The Weight of Wintergard's Name
The name of Wintergard carried real weight—it was never to be taken lightly.
"Wh-what do you mean by that?"
"It seems you've only just heard about the North's independence as a grand duchy. We've already reached an agreement with the imperial family, and it's gone into effect."
The nobles' murmurs grew louder by the second. Had the North truly become an independent grand duchy? The Northern Grand Duke wouldn't lie here, so it was as good as undeniable truth. But that was far from good news. Especially not in times like these, when factions were splitting apart.
"This is a treaty between sovereign states, so there's no room for debate here at this council."
"Even so, the Bart family's territory is still within the Empire."
"We've already settled it with the imperial family. Shouldn't you be asking them instead of debating it yourselves?"
No one from the imperial family had arrived yet. The Crown Prince. He was now firmly beneath me in standing, but apparently too ashamed to show his face.
There was no one to explain, and more importantly, it seemed they hadn't given the nobles any proper accounting.
Marquis Kalum looked the most flustered of all.
"Deploying Northern troops to the Bart family's territory was explicitly my order."
"Th-that violates imperial law and every established precedent, doesn't it?"
"Traditions are made to be broken once in a while."
I grinned, teasing Marquis Kalum. The other marquises reacted much the same. But even if they wanted to argue back, they had no ground to stand on.
Declaring a grand duchy meant claiming sovereignty and seating myself as its lord. In short, they had no real leverage to nitpick, even if they wanted to.
"Of course, I understand your concerns."
What if the North suddenly went mad and marched south with a massive army? Or if we couldn't hold back the nomads? For anyone unfamiliar with the North's true state, those fears would come first.
It left me with two paths forward. Paradoxically, everything was on the table.
"But the soldiers stationed in Bart territory will be under a commander acting on my behalf, so you needn't worry."
"What if their intentions twist, or if the duke's own plans go awry?"
"That won't happen, but if it did, the Marquis of Bart would handle it himself."
Of course, the Marquis of Bart only had limited military authority, but this should sound reassuring enough.
Yet unease didn't vanish so easily.
"Besides, we can't just stand by while bandits meddle in trade between the North and the Bart family."
"So, in other words, they're an escort force for the road linking the North and Bart—something like that?"
"Well, you could say that... or not."
I gave a vague reply. If Northern troops were stationed there, they'd stay until I ordered otherwise.
"And with the deal already sealed, Northern gold will flow to and from the Bart family. Will you lot protect that?"
"That's..."
"Even if you say you would, I wouldn't trust you. Not any more than you trust the Northern army."
It was simple truth. How many here would swear they trusted the Northern Grand Duke's forces? They'd harbor grudges instead.
But I needed to ease the pressure a bit. And that meant money, naturally.
"The deals with Bart are just too big to avoid."
"Many of us still don't know the details of those deals."
Marquis Roland's timely support. Perfect.
I wanted to reveal a flood of information, but no—I'd keep it brief. Everything, in outline.
"We're taking exactly half of the Bart family's gold mine revenue."
"That's an enormous sum, isn't it? Far too much."
"But you can't ignore what the North brings in return."
That was my final word. In exchange for less than half their annual gold output, the Bart family would gain the North's vast resources, manpower—all working for them. Or more precisely, for me, since I'd be the one dealing with Bart.
"With that gold, Bart gets magic stones, iron, horses produced in the North, and plenty of laborers dispatched."
Plus construction fees, lodging— all fronted by the North for now. It was effectively reinvesting Bart's own mine wealth back into them.
So what did the North gain?
"Going forward, infrastructure projects or expansions in Bart's gold mines will follow the same structure."
"Isn't the North taking all the losses here?"
"For now."
But looking to the future, the profits would be immense. Northern output would keep rising, while gold was finite. Endless sources of income and spending created an economy resilient to collapse.
If we were vulnerable to internal issues or external shocks now, binding Bart into one economic bloc would solve that.
"I'm not sure if you grasp it."
"That's..."
"You might not get it, but since becoming a grand duchy, the North has gained real freedom."
We'd been granted full autonomy. That was the point of a duchy. Importing, exporting—without a glance at the Empire or the imperial family.
"Bart's territory will keep developing and growing stronger. The North gains a southern foothold. How's that for a win-win?"
The marquises fell silent. They had no idea of Northern production scales, so they couldn't commit either way.
Hexon had worked hard, but now I was certain: the more they hesitated here, the less they knew about the North.
"Well, we're always open for business."
"Th-that's still..."
"Top-quality magic stones, prime iron, soldiers fearless against nomads. And..."
Vast technologies, countless artisans. People. Anything and everything. We had surpluses rotting away, on the verge of crisis.
"We'll adjust prices, of course, but come to us quick and we'll cut you a deal."
Haha! I laughed outright. Eyes darted between the southern marquises. Their magic stones were always scarce, and warhorses were never enough—especially hardy ones that could stand against nomads.
"His Highness the Crown Prince arrives!"
The man dousing the mood. His face was fine, but below the neck, nothing looked intact. He avoided my gaze—clearly hadn't forgotten the duel thrashing.
"Please, take your seat."
Baron Remi de Bosch trailed behind. Overkill protocol: pulling out the chair, announcing the prince's arrival.
But the other marquises' stares were icy. Normally, they'd leap up swearing fealty. No one moved.
"A-hem."
The Crown Prince cleared his throat awkwardly, but the marquises offered no greetings. After seconds of tense standoff, Marquis Kalum rose first.
"You've arrived, Your Highness."
Only then did the others stand and bow. As every marquis dipped their head, I alone remained seated.
The reason was obvious. Why stand for the man I'd just beaten bloody in the annex?
"How's the spot that got hit?"
"Tch!"
He clicked his tongue and said nothing. Rude, but I'd let it slide once.
Baron Remi watched the prince steadily, biding his moment.
"The meeting's already begun, it seems, but how could we proceed without such a noble presence?"
The Crown Prince launched into self-praise: the palace loaned specially by the imperial family, commendations for Baron Remi's efforts.
I listened quietly. He'd strike soon enough.
"I hear the Bart family and the North have struck a deal."
"Didn't you know?"
"A-hem. We need to revisit that agreement."
I'd expected the imperial reaction. The other marquises didn't matter—they'd roll either way. If the prince won and Northern troops withdrew, fine. If not, the North's strength proved our value as allies.
But the real worry was the prince himself.
"Why?"
"It's..."
"Give me a proper reason."
"The imperial family permitted it with Bart's approval. It's not for Bart to divvy up freely!"
What was he getting at? I could guess: the gold mines were imperial-granted, so why was Bart contracting freely? De Bosch influence lurked there, no doubt.
"Debating sovereignty with me?"
"That's..."
"Or threatening the Bart family?"
"Neither! It violates the law!"
I stroked my chin. Remi de Bosch's game was clear now.
"So you're saying you'll revoke Bart's gold mine rights?"
"N-not yet."
Idiot.
"Even if you did, Bart controls production, and we're just sharing profits beyond imperial tribute. Why stick your imperial nose in?"
The imperial family had no claim. Except one: that de Bosch wench.
"It's all about that girl of yours. Hahaha!"
I laughed long and hard.