Chapter 68
gXow“With what right do they say something like that?”A6T
htIA“It’s not like they have no right at all. The County of Calix was a family that, back in the days of the old northern kingdom, produced several generations of royal guards, and after the kingdom fell, they also married into House Grimaldi.”ySub
Nf7ltIn other words, even if indirectly, the blood of the ducal House Grimaldi also ran through the veins of House Calix.kyaTFQ
EZRuWbEAt the very least, they weren’t invoking the name of the ducal house out of nowhere. The problem was which of the two had the closer claim.5vMZ97D
UKmdjq“When was the last time House Grimaldi and House Calix were joined by marriage?”QmX0ZA4
3AQrpl“A hundred years ago. A daughter of the ducal house was sent to House Calix.”oktSPr
5gO4“A hundred years ago…”pKgpa
ph5fLucian muttered with a dry laugh.2aeFlz
FJHxz9It was already absurd for the bloodline to be so distant, but the fact that it had also been a whole century made it worse.lNJ
f8TYUnless Lucian had died and the entire direct line had become extinct, in the current situation, they had no authority whatsoever to invoke the name of House Grimaldi.Tm3wA
24eIt was like a distant eighth cousin suddenly showing up to claim an inheritance while the rightful grandchild was still alive.m0sSP3T
IYLm3h“Ridiculous. They should’ve at least asked my permission.”GDBd
nD2O0“You would have just made the excuse that you’re not someone from the north. In politics, this kind of wordplay isn’t rare. That doesn’t mean it isn’t brazen.”r6KlcNP
4jtA faint irritation crept into the Grand Duke’s calm voice. Only then did Lucian realize that this matter wasn’t only serious to his father, but to the imperial family as well.RPES
Gztaj“And what does His Majesty the Emperor say?”dsWZQ
ndr0“Naturally, he’s extremely displeased. He said this must be stopped before it grows worse. The problem is, right now, the imperial family doesn’t have the leeway to intervene.”6cF
d1m“Because of the suppression of the Krephelt rebellion?”1d2o
KMu9“That’s right. Even though we managed to end it with minimal losses, it’s still true that the previous attempt to subdue the rebellion failed. For the sake of the Empire’s prestige, it’s necessary to quickly reorganize the coalition and make them pay the price for their betrayal.”LWK3F
K62wPT6Having failed once, the Empire’s goal was to crush Krephelt completely by gathering all possible strength.7E2pBE
FpBpOf course, while they focused on that campaign, they couldn’t divert resources to intervene in the north.Bzqh8e
w0QA single misstep could further erode the already weakened imperial authority.lBL
SdBsfH“The bigger issue is House Calix. They talk about the glory of the north and such, but insist that this isn’t a rebellion against the imperial family. They’re acting extremely submissive. They say it’s all just a pretext to end the constant northern civil wars.”Lcas7T
I16Xkn“It’s completely unbelievable.”eiO0PK
ZzyDe“I agree. So does His Majesty. It’s probably just an excuse to avoid interference while they unify the north under their command. What’s annoying is that the timing is too perfect.”PhUSL2
FHe9AZBecause of the Krephelt rebellion, the imperial family couldn’t focus on the north.l5QK
25qzzgFurthermore, House Calix was acting with a degree of legitimacy and deliberately keeping a humble stance.HKUrox
7kyWvFIf too much suspicion was shown and pressure was applied, it might provoke not only House Calix but the entire north.SvB
UpQe0v“So you need me. If I go, as the closest person to House Grimaldi, I can crush their justification.”aNxcQI
0gRcN“Exactly. However…”MTYCGU
MirlUGrand Duke Sigmund hesitated for a moment and then looked at Lucian with a stern expression.XbOhL
ySIj2“The north has always been a region with a strong martial spirit and deep hostility toward outsiders. No matter how close your bloodline is, since you weren’t born or raised there, they won’t fully accept you.”m8K
9tXx7h“…”mnj7
N4S“Not only House Calix—even those who once revered House Grimaldi will test you. And none of those tests will be easy to overcome.”5irMDXT
MXcCjUpon hearing that, Lucian recalled his past life.06seDx6
upBPsAmong the mercenaries, there were sometimes men from the north who barely spoke to outsiders.fbwa6n
BXcNurJThey quietly did their jobs and left after receiving payment. Some praised them as stoic northern men, taciturn and dependable.VDfH
5VS5f‘What a huge misunderstanding.’BVZfEf
LMFLater, he learned that northerners weren’t especially quiet.sLvG9a
owBAzThey simply didn’t open their hearts to people they didn’t recognize. Once they accepted someone, they became overwhelmingly talkative and more than made up for it.wrxVShl
