Chapter 145

Chapter 145
## Chapter 145

“Word is that the Duke is currently traveling back to Asagrim.”

Hagen, who oversaw the Herta Merchant Guild, spoke with a face drained of color.

While this development was entirely predictable, the reality of confronting the Duke caused his legs to tremble uncontrollably. He was facing a figure possessed of such immense authority that Hagen’s life could be extinguished with a simple command.

“What is our next move?”

“…”

“…”

The remaining guild masters in the assembly stayed mute, averting their eyes. They were equally devoid of a strategy to navigate this crisis.

Struck by agitation, Hagen slammed his fist onto the tabletop and yelled.

“Give me an answer! We are facing execution; we must discover a path to survival!”

His assessment was accurate, but intimidation wasn’t going to produce a miracle out of thin air. As the quiet persisted, Hagen turned his attention toward the individual positioned in the seat of honor.

“Pray tell, Guild Master Dominic. What is your plan regarding this matter?”

“…Why are you directing that at me?”

Dominic, the head of the Dominic Merchant Guild, allowed a freezing glint to enter his eyes.

Under different circumstances, that sharp look would have caused Hagen to shrink back immediately, but it failed to intimidate him now. Regardless of Dominic’s stature, he paled in comparison to the Duke. In fact, Hagen retorted with a sharp edge, provoked by the older man’s calm demeanor.

“You were the catalyst for all of this! You were the one who organized us, claiming we could reap a fortune and vanish! Are you attempting to desert us now?!”

“Desert? You speak as though you are attempting to pin the entire burden on my shoulders.”

“And what if I am? If we ensure our testimonies are identical…!”

“Identical? Do you truly believe that would grant you any measure of safety?”

Hagen recoiled at the frigid tone of voice. Though Dominic was of an advanced age, stooped and marked with the spots of time, his aura was potent enough to suppress any younger man. As Hagen retreated, Dominic issued a warning with the low snarl of a hunter.

“Mind your place, boy. A wolf may fall before a dragon, but crushing a rabbit’s windpipe is effortless. If you continue to overstep, you will perish by my hand long before the Duke ever reaches you.”

Merchant guild masters were not of equal status. To a titan like Dominic, a mid-tier trader like Hagen was a triviality—someone who could be erased by a hired blade at a moment’s notice.

Recalling that grim reality a bit too late, Hagen nodded frantically, his skin turning ashen.

Having reinforced the social order, Dominic clicked his tongue and scanned the room.

“Disgraceful. Creating such a scene over a matter like this. How have you stayed in business for years with such weak hearts? Do you dare call yourselves leaders of commerce?”

“…This can hardly be brushed aside as ‘a matter like this,’ can it?”

Following Dominic’s scolding, another guild leader spoke up with a hesitant air, his expression troubled. The situation was far too serious to be treated as a simple lesson in business.

“Who exactly is the acting representative we insulted? He is the Duke’s most trusted confidant, a man who has stayed by his side since he was merely the Valdek family’s third son. To the Duke, he is equivalent to blood.”

“And so, you assume the Duke will not forgive us for laying hands on his surrogate? If you feared retribution so deeply, why did you not flee earlier? Why did you remain, going so far as to provide supplies on credit?”

“If we had simply fled like thieves, the knights would have hunted us down and ended us instantly. By extending credit, we have at least maintained a shred of a defense.”

For a common merchant to lean on the Duke’s right hand was already a death-sentence offense. But to disregard the Duke’s own terms and run away just because things became difficult? Before the Duke even arrived, the knights would have lost their restraint and torn the merchants apart.

Dominic exhaled a heavy sigh, appearing let down by the guild master’s reasoning.

“So, ultimately, the only thought in your minds was preserving your own skins? How miserable.”

“Cease the lecturing and inform us if a plan exists. What do you require of us?”

“You truly lack any foresight. Why do you imagine the Duke permitted us to remain after we tormented his proxy? Had he wished it, he could have cast us into the dungeons and broken us with torture.”

“That is because…”

The guild masters found themselves speechless and traded glances. They had puzzled over that point themselves. It seemed far too complex a tactic just to dodge a bill, yet it didn’t feel like mercy since the supplies had been seized on credit.

Dominic elaborated in a steady voice, as if educating a toddler.

“The Duke has recently relocated a vast multitude of migrants from across the snowfields. To put it simply, he requires a staggering quantity of grain, garments, and basic goods. What would occur if he executed every merchant in the region under these conditions?”

“…!”

“Furthermore, the Duke’s primary requirement at this moment is his own private military to replace the battalions he took from the Imperial Palace. Beyond simple survival needs, he requires military procurement.”

Military logistics were not a task for the inexperienced. Given the magnitude, none but a powerhouse like the Dominic Merchant Guild could even facilitate it. The capital required was so vast that a minor or mid-sized guild would face total ruin if they slipped up.

“Naturally, the Duke could seek out other guilds if he truly desired. However, he has secured our vulnerability. In this state, why would he waste effort searching for other guilds over which he has no such control?”

Even for the high nobility, gold was not an infinite resource. If costs could be cut even slightly, they would take that path. Moreover, this wasn’t a minor cost; military procurement was a gargantuan financial project. Any noble with a lick of sense would choose to use the leverage they held to minimize spending rather than wasting time on a petty vendetta.

