Chapter 181
b2f18K7Despite Claude’s sudden change in attitude, Lucian was not surprised at all.n0REIS
JSe5Rather, with an impassive expression, he approached the kneeling Claude and placed both hands on his shoulders, as if to help him stand.FLq
H03uMt“For someone of your status, the First Prince, not only to kneel before a mere duke, but to even address me with honorifics, is a joke far too heavy for me. Please, stand up.”nWx
csK7Ap“No, it’s not a joke. It is practically a given that you have received the title of king, so how could I treat you lightly? According to protocol, a king and an imperial prince are on the same level, so please allow me to show you the proper respect, even if only now.”ul0gKsq
BF4DtJ“That is not necessary. Simply by existing, the First Prince is already fulfilling his role perfectly. Ah, by the way, Denis mentioned something to me recently about finding you a princess consort…”DVh2BC
NM7Sfg9“Please! I beg you, don’t do that!”mNBEe
DKVKThe moment the topic turned to a princess consort, Claude panicked and clung to Lucian’s leg.JDN9k
ot3XuHowever, Lucian frowned and knocked his hand away in one motion, clearly annoyed.iYAJveY
OQjSRyS“Don’t do it? First Prince, you have long been of marriageable age. You are already past the proper age for marriage, and yet you still intend to keep postponing it?”iP4h
Zp1Ecc“Just a little longer! Just a little more time, that’s all!”OHRUWa
vtT“No. As the legitimate heir, you have the obligation to leave behind a successor. You cannot evade it, so resign yourself.”LDKs8pv
vQmvo“H-huhh! Great King! Please, grant me one more chance!”LOLI5f
rT7K3Tears and mucus streamed endlessly down Claude’s terrified face.lbpKyNZ
SxZslWhen Lucian tried to pull his leg away, Claude crawled awkwardly and clutched his thigh tightly.mjmW
UF3Hi“E-even if I were to have a child right now, what use would that be to Your Majesty? He wouldn’t even be able to speak, and for years he wouldn’t even be able to control his bodily needs! Instead of that, use me!”qLQ
XZQ“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”lTDUyAZ
CHWj“I’ll personally write every edict you want! No, better yet, I’ll conduct the coronation myself! Wouldn’t it be the perfect scene for the legitimate heir of the Empire to place the crown!?”qzK4
8oJWvWTLucian silently observed Claude as he begged desperately.0LTTHme
qi5QtYqHe was trembling so much that the vibration was transmitted directly to Lucian’s thigh. In the end, Lucian sighed and spoke.HRjpgBZ
EDhFyd“I have no intention of killing you, so calm yourself. You may never set foot in the outside world again in your lifetime, but at least you will be able to live comfortably.”O11j
OmhMh“…!”96nk9eB
FTt“First Prince, you have betrayed my trust again and again. In my opinion, it is better to keep you locked up like this than to let you loose.”p7mU
QigJM“No, no! That’s not it! Believe me! Believe me just one more time!”dH2iUd
azNn“I trusted enough already. And I was betrayed enough.”cCLqeW2
t1qm“I’ll abdicate!”3uc7
RYVLucian, who had been trying to shake Claude off, froze in place.VgCT
l8CBNoticing his reaction, Claude shouted through tears and mucus.yrLm
pa0oSzk“If I ascend the throne, I’ll abdicate! There’s no need to use a newborn! Do you think a child will always grow according to their parents’ will? When they mature, they inevitably start thinking for themselves!”w7GLb
vjWR7At those words, Lucian nodded unconsciously.8hj
ZhmNL3Claude was surely repeating something he had heard somewhere, but the perfect example was Lucian himself.OvOi4f
tID7Despite the former emperor’s attempts to raise him properly, he had ended up becoming this trash.uD2
Twc‘Well, in the end, everyone is the same. Even if you raise someone from infancy in a controlled environment, you can’t dominate their thoughts.’RVQl
3lbeXuOEven when raised in abundance, a rebellious spirit emerges on its own.BPL
jCQ1No matter how much you try to shape it, with one slip it can head in the opposite direction.D3f
RliPerhaps the First Prince’s child, upon realizing his innate rights, would end up thinking.qzo3
nD7‘Eliminating the traitor Lucian and reclaiming my rightful rights will be the mission of my life.’vZjvp
VhrZRather than bearing such a risk, it might be better to use a First Prince who understood reality and crawled in abasement.QkZ
0VZvW“And what do you want in return?”bQa
