Chapter 144
tK7The lords, in the end, had no choice but to prepare food and lodging, even if reluctantly.jnEH
BLRpUVIdeally, they would have made do with some watery gruel and old mats, but the guest was none other than the conqueror of the North.TU19
ofaGPIf they showed even the slightest lack of care here, they didn’t know what consequences they might face, so they had to take on huge expenses and tend to every detail.QPhWKEf
zsAJGzM“How much food and how many spices are left in the stores?”7V9mMi
0K1fY“We have enough to last about ten days without issue. The problem is that we don’t have enough hands to cook…”rg7VX
AHh“Even if it takes time, prepare the food properly. If we serve dried, poorly made meals, the duke won’t sit idly by.”MsVEK
ybWSHt“And the lodging? No matter how much we want to, it’s impossible to fit all those people inside the castle.”PHTx
WrD“There’s no choice but to set up tents outside the walls and hand out blankets. If they’re wool, they’ll be warmer than in any decent inn.”Es0Pjp
8XC3o6“Wool blankets? That’s a luxury item! We don’t have that many!”WqC3XI
7eAfKT“Bring every single one! If it’s not enough, buy them from the merchants, and if they still fall short, request help from other territories!”Las
CRTTo host guests who had arrived without warning, the lords ran around non-stop.YOV1H
0Hl3kAt the same time, they watched their gold coins disappear like a waterfall and felt as though their hearts were bleeding. All the money they had worked so hard to gather!Kn52ZD
m0omrSMHowever, the tribe members receiving their hospitality had no idea of that suffering and couldn’t stop marveling.2b9R
7FCE2u“By the heavens. Look at this, it has chunks in it I’ve never seen before! There’s an incredible amount of food!”5vIG2
z6T“Were vegetables this easy to get? And what’s this spicy flavor that lingers on the tongue?”My7
0Pm5“This is crazy. Feeding this many people in a single day — how many resources must they have?”5V9BTuY
MiTtuNo matter how much effort the lords had put in, it was still just a stew you could find in any ordinary household.u5O8H
taK82But even such a simple stew was enough to cause a huge impact on the tribe members.Ov3bgU3
Vt4bkXIt wasn’t food reserved for rulers, and yet it was full of ingredients.ip22
8DcY“And it’s not just that. Look at those massive stone walls. Just by closing the gates, it feels like they could stop any army in the world.”Q97Llq
6fws“And the metallurgy? The tip of the gate guard’s spear is way sharper than my own weapon — and I’m a warrior.”LMkM
ejgC“To think that a land like this existed less than fifteen days away… if the king hadn’t guided us, by now…”y3zlx
eMvPWhen one of the warriors left the sentence unfinished, the entire tribe shuddered.IwMq
bvEThey pictured themselves starving and freezing to death, while now they were patting their full bellies just a short distance away.F8pdr2
PKPUOIn the heavy silence, someone raised a steaming bowl of stew high and shouted.YNXY
pnf“Glory to the king who led us to the land of salvation!”DeyNqB
J3WqW24“…Long live the King of Prophecy!”IXXF0M
GUY“May he be blessed by the great ancestors!”mBSl
victVTOnce it started, the cry spread like a wave throughout the tribe.S2n90
WOb0TThe thunderous cheers echoed even within the walls, enough to make the castle’s inhabitants nervous.aQv
ceRThe lords, still busy attending to the tribe, grimaced upon hearing the praises directed at Lucian.ASl
06B3s‘Damn it, we’re the ones feeding them.’xPPvk
2rVP‘We provide the money, and someone else gets the praise.’PGiYZg
HLbYk‘Just endure it. If we show any displeasure here, the duke might remember our faces well.’ApH0hzo
SSbQIt was dirty and humiliating, but after having been connected to Calix in the past, they had no choice.ItnvWXR
yNRRSwallowing their bitterness, the lords kept spending their money to attend to the tribe, watching how all their effort turned entirely into loyalty toward Lucian.ieXQ
P0zwW***0H0row
0gewsH9Lucian continued ascending toward Asagrim at the head of the tribe members.Ni2d
VJV0As expected, all the expenses incurred along the way fell entirely on the lords who had once had ties with Calix.m436
jblP0n9The tribe members, amazed by the food and lodging they kept receiving, continued to sing praises without end.e2uStHk
