Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: The Young Emperor's Insight
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Clink!
Demuer, who had been enjoying his tea alone, quietly set down his teacup.
Sinking into the plush chair, Demuer let out a hollow chuckle as he recalled the bold young man who had just stepped out.
"Hahaha! I thought no one but Paon or Midas would ever understand me. Who would have thought I'd find empathy from a child not even twenty yet?"
The saying that the head and heart don't always agree isn't just empty words.
Many grasp it intellectually. But realizing you're nothing more than a pawn on a chessboard? That brings resentment along with the sting of betrayal.
But Ian Lichtenauer was different.
Having faced countless people over long years, Demuer knew it instinctively.
Ian truly accepted being used—for the sake of the grand 'Aslan Kingdom' collective.
Trash who preach grand causes with others' lives are everywhere. But few can place their own life on the scales equally.
Truly, except for those qualified to stand above others.
"At such a young age, has he already forged the worldview of an emperor?"
The heirs of great houses learn emperor's studies from childhood, seeing sacrifices for the family as natural. But how many keep their composure when they become the 'sacrifice'?
Especially at such a tender age.
"Heh heh! Paon, you sly fox. Leaving a monster like that to be dismissed as 'half-baked' by the world—you're no normal one yourself."
Pour!
Demuer poured himself more tea, chuckling pleasantly for some reason.
The black tea he always drank tasted better than ever today.
Likely because it was a joyful day—he'd found one more soul who saw the world through his eyes.
Step, step!
Having finished his brief talk with Demuer, Ian walked the corridor, reflecting on himself.
'This Agena... is broader than I thought.'
Lucas Alexei unified the vast North Continent, Krohoka, at a young age.
He subjugated countless steppe warriors, allied with them, and founded the Alexandros Empire—one of Agena's mightiest powers in its ancient history.
No ordinary human could chase even a fraction of Lucas's feats.
His mark on Agena's history was monumental.
Having his memories, perhaps that's why.
Ian had subtly looked down on people from other continents.
Among them, South Continent Bestrika was the one Lucas scorned most.
Unable even to handle monsters properly, sharing a tiny landmass.
And within it, scattering power and authority instead of concentrating it.
How foolish.
A nation exerts its greatest strength united under a powerful, capable leader.
Having swiftly forged the vast Alexandros Empire, he couldn't help but find their actions laughable.
...Or so he'd thought.
But now, having glimpsed part of the latent power in the martial clans, magic towers, and royal family—not just the martial clans—he had to admit it.
How arrogant his assumptions as Lucas had been.
'They simply focused on solidly maintaining their domains and systems. Far from lacking ability.'
To them, Lucas's Alexandros Empire must look like a sandcastle by the sea—a fleeting mirage.
Indeed, the moment that genius Lucas fell, Siegfried Duval—that detestable cur—stole everything he'd built.
If Aslan Kingdom faced the same, it would have crumbled too.
No way to withstand the hordes from across the continent.
Yet they had history, talent, and pride.
Even if Paon and Midas fell, the next generation would raise new martial clans and magic towers given time.
Krohoka surely had talents to carry on the Alexandros legacy.
But what good are scattered talents if the one at the top lives arrogantly again? Their wings would be clipped.
'...I want it all.'
A strange fervor lit Ian's face as he walked.
The talents, the systems forged over ages, the honors breeding pride.
And the emperor's path pursuing a different way from his own.
With all that, challenge the Hegemon's path once more.
Ian sensed instinctively.
The moment he claimed all of Lichtenauer Martial Clan, he'd soar higher than before.
'First, handle what must be done.'
Before an envoy's door.
Ian cautiously knocked on the firmly shut door.
Knock, knock!
"Our kingdom's commission... you say?"
Perhaps caught off-guard by the unexpected proposal.
The man's eyes widened—he'd been awaiting only the border reopening to return home.
"Uh... Young Lord Ian. Did I... mishear you?"
His cautious question still brimmed with deep suspicion and distrust.
"Haha! No such thing. I have no hobby of detaining busy officials with idle jokes. If my words discomforted you, I apologize."
Bow!
The man flailed his hands in panic at Ian's apologetic bow.
"Ah, no. Of course not. Please don't. Ahem... Naturally, we'd welcome any aid from Lichtenauer Martial Clan. However..."
Throat parched, he sipped the dark coffee on the table before asking back.