4PHEWhen Lucian asked after a brief silence, Claude answered immediately.teU
K3B“Please, do not let noblewomen enter my bedroom.”4E4H8
8s5KJBmIt was a declaration that, as long as he lived, he would never have an heir.5oO
e3sixBTo others it might seem ridiculous, but Claude was truly desperate.3ux3
dg7B8The moment a successor was born, he would lose his advantage as “the only alternative.”xb3
faGQNot only Lucian, but the other lords as well would begin to take more interest in the heir’s growth than in Claude.4HnqFP
vyZKNdIn the worst case, once the child was deemed sufficiently mature, Claude might conveniently “die of illness.”DuP1
5JOawtjAt that plea, Lucian drew a mocking smile.9vsqRz
OvD0QPz“And how do you plan to distinguish a noblewoman?”oSem
i8TLGqS“…!”rl7tVo
etKy“The daughters of fallen families often lack proper education. On the other hand, a high-class prostitute, carefully trained, can have more bearing than a provincial noble young lady.”Rdww
MbXlc5In other words, if Lucian decided to deceive him, Claude would have no way to tell. Just as the terrified Claude was about to say something more, Lucian whispered to him.ADb
YOjhpX“So don’t feel secure. The moment you think there is no alternative but me, that you can do nothing to me, or that this is the time to return to a proper relationship between sovereign and vassal, the First Prince’s heir may appear out of nowhere.”DLu1ZQC
sFQin1r“Yes, yes! I’ll keep that firmly in mind! I’ll never forget it!”dVZ
y7C5IGAlthough it was practically a threat, Claude had no choice but to nod frantically.CVhRZB
qJSm5If it was Lucian, he really could make those words a reality at any moment.kb2fa
PPO6HbjAt Claude’s submissive response, Lucian showed a satisfied smile.R5XuPik
64BGoMP“Good. Then allow me to ask you just one thing, First Prince.”ZfArIiB
RrKscd“W-what thing?”qQoWGN
82ss“It’s nothing out of the ordinary.”uPpO7s
5CcdKLucian shrugged and said,0b6
uNvY“Draft the invitations for the lords.”qBYniz
76GLD3***tmg
ik5SAfter Eisen’s funeral, two months later, Lucian once again sent invitations to the lords of the north.yJjxxoZ
rfEX4This time, it was not a funeral, but an invitation to attend his coronation.4Fo
DyXThe lords, who had barely returned from Asagrim and already had to prepare to set out again, frowned. No matter how much it was Lucian, what kind of dog training was that?Whn
PilEMHJHowever, the moment they read the invitations, their annoyance turned into shock.sjXpLPB
Yj5C7V“The First Prince’s handwriting? You mean it wasn’t the duke, but the First Prince himself who personally wrote all these invitations?”jJqsr
8o76V9J“And they’re not just simple protocol greetings. Every sentence is written with care. Anyone would think it’s a letter sent to a close friend.”4TGr
4Hno7WNormally, invitations sent to many people have the same content, with only the recipient’s name changed, save for rare exceptions.nE7u4
XFsBut the First Prince’s invitations were different from all others. Each one had completely different content.rUmVzgy
wHhkPThe situation of each family’s lands, their family composition, recent topics that were being talked about—details that could only be known by investigating case by case.HoCz
OJJIFrom count houses to barons, all received different texts. Faced with such dedication, the lords could not help but click their tongues.027W
h6kXZ“It’s impossible that the First Prince wrote something like this of his own will. Was it pressure from the duke?”rSZQF
0NDIl5q“It can’t be. After going through that humiliation at the farewell banquet, has he already given up?”lrB2
3VIzLdUThe northern lords were stunned, but deep down they could not help admiring Lucian’s skill.mbSX1J
jnhWhatever the method, there was an abyssal difference between locking the First Prince in a room and using him as a mere seal, and bringing him onto the stage and making him speak the desired words.E4HYdpI
azjuvzBefore the eyes of the northern lords, who hurried back once more to Asagrim, Lucian held his coronation.LTJz
ZKrYgOYThe ceremony itself was simple to the point of seeming poor, as the formal coronation would be carried out after reclaiming the capital.No16r
20VsBut what mattered was not splendor, but who placed the crown.eNH
l2Io“I, Claude fin Bey Astria, legitimate heir of the Empire and First Prince, acting in the name of His Majesty the former emperor, bestow the royal title upon Duke Lucian.”D0bqF
