Chapter 142

Chapter 142
## Chapter 142

The utility of full-body plate armor is non-existent within the frozen wastes.

To start, the region suffers from a chronic shortage of iron, and local smithing techniques have never progressed to the point of crafting articulated suits. More importantly, donning such heavy plating over the essential, bulky furs required for survival makes any fluid combat movement impossible.

When you factor in metallurgy that falls far behind the standards of the Empire and the lethal temperatures of the tundra, steel gear becomes a death trap; the moment it contacts bare skin, it bonds through frost, making it impossible to shed without stripping away the wearer’s own flesh.

In a land where even basic boiled leather is considered a high-end commodity, the concept of heavy metal protection never gained traction.

Despite this, travelers known as “the white-iron outlanders” had arrived in these very frost-covered domains.

“These foreigners—what is their current location?”

“They are stationed a short distance away awaiting your word, my Lord. We felt it was unwise to bring unverified armed men directly into our inner sanctum…”

“They are known to me. Grant them entry at once. I will take full responsibility for their presence.”

“Understood, Sire!”

Prompted by Lucian’s authoritative tone, Einar hurried to carry out the order.

Even in lands where plate is common, the White Armor was a singular rarity. Lucian was aware of only one specific unit where multiple knights would be outfitted in such distinctive, high-grade equipment.

A few minutes later, as he suspected, a line of armored figures entered the hall and dropped to one knee before Lucian.

“Zinovi Clover of the Blue Rose Knight Order offers greetings to His Grace the Duke!”

“Moritz of the same company! I offer my respects to His Grace!”

“And I as well…!”

Lucian acknowledged the salutations of the Blue Rose Knight Order with a small nod. The suits they wore were undeniably the Northern Royal Family’s Legacy—treasures he had personally gifted them to safeguard before his trek into the snowfields.

Lucian stepped forward to personally assist the kneeling warriors to their feet.

“You are welcome here. I would prefer to tell you it is a joy to reunite, but I’m afraid a lecture must take precedence over pleasantries.”

“We humbly submit to your correction.”

The members of the Blue Rose Knight Order felt their faces grow warm with shame.

Lucian had embarked on this mission with a vow to return, charging them with the use of that armor to keep Asagrim secure while he was away. Yet, the moment the supernatural blizzard lifted, they had abandoned their post to pursue him, still wearing the very artifacts he had loaned them.

Strictly speaking, it betrayed a lack of confidence in Lucian’s capabilities and constituted an unsanctioned deployment of the clan’s heirloom treasures.

“Still, it cannot be helped. Since communication was severed for so long, it is only natural you doubted if I still breathed. I share the blame for the silence, so we shall speak no more of it.”

“We are deeply moved by Your Grace’s vast magnanimity!”

“That aside, how did you manage this journey? The frost only subsided five days ago… Surely you haven’t been loitering at Raugrad this entire time?”

“To be exact, we kept a rotating watch of knights there. The moment the scouts reported five days ago that the weather had broken, we took to our saddles immediately.”

The trek from Raugrad to the territory of the Blue Dragon Tribe was neither exceptionally far nor particularly treacherous in terms of terrain. Despite that, it had previously required a fifteen-day slog due to the murderous cold. Any lapse in physical regulation resulted in a frozen corpse, meaning travelers had to stop constantly to survive.

However, that climate had been neutralized by Lucian’s recent actions. Without the threat of freezing, a horseman on level ground could easily complete the trip in three days, making five days more than enough.

Connecting the dots, Lucian’s eyes sharpened.

“Foolish. Did you simply sprint forward without scouting the path ahead?”

Lucian had the benefit of Helen acting as his navigator, ensuring his path was safe from the start. But the Blue Rose knights had plunged into a literal unknown without a single local to guide them. Had there been hidden crevasses or cliffs masked by fresh drifts, the entire unit could have been decimated.

“Claiming you felt safe because you followed my tracks is a poor defense. I had a guide; you had no way of knowing how to navigate a sudden crisis.”

“Your Grace speaks the truth. We are without defense. However, we carried intelligence that required us to risk our lives and overlook our protocols.”

“What intelligence?”

“The one serving as the Acting Family Head of Asagrim is currently facing a dire crisis.”

Lucian’s features turned grim. He hadn’t expected greatness from Hans, but he had assumed the man’s fear of his eventual return would keep things stable for at least half a year. It was frustrating to find that chaos had erupted so soon after his departure.

“Give me the specifics. What has occurred?”

At the prompt, the knight lowered his head in a gesture of regret and spoke.

“The merchant guilds have formed a coalition to corner the Acting Family Head into a corner.”

—

No individual domain can survive in total isolation. Whether the need is for high-end luxuries or basic survival rations, commerce with neighboring lands is a necessity. The bridges for this essential flow of goods were the merchants.

In one sense, they were the lifeblood of a functioning territory, yet no noble truly held them in high esteem.

*‘Why should I offer dignity to those who only move when profit calls?’*

This wasn’t just blind classism; it was a view shaped by cold reality. In the end, merchants were the primary beneficiaries of any deal, and if the gold stopped flowing, they were the first to flee a struggling fiefdom. Why would a ruler feel debt toward someone who only served their own purse?

If anything, the lord held the ultimate hand, capable of exerting total dominance over the traders.

“The coffers are low, so I am increasing the trade tariffs. You have no objections, I trust?”

