What Is Rightfully Mine (1)
That summer.
The roads on the outskirts of the North were paved with the blood and sweat of the territorial army.
Even if there were monsters that wouldn't have attacked if left alone, any map where a road was being laid was inevitably covered by the sound of the Northern army's boots.
It was only natural.
The raw recruits, who had been so tense they couldn't even finish a bowl of rice at the mere sound of a monster's cry in the distance, had become seasoned soldiers in just one season—the kind that would make the mercenary guilds drool with envy. The Northern knights, who were already considered to have no rivals, had grown into battle-hardened commanders proficient not only in their personal martial prowess but in all manner of strategy and tactics.
Of course, the process was anything but easy.
Under the encouragement of the knights and veteran soldiers, the Northern army was drenched in green blood every single day without fail.
Sometimes, the viscous green blood was mixed with the red blood of humans.
Fortunately, thanks to the dedicated care of several of Healer Lapisha Japa's top disciples, no one lost their lives, but unfortunately, there were those who were left with disabilities.
No matter how miraculous Japa’s medical arts were in treating trauma—even when heads were cracked or limbs were severed—it was impossible for the functions to return to perfect condition.
Yet, the soldiers' morale did not falter.
While monster subjugation, disguised as training and road maintenance, was in full swing, Aiden received a report about the soldiers who were to be discharged due to permanent injuries and made a decision on the spot.
It was a decision to provide full compensation to the Northern soldiers being discharged due to injury.
As if to show that this was not merely the fickle favor of the high-and-mighty, Aiden immediately codified it into the territorial law.
Payment of compensation for soldiers discharged due to injury or death in the line of duty.
Provision of jobs within institutions directly under the Lord's castle for the livelihood of the individuals or their families.
Furthermore, a provision allowing the injured to remain in the barracks as combat support personnel if they so desired.
The cat-folk courier who excitedly brought the news of the newly enacted territorial law asked the human assistant staffer on the way back:
"Humans, why do you cry instead of laugh when you hear good news? It's strange, nya. If you're going to cry, just cry, so why hide it? It's definitely strange, nya."
That night, after the news had spread.
Why did the soldiers in the healer's barracks, groaning as they looked at their broken limbs, light so many bonfires?
With limping legs and hands that trembled uncontrollably, they kept feeding the embers, grumbling endlessly about how the smoke was stinging or how ash had gotten into their eyes. Even while complaining that their eyes were hurting so much they didn't know what to do, they stayed glued to the bonfires, letting tears stream down their faces.
Seeing that, their fellow soldiers—
Unable to laugh or cry, biting their lips, they just repeated like broken dolls, "Yeah, the smoke is especially stinging today," while rubbing their eyes. To the cat-folk courier, that sight also looked very strange.
"The smoke didn't even go that way. The wind was blowing in the opposite direction! Humans are definitely strange, nya."
Since that day.
The road construction workers, who pitched their tents right next to the soldiers' camp and ate and slept there, were overwhelmed by the tenacity of the Northern army, which seemed to possess a spirit beyond mere ferocity—almost like a vengeful ghost.
The soldiers and knights literally hunted, trained, and sparred until their bodies broke.
The prisoners brought in for forced labor, fearing that those blades might turn toward them at any moment, didn't even think to slack off; they carried stones, mixed dirt, and pulled up tree roots until their bodies, too, were on the verge of breaking.
The residents drafted from nearby villages were thrilled.
They were already grateful just for the road being built, but they were moved by the soldiers' attitude of wanting to wipe out the local monsters, and they gained trust in the officials who commanded the criminals. So, even though they were called away from their busy livelihoods for labor, how could they not hum a tune?
"These are the new machines sent by the Lord!"
"What are these?"
In the midst of all this, massive objects that looked like siege weapons began arriving at the construction site one after another.
Thanks to the generous support, the science-minded talents began excitedly pulling out everything that had previously existed only in their heads.
Since there were fewer than ten of them receiving support, they would huddle together whenever they had free time, whispering and exchanging letters incessantly, before joining forces to start building all sorts of things.
"I told you to make what you want. Not just what's necessary."
Among them, Felix often made particularly massive things, for which he was once scolded by Aiden.
Because the things this boy, who was smaller than his peers, brought back saying he had "made" them were always mechanical devices that would help with the regional projects Aiden and his adjutants were concerned about.
Of course, Aiden was grateful, but he worried that the boy was just reading his mind, so he told him seriously that there was no need for that and to make what he wanted.
However, he was left speechless by his secretary's reply.
"I don't want the devices I make to end up as mere spectacles, displayed at the entrance of some village."
In other words, if he had been born in the 21st century, he would have been a field-friendly engineer whom every major corporation would have showered with money to recruit.
Anyway, for one reason or another, the outer road construction was finished in just a few months.
The three adjutants who had planned it looked at each other, screaming silently, 'This actually worked?', 'Is this possible?', 'How?', while Aiden clapped with great satisfaction.
"Well then, shall we move on to the next task?"
It was a summer that could not have been more satisfying.
To reiterate, autumn in the North comes earlier than in other regions.
Because winter arrives quickly, the harvest had to be done a bit earlier.
"In the North, you have to discard small greeds."
"Yes, Elder. Still, it's a shame. If we waited just a little longer for the sun, the grains would be plump enough to peel their own husks."
