Chapter 096. A New North (1)
“I’m exhausted.”
With bloodshot eyes, Khan gently closed them. The discussions, which had stretched on for nearly a dozen days, were grueling enough to drain even those accustomed to intellectual labor. More so since the topic at hand was too significant for a casual approach, hence the preparation had to be thoroughly conducted, even at the expense of sleep.
“Still, the outline is somewhat clear now.”
After organizing the myriad issues in his head, Hern didn’t take a break but immediately left his personal office. His frail body signaled the need for rest, yet leisure was a luxury he couldn’t afford, not when there were ambitions to be fulfilled. It was time to exert himself more.
He left the office provided to him during his days as a court minister and headed somewhere else.
“I’m still not used to this….”
Hern couldn’t hide his discomfort as he walked down a corridor that now felt utterly devoid of any signs of life.
The Great Fortress had been consumed by the Corrosion, which had been eradicated through the heroic efforts of two barbarian warriors and a swordsman, along with consuming every human within at the time. Oddly, the fortress itself emerged relatively unscathed, which sometimes gave Hern a chilling feeling. And as he passed the now-empty corridors, he couldn’t help but think.
“If Khan hadn’t kidnapped me….”
“I wouldn’t be alive and walking around like this.”
Nor would he be able to burn his life away for a new ambition.
***
The place Hern headed to was the audience chamber inside the Great Fortress, a somewhat familiar location to him. Unlike before, there were no knights guarding the door, and the doors were wide open as if welcoming anyone.
Upon entering, dozens of eyes turned towards him.
“Tch. Those glares….”
The feelings behind those glances were largely similar – envy, impatience, disdain, and vigilance…
It was a natural reaction, all things considered. Originally, his status would place him at the very bottom of those present. However, having caught the eye of the Duke and become a court minister, and then seizing a key position amidst the chaos of “that day”, the results were inevitable.
Without showing any sign of being conscious of the focused attention, Hern confidently walked towards the round table set in the center of the audience chamber. The table, specially made for today’s meeting, lacked a designated head seat as a symbolism of equality among the participants, although most of the seats were already occupied.
“Still, a pecking order is inevitable.”
Nobility inherently sorted themselves into a hierarchy. Despite the absence of a designated head seat, all present instinctively knew where they belonged based on their status.
“Ah, you’ve arrived, Hern!”
Ermon, who was out of place with the etiquette of nobility, stood up and greeted him warmly. Ignoring a disapproving cough from someone, Ermon simply smiled widely.
Hern responded with a light smile and nod, then proceeded to find a seat. There were three empty spots left. One near the door, one in the middle of the room, and one directly below the throne at the far end, which everyone implicitly recognized as the seat of highest honor.
‘The throne as a reference point for the head seat, suggesting those closer wield greater influence.’
The identities of those occupying the seats near the ‘head’ lent credibility to his guess.
To the left of the ‘head seat’, a man whose appearance screamed of a rugged life and not of noble birth was visible. It wasn’t just his appearance; he wasn’t a noble at all. He was the leader of a mercenary band that was among the first to join forces with the Duke during the summoning of the northern mercenaries and currently regarded as the de facto leader among them.
In contrast, to the right sat a young man who was true aristocracy.
“The eldest son of Count Lante.”
He was the eldest son of Count Lante, who had been decapitated by the Duke’s magic in the plains of Karunya. Having succeeded his deceased father as Count Lante, he did not join under the Duke but instead locked the city gates. In a way, he was the only person at this gathering who had raised a banner against the Duke, and now that the Duke’s rebellion had been quelled, his actions shone brightly.
By declaring opposition to the Duke and enduring to the end, succeeding his father who was the first to be slaughtered by the Duke, he rapidly rose as a symbolic figure.
‘It naturally gives him a cause. In the reshaping northern power structure, he has the cause to stand at the center.’
From the royal family’s perspective, there was no one more suitable than the young noble to steer the future direction of the north, the only person among the attending nobles who had not participated in the rebellion.
Understanding this better than anyone, as soon as the news of the Duke’s death spread, he entered Ro-Elpellan and stealthily grew his influence. In a way, his capability was something even more to be wary of than that of the leader of the mercenaries.
“You’ve arrived not a moment too soon, court Minister Lebron. I thought you had collapsed from overwork since you took so long to get here.”
“I abandoned that name long ago. And I manage my own health, so save your concerns.”
“Ha ha. Is that so? Well, then, please take a seat. We must start the meeting.”
Indeed, the checks were sharp. Hern, smiling at the young Count Lante who spoke out of the blue, walked confidently towards the inside, with all eyes focused on his footsteps. Without any hesitation, he passed the middle seats.
“……”
“……!”
Several nobles gasped, and the young Count Lante laughed as if amused, while the leader of the mercenaries showed his displeasure openly. Hern felt a strange thrill as he took his thought-out place and sat down.
“Let’s begin the meeting, then.”
Directly below the throne, it was the seat of honor.
***
“The prisoners should be killed immediately. They’re like bombs. You never know when they’ll explode, and once they do, it’s impossible to predict how far the fire will spread. What’s the point of keeping them alive?”
