Chapter 129: Sorting Out the Hierarchy (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129: Sorting Out the Hierarchy (2)
Sorting out the hierarchy.
At those words, Baron Romero's expression hardened.
"...My son. Do you understand the weight of what you are saying?"
"I do."
"Then I will be honest with you. Although it is an uncomfortable truth for all of us, the nobles of the northeastern region do not wish to accept the commoner-born Dmitry family as their leader. If we aggressively move to establish a hierarchy, war will undoubtedly break out. My concern is the chaos that would engulf the northeast. I cannot sacrifice our people for the sake of petty power."
Baron Romero's stance was firm.
They were the undisputed apex of the northeast. Even if an uncomfortable truth lurked beneath the surface, outwardly, everyone acknowledged and followed the Dmitry family.
So why push it?
There was no reason to wage a war just to drag their true feelings out into the light. It was only because Dmitry possessed overwhelming power that they could even force such hypocrisy from the other nobles.
Roman spoke. "If Cairo's political situation weren't so unstable, I might have agreed with you, Father."
The Southern Front. The four factions of Cairo. Through his recent experiences, Roman had realized that absolute power was an absolute necessity.
"The Cairo Kingdom is a bomb waiting to detonate. The royal family is too weak to control the nobles in the capital, and Marquis Benedict, hailed as the living authority, boasts power that eclipses even the throne. Meanwhile, Count Gregory and Count Denver, who serve the Empire, are leaking Cairo's vital intelligence in real-time. Father, how long do you think this peace will last? The Kronos Empire's border incursions are becoming more frequent. To them, Cairo is a strategic stronghold, and they will almost certainly declare war in the near future. When that time comes, the nobles of the northeastern region will have no future."
"That is no different for the rest of the nobility," Romero countered. "If the country is swept up in war, the future of the entire kingdom cannot be guaranteed."
"Indeed. But the problem is that the authority to conscript lies not with the King, but with the Central Government."
If war broke out, everyone would bear the burden. And as was the way of the world, the local nobles would be squeezed dry by the Central Government like wet rags.
"In Cairo, the Central Government wields immense power. If they demand everything we have, we will have no choice but to surrender it, lest we be branded as traitors turning a blind eye to a national crisis. And if we dare to raise our voices in protest, the factions in the northeast that align with the Central Government will use that backing to crush us. That is why I believe we must be willing to make sacrifices now. To ensure the northeast speaks with one voice in the near future, we must completely bring its nobles under our control. That way, no matter what crisis arises, we will stand as firm and unshakable as an iron fortress."
A counterweight to the Central Government.
Roman intended to grasp the entire northeastern region in the palm of his hand. And the beginning of that plan was the issue with Viscount Conrad.
"Father. Through the events involving the Castro family, I realized that the Dmitry family's power is not inferior to that of the Central Government's key figures. The only thing we lack is influence. Even so, why do you refuse to step forward for our people? We have the strength, and we have the justification to help them. Why do you lack the courage to take a risk?"
At this crossroads, Roman pressed his father. To force a decisive choice, there was no room for half-heartedness.
Finally, Roman added, "Above all, I despise the thought of a mere family like Conrad touching my people. Give me the hilt of the sword, Father. If you will only make the decision, I will be the one to stain my hands with blood."
At those words, Baron Romero's eyes shook violently.
*
The conversation did not reach a clear conclusion.
After wrapping up the meeting, Baron Romero remained in his office, drinking alone and lost in thought.
"...My son has grown far too much."
His son's words. They were correct.
The Dmitry family possessed power, yet they did nothing. Though he knew trouble would surely arise in the near future, he hadn't wanted to willingly throw them into the flames of war.
In truth, he still struggled to make a decision. Knowing the hardships Dmitry might face from a single choice, Baron Romero had no option but to be cautious. Yet, Roman's final words left a profound lingering impression. It wasn't the request to hand over the hilt of the sword, but rather his declaration that he despised the thought of anyone touching his people. That sentence kept echoing in his mind.
Is a new era dawning for Dmitry?
The Castro incident. The people of Dmitry had shown their trust in Roman. And today, Roman Dmitry had proven that he would repay that trust with strong leadership.
Perhaps the people were right. Romero, merely a commoner by birth, lacked the vessel to handle Dmitry's true power. But his son, Roman, was different.
In his childhood, he was my sore spot, having experienced the status of a commoner just like me. People call Roman a half-noble, but perhaps it was because of that pain that the Roman of today was born. Roman understands the hardships of the people and seeks to resolve them. What Dmitry lacks is not power, but the lord's resolve. If so, shouldn't I throw my weight behind the one who will succeed me?
Trickle.
He poured the liquor. No matter how much he drank, he did not get drunk; instead, his mind grew clearer with every passing moment. Sometimes, a person can feel a moment of destiny. His calmly settled heart was telling him which future he should march toward.
The succession structure is not something to worry about right now. However, for the sake of Dmitry's people, I must make a decision.
Clack.
He set down his cup.
"Is anyone out there? Bring Knight Commander Jonathan to me this instant!"
He had finally made his decision.
*
Unlike the changes brewing within Dmitry, the rest of the northeastern region enjoyed peaceful days no different from any other.
A few days later, the Dmitry family hosted a party. The official reason was to celebrate Roman's return, and naturally, all the nobles of the northeast gathered at the Dmitry estate.
"We have arrived from the Bolt family."
"I am Sophia of the Grisel family."