sYpBefore long, Lucian was able to reach his own territory, which was closer than Asagrim.iOO
7WDT“Welcome, Your Highness. We’ve been waiting for you.”YgdTSD
qgZw“Fritz?”0iul
ng53cAsLucian opened his eyes in surprise at the appearance of an unexpected person. Fritz, whom he had appointed as a messenger officer in Asagrim, had come out to meet him.l5DnCSB
kKyGX“Why are you here? You should be in Asagrim.”aJLHTU
zruM9F“The lord regent sent me. He said the number of people Your Highness was bringing was no small matter, and since none of them are familiar with the Empire’s customs, my help would be necessary.”rBOFy
qtHThe messenger officer was a role in charge of diplomacy.lPdDB
phr0In other words, his job was to venture alone into unfamiliar cultures and successfully negotiate.8GshtI
6HSThat’s why his ability to analyze and understand foreign customs was far greater than that of any ordinary official.lfYW0a
Dl2“He said that, even if managing outsiders isn’t exactly my specialty, I could still handle it much better than other officials, so he ordered me to go ahead and assist Your Highness.”bN7a3Hz
79jqG8“Well, what a thoughtful man.”rtX9
2o8AKYLucian said that, but he couldn’t hide his smile.r6L
u93lMaking up for a lack of proper personnel by using the available talent was also a skill of a good administrator.cwsd
Ejp7gpIn that regard, Hans’s judgment had been flawless.hTR256
X2QtpujHe hadn’t sent a simple bureaucrat, but a diplomatic officer used to dealing with people from different cultures.Ut1cK
Aq0ko‘If he had just a bit more experience, he wouldn’t have fallen for Dominic’s tricks… the timing just wasn’t right.’eT8
p9U8jzsIt was unfortunate, but people grow through trials. As unpleasant as it was, this experience would help Hans mature further.x1N4VH4
17DivAfter sorting out his thoughts, Lucian looked at Fritz and asked.wtditx
KfO“What’s the current situation in Asagrim? Has anything unusual happened?”j0Enn
dNta4DV“As Your Highness ordered, all exclusive trade rights were granted to the Dominic Company, and all transactions are being done on credit.”zMMKfx
ZeERPaY“Has the Dominic Company or any other company shown dissatisfaction with that?”DgIt
9tN90n2“There seem to have been some disputes over the monopoly, but strangely, there’s been no reaction regarding the credit. To be honest, it’s suspicious.”LjnUAN
dOBd7Fritz frowned, as if he couldn’t make sense of it. No matter how favorable, merchants were usually extremely wary of credit.F53S
85PqThere were many cases where people received goods on credit and then pretended not to owe anything.mZvG
9FIXQUTHowever, the Dominic Company, despite having accumulated an enormous sum on credit, remained eerily quiet.0D61N8
SQo“This is just my opinion, but I think they’re hiding some kind of plan. I urge Your Highness to be cautious.”CEh
DQF“No need to worry. I already know what they’re planning.”y7H
vvS“Eh? What do you mean…?”o7ojwHW
bUtz3RC“If I tell you now, it ruins the fun. Better to see it with your own eyes later. By the way, is there still space in Asagrim? If possible, I’d like to resettle everyone there.”CVRzAcx
ZRi2R4Lucian wiped the playful smile from his face and asked seriously.8tPM
hq7y“Hmm, I’m afraid it’s impossible to move them all. During Your Highness’s absence, quite a few new people settled there.”YQDGNS
Q5xc1q“What about distributing them properly among nearby territories?”Xc2lZn1
5bWE“That seems doable. The areas left empty when the residents of the former Calix domains were relocated still haven’t been fully repopulated.”1Sf
lcTHf“Good. Then we’ll do that.”gHfIJ88
odvygqzLucian called Ainar and tasked him with selecting which tribe members would be distributed to other territories.ugRgG
8vCSince they were going to be separated, it was better to keep familiar faces together.31oXl
ryEMwIf they were randomly mixed and families or close people split up, problems would surely arise later.S5d
TQLAWF“I’m entrusting you with full authority over the five tribes. Choose and assign the people who will be dispersed. If you need the former tribe chiefs, call on them and use them.”fdkeLf
64jciH2“Yes, my lord.”4L0
14TOt7V“Helen and Marius will stay here and explain the situation so that the tribes being split off don’t feel anxious. It would be a problem if they thought I had abandoned them.”bDjEN
nH7M“We’ll make sure to calm them and prevent any confusion.”af6tF
