Lucian observed Lothier in silence. A knight’s oath of loyalty was something that, once spoken, could not be undone.
If he had already said it out loud, it could be considered a sincere sentiment, free of deceit. However, there was one problem with accepting his loyalty so easily.
“Don’t you already have a lord to whom you swore loyalty?”
He was the captain of the guard protecting a territory under direct imperial control.
Normally, he would have sworn fealty to the Emperor before anyone else.
And yet now, he claimed he wanted to change lords.
“That’s strange. Since when does a knight have the right to desert at will? As I understand it, as long as the lord fulfills his duties, the knight must serve him with absolute loyalty.”
At Lucian’s cold voice, Lothier let out a sigh.
“Am I not to Your Highness’s liking?”
“Answer my question first.”
“Your Highness, I am ignorant of political shifts and know little of intrigue. But even someone like me, by this point, can tell how things are developing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Has His Majesty… truly passed away?”
Normally, a knight would never mention the death of their liege. Even speaking of it was considered disrespectful.
And if it concerned the Emperor of the Empire, all the more so. Yet Lothier asked the question directly.
‘He must truly be desperate.’
Lucian considered for a moment and decided to speak the truth. Since things had reached this point, he intended to settle all remaining issues then and there.
“I don’t know for sure. As you know, news travels slowly to the north. But the last time I saw him, he seemed to be in critical condition.”
“I see…”
Lothier’s face darkened. It was something he had already suspected, but hearing it confirmed by Lucian seemed to solidify it in his mind.
As if having made a final decision, he bowed even lower and spoke.
“If His Majesty has passed, then I currently have no lord to serve. As a knight, I have fulfilled my duty, and now I wish to serve a new lord.”
“Aren’t there still the First and Second Princes?”
“If either of them had wanted me, they would have sent a messenger by now. The fact that no word has come means they’ve forgotten I exist.”
In truth, it wasn’t something he could resent. There were countless knights in service to the Empire just in Tibron alone.
For a prince to even remember the name of a mere knight, not even the commander of an order, would already be a generational honor.
The problem was Lothier’s situation—completely forgotten and isolated in a distant land, with no contact with the capital.
With no one remembering him, and having even lost his position, who would care for them? By the time the chaos in the capital settled, his place would likely no longer exist.
“Moreover, as captain, I’m responsible for the lives of my men. How could I abandon the comrades I’ve fought alongside just to elevate my own honor?”
“Anyone would think this is the heart of a battlefield.”
“Life is a battlefield—there’s no difference. Dying while wandering and worrying about the next meal, or dying pierced by a soldier’s spear, is, in the end, the same death.”
If the guard collapsed and they were left without means to survive, that too would be his responsibility.
At the same time, his words implied that in exchange for loyalty, he asked for the guard’s livelihood to be ensured through wages.
It was bold, but honest—and in response to that candor, Lucian also spoke sincerely.
“I can’t trust you. Up until now, your attitude has been extremely lax and uncooperative.”
“Even if I had ten mouths, I couldn’t excuse myself. You’re absolutely right.”
“We also don’t know if the two princes truly forgot you. In the worst-case scenario, you might end up serving two lords.”
“That’s also true.”
“Then I’ll ask you something. If one of the princes demands answers and accuses me of being a tyrant who forced your loyalty, what will you do then?”
It wasn’t uncommon to force loyalty from someone cornered and with no escape.
Even if Lothier wasn’t an exceptional talent, politics could always twist things to make accusations sound legitimate.
If someone used his oath to suppress a Lucian growing too powerful, the situation could turn problematic later.
“You wouldn’t lose anything. You’d simply return to the lord you were originally bound to, and likely even receive better treatment. But I’d be left as a wretch who forced loyalty from a man who already had a lord.”
“If such a thing truly happened, I would personally declare Your Highness’s innocence.”
“Then you’d be the one remembered as a shameless man who served two lords, and your family’s honor would be in ruins.”
“If I cut off my own head to atone for the sin, the family would be spared. After all, the one at fault would be me alone.”
“…”
Lucian looked at him, slightly surprised. He thought perhaps Lothier was just speaking recklessly, but his calm expression showed he meant every word.
‘At the very least, his sense of responsibility is admirable.’
He wasn’t especially sharp, nor did he possess any outstanding skill, but he also wasn’t the type to speak ill of his lord after pledging loyalty.
Even if something went wrong in the future, he would shoulder the blame alone and leave quietly.
After thinking for a moment, Lucian decided to address the most immediate matter first.
“For now… let’s go see this defensive device you claim to have discovered.”
***
Lothier guided Lucian without resistance to the defensive device he had discovered.
Although Lucian hadn’t given a definitive answer, his words already amounted to a half-acceptance.
When he reached the device, Lucian frowned.
“Isn’t this the barrier artifact we saw before?”
On the northern inner ring wall sat a magical artifact composed of multiple fragments assembled into a spherical shape.
At a glance, it looked like a strange decoration, but in reality, it was the mechanism that activated Asagrim’s barrier.
“Do you remember how to activate it?”
“Of course.”
“Then, could you show me?”
Lucian tilted his head curiously and approached the artifact, following Lothier’s instructions. When he lifted a part that protruded more than the others—
Clack!
The artifact trembled.
