Chapter 178
NB7J‘Shut up! How dare you…!’lhyW20
mnoqfwThe First Prince, Claude, who had barely managed to regain his composure after seeing Lucian’s smile, let out a furious scream.ouD
3gbrHowever, for some reason, no sound came out of his throat.OAHsFDQ
VY8KTIEven though his vocal cords vibrated so hard that his neck hurt, an absolute silence reigned around him.AN2j
rp0xDW“Hehe… it seems the First Prince is fatigued. He even struggles to speak.”Mxy
YieFA mocking voice reached Claude’s ears, startled by that strange phenomenon.R5dSj
BXMjTurning his head, he saw Marius, the man known as the court mage, smiling with clear intent.WiWRb
udkJdOnly then did Claude understand what had been done to him.JTVF
rN61WH‘Magic! This damn dark mage used magic!’wmeP
ju4It wasn’t that he couldn’t produce sound. His vocal cords were vibrating and the voice was there, but the sound had been blocked from reaching the ears of others.BL3n
62p6UFurious, Claude tried to grab Marius by the neck, but Hugo and Raymond immediately restrained him.Va5U
Z97d“Exactly. He can’t even hold himself up properly.”tofSco5
WnKESlj“We’d better move him right away. First Prince, please follow us.”2JPV
p8Gzt‘Let go of me, damn it! How dare you…! Ggh!’b1UG
ACP3As he struggled, Claude let out a silent scream and suddenly froze.8Ds
ly1eEcsHugo, pretending to help him walk, had pressed hard right below his ribs.Voc
JkYQ0WTaking advantage of the moment the attack stopped, the two of them quickly carried him inside.VonRS
FDqL“D-Duke…!”jEM5VL
IGUT2yHorrified, Denis was about to say something, but in that instant, Lucian’s gaze landed on him.YuLS
WNDBThat look, more powerful than dozens of words, made Denis close his mouth without a word.BuEquz2
BYNQcWThus ended that brief farce that made no one laugh.0JdY
305a1In the now-silent banquet hall, Lucian clapped his hands, as if to draw attention.xALwc
0mxYxt9Clap, clap.UmRr2
ZjHa“Well then. With the authorization of the First Prince, the Kingdom of the North has been restored. Truly a day of celebration.”VcD7u9
Oz2Rp“C-Congratulations! From now on, no one will be foolish enough to oppose His Highness’s ascension to the throne!”GZmbf
gZvHermann was the first to step forward and bow deeply. It was a desperate attempt to at least slightly atone for his earlier mistakes.SeN
U4RUfPlSeeing this, Lucian gave a slight smile.PLCtXS
n9oM“All thanks to you. Because you didn’t get swept up in the fervor of others and stayed true to principle, I was able to avoid making a fool of myself.”pPUn
BjbAt those words, cold sweat began running down Hermann’s back. At first glance, they sounded like praise, but the implication was unsettling.2XQ8Q
jKYThat thanks to Hermann, he hadn’t made a fool of himself?0vrlQP
AA7cmE‘In other words, doesn’t that mean he truly did want the Kingdom of the North restored, to the point of risking disgrace?’sdovxdF
1EiThat is, Hermann had directly opposed what Lucian truly desired.GGRH
dZ6yWhile Hermann trembled, thinking this might be a warning of an upcoming purge, Lucian continued.zREmhPe
WQy“From now on, if I ever take the wrong path, I want you by my side to correct me. Those who only say pleasant words are rewarded in this world, but the truly righteous are blessed by the eight gods of the heavens.”Q1q7
hq11Z2IHermann’s eyes widened. He might not grasp every nuance, but the core meaning was clear.KFe3ug9
YmvIo‘If from now on I follow his will, I’ll be rewarded. But if I keep getting in his way, he’ll personally send me to the afterlife.’I1T
vRD7JgOThe metaphor was so direct there was no room for misunderstanding.f6bBY7
YBEz4JBAnd it wasn’t just a message for Hermann, but a warning to the entire opposition faction.BXj
oFieUnderstanding Lucian’s intent, Hermann quickly bowed his head and exclaimed:0xTiQn8
dt2U“It is an unworthy honor to receive such words! Even if my back bends and my face is covered in age spots, I will never forget what you have told me today!”Dyo8zP
QVcK3Even if his back bent and he got senile spots.uGF1Fh
pDXAw2It was a way of saying he wanted to live a long life and wouldn’t do anything to provoke Lucian’s wrath.hvXQ
4XYiwWSatisfied with the response, Lucian nodded firmly and stood up.xuFkTM
rVwR8Q“An unexpected celebration has arisen, but turning a farewell banquet into a celebration party on a whim would be frivolous. Let us leave the festivities for later and make today, as originally planned, the final day to mourn Sir Eisen.”1tdB4e
