Chapter 111
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111
The soldiers belonging to Calix blinked in a daze.
There was no one around for him to give orders to, so who was he talking to?
Lucian clicked his tongue and looked at the soldiers again.
“What are you doing? I’m talking to you.”
“Huh? U-us, sir?”
“Yes. Bind him.”
“But, well… we are…”
“The war is over. This man is my prisoner, and I am your new master. Obey my command.”
…Does it really work like that?
It seemed nonsensical, yet Lucian’s overwhelming confidence left the soldiers bewildered. Above all, it was a fact that masters changed upon defeat in a territorial war, making it difficult to find a point of rebuttal.
After hesitating for a long moment, the soldiers crept forward and began to bind Norbeck.
“He is secured, sir.”
“Good. Now, let us head to Asagrim. Relay my orders to the squad leaders of each unit.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
The soldiers followed Lucian’s lead, though their faces still betrayed their doubt about whether this was right.
On second thought, it wasn’t a bad deal.
Keeping the Calix soldiers under his command meant he intended to treat them as allies from now on. Since they wouldn’t be hunted like defeated stragglers or treated poorly, it was, in a way, the most amicable resolution possible.
“And what do you intend to do?”
“…”
Lucian looked at the knights, who seemed half out of their minds. Whether they couldn't believe the scene unfolding before them or were simply in shock, all three knights were struggling to keep their wits about them.
After a moment, a young knight finally managed to open his mouth and stammered.
“W-what do you want us to do?”
Lucian let out a hollow laugh at the foolish question.
“Does my intent matter more than your own convictions? Your spirit as a knight is rotten to the core.”
“…!”
“If you call yourselves knights, then act like it. That is all I have to say.”
At the cold response, the knight shut his mouth, his face flushing a deep red.
As the silence stretched on, a middle-aged knight drew his sword.
“Draw your blade.”
“Do you intend to die here?”
“Is there any other path?”
A knight’s oath of loyalty was irreversible once uttered. As long as Norbeck continued to resist, the knights who had sworn fealty to him had to fight to the bitter end—even if the result was death.
“I am merely fulfilling my duty as a knight. Surely you would not want us to beg for our lives either.”
Lucian answered the middle-aged knight’s words with a smile.
Unlike the soldiers, who could change masters at any time, a knight was bound by his oath. The moment they abandoned that oath, they ceased to be knights. Lucian had no intention of taking such half-measures into his service.
“Come at me, then. I cannot promise to end it as cleanly as Felicia did, but I will make it as painless as possible.”
“How arrogant. Are you mistaking your retainer’s skill for your own?”
“That is rich coming from someone who didn't step forward once until everything was over.”
This duel was one where it was a gain as long as Felicia was defeated, no matter how many men died. If they had even a modicum of skill, Norbeck would have sent them out if only to exhaust her. Yet, they had stood back until now?
It was clear to Lucian that Norbeck hadn't sent them out because they lacked even that minimum level of competence.
“My name is Lucian Grimaldi Valdek. I am the one who defeated Harald the Wolf Slayer. If you have a reputation worth mentioning, state it now.”
“…If I had such a thing, I would have stated it long ago. You truly know how to grate on one’s nerves until the very end.”
The middle-aged knight muttered as if in lament and took his stance.
His posture was stable, but there was no particular pressure emanating from him. It wasn't that he was hiding it; it seemed his capabilities simply weren't at a level where he could project such an aura.
Lucian spoke to the knight, who was staring at him without a hint of fear.
“Still, you are a true knight.”
The middle-aged knight replied with a bitter smile.
“I have always been a knight.”
Splat!
Lucian flicked the blood off his blade onto the ground.
As expected, the skills of the three remaining knights were nothing special, allowing him to take them down with ease.
Having finished mopping up the remnants, Lucian called for Gareth, the captain of the Blue Rose Knight Order.
“Sir Gareth, take the knight order and occupy the territories held by Calix.”
“Just us, sir? Without the support of other troops?”
Gareth responded to Lucian’s command with a look of hesitation. He was confident in their skills, but even so, conducting siege warfare with only a single knight order was a tall order.
Reading his concern, Lucian smiled.
“There will be no battle. That old man surely brought every last man to face me, leaving not even a minimum security force behind. You just need to go and plant the flags.”
“What if the terrified commoners refuse to open the castle gates?”
“Take a few of the heads of those knights rolling around over there and show them. Once they realize it’s all over, they’ll have no choice but to open up, whether they want to or not.”
“Understood.”
The answer was quick, but Gareth’s expression remained complicated.
And for good reason—Lucian had only just turned seventeen. He should have almost no experience in war, yet his words suggested he could see through the state of the occupied territories immediately following a victory. It was almost enough to make one wonder if his successful operation had given him an excess of confidence.
“Well, you’ll see for yourself once you get there.”
Lucian gave a wry smile, sensing Gareth’s thoughts.
He couldn't blame him for doubting, but in truth, all of this was based on his experiences from his past life. In times of chaos, lords driven into a corner would often pour every ounce of their territory’s strength into a final stand without a thought for the aftermath. But by the time they reached that point, the tide had already turned, making the effort meaningless, and what followed was usually the same.
