Chapter 116
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 116
With Norbeck’s death, the House of Calix was completely destroyed.
However, the fall of Calix did not mean rest for Lucian. If anything, this was when things were truly about to get busy.
“Summon the officials who served under the Calix family. Tell them all to gather—administrators, tax managers, protocol officers, archivists, scribes, everyone.”
“What about the administrative vacuum in the territories they’ve left behind?”
“If they have any sense, they’ll have trained someone to act as a proxy in case of an emergency. If there is no proxy, just leave it. Such a man isn't worth summoning anyway.”
Following Lucian’s orders, Hugo gathered the officials of the territory.
The officials assembled in the White Palace, hovering awkwardly before pressing their foreheads to the floor.
“O Conqueror of the North and rightful master of the White Palace…”
“Save the useless flattery. I didn’t call you here to kill you.”
At his cold voice, the officials flinched, yet they let out sighs of relief. It seemed he wasn't planning to take his anger out on them just because they had served under Calix.
After scanning the officials for a moment, Lucian got straight to the point.
“I intend to select those among you who will work in Asagrim. I wish to take only the most competent.”
“…!”
“I will pay triple your previous salary. If you wish, I will provide free housing within the Inner Castle. However, if you lack the ability to match that pay, you will be fired and kicked out immediately.”
The officials’ eyes sparkled.
They had feared their heads would be put on pikes as a vent for his rage, but instead, they were being offered the opportunity of a lifetime. The salary alone was enough to make their mouths water, but to be given a house in Asagrim—and in the Inner Castle near the White Palace, no less?
If they sold such a house ten or twenty years later, they would surely have enough to live on for the rest of their lives.
However, one question remained.
“How should we prove our competence?”
One of the archivists among the gathered officials asked Lucian hesitantly. They wondered if they would have to compete against one another, but Lucian’s answer was unexpected.
“Tell me yourselves.”
“Pardon?”
“Explain your own worth. Tell me what sets you apart from the others and what a great talent you are. If it sounds plausible to my ears, I will accept you.”
“…”
Perplexity washed over the officials' faces. He was telling them to brag about how great they were with their own mouths. Just as the officials were losing their words at the idea that even someone without talent could be chosen if they were a smooth talker—
“Truly a magnificent test. I have heard much of Your Highness’s wisdom, but I see now that all those rumors were understatements.”
An old official raised his voice. Lucian looked intrigued despite the blatant flattery.
“A magnificent test, you say. Why do you think so?”
“A man who can properly articulate his own abilities knows his strengths and weaknesses clearly. He will take the lead in what he can do and humbly admit what he cannot, so there is no worry of assigning him a task he is unfit for.”
“On the other hand, I might end up selecting an incompetent man who simply knows how to wag his tongue.”
“If one explains in great detail what abilities they possess and then fails to meet those expectations, it is no different from deceiving and mocking Your Highness. Naturally, the moment their incompetence is revealed, their head would be hung upon the castle walls. Who would dare to do such a thing?”
The old official bowed his head, remarking that even a farmer who had spent his whole life tilling fields would have the sense not to do that.
“Furthermore, the fact that one steps forward boldly despite knowing all this means they take pride in their abilities and are proactive in their work. Such a person is an incomparable talent for laying the foundations of a territory.”
“Hmm.”
Lucian smiled, pleased that the man had scratched exactly where it itched.
Asagrim was just beginning to establish its foundation, so there was naturally much to be done. However, Lucian could not afford to pay attention to every minor detail of the territory himself. He needed competent people who could handle things at their own discretion to some extent and report only the important parts.
The old official had accurately seen through Lucian’s intentions.
“Who are you?”
“I am called Fritz, a Herald.”
“A Herald?”
Lucian blinked at the unexpected title.
A Herald was an official employed by nobles of Count rank or higher, a position dispatched when concluding important treaties or agreements. Since a simple messenger lacked the capacity for diplomatic judgment, high-level personnel like Heralds were utilized.
In reality, however, very few lords actually employed and dispatched Heralds.
‘Usually, they entrust diplomacy to their closest confidants.’
No matter how grand the title of Herald sounded, they were ultimately just officials. They couldn't compare in terms of trust to a close aide who was willing to lay down their life at any moment. Naturally, there was a tendency to entrust important matters like diplomacy to confidants rather than Heralds. Since those aides were always by the lord's side, it was easy to tell whether they had a talent for diplomacy or not.
‘So, Heralds are usually only hired when the inner circle truly lacks any diplomatic talent.’
Lucian stopped his train of thought and stared intently at Fritz. Despite the sudden silence, which might have made anyone else anxious that something had gone wrong, the man appeared perfectly calm. With this level of competence, he was someone worth sending as an envoy even if one had close aides, yet Lucian had never seen him before.
“Have we met before?”
He was asking if Fritz had been among the envoys who had visited previously. At Lucian’s question, Fritz answered in a trembling voice.
“It has already been ten years since I last performed the duties of a Herald.”
It meant he had been hired just for the sake of appearances and had hardly been used. Someone might call it a stroke of luck to receive a salary without working, but the man’s voice was profoundly sorrowful. It was understandable; if one has talent, they wish to display it to the world, yet he had grown old doing nothing.