“This is madness! Do you realize the wealth I have brought to Your Excellency’s gates?”

“I realize you are still wealthy. If the terms offend you, pack your wagons and find a new market.”

“…”

From a trader’s perspective, it was an indignity enough to cause an ulcer, but there was no recourse. Aside from the chasm in social rank, the loss of commercial permits was fatal. Being exiled from a territory meant losing a vital transit point or a primary buyer. Furthermore, rival firms were always circling like scavengers, ready to seize any dropped contract.

*‘Even if it is a degrading arrangement, I must bow to the lord. If I cause a scene, my competitors will simply feast on my remains.’*

Even as the world slipped into an era of instability, the status of the merchant class did not rise. If anything, their safety plummeted. Lords were now in positions where their lands—and their lives—could be forfeit at any moment. If a merchant appeared with vital supplies while a lord was in a desperate state? It was frequent for the merchant to be executed and the caravan plundered in a heartbeat.

Yet now, as the shadows of war lengthened, the merchants had not only dared to collude but had actively issued ultimatums to the Acting Family Head?

“Explain the mechanics of this. What are their actions?”

“They have inflated the costs of basic necessities for the populace to several times their actual value, and they are demanding exclusive control over the distribution of specific commodities.”

“And Hans? Has he succumbed to these terms?”

“He has not signed, but he is paralyzed. The coalition has taken a firm stance, declaring a total embargo on all trade unless their conditions are met in full.”

“I see.”

Lucian rubbed his temples. He finally perceived the merchants’ strategy.

*‘They recognized Hans’s inexperience and manufactured a crisis he wasn’t equipped to handle.’*

Had the true Lord been present, such a gambit would have failed instantly. If the Lord chose to absorb a few months of financial pain, the merchants would be the ones begging for mercy to save their necks. The complication was Hans’s status as a mere proxy.

*‘There is a massive psychological gap between me choosing to take a loss and Hans making a choice that costs me money.’*

A loyal subordinate, wanting to justify the power given to him, cannot bring himself to make a call that devalues his master’s estate. Hans likely knew the theoretical way to break the merchants. But because the fallout of that scorched-earth response would hurt Lucian’s treasury, he was trapped by his own loyalty.

The guilds had perfectly exploited the inherent weakness of an ‘Acting’ title.

*‘They are clever… but this feels off. Do these fools have no desire for a long-term career?’*

He respected their tactical hit on Asagrim’s blind spot. If Hans, acting with the Duke’s seal, agreed to the terms, Lucian—who had delegated that power—would be legally bound to uphold it. But that didn’t mean he would forget the insult. Even if they secured a massive windfall today, a massacre would follow the moment a vengeful Lucian returned to sharpen his blade.

“Who is the mastermind? A pack of merchants doesn’t develop this level of suicidal courage overnight. There is a hand guiding this.”

There is a wide gulf between being capable of an act and actually executing it. Regardless of the gold involved, no sane merchant would gamble with blackmail against a high noble. The fact they moved forward meant someone had rallied them with a guarantee of protection.

“Speculate if you must. Who is acting as the voice of this coalition?”

“It is the Dominic Merchant Group. They maintain a front of collective equality, but the Dominic Group is the one dictating every major move.”

“Dominic? Surely you aren’t referring to the organization run by ‘Dominic of the Iron’?”

“That is the man, Sire.”

“Hah.”

He had wondered what sort of lunatic was behind this, and it was that particular snake.

The man with the seven-forked tongue, the individual who was cursed with every breath he took, the perennial target of every blade-for-hire. Was that piece of human refuse, who had been a plague upon the continent in Lucian’s previous life, already up to his old tricks?

*‘Actually, this simplifies things. If the adversary is Dominic, I don’t need to show any restraint.’*

A predatory smile touched Lucian’s lips. If the enemy had no regard for the future, Lucian had no obligation to respect it either. The counter-move was obvious.

“I grasp the situation. However, my business in the snowfields is not yet concluded, so an immediate return is impossible. Instead, take my instructions back to the Acting Family Head.”

“I am listening, Grace.”

“Instruct him to concede to every merchant demand. However, specify that all payments are to be made on credit until my arrival. Furthermore, see to it that every exclusive trading right is consolidated and handed solely to the Dominic Merchant Group.”

“…!?”

The knights looked at Lucian with sheer disbelief. He finally had the chance to issue a counter-order, and he was telling them to surrender? He was even suggesting they hand the monopoly—a tool that could be used to sow discord among the guilds—to the single most dangerous entity in the group?

“Y-Your Grace. I do not claim to know your strategy, but this path is fraught with peril.”

“Perilous? In what sense?”

“The weight of this is too great. Even if the parties are only merchants, if Your Grace officially sanctions such a massive contract…”

The knight’s voice failed him, but the implication was clear. This wasn’t a minor agreement; it involved fortunes. No matter how much power a lord held, a signed treaty of this magnitude could not be simply torn up. The moment it was violated, the lord’s name and honor would be worthless. While the merchant would be destroyed, the lord would spend a lifetime attempting to mend a ruined reputation.

However, Lucian brushed the concern aside with a sharp gesture.

“Rest easy. I have every intention of letting the promises stand.”

“You truly mean to grant them their prizes!?”

“Hardly.”

Lucian offered a chilling grin to the stunned knight. “Long before I have to move a muscle, the Dominic Merchant Group will be the first party to shatter the contract.”