Chapter 114
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 114
“A pathetic threat.”
Herman tried to let out a boisterous laugh as he spoke.
In any negotiation, the basic rule was to throw out a bluff, even if it was transparent. However, his frozen facial muscles refused to budge.
Damn it, he brought the worst possible card.
To split them in half, pardoning one side while declaring the other traitors? He didn’t even need to check to know exactly what would happen. Those who were forgiven would hold their breath and stay quiet, while those branded as traitors would be wiped out by the military forces converging from all directions.
“Do you really think you can shake us with such words?”
Herman managed to catch his breath and forced a bluff, but Lesta merely curled his lip in a sneer.
“I wonder. From where I’m standing, you look plenty shaken already.”
“Do not jump to conclusions. No one here is foolish enough to miss that your proposal is a blatant attempt to drive a wedge between us.”
“And such tactics usually work even when the target knows exactly what’s happening. If falling for it is to one’s benefit, wouldn’t it be foolish not to give in?”
“You brat!”
Herman barked at Lesta, but unlike before, his voice lacked strength.
After staring at Herman for a moment, Lesta scanned the room with a nonchalant air.
“If you find His Grace’s proposal distasteful, then by all means, proclaim Calix’s innocence and raise an army. If you declare a war of vengeance for your blood alliance, who would dare deny you?”
“…”
At Lesta’s words, the lords became as mute as honey-fed statues.
Unite with one heart and mind to proclaim Calix’s innocence?
Damn it, if that were possible, we would have done it long ago.
They weren't fools. If they could have pushed Lucian back by uniting around Calix, they would have done so gladly. The problem was that Calix had crossed a line that no amount of justification could erase.
An assassination attempt might have been swept under the rug somehow, but hiring unauthorized mages was another story.
How on earth are we supposed to cover up actual high treason? There’s a limit to how much we can shield him.
Sighs escaped them inwardly. The moment they joined him, their status as traitors would be set in stone, leaving them with no way out. Even knowing they might be next, they had no choice but to stand by.
If we claim such a justification now, after standing idly by while the House of Calix was ruined, we’ll become the laughingstock of the continent.
Yet, if they excluded Calix, they had no pretext to gather and raise an army. Their only justification was a direct external threat, but Lucian had promised not to touch half of them.
It was easy to envision the scene: they would scatter like grains of sand, watching in silence as those branded traitors met their downfall.
“…We were unaware of Calix’s assassination attempt itself,” Herman stammered, offering a weak excuse.
It was a rebuttal suggesting that even Lucian couldn't declare someone a traitor if they hadn't participated in the assassination. It was a step back from his previous hardline stance, but to Lesta, it was still pathetic.
“And to whom do you intend to prove that innocence? The Imperial Family? Or the other lords of the North?”
“…”
Herman’s mouth clamped shut again.
The Imperial Family was out of the question. They had been blatantly on Lucian’s side from the start. No matter how much they pleaded their unfair treatment, the royals would surely feign ignorance and tell them to handle it themselves.
The other northern lords were equally useless. More than a few had suffered great losses due to Calix’s instigation of rebellion. Regardless of innocence, they would be sharpening their blades simply because these men had once cooperated with Calix.
“Get a grip. This isn't a matter of right or wrong; it’s a matter of choosing between ally and enemy. You’ve been given a chance to become allies, yet you persist in remaining enemies out of sheer stubbornness.”
Clicking his tongue, Lesta turned his back. His attitude suggested that if they couldn't understand after all this, he no longer cared.
“I will say it one last time. This is your final chance. His Grace the Grand Duke has stated he will show no further mercy, so keep that in mind.”
Having said his piece, Lesta departed from the meeting room.
Silence lingered for a long time after the unwelcome guest left. Hesitating, Herman cleared his throat and looked around at the lords in the room.
“Everyone.”
I trust you weren't truly swayed by the words of such a fledgling.
Herman stopped mid-sentence. He saw the lords who had attended the meeting beginning to get up one by one, preparing to leave.
“Ahem, let’s end today’s meeting here.”
“I don’t think any solutions will come from further discussion anyway.”
“I’ll contact you again if I think of a good plan.”
Herman closed his eyes tight at the lords' excuses. Despite their flowery words, it was obvious they were going home to seriously consider Lucian’s proposal.
It’s over.
Feeling that even the last shred of will to resist had vanished, Herman nodded heavily.
“Since that is the consensus, we shall conclude today’s meeting.”
Having declared the meeting over, Herman exited the room faster than anyone else. If no one was going to support him, further resistance was futile. In that case, wouldn't it be better to be the first to show 'sincerity' and earn forgiveness?
*
“…I’ve never seen an about-face this fast.”
Lucian let out a hollow laugh as he looked at the mountain of letters. He had expected the plan to work well, but he hadn't imagined that every single one of them would send a letter promising to show their 'sincerity.'
“I thought at least a few would act stiff-necked for the sake of loyalty.”
“It’s not surprising. It’s a generous offer to settle a charge of high treason with a small token of sincerity. Anyone who can’t grasp the situation and continues to resist at this point deserves to die.”
“I suppose so.”
Lucian chuckled at Lesta’s remark. To Lucian, it was merely a gesture of feigned benevolence, but to them, it was a decision that determined the fate of their families. No matter how aggrieved they felt, anyone with a functioning brain had no choice but to bow down.
