Of course, a noble with a meager fief is bound to be worse off than a noble of lower rank.
If the territory does not match the title, then the Emperor's "gift" becomes mockery rather than grace.
At Lucian's words, Glen gave a faint smile and took something out from his bosom.
"Of course. Please, take a look here."
When he spread the paper wide across the table, a detailed map of the north was revealed.
It was detailed enough that it could be used as a strategic map for war without any shortcomings.
"It hardly needs to be said, but the territory that once belonged to His Highness Klaus, the previous duke, will be returned to Your Highness."
"Well, yes. I suppose it would."
At the unsurprising remark, Lucian made a slightly displeased expression.
After all, the Grimaldi family was an old royal house that had lost all its power, left with nothing but its name.
As for their territory, it amounted at best to a small patch of land on the level of a rural barony.
The tax revenue is pitiful, too. When I looked into it, the cost of transporting it all the way to Valdeck was higher, so they simply left it alone.
At most, it barely brought in enough to cover the minimum expenses needed to maintain appearances.
Its symbolic value was ambiguous as well, so whether such land existed or not made little difference.
What mattered was not the territory they originally had, but the new territory he was about to receive.
"On top of that, His Majesty has granted you the right to reclaim all territories that House Calyx forcibly occupied through territorial wars, as well as any external lands they seized without authorization. If you wish, we can issue immediate eviction orders in the name of the Imperial House."
Lucian's eyebrow twitched.
Hand over all the lands that Count Calyx and his faction had forcibly occupied through territorial wars?
Is he messing with me right now?
If it were actually possible to take them, it would indeed mean receiving an enormous expanse of land as his domain.
The problem was that no matter how much he wanted it, the other side had no intention of giving it up.
Wasn't the Imperial House itself struggling and at a loss because it couldn't put a stop to territorial wars?
So if Lucian suddenly showed up and said, That land is mine now, hand it over, who would possibly step aside?
They'd ignore the eviction order and just mobilize troops to drive me out.
Unless he waged war and seized it by force, there was no chance they would back down.
And to make matters worse, Lucian currently had no private army and would have to rely on allied forces.
If he borrowed troops like that, even if he managed to take the land, he would have to share the spoils as compensation for the favor.
"Your Highness, you don't look pleased."
"To be honest, I'm not quite sure what His Majesty is thinking… Are you saying he wants me to raise an army and punish them?"
Lucian phrased it as politely as he could.
Of course, only his words were polite—inside, curses were pouring out nonstop.
Is this an attempt to provoke a civil war and bleed the north's strength dry? No matter how I look at it, it feels like they're trying to use me as both a pretext and a disposable pawn.
If that was the case, then being a border marquis or whatever amounted to nothing more than a shiny but useless title.
Glen, having caught the implication behind Lucian's words, shook his head without wiping the smile from his face.
"Your Highness, I believe you are misunderstanding this."
"A misunderstanding? Then does this 'gift' carry some other meaning?"
"The lands of House Grimaldi are, to begin with, Your Highness's rightful inheritance, not something His Majesty is granting. As for the territories forcibly occupied by Calyx, that is a request for you to keep them in check, so it would be hard to call that a gift."
At best, it was merely a promise that if he took on additional work, he would be paid appropriate compensation separately.
The Emperor's true gift, Glen said, lay elsewhere, and he pointed to the very center of the map.
"His Majesty has decided to grant Asagrim to Your Highness."
"…! What?"
Startled, Lucian sprang to his feet without even realizing it.
"Asagrim? You don't mean the Asagrim I know, do you?"
"That is correct. Right here."
As if to confirm it once more, Glen pointed to a location at the center of the map.
The place labeled Asagrim was shaded in yellow.
On the map, yellow signified territory directly administered by the Emperor.
Seeing Lucian standing there, utterly stunned and at a loss for words, Glen continued.
"His Majesty intends to place the former capital of the old Northern Kingdom into Your Highness's hands."
***
After seeing Glen out, Lucian summoned his retainers and also sent for Count Harald.
