Chapter 75
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Count Landert
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The Imperial Capital was in an uproar. An unexpected bloodbath had swept through out of nowhere.
Marquis Ardein, the de facto leader of the New Nobility faction and a great noble revered by countless people, was at the center of it. Shocking news had spread that he and several other nobles were colluding with foreign powers.
In response, Crown Prince Astheon drew his sword. From the crack of dawn, the Imperial Guard scoured the capital, and in the blink of an eye, numerous nobles were rounded up.
It was a bolt from the blue. The atmosphere was utter chaos, but Ian's ennoblement ceremony went off without a hitch.
"I hereby grant the family name Landert to Ian. From this day forward, Court Mage Ian shall become Count Landert and safeguard the Empire for eternity."
With the Emperor's proclamation, Ian was now officially a count. He had truly become a hereditary noble.
There was no opposition. They had all been arrested. Everyone rushed in to offer congratulations, but it somehow felt awkward.
'Somehow it feels like all the guys who hate me got rounded up...'
He thought it was just his imagination at first, but no—it was fact.
'No way it happened because of me... right?'
Ian chuckled. It was a ridiculous notion. Why would the Emperor go to such lengths for a mere commoner-born retainer? Who did he think he was?
'Just a coincidence.'
As befitting his new status, he received a fief.
The Monson region in the Empire's southwest—which Ian personally found quite appealing.
A river ran through it, with mountains at its back. The very picture of "back to the mountains, facing the river."
But it didn't seem to sit well with the Emperor.
Understandably so, since it was a worthless scrap of borderland.
The kind of commonplace rural barony you could find anywhere—nothing more, nothing less.
When Ian asked for such a place, even the Emperor found it puzzling.
"May I ask why you chose such a worthless rural fief?"
'Why? Managing a big territory sounds like a pain. Too many eyes, too much work.'
"A court mage belongs in the palace. How could I abandon my duties for personal gain? This humble subject needs only a small patch of land—one I can run smoothly while carrying out my tasks."
'The real reason? It's got a mana stone vein.'
A total jackpot.
Of course, the Emperor had no idea.
"The Crown Prince certainly knows how to pick 'em. Excellent judgment."
The Emperor nodded approvingly.
"A loyal vassal! Truly loyal! A talent who puts the realm first! A retainer obsessed with duty day and night! No wonder he excelled at the Magic Management Division!"
"......"
"Very well! Let it be done! I grant the Monson region to Sir Ian as his fiefdom and rename it Landert. Let all know this!"
And so, Ian became the lord of the Monson region—no, the County of Landert.
Even after becoming a count and a lord, Ian's daily life wasn't set to change much.
He was still a court mage, after all, and his residence remained in the capital.
Ian had no plans to settle in and play the proper lord just because of his new title. He wasn't about to pour his heart into fief management either.
In truth, he intended to hand operations over to a proxy.
But now that he had a duty to govern the County of Landert, he felt compelled to at least inspect the place.
No matter how much he delegated, he'd still need to keep an eye on things, right?
Fief policies, development plans—that sort of stuff?
"I'll head out to check on the fief."
"Go ahead. Take your time—no rush."
With Astheon's permission secured, Ian set off.
A warp portal to a nearby fief, then a full day by carriage. He finally arrived at the lord's castle, greeted by the head steward—a man in his late fifties with graying hair.
"I am Wilson, head steward. I will serve you from here on, my lord."
"Yeah, I'm Ian. Looking forward to working with you."
"Goodness, no need for such courtesy with the likes of me... Speak freely, please."
"Uh, alright then."
Speaking casually to someone at least thirty years his senior felt off, but he went with it.
"Mind showing me around?"
"Of course. Right this way."
Under Wilson's guidance, he toured the fief.
The central lord's castle, modest farmlands spread around it, mountains rising behind.
A textbook mountain village fief.
After seeing it all, Ian stood on the terrace of the lord's office, gazing out over the landscape in awe.
"Damn, what a killer view."
He hadn't been impressed when he first got the place, but now that it was his land? Completely different story.
Indescribably proud.
But daunting too.
'So... now what?'
Ian had picked this region for its mana stone vein.
Mana stones were practically essential for alchemy. A steady supply would slash research costs dramatically.
If the Emperor was handing out fiefs anyway, why not grab one that was actually useful?
Still, devoting this whole sprawling land to just mana stone mining felt like a waste.
'Gotta develop it, right? It's my fief.'
These folks were his people now—like his kids. Time to play dad and fatten 'em up.
Problem was how.
'Screw it—turn it into an alchemy city?'
Ideas came flooding in.
'Labs everywhere, massive research projects... Heh heh heh.'
Top-tier mana stone factories, golem production hubs...
He even toyed with making the entire fief one giant alchemy lab before shaking his head wildly.
'No, what the hell kind of thought is that.'
He tried shaking off the fantasies, but they wouldn't quit.
'But seriously, it's not a bad idea? Total twofer: develop the fief and advance research.'