8sn“Fritz, consult with Ainar about the tribe’s culture, but make sure Helen or Marius is always present. If it’s just the two of you talking, something could easily be misunderstood.”IOM5
XWKTL“I’ll keep that in mind.”7EHbbY
EpH197pAt Lucian’s clear and direct orders, his allies bowed in unison.42Y
X0jHAfter establishing the detailed plans, Lucian selected the people he would take to Asagrim and set off once more.amE
CwbTEvLThe minor matters were resolved; only one thing remained.YG7b
TIKYM5b“The rest will return with me to Asagrim. Prepare yourselves.”tcdH
dpr“Yes!”xXUyY8Q
nx5NFUpon hearing the firm reply from his companions, Lucian looked in the direction of Asagrim.AbGQx
byfpoXIt was the moment when the master of White Castle returned home.2ysyrah
gDLDU***xjghm
B4cUeAinar selected those who would be dispersed among the five tribes, excluding the Blue Dragon Tribe.OHgK6Nu
TEIEKzLSpecifically, he chose most from the Red Wolf Tribe. The tribe members, who suddenly found themselves separated from the main group, were confused.77jl
fUG2un“Why are we the ones staying here?”UVH
1Be2k“There’s not enough space in the capital where the king resides, so there’s no other choice.”A7rf
d0M“Why us, though?! We want to serve the king up close too!”VUHz0
S33vkw“Everyone feels the same. The issue was your former leader’s behavior.”BbwcgBS
URpQS4E“What do you mean?”mTMq
3h3TK4“The tribe chief who ruled over you before was extremely disrespectful toward the king. He almost gathered his followers with the intent to harm him.”PbhD
OoPK11“…!”h1VBD
X3P7“I can’t tell who among you followed him and who is loyal to the king, so I had no choice but to separate all of you.”xZJ3TGG
wrWvZOThough that was his explanation, it was only half true. What did the former chief’s absence have to do with the tribe members?8LJAvL
TOPoZ3However, if he didn’t give them a reason for why they were at a disadvantage compared to the others, resentment would build up. What mattered was where to direct that resentment.Z4rM
w5JR3ri“I didn’t want it to be this way either. If you’re going to hold a grudge, hold it against the tribe chief you used to serve.”tjPeO
9VG“Damn it…!”6bO
DayfThe tribe members, furious at not being able to follow the king, stomped the ground in frustration.q7Bwe
au4qEven though they came from a tribal society, they weren’t ignorant of the rules of the human world. The closer you were to power, the greater the benefits.VetlS
x4gqGxNow that they were distanced from Lucian, it was obvious those benefits would decrease.2mjkPV
gcV2fVB“Useless tribe chief!”wKgzVz
v45qq“What about that oath of loyalty you swore the moment you saw the king?! Was it all a lie?!”ZxTH
gp0kqaf“What the hell did you say to him?!”9KZz3C
CR3e67f“You weren’t the only one who was rude!”H2AhhYA
g5wNaturally, all the resentment fell on the former tribe chief who had disrespected the king. Broindolf, the ex-chief of the Red Wolf Tribe, was about to go mad from the injustice.w6wgD
V3L4CFHe hadn’t been the only one to object; all the chiefs had. Why was he the only one singled out?D61yQZ
z5PDfqt“The others did it too! All of us acted the same!”9zMuMM
nXYsa“So you admit you were rude to the king?”Pj63KS0
aYTA4“No, that’s not what I…”rWu9ex
bi4“See? Just as we thought!”0sS3H
6vC“It’s all your fault!”J7e5
IOQSBroindolf’s excuses were useless.2ohtm
QKlPNo matter what he said, if he had behaved better from the beginning, none of this would have happened.F6Vri31
MnZyYFor the tribe members, regardless of the reasons, Broindolf had created the excuse — and that was enough to blame him.2TT4ig
hLh3gmThe former chiefs of the other tribes swallowed hard at the sight of Broindolf becoming the scapegoat.PBXuP
o02K4Yx‘If we make a wrong move, won’t we end up the same?’uZtM
TgExUbJ‘Of course we will. If needed, the king wouldn’t hesitate to offer us as sacrifices.’f2r
NUup1‘…To hell with power. Better to live quietly for the rest of our lives.’ScbZfwW
Z205The former tribe chiefs decided to completely let go of whatever ambition they had left. Without even realizing it, Lucian had already completed the internal cleansing.9rwdQ
I51mzRLucian then headed to Asagrim’s White Castle, ready to sweep out the unwelcome guests who had trashed his house while the master was away.0ckleQ
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