Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Founding a Nation
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“Spare me! Please, just let me live!”
“G-Guards of the King! Why me, a loyal servant of the Brodia royal family!?”
The nobles who had been caught fleeing, along with those who had routinely deceived Cameron, wailed at the top of their lungs.
From the nobles’ perspective, it was quite unfair. Sure, they had committed various misdeeds against Cameron, but execution seemed a bit excessive.
The problem was that the one wielding the sword wasn’t the weary, listless young king, but a vampire duke who was ruthlessly meticulous.
“…As such, Lord Rwite falsified documents to embezzle the royal family’s assets. And Lord Suengo operated a gambling den, lending money at 20% daily interest…”
Under Eugene’s orders, Aud led the chief accountants, who demonstrated their expertise to the fullest.
These money-grubbing experts had uncovered every illegal financial act by the vassals in just a few days.
As a result, not only their crimes against the king and royal family came to light, but various other offenses as well.
“Death for all. Their families and servants, all to be enslaved.”
Eugene’s cold judgment fell.
“There’s no such law!”
“Hold a proper trial! Opening a noble trial without a wise druid is illegal—don’t you know that!?”
“I’ll curse you! May every evil spirit in the world cling to your houses and kill all your children!”
“Burn in a pit of fire! You vampire scum!”
The nobles who had begged for their lives with tears eventually spat curses with foaming mouths.
But Eugene didn’t so much as blink.
“The Golden Evil Spirit is already by my side.”
“Right, right. This body is the Golden… Ack? M-Master?”
“And even if I fell into a pit of fire, I wouldn’t die. Execute them.”
Eugene spoke swiftly and slashed his hand down.
Considering their status and honor to some degree, entrusting the executions to high-ranking knights was Eugene’s final courtesy.
With Galpredic and Edmund’s clean axe swings, the nobles’ heads tumbled one after another.
Waaaaah!
Regardless of nation or race, public executions were among the greatest spectacles, so the Brodin plaza’s gathered citizens cheered loudly.
As the merchants’ investigations had revealed, most of the executed nobles were those who had racked up resentment through usury, gambling, liquor, food hoarding, and more.
That was why the citizens cheered even as a foreign army beheaded their own country’s nobles.
“The social cancers that rotted Brodin are gone! To commemorate today, we’ll hold a grand feast!”
Woooooaaaaah!!!
Moreover, the city’s new ruler, Duke Vampire, was incredibly generous.
Of course, it wasn’t as grand as advertised—just cheap booze and simple food distributed—but the citizens rejoiced and praised Eugene all the same.
Eugene was satisfied too. Because most of what was distributed to the citizens had come from the executed nobles’ mansions.
Whether the citizens starved or not, the Brodia royal family’s nobles had hoarded liquor and food in their warehouses.
“Food that wouldn’t last long anyway. Spreading it around to win hearts suits me fine. It’ll help the marquis too.”
“Your Grace’s immense generosity will not be forgotten.”
Cameron was deeply grateful to Eugene, who had avenged him as promised and provided considerable aid in directly ruling Brodin afterward.
“Those aren’t freebies. Send compensation within the year. And don’t forget the taxes.”
“O-Of course.”
“Good.”
Thus, everyone was satisfied with what the greedy, utterly untrustworthy nobles had left behind after their executions.
* * *
Leaving Leoma as a pledge of the oath, the Fransill patriarch and Lorraine departed under the knights’ escort.
The only hiccup was Lorraine throwing a tearful tantrum to stay as a hostage, until Eugene, unable to stomach it, knocked her out with his blood aura and had her carted off.
Of course, that was from Eugene’s perspective; the Fransill patriarch saw things a bit differently.
“Within a month, no compensation? Then your eldest son ends up like this.”
Pointing at the heads of Brodia nobles impaled on the walls, Eugene’s words forced the Fransill patriarch to unleash his riding skills at full throttle for the first time in ages.
After the Fransill clan departed, Eugene summoned Galpredic, Ranslo, and others to discuss the next plans.
“How about we take a breather here? What do you think?”
When Eugene asked their opinions, Ranslo stepped forward first, pointing at the Brantia map.
“An excellent idea. For now, Your Grace’s influence has expanded greatly by subjugating the Brodia royal family and Fransill clan. It covers more than half of Brantia overall. We definitely need to consolidate internally at this point.”
“Hmm.”
Eugene was a bit surprised.
Because unlike Galpredic, he’d expected Ranslo to oppose his idea.
“Unexpected. I figured you’d want to go smash the Baiman Orcs, Ranslo.”
In fact, if Ranslo had said that, Eugene was prepared to agree and had already devised some plans.
“Revenge is important, but that’s my personal matter in the end. And Your Grace isn’t the type to look the other way.”
“I’ll join your revenge unconditionally. I swear it on my blood. Even if you say go north right now, I’ll go.”
Touched by Eugene’s sincerity, Ranslo’s expression softened, then he grinned.
“Yes. I trust Your Grace. But the Baiman Orcs’ lack of movement so far is the issue. My revenge alone doesn’t give us sufficient justification to strike first.”
“Justification, huh. Got any good ideas?”
“Heh. If they won’t move, we make them move. Simple as that.”
“How?”
“Proclaim the founding of your nation.”
“…!?”