Once he confirmed that everyone had gathered, Lucian spread out the map Glen had left behind and spoke.
"His Majesty has bestowed upon us a gift far beyond our due."
"I heard the news. They say you've been granted the title of Border Marquis—so where exactly is your fief…?"
"Asagrim."
"…What?!"
The retainers went pale, eyes bulging in shock, and Harald all but sprang into the air as he rushed toward the map.
With a loud crash, he snatched it up and frantically scanned it from top to bottom.
"A-Asagrim? You don't mean that Asagrim—the former capital of the old Northern Kingdom?!"
"That's right. His Majesty has granted it to me."
"By the Eight Gods!"
Clutching the map tightly, Harald collapsed back down as if his legs had given out.
His eyes reddened, as though tears might spill at any moment.
At his intense reaction, Hugo and Felicia exchanged awkward looks.
"Pardon me, but what exactly is Asagrim? I know it was the capital of the old Northern Kingdom and is currently under His Majesty's direct rule, but…"
"It is the spiritual heart of the northern people, an impregnable iron fortress, and one of the ancient legacies. Its symbolic value alone is immense, to say nothing of its strategic and artistic worth."
Raymond replied to Felicia's question with a grave expression.
More than joy, he seemed curious about the Imperial House's intentions in handing over such a place.
"It's suspicious. Reviving the name of Grimaldi wasn't enough—they're even giving you Asagrim? Isn't this a trap?"
Keeping the former capital of the old Northern Kingdom as an Imperial domain had a clear reason.
Because of its symbolism, it could one day become the nucleus of a rebellion.
Yet now the Imperial House was not only abandoning Asagrim, but handing it to a descendant of the old royal family?
It was practically an open provocation, urging the revival of the old Northern Kingdom.
"Just in case, perhaps we should refuse it for now…"
"Refuse it? Refuse it, you say? Now—now that the chance to reclaim Asagrim has finally come—and you're talking about refusal?!"
Before Raymond could even finish speaking, Harald whipped his head around.
A murderous glint burned in his eyes, as though he might swing an axe at any moment.
"A trap or not, what does it matter?! The glory of the old North is finally being restored—who cares what schemes lie behind it! Do you even know the bitterness the North has endured?!"
"M-My lord, please calm—!"
"Calm down?! Do I look like someone who can calm down right now?!"
"Viscount, restrain yourself."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Snarling like a beast, Harald subsided at Lucian's single command.
Watching him turn from a raging animal into a meek rabbit in an instant, the retainers clicked their tongues in amazement.
"It's probably not a trap. Judging by the secret letter His Majesty sent, he seems sincere."
"What did it say?"
"I can't tell you. It's something you must not know."
Not only the retainers, but even Harald flinched at that.
For him to put it that way meant that merely knowing its contents would mark it as a top-level state secret, dangerous in itself.
"What matters is that—even if not to the extent of fully restoring the Northern Kingdom—His Majesty seems willing to turn a blind eye to the birth of a grand duke with elector status."
"Of course, it wouldn't be for free."
"In return, His Majesty wants me to support His Highness the First Prince. It must be that the First Prince's base of power is weaker than we thought."
"No, but why would—hm."
Raymond was about to comment on the Emperor's peculiar fixation on the First Prince, but closed his mouth instead.
Information we must not know. An unreasonable gamble. Favor so excessive it borders on the absurd. And the reason he will never choose the Second Prince.
As the various pieces of information came together in his mind, a chilling hypothesis surfaced.
Before it could fully take shape, Raymond quickly shoved the thought aside.
Whether it was truth or delusion, it was something he could never voice aloud.
"In any case, if that's true, then it's nothing but good news. Is there some problem?"
"The problem is the succession contest. The gift itself couldn't be better, but if I accept it, I'll be tied to the north for quite some time."
With Calyx watching keenly, he couldn't simply appoint a proxy and leave for a while.
Let his guard down in front of an enemy, and he might be stabbed in the back at any moment.
But if he stayed rooted here, he would automatically be eliminated from the succession race.