Woooong—
“Good thing there aren’t any citizens living here yet.”
Lucian clicked his tongue as the artifact vibrated loudly and projected a membrane of energy.
It was undoubtedly a useful function, but so noisy that any enemy would notice the moment it activated.
From the White Palace came brief noises, but since it wasn’t the first time it had happened, there was no major commotion.
“Alright, I’m done.”
“Good work. Now it’s my turn.”
Lothier approached the artifact and began to manipulate it. No—rather than manipulate it, it looked like he was disassembling it quite roughly.
“Hey! If you break it—”
“There’s no problem.”
Clank, screech—
Ignoring Lucian’s concern, Lothier kept moving the artifact. The fragments began to shift like puzzle pieces—forward, backward, left, right.
At the same time, the barrier surrounding Asagrim started to show irregularities.
Crackle!
“…!?”
The barrier shimmered with a sound like lightning scorching dry branches. Upon closer inspection, violet lightning flickered around Asagrim’s perimeter.
At Lucian’s astonished look, Lothier calmly explained.
“This artifact doesn’t just create a barrier to stop enemies. Depending on how it’s handled, it can alter the barrier’s nature. Right now, I’ve modified it—anyone who touches it will burn to death.”
“And how did you discover something like that? From the looks of it, it’s a function that only reveals itself if you’re willing to break it.”
“I tried smashing it on the ground, but it didn’t break. Instead, the barrier changed. After hitting it a few more times and giving up, I decided to learn how to handle it properly.”
“…”
Lucian looked at Lothier, speechless.
If such a high-level magical artifact were to break, no one could predict what consequences might occur—even to the user—and yet he had tried to destroy it.
“Alright. With that, my role is done.”
After roughly explaining how the artifact worked, Lothier looked at Lucian.
It was as if to say he had proven his worth, and now it was up to Lucian to accept or reject him.
Lucian deactivated the barrier and met Lothier’s gaze.
“Lothier Terman. As of today, you are a knight in my service, and the soldiers you commanded are now my soldiers. As their sovereign, I guarantee treatment according to their loyalty.”
“Thank you, Your Highness! I will serve with absolute loyalty!”
Lothier fell to his knees, his trembling voice filled with deep relief, like a man who had just escaped the edge of ruin.
Lucian watched him thoughtfully.
‘Now what should I use them for?’
They weren’t extraordinary talents, but they were seasoned knights. At a time when any useful hands were needed, there was certainly a place for them.
***
Lucian decided to temporarily turn the Asagrim garrison into a security force.
Citizens would soon arrive, and maintaining order would be essential. Besides, no candidates were more suitable.
‘They know Asagrim better than I do.’
They had patrolled every corner for years, watching for intruders. Lothier, the former commander, had even discovered a hidden defensive device disguised as decoration.
Whether criminal or spy, there was no one they couldn’t catch if they set their minds to it.
Once preparations were complete, Lucian allowed the citizens to enter Asagrim.
“My goodness, it’s so beautiful! The pilgrims’ stories were true!”
“I never thought I’d see the White Palace up close…”
“Honey, how much did we say we’d make if we resold a house here?”
“Shh! Don’t say such things where everyone can hear you!”
“I had my doubts, but now I’m ready to open a shop right away.”
Although the city had only its reputation, no one seemed worried.
The title of Sacred Land of the North had an irresistible pull. But once the inconveniences became apparent, that charm wouldn’t last long.
Before that happened, Lucian poured in the funds he had prepared and launched the urban reconstruction plan.
“What happened to the merchant caravan that was supposed to arrive?”
“It’s coming tomorrow. Other caravans will arrive in staggered groups.”
“Good. Keep trade steady until the market stabilizes properly.”
“Some merchants are asking for exclusive rights—”
“Are they insane? Tell them to stop spewing nonsense if they don’t want to die.”
While Lucian signed piles of documents, the selected administrators worked nonstop. The internal affairs department, including the treasurer, barely slept, spending night after night awake.
“Why do the number of residents and collected taxes not match at all?”
“A lot of new settlers have arrived in the meantime—there’s no helping it.”
“Of course there is! You should’ve updated the report immediately!”
“Don’t say ridiculous things! I’m dying here from lack of staff!”
“…For now, let’s inform His Highness and recruit new administrators. Or bring in some from the old territories.”
And so, lord and subordinates spent three months completely absorbed in work. Fortunately, after that time, the workload began to ease, and they could breathe a little.
Although everything was new and demanded constant attention, the system was transparent.
There were mistakes, yes—but no corruption or embezzlement. And once the framework was in place, everything began to flow naturally.
‘At this rate, recruiting mages before the year ends will be hard.’
Magical research was important, but not more so than properly settling the citizens. First, the territory had to be stabilized.
Exhausted, Lucian dropped into his chair with a bitter smile.
“Your Highness.”
“Colin? What is it?”
Chief Mage Colin appeared with a tense expression. At first, Lucian thought he had found something among the treasure hall books—but what he said was completely unexpected.
“A colleague of mine wishes to see you.”
“Your colleague?”
“Yes. She belongs to the same school of celestial astrology as I do. Her name is Helen, and she studies astrology.”
Lucian blinked involuntarily.
Astrology?
Right now, what he needed was magical research—not fortune-telling.
____
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