Chapter 72
yMV“First of all, wouldn’t it be better to treat your wounds? From what I can see, you look pretty hurt.”KyK
b8jLucian’s gaze turned to the numerous slashing wounds covering the upper half of Harald’s body.Y33r7
Hv4There were no serious injuries, but there were so many small wounds that leaving them untreated didn’t seem like a good idea.COMx
2HGC17O“I’d like to say a bit of spit would do, but this is no time for boasting. Before causing more trouble for others, I’d better apply at least a little medicine.”n1g
Mu8qYE“Instead of spit, use this. The effect will be much better.”SG3t7
idMl3DWhen Lucian pulled out a red potion, Harald flinched in surprise.jblB
vi8hEy“Huh? A potion? Something that valuable?”UomI
Lsla4Faced with a more exaggerated reaction than expected, Lucian was left speechless.xSmNhT
raYISure, potions were expensive, but not to the point that a baron would react like that.uvQ0o
GlgA“Heh, are you that surprised by a potion? It’s not something so rare.”qzOO7q
l6DIVWhile Harald examined the potion curiously, Torik interrupted the conversation.nbXsLaq
7V9In his eyes was the same mocking look a city dweller gives a peasant.fPwrGpX
aar3kF“It might be a bit pricey, but for a baron it’s something anyone can buy. And yet my father reacts like that… Kugh!”yw6
yfeYeSmack!CIpR
oogj3b“Shut your mouth! Who do you think you are to be rambling like that as a prisoner?”bQM
AUGhmIhA groan escaped Torik’s lips after the slap.S8pBCI
pAErThe blow was so hard the sound of skin splitting could be heard.uYG1
A8e“And even if they’re easy to get in other regions, what does that matter? Even a drop of plain water is worth a fortune in the desert, and a piece of bread is a feast for someone who hasn’t eaten in three days…”SsC
YTIqVjOHarald cut himself off mid-reprimand and shook his head. There was a trace of bitterness in his expression, as if he thought it wasn’t worth trying to teach anything anymore.NUVKD8
NFaWEspecially when Torik didn’t seem to be listening anyway.hhSA
p9pMug“Sorry. That was embarrassing.”BVy
649“It’s fine. Tend to your wounds first.”oJPj5qX
ivru“Then I won’t hold back.”eZT395g
x1fHarald carefully opened the vial and applied the potion to every corner of his wounds.Z4yz
wpSaPiqWatching that massive man take care not to waste a single drop almost made Lucian burst out laughing.e2TbaU
Cjm‘I thought he’d just splash it on, but he’s acting like a nervous bride. I guess it really is that precious.’V8I
bfHwse“Hmm, it worked wonders. I’ll repay you for this later, without fail.”k86KY
fB5Harald shook the bottle several times, as if trying to squeeze out every last drop, and only then handed it back to Lucian.16u2U
fH9iAfter putting away the vial and confirming the potion was taking effect, Lucian spoke.UuqAu
uwg“And now, what do you plan to do?”Qjc
niXHe“My territory is not far from here. Let’s go there. With all this commotion, I won’t be able to give you a proper welcome, but at least I won’t fail to host you decently.”1X9cOp7
qIrw“Are you sure? There might be accomplices to the rebellion.”fLK
qEuJIC“Even if there were, by now it would all be settled.”GEUzU
TQJQJThe vague answer made Lucian tilt his head in doubt, but he decided not to ask more.4joQ2pV
jApCIf someone who had ruled his territory for so many years spoke with that much confidence, he must have had some basis.iwUjzw
0mI***isct
f0DAfter walking for half a day, the territory Harald had mentioned appeared. Although it wasn’t very large, the walls built around it were as solid as Kelheim’s.alN
wch3e“It’s an impressive fortress. It looks capable of withstanding even a great war.”lF0U3C0
kKkf“Spare me the empty compliments. I know better than anyone that it’s a fortress disproportionate to my rank.”ChlZE
x2pKcm“…”pzMlu
LMfnYLucian closed his mouth, unable to refute it. Indeed, the castle seemed too elaborate for the size of the territory.uJhF
PGFxUnless it belonged to a high-ranking noble with abundant resources or a border region that needed to prepare for emergencies, building something like that in a simple barony was, honestly, a waste.UdJ
ixF“Well, we had our reasons. I’ll explain when we’re inside.”L24K38
v5I“All right.”zT5nqn
FbtkjCAs the group approached the castle gate, they could make out rounded shapes hanging from the walls. A moment later, Torik’s eyes widened when he realized they were human heads.ZW9iSr
DGV2lh“H-how is this possible…?”UqlnL
ZkDiVbX“I figured. They really are a bunch of fools.”zmG
QUmVIgnoring Torik’s babbling, Harald clicked his tongue.kFK0KO5
