Chapter 102

Episode 102

“The Empire has been peaceful lately, and there haven’t been any incidents at the borders. In times like these, we must focus on domestic affairs and conserve our strength. Summer is approaching. As the weather gets warmer, discipline can slacken, so all lords and officials must thoroughly inspect their knights and soldiers. And…”

The meeting was filled with formalities.

As Duke Kalisto had said, the Empire was in an era of peace. Even when wars occurred, they were in other territories, unrelated to the Empire.

The only thing the Empire was wary of was the southward migration of the northern barbarians.

Barbarian tribes known as the “Nords” lived in the northern snowfields.

According to the books I had read, they were very similar to Vikings.

They wielded large axes with both hands and were known for their individual strength and combat prowess, making them formidable opponents.

The reason for caution was that the north was a frozen wasteland. Crops couldn’t grow easily, so food storage was limited.

Moreover, blizzards and storms were constant, making survival extremely difficult.

The constant threat of southward migration from these tribes meant that House Whitefield, which guarded the north, was always engaged in a difficult battle.

As expected, Duke Kalisto also mentioned this issue.

“We received a letter from House Whitefield in the north. It seems the barbarians are showing signs of unrest. It might be a minor disturbance, but it’s best to be prepared. The Emperor has also requested our assistance, so we’re planning to send supplies and military provisions. What are your thoughts?”

Scribe Maxim stepped forward and bowed.

“Our family’s finances are currently stable, so providing assistance won’t have a significant impact.”

“I agree with the scribe. If the Emperor has personally requested it, we must comply.”

“I agree as well.”

After gathering positive opinions, Scribe Maxim added, “However, assisting a distant territory has little geopolitical significance. We must carefully calculate the amount of aid and ensure it’s not excessive.”

No one objected. The Duke made his decision. He ordered the dispatch of supplies and military provisions to House Whitefield.

The pressing issues of the Kalisto Dukedom were being addressed one by one.

As a newly appointed baron, I didn’t have much to contribute. So, I focused on another task.

Sometimes, you had to “marinate” the ingredients to create a delicious dish. This was one of those times.

All the lords were present at today’s vassal meeting, without exception.

It meant that Baron Roman of House Gerard, who had relocated to a new territory, was also here.

‘His skin looks much better. It seems Grand Duke Hylix is showering him with favors.’

I stared at Baron Roman, waiting for him to notice me.

“… “

As if sensing my gaze, Baron Roman turned his head and looked at me. He frowned.

We were some distance apart. But I smiled brightly, making sure he noticed me.

He turned his head away, ignoring me. It seemed like I had gotten under his skin.

“It seems like we’ve addressed all the important matters. Before we conclude the meeting, anyone who has something to say, please step forward.”

I had been waiting for this moment. I strode forward and bowed to the Duke.

“O’Brien of House Walker requests an audience. I have something to present to Your Grace. I hope you’ll accept it.”

“A presentation? What is it?”

“Presentation” usually referred to offering local products or rare items.

But everyone here knew that my territory didn’t produce anything special.

They all looked at me with puzzled expressions.

“Sir Deneve, bring the item for His Grace.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Deneve left the meeting room.

There was a middle-aged man who had been staring at Deneve. He was Fontaine, Deneve’s father and the head of House Regulus.

As I had heard, he was a man of integrity and frugality. He wasn’t even wearing a single piece of jewelry.

If it weren’t for his dignified aura, I would have mistaken him for a servant.

Our eyes met by chance, and I smiled and nodded. He returned the gesture with a smile.

Deneve returned with a luxurious box.

“Sir O’Brien, I’m curious to see what surprise you have for me this time.”

“I need to explain first. A few days ago, we discovered a treasure in my territory during a knight order operation.”

“A treasure?”

The room buzzed with excitement.

Nobles loved treasures even more than commoners. It was true that the rich got richer.

I kept an eye on Roman’s reaction and continued.

“As you all know, I haven’t been a lord for very long. But we’ve unearthed a massive amount of treasure. I would like to offer a portion of it to Duke Kalisto.”

“What kind of treasure?”

Duke Kalisto asked, and I gestured to Deneve. He opened the box, and a brilliant golden light emanated from within. Everyone gasped.

‘This must be the first time they’ve seen a gold nugget this size.’

As I had predicted, it was effective.

Hassale had suggested processing the gold into bars for a more presentable appearance. But I thought it would be less visually impactful.

Duke Kalisto and all the vassals stared at the raw, massive gold nugget with their mouths agape.

I took the box from Deneve and knelt on one knee before the Duke.

“Please accept this. House Walker will dedicate its life to serving Kalisto.”

“…I’ve been on countless battlefields, but I’ve never seen a nugget this large. Where did you find it? Did you discover a gold mine in the Walker territory?”

