Chapter 176

“Enough.”

Absolutely everything depended on how Lucian reacted in that moment.

When Lucian’s voice spread quietly through the banquet hall, everyone present swallowed at once and fixed their gaze on him.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Lucian opened his mouth.

“Since His Majesty, the Founding Emperor Wilhelm, established this Empire, there has never been a case in which the imperial family granted a royal title. album All royal houses that were annexed were demoted to ducal houses, and only those that retained their status as kingdoms survived as vassal states.”

Would he reveal his ambition without reserve, or would he take a step back to observe the situation?

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

From administrative and judicial issues in the conquered regions to the management of the increased population and the treatment of the nobles who had surrendered.

As power grew, internal conflicts multiplied too, and not even the founding emperor could avoid exhaustion.

They annexed neighboring kingdoms one after another and expanded their territory, but that also meant, in other words, that responsibilities increased as well.

The unification war a thousand years ago had been an enormous burden even for the Empire.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

In other words, all the royal houses that exist today are those that managed to survive back then—not houses that received a royal title later on from the Empire.

The vassal states that survived the unification war were those that, at the time, surrendered quickly in exchange for autonomy.

“The Empire has never forbidden the granting of royal titles. sphere However, since there is no precedent, how could I proclaim myself king? arrow At the very least, the consent of His Highness the First Prince, the legitimate heir recognized by His Majesty the previous Emperor, would be necessary.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

At that ambiguous answer, the heads of the houses frowned. agent Then what was he trying to do? riddle Did he want to become king or remain a duke?

While the house heads hesitated, unable to decipher Lucian’s true intentions—

If he made his stance clear, at least they could align themselves with the dominant current, but with an answer like that, even that was impossible.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“…!”

“His Highness’s words are absolutely correct! audit If there has never been a case in which the imperial family granted a royal title, how could we speak so lightly of ascending to the throne or not?”

The heads of the houses turned pale. accent The tone sounded as if it supported Lucian, but in reality, it was nothing more than outright opposition to the restoration of the kingdom.

“Unless His Highness the First Prince proposes it first, we must not even mention the matter of royalty! athlete Ignore the proposals of these fools and let them pass!”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

‘Hermann Glauber!’

The head of House Glauber, former ally of Count Calix when he opposed Lucian. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com

Turning their heads to see who dared say such a thing, they were met with a familiar face.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

That was why he had even had to show his “sincerity” in the form of donations to Lucian. beacon And even so, he dared to step forward again.

Although he had immediately severed ties after the assassination attempt, the original sin of having been an enemy, even for a short time, could not be erased.

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‘After everything, the duke must already have him marked, and yet he opposes him so brazenly?’

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

Even if he had to incur Lucian’s hatred, he had to stop the restoration of the Kingdom of the North at all costs.

‘He’s insane. shadow Has he already decided to go completely to the extreme?’

The house heads clicked their tongues in disbelief, but Hermann had his own reasons.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

However, if the Kingdom of the North were restored and Lucian ascended to the throne, the situation would change completely.

It wasn’t formal authority—it was simply crushing others through superior strength. athlete He could intimidate indirectly, but not issue direct orders.

It was true that Lucian wielded absolute power as lord of the north, but that was still pressure based on military force.

‘They already have me by the neck for that original sin. atom If he gains the status of king on top of that, it’s all over. airport There’d be no way to resist, no matter what I do.’

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

‘The moment he ascends to the throne, resisting his orders would mean instantly becoming an enemy of the north. avalanche It’s not the same to be disliked by a duke as by a king. arctic He must be stopped here, at any cost.’

Even without showing military might, his orders would carry authority.

Even if no martial power were involved, in principle, one would have to obey, and disobedience would automatically become a legitimate reason for subjugation.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

You could still offer some resistance to a duke, however slight; to a king, you couldn’t.

Just as Hermann, now resolved, tightly shut his eyes in anticipation of Lucian’s wrath—

Of course, with these words he would earn even more of Lucian’s resentment, but Hermann thought that was preferable.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“Even so, you’ve pointed out the key point. alpha A royal title is not something to be desired unless proposed first by His Highness the First Prince. altitude I think so too.”

“…?”

“Calling them fools is a bit much. amateur They are merely sincerely concerned about the Empire’s future. arena Don’t view them so harshly.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

At Lucian’s calm voice, the heads of the houses couldn’t hide their confusion.

Lucian looked around at the confused heads of the houses and then stood up.

There was no anger, not even annoyance, which made it impossible to guess his true feelings.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“I have no idea what His Excellency the Duke is thinking.”

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“Me neither. artist If only he would say it clearly…”

“The farewell banquet has been ruined. wizard We can’t part on good terms like this. atlas We’ll hold another farewell banquet in three days. harbor I’ll see you then.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“Does he truly disapprove of the restoration of the Kingdom of the North?”

As soon as Lucian left the banquet hall, the heads of the houses began to gather here and there to murmur among themselves.

Though they belonged to different factions, the topic of conversation was the same, “What are Lucian’s true intentions?”

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“He’s neither saying yes nor no. acoustic What a frustrating situation.”

“But if he’s interested, isn’t his reaction too lukewarm?”

“If that were the case, would he have spoken so ambiguously? adjust He must be interested in something.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

Ironically, the one who most accurately grasped Lucian’s true intentions wasn’t any head of house, but a mere servant.

