Ch.130Duke’s Council #3

“…Sigh.”

After lunch, Alon’s heavy sigh filled the dining room.

As we finally seemed to be getting to the main point, I straightened my posture and waited for what he had to say.

The appropriate tension made it easier to focus.

“Once again, I thank you all for gathering here despite your busy schedules.”

The oldest of the three dukes and the master of this house began. It was a courtesy to draw attention before getting to the main point.

“Since the most experienced Duke Caliwood personally sent an invitation, it would be impossible to ignore. So… what is this about?”

Luke, who had already emptied half of his still-steaming tea, asked first.

It was a question I had been eager to ask as well, so I thought he did well.

In response, Alon exhaled briefly, then tapped the table and spoke.

“I am aware that the two of you—or more precisely, the two ducal houses—do not get along well. However, it seems that animosity must cease for the time being.”

Animosity, huh.

It was natural that Krauser and Killinear didn’t get along well, so I had nothing to say about that.

In fact, Luke from the Killinear side had been acting so ambiguously that it was hard to tell whether he was hostile or friendly… but what Alon said wasn’t wrong.

Especially since they were the heads of competing factions.

I understood this well, but it was curious why the head of the neutral faction, who had been keeping quiet until now, would bring this up and tell us to stop the friction.

As the Grand Duke, I asked on behalf of the Duke, as I had discussed with Helena this morning.

“Animosity, you say. That may be true, but I’m curious why you, who has maintained a neutral stance, would say this. Especially after calling all of us here.”

“Hmm. I was just about to explain that. Hey there!”

When Alon called out loudly toward the dining room door, it opened as if on cue.

A servant entered carrying a thick stack of papers like a pile of documents, and carefully placed them on the table.

Alon briefly thanked the servant for his effort, then picked up the stack of papers as the servant hastily departed.

Looking closely, there were three rather hefty document stacks secured with pins.

He handed one of them to Luke and me, saying:

“Please look through this first.”

If he says to look through it, I will.

I read through the densely written letters on the documents, shoulder to shoulder with Helena.

It was a report, almost like a diary, meticulously recording what had happened each day.

After reading the report while holding my breath, I slowly raised my head and asked Alon:

“The Empire is making such movements?”

“Yes. As you know, my territory directly imports quality fabrics from the Beastkin Nation. That means we have exchanges with them and can naturally travel back and forth.”

“So you used those traveling people to obtain this information?”

“Precisely. Although the Beastkin Nation is far from our kingdom, it’s not something we can simply ignore. While there’s no need to send formal spies, we should at least understand the situation for the sake of trade. But this time was different.”

As I listened to Alon’s voice, I lowered my gaze back to the report.

Though many words were written, meticulously recording daily events, the content could be summarized in one line:

The Empire, which had been quiet until now, was secretly making contact with the Beastkin Nation.

“Secret contact… Is it an alliance, or pressure?”

“I believe it’s an alliance. Even for the Empire, directly confronting the Beastkin Nation would be burdensome.”

“Indeed. It would leave their flank exposed.”

Luke stroked his chin as he listened to Alon’s answer.

Seeing him deep in thought, he seemed to be considering various scenarios.

He was indeed a man capable of deep thinking.

I stared at him for a moment before fully understanding what Alon was implying.

“You’re saying we should join forces because there’s a possibility of war.”

“You’re quick-witted. It’s natural for each of us to protect our own interests and seek more. However… I think it’s best to set that aside for now.”

Join hands temporarily with those whose interests don’t align, for a greater cause.

Alon seemed to think of this as a situation of “sleeping with the enemy,” but things weren’t that bad.

Though uncomfortable and preferably avoided, that was the reality.

Luke seemed to share my thoughts as he smiled, slightly raising the corner of his mouth.

“Duke Caliwood seems to misunderstand somewhat… The relationship between Killinear and Krauser isn’t particularly bad. Of course, my father Albus Killinear and the already beheaded Agnes committed great disrespect… but that was their problem alone.”

Albus and Agnes. Names that wouldn’t be comfortable to hear from our perspective, or even from Luke’s, yet he showed no hesitation. Rather, he seemed utterly relieved.

Alon found this curious and tilted his head slightly as he asked:

“Those two would be your blood relatives. Are you truly unbothered by this?”

“Yes. Agnes didn’t know her place, and Albus was too arrogant. It was good to have noble pride and dignity, but he became arrogant to a fault—a pitiful man. So it’s only natural that he paid the price for his degeneracy. Also…”

It was strikingly odd how Luke treated his own family as if they were strangers.

However, as he continued speaking, I began to understand his attitude somewhat.

He seemed to harbor resentment for the treatment he had received as the second son, not the firstborn heir.

“Anyway, let’s set aside my personal story. Isn’t the important thing now to recognize that we need to unite and monitor the Empire’s movements?”

“That’s correct… but it must not be comfortable for you to hear.”

“Haha. Duke, you seem to see me, Luke, as a man who prioritizes profit. Well, that could be the case.”

But. Luke paused briefly, then took a breath as he leisurely crossed his arms.

In a way, he was being indirectly called a nouveau riche who only cared about money, but he let it slide despite knowing this.

Even though he could have shown at least a slight sign of displeasure.

“Let’s assume this country faces the threat of destruction. I and the nobles who follow me value nobility, but because our external image isn’t good… you might think we would prioritize self-preservation.”

“Hmm… How could that be? If Duke Killinear is offended…”

“No, that’s not the case. While I do tend to consider practical benefits more, let’s continue the conversation.”

Ahem. Luke cleared his throat a few times to restore the interrupted flow, trying to soothe the somewhat flustered Alon, and then spoke again.