Following Dominic’s reasoning, the despairing guild masters all looked up with newfound hope. Since they were all guilty of the same transgression, it was doubtful the Duke would punish some while sparing others based solely on utility. If a single person was pardoned, there was a high probability the rest would be saved by association.

“Hold on, but doesn’t that imply you are the only one facing a loss, sir? If you fail to supply the war materials at a cost the Duke deems fair, he certainly won’t spare you this time.”

“Do not fret over my affairs. I have my methods.”

Dominic let his voice trail off, avoiding the guild master’s inquiry. In reality, he possessed a strategy to not only avoid a deficit but to extract a monumental profit. But why would he disclose that secret to them? It was sufficient for Dominic alone to gain from this arrangement.

‘The Duke believes he has me under his thumb, but regardless of how this contract unfolds, I shall emerge the victor.’

A subtle, freezing smirk touched Dominic’s mouth. The Duke’s anger had long since stopped bothering him. He had survived too many storms in his career to be rattled by a problem of this magnitude.

—

“Wh-what in the world is that?”

“It is magnificent…!”

As Lucian guided the tribal people into Asagrim, shouts of wonder broke out from every direction. The tribespeople, who had been overwhelmed just by the sight of a sturdy perimeter, gazed at the shimmering White Walls as if they were a divine creation.

“His Grace has returned!”

“Unbar the gates!”

High upon the battlements, the guards began scurrying about upon verifying the homecoming of the Master of Asagrim. A moment later, as the heavy portals groaned open, the subordinates who had come to greet him appeared.

At the very front stood Hans, the man Lucian had entrusted with the role of acting family head.

“Your Grace, I offer my congratulations on your safe arrival.”

“…Hans? Are you alright?”

Lucian stared at him with wide eyes. Hans had withered so much from his trials that Lucian feared a light touch might knock him over. Hans gave a faint smile at Lucian’s worry and gave a small nod.

“I am fine. Some rest will see me restored. Now that Your Grace has come home, I can finally let out a breath of relief.”

“…I am truly sorry. I left you in charge believing things would be quiet, but I never guessed such absurdity would occur during my absence.”

“There is no requirement for Your Grace to seek my forgiveness. This transpired due to my own lack of skill. If anyone should apologize, it is I.”

Hans smiled with a hint of sadness, mentioning he had realized his own limits once more. However, perhaps because he had been forged in the fire of this crisis, he possessed a sense of gravitas that had been absent before. It appeared that if the present Hans were to deal with the merchants’ bullying again, he wouldn’t be bullied so easily.

“Now, pray enter the city. The quarters for the newcomers have already been assigned, so please entrust them to the other subordinates and find some rest.”

“You have completed all of that already?”

“I have. Would you care to review the plans?”

Hans presented Lucian with the records he had categorized. As Lucian flipped through the information quickly, a soft sound of approval left his lips. While there were minor deviations from his original concept, the majority of it was aligned. Even those small changes worked to fix problems Lucian hadn’t even thought of.

“This is excellent. There is nothing to change or delete.”

“I am pleased that it meets your standards.”

“Very well, I shall leave this task to you. But before that, I have a duty to perform.”

As Lucian returned the logs and shifted his stance, the intense stares of the anxious tribespeople locked onto him. Lucian shouted the words they had been yearning for with all their souls.

“This is the Land of Salvation! This is where you shall plant your roots and reside from this day forward!”

“…!”

“No longer will you await the end while shivering in the frost! Celebrate! You and your children shall flourish in this territory!”

—Waaaaaaaah!

The second he stopped speaking, a thunderous roar of joy vibrated against the White Walls. Some leaped with excitement like madmen, while others clung to one another and sobbed. It seemed they finally understood that they were truly going to make a home in Asagrim.

Lucian chose to let the jubilant tribespeople be until their emotions subsided and moved toward the interior. By the time the noise died down, the staff Hans had chosen would start leading them to their allocated homes. For the moment, it was best to let them soak in the happiness of escaping the thousand-year cold.

—

“It has transformed significantly.”

A quiet remark of surprise left Lucian as he walked toward the White Castle. Despite the brief interval, Asagrim had progressed even further. Not only was the population surge obvious, but various services were much better organized than they had been. Even the storefronts popping up in the crowded districts seemed to have been positioned with careful thought.

“Was this all your blueprint?”

“I merely coordinated things based on the suggestions of the other staff. I have also documented the transcripts of the meetings where those ideas were proposed, so please examine them when you are back at the castle. There were a surprising number of talented people.”

Lucian’s eyes widened at Hans’s modest words. Even if he had taken suggestions, the skill to apply those suggestions correctly was a gift in its own right. Many fools ruined things by trying to force their own ideas into others’ just to take the credit.

But to not only welcome advice but also to keep precise transcripts that could theoretically be used to challenge him—it was only possible if he had the certainty that he had managed things fairly.

‘…This fellow, if he survives another one or two challenges, won’t he reach even greater heights?’

The remorse he had felt a moment ago evaporated as Lucian’s eyes began to twinkle, and he started hunting for a fresh trial to assign to Hans.

Hans, who had been continuing his report, suddenly flinched at a strange, unidentifiable chill crawling up his back.