E3LJudging by the situation, the heads belonged to Torik’s co-conspirators.5yuXDgY
KFVT“What did you expect? Did you really think those guys would take the castle and come to rescue you? Did you think that little of northern men?”sVZQt
eyyJRk“…”ptxiXd
bNHajGnTorik didn’t answer and lowered his head, eyes dim. Clearly, they had been his last hope.j4l
9qQkhLCWhen they finally reached the castle gate—f7w0RTD
Y7Dr“Halt! Who are you—B-barón!?”INvBcHV
S7VceT“Yes, it’s me. I brought the traitors, so open the gate.”xrZa
pEC“Y-yes! What are you doing!? Open it at once!”vm6Wk2w
hGzRrum!HhmB7
HRUThe guards opened the gate without asking Lucian’s group a single question.7Fq0Nwl
NooWhen Harald entered at the front, those who recognized him erupted in cries of astonishment from all directions.EPjERm
8M80fV7“Barón!? It’s the barón!”iJiYK
Hgf1tJy“The lord has returned!”StKX8
ckuSW5XThe townspeople crowded en masse around Harald. Seeing the bloodstained tools they held, Lucian’s group tensed, but no one tried to stop them.vTjo6m
EBf69On the contrary, Harald stopped the group from drawing their swords and allowed the townspeople to approach freely.lvQ
C8Se“My lord, are you safe!?”eCTnb
82f“Can’t you see? I, Harald, am not someone who would die here.”shQhW
aJFs“Come quickly! You must treat those wounds immediately!”9bkkXdF
Ih30gpn“I already used medicine everywhere, so don’t worry. Besides, it worked wonderfully.”NTBveQu
rtaHarald responded to the townspeople one by one, laughing heartily.uSdIZLP
1wqNFaced with such a strange scene, Lucian was speechless. It seemed more like the return of a respected tribal chief than a feudal lord.VA4
MYx‘By imperial law, it wouldn’t be strange for anyone approaching a noble without reason to be executed on the spot…’FD7y0
AlBqBB2“Surprised? In the north, scenes like this aren’t so rare.”nCM
tpei3ERaymond whispered with a smile to the group, who were still frozen in shock. Hearing him, Felicia, still in disbelief, spoke with difficulty.Jpq806z
UHaGP“W-what is this? No matter how you look at it… a commoner… not even a knight… treating a noble like this…”0QzRo
c2cmDn“It’s because of how harsh the north is. This damn cold, the constant civil wars, and even the monsters lurking in the snowy mountains. Here, if everyone doesn’t band together, survival is impossible—so the townsfolk have no choice but to take up arms.”J2gYa
nXI5Kl“I see. So practically all the townspeople are like a semi-permanent army.”Lgvtk2w
7qDY1m“Exactly. With the difference that they don’t get any special pay.”ZknQO
ujHCKOne of the pillars of a lord’s absolute authority is protecting the safety of their people.XNB
1H1pvIn other words, if the people pay the price with their own blood, that authority is no longer so absolute.wwCcski
STO7If the lord had abandoned his duties out of cowardice, he would have been overthrown long ago.c6ls
kYrUBut here, even lacking resources, the lord still fulfilled his responsibilities and only called upon the people’s help when absolutely necessary.RTS1H
BxJIn that way, the people understood the burden the lord carried, and the lord understood the hardships of the people.ViE
tOoJowu‘And that’s where this relationship comes from?’sEw
KKTpBXgIt was somewhat ironic. In the comfortable inland regions, the inhabitants were ruled with ironclad laws, while in the harsh north, such a close and barrier-free relationship existed.sbF
9aAAfter chatting for a while with the concerned townspeople, Baron Harald spoke in a serious tone.Mq4a
H95tImL“The rebellion has been quelled. It was a crisis, but thanks to these distinguished guests, we somehow overcame it. I’d like to take them to the castle and treat them as they deserve, but…”nqaXf
srNwStt“Uh… well…”GNLC5jp
xYG7rFAt the baron’s words, the townspeople looked at each other with awkward expressions. Noticing the strange atmosphere, Harald frowned.hUtJU
sBKO“What happened at the lord’s residence?”gfiplQ9
hOqPGI“W-well, the rebels barricaded themselves there, and during the suppression… it got a bit damaged.”rzC9R
ru0AE“The bodies have mostly been removed, but the blood is still there, and the smell is kind of…”69vJa9
IznaR“I see…”oSTspl
mKq11Harald brought a hand to his forehead, as if he had a headache.4razTdp
KUx2kPerhaps if it were only some damage, it could be overlooked, but receiving guests in a place where not even the bloodstains had been cleaned would be disrespectful.GYL4
a48kCa“There’s no helping it. Would you mind if I invited you somewhere else?”g76SN
KASBks“Where, if not the lord’s residence?”4Xey
eNMAt Lucian’s question, Harald smiled broadly.Tcke
