Chapter 36
HFNrkyp“Hmm.”Q8ztP
IWWIn the lord’s office, Grand Duke Sigmund carefully reviewed the report in front of him.T9H4
RwckLucian and Tristan, who had recently returned, stood before him, waiting for him to speak.q0xH2
IVWZDAfter a moment, the grand duke placed the report on the desk with a light tap and turned his gaze to Tristan.tIdLAn
7zZ“Tristan.”LPFC61
VzRkpC“Yes, Father.”4SA
2JkpMju“You’ve always been quick to make decisions. When something needed cutting off, you never hesitated and acted decisively. But sometimes, determination turns into rashness.”TsOOda
j3h5“…”bUL
E8Aw6“I’ve always been concerned about your tendency to decide too quickly. You often choose not the best option, but the least bad one. And the least bad decision is not the same as the best one.”8i2Lr
uWnTristan’s face, slightly bowed, was now shadowed.L7aEsm
UDoJIt was practically a direct critique of how he had handled the situation this time.fUIS1
JoYThe grand duke watched him and added a few more words.YZCqTa
e6YYJWu“I won’t say that sacrificing a few for the sake of the whole is wrong. But sacrifice isn’t always the answer. Sometimes, set the scales of your heart aside and reflect. Not everything can be measured with a scale.”achXi3i
4QzkQ“I will take it deeply to heart.”aUNk7aA
tHxR9Nn“And now, Lucian.”qps
XCEk7FAs he finished, the grand duke’s gaze turned to Lucian.UpX
pAkuzAt the same time, his stern expression softened a little.PF5Ob7H
Sj99KI1“This time, you did a good job. You protected the territory, protected the people, and still didn’t cause any loss to the count’s house. I couldn’t ask for more.”MsWmnD
6Nbb“You’re very generous. I used quite a bit of the family’s resources, so at the very least, I had to get these results.”l0aE
ah3OgD4“What do a few gold coins matter? You’ve gained benefits several times greater than what you spent. At least for me, who supported you, there’s nothing to regret. Just that…”g2zkV1
6lRThe grand duke’s satisfied smile turned slightly bitter, as if there was a single dark spot in an almost perfect result.wMj
BPf“The fact that, even knowing about the mage, you didn’t try to conceal it a bit does bother me. Though I suppose you’re not well aware of the imperial family’s aversion to mages.”lYll6
lVLLucian was startled.4dO9
XoDXkx0At first, he thought it was just Tristan overreacting, but for even the grand duke to say something like that…bA8fQ
TFf‘Just how much does the imperial family hate black mages?’rRy
OVJpyZLucian knew that the imperial family didn’t look kindly on mages.hEIwkN
nczAfter the beginning of the era of chaos, mages began appearing one after another, and the imperial family responded with genuine rejection.Vc38
G4m8Kd1However, magic was too useful a power, and the imperial authority was no longer what it once was.ukO
4RRxUNIn the end, even though they hated them, the imperial family had no choice but to reluctantly acknowledge the existence of mages.biP
tNPV‘Even considering the chaos of the time, the acceptance process was too smooth. I thought they simply disliked them to some extent, but it seems much deeper than that?’uJXuFt
2gHwFor Lucian, who had never seen a real mage before the chaos, it was hard to understand.ORsjP
yWpnvThe only clear takeaway was that the imperial aversion to mages far exceeded what he had imagined.fgLEIF8
zwQFrom now on, it seemed necessary to keep that in mind—at least to some extent.AaL9
hsh94Z“In any case, since the outcome was good, it would be ridiculous to reproach you for something that didn’t even happen. I won’t say more. I only advise that, even if you don’t go to your brother’s extremes, try to hide mage-related matters a bit more.”aqJ5X
A1F“I’ll keep that in mind.”SQg
wXC“Good. You both must be tired. Go and rest well. I’ll handle the rest.”w5Rgns
k5SDEj3“Yes, Father.”0sdvc8P
c7AnThe two brothers bowed their heads and left the grand duke’s office.pjH
OupaZAs soon as the door closed, they looked at each other.cCEaHo1
78oz4KOn one face was a deep smile; on the other, a bitter sense of defeat.m3Vy
JDtlUlSoon after, both turned their backs at the same time and walked in opposite directions.6xz96ut
GfwvNo words were needed.znJMeA3
sn3To anyone watching, the victor and the defeated were clearly defined.BKPlMKI
SXLKGv***HBkjj
5JAtbEdwin let out a sigh as he looked at the secret message in his hand.JMgmAJM
dD6He had expected good news, but the contents he received were the complete opposite.TcbnzTb
FOAAx‘What will His Excellency say…?’yXNnRpo