csGlI‘Those who praised them as stoic northerners were just revealing that they had never been accepted.’XwQe
aJWAs Lucian hid a bitter smile, the Grand Duke’s voice sounded again.WDDyl
RWPEECv“I’ll be frank. His Majesty wants you to go north and neutralize House Calix’s justification. He believes you can bring peace to the Empire.”9agE
zOX“That’s too much credit.”mx2e0Q
gG7M“Even so, I want to leave the decision in your hands. No matter how much His Majesty desires it, I don’t want to force you.”akIAQ
mje9There was a concern on Sigmund’s face that he couldn’t hide.My0
2BJWyDBHe wasn’t speaking as the Grand Duke of the Empire, but as a father worried for his son.zrPWUP
pSxVy“House Calix has undoubtedly stolen an inheritance that should’ve been yours. But that inheritance is vague, and you may never even need it. On the other hand, the north is a harsh and difficult land, with a very stubborn nature. And above all—”if9YPn
ACGsNS“In the north, not even the name of House Valdeck will hold weight.”YLCAp
LaOAqLucian added, beating him to it.7Wx
5jJHe knew exactly what his father was worried about.5ur
Qi9Wb“They’re people who’ve lived for generations confined to the north. Their connection to the imperial family is weak, so unless it’s the Emperor himself, they won’t welcome anyone easily.”556
BW3hJust as the Grand Duke had said, not even Lucian could avoid the trials of the north.7TEaTF
x9cy7awIn fact, knowing that he carried Grimaldi blood, they’d probably test him even more harshly—wanting to see if he was truly worthy of such noble blood.5fGD
LHLmzf‘And even if I pass those trials, I’ll only be at the starting line. After that, I’ll have to immediately confront House Calix and its supporters in a battle for legitimacy.’3V2TyH
ZqdaIn other words, he’d have to enter enemy territory and fight with virtually nothing to rely on.yemx
vUR0Even if it was just a county, if they had been rooted in the north since the days of the old kingdom, their influence would be comparable to that of a border marquis.8XRP
lYY7ZIn short, Lucian would have to fight a grueling battle with his bare hands.phvfZ
2uH“Even so, I want to go north.”SJ6NViY
Q0eB9“…Why? Knowing how difficult it will be, why go?”VP2GcD
LAyoz“Because they took something that should’ve been mine.”hFXIB
bhHDMztLucian looked straight into the Grand Duke’s eyes as he spoke.5wB
yZMNo hollow rituals of loyalty or formalities—just pure sincerity.PZNQn8B
Tra“That was mine. Even if I would’ve spent my whole life with it tucked away in a storeroom, it wasn’t anyone else’s. But they, without even asking permission or showing the slightest respect, took it out as they pleased and are now flaunting it as if it was always theirs.”lue
pfMha“….”vxPz
SvbjNZ“I want to ask you something, Father. Even if it’s meat he won’t eat, can someone who lets others steal his prey without a word still be called a lion?”ZMOYfd
2lRsrOThe name of House Grimaldi was undoubtedly an ambiguous inheritance.90AUO
SXbvUMaybe it could be used extremely well—or maybe Lucian would have gone his whole life without ever touching it.n10Z4I
fldd1But whatever the case, the legitimate right to use the name Grimaldi belonged to him.K6AbHx
r5pzsbHouse Calix knew all that, and still ignored Lucian and used it for their own gain.2G1TRh
EDthMn8“I’m not the kind of person who can just smile and let it go after seeing someone use what’s mine without permission.”Fm3UrC
jR3Pmsx“Hahaha!”RwnHZz
0fu68At Lucian’s direct response, the Grand Duke burst into laughter.Z3IGdyW
UR8V10After laughing heartily for a while, Sigmund stroked his beard with a satisfied smile.yUu7
QhB“Well said. We can’t let a thief who steals what’s not his and still walks with his head held high roam freely. Do as you wish.”zQ9f
apJ0A“Thank you.”Lv1atG9
qcz“When do you plan to head north? Not immediately, I assume?”NpC8vzp
2i3F2“I plan to leave within a week. I need time to prepare.”OuBTa49
l8KAc9g“Understood. But before you depart, attend a family meeting.”kttAU
Q2WUpon hearing those words, Lucian’s eyes widened.UO9Wu
JSYA family meeting was only called when there was something truly serious. What had happened?3mlp8es
NCMrCBAs if reading the question on his face, the Grand Duke answered right away.ancgU
hgnYpwX“His Majesty the Emperor wants to reorganize the allied army.”ltwRRP
gk4J“…!”Z6M
lVSG***T43KM
Jitqi2“…”jrCw
GwHgi“…”ObvMtE
BgpThe atmosphere of the family meeting was heavily oppressive.kjd
iBzOn previous occasions, at least there were silent tensions exchanged, but this time, there wasn’t even room for that; everyone had lost their composure.mB6GXB
