Harald's expression hardened.
An inspector—an official dispatched by the imperial court when there were signs of tax evasion, rebellion, or serious conflicts among territorial nobles.
Unless the matter was significant, one was never sent; it was a temporary post with a different appointee each time, yet its authority was immense.
Whoever the inspector might be, the words spoken from their mouth were no different from the Emperor's judgment.
And yet an imperial inspector in the North…
If mishandled, it could cause the North—already restless with anxiety toward the imperial court—to explode outright.
But Lucian smiled and patted Harald on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. I'm the one who requested it from His Majesty."
"You asked for an inspector to be dispatched!? When in the world did you—!"
"Just before I left my family."
At Lucian's words, realization struck Harald like a flash of lightning.
Come to think of it, if the request had been made only after arriving in the North, there was no way the inspector could have arrived this quickly.
From appointing a suitable official at the imperial court, preparing them, and then traveling all the way to the North, a considerable amount of time would be required.
Unless Lucian had submitted the request before coming north, this arrival would have been impossible.
"Just what kind of plan have you been laying out?"
"It's nothing more than insurance, just in case. Well… it happened to line up perfectly, almost miraculously."
"Insurance?"
"For now, let's go greet the inspector together. We can't very well keep His Majesty's representative standing outside indefinitely, can we?"
"Hm."
Though he felt uneasy, Harald nodded.
As Lucian said, leaving the inspector waiting outside would only invite needless misunderstandings.
It wasn't that he lacked questions, but whatever the inspector had brought would soon make things clear anyway.
The details could wait until then.
***
Lucian was taken aback when he stepped out to receive the inspector.
A face all too familiar was smiling back at him.
"Sir Glen!"
"It's been a while. Or perhaps not long enough to call it that?"
A knight of the Black Scale Order.
He was the very man who, during Lucian's previous visit to the capital, had shown him courtesy and guided him through a secret passage.
Lucian had expected someone friendly to be sent—but never Glen himself.
Usually in cases like this, wouldn't they send a court noble? Sending a knight, no matter how trustworthy, is unexpected.
Even if the position of inspector was temporary and unconstrained by one's usual rank, this was still an extraordinary appointment.
In a way, it could even be seen as excessive consideration toward Lucian.
No matter how favorably an inspector might act, it was unlikely they would be as warm as someone with personal goodwill.
"I'm glad I managed to find you so quickly. When His Majesty said the destination wasn't entirely clear and told me to head to the North first and search from there, I nearly went blind from despair."
This was a side effect of the request Lucian had submitted before departing for the North.
He had asked them to come without a clearly defined destination.
From Glen's perspective, that meant he first had to locate Lucian in order to deliver the edict.
"Still, thanks to Your Highness's reputation, it wasn't difficult to find you. After all, an awl in one's pocket can never truly be hidden."
"You flatter me. But what did His Majesty say…?"
"Ah, my excitement got the better of me. I should convey His Majesty's words first."
Glen took out the imperial edict, wiped the smile from his face, and called out to Lucian.
"Lucian Valdeck, son of Sigmund Valdeck—heed the command of His Majesty the Emperor!"
At the solemn voice, Lucian promptly knelt.
An imperial edict demanded the same level of respect as an audience with the Emperor himself.
"Karl von Bey Astria, ruler of the Empire, hereby recognizes Lucian Valdeck's legitimate rights to the remaining legacy of the House of Grimaldi! As the maternal grandson of the previous duke, your rights shall be guaranteed, and any who defy this shall face My armies!"
At the long-desired words, the corners of Lucian's lips rose.
No matter how much Calyx tried to block him now, once such an edict had been issued, they would have no choice but to hand over the legacy.
All that remained was for him to stand upon Grimaldi's rightful inheritance and look down upon them.
Good thing I took out insurance in advance. Though that does mean I now owe the Emperor a favor… later—
"Furthermore."
Glen's voice snapped Lucian out of his thoughts.