“No, Your Grace. There’s an area where multiple massive gold nuggets are buried. This is just a portion of one of them.”

I smiled at Baron Roman as I spoke.

That was the moment.

The moment when Baron Roman’s arrogant facade crumbled, and his rationality snapped.

He approached me.

His reaction was quicker than I expected.

“How much is buried there, if this is just a portion?”

“It’s about the size of the central fountain in this garden. And we’ve found multiple nuggets. Five so far, and there’s a possibility of finding more.”

Baron Roman, who had been approaching me, stopped in his tracks. He seemed to be in shock.

“How much is a gold nugget of that size worth?”

“If we can get a fair price, we estimate it to be worth about ten million gold per nugget.”

“Ten million… gold?”

Even Duke Kalisto, the head of House Kalisto, couldn’t hide his surprise at the astronomical figure.

Even in my previous life, very few people possessed $50 billion in assets.

It was only natural for them to be shocked that a humble family with no history or tradition had discovered a treasure of such value.

“This is unbelievable. Who buried this treasure? I’ve never heard of any ancient ruins in that area.”

“I apologize, but I can’t disclose the details yet. We need to investigate further. But it’s not a ruin or a tomb. We believe it’s been buried there for a long time for unknown reasons.”

“So, it’s unclaimed treasure?”

“Yes, that’s our assessment.”

The room buzzed with excitement. Everyone was envious. Some were probably already scheming to get a share.

But the reaction I was most anticipating was Baron Roman’s.

It didn’t matter what anyone else said.

“Roman of House Gerard dares to address Your Grace!”

That’s right. That’s the spirit.

Baron Roman, his face flushed with anger, began his argument.

“Our House Gerard has protected that territory for generations. Therefore, I believe House Gerard has partial ownership of the treasure discovered by Baron O’Brien!”

“Ownership? But the territory where the treasure was found currently belongs to House Walker. Your claim is not legally valid.”

Duke Kalisto stated the obvious. But Roman wasn’t one to back down easily.

“I’ll search our family records as soon as I return. We can’t rule out the possibility that our ancestors buried it there for a specific purpose. If that’s the case, we need to reconsider the ownership.”

“Even if you find such records, how can we verify their authenticity? Records can be fabricated.”

The Duke cautiously warned him.

Baron Roman’s incompetence had led to his relocation in the first place. It was a warning not to act recklessly, but Roman was blinded by greed.

“A just man wouldn’t dismiss my claim, Your Grace.”

“Hahaha.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I bowed to the Duke in apology.

“Why are you laughing? Do I amuse you?”

Roman snapped. I took a step closer to him. We might be looking at each other at eye level, but he had no leverage against me.

“Are you serious? This is a vassal meeting. Many members of House Kalisto are present. Please uphold the dignity of House Gerard.”

“You insolent wretch! How dare you insult me and my family!”

“Insult? Hmm, I haven’t gone that far yet. But since you’ve accused me of insulting you, I might as well do it properly.”

I turned to the audience and recounted my experiences with Baron Roman, adding dramatic flair.

“Baron Gerard here is a very righteous man. He always had naked women accompany him during meals and engaged in lewd acts without hesitation. And that’s not all. He squeezed the blood out of the commoners and lived a life of extravagant luxury. Thanks to him, the slums became a breeding ground for crime. How can we not call him righteous?”

“You… you bastard…!”

I smiled at the enraged Baron Roman and straightened his collar.

“If that’s your definition of righteousness, then I’m an unrighteous man. I’m not shameless enough to squeeze the blood out of the commoners.”

“Shut up!”

“Now you understand? That’s what an insult is. Well, I was just stating the facts.”

The atmosphere was tense. The scribe intervened with a cold voice.

“Both of you, calm down. This is a vassal meeting.”

“I apologize, Your Grace.”

Baron Roman, trembling with suppressed rage, finally crossed the line.

“…House Gerard hereby declares war on House Walker!”

“Are you serious? You can’t take back your words.”

“I am! I’ll use all my resources to reclaim what’s rightfully mine!”

I felt relieved that my goal had been achieved, even though it happened sooner than I expected.

We would win this war.

The power difference Selendis had mentioned was based on the assumption of a conventional battle, without utilizing asymmetric warfare.

But if Jericho and I, as mages, bypassed the enemy’s main force and destroyed their headquarters, the game would be over.

Baron Roman and Grand Duke Hylix were unaware of our magical abilities.

“Your foolishness is astounding. His Grace said earlier that we should focus on domestic affairs in times of peace. But you’re not only disobeying his orders but also causing discord within House Kalisto. Whether you’re truly loyal to Kalisto is questionable.”

I paused and bowed to Duke Kalisto, my arm bent in a salute.

“Esteemed Duke, if you give me the opportunity, I’ll correct Baron Roman’s misguided thinking. Please grant me permission.”