‘A Herald.’
He wasn't someone Lucian needed immediately, but he was a role Lucian had intended to hire eventually. In the early days of the Great War, how often had lords sent aides with no talent for diplomacy, only for their heads to be sent back? Among them were quite a few who prided themselves on being experts at handling people with their words.
But diplomacy in a time of war was like dancing in the middle of a pack of lions without stepping on a single tail. A single careless word could touch the opponent's sore spot; it was not a skill just anyone could mimic.
And as Lucian saw it, Fritz possessed more than enough capability.
“Fritz, I shall appoint you as the Herald of Asagrim. There won't be much to do for the time being, but you will soon have to move busily, so conserve your strength.”
“It is an honor, Your Highness!”
Fritz answered loudly and pressed his forehead to the floor once more. Seeing this, the other officials were surprised but seemed to gain courage as they stepped forward. They, too, had pride in their abilities; why should they not be able to do the same?
The second official to step forward bowed deeply and spoke.
“I am Marco, a tax manager from the Sengel territory. Every territory has a tax manager, but their methods are flawed…”
The results were quite satisfying.
Perhaps because Norbeck had been meticulous in his selection, the officials' abilities were generally up to par. Since Lucian had specifically chosen those who were proactive and brimming with pride in their skills, he wouldn't have to worry about internal affairs for a while.
Having settled the administrative issues, Lucian moved on to the next step.
“What on earth is this? I expected sincerity from you all, but this pittance? Are you trying to insult me?”
“Y-Your Highness… please, calm yourself. There must have been some mistake along the way!”
“No bandits intercepted it, and no monsters attacked. What kind of mistake could there possibly be?”
The lords who had been allies of Calix vied with one another to show their "sincerity" to Lucian. However, even with the same intent, there were bound to be differences in the amounts. Lucian summoned only those who had sent the smallest sums and scolded them personally.
The summoned lords broke into cold sweats and made excuses, but it was clear they had been trying to test the waters with a modest amount.
“No, I was wrong. Are things difficult in your territories lately? If you can’t even match those with smaller lands than yours, things must be truly dire.”
“T-That is correct. No matter how I try, the expenses are just so high…”
“Tsk, tsk. That’s a shame. The next owner would be much happier if the territory were prosperous.”
“P-Pardon? Your Highness!”
“Go. Go and develop your territory. Dissolve your army so there are no tiring incidents, and leave only your wealth behind. They say a beautiful person leaves a beautiful space behind them, do they not?”
“Your Highness, please, forgive us just this once! Show us mercy!”
At Lucian’s ultimatum, the lords turned pale and prostrated themselves. Until now, Lucian had never ended a threat with just words. If they left this place now, it was certain their families would be destroyed and their heads severed.
Glaring at the lords, Lucian eventually spoke in a cold voice.
“I intend to release the list of rebel families who sided with Calix in six months. The list is already complete, so all I have to do is make it public.”
“…!”
“However, I am only human, so I may have made a mistake. Perhaps I will realize my error and revise the list in the meantime.”
“T-Thank you! The Eight Gods of Heaven shall praise Your Highness’s mercy!”
It was a declaration that if they did not show proper sincerity within six months, they would truly be declared rebels. The lords sighed in relief at the chance they had barely secured and praised Lucian’s mercy.
In the end, those who had tried to test the waters had to vomit up far more than the others to show their sincerity. Even then, the initial amount they had sent was treated as if it didn't exist, so their attempt at cleverness resulted in several times the loss.
“Use the funds that have come in to assist the commoners with their migration. Organize the residential districts of the Inner and Outer Castles and clean them up so people can move in at any time.”
“What should we do about food?”
“Since we don't have a single proper field, we have no choice but to use a rationing system. However, use food purchased from outside. Do not touch the supplies sent by the Imperial Family.”
Part of it was that the North was a difficult region to obtain food, but the food that was obtained was of poor quality. To the Blue Rose Knight Order from Tivron and the Imperial elite soldiers, Northern food would naturally be unsatisfactory. Unless the provided supplies ran out, hiding those supplies and replacing them with coarse food would surely breed resentment.
‘I can’t show them a side of me that only satisfies my own greed, let alone fail to give the impression that I’m doing my best.’
In a situation where the Imperial Family had half-abandoned them, if Lucian took care of them to the best of his ability, their hearts would naturally lean toward him. Unless he was truly backed into a corner, he intended to give them the best possible treatment.
It was around the time Lucian was buried in work, preparing for the Great Migration of the commoners.
“Your Highness.”
“Ah, Sir Rotier. You’ve come at a good time.”
Lucian brightened at the sight of Rotier, the former Guard Captain of Asagrim. He had been planning to suggest that they leave soon anyway. He had left them alone while the territory was empty, but he couldn't leave an external armed group roaming around once the commoners moved in.
However, before Lucian could bring up the main point, Rotier knelt first and shouted.
“Rotier Termann and the entire Asagrim Guard wish to swear an oath of loyalty to Your Highness. Please, accept us.”