O9weQ“I receive it with respect.”21WQ
u8IAfter accepting the crown from Claude’s hands, Lucian sat upon the throne.EOHP
oA695qWith the official declaration of the complete revival of the Northern Kingdom, emotions split everywhere.2vHf
gKKvAjThe return of the north’s former glory was a cause for joy, but at the same time it meant that they now had a new lord over their heads.kOzp
AHQBrOyThen, Claude, standing beside Lucian, spoke again.ZwUp
4b3M6“Furthermore, I, Claude, will establish Asagrim as my residence until Tibron is reclaimed and, as the representative of His Majesty the former emperor, will perform all imperial functions. The rewards and punishments decreed by my mouth will take effect immediately, and if they cannot be enforced at once, they will be carried out as soon as possible.”qW1
BbW6J“…!”HSmlxTF
h26gThe eyes of the northern lords shone.1dEIL
pT7utw1If that was true, didn’t it mean that even in this chaotic era they could receive new titles or territories?SWBpYF
irqaEIt was not an empty promise of future rewards after pacifying the Empire, but prizes granted on the spot.lQFef
LBvJIf they played their cards well, they could grow their families more than ever, even in the midst of chaos.57KBDD
AWiEBefore the opportunity fallen from the sky, the northern lords burst into cheers without exception.4ge
H0ntw“Long live the Northern Kingdom! Long live the First Prince!”eVl
siD“May the kingdom be eternal! May the Empire be immortal!”GbXToX
e18wFa3Before the avalanche of acclaim, Lucian showed a deep smile.W1cEAXp
evbnQ4aHe had obtained legitimacy, dominated the north, and given a clear incentive to the nobles under his command.jT50Jb
OQJHNbkNow only one thing remained to be done.DZftQ
TxTl“It will be time to advance.”K9Q
xYt2The moment had come to extend, beyond the north, the strength he had cultivated so far.GJDUkb
Lsmoc***rRLhuRF
vSIX3The potential of Asagrim was limitless.HNL
tRYuEven without leaving the north and focusing solely on internal administration, its growth would be enormous.tpqz
CzROHowever, for Lucian it was better to advance immediately than to waste time preparing.lGaUwF
BxEaTQ“If I take time to prepare, I also give time to the enemy. Unless the opponent is a puppet without progress, perfect preparation is nothing more than an illusion.”35aWkA
AAmWhat mattered was not how perfect his preparation was, but how much distance there was between him and his opponent.kCgIAA
SrmfgYbEven if his preparation was somewhat insufficient, if the enemy was not prepared at all, he could deliver the most devastating blow.ZvdkI
sPcIn Lucian’s eyes, now was precisely that moment.l3Pgn5w
IeCTua“First, I must advance quickly and establish a foothold outside the north, so that the others, feeling the threat, will not dare try to isolate the Northern Kingdom.”ohMuqxH
GkgEmowAlthough he had recently weakened the abnormal cold of the north using an artifact, the food situation was still bad.CRQ0zo
SWqThe mere fact that the cold had eased did not make abandoned agriculture prosper immediately.e97
r0qXaUntil the north could be self-sufficient, most food would continue to come from outside.VsBgZ
XhrjTherefore, it was necessary to establish an external base in advance, so that other factions could not block trade at will at a critical moment.5IP
To1YB“Well, as long as there’s distance, it will be vulnerable to external attacks for a while, but I can leave that to Tristan. Besides, that external base will also be a bridge to advance toward Valdeck.”fUH
epLbMLosing that bridge to Valdeck meant delaying even further the moment when Tristan could reclaim Valdeck.8XwSsE
DZ68Tristan knew that too, so if he were assigned to that external base, he would defend it at the cost of his life.Deox
VOiuYLucian would only have to charge the cost in blood to Tristan and then calmly appear to take over the already stabilized base.VbQNy
uW26After deciding on his plan, Lucian was about to summon his vassals.P92
oIseBut faster than he could expand outward, visitors arrived from outside the north.hyDM
NPlxb“…What? You say an envoy from the house of Marquis Roglan has arrived?”97n
MhjvFaced with that unexpected visit, Lucian blinked.3Mb
mt3D6ppWhy the hell had those people come all the way to this distant north?dNbww
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