Chapter 108
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 108
‘A knight.’
The word echoed so sweetly in Hugo’s mind that he felt lightheaded.
To think that he, once nothing more than a back-alley thug, had become a true knight and the founder of a new house. He couldn't tell if this was reality or a dream.
‘Hugo Mayen.’
Every time he turned his new surname over in his mind, a thrill like a bolt of lightning raced through his body.
He had never once doubted his lord, but Hugo knew his own flaws all too well. He had already resigned himself to the idea that even if his lord couldn't keep the promise, he would have no right to complain.
“What are you doing?”
Lucian’s voice pulled Hugo out of his reverie.
Only then did Hugo realize his lack of decorum and scrambled to his feet.
“I—I am sorry, my lord. My legs simply gave out...”
“No, I mean, why do you have that look on your face, as if you have no more lingering regrets in life? Are you planning to stop here, satisfied with just fulfilling an old dream?”
“Pardon?”
Lucian looked at Hugo’s dazed face and chuckled.
“Since you’ve decided to make something of yourself, you should aim even higher. Don’t you think?”
“...!”
Hugo’s eyes widened.
Higher than a knight? That would mean becoming a landed noble with a title. The other retainers also looked taken aback by Lucian’s remark.
“My lord, aiming high is well and good, but the timing is hardly ideal for seeking a title,” Raymond interjected, looking skeptical.
“Why is that?”
“What do you mean, why...? We are currently cut off from the Imperial Family, are we not?”
No matter how high one's rank, granting territory to another required the explicit permission of the Imperial Family. Carving out a piece of land and giving it away without such permission was considered a capital offense akin to treason, even if the land belonged to the lord. It was obvious that anyone receiving land in such a manner would swear fealty to the individual lord rather than the Empire.
“Your Grace holds two titles, but whether as a Duke or a Margrave, granting territory at your own discretion is a serious crime.”
“Is that so? Then I suppose I’ll just have to reach a position where granting territory at my discretion is allowed.”
“To my knowledge, there is no title where such a privilege is permitted...”
“There is one. A King.”
“...!”
The retainers stared at Lucian in collective shock.
And for good reason—since the founding of the Empire, there had never been a case of a noble being promoted to the rank of King. The most the Empire had ever done was allow conquered royal families to retain their titles as kings of vassal states.
And yet, he was declaring his intent to claim the throne for the first time.
“M-My lord. Are you saying...?”
“I’m not saying I’ll rebel against the Imperial Family, nor that I’ll use the situation to threaten them. I’m saying that when the opportunity comes, I won’t hesitate. A man without a fixed goal will only waver and lose his chance even after he’s grasped it.”
Lucian looked around at his retainers with a piercing gaze.
“Keep this in mind. A period of chaos like this is one of the few opportunities to truly rise. It is the only time when conventions that have lasted for hundreds or thousands of years finally crumble.”
“....”
“Once this period passes and peace returns, everything will become fixed again. When would such an opportunity come again? In a hundred years? Two hundred?”
By then, their houses might have fallen, and not even a single line of their names might remain in history. And yet, they were supposed to be satisfied and stop here, saying they had climbed high enough?
To Lucian, that was nothing short of a joke.
“I intend to go all the way. Until the day peace returns and everything is set in stone once more. What about all of you?”
Lucian’s retainers felt their hearts catch fire.
They had always thought of their lord as the giant who would leave footprints in history, while they were merely those riding on that giant’s shoulders—beings whose only role was to clear the obstacles in his path so he wouldn't trip over a pebble.
But now, that very lord was asking if they had the resolve to become giants themselves and leave their own marks on history.
“I don’t think I need to hear an answer.”
Lucian, who had been waiting for their response, gave a thin smile. The ambition burning in their eyes was more than enough of an answer.
*
Assigning official roles to his retainers was one thing, but the real problem began afterward. Without replenishing the most vital resource—the commoners—none of his plans could be properly executed.
Fortunately, two days later, the news Lucian had been waiting for finally arrived.
“Calix has moved?”
“Yes. They are reportedly marching toward Asagrim as we speak.”
Lucian smirked at Thorkel’s report. Seeing as they were charging in without even a declaration of war, it seemed they had no intention of maintaining basic etiquette, let alone fighting for a righteous cause.
“Good. I was wondering when they’d show up. If they want to skip the tedious war of words and get straight to the fighting, that suits us just fine.”
“What do you intend to do?”
“Crush them head-on. Is there any other way?”
“I meant... do you intend to ask the other lords for assistance in this war?”
Thorkel looked at Lucian with an eager expression. Back when Lucian had no military power of his own, he had operated on the premise of receiving military support from other lords. Now, although he had the knight order and elite soldiers borrowed from the Imperial Family, more allies were always better. It wouldn't be strange for him to request aid as planned.
“If you just give the word, I will return to my house immediately and bring back an army.”
“You talk a big game for someone who isn't even the head of House Osgor. Besides, didn't I hear you went home recently and got thrashed by your father?”
“...The reports of me being ‘thrashed’ are exaggerated. He only landed one hit.”
“I heard that one hit made your cheek swell up to twice its size. They said you couldn't even open one eye; you must have suffered quite a bit until the swelling went down.”
“Ahem! Cough!”
Thorkel lowered his head, avoiding Lucian’s gaze. After a few dry coughs, he looked back at Lucian with a serious expression.
“In any case, if Your Grace requests support, House Osgor will come running in a heartbeat.”
“I’m sure. Viscount Harald has always wanted to help me. And his grudge against Calix is considerable.”
“Then, immediately—”
“However, while that might have been necessary against Calix in their prime, I have no intention of seeking outside help to deal with them now. This time, I plan to crush them with my power alone.”