LGDMd1At Lucian’s calm tone, the guests nodded, pretending to be composed.uSXeXK
amLwo1However, no matter how much they tried to appear calm, they couldn’t hide their pale faces.BsQMn7h
Pw4Because with what had happened that day, it had become perfectly clear who had taken the initiative in this era of chaos.7mtV
Mkskpt***L3s
CQ0LD0The host of the farewell banquet, Lucian, did not stay long in the hall.p9QXlj
usQ9He used the excuse that he was worried about the First Prince’s physical condition and needed to see him personally.FcnQNJ
YldEHAs soon as Lucian left the hall, a loud uproar erupted from one corner.iPxdbfb
HuZay1R“Ahahaha! Perfect! This turned out beautifully!”5oMdKV6
UM3w“Long live the Empire! Long live the First Prince!”i4S
Uu0Pn“And long live the newly reborn Kingdom of the North!”hqXDVxu
WjrxnDKThey were Lucian’s supporters, gathered around Lesta and Harald. From now on, they would be called the pro-king faction.O731sZp
nwreBzAs if they had completely forgotten that this was supposed to be an event to honor Sir Eisen one last time, the pro-king faction clinked glasses and even toasted.ZpeLVd
f16PSome nobles frowned at such frivolous behavior, but they didn’t dare say anything.ohUTpA
5QeGNow that the restoration of the kingdom was complete, the North was practically the exclusive domain of the pro-king faction.pCM
tlEnMThey were well aware of that, which is why they didn’t bother to keep up appearances and spoke freely.42lpyR8
lOaON“I never imagined the First Prince would come to Asagrim!”oVv
w2LrZ3f“I’m curious how he did it. Some secret magical artifact?”4ysuxA
EtLs“Who cares about the method! What matters is that we now have unlimited justification…!”r3O
Mo49s“Shhh, watch your mouth. You might lose the duke’s favor.”pnyT3
qm4“Oh, what a blunder. I suppose I got carried away by the excitement.”iBR5
8ibp1tThere was a brief stir over that slip, but even then, the smiles didn’t fade from their faces.7RheuMT
1bNfYDLucian already stood above other ambitious men in terms of military legitimacy for having supported the First Prince.wStSB
QX7And now he had gone even further—he had laid hands directly on the very seal of justification: the First Prince himself.EpDE
Hjsq4Any noble who had declared support for the First Prince had, without exception, fallen into Lucian’s grasp.VUw
9lJCYFrom the moment Lucian issued orders in the name of the First Prince, they would have no choice but to obey.kqDaba
4V7H“I’d love to see the faces of those who claimed to support the First Prince.”VGi
RA6x0s“They probably said it without thinking, assuming he’d stay locked up in the capital.”A26vbH
i5C9“Isn’t that a bit cruel? There must be at least one true loyalist.”Bsv
08O“And isn’t that better? True loyalists will follow the First Prince’s orders without question.”opgQMq4
gwqzj4“That’s true too. Ahahaha!”RZ4XyI
4V3NKClang!etYg4f
W342XaWith that metallic sound, the pro-king faction toasted again.g67qi
28sP9iHarald and Lesta slightly frowned at how excessive their allies were being, but they didn’t stop them.izFD
REdwIf they forced them to shut up, they would just gather in private and possibly say even more dangerous things.vHLE
vIEk‘Better to let them speak a little in front of us and rein them in if they go too far.’diZS5
1376‘Yes, that’s best. If we stop them now, they won’t be able to hold it in.’FcItk8D
REG1MY‘Once they’ve vented enough, we can just ask them to keep quiet.’db1
v2d‘These types who can’t see the bigger picture are exhausting. The grand cause is still far off.’Zb4iGuj
xEjxBoth sighed deeply, though in truth their own hearts were also racing with excitement.xjtcN6s
dnkHZucNot only had they restored the Kingdom of the North, but they also had the First Prince under their control.gls36v
O9LIf it was Lucian, he wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by and would soon begin extending his influence beyond the North.J9lbfO2
RFAQoMany ambitious figures who thought they still had plenty of time would panic at the sudden appearance of a “king.”jeNp
vvyCJust imagining it sent a thrilling shiver down their spines.4p2NcZW
SV9FnBvThe North, which had never been the central stage since the founding of the Empire, was now about to become the force pulling the strings of the entire Empire.pCJ55
jxA“……”GWg5
CeBNx0S“……”Rt0FVb
3d5CUnlike the noisy pro-king faction, those who had opposed Lucian were sunk in deep depression.LxvbzD
Nnh8hLucian, already known as the King of the North, had now officially received a royal title and ascended the throne.Bqktd
