Chapter 112
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 112
The aftermath of the war was handled with lightning speed.
Norbeck was thrown back into the dungeons of the White Palace, and the soldiers accepted their new master without much resistance. Among them, quite a few were actually overjoyed by the fact that they could now migrate to Asagrim.
Gareth, who had been sent to occupy the territory, also returned shortly after with a bright expression, having completed his mission.
“It was just as Your Highness said. They opened the gates so easily it made my worries feel foolish.”
“How did the people react? Were they not confused by the change in leadership?”
“On the contrary, we arrived just in time to suppress the chaos that was about to break out due to the security vacuum.”
As Lucian had predicted, Norbeck had mobilized every last scrap of his security forces for the war. Naturally, this left a significant void in law and order, and the territory had been on the verge of falling into total disarray. Fortunately, the knights arrived before the situation could spiral out of control.
It was a good thing I sent the Blue Rose Knight Order ahead.
If he had been even slightly lazy, the officials would have likely fled under the cover of the chaos. It was a stroke of luck that he had hurried the occupation just in case.
“Since the lack of security forces was unavoidable, I decided to temporarily recognize some of the self-defense militias organized by the commoners.”
“The militias? Will that be alright?”
A self-defense militia protecting their hometown sounded good in theory, but in the end, they were just groups of hot-blooded young men. If the lord’s authority was handed out recklessly, they could easily turn into a gang of thugs ruling over the very people they were meant to protect.
As if sensing Lucian’s concern, Gareth gave a smirk.
“Do not worry. I explained very clearly what would happen to them if they forgot their place and ran wild. If they have any sense at all, they won’t dare try anything foolish.”
“Mhm. If you say so…”
Only then did Lucian feel at ease. He knew Gareth’s words weren’t born of baseless confidence, but of certainty gained through experience.
It’s strange. The Blue Rose Knight Order is supposed to be directly under the Imperial Family, yet they are remarkably skilled at post-war administration.
Post-war cleanup was a vital task, but it was also one that knights notoriously loathed. To them, the glory of the battlefield lay in standing at the vanguard and crushing the enemy, not in tidying up the stage after the performance was over. Naturally, among knights, post-war administration was treated as a chore to be pawned off on someone else whenever possible.
Knights of their caliber usually dump this kind of work on others. Why are they so proficient at it?
Lucian considered asking Gareth but decided against it. If they had taken on tasks that others avoided, it likely wasn't for a pleasant reason. It seemed best to leave it alone until Gareth chose to speak of it himself.
“You’ve done well. Rest up, for you’ll have to head out again soon to stabilize the occupied territories.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Thank you for your consideration.”
At Lucian’s command, Gareth bowed and left the office. Left alone, Lucian leaned back in his chair and murmured softly.
“With this, all the prerequisites are met.”
His hostile forces in the North had been completely cleared out by this war. Communication with the Imperial Family was cut off, so no outside interference would come regardless of what he did. He had even received official discretion over magic from the Emperor himself.
Now, no one can find fault with me, even if I begin researching magic in earnest.
Lucian felt a tickle of excitement in his chest and allowed a faint smile to spread across his lips. It was finally time to unearth the Northern Royal Family’s legacy, which had been slumbering in the dark depths of the earth for nearly a thousand years.
*
That evening, Lucian gathered his retainers once again.
As soon as they arrived, the retainers bombarded him with questions.
“My Lord, I heard you gave Sir Felicia an incredible suit of armor! And that it’s a mass-produced item? Where on earth did you get such a thing?”
“Was the Grimaldi family’s legacy truly that magnificent? I heard they had fallen into ruin, but were they actually incredibly wealthy?”
Lucian gave a wry smile at the barrage of questions from the excited Hans and Ian.
“I see she told you everything.”
“My apologies. Since the war was over, I thought it was alright to reveal it…”
“No, you did well. I called you here to tell you about it anyway. But before that, there is someone I would like to introduce.”