What he had assumed was the end of the Emperor's message still had a few lines remaining.
"Lucian Valdeck is hereby granted the title of Margrave, and permission is given for the restoration and revival of the Grimaldi name! You shall be Grimaldi and Valdeck alike, retaining your rightful status as a Valdeck as well!"
Lucian's eyes widened at the completely unexpected proclamation.
A margrave—and a restored surname?
Still reeling in shock, he heard Glen smile faintly and bow.
"Congratulations on your investiture as Margrave, Your Excellency. You are now the Margrave of Grimaldi. Or should I address you as Duke, Your Grace?"
Despite Glen's words of congratulations, Lucian couldn't bring himself to regain his composure.
The reason he had previously refused the title of margrave was simple: the moment he accepted it, he would lose his right of succession within the House of Valdeck.
With the Emperor already watching him closely, he hadn't dared to ask for both.
And yet now—not only was he being appointed margrave, but he was also granted permission to restore his surname, and even his rights as a Valdeck were being preserved?
This went beyond exceptional—it was an outright absurd level of favor.
At this point, it's less about goodwill and more about wondering what kind of scheme might be lurking behind it.
When Lucian lifted his head, he saw that everyone else was just as stunned.
Not only his retainers, but even Baron Harald stood there with his mouth hanging open.
As everyone shared the same silence, Glen reached out and grasped Lucian by the shoulder.
"Your Grace, pull yourself together. I'll explain the details once we're inside."
By now, Glen's smile was gone.
The gravity in his eyes made it clear—there was indeed more to this than met the eye.
"Your Excellency—no, Baron Harald. Let us borrow your reception room for a moment."
"Ah, of course—no, I mean! Please do!"
Harald answered absentmindedly before hurriedly correcting his tone.
After all, Lucian now held both the rank of margrave and the title of duke, placing him officially above Harald in standing.
"Please come with us as well. We'd like you to hear this too."
"That won't be possible."
Lucian had intended to bring Harald along as well, now that he was firmly an ally, but Glen shook his head.
In a tone so firm it was almost chilling, Glen leaned in and whispered into Lucian's ear.
"Your Grace, this is a secret letter from His Majesty. It cannot be disclosed to anyone else."
A secret letter—on top of being appointed Margrave of the North?
At this point, it felt as though something meant for Duke Sigmund himself had been delivered to the wrong person.
Lucian gave Harald an apologetic look with his eyes, then entered the reception room with Glen.
***
"What in the world is going on? A margrave? I only asked for recognition of my rights to my grandfather's legacy."
"I imagine this must be bewildering. I'll explain shortly. But first…"
Glen opened the door of the reception room and checked the surroundings, then placed several oddly shaped circular plates at different points around the room.
When the four circular plates settled into a square formation, a reddish aura spread through the space.
"What is this?"
"A magitek device that prevents sound from leaking outside."
At such thorough precautions, Lucian clicked his tongue.
Only after the reddish light faded did Glen finally let out a sigh of relief and look back at him.
"Now then, everything is in place. If you have questions, ask whatever you wish."
"First of all, what exactly is my title? I was told my surname restoration was approved."
"Exactly as it sounds. Your Grace is both a duke and a margrave, as well as a candidate to succeed as head of the House of Valdeck."
It sounded like wordplay, but upon closer inspection, each title was of a different nature.
Here, "duke" referred to the ducal title originally granted to the House of Grimaldi.
Its rank was high, but it was largely honorary, tied to little more than a single small village.
As a duke, the land Lucian would receive amounted to no more than a rural hamlet.
By contrast, a margrave is something else entirely.
With dramatically lower tax obligations and almost no standing army restrictions, a margrave was a regional powerholder.
Even if its formal rank matched that of a count, its actual power often surpassed that of an average marquess.
The Emperor had allowed Lucian to maintain the prestige of Grimaldi while simultaneously holding a title with real authority.
