Chapter 158
6l34jIThe legacy of the northern royal house is different from the magical artifacts of the imperial family.ZFVe
z2nAlthough it includes some armor and weapons, most of it requires processing and research.PNp7
2HNGpSXIngots created with extraordinary herbs and plants, and with ancient techniques; countless grimoires and methods for manufacturing magical artifacts.FvAiR
WyThJ7vAside from a minimal fraction of armaments, there is nothing that can be turned into immediate power.vCyCz
CDtbPHowever, unlike magical artifacts whose functioning is not even understood, this legacy allows, with proper research, the reproduction of ancient inheritances believed to have been lost.rfw2
rM1If the necessary time were invested, it could become a perfect foundation, capable of rebuilding foundations comparable to those of the empire at its peak.ZJC2lX
Nlzp“Until now I had kept it hidden out of fear of the imperial family, but now, even if I reveal it openly, they won’t be able to do anything. We will begin the research officially.”h6KDWR
ui9kN“Won’t this awaken the greed of other lords? The silence of the imperial family means there is no longer any way to prevent territorial wars.”YpOU
xNNRaymon expressed with concern.VnG9vU
XsUBfU8Lucian let out a brief laugh.lyl7
MoNzwr“If they want it, let them come and try to take it from us. Though I doubt they can do so in a situation where they don’t even know who is an ally and who is an enemy.”jXsQH
W7zlZcChaos had already begun.3dPgN0
11khIn a world where even yesterday’s allies could betray you, who would dare launch an expedition to the north solely out of greed?VI1SGdW
fvvt7To exploit a supposed weakness would mean leaving oneself exposed to attacks from all sides.NFE7iTe
UyZImEA“Rather, when time passes and allies and enemies become clear, then they’ll have room to look north. Precisely because right now no one knows whom to trust, this is the best time to reveal the legacy.”sqzE
UXgL“I understand. Then, whom will you put in charge of each area of research?”S9ax
Si9QZj“The medicinal herbs will, of course, be handled by Ian. As for forging, there’s still no suitable candidate, so we’ll have to search calmly. And everything related to magic…”7CFkG1z
INbQcLucian’s gaze settled on Marius.HzxqQg8
rw7nHe lowered his head, trying to feign indifference, but the trembling of his arms betrayed him.eHq
PT2AqFBLucian observed him in silence and spoke in a low voice.diUsW
xb2zLN“Marius.”uKH
AxwJF“Yes, Your Highness.”4dLTWWA
KsoStez“I’ve heard that the handling of this matter was quite good.”o0u6y
Efm3Dr“It was thanks to the help of my two disciples. I couldn’t have done it alone.”gjC1lLA
TKmJ“Enough modesty. I sent them with you precisely to help you. If you had tried to do everything alone, they would have reproached you instead for why you brought them.”4s90y20
WHea“My apologies.”WM1nRff
jfP“For that reason, as a reward, I’m going to entrust you with the position of chief mage.”jBw
p8jAPXMarius’s eyes opened wide and he raised his head without realizing it.gi3X3nS
h680VxIt was true that he desired the post of chief mage in the north; with his ability, it was a position he could aspire to.vH4c9Kk
tKYHowever, because of the faults he had committed, he had resigned himself to working at a rank even lower than that of his disciple.jl7FWf
UQqy5“I-I, Your Highness…”xQpbfp3
11dtuPc“There’s no need to say it, but this is your last chance. If you do something foolish again, then you really will end up relegated to a corner, devoted only to deciphering grimoires.”c0Ng
p9u“Thank you! Thank you very much!”JGJnq
jpY61DTears welled up in Marius’s eyes.AuU
QZgeNFor how long had he feared becoming a master who lived in the shadow of his disciple’s name, having achieved nothing himself.sOX
UKFCNHe didn’t know how much longer his body would allow him to live, but at least he would leave behind the name of “chief mage of Asagrim.” It was as if a rope had been lowered to pull him out of hell.3uorCKL
uwoz“Colin, I’m sorry for putting you in this situation. In a way, I’ve taken away the position of chief mage that was yours.”iay
FEN“That’s not the case. I can only thank Your Highness’s mercy for caring about my master.”SeYG3
l5UdqColin sincerely thanked Lucian.7Uj9k
SXOIt pained him to think that his master might die without having achieved anything, sunk in despair.mhM
nZxwKSCNow, by yielding the position to him, he would at least leave behind a name, and that gave him peace of mind.4Mk