"His Majesty said he would recognize my claim to Valdeck as well, but if my father disqualifies me, it means nothing. I called you because I wondered if any of you had a different idea."
"…M-my lord. Actually, there's something I was meaning to tell you."
Hugo, who had been quietly listening the entire time, hesitated before stepping forward.
When Lucian tilted his head as if to tell him to go on, Hugo pulled a small piece of paper from his coat.
"A letter arrived earlier. They said Hans sent it to you from the main house."
"What? Hans sent me a letter?"
"Yes. One of his former subordinates—who's working under him now—delivered it."
Lucian quickly snatched the paper from Hugo's hand.
As he smoothed out the crumpled sheet, crookedly written letters came into view.
The handwriting he'd learned during his steward training was awkward, but not unreadable.
—Jordi's behavior is suspicious. Signs of rebellion. He plans to head north soon with Ian. Do not reply. You may be discovered.
After finishing the letter, Lucian closed his eyes in silence.
It seemed there was only one option left now.
"Lately, that fellow Hans has been acting suspiciously."
"Hans? And who would that be?"
Jordi, the Second Young Master of the Valdeck Grand Ducal House, tilted his head at his confidant's words.
It sounded like the name of some commoner he'd heard before, but he couldn't quite place it.
"He's the Third Young Master's personal servant. He's recently been receiving steward training within the family."
"Ah, that trembling servant who used to cower behind Lucian? What about him?"
"He's been liquidating everything that can be turned into money and buying food and travel clothes. It seems he's planning to leave the house in secret."
"Hah."
At his confidant's report, Jordi let out a short laugh.
"Ridiculous. While the others remain blissfully ignorant, a mere servant picks up on the signs first."
"Shall we deal with him?"
"No. Leave him be."
"Are you sure that's wise?"
"Making a move just to kill a single servant would only arouse unnecessary suspicion. Besides, even if he dies, it won't deal the Third any serious blow. He already took all the truly valuable pieces with him."
Felicia, the future Sword Saint; Raymond, formerly of the Black Lions; and Hugo, once a boss of the underworld.
He had taken every person who could truly be called talent, leaving not a single one behind.
Killing a servant with no real ability would only cause a brief flare of anger before he was casually replaced by someone else.
"In that case, it's better to let him go. There's no need to risk exposing our grand plan just to catch a rat, is there?"
"That is exactly as you say."
"Then stop worrying about pointless things and focus on perfecting the preparations. There isn't much time left until the day of action."
At Jordi's dismissal, the confidant bowed deeply and withdrew.
Jordi watched his back for a moment, then, after confirming that no one else was around, muttered to himself.
"If you have business, speak quickly. Don't make me strain my nerves by hiding in people's shadows."
—…So you noticed?
A sinister voice seeped out from the shadows.
It sent a chill down the spine, yet Jordi merely gave a faint, unaffected chuckle.
"Whenever you show up, the air around here turns cold. My neck feels this icy—how could I not notice? And it's not as if this is the first time. We've met far too often by now."
—Thank you for telling me. Aside from my master, I rarely meet the same person twice.
"Are you threatening me now?"
—I'm merely stating a fact. I should thank you for pointing out a flaw I hadn't considered.
At the flat, emotionless tone, Jordi's eyes narrowed.
He had always been an unpleasant fellow, but today he felt especially chilling.
"Enough. Get to the point. What brings you here today?"
—I've come to deliver a letter from my master.
A moment later, a small letter slipped out from the shadows.
After picking it up and reading its contents, Jordi nodded.
"Good. Then I'll proceed as planned on the day your master indicated."
—Failure is not an option. Please make absolutely certain everything is in order.
"If this goes wrong, it'll be my head that rolls first. Do you think I'd take it lightly? Spare me the needless worry and just deliver my words properly."
Watching the discarded letter vanish as if it were being sucked back into the shadows, Jordi curled his lips into a smile.
"Tell your master this as well—once I become Grand Duke as promised, I will spare neither body nor soul in service to His Highness the Second Prince."
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