"His Majesty asked for your understanding. If he were to grant you even greater authority, he would have had to bestow the rank of Grand Duke or Prince-Elector, which would have been excessive—so this was the only viable approach."
"I understand. But you said margrave—so my territory would be…?"
"Before that, please read this first."
Interrupting Lucian, Glen handed him something.
It wasn't an ornate scroll, but a small piece of black paper folded neatly.
It looked unremarkable, yet that very plainness made it feel all the more ominous.
When Lucian unfolded it, he found a politely written message inside.
—Let us dispense with needless words. I imagine you are quite bewildered by now. What you have received is far more than what you asked for. You may even suspect that I am laying some kind of trap.
Without realizing it, Lucian nodded.
Just as the letter said, the Emperor's offer felt less like a gift and more like something suspicious.
As if anticipating Lucian's reaction, the Emperor had thoughtfully continued.
—You may or may not believe me, but I have no intention of harming you at all. On the contrary, I am in desperate need of your help. More precisely, my son—Claude—desperately needs allies. I want you to build a power base and lend him your support.
"Hah…"
That damned First Prince again.
Why was this Emperor so obsessively fixated on him?
Considering the disgrace he had shown on the battlefield, the Second Prince was a hundred times the better choice—and the Emperor surely knew that.
Lucian barely managed to swallow the sigh that threatened to escape, but as he read on, his eyes widened.
—You must be wondering why I cling so strongly to that child. The answer is simple. The second cannot use the magitek relics reserved exclusively for the imperial bloodline. I will not go into detail. Now that you know this, I trust you will respond wisely.
This lunatic…
Without thinking, Lucian crumpled the letter in his hand, then cautiously glanced at Glen.
Glen turned his head away, as if he knew nothing at all.
Lucian wanted to pretend he hadn't seen it either—but it was already too late.
—Grow strong. Build your faction. And support that child. Do not forget the gift I have given you. There is no trap here—only favor. I intend to bestow nothing but grace upon you, so return that grace to my son. That is all I have to say.
Fwoosh.
The moment Lucian finished reading the final line, he burned the Emperor's secret letter in the nearby candle flame.
Given the suddenness of his action, one might have expected Glen to panic—but he remained perfectly calm.
"It seems you've finished reading."
"Do you know what was written in that letter?"
"I do not."
His expression showed not a trace of falsehood, though it seemed he was ignorant only of the letter's precise contents.
He likely knew something of the imperial court's darker secrets—and could probably guess what Lucian had just read.
Lucian clicked his tongue softly, scattered the ashes of the burned letter, and sank into thought.
Is the Emperor's life nearing its end?
In his previous life, he had believed the Emperor took to his sickbed from the shock of losing the First Prince.
But thinking back now, perhaps it wasn't just grief—perhaps an existing illness had simply worsened, and his lifespan had already been short to begin with.
Otherwise, there would be no reason to suddenly reveal such deeply confidential matters.
It was clear he was willing to take drastic measures to secure an unshakable base of support before he left this world.
"Your Grace, His Majesty instructed me to return with a definite answer."
Faced with Glen's sharply gleaming eyes, Lucian let out a bitter smile.
If the contents of the letter were true, then the Second Prince had no right of succession at all—supporting him as the next Emperor was impossible from the outset.
On top of that, Lucian had been granted the restoration of the Grimaldi name, the rank of margrave, and even retained his succession rights within the House of Valdeck.
After receiving so much, how could he possibly give any other answer?
"Please tell His Majesty this: Lucian Valdeck will not forget today's grace, and he will pledge his loyalty to His Highness the First Prince."
"A truly wise decision! As expected of Your Grace—!"
"My thanks for the praise, but—"
Lucian stopped Glen, who was about to cry out in emotion.
Praise was the last thing he wanted to hear right now.
"First, tell me about the territory His Majesty has bestowed upon me. If he granted me the title of margrave, then he must have given me lands worthy of it as well, yes?"
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