X6T1uGrand Duke Sigmund was already quite burdened lately by a series of problems.wrqzY
mR9obIf he now confirmed the contents of this message, the accumulated irritation might explode all at once.VPUXA7d
kWrh“Grand Duke, it’s Edwin.”Wxo3XYK
FkmcaH“Come in.”GQ5b
zgSThe voice that came from the office was unusually cheerful.ZVxyF
xQ9dMThough he found it strange, Edwin opened the door and entered.30t2XAQ
svsIt wasn’t an illusion—a deep smile was indeed on the grand duke’s lips.rgg0K
RCZ“Has something good happened?”r44bWZi
MJGui“Read it.”MlX4MNm
LgK3Sigmund handed him a document.ze1
oFg8IEdwin scanned the contents quickly and opened his eyes wide.gFb9eRy
V7QCQ“The third young master really achieved such merits?”Dri2NKI
5v36q“Impressive, isn’t it? I always thought he had a silver tongue, but I never imagined he would handle all the negotiations so well.”JzIxIL
2OTKj“Even more impressive is the battle at the city of Grebe. Though it was a minor engagement, the direction of the combat was flawless.”iIa9
pulRnn“I didn’t know he had that kind of talent either. Seems innate. Of course, he’s still a rough gem and needs experience, but even so, it’s remarkable.”geN
dz6At the praise for Lucian, Edwin nodded.gIplg
aMExqIt wasn’t just because he was his son.NbhTM
KLOlAchieving such a smooth command on a first military outing indicated something far beyond mere talent.kI0pHS
XkC“On the other hand, for the eldest son, it must have been a considerable blow. According to this report, he nearly made a grave mistake.”oCREEb
oWFn1nF“Actually, that’s a good thing. To be honest, Tristan had been overly confident lately.”Gyo3N
TgjV4NcHe had already accumulated plenty of merits, enjoyed a good reputation, and compared to the second son who lacked support and the third who still had no proven capabilities, the evaluations around him were favorable.UGl
N1NWRiNMoreover, almost none of his previous decisions had been serious mistakes, so he was rarely reprimanded.w9bqar
kjta30As a result, he had grown increasingly authoritarian.783G
g5tOAdMaybe it wasn’t a problem now, but in the long run, it could become a fatal weakness.uVrytlB
66eR“Thanks to the third, he’s gotten a chance to look at himself. Whether he faces his mistakes and corrects them, or chooses to ignore and pretend they don’t exist, will be up to him.”vf7
0VM“I’m sure the firstborn will face his own errors. Even if he’s strayed a bit lately, he’s an intelligent person.”vDu6NU
AsQ“I hope so. By the way, what brings you here?”w4d9
kxhEdwin hesitated for a moment. The news he was about to deliver could crush the grand duke’s good mood in an instant.QRJy
1j5kD“…It’s a secret message from His Majesty the Emperor.”EeyaR
1T3“From the Emperor?”71OZdp
L9zT5gT“It’s not favorable content. It’s best if you see it for yourself.”sTYW
uiWEdwin handed over the message, already unsealed. Reading an imperial letter in advance was unthinkable for any other vassal, but Edwin was permitted to do so.Qxc
4tQAUnSigmund took the message and opened it casually.EiLMP
iRP“…Damn it.”svexjDp
B2NxuQpShortly after, he furrowed his face deeply and cursed. The message crumpled mercilessly in his hand.KVftpx
uNeuka“Bernhardt, that bastard, really has luck. They forgive him just for covering all military expenses to suppress an imminent rebellion? What a cheap price.”ZoiJT2E
gXn3kd“That’s no small matter. Kreppelt, which has risen up this time, holds outstanding national power even among the vassal states. He’ll have to fork out a sum that’ll leave him bent over, and his external influence will drop considerably.”0Ku4sd
RElv“But his political authority won’t suffer any damage. He’ll still strut around court with his head held high, saying whatever he wants. I never imagined His Majesty would accept a deal like that.”KFAZd8
bPGSigmund rubbed his forehead and dropped heavily into his chair.6PIk
0EfNkHe understood that, in the face of a rebellion, urgent support was needed.Ka9Juv
PLABKsABut even so, there were things that had to be cut at the root, even at great cost.UlJ
Ms4Xvy6Though he had served the emperor loyally for years, in moments like this, the grand duke felt deep frustration.ovPZrud
MIl676“Could it be that the succession issue is now part of all this? He still seems obsessed with the first prince.”YqP
FszBpl“He’s always said that, for the authority of the imperial family, the principle of primogeniture must be respected. He probably expected the marquis’s support.”nM2j8IN
