Chapter 176
tOE17R“Enough.”82hjuz
A9Ta9FDWhen Lucian’s voice spread quietly through the banquet hall, everyone present swallowed at once and fixed their gaze on him.xZU
2FvAbsolutely everything depended on how Lucian reacted in that moment.JLPMG
oCyWould he reveal his ambition without reserve, or would he take a step back to observe the situation?GpR7Px
9FZ94mGUnder everyone’s watchful eyes, Lucian opened his mouth.4pBub
mwcz“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. All royal houses that were annexed were demoted to ducal houses, and only those that retained their status as kingdoms survived as vassal states.”fNEEf
CizbThe unification war a thousand years ago had been an enormous burden even for the Empire.hscYI
M6MRThey annexed neighboring kingdoms one after another and expanded their territory, but that also meant, in other words, that responsibilities increased as well.6qjW
r82From administrative and judicial issues in the conquered regions to the management of the increased population and the treatment of the nobles who had surrendered.xI2s1
5af0Y5As power grew, internal conflicts multiplied too, and not even the founding emperor could avoid exhaustion.grsuj
pYQ1ZJThe vassal states that survived the unification war were those that, at the time, surrendered quickly in exchange for autonomy.kjaN7
aotMxIn 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.4TD1
VFWX“The Empire has never forbidden the granting of royal titles. However, since there is no precedent, how could I proclaim myself king? 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.”A8Tmf
ZJeAt that ambiguous answer, the heads of the houses frowned. Then what was he trying to do? Did he want to become king or remain a duke?h3szNc
darlfriIf 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.WVolud
0kXWhile the house heads hesitated, unable to decipher Lucian’s true intentions—3hTyH5
1x1P“His Highness’s words are absolutely correct! 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?”atvO
AEq“…!”uOF
DTE“Unless His Highness the First Prince proposes it first, we must not even mention the matter of royalty! Ignore the proposals of these fools and let them pass!”IAFiK
masNkBGThe heads of the houses turned pale. The tone sounded as if it supported Lucian, but in reality, it was nothing more than outright opposition to the restoration of the kingdom.qk4S
T9ZTurning their heads to see who dared say such a thing, they were met with a familiar face.lYy
qb5PV‘Hermann Glauber!’7a20Fk
0pSNOKThe head of House Glauber, former ally of Count Calix when he opposed Lucian.Y5V
KRnpAAlthough 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.g3Bg3Du
qh9kjOThat was why he had even had to show his “sincerity” in the form of donations to Lucian. And even so, he dared to step forward again.2NeG
pxuiI‘After everything, the duke must already have him marked, and yet he opposes him so brazenly?’D4EgNe8
MMfqG‘He’s insane. Has he already decided to go completely to the extreme?’gyUZo
wWj1BThe house heads clicked their tongues in disbelief, but Hermann had his own reasons.QOILjqe
OS6NEven if he had to incur Lucian’s hatred, he had to stop the restoration of the Kingdom of the North at all costs.euer
cJnhd‘They already have me by the neck for that original sin. If he gains the status of king on top of that, it’s all over. There’d be no way to resist, no matter what I do.’5JAEQI
Qkuc9It was true that Lucian wielded absolute power as lord of the north, but that was still pressure based on military force.iTE7tAN
1MH7tIt wasn’t formal authority—it was simply crushing others through superior strength. He could intimidate indirectly, but not issue direct orders.9D8
Op6VHowever, if the Kingdom of the North were restored and Lucian ascended to the throne, the situation would change completely.d1vlfs
5Es9VpEven without showing military might, his orders would carry authority.4T9tv
KxSmlCEven if no martial power were involved, in principle, one would have to obey, and disobedience would automatically become a legitimate reason for subjugation.f2bhSk
1XRsKxm‘The moment he ascends to the throne, resisting his orders would mean instantly becoming an enemy of the north. It’s not the same to be disliked by a duke as by a king. He must be stopped here, at any cost.’yNY3wE
