It wasn’t just Ragnar that was stunned. The other nobles also blinked at Luke.
‘Who is it? It’s a face I’ve never seen before.’
‘Which territory has the successor changed?’
When only silence continued, Ragnar, who was the first to come to his senses, glared at the Marquis and snarled.
“marquis! What happened to this!?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t pretend! Why did an Easterner join the Platinum Conference!”
“Heh heh, you are misunderstanding.”
Marquis Serge stroked his beard with a sly face.
“The qualifications to participate in the Platinum Conference are the presence or absence of northern lineage and territory. His maternal line is from the North, so even a Bernstein can participate.”
“Bernstein!”
“The Red Dragon of the East!”
The nobles looked at Luke in surprise. The dragon slayer’s reputation with the founder of the empire was famous even in the north. No, rather, it was more famous because it was northern.
It is a northern tradition to worship warriors and value martial arts. Isn’t the dragon slayer the one who has reached the pinnacle of all warriors?
“It is as the Marquis said. My maternal grandparents and mother are of northern blood, and since I took back their hometown, I deserve it.”
“Sophistry! where is that… … !”
“Or are you afraid of me? Do you want to prevent me from participating even by denying my birthright?”
Ragnar’s words of protest were simply blocked by Luke. Ragnar, who was about to retort, closed his mouth.
‘You foxy bastard!’
The insult of being a coward is childish. However, it was also a provocation that worked better than anything else in the North, where bravery was the most important.
“Kuhm! good night. I will acknowledge your lineage.”
“Thank you for that.”
“But your participation in the contest is another matter. To challenge the king for taking possession of a small baron’s land? Do you think it’s right?”
“Sophistry.”
Instead of Luke, it was Bjorn who answered. Ragnar, who returned what he was about to say, frowned.
“Sophistry?”
“exactly. Since when did you have to fight for rank in electing a king in the North? Wasn’t it an old tradition to select true warriors and follow them?”
Before being incorporated into the Empire, the northern kings were required to be the strongest warriors. It didn’t matter what kind of bloodline it was.
To be precise, it wasn’t the aristocracy, but the lineage didn’t have a big impact.
“Any warrior recognized by the Platinum Conference can challenge the king’s seat! Remember the tradition, Warchief!”
“Mmm.”
At the word tradition, Ragnar groaned. Isn’t all of this a bridgehead to climb to the king’s seat by using tradition?
Conversely, if the other side insisted on tradition, Ragnar had to strictly follow it.
“… i get it. However, in order to become a candidate first, at least seven people must agree. Is there anyone who would support his involvement?”
“Of course I will express my support.”
I guess so. because it’s your lord Ragnar frowned slightly and looked at the marquis. Looking at the situation, it was clear that they had spoken to each other beforehand.
‘You guys will agree. Then, the other raisers will also express their agreement.’
It was the moment when Ragnar dissatisfiedly anticipated the next situation. The Marquis rested her chin with a worried expression.
“Hmm, this is a problem.”
“… … ?”
“He has the qualifications to participate in the Platinum Council, but his qualifications to be king are a different matter. It’s a really difficult decision.”
“… … !”
Shocked by the unexpected sound, Bjorn widened his eyes.
* * *
Luke’s brow narrowed slightly. Originally, it was planned development that the Marquis would readily acknowledge it here. But it comes out that way.
‘Look at this old man?’
Many of the nobility here were raised by the Marquis. If the Marquis showed such an attitude, he would have no choice but to hesitate. The purpose of doing this is clear.
‘Do you want to take a sequence?’
Your plan is novel, but it cannot come true without my help. So stretch out in moderation and bow down in front of yourself from now on. I guess that’s kind of the message.
In fact, it was. The Marquis glanced at Luke and Bjorn pretending to be worried.
‘Son, no matter how much you fly and crawl, you can’t do anything without my consent. Do you understand the situation now?’
Marquis is not stupid either. It seems that Luke is opening a way for him to live now, but he knows that he is actually leading him in a direction that is beneficial to him.
‘A wild bastard.’
Distributing is permitted, but there is a degree to it. It was necessary to set the sequence here.
“What do you all think? I really have a hard time making decisions.”
“Hmmm, me too.”
“It is a difficult problem, indeed difficult.”
The quick-witted nobles quickly agreed with the Marquis. I didn’t know it well, but I noticed that the marquis was trying to take the reins.
As the sympathy continued around, a smile formed on the Marquis’ lips.
‘Now, what should I do?’
Since he stepped forward with confidence, if he was rejected like this, it would be a laughing stock. If you want to save face, you must show sincerity to the extent of bowing your head to the Marquis.
‘Keep your back down, kid.’
‘This f*cking old woman!’
The eyes of the two were intertwined in midair. One of the nobles jumped up and shouted.
“I accept his qualifications!”
All eyes were on the old nobleman.
* * *
‘Viscount Thorburn?’
The Marquis’ eyes shook violently. There’s no way you don’t know how the situation is going, but to express your support now. A cold voice escaped from his mouth.
“Are you serious?”
“I’m serious, Ball. How could you lie at the place where the king was elected?”
Despite the pressure, Viscount Thorvern’s expression did not change. Rather, he looked back at the other nobles and shouted loudly.