Thorkel stared at Lucian with wide eyes. He was going to face House Calix alone, without anyone’s help?
“Your Grace, I do not believe for a moment that you will lose. Logically speaking, there is no way for you to fail.”
Everyone in the North had turned their backs on Calix. Their alliances were gone, their authority had vanished, and they couldn't even provide a proper justification for their actions. If Lucian so much as waved a hand, people would swarm from all directions to tear them apart. If things went well, House Calix might be destroyed before they even reached Asagrim.
“But if you face Calix using only the forces you currently possess, the damage will be significant. Calix is still a Great Family that has been rooted in the North for over hundreds of years.”
“I know. That’s why I’m facing them alone.”
“What do you mean by that...?”
“If possible, I don’t want to share the spoils of Calix with other lords.”
If he borrowed troops, he would have to distribute the spoils of war according to their contributions. For Lucian, who was currently desperate for resources and commoners, he was loath to share the rewards with others.
“If it were still impossible to face Calix alone as it was before, I would have accepted that trade-off. But now that I am fully capable of handling them, it would be foolish to invite unnecessary losses.”
“But if the result is a heavy loss of your own troops, wouldn't that weaken your control over the other lords? Wouldn't that be counterproductive?”
“That’s true. On the other hand, if I wipe them out all by myself, no one will dare to stand against me.”
Thorkel stared at Lucian blankly. Even if defeat was unlikely, their opponent was Norbeck, a man who had lost his children, was on the verge of losing his house, and was now fueled by nothing but pure spite. Whether his house fell or not, he would surely fight like a madman to inflict as much damage on Lucian as possible. The victory was highly likely to be a pyrrhic one, yet Lucian spoke with such confidence.
“Could it be that the Sword Saint, who visited recently, has agreed to step in?”
“Of course not. He has worked hard enough. He should be allowed to spend his final years in peace.”
Lucian’s casual dismissal of the Sword Saint’s involvement only deepened Thorkel’s confusion. Seeing Thorkel’s eyes darting around in thought, Lucian chuckled.
“You seem curious about where this confidence of mine comes from.”
“It’s not that, I just...”
“Enough. For now, go back to your territory and focus on your successor training. If you keep wandering around, your father’s heart is going to wither away from worry.”
“Your Grace.”
Thorkel’s face stiffened slightly as he bowed his head. He seemed to think he was being sent away because he hadn't fully earned Lucian’s trust yet. Lucian looked at the anxious Thorkel and spoke with a serious expression.
“Do you still have the potion I gave you?”
“You mean that glowing liquid? Yes, I still have it.”
“Go to your territory and show that potion to your father. After you show it to him, you may drink it.”
“...?”
“It is proof of my trust. You will hear the details from your father.”
“...I understand.”
Though he tilted his head in confusion, Thorkel obeyed Lucian’s command. Only after meeting Harald would he finally realize what Lucian had entrusted to him.
It was while Lucian was left alone, calmly contemplating how to deal with Calix, that the news arrived.
“...Norbeck Calix has requested a duel?”
Instead of a declaration of war, it was a challenge to a duel. Lucian let out a hollow laugh.
*
“It’s a trap.”
Sword Saint Eisen, who was serving as a military advisor, answered immediately upon hearing Lucian’s words. Lucian had already reached the same conclusion, so he simply nodded calmly.
“They must know that we would see through it, so I don't understand why they would make such a proposal. Do they have some hidden scheme?”
“They are likely just desperate and lashing out, trying anything and everything. Even while knowing how foolish it is.”
Eisen gave a bitter smile.
“There is a saying that a man prepared for death is strong. I once believed that as well. But in my experience, quite a few people actually behave quite pathetically when faced with the end.”
“You mean men prepared for death, not those begging for their lives?”
“Yes. Most of them demand a reward befitting their death. Because they believe their own lives are incomparably precious, they want the result to be equally satisfying.”
If one sacrifices their life for a belief regardless of the outcome, it could be called beautiful. But the people Eisen had seen wanted a result that justified the sacrifice of their lives. They felt that if they couldn't achieve that result even by dying, there was no reason to give their lives at all.
“Surprisingly, there were many such people even among those consumed by revenge. If they couldn't achieve an equal exchange of their enemy’s life for their own, they would actually hesitate and protect themselves.”
“A man prepared for death protecting himself... how ironic.”
“They only feel satisfied if the price of their life is high enough. Looking at this pathetic proposal, it seems this Norbeck fellow is of a similar sort.”
He felt he had to kill Lucian no matter what, so he was throwing out even the most nonsensical proposals. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his own life while Lucian got away with only moderate damage. He likely thought that even if he made a hundred stupid proposals, if he got lucky with just one, it would be a profitable trade.
“The truly terrifying ones are those who, after cold calculation, seek to take even just an arm or an eye of their enemy. Compared to them, people like this often lose their own lives while trying to force an overblown exchange.”
“I see. Then I suppose I should accept.”
“...Your Grace. Did you actually listen to what I just said?”
“I did. You’re saying he’s the type to drag things out until he finds a certain opportunity to take my life, right?”
According to Eisen, they wouldn't fight properly unless Lucian showed a weakness. In that case, the only way was to pretend to show a weakness and then overwhelm them in a single stroke.
Just as the frowning Eisen was about to protest that it was too dangerous, Lucian spoke.
“I understand what you’re trying to say, but before that, please take a look at this.”
Thud.
Lucian pushed forward a box he had brought before visiting Eisen. Eisen blinked at the box, which was about the size of a man’s torso.
“What is this?”
At Eisen’s question, Lucian smiled.
“It is a Royal Legacy.”