QSiGOf course, with these words he would earn even more of Lucian’s resentment, but Hermann thought that was preferable.Lo7
AypYou could still offer some resistance to a duke, however slight; to a king, you couldn’t.Ez9N1
njSsqJust as Hermann, now resolved, tightly shut his eyes in anticipation of Lucian’s wrath—BmoAey
nkuNK“Calling them fools is a bit much. They are merely sincerely concerned about the Empire’s future. Don’t view them so harshly.”eO4R8f
HGocbUp“…?”BRHrtV
NyCMV“Even so, you’ve pointed out the key point. A royal title is not something to be desired unless proposed first by His Highness the First Prince. I think so too.”rJ8
vH6sZcAt Lucian’s calm voice, the heads of the houses couldn’t hide their confusion.6nIU
Zi1NThere was no anger, not even annoyance, which made it impossible to guess his true feelings.0Xm5TyF
fEVQLucian looked around at the confused heads of the houses and then stood up.9ag8IV
fGf1fO“The farewell banquet has been ruined. We can’t part on good terms like this. We’ll hold another farewell banquet in three days. I’ll see you then.”Gysd
5QyJ***tVI8v
5mpL“I have no idea what His Excellency the Duke is thinking.”ftygI1N
HqC“Me neither. If only he would say it clearly…”z4l
Bu4GAs soon as Lucian left the banquet hall, the heads of the houses began to gather here and there to murmur among themselves.9C1N
rW0REU4Though they belonged to different factions, the topic of conversation was the same, “What are Lucian’s true intentions?”IU53
JUH“Does he truly disapprove of the restoration of the Kingdom of the North?”FtERlk3
q8Zopqp“If that were the case, would he have spoken so ambiguously? He must be interested in something.”MSPh
q4d“But if he’s interested, isn’t his reaction too lukewarm?”PkQ
7Je“He’s neither saying yes nor no. What a frustrating situation.”ZUPx6b6
eOFRmi1The heads of the houses were on the verge of despair. Even if they wanted to give the answer Lucian expected, how could they if they didn’t even know what it was?Cj55
0V3bwIronically, the one who most accurately grasped Lucian’s true intentions wasn’t any head of house, but a mere servant.odBfn
1Pk‘This wasn’t aimed at the heads of the houses—it was a message for me.’Csc
myrWDenis, who had been lurking around the hall to assess the situation in Asagrim, began to sweat coldly.8Syp1P
jcb8rHe had perfectly understood the message Lucian was sending him.NdNS
WDpw5jv‘Duke Lucian desires the restoration of the Kingdom of the North. But not through self-proclamation—only with perfect legitimacy, with the approval of His Highness the First Prince.’OENw2dW
EtgF1yLucian had deliberately mentioned “the approval of His Highness the First Prince.” And as expected, the opposing Hermann had immediately latched onto that point.WX4hv
7SNfrXIt was clear the entire scene had been staged deliberately—right in front of Denis.iFlZuRw
iPgI will not restore the Kingdom of the North while carrying this weakness. So go to the First Prince immediately and get a formal authorization.Ef52qM
EvQ9lQrFaced with such a difficult demand, Denis sighed deeply inside.DtkSRK7
q5e‘…There’s no choice but to speak with His Highness the First Prince.’sYmGvB4
3dHHaving completed his information gathering, Denis headed straight to the prison where the First Prince was held.Pb1n2T
aZPouvSince Lucian had already given instructions to the jailers and guards, no one tried to stop him.L6wZlJU
2RHQ5vxClaude, who was gnashing his teeth in the cell, brightened up when he saw Denis return and shouted,8cotH
qspB“Oh, you’re just in time! So, how’s the plan going?”i7nN
LEPZHearing the word plan, Denis’s eyebrows twitched. He had said it over and over—it was impossible. And yet he was still clinging to it?L2d
KSk4H“Your Highness the First Prince, as I have told you before, that plan is unfeasible. Please calm your anger and reconsider.”B6vB
9WK“…What? Are you telling me you’ve done nothing? That you weren’t carrying it out on your own?”uEw
k26npNY“Your Highness.”fPvGR
J8z9Z“There really isn’t a single person I can trust.”sNxQKJO
sbVClaude laughed bitterly and leaned his back against the wall.KKz
rf1RSeeing that attitude, as if he had given up completely, Denis’s eyes lit up.HQvTQG
Nk8vJThat 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.7mIrj
hrkrHQyPerhaps this was precisely the last opportunity to accept Lucian’s proposal.vOVFuSo
