413 – Northern Daebaek (not Grand Duke) – 5
Recently, I have spent more days at the Mansion of the Jedi than returning to the manor. It was an unavoidable choice since even the time to travel to and from the territory and the council was a waste.
Yes, it was a natural and unavoidable choice. As all the bureaucrats are preparing for the banquet to commemorate the enthronement, the Imperial White cannot afford to neglect the preparations. It is because Imperial Baek is the one who has to act for the imperial family more than any other servant.
Furthermore, it has been confirmed that I will step down from the Imperial White House position, and when Erich graduates, I will completely step down from the council position. In other words, this banquet is the last banquet to commemorate my enthronement that I prepare while I am a government official. Its meaning is bound to come closer.
‘Retire in your 40s.’
I put down my pen for a while and looked out the window. When he first became a member of the Imperial Council, he thought he would stay until his death, but somehow he was given the gift of retirement in his 40s.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t embarrassed by my earlier retirement than others, but my retirement is for the sake of the imperial family and the empire.
‘It’s difficult for rich people to be in high positions side by side.’
And it was the way for his son, so he withdrew.
Karl has proven his mettle and is rapidly rising in the world. Although he proved it by the risky method of campaigning, it ended well anyway.
But I, the father of such a sword, am enduring as an incumbent imperial white and a member of the council? There may be remarks that are concerned about the rich being in high positions side by side, and there may be people who are jealous. Therefore, it is the right way for me, the father, to step back and open the way for the sword.
‘…I didn’t expect it to open to this extent.’
The corner of his mouth went up slightly. I couldn’t help laughing because I remembered the conversation I had just had with Carl.
– I’m just now contacting you because I’ve been making friends with my new neighbors.
A communication sphere that suddenly emitted light, and the face of a knife that appeared when you lifted the communication sphere.
Karl, who gave a formal greeting with a slightly tired face, eventually continued as if complaining.
– Since they are new nobles, they must be unfamiliar with the institutional environment. As a neighbor, I decided to guide them myself.
It was usually packaged as a neighbor or guide, but it was a fact that I knew and Carl knew that it actually meant a faction.
It’s amazing. I was willing to follow His Majesty’s will to open the way for my son, but I didn’t know that I would run so fast in less than a year. No, maybe I was preventing this from happening long ago.
Actually, Carl seems to be annoyed by the sudden formation of a faction—but as a father, he is very pleased.
“You were once an enemy, but now you can become a closer neighbor than anyone else. They have recognized your personality and approached you, so treat them with trust and friendship.”
– …Yes, father. I’ll keep that in mind.
So Carl gave me an answer he didn’t want. I’m sorry for Carl, who must have contacted Abi because of the piled up stress, but if it’s unavoidable, he’s right to think as positively as possible.
If you treat them with trust and friendship, they too will become your strongest friends and shields. Or it could be a sword.
Even knives that look bitter at the moment will someday acknowledge their usefulness and be willing to use them.
‘Someday, Ira.’
Suddenly, I had an idea. If Carl decides and wields the faction in his hands, the title of Earl of Lydia above could become his marquess.
‘Marquis from the Krasius family.’
I think I will laugh. If I had heard of a Marquis coming from Krasius, an imperial family, I would have ignored it as nonsense.
‘I have to tell my wife too.’
I reached for the communication tool placed on one side of the desk. Carl barely contacted me, so I don’t think he contacted his wife. You should be busy building friendships with the great lords of the north by now.
So let’s give this good news to your wife. As the hostess of an aristocratic family, your wife is well aware of the power of cliques.
I’m sure your wife will be very happy. Her wife’s concern is that Carl gets hurt in the war, not her connections.
***
Time passed, and the day came when the banquet was held to commemorate the emperor’s enthronement.
‘Damn it.’
My mind is dizzy. Now I have to lead the thirteen great lords and enter the banquet hall with dignity. In front of nobles who must have gathered from all over the empire, ‘These are my subordinates. Isn’t that cool?’ You have to show it with your whole body.
– My kids are cool.
‘Please be quiet.’
In the meantime, my head was pounding even more because of a god who boasted about his offspring, nomads.
No, even priests don’t have faith in the first place, so what are our children? Aren’t you being too selfish?
– Just to think you’re my priest. So I felt comfortable.
‘What is that-‘
“Your Excellency.”
She hurriedly turned her gaze to the voice of the commander of the Imperial Knights, trying to refute the statement of the eternal blue sky, which had been burned because it failed to turn the circuit of happiness.
“The inspection is over, so you can go in.”
“Yes, I understand.”
With a light smile, he nodded to the leader who opened the way.
If I had come alone, I would have passed through a brief checkpoint close to a free pass, but since there were thirteen people in my party, the checkpoint took some time. Of course, even that was fast compared to the number of people.