Absolutely, positively not for the alchemy. All for development.
For his beloved subjects.
For the people he'd gladly give his life for!
Yeah. That's it.
'Brilliant plan. Time to map it out.'
Brimming with excitement, Ian returned to the capital.
"What the—lefty? Why the goofy grin?"
"Just my usual face."
"Nah, you're beaming."
"Me?"
"Yup. Good news...? Oh, the fief. Fair enough."
Ah, so he was smiling.
Hadn't noticed.
"Ahem. Just pondering how to provide for my people as their lord."
"Solid thinking."
"All for the Empire's glory."
Ah, but the grin kept creeping back.
At the same time.
Ddol Ddoli was crossing a forest.
A dense conifer wood blanketed in snow—a pristine white expanse teeming with monsters. Perfect.
Lots of monsters meant lots of fights.
'Ddoli caught tons of ice trolls. Few more and I'll get stronger.'
Vanquishing foes made him stronger. He could sense it instinctively.
Each kill filled an invisible something deep inside. When it brimmed over, his body toughened, power surged, and he leveled up.
'Few more catches and Ddol Ddoli gets strong. Might unlock new power.'
Usually just tougher and stronger, but sometimes a special tingle hit.
That meant a special ability was coming.
Like right now.
Ddol Ddoli has defeated the Ice Troll Chieftain!
After slaying the Ice Troll Chieftain—head a full size larger than the rest—Ddoli felt that inner fullness crest.
It washed over him, then ebbed back to empty, as always.
No one had to explain it—he knew instinctively what had changed.
-Ddoli... not as cold.
He'd always been tough against the cold, but now he was even more so. The biting frigid winds felt like mere gusts.
Why? His body had adapted to this frozen world.
Soaked in icy chill, it had merged with it.
He felt the shift crystal clear.
Ddol Ddoli has adapted to extreme frigid cold.
Ddol Ddoli's stone embodiment begins absorbing frigid chill.
The infused frigid chill mixes with mana.
Ddol Ddoli comprehends a new power.
'Ddoli gets it.'
Ddol Ddoli closed his eyes. Focusing inward revealed his mana. But now, something extra joined it.
'This... chill qi.'
Chill qi.
Icy energy coursed through him. He even knew how to wield it.
'Chill qi has many uses.'
For instance, blend it with mana and gather it in his fist.
Whoooong!
Frost crept over his fist as it froze solid.
Swing like this?
Whung!
Craaack!
Air several paces ahead crystallized into ice, then shattered. A frigid gale whipped up in tandem.
-Heh heh heh. Ddoli mastered new move. Ice Fist Attack.
Not etched as a formal skill, but he could charge it with chill qi anytime for the same effect.
Yet it didn't satisfy. Something felt missing.
'But this ain't true mastery. Ddoli hasn't grasped it fully.'
Maybe this power wasn't for simple attacks.
If not attacks, then...
A more primal application.
'Gets it.'
Eyes shut again. Inward focus. New chill qi merged with mana, naturally infusing it.
Fist thrust: ice fist.
But amplify across the whole body?
Fill the core heart?
Ddol Ddoli has realized the true way to use this new power.
Whung!
Mana surged into a mighty north wind, engulfing him. It turned to a blizzard in seconds.
Whirrrrr!
The blizzard reshaped him.
Stone gray faded gradually, turning pure white.
Ddol Ddoli opened his eyes. He knew he'd changed.
-Ddoli... turned white!
From gray stone golem to gleaming white golem.
Not permanent, though. Sever the resonance, and he'd revert.
-Ddoli senses new stuff!
Excitement bubbling, he explored his new form.
Fully infused with chill, he could wield the cold attribute freely.
Offense, defense—everything.
But beyond that, a brand-new sense. One he'd never had before.
Extreme Cold Sense
[Unique sensory skill usable only in Cold Golem form]
This frigid sense was exclusive to this form.
'Ddoli feels something.'
Focus sharpened sounds amid the howling gale.
Faint voices, buried in the cold wind.
-Wr-wrong. We're wrong.
-Wrong my ass! Listen, Aindelph! Pull yourself together!
-We're done for. Shoulda stayed holed up in the rock peaks. Never should've hunted the Heart of Frost...
-Aindelph! Snap out of it! Aindelph!
Gruff male voices, thick with desperation. Ddol Ddoli's curiosity ignited.
He lumbered toward them.
Thud! Thud!
Stone mass shook the earth. Moments later, he found them.
'Humans?'
No, not humans.
Never seen humans this short.
Kids? Nah, kids didn't sport beards.
What then?
'Weird little dwarves.'
-Aindelph! Ain... Huh?
The hairy dwarf stared at Ddol Ddoli. His eyes bulged.
"G-G-Gods above. A g-g-golem."
-What are you guys?
"A monster golem like that... impossible."
The hairy dwarf's pupils quivered wildly. Shock pinned him—he ignored his groaning comrade right beside him, gaping up blankly.
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