Chapter 172

Episode 172

Selendis and I went outside to greet the church members.

Jericho, who was playing with the children, joined us. As the church members approached, the villagers took their children and moved away.

“We’ve been waiting, Inquisitor Clarian. I hope you bring good news.”

“I’m not sure if it’s good news or bad news. The Margrave has set a condition.”

“If he set a condition, it must be a difficult one.”

I didn’t expect him to simply grant us passage through the border. That would be too easy.

“He will grant us an audience, but he will treat us as envoys of House Kalisto, not as Imperial envoys. If we accept this condition, he will allow us to cross the border.”

That wasn’t as difficult as I thought.

So it came to this.

Even though Scribe Maxim reduced the amount somewhat, the supplies must have been a significant help to Whitefield. I should thank the Duke later.

“That’s even better. We have many ways to help the north in the name of House Kalisto.”

“Then I’m glad to hear that.”

Selendis and Jericho looked a bit displeased. I wanted to tell them my true intentions as soon as possible.

Having an audience as envoys of House Kalisto was actually a condition I wanted to set.

When I came up with the district heating idea while building the open-air bath, I felt a bit uneasy because I was an Imperial envoy.

If I secured the heating business rights solely in the name of House Kalisto and House Walker, I could claim all the credit.

“We’ve received orders from headquarters to investigate this area. We’ll follow you after you depart.”

“Then we’ll see you again in the capital. Selendis, Jericho, prepare to depart.”

We quickly finished our preparations and mounted the reindeer we had purchased for a hefty sum.

Jericho sighed deeply.

“My family will be busy. I wish I could help them…”

‘Dark Souls’ were being discovered all over the continent. It was practically a war for the Tulu family.

“I won’t stop you if you want to go back and help your family.”

“That’s a bit harsh. You should at least try to stop me once.”

“We’re doing something very dangerous. There can’t be any regrets. In that sense, you have a weakness, Jericho. Unlike us, you have a place to return to.”

“Sigh… I admit it. But I’m not going back right now. I need to become stronger.”

“Wouldn’t enchanting about 100,000 sets of equipment make you stronger?”

“Eek!”

We finally set off on the reindeer.

We moved slowly so as not to startle the villagers. Some of the children who had played in the open-air bath followed us, seeing us off.

It seemed like we had made many memories in a short time.

“But Inspector, you’ve been grinning since earlier. Did something good happen?”

“Do I look that way?”

“I think you’ve been like that since we met with the church members. Did the stress get to you? As I’ve said many times, it’s too late to seek treatment after the illness progresses!”

“Unfortunately, that’s not it.”

We left the village. We waved back at the children who were waving at us. I stopped for a moment and looked at the horizon.

“I think it’s time I told you. Remember the open-air bath we built earlier?”

“I think it’ll be a lifelong anecdote. If I lived in the north, that is.”

“I’m thinking of making it much bigger.”

Their expressions turned serious. They knew I rarely exaggerated.

“The reason the north became a wasteland isn’t because of the Nordics. It’s because of this damn winter. If we build a huge facility and provide hot water to all the residents without worry, their lives will become much more prosperous. There are many applications.”

“So you’re saying you’ll build a giant open-air bath and supply hot water to the entire north?”

“We can’t make it like an open-air bath. We need to build special pipes to reduce heat loss. And automating the facility is also important. We need a massive mana storage and magic engineering equipment for heating.”

“But when will we build all that?”

I chuckled. Naturally, they couldn’t imagine it.

“Do you think it’s impossible?”

“It’s not impossible, but you know how vast the north is, right? It’ll take years, no, decades.”

“There’s a saying where I come from: ‘If something you’re trying to do isn’t working out or is taking too long, check if you’re lacking funds.’ We have a lot of money. Gathering people won’t be difficult.”

Jericho flinched at those words. Then his eyes widened.

“…Ah! Are you happy because we can exclude the Imperial Family from this project?”

“Exactly. This is a project that must be started solely in the name of House Walker. That way, we can make more profit. It’s not just a money-making business. It’s also a golden opportunity to gain the support of the north.”

If that happened, the chances of Lady Lucia, whom we supported, succeeding House Kalisto would increase even further.

“Hahaha! As expected, your audacity is amazing, Inspector!”

“But not everything will go according to plan. This will require a lot of manpower and resources.”

Selendis still looked worried. I understood her concerns.

“The most difficult part is building the pipes and heating facilities with sophisticated technology. We can’t do that ourselves. But there’s a solution. What if the artisans of Plantier built them?”