From noble mtl dot com
“Ah, by the way, Your Excellency.”
Just as I was about to enter, exchanging a light bow with the leader, the leader opened his mouth again.
“Whose name should I write at the top?”
‘Ah.’
I only realized after hearing that. Definitely had that problem.
I glanced at the visitor list held by the imperial knight. The names of nobles and bureaucrats who entered after completing the inspection normally are written on the list managed by the Imperial Knights, and when entering as a group rather than as an individual, it is customary to write the name of the person with the highest rank or faction leader first.
Conventions are divided into two, but don’t worry. Usually, the rank of faction leader is the highest among the factions.
‘We are not.’
Unfortunately, however, the northern faction is a separate faction leader with high rank. It’s almost heartbreaking to think that such a baseless faction exists.
“You just need to write Your Excellency, Marquis of Barandi at the top. You’re the only Marquis among us, so that’s right.”
After thinking for a while, I chose the former. There’s probably no one who doesn’t know that I’m the faction leader anyway, so it’s only right that Barandi takes care of the authority of the Marquis at times like this—
“No. Please write Count Wirydia.”
“Okay.”
At the words of the Marquis of Barandiga, the list was quickly drawn up.
Seeing the Count written above the Marquis made me feel like crying.
***
The factions united around His Excellency the Golden Ball have one thing in common.
“I don’t know how convenient it is to be able to transport supplies to the north by sea.”
“By the way, it’s been a while since I had to go overland.”
Even if only two of the faction members are together, they often talk about money. Since everyone is in a position to roll the top, it is inevitable.
Of course, it’s not that I don’t like it. Only those who like to talk about money and markets can go with the Golden Ball.
“Come to think of it, did you all hear? They say something a little unusual happened in the North.”
“The North? Oh, that thing.”
The Northern Territory was stabilized and the only imperial territory facing the sea became safe, and thanks to that, shipping to the north became more active. The eyes of the faction members subtly turned to me.
I just smiled at that gaze. The incident in the north they are talking about is related to the prospective son-in-law.
‘If I don’t go through my son-in-law, it will be difficult to do business with the North.’
Normal nomads traded with territories located in the north. However, recently, they started flocking to Wiridia, the son-in-law’s estate, and other markets began to lose vigor one by one.
Fortunately, this is not a situation that should be taken seriously. In the first place, it was the northern part that dealt with the nomads, and we tend to trade with the countries in the south and west of the empire or the east of the empire through shipping. Even if the nomads made an exclusive deal with Wiridia, there would be no immediate blow.
But in the long run, it’s fatal. Now that vast north will be developed, and the nomads will suck up the goods of the empire. A huge market that no one has pioneered will be opened.
And in order to access that market, the prospective son-in-law who has a friendly relationship with the nomads must have permission—or connivance.
“It seems that the minister built up a good friendship with the great lords of the north during his campaign.”
The eyes that were focused on me began to scatter at the remarks of His Excellency the Golden Ball.
“From what I’ve heard in this work, I heard that the minister personally persuaded the great lords of the north to surrender. So it’s only natural that they feel the favor of the minister.”
“That’s what happened. It’s hard to hear the news about this because it happened so far away.”
With those words, the topic of discussing the northern disaster naturally faded away.
Because what His Excellency the Golden Ball just said meant ‘recognizing Count Wirydia’s sphere of influence in the north’. It is not for us to discuss any more.
“Oops, you’re coming right after you’ve talked about yourself.”
Sir Golden Ball, who expressed his position to the faction members, turned his gaze toward the entrance and let out a big smile.
I also followed His Excellency’s gaze, turned my head, and flinched.
‘…Wasn’t it a simple acquaintance?’
More than ten men and women rushed in. At the forefront was the prospective son-in-law.
Yes, it is the leader. During the abdication ceremony, the Marquis Barandi, whom I glanced at, was walking behind her son-in-law. No matter how young aristocrats were, the marquis gave way to the count.
Suddenly, not only me, but all the nobles’ eyes were on the son-in-law. The son-in-law, who had great authority as an individual, was even attached to the power of a group called a clique.
It’s not even just a clique. The imperial army, which has not fully recovered its cavalry power, will long for the nomadic power dominated by the son-in-law, and the merchants will covet the vast frontiers and market population. He was holding a sword in both hands that could shake the political world with just one swing.
‘Sooner or later I’ll become a marquis.’
I thought that when I saw my son-in-law walking as if he was showing off. The prestige of having the whole northern region on his back, the authority of being the Minister of Supervision.
This is the level at which you can become a marquis, beating out a fair number of marquises. If such a person is not a marquis, the minimum qualifications for a marquis would be too high.
‘My son-in-law is a marquis.’
It’s new, but Irina is definitely my daughter.
Other than that, I can’t explain the skills my son-in-law snatched up before he peaked.