MK3“Primogeniture, primogeniture…”wdl
nbPHV6IA bitter smile formed on the grand duke’s lips.jsyWf32
JsbLately, he even doubted whether that principle was truly being pushed for the sake of imperial authority.nLW
l4qqycWToo many incidents had already shown that the first prince was unfit to be emperor. And yet, insisting like this was absurd.8P8JF
YvP“Could it be he still can’t forget the late empress?”4BoUL
kAemF“…”ICg
FUirIJx“Calling it romantic would be excessive, considering the burden she carried. But maybe now even that’s been forgotten.”eJ5KzE
tpa2J8In the past, the emperor had been a sharp person, able to discern what was right.QdMRYdl
3VRV8His only flaw was his extreme aversion to bloodshed.frRR
cYpTENhAs a result, the empire had missed several chances to rise again.qhHcQ0
ztUotThis might have been the last.3bz0e
2V5And yet, he let it slip away.XdpBM
KsH2WtI‘Will there even be another chance while I’m still alive?’IYQyWnQ
jnLS0CA sigh escaped Sigmund’s lips. After a brief silence, Edwin spoke cautiously.BuT
PwiuRB“Your Excellency, I regret to say this, but there’s more.”hbW
Uk3“What else now?”4Y7
TBzWuJ“It’s not in the written message, but what the messenger conveyed. He said His Highness the first prince will personally participate in suppressing this rebellion. And that, if possible, they wish for one of the young masters to march with him…”P0M1g6K
N6svNDear god.PRDKr
ZicQFaced with the secret order he least wanted to hear, the grand duke ended up covering his face with both hands.apuTp
Qcxfi***fij
2kSubRlAfter completing the mission and returning to the family, Lucian’s position had completely changed compared to the past.1YHgT
g3NtGqHe had already been rising rapidly for some time, but now he had gained such solid authority that no one could shake it.lnf29T
kwj6BThe servants, already cautious in their behavior, bowed even more deeply, and the knights began seriously working to gain Lucian’s favor.5ga8c
8vEcg4As an added effect, the authority of Hans and Hugo, who were under his command, also rose.qVk06
vZc“The guys who used to look down on me now don’t even dare make eye contact. I feel like everything I’ve built up until now just popped like a balloon. Hahaha.”DGJovA
Rtgt5“Not everything will be good. Aren’t you getting requests or under-the-table favors?”ps9Bl
dtVY“Of course I am, but I’m turning them all down. If you start accepting what others offer lightly, sooner or later it leads to trouble, right?”Zn3jh5b
UmYr0“Good attitude.”Tm2SH
wTlykENTo Lucian’s surprise, Hans didn’t let power get to his head and handled the situation well.8SakzYs
VYo71lHe was someone naturally content with what he had, and he had already seen plenty of the dirty side of politics through his work.cbWywir
MXnqn9qFor Lucian, who had been worried about potential corruption, it was a relief.vuTy
ZOs7‘If he keeps growing like this, I can use him as a close collaborator even in the future.’KZpVhS
XN4e0IdEven if not at the level of Grand Duke Sigmund or Steward Edwin, having absolutely trustworthy allies was essential.CyCTxJ
WDnpzgTA ruler didn’t only need knights and administrators, but also a steward capable of handling the small internal issues.XL5q
7fnHugo, unlike Hans, didn’t pay much attention to the change in how people treated him—instead, he focused on training to regain his battlefield instincts.F7D
XMN9wtU“One day I’ll fight by your side, young master, so I don’t want to lose this feeling. The only thing I regret is that the sword style I learned is third-rate…”2y9r
SZLAF“There’s no other choice. The Lion Sword can only be learned after becoming a knight. For now, you’ll just have to use what you have.”XGYU0l
YvJoUnlike the Lionheart Sword, which only direct bloodline members could learn, the Lion Sword was open to other knights.AQi7
MTguStill, no matter how loyal one might be, if they weren’t a knight, they couldn’t learn it—so for now, Lucian couldn’t teach it to Hugo.Gxt42zy
E752hLucian found that a bit unfortunate as well, but if everything went as planned, it wouldn’t be long before the opportunity to knight Hugo presented itself.UFFbexx
EkaFor now, the priority was refining the sword style he already had.Fvzorj
cDX50MM‘And that applies to me as well.’xBmL
DIVoAfter walking through the family residence, Lucian immediately went to find Swordmaster Eisen.pDn
gbhlCTo step onto the battlefield that loomed ahead, he urgently needed training in the Lionheart Sword.QXD
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