JlwAmid the tense silence, the Grand Duke opened his mouth.oG9
iEsB“His Majesty the Emperor has ordered the reorganization of the allied army.”WX6iSJ
ZYnaWd“…!”O3iz5h
ulvNT“This time, he intends to completely crush the Krephelt rebellion. Naturally, I will also go on the campaign.”xUWDO9Z
KP2pORASince the Great Pact had been broken, there was no way to predict the enemy’s movements.Bof
xQRs7dEIt wasn’t a situation that could be left to a mere delegate; it made sense that the Grand Duke himself would take the lead.WcjM7
QhapRjWhat mattered was what would happen after his departure.fd2dObg
wJb5fQ8“Then, who do you plan to name as regent of the house while you’re on campaign?”SSAz3A
3x7vsVeronica, Tristan’s mother, asked, covering her flushed face with her fan.PgSj
QO4It was a difficult question to ask, but on a battlefield where the Great Pact was no longer respected, there was no guarantee that the Grand Duke would return alive.oPvuD
tMxX2kDepending on who was chosen as regent, that person could end up becoming the next Grand Duke.pQK
y6iZ“Before deciding the regent, there’s something I must say. In addition to myself, I plan to take one of my sons as an aide.”eUuacJ
9afI“…!?”jdBu
Iq5cMbd“This time, it’s not at the Emperor’s request—it’s my own. Is there anyone who wishes to volunteer?”mrR
kfjNqThe Grand Duke’s unexpected proposal left everyone with confused expressions.nPLne
1VcWLxIf the Great Pact had been broken, the danger of the battlefield would be far greater than before, and yet he was asking them to accompany him.zB0M
sxTIWhile everyone looked at each other warily, it was Julia, Jordi’s mother, who spoke carefully.fu0E
i0NPm“If the third son goes, like last time…”un0k
sYYBu0c“The third has matters to attend to in the north. He will not be able to accompany me.”w9YPYK
xF7“T-the north?”M4W
0Eh“An issue related to House Grimaldi. Recently, House Calix has been ignoring Lucian and acting as if they were the heirs of the Grimaldis.”qmdenbq
VUpt8When the Grand Duke explained the situation in detail, everyone’s expressions hardened.s8Jkvo
3zXpP3YA battlefield where the Great Pact would not be respected, the exact moment when Lucian couldn’t participate, and a request for a companion with unclear intentions.CZwoA7u
WhFood‘Could it be he wants to eliminate the other sons to clear the path for the third? Since his base is weak, if the others don’t recognize his succession, it could cause problems.’uMROrhq
Nwx3nrj‘No… that can’t be. Father isn’t the kind to plot something like that. But if he truly has already chosen the third as the next head…’fNI
FnGAs suspicion grew, the first to explode was Veronica.xiWq
2Sa6b3“This is too much, really!”fcBzQYt
tPk5f96Veronica harshly threw down the fan she always carried and stood up with a start.E3X0303
LbixlThe Grand Duke stared at her without blinking, even though she had lost her composure.qznN
YaX“What do you mean?”ZkbcUF
afh“The favoritism toward the third! Why is that child always excluded, without exception? Do you think that just because he already went once, including him again would be unfair?”PEvpr
apeK“Ha.”ZNr
BeE4KnBAt her words, the Grand Duke responded with a cold laugh.v0k2GUI
3Jb3pX“When an enemy of the Empire appears, leading troops and rallying under the imperial banner is the first duty of every feudal lord. Along with taxes, it is an obligation that must never be neglected. And yet you speak as if it were a punishment.”W6Hv
A2jSb“You are the feudal lord! Not our sons!”Z8V
KPDSne“And one of my sons will become the next lord. If, when that time comes, he hides in fear of the battlefield, do you think he has the right to inherit from me?”NHu2
z4u“…!”fXt
4yDVeronica, pale as paper, opened and closed her mouth without being able to respond.uA8Hsto
yK6Then, the Grand Duke sharply rebuked her.SxbOw
5kQV7IE“Remember this well. Whether or not the Great Pact is upheld, the obligations must be fulfilled. I have no intention of naming someone heir who cannot even carry out his basic duties.”QRpDtG
qqKeAt the Grand Duke’s firm declaration, Lucian nodded silently.0XVh
FS7From the beginning, a titled noble was absolutely required to fulfill two things the payment of taxes and military mobilization.we9ep
LtfYfRefusing to go to the battlefield using the broken pact as an excuse was nothing more than childish whining.X40
QxRBKWhen Veronica, speechless, hesitantly returned to her seat, the Grand Duke looked around and spoke.2pvMG
Beve“I’ll ask one last time. Is there no one who wishes to go to the battlefield alongside this father?”Is36Mo
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