Chapter 68

“With what right do they say something like that?”

“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.”

In other words, even if indirectly, the blood of the ducal House Grimaldi also ran through the veins of House Calix.

At 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.

“When was the last time House Grimaldi and House Calix were joined by marriage?”

“A hundred years ago. A daughter of the ducal house was sent to House Calix.”

“A hundred years ago…”

Lucian muttered with a dry laugh.

It was already absurd for the bloodline to be so distant, but the fact that it had also been a whole century made it worse.

Unless 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.

It was like a distant eighth cousin suddenly showing up to claim an inheritance while the rightful grandchild was still alive.

“Ridiculous. They should’ve at least asked my permission.”

“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.”

A 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.

“And what does His Majesty the Emperor say?”

“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.”

“Because of the suppression of the Krephelt rebellion?”

“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.”

Having failed once, the Empire’s goal was to crush Krephelt completely by gathering all possible strength.

Of course, while they focused on that campaign, they couldn’t divert resources to intervene in the north.

A single misstep could further erode the already weakened imperial authority.

“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.”

“It’s completely unbelievable.”

“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.”

Because of the Krephelt rebellion, the imperial family couldn’t focus on the north.

Furthermore, House Calix was acting with a degree of legitimacy and deliberately keeping a humble stance.

If too much suspicion was shown and pressure was applied, it might provoke not only House Calix but the entire north.

“So you need me. If I go, as the closest person to House Grimaldi, I can crush their justification.”

“Exactly. However…”

Grand Duke Sigmund hesitated for a moment and then looked at Lucian with a stern expression.

“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.”

“…”

“Not only House Calix—even those who once revered House Grimaldi will test you. And none of those tests will be easy to overcome.”

Upon hearing that, Lucian recalled his past life.

Among the mercenaries, there were sometimes men from the north who barely spoke to outsiders.

They quietly did their jobs and left after receiving payment. Some praised them as stoic northern men, taciturn and dependable.

‘What a huge misunderstanding.’

Later, he learned that northerners weren’t especially quiet.

They 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.

‘Those who praised them as stoic northerners were just revealing that they had never been accepted.’

As Lucian hid a bitter smile, the Grand Duke’s voice sounded again.

“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.”

“That’s too much credit.”

“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.”

There was a concern on Sigmund’s face that he couldn’t hide.

He wasn’t speaking as the Grand Duke of the Empire, but as a father worried for his son.

“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—”

“In the north, not even the name of House Valdeck will hold weight.”

Lucian added, beating him to it.

He knew exactly what his father was worried about.

“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.”

Just as the Grand Duke had said, not even Lucian could avoid the trials of the north.

In 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.

‘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.’

In other words, he’d have to enter enemy territory and fight with virtually nothing to rely on.

Even 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.

In short, Lucian would have to fight a grueling battle with his bare hands.

“Even so, I want to go north.”

“…Why? Knowing how difficult it will be, why go?”

“Because they took something that should’ve been mine.”

Lucian looked straight into the Grand Duke’s eyes as he spoke.

No hollow rituals of loyalty or formalities—just pure sincerity.

“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.”

“….”

“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?”

The name of House Grimaldi was undoubtedly an ambiguous inheritance.

Maybe it could be used extremely well—or maybe Lucian would have gone his whole life without ever touching it.

But whatever the case, the legitimate right to use the name Grimaldi belonged to him.

House Calix knew all that, and still ignored Lucian and used it for their own gain.

“I’m not the kind of person who can just smile and let it go after seeing someone use what’s mine without permission.”

“Hahaha!”

At Lucian’s direct response, the Grand Duke burst into laughter.

After laughing heartily for a while, Sigmund stroked his beard with a satisfied smile.

“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.”

“Thank you.”

“When do you plan to head north? Not immediately, I assume?”

“I plan to leave within a week. I need time to prepare.”

“Understood. But before you depart, attend a family meeting.”

Upon hearing those words, Lucian’s eyes widened.

A family meeting was only called when there was something truly serious. What had happened?

As if reading the question on his face, the Grand Duke answered right away.

“His Majesty the Emperor wants to reorganize the allied army.”

“…!”

***

“…”

“…”

The atmosphere of the family meeting was heavily oppressive.

On previous occasions, at least there were silent tensions exchanged, but this time, there wasn’t even room for that; everyone had lost their composure.

Amid the tense silence, the Grand Duke opened his mouth.

“His Majesty the Emperor has ordered the reorganization of the allied army.”

“…!”

“This time, he intends to completely crush the Krephelt rebellion. Naturally, I will also go on the campaign.”

Since the Great Pact had been broken, there was no way to predict the enemy’s movements.

It wasn’t a situation that could be left to a mere delegate; it made sense that the Grand Duke himself would take the lead.

What mattered was what would happen after his departure.

“Then, who do you plan to name as regent of the house while you’re on campaign?”

Veronica, Tristan’s mother, asked, covering her flushed face with her fan.

It 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.

Depending on who was chosen as regent, that person could end up becoming the next Grand Duke.

“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.”

“…!?”

“This time, it’s not at the Emperor’s request—it’s my own. Is there anyone who wishes to volunteer?”

The Grand Duke’s unexpected proposal left everyone with confused expressions.

If 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.

While everyone looked at each other warily, it was Julia, Jordi’s mother, who spoke carefully.

“If the third son goes, like last time…”

“The third has matters to attend to in the north. He will not be able to accompany me.”

“T-the north?”

“An issue related to House Grimaldi. Recently, House Calix has been ignoring Lucian and acting as if they were the heirs of the Grimaldis.”

When the Grand Duke explained the situation in detail, everyone’s expressions hardened.

A 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.

‘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.’

‘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…’

As suspicion grew, the first to explode was Veronica.

“This is too much, really!”

Veronica harshly threw down the fan she always carried and stood up with a start.

The Grand Duke stared at her without blinking, even though she had lost her composure.

“What do you mean?”

“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?”

“Ha.”

At her words, the Grand Duke responded with a cold laugh.

“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.”

“You are the feudal lord! Not our sons!”

“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?”

“…!”

Veronica, pale as paper, opened and closed her mouth without being able to respond.

Then, the Grand Duke sharply rebuked her.

“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.”

At the Grand Duke’s firm declaration, Lucian nodded silently.

From the beginning, a titled noble was absolutely required to fulfill two things the payment of taxes and military mobilization.

Refusing to go to the battlefield using the broken pact as an excuse was nothing more than childish whining.

When Veronica, speechless, hesitantly returned to her seat, the Grand Duke looked around and spoke.

“I’ll ask one last time. Is there no one who wishes to go to the battlefield alongside this father?”