"Representing the Heros family, I have come to congratulate Lord Roman Dmitry."
Nobles of all stripes flocked in from the early morning. While the nobles of the northeast did not recognize the Dmitry family as their true leader, they couldn't deny the fact that Dmitry held the real power. Dmitry was undeniably the greatest family in the northeast. And now, since the eldest son of such a family had returned as a hero of Cairo, they were desperate to make an impression.
The massive banquet hall was packed with people. Though they seemed to be enjoying the party in their own circles, they immediately approached Roman whenever an opportunity arose.
"Do you happen to remember me?"
"Sophia of the Grisel family. Of course I remember. Didn't we speak once during the party with Barco?"
"Oh my. You really remember?" Sophia giggled.
He hadn't even said much. The aura of Roman Dmitry overwhelmed the crowd, and the northeastern nobles had no choice but to try and curry favor with him. This was especially true for the daughters of the noble families. Having received special orders from their fathers to seduce Roman by any means necessary, they clung to him, their eyes smiling brightly even at his dry remarks.
Like bees to a flower, people swarmed around Roman. One might expect him to be overwhelmed by such intense attention, but Roman's presence shone even brighter as he naturally commanded the spotlight.
He is definitely not the Roman Dmitry of the past.
It would be wonderful if I could make a man like him mine.
How on earth can I win Roman's favor?
The guests thought to themselves. This party was truly for Roman Dmitry, the hero of Cairo. It was a place where everyone yearned for his attention.
*
As the party got into full swing, a man approached Roman.
"I am Viscount Conrad. It is truly an honor to meet the hero of Cairo who defeated the Hector Kingdom."
"I am Roman Dmitry."
Viscount Conrad. He offered a handshake with a warm, benevolent smile. There was not a single trace of disdain toward Roman. In fact, he did everything he could to win his favor.
"I heard you defeated Butler, a 5-Star Swordsman, in the battle against the Hector Kingdom. It is truly unbelievable that you achieved such a monumental feat in your mid-twenties. I, too, once dreamed of being a swordsman. Of course, I wasn't born with incredible talent like you, Lord Roman, so I gave up without even being able to sense mana. But because of that, I understand better than anyone just how amazing you are."
"You flatter me."
"Flattery? Who in the world could deny your achievements, Lord Roman Dmitry? I heard rumors that you will soon challenge the ranking matches. As a fellow noble of the northeast, my expectations are incredibly high. The northeast has failed to produce any high-ranking rankers for a long time, but I believe someone of your caliber could even aim for the very top."
The atmosphere was warm and friendly. Seeing that Roman was entertaining his conversation longer than expected, Viscount Conrad ignored the envious glances of those around him and continued talking.
It was then. Out of nowhere, Roman brought up an unusual topic.
"Personally, there is one thing I am curious about."
"Please, ask anything."
"I heard that the farmers of Dmitry recently had their farmland seized due to a unilateral notice from you, Viscount Conrad. May I ask the reason? There was an agreed-upon contract period, yet because of your sudden notice, the farmers are suffering immensely."
In an instant, Viscount Conrad's expression stiffened. Though he desperately wished to avoid answering, he tried to handle the situation smoothly.
"Ah, actually, there was a merchant group that offered to lease the surrounding land at a much higher price. That is all. Let us move past such trivial matters—"
"Was that really the only reason?" Roman cut him off.
Viscount Conrad, who had been trying to change the subject, could no longer hide his displeasure.
"Lord Roman. We are here to enjoy a party in your honor. Why must you insist on bringing up such a sensitive issue?"
It was a warning. A sign to drop the subject.
However, Roman took a sip of his champagne and pressed further.
"If we simply gloss over it because it is a sensitive issue, we can never resolve the hardships of Dmitry's people. It is truly a pity. If you had given even a shred of consideration to Dmitry, Viscount Conrad, wouldn't you have resolved the issue with the farmers in a reasonable manner? By honoring the contract period, or perhaps by paying corresponding compensation. At least, that is how I would have handled it."
Only then did Viscount Conrad realize that Roman was picking a fight.
He was deeply offended. Regardless of Roman Dmitry's reputation, he had no desire to continue this absurd conversation.
"I am deeply disappointed in you today, Lord Roman. I attended this gathering with good intentions to celebrate your return. Yet, you bring up such matters in front of everyone. Why are you trying to humiliate me? It seems the rumors praising you as the hero of Cairo are heavily exaggerated. I sincerely respected you, Lord Roman, but after receiving such treatment, I can no longer enjoy this party with a smile."
In the world of nobles, justification was everything. Viscount Conrad judged that this was the right moment to show his anger. No matter how great Roman Dmitry's reputation was, hadn't he gone out of his way to bring up an unnecessary issue and offend a guest? Even if this escalated into a larger problem, Conrad was confident he could garner the sympathy of those around him.
With that confidence, Viscount Conrad took a firm stance.
"I shall take my leave."
Swish.
He spun on his heel. All eyes fell upon him, and the crowd parted to let him pass.
It was then.
"Viscount Conrad. You have yet to properly answer my question. If you end our conversation like this and walk out of this hall, I will take your actions as an act of hostility toward Dmitry."
That was a statement that should not have been made here.
Everyone was astounded. Viscount Conrad turned back to look at Roman, his face filled with shock.
"Come back here. And explain what happened that day."
It was no mistake. It was clearly intentional.
The banquet hall, which had been so lively just moments ago, instantly turned ice-cold, as if doused in freezing water.