5ANLucian understood what Colin felt, but even so, he intended to compensate him as a sovereign.YdiHh0
8EdEven if Colin was satisfied, the fact that he had taken away a position remained the same.ToAi
l8tr“When Marius leaves the position of chief mage, I will return it to you immediately. And whatever post you hold in the future, you will receive treatment equivalent to that of a chief mage. I hope that will satisfy you.”KUaim
0EN“Satisfied isn’t the word. For me, it’s more than generous treatment.”r8AbTn
E7m04UeLucian nodded as he saw Colin trying to hide his surprised smile.D03
lmzm2dHis considerate attitude dispelled any slight unease that might have remained.rqp4W
OQYAfter putting the appointments in order, at least in broad terms, Lucian took the key of the royal house from his clothes.8uX4
sMvZThe time had come to show the world proof that the legacy of the northern royal house was real.tcGP0
efMHGkA***wwGgFiB
grsIK“What? Duke Lucian has made public the legacy of the northern royal house?”8upPk8
0SD6PA2“No one knew that something like that had been hidden beneath the White Castle for a thousand years?”7r3GEa
0GUIU“Before that, how in the world did the duke find it? He supposedly didn’t even have contact with his maternal family!”xp4S1Tf
Gv2nWith the revelation of the legacy of the northern royal house, the empire was shaken once again.VELPMz
SExR3A legacy left behind by a dynasty from a thousand years ago, and not merely magical artifacts used without understanding how they functioned, but the fundamental technology that supported them.Z5l2
HQMFThat meant that, with proper research, magical artifacts could be produced again in the present era.KdW
W0F“Damn it, isn’t there some way to do something? If we keep giving him time, this will become dangerous.”qjPQ
xJibO3“Do what? Send an expedition to the north?”igbT8jX
otf1lCx“Hiding the royal legacy from the imperial family is already a crime. If we form a coalition—”13Z4CcF
EVLB8“That imperial family is keeping absolute silence! Without a center to unite them, what coalition are you talking about!”nnvOE
5UCZwQ“And where do you get the confidence that we’d win? Have you forgotten that the opponent is the king of the north?”aQ0x
Q3kDThe lords briefly debated the possibility of an expedition to the north, but the idea died out almost immediately.vAEKFp
FmWArsThe imperial family no longer fulfilled the role of a central axis at all, making it difficult even to form an allied force, and above all, the opponent’s power was not something that could be taken lightly.wJVbA
ghAtYDLucian possessed the White Castle, as impregnable as an iron citadel, along with elite troops that had once belonged entirely to the imperial family, and even the Order of the Blue Rose.RlpQSF
4VzTt4nOn top of that, he had recently filled almost the entire population of Asagrim with the outsiders from beyond the snow-covered steppes.p0WT
CpbSYPFA hasty attack would not only fail to guarantee victory, but could lead to a disastrous defeat that would mark the beginning of ruin.qKKb
QIqhWhen the lords accepted reality and abandoned the idea of war, those who stepped forward were the scholars and the blacksmiths.4xnWG
oeR2“Dozens of medicinal herbs we believed extinct are in Asagrim? And not just one or two, but even seedlings suitable for cultivation? I’m going immediately!”ZjWq7
ph9E“At my age, I don’t dream of forging legendary weapons. But at least, if I could refine with these hands the metals that only appeared in old tales…”xU7Big
tbHTX“Let’s go to Asagrim. To revive a fallen school, there’s nothing left now but to rely on magical grimoires. With some luck, we might catch the duke’s attention.”Xx7
vxtZIndependent researchers weary of the corrupt alchemists’ guild.wroA
nEeBlacksmiths who wished to leave behind an immortal name before dying. Even unauthorized mages from vanished schools.qs8dZOb
zAgIJAll those who wanted to see the relics of antiquity with their own eyes began gathering in Asagrim.dTWN
M1AKiAmong them were many charlatans who overestimated their abilities, but true talents were mixed in as well. The blacksmith Malcolm was one of them.ccDPSUw
73TwF“Ha… hahaha.”a9mdYl
2nv7O0fSitting in his ramshackle smithy, Malcolm chewed over the stories that had circulated through the market today.pib3G
Pf9They said that in the north the scarlet stone, the people’s iron, and even faerie ore—whose refining techniques had long been lost—had reappeared.QL7l
zd36Ps“How can this be… how can this be?”MoAyays