"With commissions piling up from everywhere for Lichtenauer Martial Clan, why pick our kingdom—one that never even submitted one? Frankly, I don't understand. If it's not rude... may I ask the reason?"
The man with wary eyes was Viscount Sozen, envoy from Pang Kingdom in East Continent's Javak.
They'd sought Lichtenauer's help to subjugate bandits rapidly expanding in Javak recently.
But upon learning not Eldest Young Lord Alex, but Ian as lead, they were among the few who never sent the request.
Ian might feel slighted, but it was understandable.
Ian, called 'half-baked' with no apparent authority in the clan.
True, Elder Luyen's fondness drew some notice, but the matter was grave.
For Pang Kingdom, far away with scant clan ties, another chance might take ages.
Yet Sozen hesitated because rashly requesting from Ian risked offending Alex, dooming future commissions—a disaster for Pang.
No nation gambles its fate lightly, no matter the urgency.
But when it emerged Ian—not someone else—saved Princess Isabel Aslan from midnight assassins a week ago, everything flipped.
Given his feat repelling intruders at that age, assumptions of weak clan influence proved wrong.
Sozen had been agonizing like that.
Pondering a connection before departing, when Ian came first with a proposal—it was a godsend.
He wanted to accept instantly, but Sozen desperately reined in his impulse.
'Stay calm. He wants something. Find out what.'
Having lived feeling the woe of a small nation crushed by giant Kan Empire, Sozen knew favors come with strings.
Ian rather liked Sozen's caution shining through the wariness.
"Well, since you ask... I'll be frank. You know Aslan Kingdom sustains its economy through trade."
"Of course. South Continent's metallurgy and artifact crafting are renowned... but above all, cataclysms don't even exist in Bestrika, do they?"
As Sozen said, cataclysms posed existential threats elsewhere, yet were Bestrika's secret to outsized influence despite being a mere kingdom.
Rare materials no other continent could obtain, plus unmatched metallurgy and artifact skills to refine them.
And crucially, Aslan's royal diplomacy enabled exclusive supply to other continents' clans and towers.
This trifecta gave Aslan immense trade sway across Agena.
Not absolute, though.
Which is why Ian raised it with Sozen.
"We see Pang Kingdom's commission as a chance to open new East Continent channels."
"Channels... meaning?"
Sozen had an inkling but feigned ignorance, probing.
"Viscount, you handle much of Pang's international affairs, I hear. Surely you grasp what I mean."
"Sigh..."
As Ian spelled it out, Sozen sighed deeply.
"Products from cataclysm monster byproducts, and tower-processed artifacts sold to the East Continent—only through Kan Empire, right? We want direct export channels to Pang Kingdom. That's our condition."
Before entering Shurton and grasping Paon and Demuer's intents fully, Ian was certain this was the answer.
East Continent trade weighed heavily on Aslan's economy.
"It's not just for us. With Kan Empire monopolizing imports, Pang must repurchase our goods at absurd markups, no?"
Indeed.
Agenean superpower Kan Empire was no pushover.
To the arrogant empire, Aslan—'sole South Continent nation' or not—was just a kingdom.
They wouldn't tolerate small fries trying to manipulate a great power.
So they devised a clever scheme ordinary folk wouldn't dream of.
If Aslan exclusively supplied it.
Monopolize demand control too, and no need to bow to small nations.
Thus, they monopolized East Continent imports.
Never directly telling Pang.
Just dispatch armies to borders whenever Pang tried South Continent trade—problem solved.
Naturally monopolizing Aslan goods, Kan Empire swallowed all Aslan's trade profits, forcing Pang to buy at double or more direct prices.
Thuggish neighborhood bully tactics.
Some might say sell elsewhere, but not so simple.
Kan Empire, vast in land and population, consumed 40% of Aslan's trade goods.
Dumping that volume elsewhere would crash prices instantly.
"Hm..."
Sozen only groaned at Ian's proposal.
Not ignorance of this grim reality.
He knew it better than most—he'd been in delegations begging Kan to end the monopoly on Aslan goods.
"Tempting, but... I must refuse. Kan Empire won't sit idle."
He could assert it confidently.
Arrogant Kan would never forgive two small kingdoms scheming against a great power.
But despite Sozen's fears, Ian spoke calmly.
Ian already had a plan's outline.
A scheme only he—who'd lived as the genius Hegemon Lucas—could conceive.