“Plantier… You mean we should enlist the help of the dwarves?”

“Not enlist, but hire them with fair compensation.”

Selendis’s worries finally disappeared. Jericho clapped his hands in delight.

“The dwarves of Plantier are known for their pride. But they usually prove their pride with their price tag. If we offer a high price, they’ll line up to come!”

“Jericho, as soon as we cross the border, send a messenger to the administrator. Tell him to gather a lot of friends from Plantier who are good with hammers.”

“Understood. We have enough money, but it’ll take some time. It’s quite far.”

Still, the dwarves were said to be skilled with machines like airships, so it would be much faster than traveling by land.

“Can we build the mana storage immediately?”

“I have the materials, so I can build it. I can also manage the heating device if I put in some effort.”

“The important thing is to get the Margrave’s approval for this project. Let’s not let our guard down, we don’t know what might happen.”

“Understood.”

We pulled the reins and urged the reindeer forward. We soon arrived at the gate, and the northern warriors opened it for us, glaring at us.

“Remember, if you cause any trouble within the territory, you’ll be expelled immediately.”

“Watch carefully and see what I accomplish here.”

I smiled at them and spurred the reindeer on.

Beyond the gate, an endless snowy field stretched before us.

We had finally entered Whitefield County.

* * *

As O’Brien and his subordinates crossed the border, a small meeting was held at the Margrave’s castle.

Finwinter summoned his two sons and daughter.

“O’Brien will arrive at our castle tomorrow. I called you because I thought it would be good to clarify a few things beforehand.”

“The timing is bad. For the monsters to act up now… It seems like we’ve only given the church more ammunition.”

Baldr, the eldest son, was unhappy with the situation. Joining forces with the Nordics was a policy he had been pushing for.

And recently, they had received a reply from the Nordics.

They said they wanted to put aside their old grudges, join hands, and forge a new future together.

“Freya, you’ve been observing O’Brien from close by. What do you think of him?”

“Even though he’s from the south, he accurately grasped what the people of our territory need. I’ll never forget what I saw and heard in Aslan Village.”

Freya recounted the story of the open-air bath that O’Brien and his subordinates had built. And how the children had played in it.

“Of course, he said something like that wouldn’t solve the problems of the north. But he said he had a much larger project in mind. A project so grand that no one could imagine it.”

“It must be a bluff! The southerners’ boasts are the same as ever.”

“Is that so?”

Freya stared at Baldr, her eyes wide open.

“He’s not an ordinary noble. He’s a magician. And the subordinate he brought with him is also a magician. The church members said he’s a descendant of the ancient Crusaders. Such people wouldn’t bluff.”

Finwinter didn’t ponder for long.

Although a messenger had arrived from the Nordics, there was no deadline for a reply. He decided it wouldn’t hurt to hear what O’Brien had to say before making a decision.

“You can all go back now. We’ll continue this discussion after I meet with O’Brien.”

“Rest well, Father.”

The two sons left, but Freya remained standing.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“One last request. Please reconsider the peace treaty with the Nordics.”

Finwinter’s eyes narrowed at her words.

“We’ve fought them for centuries. They’re our sworn enemies. Joining forces with them for political reasons is disrespectful to the warriors who sacrificed their lives. Our descendants will point fingers at us.”

“Are you saying we should just keep filling the pockets of those indifferent nobles just because we’re in the north? I’d rather be criticized by our descendants.”

“This is sacred land. How can you allow the Nordics to set foot here?”

“You might be skilled in martial arts, but you have no political sense. You won’t be able to manage this harsh land like that.”

“The moment the Nordics step foot on this land, I’ll leave the north.”

Finwinter’s breath formed a white cloud in the air. They should be joining forces, but the conflict between his eldest son and daughter was too apparent.

They were great warriors of the north before they were his children.

“That’s why I’m hoping Sir O’Brien can persuade you, Father. At least he treated the people of Aslan sincerely.”

“That’s typical of southern nobles. They show kindness to people and then collect interest.”

“He was different.”

Freya was surprised by her own bold statement. She realized she was getting too emotionally invested in someone she had just met.

A brief silence fell, and Freya lowered her head slightly.

“I’ll take my leave. Please rest.”

“Freya.”

She stopped and turned around at his low call. The Margrave was looking up at the portraits of his ancestors.

“Are you really thinking of leaving this place?”

“Yes, I’ve made up my mind.”

The Margrave pondered for a moment and waved his hand. Freya bowed again and left the room.

“My lady.”

Her adjutant was waiting for her, his expression anxious.