Eugene, Galpredic, and even Edmund’s eyes widened, so Ranslo pointed to the Brantia map again.
“Roughly from here to here is the territory Your Grace has claimed. About six or seven tenths of the national land? No dynasty in Brantia history has held this much without declaring a nation.”
“Hmm. So that’s the idea?”
Eugene’s eyes sharpened thoughtfully as he spoke.
“If I proclaim the founding, the belligerent Baiman Orcs will react somehow?”
“Precisely, Your Grace. Their pride and sense of crisis won’t let them sit idle.”
“We know their pointless orc pride, fine. But sense of crisis?”
Galpredic tilted his head.
“Orcs have shorter lifespans than humans. So among the Baiman Orc elders ruling now, few are over fifty. What does that mean?”
Ranslo circled Eugene’s territory largely on the map and continued.
“No existing Baiman Orc has ever seen another race’s lord claim territory this vast.”
“Kieet!? So our Eugene master is the first ever!?”
Mirian fussed, and Ranslo gave a meaningful smile.
“That’s right. Your Eugene master is the threatening, powerful lord the Baiman Orcs are facing for the first time.”
Ranslo turned back to Eugene.
“So proclaim the founding. After internal consolidation, of course.”
“Internal consolidation…”
Eugene eyed the map sharply and said.
“You mean the lords who haven’t submitted to me?”
“Yes. We must deal with them somehow. Then, when we proclaim the founding, the Baiman Orcs will move for sure.”
At Ranslo’s conclusion, Galpredic thumped his breastplate and stepped up.
“I’m for it! Forget the Baiman Orcs for now—there are still too many lords with land who don’t follow the master. Let’s clean them up first.”
“I’ll follow Your Grace’s will unconditionally.”
“Kieet! Me too. We gotta seize all those other lords’ wealth like this time. Kiehehe!”
With Galpredic, Edmund, and even the spirit agreeing, Eugene nodded.
“Good. Then summon the knights and mercenary captains.”
Soon after, all the knights and mercenary captains under Eugene gathered in the great hall.
“First, we’ll distribute rewards for merits.”
Eugene appropriately divided the dead nobles’ assets among the delighted knights and mercenaries.
“Ooh! Thank you, Your Grace!”
“As expected of your magnanimity! Haha!”
The knights, securing their first real gains since arriving in Brantia, were overjoyed, and the mercenary captains grinned ear-to-ear after paying their men with shares left over.
They all thought following Eugene was the right choice, any lingering doubts about him being a vampire noble evaporating.
But Eugene’s main point was just beginning.
“As you all know, my territory in Brantia has grown considerably. Over half—more than four-fifths—is now under my influence.”
Ooh…!
The knights and mercenary captains watched Eugene with eyes mixing tension and anticipation.
“You’ve probably guessed, but there are still many lords who don’t fully follow me. Hunting them down one by one would take too much time and isn’t befitting my station.”
Back when they’d just crossed into Brantia, maybe, but now Eugene’s status was top-tier, so all nodded.
“To that end, I have a proposal for you knights.”
Pausing, Eugene nodded to Galpredic, Ranslo, and Edmund, who stepped forward and lined up.
“Form three units under these three as commanders and conquer all directions except north.”
“I have a question!”
“What?”
The knight who raised his hand spoke with an excited face.
“Are we proposing submission? Or crushing them by force?”
At the knight’s question, everyone’s eyes gleamed. Much would hinge on Eugene’s answer.
Eugene scanned the knights and mercenaries at peak anticipation and spoke.
“No time, so conquer by force. Naturally, those lands will be distributed as your fiefs.”
Woooooaaaaah!!!
The knights and mercenary captains went wild at Eugene’s bold declaration.
That was precisely why they’d crossed the harsh seas to Brantia.
Becoming lords—that was the ultimate goal of men who took up sword and spear.
“One month. Under the Black Dragon banner! Subjugate them all!”
“As Your Grace wills!!!”
The knights and mercenary captains roared as one.
Their eyes blazed like a molten furnace, bodies twitching to charge out—they were united in that moment by one emotion.
“Kieeet! Gold, silver, treasures! Deeds to houses, land, castles! Bring ’em all to master!”
Ambition!
Burning with that single emotion, the three units under the Black Dragon banner raced off in different directions.
* * *
Five days later, Eugene returned to Bartla Ducal Castle with the Beowulf warriors and Partek’s White Company.
Having left with such a massive army, his return with just over a hundred men shocked the castle nobles.
But when they heard he’d subjugated the Brodia royal family and Fransill clan, and dispatched forces to conquer other domains in the expanded territory, all cheered.
Eugene had cause for joy too.
The elf knights he’d sent to Elrand returned with a royal letter and the last of the Bartla Ducal House’s tributes: the magic armor Armis.
And the magic armor gave Eugene a massive shock.
“Kieeeeeet! Wh-What’s this!?”
“…!”
What greeted him from the huge crate was blood-red crimson plate armor.
But Eugene wasn’t shocked just by the blatantly vampire-symbolic color.
“M-Master! This… matches, right?”
The spirit, who’d spent more time with Eugene than anyone, incredulously alternated glances between Eugene and the magic armor Armis, whispering rapidly.
“These weird patterns drawn here. They’re exactly like the tattoos on master’s body!?”
(To be continued)