The commoners are one thing, but the problem is the officials, including the administrators, trying to flee. Once rumors spread that Norbeck has been captured, they’ll try to sneak out of the castles, so we have to catch them before that.
He had no intention of punishing the officials who worked for Calix. In fact, those officials were exactly what Lucian needed most to govern the occupied lands.
The population and tax revenue of the territory, the maintenance costs for soldiers, average harvest conditions, the production volume of various goods, and so on. If the officials in charge of those records disappeared, he would have to spend an enormous amount of money to conduct re-investigations.
The problem is that administrators flee out of fear far too often. As soon as a war is lost, they grab whatever money they’ve hoarded and vanish.
It wasn't incomprehensible. Looting by soldiers blinded by greed or massacres by foolish conquerors were not uncommon occurrences. But regardless of his understanding, their flight would cause Lucian immense loss. He needed to send the knight order ahead to detain the officials before the results of the war became widely known.
As long as there’s no chaos, they’re the type who wouldn't even dream of running away. Once the occupation is settled, they’ll stay put on their own without me having to pressure them.
Lucian turned his gaze away from the departing Blue Rose Knight Order.
There were no enemies left here now. There were only the soldiers whose allegiance had shifted from Calix to Grimaldi, and those who had belonged to Grimaldi from the start.
Lucian, now in command of them all, gave the order.
“We return to Asagrim.”
It was time to announce the victory to those waiting.
Upon returning to Asagrim, the soldiers who had been with Calix began to murmur all at once. It wasn't a murmur of fear, but one of surprise and wonder.
“My god, people actually live in Asagrim!”
“I heard rumors that the master had changed, but I guess it was true.”
“Then can we move here and live too?”
“I don't know about moving to a place without a single tavern…”
“You idiot, is a tavern the problem right now?! Do you know where this is?!”
“If you just secure a house now, the price will go up a thousandfold in a few years!”
Lucian smiled contentedly at the soldiers’ chatter. The reason he had brought them along was precisely because he wanted this kind of reaction.
Just as I thought. If I show them around and then send them back, they’ll try to come here of their own accord.
No matter how generous the rewards promised, forced migration always bred resentment. It was best for the commoners to move their residences themselves without Lucian having to order it. Fortunately, Asagrim was a land treated as a holy site in the North. Its fame alone was enough to find more than enough people who wanted to migrate.
Some might just want to stay for a bit and sell high later, but as long as the population increases, that’s enough. Commerce will only become active once the population grows.
To a merchant, population meant the number of consumers. As the population grew, a commercial district would naturally form. The convenience for the commoners would increase due to that commercial district, and that increased convenience would draw in even more people. And in the process, a portion of the profits would flow in as taxes.
“Wait here for a moment.”
Lucian had the soldiers wait outside the inner castle and then summoned Rotier, who had been staying in the White Palace.
Rotier, the former captain of the Asagrim guard, appeared with a triumphant expression at Lucian’s summons.
“So you’ve finally decided to accept my deal.”
“No, forget the deal. Instead, do some work.”
“Pardon?”
“There are soldiers from outside waiting. It seems they find Asagrim quite fascinating. Since the former guards should know this place well, lead them and show them around.”
Rotier blinked, watching Lucian suddenly assign him a task. So he was being told to act as a city guide? And not even for dignitaries, but for common soldiers?
“Your Grace, I think you are mistaken. We are not your retainers.”
“I am aware. You have no relationship with me. If I had to put a label on it, we are a freeloader living off charity and a broad-minded landlord.”
Lucian countered Rotier’s blunt sarcasm with an even sharper barb. Seeing Rotier stammering, unable to find words, Lucian continued.
“So this is a request, not an order. Since I am asking politely, I trust you will naturally accept.”
“And if I refuse?”
“What then? I won’t do anything. You’ll simply become a parasite who lives off a landlord but won’t even do him a small favor.”
“…”
“And we have no food to feed a parasite. If you won’t even do a small favor like this, you’ll have to leave.”
Rotier flared up and tried to say something, but he soon lowered his head, unable to utter a single word. No matter how insulting it was, it was a fact that he was staying in Asagrim by relying on Lucian’s mercy.
I’d love to shout that I’ll just pay for my stay, but…
If he did that and Lucian actually demanded payment, he would have to empty his pockets of even the funds needed to return to the capital. If he became penniless and couldn't pay, he’d be kicked out with nothing. Realizing he wasn't in a position to let his emotions lead, Rotier muttered with a look of resignation.
“…What is it you want?”
“I told you. Give the soldiers outside a thorough tour of Asagrim. Focus on the places that look good and are pleasant to live in, if possible.”
“And what happens if the reaction isn't good despite my best efforts?”
“What happens?”
At Rotier’s question, Lucian gave a smirk.
“Starting tomorrow, your meals will become meager. Someone who cannot properly perform the task they were given doesn't need a full person’s portion of food.”