zSrErIt was no longer just about pressure—he now stood in a position to issue direct orders.5aK7g35
aT0It was disheartening, but there was no solution. With Lucian controlling the First Prince, stopping the restoration of the kingdom through legitimate means was impossible.waIB
dIT“I… I’ll go rest.”hY0d0
Ofg8t“Me too. I’m not feeling well.”0Wi
zGs“Then, let’s meet again later.”0Wm7xu
oF6They avoided prolonging the conversation and dispersed.vEtaCo
2ThtThere was no reason to form factions and oppose the pro-king faction now that the kingdom had been restored. Factions only exist when there’s mutual benefit.0C25K
ipmTCBetter to dissolve now than provoke Lucian’s wrath.JzvgaLJ
OJU6qySThis was, effectively, the moment when the forces opposing Lucian disappeared entirely.QXVn
cmSA3Id‘He didn’t just restore the Kingdom of the North—he also has the First Prince in his hands…!’HKWJtaj
vNxUyQs‘Am I dreaming? Is this even possible?’gKT1
QCUfOmNThere’s no time to lose. I must return immediately and report to my lord!iHuqC
fus8The visiting nobles, present only as mourners, rushed out of the hall while trying to calm their trembling bodies.OJk
g1bSqLlWith the restoration of the Kingdom of the North now a reality, control over this chaotic era had practically fallen into Lucian’s hands.aHoM
ITg1Fd1They had to return as quickly as possible and prepare countermeasures with their lords.E3K7xP0
ZskNWhile the external visitors hurried to organize their return, Tristan was desperately searching for Lucian.yZp
hGQI‘How did this happen how could this happen…?’yMYCX
GLS2lHe felt like all the blood had drained from his body. No matter how capable Lucian was, Tristan believed he didn’t have the ability to govern the Duchy of Valdeck directly.ymiaxX
kYTOpThe distance was great, and fully securing the North would still take time.h9gpO3
TtB0But Lucian had ascended the throne, unified the North, and obtained limitless justification through the First Prince. He wouldn’t just stabilize the North—he could now extend his influence immediately to the duchy.qG6
DffFor Tristan, who believed Lucian would never discard him, this was madness.k41SF4
Ub4KiT2‘If things go on like this, I’ll stop being useful to Lucian. In the worst case, I could disappear here without anyone even noticing. If he governs the duchy directly, I’m nothing but a hindrance.’4CT1w
xVN36Tristan’s mouth went dry from tension.mVLU
228SMThis was no longer just about being discarded.WyTip6g
pl8KHe now had to worry about being seen as a rival—and losing his life.UqCh
QGnHJz9At the very least, he had to see Lucian before a decision was made without his knowledge.us6kYcm
IZh2lnOBut just as Tristan neared the study, someone blocked his path.2MA8lm
9ReV“Well, long time no see. Do you remember me?”QtGSKV
Azverj“…Sir Hugo.”bsMz
ID97crRecognizing Hugo’s face, Tristan frowned.7arvJM
Y8seWJVA nobody from the slums who had followed Lucian in Bornholm.F8ujG
CcARLFSo mediocre he hadn’t even been a knight; Tristan had never paid him any attention.wMsalxI
v9GFNAnd now not only was he a knight, he was one of Lucian’s closest men, looking down on him from above.IMFvnl
PoGdaFLTristan clenched his fist in humiliation and glared at him.4t4xE
j8pSDH“I don’t know what business you have, but if it’s not urgent, move aside. I need to see the Duke.”YJU4m
p7t“Oh, come now. Let’s not pretend. You know exactly why I’m here.”7lDEl
1p2dAd“And what is it I supposedly know?”UEi3x6
6QGWqK“That the young lord’s usefulness has run out. It’s time to leave.”jm3
GP4Seeing Hugo’s smug grin, Tristan’s heart sank. He had known he might be eliminated, but he hadn’t expected the decision to come so quickly.zvRBlLp
cKi4“Did the Duke… really give that order?”ZcDf
Elv“No, just kidding.”NeTWwDi
LOG9F“……”Ni4p0nn
kuxeFIThe veins on Tristan’s forehead bulged.7RIWg
4ZdbSEven if their positions had reversed, he never imagined he’d be humiliated like this by some guy from the slums.7sM
wJOThlA“……You bast—”gLcP
U0N“He said to get ready. We’ll soon be taking possession of the duchy.”GJ0HILu
sRVkWi“…!?”1YqaFF
GVZSbUZTristan froze, just as he was about to shout. The news was so shocking he couldn’t tell whether it was a cruel joke or the truth.UPk
kANzSeeing his bewildered expression, Hugo continued in a serious tone.iGGU
HbgV2“This time, it’s not a joke.”OjC
aGEUnJGFrom earlier, any trace of a smile had disappeared from Hugo’s face.MKgCNy
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!