Chapter 126
Chapter 126
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Provocation and Alliance
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Rohan Leit.
He was a quintessential knight.
The kind who admired the strong and was loyal to the Empire.
His personal life was clean, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he was already acknowledged as the next head of the family.
The future of the Rohan Duchy was considered bright because of Leit.
“I didn’t expect you to visit so suddenly. My apologies, but I must head to the knight order soon, so I don’t have much time.”
Already dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Knight Order, he gestured toward a chair in the drawing room.
“This won’t be a long conversation. Thank you for agreeing to see me.”
Though his first impression was good, this man was the future head of the Rohan family. He would be no pushover.
Facing the confident man in his mid-twenties, Wang-sik got straight to the point.
“I would like to borrow your strength.”
At those words, Leit’s smile vanished.
Countless people came to the ducal family, favored by the Emperor, with such requests. That was why he usually refused to meet them, but he had made an exception because his impression of Lennox Vega had been rather good.
Thanks to him, he was even developing a good relationship with a woman he had long admired.
But that favorable impression crumbled with that single sentence.
‘Is this all he amounts to in the end?’
Leit had a reputation for being clean precisely because he refused all such solicitations.
“I’m sorry, but if that’s the case, I must be going.”
Leit stood up without even asking what the matter was. Wang-sik nodded as if he had no other choice.
“Then I suppose I have no choice but to do it alone. The damages will be great, but it is for the people of the Empire, so I must bear it.”
“For the people of the Empire?”
“Yes.”
As Wang-sik answered confidently, Leit’s curiosity was piqued.
“What is it you intend to do?”
“I was planning to purify the Kitan Catacombs.”
Leit’s eyes widened.
The Kitan Catacombs.
A territory of the undead located in the southeast.
Though not vast, it was known for the powerful undead that appeared there. The problem was that there were no major cities nearby, so the Empire had never launched a formal subjugation campaign.
Currently, they were merely preventing its periodic expansion.
“Is there a particular reason to purify that place?”
“The area near the Kitan Catacombs was originally a vast plain, a major wheat production region. If the catacombs are purified, farming can resume there.”
“Isn’t the Empire’s wheat production sufficient?”
“For the Empire as a whole, yes. However, the many people who used to farm and live there have been scattered and now live as vagrants. I don’t want to increase the Empire’s wheat production; I want to return their homes to them.”
“Ah!”
Realizing his misunderstanding, Leit sat back down.
“I misunderstood. I didn’t know it was that kind of matter.”
“Not at all. I didn’t come with high expectations anyway. It is my own problem for lacking the ability to handle it alone.”
“May I hear the detailed plan?”
“I need the name of the Rohan Duchy. Only then will the Hemian Temple take this seriously.”
“Hmm.”
Although Vega was an Elder of the Hemian Temple, requesting a large number of priests was a stretch.
Purifying the land would require the mobilization of even high priests.
If the Rohan Duchy were to make a move, the temple would be more than willing to act.
“There is one problem. If our family gets involved, the credit given to the Lennox family will be significantly diminished.”
“That doesn’t matter. This is something that cannot even begin without the power of the Rohan Duchy.”
Leit nodded.
“Judging by your actions so far, this doesn't seem like a one-time affair. Am I correct?”
“That’s right. I plan to continue reclaiming territories lost to monsters. Due to the warp gates, more and more areas are falling into blind spots, and their displaced residents are flowing into the slums of various cities. They either become criminals or victims of crime, posing a threat to public safety. But what I fear is a much larger problem.”
“A larger problem?”
“The possibility of them forming groups.”
Leit’s expression hardened.
A certain word immediately came to mind.
“Are you saying they could become the seeds of a rebellion?”
“I’m not thinking that far ahead. However, there is a very high probability they will grow into a troublesome faction. In fact, aren’t mounted and mountain bandits already on the rise?”
The problem Wang-sik pointed out was real.
It was just that the nobles, who used warp gates, didn't suffer any direct harm from it.
“This is not a matter I can decide on my own.”
“Of course. And let me say this in advance: this is not a task that requires a large deployment of troops. I plan to subjugate it with a small, elite force, so there will be no need for the knight order to be mobilized.”
To prevent Leit from involving the entire knight order, Wang-sik preempted him. What he needed was the name of the Rohan Duchy, not its army.
“Next time, I will arrange a more casual setting where we can just talk.”
Wang-sik left the mansion, hearing Leit’s farewell.
‘He’s obsessed with chivalry, so I have to give him the right bait.’
He deliberately avoided mentioning the impending house wars. In fact, saying that would only create resistance.
‘If I appeal to his sense of duty and we fight together on the battlefield, he’ll start to think of me as a friend.’
This was all Wang-sik needed.
The perception that he had a deep relationship with the Rohan Duchy. Anything more would just be a hassle.
‘The Rohan Duchy and the Hemian Temple should be a sufficient backdrop.’
Trying to engage in political maneuvering with Rohan Leit would only be met with backlash.
For Wang-sik, who intended to avoid political squabbles, he would naturally serve as a shield.
‘Now, shall I start causing some real trouble?’
Wang-sik left the capital behind and returned to Ellat.