"If you keep saying 'just one more day, just one more day,' you'll end up frozen to death by the frost in a single night."
"Ah... does the frost come that quickly? Even though the wind is a bit chilly at night, it's still so warm during the day..."
"The winter wind of the North sweeps in in the blink of an eye. Warm sunlight, gentle breezes—these things are useless in the face of the winter wind mixed with the cold blowing from the far North."
"I will keep that in mind, Elder."
This year, the North saw an overflowing increase in people from outside the region.
Still, as a result of the officials' endless overtime, the wanderers from outside were placed in various villages so they could settle into the North, and the villages, always hungry for labor, taught them how to live in the North without discrimination.
The wanderers, who had been bracing themselves for discrimination and harassment, were instead taken aback by the Northern natives' goodwill.
There wasn't a single person who had lived near the North who hadn't pointed fingers at the Northerners, calling them barbarians.
The wanderers, who had begun to be protected by those they had once mocked, spent every night beating their innocent pillows in shame.
According to the officials, a few wanderers couldn't adapt and eventually left the North.
But the vast majority of people repented for their past mistakes and safely blended in as members of the North.
It was only natural.
If they could have made a decent living to begin with, would they have ever thought of leaving their beloved hometowns to come to the North, a place they had ignored and pointed fingers at?
As long as it was a land they had come to because they were starving and needed to survive, the actions that sane humans could take were practically predetermined.
There was one more thing that was predetermined like this.
"Administrative Officer, Administrative Officer!"
Jamie ran into the office with a face flushed bright red.
The door was, as usual, smashed to pieces.
Aiden didn't even click his tongue at the sight anymore.
Felix had also gotten used to it, only thinking things like, 'Should I try making a door out of walnut wood this time? There should be some left over from before in the warehouse.'
"If it's not something important, you're on night duty."
"Working night duty today wasn't a matter of choice to begin with. It's harvest season, so you know how busy the Livelihood Support Department is right now."
"Who said you're only on night duty today? What's wrong with you?"
"......"
"What is it?"
Jamie, who had tried to push back for no reason and gained nothing, quickly straightened his posture at his superior's question and handed over a letter.
"I just brought it back. It seems to be the news you've been waiting for, but I haven't opened it yet."
"The news I've been waiting for, huh."
Aiden received the letter.
"...Hmm."
His hand, breaking the seal, became cautious at the name of the sender.
"Who is it from?"
"Shh."
Kalisa nudged Jamie in the side at Aiden's serious expression, but unlike usual, her colleague didn't relax his tense face.
At that sight, Kalisa also quietly observed Aiden's expression.
However, she couldn't read any information from it.
A white face with all traces of laughter erased.
It was a beautiful face that the maids of the Lord's castle would steal glances at, stomping their feet and letting out high-pitched squeals, but when he was expressionless like that, it had a strange power that chilled people to the bone.
Clack.
Aiden read the short letter quickly and set it down on the desk.
"Close the door."
At those three syllables from Aiden, the three adjutants and one secretary moved quickly.
After roughly fitting the smashed door back into place, they hung a red cloth outside so the maids couldn't approach, closed the windows, and drew the curtains.
"The news we've been waiting for has finally arrived."
The contents of the letter were finally revealed.
Gulp.
The sound of someone swallowing, whose it was no one could tell, echoed through the office.
The first to speak was Jamie.
"Has Jefferson finally made up his mind?"
"Yes."
As the former adjutant of Lontes and the center of the anti-Viscount Lontes faction, he had finally asked for help from a friend outside.
The contents of the letter:
He could tolerate the Lord of Lontes persecuting his retainers, but since he had become addicted to forbidden drugs and had given up on looking after his people, this was an act of disloyalty to the Emperor, and he could no longer stand by and watch. Therefore, he asked the Administrative Officer of the neighboring North to lend him his strength.
In other words,
"It means he can't hold out any longer."
At Aiden's affirmation, Kalisa's lips curled up.
How long had they waited for this day!
"Is it a military expedition? Or a blockade first?"
Would they cut off the logistics and starve them out?
Or would they raise an army and swallow them up in one go?
The former would be criticized for starving innocent people of another territory, and the latter would increase the political burden.
Of course, that was only if it were anywhere else.
"Both."
These Northern territories, which the center ignored as being so remote, had no problems as long as they looked decent on the outside, even if they were engaged in a dogfight.
No, they had already taken measures to ensure there would be no problems.
'I didn't wait all this time for nothing.'
They had made the economy of Lontes and the economy of the North one and the same through dual contracts.
They had gone through the trouble of using the Second Prince to annoy Lontes.
They had secretly stirred up the people of Lontes to turn them into wanderers and influx them into the North.
They had even shoved a poisonous mushroom with severe side effects into the opposing Lord's mouth.
"Let's confirm one last time. The First Prince has agreed to us taking over Lontes, right?"
"Of course. After receiving word via messenger that he would be waiting for the flag to be changed, there has been no talk of reversal."
"I will bring down Lontes, so please give it to the North. The unified North is preparing to change its flag."
That handwritten letter sent to the First Prince.
Aiden finally declared that the day of the promise had arrived.
"The justification is fully prepared. Raise the army."
The wolf that had been crouching in the bushes finally bared its fangs.