bCZfj“To a place where the liquor is excellent.”uDRnG
Q52***UMR
KbT“Kheeer! This is amazing!”fFK9f
rAVswaThud.RcYrM4r
7feMHarald slammed the enormous beer mug down on the table and wiped his lips.0dnBXi
3qVIt was behavior that not only lacked decorum, but seemed to have thrown noble dignity entirely out the window.UcSU7BF
h4RNoticing Lucian’s group falling silent, Harald gave a lopsided smile.jqvaas
3xC“What’s wrong? Too undignified for a noble?”gmp0dr
d5Zq“If I’m honest, yes.”OpFwBd
mRlqIy“Hmm.”F4UgN4
In5LAt Lucian’s blunt answer, Harald closed his mouth. He didn’t say it out loud, but he seemed slightly disappointed. After a moment, Lucian smiled and added.larB8B
LfhrKfj“But that’s exactly why I like it. Dignity is something to be displayed where it belongs. Trying to show off ranks in an inn just makes everyone uncomfortable.”r8hm
SrADf0z“Oh, you sure know how to talk.”LVq3Df
XmTHarald clicked his tongue at Lucian’s eloquence.0oDN
Oa3As he said, he and Lucian had rented out the entire second floor of a common inn.x9Ix
p1GHTo many nobles, it would be an uncomfortable and dirty place, but to Lucian, it was simply familiar—even nostalgic.XUB
JcfNoticing that Lucian’s words weren’t mere flattery, a smile returned to Harald’s face.gBGyJr
sAVD“All right, young master Lucian. You said you came to reclaim the name of Grimaldi and punish the house of Count Calix. Do you have a plan?”S8qp
oKzHYJn“Not yet. I don’t know the current situation in the north, so I decided to observe first and judge later.”OykxbHK
ms7pE“Reckless. But also the right move. Without knowing the north, any plan you bring likely won’t work.”q87
ODF“First of all, I’d like to hear about my maternal grandfather. He died when I was very young, so I never got to see him.”9as2mn
BWQmV“What was Duke Klaus like…?”0WZXfvW
pl9jn9As if remembering old times, Harald stared off into the distance.x1OH
tQf“He was a true son of the north.”HfL17
DER“So he was a warrior, like you?”PTCsB1D
iGd88Z“No, not at all. He was the opposite—an utter weakling.”rCj3
EltABA“…What?”ru2ao3
eg7hSUThe completely unexpected answer made Lucian ask without thinking. With someone like Harald, he had assumed he would only respect a born warrior.x6eX
RN2s“He was as skinny as a stick, without a trace of muscle. He often fainted during training and was constantly ill. And with alcohol, a single mug of beer would knock him out.”Z1F
rOIZHarald burst into laughter at Lucian’s stunned expression. After laughing heartily for a while, his smile faded and he closed his eyes.0Ds7n
d6M“But he never avoided his duties. He said that even with a weak body, he had to possess a strength he wouldn’t be ashamed of, and kept training. Even when sick, his first concern was the people. When something happened, the first thing he grabbed was his armor.”vvN
0uf7ost“…”rtO1rHt
ycMAWe“He couldn’t knock anyone down with a punch, but everyone respected him. If some brute relying solely on strength dared to mock him, we’d all jump him at once and leave him a mess.”MmfWdp
pda1In that voice full of nostalgia, Lucian was left speechless.S2Z5a3
wewIn such a cruel environment, it was normal for martial strength to be valued and for the weak to be looked down upon.SpuZA
qLKC6And yet, Harald deeply respected his grandfather, even while calling him weak.oO1Mj83
dD1Id“If he had wanted to unify the north, half the north would have followed him. The duke had that level of prestige.”qYa
MT9a4“That I would try to use the same method as my grandfather…”AL4
HqajXh“Is impossible.”6EAnN
lcBHarald replied without hesitation.vEDPsz8
EBrpI“He wasn’t a warrior, but he was a northerner. He was born in the north, raised here, and protected its values better than anyone. You are none of those things. Even if you try to imitate the northerners now, it would be nothing more than a poor copy.”ysbfGU
Y2w“Then, is there another method? I came to punish the house of Count Calix, but I don’t have a single ally in the north. If I act alone, without building any strength, my claims will be crushed just like that.”XRTB
0Ctudc5“It’s not like there’s no method.”ckBo
e7ClPAt Lucian’s words, Harald smiled slyly.yGh59V
FcZRG“Northerners don’t reject outsiders just like that. If someone shows true valor, they not only respect him—they’re willing to revere him.”wT2
OtkS“I don’t aim to be revered, but I’d like to hear what this method is.”RLA
rAZ“It’s simple.”cFgobk
Am96A7Harald tensed his muscles, still marked by small wounds, and said.Z16
TEsJK5p“Defeat me.”kfk8q
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