TLXn1I“Forgive me, Your Highness, but I have something to tell you.”Z7Ylwyn
SPR“What is it now?”Cx63Bn6
sc7u“It’s a proposal from the duke.”9aPXi
Tw8mRyAt Denis’s words, Claude frowned, but this time he didn’t erupt in fury like before.OLV
IRDws3ESeeing this, Denis felt hopeful and quickly explained the key point.hSfe2KS
ulYpXPWhen he finished, Claude looked at him with a blank expression.GRIe
q9n“So you’re asking me to authorize the restoration of the Kingdom of the North and grant the duke a royal title?”wZHB3NZ
H0g2las“Yes.”H0nTLQ
9VPZTlw“And if I do that, what does he say he’ll give me in return?”6nLx
7oO“…!”bhH1f4
UC115Denis nearly fell backward in shock. Instead of shouting angrily about a supposed threat, he calmly asked about the compensation!woCb7
ef84Moved by Claude’s growth, Denis bowed his head and replied immediately.vuPq
CZVtz“He didn’t specify clearly, but just by making Your Highness’s existence public, you will be treated according to your status.”ZBLjbPc
io3“You’re saying that once my existence is known, social pressure will force them to treat me properly?”lekz1
VSfj“Of course. The debt incurred from granting the royal title will be a separate matter. How Your Highness chooses to use that debt will be entirely up to you.”bF4NvG
m6LBt0S“Very well. Tell the duke this—I will approve the restoration of the Kingdom of the North and grant the royal title. In exchange, get me out of this damned prison.”Yx0j
Rugnkya“Yes!”Ls0dw5
w0TDenis’s voice rose involuntarily with excitement.FVtQiOr
Rxa5XDeep down, he had been disappointed in Claude, but now he saw that he didn’t entirely lack imperial qualities.Gwt
4WH1FQuick decision-making once he understood reality.MkQxqS
slIUsc‘If His Highness the First Prince continues to grow like this, perhaps he might even regain the initiative over Duke Lucian.’CT8WTMd
f2twThe Empire was not yet finished.57GQ
3sIWith that conviction, Denis made his way to Lucian with a light step, unaware of the burning gaze Claude was giving him from behind.GcUmw
Y6bc***oDm
AISui“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?”fx4J
3EyGx“Yes.”RmR6
56GA4c“…Good. Then, at the banquet to be held again in three days, we’ll have His Highness attend. Tell him that, for now, relocating his residence is difficult, so we ask for his understanding.”QDVwlS
wCMW5U“I will do so.”gn4b9D
vmpQXP0Lucian watched Denis leave after giving his report.4YIbq
30YiecHe seemed convinced everything had gone well, as a smile never left his face.aGGdn
8m5UaShortly after, when the door closed with a dry click, a hollow laugh escaped Lucian’s lips.AVn
NWaPfzg‘He says I’ll get what I want if I pay the right price?’sjecd
04mhCXpRidiculous. Even when his life was in danger from the Second Prince, he couldn’t keep a level head.VxfbS
0ViAXGSomeone like that would never truly accept a deal with a subordinate he believes should obey him unconditionally.K9ZHafr
COBW‘I can more or less guess what he’s thinking.’ubnm
cyiWENLucian recalled the “plan to execute Lucian” that Vincent had reported some time ago.iV3ef
NZ7It was a foolish plan, but Claude was precisely the kind of person who could try to carry it out regardless.qMtard
HYmhp2Denis, meanwhile, seemed incapable of imagining the First Prince could go to such extremes.5wi
P00kCbW“Better this way.”kJRyR0L
rN4From the beginning, Lucian never intended to keep the First Prince hidden indefinitely.vlqTj
rA7oqTo properly use that bundle of legitimacy, his existence first needed to be revealed.ugNk
cF8qaAIn the process, it wouldn’t hurt to show the world that the First Prince was under Lucian’s protection.OJ7o4
PrtqAnd while at it, he would make sure even the First Prince understood—TcxBshn
88VbWhat it means to have no power in times of chaos.FqAO3
XMfVWith a cold smile, Lucian gave an order to the servant at his side.0kJ4Oa
DW8mU“Summon all the vassals.”NA1
52gyIt will be the First Coming-of-Age Ceremony for the rightful heir of the Empire.SpvH1
68gYAnd it will be celebrated in grand style.q1T
efVAryQSo grand he’ll never forget it.UdQUi3T
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Fernando
Qi RefinementPlease release some chapters 🙏
Indra
VIP Mortal TranslatorTonight, I’ll be uploading chapters for all the series, and I’ll upload 5 chapters for this one. ^^
Fernando
Qi RefinementIt’s strange that this prince has absolutely no political tact.