HSzQHLegendary metals that, though they did not reach the hardness of adamantium, had been used in all kinds of magical artifacts.ZXZ7dut
K1hVNMurmuring those names over and over, Malcolm staggered to a corner of the smithy and took up a bundle of books piled beside some branches.R6H0zsC
wT5They were volumes handed down from generation to generation, recording the refining methods of ancient metals that had disappeared long ago.crBZilI
7Vov“If it had happened a little earlier… if it had come to light when I was a little younger…”KlDx
jXOnBurning tears rolled down Malcolm’s cheeks.lMhc3
g3wUHow many times had he been mocked for treasuring, like relics, refining techniques that were already useless?rV5Uoh
VHE6qEven as an adult, he had promised himself several times to use them as firewood, yet he was never able to throw them into the flames.WihOP8
z7gFaAnd to think that those books—useless and burdened only with attachment—would one day finally have real use.nleDT6H
kinBW2With his eyes closed, lost in memories, Malcolm suddenly heard the hurried footsteps of his son.HZjA
7jN“F-father! In Asagrim, the relics of the northern kingdom…!”sknoZV
3Cft“I know.”58u
t9uAt his son’s agitated voice, Malcolm replied briefly and stood up.3jX3
X8rLWhen one’s duty was clear, no more words were needed.2qAY0
QxvriZ“Let’s go.”lOWDIaY
ra7qA“Where to?”KONrB
ab0bh“To Asagrim.”PAO
XjontSu“……!”1gn7gPF
6XNV“Prepare the hammer and pack your things.”HaOUjs
4l5Cg“Yes!”Q7ZxaS5
oahw11aThe sound of his son’s hurried footsteps leaving echoed in Malcolm’s ears. At his age, he did not intend to boast about the greatness of his ancestors.ViGF42
VxbjVJHe only wanted, with these hands, to reproduce the refining techniques they had left behind.Dhlzp
IXilKThat way, he could prove that his forebears had not wasted their lives clinging to a vain hope.yV3KdTn
NM6ptpSoon after, fully prepared, Malcolm set out for Asagrim with his son, carrying with him refining techniques that had not been used even once in many long years.9hw9EIu
KaB***OKY2K
8N3YPdw“Excellent.”1Ku
x5PbGdBaron Harald could not hide his smile whenever news of Lucian reached him.I8VhhVS
HcPDfrNot only had he completely crushed and absorbed Calix, but he had also subdued the outsiders from beyond the snow-covered steppes and filled Asagrim.k9M1Snv
i5uF1dBMoreover, he had gained the strength to intervene in the succession using the first prince as a pretext, and had even made public the relics of the northern kingdom.QnBDwt
DJy‘I knew he was someone extraordinary from the first time I met him, but now I can no longer imagine how far he’ll go.’L5RX3Y
d8Ys3All Harald had wanted was for Lucian to restore the old kingdom and bring order to the north.j6J
2XS15yxThat alone would have been enough to call it a heroic feat; asking for more would have been excessive.5pz5v
veFGvYet Lucian’s achievements far surpassed what Harald had imagined.pRZJc
0oLzWhere would that hero finally stop? If possible, Harald wanted to live to see Lucian’s final destiny with his own eyes.9wHu3
pO0‘And when he does stop, at his side will be the Osgor family and my son, that boy Torkel.’mSzGiZm
sBSccSmiling, Harald tilted his cup once more. It was then that a servant, with an urgent expression, approached and whispered in his ear.hLsCTl
tSh“My lord, Baron Lesta has come to visit you.”lOx7ho
uC5o“What?”MnHL98
KmHwRAt the unexpected visitor, Harald blinked. Wasn’t Baron Lesta his son Torkel’s friend?ZNaB2u
Uk1A young lord who had expelled his father, aligned with Calix, to take his place, and who since then had shown absolute support for Lucian.TeM
iIyLately, he had even escorted Lucian’s relatives at his request, earning considerable trust.Ifw
dxKT“Didn’t he even send a messenger and came in person?”I5DmclL
ARsq3T“Yes. He came secretly and requests to meet with the utmost discretion.”bfF
HkKcl“Well now…”w7sRB
9hNIf it were a lord who had once allied with Calix, even a minor meeting would require caution.jMQx
1LXBBut both Harald and Lesta had fervently supported Lucian from the beginning.iT8
y8mo8Now that Lucian dominated the north, they could meet openly without owing anything to anyone, and yet Lesta had come covertly.xbQI
ryjBuIt was suspicious, but in the end he was on the same side and a friend of his son, so Harald could not simply refuse him.dcR
gHBGi“Guide the guest to the salon and dismiss the servants and attendants. A distinguished guest has arrived, so I will personally see to him.”wjtt
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