Lucian gave a light clap. A moment later, someone stepped hesitantly into the room.
“A mage…” Hans muttered instinctively upon seeing Colin.
Under the weight of the gazes piercing him from all sides, Colin bowed his head, his face tight with tension.
“It is a pleasure to see you all again. It has been some time since the Sword Saint visited the White Palace.”
“Hmph.”
The retainers acknowledged the greeting but did not withdraw their sharp glares. They had heard the news that Lucian had valued the man’s abilities enough to appoint him as a court mage. However, being employed by Lucian and being invited to this gathering carried entirely different weights. It meant Lucian intended to treat him not just as a useful servant, but as one of his truly trusted retainers.
This suspicious mage is now one of us?
That question was written clearly in the retainers’ eyes. Unlike them, who had served Lucian since his days as the third son of the Valdek family, Colin was an interloper. Moreover, he was someone who had been hired for the Count Calix family’s assassination attempt before surrendering. Even an ordinary knight would have been viewed with suspicion, let alone a mage of unknown origin.
“I remember your face. You were by His Highness’s side when he came to receive me.”
It was Eisen who rescued Colin from the heavy atmosphere. Stroking his beard, Eisen spoke gently.
“It was quite frustrating to see you constantly shrinking back even while greeting us. I almost told you to straighten your back and speak with confidence.”
“I-I am sorry.”
“From what I can see, you seem to have a fair amount of pride in your own abilities. Why do you lose your nerve so easily before me? Am I that frightening?”
Colin hesitated for a long time at Eisen’s blunt question. When the silence stretched on, Lucian answered in his stead.
“It seems he was afraid that Sir Eisen would look down on him. Especially since there are rumors that you participated in the witch hunts.”
“I suspected as much, but it was indeed because of that. The witch hunts… they are not a pleasant memory.”
Eisen gave a bitter smile at the sight of the frozen Colin. It seemed the memories truly weren't pleasant, as a subtle look of distaste crossed his face.
“They called it a witch hunt, but most of them were just half-baked mages who couldn't even put up a proper fight. They were far from being witches; they weren't even fit to be called a mage’s apprentice.”
It wasn't that there were no cruel or monstrous mages. There were certainly those who wielded absurd power, pouring fire from their hands or freezing entire rivers. But such powerhouses were a tiny minority; the vast majority were so weak they couldn't even properly kindle a spark.
“A woman abandoned by her master because she lacked talent after being taught magic; a child who happened to steal a glance at a spellbook but could do no more than float a ball of light in the air; a man who had quit magic but lacked the skill to hide his own mana. Every single one of them had a different story.”
In Eisen’s eyes, most of those mages had simply stumbled into magic; they hadn't made wrong choices out of greed. They were innocent people who wouldn't have caused any trouble even if they had been left to live their lives in peace. However, the witch hunt units knew no mercy.
“Even if I wanted to let them go, I couldn't. No, I had to move with the witch hunt units at all times, so there was nothing I could decide on my own authority. As a result, I saw many things I wish I hadn't.”
“…”
“When people hear that I participated in the witch hunts, many think of it as a heroic tale of cutting down dangerous black mages. In reality, it was nothing more than a hunt—a massacre.”
At Eisen’s words, the retainers bowed their heads in a solemn silence. Surprisingly, Felicia remained calm, but Raymond stood there with his mouth half-open, looking dazed. It seemed the revelation of the truth behind the heroic tales of his childhood was quite a shock.
“You, was it Colin?”
“Yes? Ah, yes!”
“Always mind your conduct and be grateful to His Highness. Is this not a miraculous salvation? If you were to fall back into the abyss along with your kin due to needless greed, the weight of that sin would be unbearable.”
Colin trembled at the stern advice. It wasn't out of pressure, but rather out of being moved by the concern and consideration shown by the Sword Saint himself.