“That’s not right. Sir Feru, their treatment should wait for the royal family’s decision. After all, they are traitors who have risen against the Argon royal family, and rightfully, the royal family should be the one to punish them.”
“The royal family? The one that hasn’t shown its nose in the north nor shown any interest?”
“Watch your words─! How dare a subject of Argon disrespect the royal family…!”
One of the attending nobles raised his voice, and the others joined in chastising Feru, the leader of the mercenaries. However, Feru snorted in contempt, mocking the nobles in return.
“You’ve gathered quite the loyal subjects. On the one hand, you guys sided with the Duke. No, you were the ones who knelt the fastest. Am I worse than you?”
The nobles retorted in unison. Feru watched them mockingly and then turned his hostility towards the Count Lante they were arguing with.
“After all, do you even have the right to discuss the treatment of prisoners? Cooped up in your city, only to crawl out like a hyena after everything was over.”
“It’s embarrassing to admit, given your words.”
Despite Feru’s direct criticism, the young Count Lante did not lose his gentle smile.
“After all, isn’t this a place prepared for discussion? The moment you gave me the opportunity to attend this meeting, I earned the right to speak. I’m simply proposing the best solution, as expected of me.”
“Hm. Your tongue is quite smooth.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment… Now, there seems to be someone who hasn’t yet shared their thoughts. How about asking for their opinion?”
Reacting to Count Lante’s words, the nobles who were growing red in the face and shouting turned to look at Hern, who was seated in the seat of honor. Indeed, though he secured the highest seat and showcased his position, Hern had been sparing with his words.
“What do you think? I’ve heard that you were the first to act that day, promptly addressing the chaos. Would you share your wisdom with us?”
“It seems the discussion boils down to two points. In my view, neither option is a bad choice. However, there appears to be a better choice available.”
“Ha ha… Is that so? I’m curious.”
“It’s nothing much.”
Hern brought out a prepared answer.
“Wyvern corpses buried in Al-Rasdel. Even now, some of you present here are interested in digging them up using prisoners of war. The by-products obtained in such a way can be purchased by those who desire them, paying the price. The money shall be used for the reconstruction of the North. This way, it seems we could capture both public sentiment and substantial benefits.”
The meeting room fell silent, likely calculating the pros and cons of Hern’s proposal. And unsurprisingly, the fastest to complete this calculation was a young count from the North.
“Very well. The prisoners we have captured are all elite soldiers, each worth two or three able-bodied men. Moreover, using the prisoners for labor could also imprint on the people that our control is still intact.”
“So, after we make use of them, we just wait for the royal family to send someone to decide what to do next?”
“Exactly.”
Count Lante nodded in satisfaction, his face exuding pleasure. Even Feru, whose face was filled with dissatisfaction, quietly closed his mouth, seeming content inwardly. They had joined hands with the Duke for profit. As long as they were promised sufficient benefits, they were willing to work with anyone.
“Then, let’s confirm this agenda as is. We’ll discuss the details further later.”
“That sounds good. Next on the agenda is a discussion about the unclaimed treasures accumulated over the years by the Duke and his family…”
Just as the tumultuous first agenda seemed to be concluding, a deep and heavy voice intruded into the room.
“Discussing what when the owner is right here?”
Hern’s face stiffened terribly.
The other nobles were simply stunned by the abrupt intrusion, not feeling the same embarrassment and dismay as Hern. They couldn’t imagine that the figure who had rectified the chaos of ‘that day’ was a barbarian who had hardly achieved civilization.
It was somewhat understandable.
‘They still do not know through whose hands the Duke’s rebellion was quelled.’
They only thought that Hern, along with the mercenary guild master and the Black Wing Duke’s Great Warrior, had led the efforts to bring an end to the incident.
But Hern knew. He had been completely played by this barbarian, used merely as a piece to tidy up the mess. Perhaps this was true for the mercenary guild master and the Black Wing Duke’s Great Warrior as well…
“That person is…”
“…the barbarian who conquered the demonic realm with the mercenary guild master and the Black Wing Duke’s Great Warrior,” Count Lante laughed, apparently amused by the unexpected situation.
“But, you’re engaging in an interesting conversation. Are you insinuating… that the Duke’s wealth belongs to you?”
“After listening to everything, what do you mean by asking again? Insolent fool.”
“Insolent, fool…?”
Count Lante, likely to emerge as the next powerful figure in the North, was taken aback by such a disrespectful remark, his mouth agape.
Regardless. The intruder, Khan, strode confidently into the heart of the meeting room. Instead of intervening, those attending the meeting waited for someone to step forward as the barbarian who seemed made entirely of weapons barged in. After seeing his fist, the size of a person’s head, who would dare to?
“Hang on, let’s hear what your side has to say. Please, take a seat over there…”
Despite Count Lante’s belated courage, he couldn’t stop Khan’s advance.
Ignoring the high seat, Khan moved to a particular spot.
With a thud.
“From now on, how my property is used will be decided after I hear your discussions. So…”
It was the throne only the owner of the Grand Ducal Castle could occupy.
“Let’s start over. From the beginning.”