“The King of the North must have the dignity to be followed by all! Prince Serge, and the warchief too! How can you say that the descendants of the red dragon do not have that dignity!”
“… … !”
The air froze. Viscount Thorburn’s words suggested one absolute fact.
‘If only the king is elected, the marquis must also go under the king.’
In other words, if the candidate they supported becomes king, there is no need to notice the marquis. Rather, the Marquis had to look into the eyes of other nobles.
‘This guy doesn’t even know the subject!’
‘What if I look at it like that?’
As the Marquis gnashed his teeth and glared at him, Viscount Thorburn snorted. How long have you been under the authority of the Marquis? Just thinking about it sparked a fever.
‘I’ll feed you water very properly while the opportunity comes.’
Viscount Thorburn was not the only one who thought so. Some lords also jumped up and shouted.
“I acknowledge him too!”
“Me too!”
“He is indeed a man with the looks of a hero!”
“this person… … !”
At the response of the lords, who were usually oppressed, the marquis’ face turned red. I hope you will rebel against this situation.
“Then I am recognized.”
Hearing the voice from the side, the Marquis suddenly raised his head. Luke was looking down at the Marquis with a cool gaze. A faint sneer lingered on his lips.
‘Grandpa, are you f*cked now?’
‘Damn it.’
I tried to catch the rank, but rather, Luke fell away from the influence of the Marquis. And that wasn’t all.
“If you’re a warrior, how could I not step up?”
“Me too!”
From noble mtl dot com
Young nobles who had been suppressed by the titles of Marquis and Warchief began to step forward. All of them were proud of their own strength.
“Then I will also run for office.”
Bjorn also intervened. The Marquis and Ragnar struggled to suppress the sighs that were about to burst out. Election of a King by the Platinum Council.
The system revived to match the assortment was becoming the same as the real ancient king election.
* * *
‘Seven.’
Luke looked around at the elected candidates. It was a relatively small number for a candidate who came out after rain. Unexpectedly, it was because the lords acted strongly on the agreement.
‘Is it that the lords also filter out the gossip?’
It must be so. I supported you at best, but if you show rudeness, it’s a matter of the honor of the recommender. So seven were chosen.
Luke and Bjorn, Ragnar and his henchman Loghain. Also, the man who is the adopted son and nephew of the marquis and two people from a fairly prestigious family.
“… Then, this concludes the selection of candidates.”
The Marquis muttered with a dejected expression. I couldn’t even imagine how it would turn out now.
‘Damn it, it’s completely out of hand.’
Now I just have to leave it to chance. The only comfort was that the adopted nephew had excellent military strength.
“How do you plan to elect a king?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
It was Ragnar who answered a nobleman’s question.
“It is an ordeal.”
“test?”
“Since ancient times, candidates have been recognized as kings by passing the same three trials each time. Then shouldn’t we do the same?”
“What is it?”
A smile formed on Ragnar’s lips, while the Marquis’s face hardened. When I think about it now, all of them are ridiculous ordeals.
“Are you sure you want to do that?”
“of course.”
Ragnar dismissed the Marquis’ question and looked around.
“The first ordeal is simple. Bring the dragon’s heart.”
“… … !?”
All the aristocrats gathered at the Platinum Conference had disgusted faces. What did you say? dragon heart?
“Ji, are you talking about Dragon Heart?”
“Yes.”
“Nonsense! Dragon Hearts aren’t even children’s toys!”
A roar of anger escaped from the exploding nobleman’s mouth, as if he thought he had been teased. Shouldn’t it be tradition or something that makes sense?
“Above all, where are the old dragons that have survived in this era? They are all extinct species in the end!”
The dragon’s heart, the dragon’s heart, is not just a dragon’s heart. It only refers to the heart of an ancient dragon who was a master of magic and had intelligence superior to that of humans.
However, there are no ancient dragons in this era. Only sub-dragons with beast-like intelligence remained. But it’s a tradition to get a dragon’s heart.
“You’re making fun of us now!”
“No, I mean it.”
“Look, Warchief!”
“Certainly, there are no old dragons in this era.”
The original tradition must have been to catch an old dragon and get its heart. However, as long as the ancient dragons are extinct, they can pass the ordeal in a different way.
“But the heart of the dragon remains in this age.”
“What!?”
“Nonsense!”
The dragon’s heart is a treasure among treasures thought to have already disappeared. Isn’t it an ancient mystery that makes even that elixir look a few steps down?
“wherever… … !”
“The Mausoleum of the Warriors.”
The air, which had been filled with excitement, hardened in an instant. A place that has been designated as a forbidden place ever since the empire was established and the goddess faith was introduced.
“There is a dragon’s heart.”
“… … .”
When everyone was still swallowing dry saliva, Luke’s mouth trembled. It was difficult to suppress the corner of his mouth that was trying to rise.
Legitimately visiting the warrior’s mausoleum was the real intention of applying for this ordeal.
‘There really is a dragon’s heart there.’
dragon heart. A dream treasure that gives ordinary people infinite vitality, a perfect body, and a body with immortality the moment they are consumed.
And for those who inherit the Bernstein family lineage, there is an additional effect.
‘I can awaken the dragon’s blood.’
The key to awakening an ancient lineage that has now fallen asleep. That was the dragon’s heart.