoothly.3f13r5
4pfsThough the cold had lessened, the road was still covered in snow. Even so, not a single person caught a cold while sleeping outdoors.w9e9B8T
sVEPqtjThe astonishing endurance shown even by ordinary tribe members made Lucian’s group click their tongues.a8bV7J
gMmq9K8“These people — in terms of physical stamina alone, don’t they surpass most knights?”8HYOES
miai“Could be.”z70Wv4
bJZWith such vitality, it wouldn’t be surprising if, even during an epidemic, only other regions were wiped out and they returned unscathed.EpQ8pe
moOWhat started as a half-joke gradually turned into a strange conviction.SFx
wQcU“Your Highness, Laugrad is in sight.”IMSnV
DaeEVpt“…!”m2V
MqroKY6At Raymond’s whisper, Lucian lifted his head.6JC
7yLThe entrance to the tundra, and at the same time the northernmost tip of the territory, appeared before his eyes once again after so long.WTNESVT
DUJCrossing from the tundra lands into the empire’s territory, Lucian smiled.kCKu
jMxD“We’ve finally returned.”Ieiu
UvOzfioIn that instant, the titles of Marquess of Asagrim and Duke of Grimaldi — which he had set aside until now — once again settled upon his head like a crown.DQ7
sIeGxOc***XJjNpX
w4mdBuAlthough they had returned to imperial territory, they couldn’t head straight to Asagrim with all the tribe members in tow.4G0gFs
2QQr6XYNot just because of the time it would take, but because, after so much hardship, they needed at least a brief and proper rest.RVh5oQ
49cHgp“Physical strength is one thing, but the mental fatigue must’ve built up quite a bit. It’s best to ease it.”rfR4
m6SV2iG“You’re right. The problem is which territory to visit. If we show up suddenly with all of them, there’s not a single lord who’d be happy.”AI6kIkA
jJMD3tv“Of course not. Just feeding and housing them would cost a fortune.”1zCAk
FRJA47iIt wasn’t for nothing that people said armies were endless money pits. They produced nothing and only consumed.4mjTee0
KsvywFor a group even larger than the average army to appear out of nowhere demanding food and shelter, it wouldn’t be strange if the local lord clutched his neck and collapsed from shock.3eGzyh
wbRSU“So we need someone who can afford it willingly — or someone who doesn’t mind bearing a grudge.”XvTc
TfWeQa“The first one seems unlikely. Any lords of the second kind around here?”KRLb
JyK587O“Of course.”8D83x
D9jVfqLucian smiled and pulled out a list he had prepared in advance before leaving the tundra.OAp
S6UIt wasn’t long, since he wrote it from memory, but one thing was certain — every name belonged to someone who had once had quite a close relationship with the house of Count Calix.FyT
eAGyAfter reviewing it again, Lucian decided to visit, in order, the closest territories along the way to Asagrim.yboOdEJ
LGdHJ“Y-Your Highness! What is the meaning of all this?”H5w
Q4fWhen Lucian appeared leading the tribe, the local lords rushed out, terrified.sv1ufwh
5b8mTdgEven though they were a ragtag crowd, just putting weapons in their hands would make them look like they could take a castle instantly.LWdX
I1g2yIt was impossible not to be scared.r2jZ9GY
NEXOt2Lucian gave them a calm smile and spoke.oCFzYBg
OsN5v9“No need to panic. These are countrymen who separated from the royal bloodline of the north a thousand years ago. I suppose you’ve at least heard why I traveled beyond the tundra.”GVZ6uv
NYp“So these are the ones Your Highness mentioned…?”ptF3dnz
VS9CPUS“That’s right. They’ve come to serve me, along with the dragon’s heart. They will be my subjects — and my army.”IiOn
gydU8zThe lords’ expressions darkened.1BM
5ZolbxFThe elite forces of the White Castle, including the Blue Rose Order, were troops loaned by the emperor.Xqh85oG
F1KrZuFor political reasons, their use could be limited — or even withdrawn by imperial decree.ulbF
IQZnfBut if Lucian recruited his own subjects and formed a permanent army, the situation changed completely.MnVU8Z
DmGEdI4He would have military power he could command at will, without any outside interference.AtHYll
aMN0For those who had once been close to Count Calix’s house, it was terrifying.ucZ
BDOy‘Damn it. I thought he was delusional with his hero fantasies, but there really were monsters like this beyond the tundra.’n9ITwY
OXvj54j‘And on top of that, they’re all taller and bulkier than any regular man. Where were these giants hiding?’JuDO6jD
WDFxN“What are you thinking about so deeply?”cxRPoW
DlvfAt Lucian’s quiet remark, the lords flinched and bowed their heads immediately.H79coaK
DUZ“W-we’re just so impressed by Your Highness’s achievements that we were left speechless! We beg your forgiveness!”9J2IYxp
Uype94m“Haha. No need to flatter me that much. Without some luck, even I wouldn’t have managed it.”lG5oF
Dvr3j“It’s not flattery! It’s sincere praise! Your Highness’s achievements will be remembered throughout the empire!”Vg0
0pJCw“You think so? Then allow me to help you take part in this achievement as well.”2of
GpH8Kj“Huh?”cN8
hT3GXBLucian smiled coldly and got straight to the point.pL26Yw
AVw“As you can see, the people I brought are many, but we lack food and places to sleep. We need a bit of help.”4ecpPT
bZCQ“…!”2qjnv
4Ig3JZ“We’re not settling here, just staying briefly. During that short time, I hope I can count on your hospitality.”VNMk
B39LTWEUnderstanding what he meant, the lords’ faces turned pale all at once.Od7l7W
duBPxFeeding and housing all those people for several days?BbK
TUiGwpEven if temporary, the expense would be enormous. As the lords opened and closed their mouths, unable to respond, Lucian finished.A5xM3d
Emby“I trust you won’t refuse. You may one day meet again those who will become my army. And, if possible, wouldn’t it be better to remain in their memory as grateful benefactors?”602
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