“Thank you for the advice. I will carve your words into my heart.”
“Good grief, I told you to thank His Highness, not me.”
The heavy atmosphere lightened slightly at Eisen’s banter. The gazes the retainers directed at Colin were no longer as severe as before. Thanks to the story they had just heard, their prejudice against mages had softened, if only a little.
“I suppose if we are to share secrets, it is better to bring him in as one of the retainers.”
“Since our Lord trusts him, we shall trust him as well.”
“If he has any sense of shame, he will repay our Lord’s trust with his life.”
Raymond, Hugo, and Felicia each spoke a word. Unlike the retainers who had arrived recently, their comments suggested they knew something more. Before any more questions could arise, Lucian stood up.
“Let’s go. I will show you the legacy of the Royal Family.”
*
Lucian led his retainers toward the throne. They didn't move in total secrecy, so they encountered a few servants along the way, but Lucian brushed it off lightly.
I’ll have to reveal it all soon anyway, so there’s no point in going to extremes to hide it.
The legacies hidden underground weren't things Lucian could keep hidden and pull out only when he needed them. They were technologies whose true value would only be realized when they were introduced to the world and developed through public research. If he kept them hidden and only used what was already prepared, he wouldn't be able to tap into even a tenth of their potential.
Well, that doesn't mean I plan to let just anyone into the vault.
After clearing the area around the throne room, Lucian pulled out the key. Just as when he had opened the door before, a brilliant light flowed up his wrist the moment the key touched the lock.
Screeeech—
“This is…!”
“Come, let’s go in.”
Lucian beckoned to the retainers, who were staring in shock at the door beneath the throne. With Lucian in the lead, three of the retainers followed him inside, while the others trailed behind with bewildered expressions.
“My word…!”
“What is this? Is this a dream?”
“…”
Hans and Ian, seeing the treasures for the first time, were half-dazed. Colin was on the verge of fainting, unable to even speak properly. The only one who maintained his composure was Eisen, who had already seen a glimpse of the treasury.
“Now I see where Your Highness obtained those treasures.”
“It is a legacy of my ancestors that I was lucky enough to find.”
Lucian spoke with a touch of false modesty as he tapped the retainers on the shoulders. Only then did they snap out of their daze and quickly scatter toward their respective interests. Hans looked over the gold coins and jewels, while Ian examined the saplings and herbs.
After watching them for a moment, Lucian walked over to Colin, who was scanning the books.
“How is it? Can you make sense of what’s written there?”
When Lucian had checked before, the contents were definitely methods for crafting magic tools. However, there were so many magical terms that it was difficult to understand the details. An expert like Colin should be able to read the parts Lucian had missed.
“M-My Lord…”
Colin turned to Lucian, his eyes trembling. He looked even more shocked than when he had first seen the treasury; his eyes couldn't even seem to focus properly. Lucian looked at him with a puzzled expression at the excessive reaction.
“What’s wrong? Is the magic tool crafting method written in there that incredible?”
“…This is not a magic tool crafting method.”
“What?”
“What is written here is a method for crafting Artifacts. These aren't just sturdy weapons; these are blueprints for ancient superweapons that could wipe out mountains and evaporate rivers!”
“…!?”
Lucian was stunned by the word 'Artifact.' They were ancient weapons known as the pinnacle of old technology, feared even in the eras of the past as divine feats mimicked by humans. It was said they could destroy a nation in a single day or completely reshape the landscape. And these were the blueprints to recreate them.
“What are the materials needed to craft them?!” Lucian shouted urgently.
He could figure out the effects later. What mattered was whether the materials required for manufacturing could be obtained in the modern era. If the materials were available, the rest could be achieved through trial and error.
Colin answered in a voice filled with excitement.
“It says we need a Dragon’s horn, a Giant’s heart, Fairy dust, and a Mermaid’s essence!”
“…”
Lucian barely managed to lower the fist that had instinctively started to rise.
