Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Northern Conquest (11)
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Anastasia nodded as if it were only natural, without showing any sign of disappointment at his words, and spoke.
"Even the war chief of our Kerzhit tribe cannot decide the treatment of those who have surrendered without the khan's permission. Therefore, even if they are to become slaves after defeat in war, making them slaves without the khan's approval is a grave crime. So, I know that even you, who slew the khan, cannot decide our treatment."
If they had been officers from the Empire, they might have had something to say about comparing the Emperor to a northern barbarian khan.
After all, both shared the common trait of being the supreme authority of their respective groups.
Moreover, her analogy showed that she was well aware of her current situation.
"However, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor cannot ignore Colonel Jaeger, who slew the wicked khan threatening the Empire from the north. Besides, the high-ranking officials won't take a mere tribal chief's words all that seriously. They are busy dealing with the surrenders from numerous other tribes, not to mention the prisoners who followed Ludwig."
As she said, Count Venner and the northern command, along with His Imperial Majesty, must be wracking their brains over how to disperse all these prisoners across the nation.
A mere tribal chief pleading to improve her tribe's status and treatment would likely not even be considered, let alone accepted.
So, was she planning to negotiate with me, who bore the fame of slaying the khan, and then have me report my impressions of her to Count Venner or His Imperial Majesty?
This went beyond boldness—it was almost genius-level insight.
"Fine. I can't decide the Kerzhit tribe's treatment, but I can certainly offer my opinion. Alright, what is it you want?"
She spoke confidently, as if she had been waiting for those exact words.
"The group that came with our tribe wishes to surrender to the Empire."
"After coming this far, isn't that a given?"
"To be precise, we will surrender all the land we hold and live wherever the Empire tells us to. Not as northern folk merely serving the Empire like other tribes, but as true Imperial citizens—farming and hunting within the Empire."
This was how most barbarians—no, northerners—surrendered to the Empire.
A tribal chief with their own territory would lead their tribesfolk to the northern army commander acting on behalf of the Emperor, reporting the tribe's size and location.
The northern army would then dispatch a unit to the reported area to verify the residence, territory size, economy, and military strength.
Afterward, they would draft a pledge of mutual cooperation in case of troubles in the north and establish a minimal alliance.
Upon receiving an imperial edict from His Imperial Majesty, the tribe would officially become Imperial northern subjects under the Empire's banner.
The problem was that we weren't directly managing these surrendering barbarians.
They were unstable elements who could betray us or stab us in the back the moment their numbers didn't match up.
"What, do you think the Empire will purge those who surrender?"
"I don't doubt the Empire. It's just that His Majesty would probably prefer we not remain in the north, half-farming and half-herding as we do."
"It's best not to show any attitude that doubts His Majesty. I might let it slide, but other officers won't."
Even as he said that, with the dangerous force of Ludwig gone, the Empire now effectively shared a border with Sweden.
They wouldn't kill surrenders outright, but they would gradually weaken those who might betray at any moment.
Or, for the Empire's safety, they might pick petty faults to eliminate tribes one by one, as ancient Choson or other nations had done.
"I'll be careful."
At her words, he nodded in agreement and, to properly gauge her value, asked,
"Simply surrendering to live on the frontier is enough with a pledge of loyalty to the Empire and occasionally providing troops when the northern army needs them. But if you want to become Imperial citizens, you'll bear the corresponding duties as well. Anastasia Kerzhit, what duties do you intend to take on?"
In truth, from His Imperial Majesty and the Empire's perspective, having the Kerzhit chief step forward and say this much would suffice.
"When you drove away the wicked Ludwig, we who lived in the north came wishing to become Imperial citizens under His Imperial Majesty's protection."
This would earn the Reich Empire a reputation not just among its own people but even among nations like the Franco Republic as a great empire that had successfully civilized even barbarians.
And His Imperial Majesty would want more barbarians to fully assimilate as citizens starting with them, so he would grant them fertile, prime lands.
But the bold and wise golden-haired beauty before him didn't seem the type to settle for that little.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have risked everything to come this far.
"We will become Imperial citizens and serve His Imperial Majesty. Our warriors' families will till the lands you assign, bear and raise children. The children born on Imperial soil will work for the Empire, drawing on the knowledge and memories passed down from parents who raised horses and livestock in the north."
Tilling fields was a roundabout way of saying they would submit to Imperial order, and the jobs the children she mentioned wanted...
They meant becoming specialist technicians passing down livestock husbandry.
"Moreover, the warriors I brought can ride horses a hundred kilometers in a day and, on the battlefield, harass enemy lines with arrows from beyond reach. In short, they are ideal messengers and the finest mounted archers. Surely His Majesty will need us."
He knew full well the prowess of barbarian cavalry.
Especially when lightly armored, darting across the field shooting arrows and fleeing—impossible to catch.
He had no choice but to fight while taking arrows, and thinking back to how many times Ludwig's forces had troubled him because of them...
It still made his teeth chatter, but bringing such cavalry to their side would be a tremendous gain.
"I agree with Duke Kerzhit's words to some extent. However, while citizens settling on Imperial soil can be accommodated in villages by tribe as much as possible, the warriors might be fully dispersed, taking orders from other Imperial officers or warriors from different tribes."
This was something all Imperial nobles accepted and endured.
Proof was in his own unit: young heads of viscount and count houses who had inherited young,
soldiers mixed from various territories,
and only about thirty under his command from his own lands.
But if they couldn't accept this—wanting to serve in the same unit as a tribe unlike the Imperial system, due to tribal bonds—
he could sympathize emotionally, but the army couldn't admit those not fully obedient to the Imperial system.
Besides, gathering cavalry by tribe was dangerous from the start.
At this, Anastasia pondered seriously for a moment before replying.
"We came prepared for that. But if we endure it, will you accept us all as Imperial citizens?"
He had no authority to decide their treatment, but honestly, if they were willing to go this far, even His Imperial Majesty and capable ministers wouldn't discriminate against them.
On the contrary, to make northern barbarians envious and prompt more surrenders, they would surely treat the Kerzhit tribe preferentially.
Thus, within his authority's limits, he decided to reassure her.
"The Empire's principles are simple. Those who bear the duties of citizens shall enjoy the rights of citizens."
Of course, this included natural class distinctions.
Realizing the meaning of his answer, she smiled brightly and nodded.
"If there's anything else you want, say it now. I can't guarantee acceptance, but I can at least pass it along."
That night, he and she discussed the Kerzhit tribe and their group's treatment endlessly. The next day, per Count Venner's orders, Anastasia headed to the northern army headquarters for review of their future disposition.
On the way, she said she'd prefer to serve under the slayer of the khan if possible, but with over three hundred thousand Imperial troops, she surely wouldn't be assigned under him.
He stayed in the area another month before word came of the relief force's arrival, allowing all units at the northern border to finally return to headquarters.
"Now this damn expedition is truly over. I don't care about anything else—just let me serve somewhere warm for once."