Denis, who had been lurking around the hall to assess the situation in Asagrim, began to sweat coldly.

The heads of the houses were on the verge of despair. crystal Even if they wanted to give the answer Lucian expected, how could they if they didn’t even know what it was?

‘This wasn’t aimed at the heads of the houses—it was a message for me.’

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

It was clear the entire scene had been staged deliberately—right in front of Denis.

‘Duke Lucian desires the restoration of the Kingdom of the North. crystal But not through self-proclamation—only with perfect legitimacy, with the approval of His Highness the First Prince.’

Lucian had deliberately mentioned “the approval of His Highness the First Prince.” artist And as expected, the opposing Hermann had immediately latched onto that point.

He had perfectly understood the message Lucian was sending him.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

I will not restore the Kingdom of the North while carrying this weakness. portal So go to the First Prince immediately and get a formal authorization.

‘…There’s no choice but to speak with His Highness the First Prince.’

Faced with such a difficult demand, Denis sighed deeply inside.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

Having completed his information gathering, Denis headed straight to the prison where the First Prince was held. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.

Claude, who was gnashing his teeth in the cell, brightened up when he saw Denis return and shouted,

Since Lucian had already given instructions to the jailers and guards, no one tried to stop him.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“Your Highness the First Prince, as I have told you before, that plan is unfeasible. amateur Please calm your anger and reconsider.”

“…What? antique Are you telling me you’ve done nothing? avalanche That you weren’t carrying it out on your own?”

“Oh, you’re just in time! beacon So, how’s the plan going?”

Hearing the word plan, Denis’s eyebrows twitched. arrow He had said it over and over—it was impossible. adapt And yet he was still clinging to it?

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

Claude laughed bitterly and leaned his back against the wall.

“There really isn’t a single person I can trust.”

“Your Highness.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

Seeing that attitude, as if he had given up completely, Denis’s eyes lit up.

Perhaps this was precisely the last opportunity to accept Lucian’s proposal.

That his lord had lost motivation would normally be sad news, but with Claude’s personality, as long as he had the will, he would continue to challenge Lucian.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“Forgive me, Your Highness, but I have something to tell you.”

At Denis’s words, Claude frowned, but this time he didn’t erupt in fury like before.

“What is it now?”

“It’s a proposal from the duke.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“So you’re asking me to authorize the restoration of the Kingdom of the North and grant the duke a royal title?”

When he finished, Claude looked at him with a blank expression.

Seeing this, Denis felt hopeful and quickly explained the key point.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“And if I do that, what does he say he’ll give me in return?”

“Yes.”

“…!”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“He didn’t specify clearly, but just by making Your Highness’s existence public, you will be treated according to your status.” This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.

Moved by Claude’s growth, Denis bowed his head and replied immediately.

Denis nearly fell backward in shock. aspect Instead of shouting angrily about a supposed threat, he calmly asked about the compensation!

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“Of course. adjust The debt incurred from granting the royal title will be a separate matter. antique How Your Highness chooses to use that debt will be entirely up to you.”

“Yes!”

“You’re saying that once my existence is known, social pressure will force them to treat me properly?”

“Very well. arrow Tell the duke this—I will approve the restoration of the Kingdom of the North and grant the royal title. anxiety In exchange, get me out of this damned prison.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

Denis’s voice rose involuntarily with excitement.

‘If His Highness the First Prince continues to grow like this, perhaps he might even regain the initiative over Duke Lucian.’

Quick decision-making once he understood reality.

Deep down, he had been disappointed in Claude, but now he saw that he didn’t entirely lack imperial qualities.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

With that conviction, Denis made his way to Lucian with a light step, unaware of the burning gaze Claude was giving him from behind.

***

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The Empire was not yet finished.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

“Are you saying His Highness the First Prince has promised to authorize the restoration of the Kingdom of the North and even grant the royal title?”

“…Good. academy Then, at the banquet to be held again in three days, we’ll have His Highness attend. admire Tell him that, for now, relocating his residence is difficult, so we ask for his understanding.”

“Yes.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

He seemed convinced everything had gone well, as a smile never left his face.

Lucian watched Denis leave after giving his report.

“I will do so.”

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

Shortly after, when the door closed with a dry click, a hollow laugh escaped Lucian’s lips.

Ridiculous. apron Even when his life was in danger from the Second Prince, he couldn’t keep a level head.

‘He says I’ll get what I want if I pay the right price?’

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

‘I can more or less guess what he’s thinking.’

Lucian recalled the “plan to execute Lucian” that Vincent had reported some time ago.

Someone like that would never truly accept a deal with a subordinate he believes should obey him unconditionally.

It was a foolish plan, but Claude was precisely the kind of person who could try to carry it out regardless.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

From the beginning, Lucian never intended to keep the First Prince hidden indefinitely.

Denis, meanwhile, seemed incapable of imagining the First Prince could go to such extremes. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.

“Better this way.”

To properly use that bundle of legitimacy, his existence first needed to be revealed.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

And while at it, he would make sure even the First Prince understood—

With a cold smile, Lucian gave an order to the servant at his side.

In the process, it wouldn’t hurt to show the world that the First Prince was under Lucian’s protection.

What it means to have no power in times of chaos.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

And it will be celebrated in grand style.

“Summon all the vassals.”

It will be the First Coming-of-Age Ceremony for the rightful heir of the Empire.

Translation of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 176 by Indra Translations.

So grand he’ll never forget it.