“Let’s say I preserved my family due to self-preservation tendencies even as the country fell. But would it be the same as before? Even as a duke, I would be nothing more than a washed-up noble from a fallen country, and my position would gradually diminish. Isn’t that right?”

He’s right.

No matter how much of a duke one might be, they’re only a duke while the kingdom exists. After the kingdom falls, one cannot continue living as a duke.

This was inevitable given the lack of rank or accumulated merit in the country.

Even if one preserved their family or territory by siding with the enemy, they would have to live with the label of traitor for the rest of their life. And from the Empire’s perspective, keeping such traitors close would be uncomfortable.

Once betrayal becomes easy the first time, it becomes even easier the second time.

Even if things went well, part of the territory would be confiscated, and the title would be lowered.

And the worst scenario would be dying miserably after being cornered.

“…You are correct.”

“Indeed. In the end, even if I sell out those around me for self-preservation, it’s only temporary, and the miserable fall remains unchanged. My pride as a duke cannot allow that.”

Pride, huh.

In a way, it was a statement befitting the leader of the noble faction, but I felt it contained values worthy of a duke.

I wasn’t sure if he would maintain this attitude in a real crisis, but if he kept his word until the end…

“Anyway, if that’s the situation, I will join hands without hesitation. That’s my conclusion.”

“Hmm. I understand your sincerity very well. That puts my mind at ease. What about Duke Krauser?”

What about it? While I was pondering how I would answer, Helena’s eyes gleamed as sharply as a predator’s.

“If the Empire truly wages war against the kingdom… those in the highest positions will have to pay the price in blood. The cost of threatening my modest wish is very high.”

Since the question was directed at Helena, I couldn’t answer.

Helena knew this and spoke a few quiet words, but their content was so ominous that it sent chills down my spine.

As evidence, both Luke and Alon’s shoulders were trembling.

Even in that situation, Alon lightly clapped his hands and spoke in a composed voice.

Despite his trembling shoulders, his composure showed his years of experience.

“Now that everyone’s opinions have converged, I’m relieved. None of you are the type to go back on your word.”

“That’s true. By the way, does His Majesty know about this?”

When Luke brought up something that had been overlooked, Alon nodded as if it were nothing.

“Of course. On the day I sent invitations to all of you, I also sent someone to inform His Majesty. Including the fact that the dukes would gather for discussion.”

“Then that should be fine.”

“Yes. Now that we’ve established this… from now on, each duke should pay more attention to information gathering, including internal organization. Of course, I am already doing so.”

I felt Caliwood’s sincerity in his words—”I am doing so” rather than “I will do so.”

He wasn’t the type to lie deliberately, and there was no benefit in lying in this situation, so I trusted him.

He wouldn’t deliberately make us nervous; if anything, he’d try to ease tension to induce complacency.

I neatly organized the documents in front of me and looked at Alon.

“By the way, since we’re on the topic, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“Something you’d like to ask. If I can answer, I will.”

“I understand that Caliwood territory has had exchanges with the Beastkin Nation since ancient times. That means you must know quite a bit about their culture, correct?”

“…While I don’t know the deep intricacies, I do know quite well. I’ll organize what I know and provide it to you today. That would be better than explaining verbally.”

I had originally planned to return immediately after the meeting, but since he offered to organize the information himself, I couldn’t refuse.

Moreover, it was exactly what I had been hoping for, so I could only express my gratitude.

.

“Oh. It’s not much different from when I stayed there.”

That night, after receiving the report personally written by Duke Caliwood.

Ellen skimmed through the report I handed her and let out a soft exclamation.

I showed it to her thinking it would be easy to cross-verify, and this increased Duke Caliwood’s credibility even more.

It meant he wasn’t lying.

“Then, is this ‘rule of the strong’ also true?”

“Yes. Unlike ordinary people who inherit kingship through generations, the Beastkin Nation believes that the strong deserve to sit on the throne.”

A structure where the king is chosen by strength, not bloodline.

It felt both primitive and fascinating.

In some ways, it seemed rational, but I also wondered if such a system could maintain unity.

However, seeing how well they’ve been doing so far, it didn’t seem to be a major issue.

Those who wish to become king are tested for both strength and intelligence, with a tendency to value strength slightly more than intelligence.

In terms of ratio, it might be about 6 for strength and 4 for intelligence.

“If such a nation joins hands with the Empire… it would be truly terrible.”

The beastkin are already naturally born with superior abilities, and if they side with the Empire, it would certainly be a headache.

Especially since the Empire, true to its name, possesses strong national power.

“What should we do about this?”

“The easiest way would be to kill the head of the Empire… but initiating conflict would be too costly.”

Helena, perhaps irritated at the thought of peace being disrupted, spoke words that she would normally only utter when consumed by madness.

Extreme and radical words.

What made it even more chilling was that these weren’t just empty threats.

With Ellen nodding in agreement, the possibility would be even higher.

Fortunately, Helena seemed reluctant to take such action, knowing that the losses would be immense.

“Right. Let’s save the conflict for when they provoke us first, and for now, we should gather information…”

“That’s true.”

I wasn’t doubting the information Duke Caliwood had gathered, but as he said, it’s important to continuously obtain information.

Since this isn’t a one-time thing, it seemed necessary to keep the line open until the situation stabilized.

However, I had no intention of putting the entire territory on alert.

There were only vague signs, not an actual outbreak of war, and we couldn’t afford to exhaust ourselves by causing a commotion too early.

“Ah.”

As we discussed and organized our thoughts, a flash of insight struck my mind.

What to do after gathering information.