* * *
At the same time.
Denello Ispa trembled as he read the letter that had just arrived.
—The ownership of the Manatri Logging Site is to be returned to the Lennox family. Furthermore, all profits illegally acquired to date are to be paid.
It was a formal request stamped with the seal of the Lennox family.
“That crazy bastard!”
The Manatri Logging Site was the Denello family’s most profitable asset, a place they could never give up.
And to demand payment for all past profits?
That was tantamount to demanding the entire Denello family.
But the unpleasant news didn’t end there.
“My lord! Three of our private soldiers who went to the Pregril Mine have been seriously injured.”
“What happened?”
“They say they were attacked by the Lennox family’s private soldiers.”
“What? They used force?”
“Yes. They warned that next time, they would really kill them. They said they would hold them accountable for trespassing on their domain…”
*CRASH!*
Unable to contain his anger, Ispa slammed his hand on the desk and shot to his feet.
“Contact all the families that have a stake in the Manatri business!”
As the butler bowed and left the room, Ispa ground his teeth.
“I’ll show you exactly who you’ve messed with.”
As his anger subsided, the thought of an opportunity surfaced in his mind.
As expected, the ripples Wang-sik had cast did not stop with the Denello family.
Since the shares were divided among several families, they were all struck by this unexpected disaster.
They might have been willing to concede the shares they had acquired for free, but the demand to pay back all past earnings was the real problem.
Not only were the profits from the past few years substantial, but they hadn't pocketed all of it either.
Like any business, it was connected to various other ventures, and profits were distributed as the resources were processed. Repaying everything would result in a massive deficit.
Furthermore, all the costs of maintaining the business—expenses, labor, sales, and facility investments—would be lost.
“We must negotiate first.”
Eventually, the heads of all the related families gathered in one place.
“Negotiate? Why don’t we just ignore it?”
“I heard the Lennox private soldiers are no pushovers…”
“Even so, how many can there be?”
“If strength doesn’t work, can’t we just pressure them with our connections?”
“In any case, returning the profits is out of the question.”
Though their words differed, their opinions were the same.
They would never accept the Lennox family’s request.
However, one man, seated at the head of the table, had remained silent throughout the meeting.
Magnan Ashport.
The head of the Magnan family, the most powerful faction in the east.
He had a nagging feeling about the current situation.
‘He’s not the type to do something so reckless.’
The Vega he had seen at the mayoral inauguration was an astonishingly cold man. For him to make such a request meant he had already considered that this could lead to war.
‘It might be wise to just hand over the shares…’
Their stake was ten percent.
The past profits weren't insignificant, but they hadn't expanded their business from Manatri, and they were financially stable, so it wouldn't be a major issue.
But this wasn't about money.
—Lennox Vega met with both the young masters, one after the other. Since then, the relationship between the two young masters has noticeably soured.
Just this morning, he had received news that Vega was meddling in the succession.
He had been meeting with the eldest son frequently, while secretly meeting with the second son as well.
This was something unforgivable, regardless of who did it.
‘I let him be, and now he’s running rampant. I must use this opportunity to firmly establish the pecking order.’
Vega was supposed to be a permanent puppet of the Magnan family.
If he possessed great martial strength, that too should be used for the Magnan family. That was why they had installed him as a puppet mayor and even returned his mansion.
‘He should have been satisfied with that. How dare he meddle in the succession struggle.’
Magnan made his decision.
“If everyone follows my lead, this will not end with simply protecting the Manatri forest.”
At his words, the other family heads’ expressions brightened.
Unlike before, the Lennox family now had several businesses worth coveting.
“Of course, we will trust and follow you.”
“We must use this opportunity to make a clear statement.”
“He will learn a painful lesson about who he has provoked.”
The family heads were united in their purpose.
* * *
Wang-sik received two official documents.
—The request concerning the Manatri business rights is rejected.
—The Rohan Duchy will formally join the subjugation of the Kitan Catacombs.
As expected, the family heads moved to defend their business rights, and Rohan Leit had decided to join the subjugation.
“Faster than I thought.”
He had anticipated the family heads’ opposition, but Rohan Leit’s decision was quicker than expected.
Moreover, the formal participation of the Rohan Duchy.
This result exceeded Wang-sik’s expectations.
He had expected Rohan Leit to bring his private soldiers at most, but this meant they were forming an official subjugation force.
“Ten knights, no less.”
The Rohan Duchy had twenty official knights.
Half of them were joining the subjugation, and the timing was left for Wang-sik to decide. This felt less like joining forces and more like they were treating him with proper respect.
“No need to delay. Contact the Hemian Temple.”
A letter, with the Rohan Duchy’s official missive enclosed, was immediately sent to the Hemian Temple.
With this, the Hemian Temple would surely grant its approval at once.
—How should we respond regarding the Manatri business rights?
“Send the same message to all related families.”
This time, he decided to send the official document not just to Denello, but to every family with a stake.
He was setting the stage for a house war.
—Understood.
Unlike last time, the ghost butler offered no other advice.
“Things are about to get noisy. It’s been too quiet for too long.”
Thinking of the conflict that was about to begin, the corners of Wang-sik’s mouth curled into a smile.