“Good work. By the way, when do you plan on heading back? Things must be busy in your territory.”
Lucian’s gaze turned toward Lesta, who had been chiming in from the side. He had summoned Lesta to help persuade the lords who were allied with Calix, but the man showed no intention of leaving even after the job was done.
“No matter how busy the territory is, could it possibly be more important than Your Grace’s request?”
Lesta quickly bowed his head, dodging the question. Seeing him avoid a direct answer, it seemed he intended to stay for the foreseeable future.
Lucian smirked, pushed the letters aside, and said, “Be honest. Is there something you need from me?”
“How could you say such a…”
“Speak while the opportunity is here. I’m a man who gives exactly as much as I receive. No matter how long you stay by my side, I won’t give you more than what you’ve done for me.”
Lesta flinched like a child whose ulterior motives had been seen through by an adult. After a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke his mind.
“It wasn't a lie that the territory has stabilized. My family members know that Your Grace trusts me. My father’s attempt at reinstatement has been completely thwarted as well.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It’s the neighboring lords. They don’t know Your Grace’s intentions, so they’re dreaming of swallowing my lands and then finding a new line to latch onto…”
“I see.”
Although Lesta had aligned himself with Lucian, that fact had never been officially announced. To be precise, there hadn't been an opportunity. He hadn't arrived at the banquet on time, and immediately after his arrival, the assassination attempt by Calix occurred. When he was tasked with greeting and escorting the retainers, the name of Sword Saint Eisen was so prominent that Lesta was overshadowed.
Consequently, the lords ignorant of the inner workings had no way of knowing the relationship between Lucian and Lesta.
They probably think he’s just using my name on his own, so they don't feel the need to worry about my reaction.
With the pretext of punishing a filial rebel, they likely wanted to grab as much land as possible before the chaos in the North ended. No wonder he was sticking to Lucian’s side instead of going home. He wanted to show those eyeing his territory that Lucian was his backer. It seemed he had racked his brain to find a way to ask, as it was a bit awkward to request such a thing directly.
“I am sorry to ask, but if Your Grace would just say one word, those men would…”
“I’ll send Felicia.”
“…Pardon?”
“She will visit your territory and stay as a guest for about two days. That should be enough, shouldn't it?”
Lesta blinked blankly at Lucian’s suggestion. Felicia was the adopted daughter and top disciple of Sword Saint Eisen Brightner. She was famous for being the escort knight who never left Lucian’s side; for her to stay in his territory was a massive statement. That act alone would broadcast to everyone just how much Lucian trusted Lesta.
“Th-thank you, Your Grace!”
“Don't mention it. Just make sure to treat her well. Don't look down on her just because she’s a woman.”
“If anyone dares to show such rudeness to Sir Felicia, I will personally take their head and pickle it in salt!”
“Glad to hear it.”
Lucian turned back to the letters, effectively dismissing him. Lesta bowed until his forehead touched the floor and left the office with an excited face.
A short while later, after skimming through all the letters, Lucian stood up with a few of them in hand.
*
Lucian headed for the underground prison. Unlike before, when it was so lax it was practically full of holes, the security was now incredibly tight.
Entering the depths, Lucian stopped in front of the cell at the very end.
“Is a night in the holy land of the North worth enduring?”
“You bastard…!”
Norbeck’s voice came weakly from within. It was still laced with hatred, but unlike before, it carried a sense of resignation that everything was over.
“What is it? Have you come to mock me?”
“No. I came to deliver some news from the outside.”
Lucian tossed several letters into the cell. Norbeck scrambled to pick them up, and as he confirmed the contents, his body began to tremble.
“These sons of bitches! It was only yesterday they were reaping the benefits under the name of Calix, yet how dare they…!”
“How dare they? Did you expect them to go down with the House of Calix? It was an alliance built on profit; you’re asking for too much.”
Instead of an answer, a crumpled letter flew at Lucian through the bars. Lucian caught it lightly and tucked it into his coat.
“Calm down. You’ll die of a stroke at this rate. If you’re going to die, you should at least make it to your execution day.”
“Shut your mouth! If you’re here to mock me, then get out!”
“I told you, I’m not here to mock you. I came to ask something.”
“Do you think I’ll answer you willingly?”
Ignoring Norbeck’s scoff, Lucian spoke.
“Why didn't you back down until it reached this point?”
“What?”
“Exactly what I said. You could have given up at any time. When I became the master of Asagrim, if you had just bowed your head, you could have lived out the rest of your life in luxury as the head of a Great Family. Your son wouldn't have died, either.”
But Norbeck hadn't given up. Even when the tide had turned and he was at a clear disadvantage, he kept making reckless moves. To Lucian, it was utterly bizarre. Why was a man who had lived quietly in his previous life now so obsessed with becoming the conqueror of the North?
“Why all this fuss in your final years? Were you trying to achieve some dream you failed to reach in your youth?”
At Lucian’s question, Norbeck glared up at him.
“Why? I should be the one asking you that. I, too, am of royal blood, so why should I be content with the rank of a Count for the rest of my life?”
Lucian blinked at the unexpected words.
What on earth is he talking about?