Lucian couldn’t find a way to argue back.
After all, he was the one who had asked Harald if he wanted to follow him.
Harald had replied that he couldn’t leave immediately due to matters in his territory, but he made it clear that as soon as the situation stabilized, he would follow without hesitation.
If his second son, Torkel, became the heir and showed acceptable capability, Harald would have left the territory right away to join Lucian.
‘And I too would have preferred Harald to come rather than this guy I hadn’t even seen once.’
Torkel, in his own way, had chosen the path he considered optimal to reach his goal.
And the result was exactly what he most desired, so at the very least, he had shown a good instinct for reading the situation and acting quickly.
However, his story was missing something fundamental.
“But I have no intention of keeping you by my side.”
“Huh?”
“Why are you so surprised? Did you think that just because you’re the son of Baron Harald, I’d congratulate you and say you arrived just in time?”
“That’s not it, but perhaps you wish to test my abilities?”
“No. I’ve already seen enough of your abilities. What I don’t like is your character.”
At those unexpected words, Torkel felt his head spin.
His character? Had he done something wrong in front of Lucian?
Seeing that Torkel couldn’t find an answer even after a while, Lucian spoke again.
“Take the throne. That was a ridiculous comment.”
“…!”
“Clever fox. You’re the opposite of your upright father. Saying such things in front of knights affiliated with the Empire?”
“I just…”
“A youth drunk on the ancient glory of the North, unable to contain his hot blood. It fit perfectly. The timing was ideal too.”
It was precisely when the White Palace, closed for nearly a thousand years, was opening once again.
That a young man, overwhelmed with emotion, would praise the past glory was not strange at all.
Even more so when the other pilgrims, caught up in the moment, joined in immediately.
“Were you worried that the gift I received from the Empire was too generous? That I’d remain a loyal subject and never restore the North’s glory?”
“….”
“You have an exceptional talent for probing. Or maybe you just lack patience. It seems you can’t rest until you hear a clear answer.”
With each word from Lucian, Torkel’s face grew paler. Despite the cold, everyone could see sweat soaking through his back.
“You expected that upon hearing your proclamation, I’d get excited and climb the throne, right? That would damage my relationship with the Empire and, at the same time, confirm my ambitions.”
“M-my lord.”
“Even if I hesitated and didn’t respond clearly, it still would’ve worked in your favor. If I didn’t say something satisfying, the Empire would start watching me with suspicion.”
“My lord!”
Whoosh.
As Torkel lifted his head in desperation, a bluish energy flashed before his eyes.
The burning heat at the tip of his nose made him realize it was materialized magic.
“Silence. The lord is speaking.”
The knight’s voice rang out a moment later. Torkel swallowed hard. One more word, and his throat would have been cut without hesitation.
Lucian looked at Torkel, who had pressed his forehead back to the floor, and gave a bitter smile.
“You really do have a brain that works. Quite the opposite of your upright father.”
He said it half-seriously, half-mockingly. In retrospect, no matter how Lucian had reacted, Torkel was bound to gain something.
If Lucian confirmed his ambitions, he’d distance himself from the Empire. If he hesitated, it would be easy to widen that crack.
Even if he completely rejected the throne and declared loyalty to the Empire, it would be disappointing—but still the lesser evil.
‘At least the North wouldn’t be ruled by a loyal lapdog of the Empire.’
The cold smile disappeared from Lucian’s face.
“Insolent.”
“….”
“Did you think that since you didn’t know your sovereign’s character, you could mold it as you pleased? I’ve never seen anyone like you. Were you hoping to place a puppet on the throne and pull the strings from the shadows?”
“Never!”
Torkel sprang up as if convulsing, but Felicia’s sword flew toward him.
The blade grazed his ear, and blood began to trickle, but even so, Torkel continued speaking.
“How could I harbor such a vile dream?! Even if I ended up as a crippled warrior or a usurper without legitimacy, I’ve never wished to be a shadowy conspirator!”
“And after scheming such a pathetic plot, you say that?”
“It’s not just about my fate! The fate of the entire North depends on you! How could I not want to test your worth?”
“Congratulations. After evaluating your test, you’ve lost my trust. I have no intention of keeping you by my side. Leave.”
“Then use me and discard me!”
“What?”
Lucian looked at him, stunned. In his past life, he had seen it all—knights who begged for days after being rejected, others who desperately tried to prove their usefulness, or those who left promising to return someday.
But someone who asked to be used as a disposable pawn—that was a first.
“My lord found an answer I never could’ve imagined. That’s when I understood. You are someone I cannot measure. You are exactly the person I’ve been looking for.”
The true king who would restore the North’s ancient glory. Bloodline, ability, timing—nothing was missing.
“I don’t care about personal glory. I don’t care about leaving my name in history or raising my family’s prestige. All I care about is the North regaining its former greatness.”
It didn’t matter if Lucian didn’t favor him. What mattered was how useful he could be to the cause.
If he were to be discarded, at least let it be after being fully used.
“So please, use me and throw me away. Squeeze every bit of worth I have for your cause. Even if, after that, you want my head—I’ll offer it willingly.”
“….”
Lucian observed him in silence. His eyes burned with absolute desperation. He had seen that look many times in his past life.
‘The eyes of someone who entrusted their dream to another.’
People who couldn’t fulfill their dreams on their own and looked for a savior to do it in their place.
‘Most of them ended in tragedy.’
Even so, they all had one thing in common.
‘They never betrayed.’
Lucian stroked his chin, thoughtful.
“That’s true. Getting rid of someone who still has value too soon would be wasteful.”
“My lord!”
But Lucian raised his hand to stop him.
“However, if all I squeeze out is dirty water, it’ll be a massive disappointment. I’m not sure you’re worth the effort.”
“I have many friends among the second and third sons of families allied with Count Calix’s house. They’re all dissatisfied with their lords’ decision to align with Calix.”
“…!”
Lucian was startled.
If that was true, there was no need to face all of Count Calix’s allies head-on.
It would be enough for them to waver from within to deliver a serious blow.
Under Lucian’s inquisitive gaze, Torkel pulled a crumpled paper from his clothing.
“I don’t need a reward. Just use it in whatever way is most useful to you.”
***
On the paper was written the list of the “friends” Torkel had mentioned.
The families they belonged to, each one’s grievances, and even their usual ideological stances.
If what was written there was true, it could prove extremely useful.
“As long as it’s true.”
“I can wager my head.”
“Your head is worth nothing for this to work.”
“Then what must I do for you to believe me?”
Torkel wore a desperate expression, as if trying to regain the trust he had lost.
Lucian lightly shook the paper in his hand and asked,
“Is there anyone listed here who could provoke an internal rebellion right now and make it succeed? Without my help, using only their own strength.”
Torkel’s face hardened.
A rebellion, regardless of its scale, was something one wagered their life on.
Even if the probability of success was high, it wasn’t something to be mentioned lightly.
“…There is one. A friend who has been preparing for some time. Even so, the chance of success is fifty-fifty.”
“Which family?”
“The third son of the house of Baron Beor.”
He wasn’t a nobody, but a family positioned at the lowest rung among Count Calix’s main allies.
Even so, within the North they had a certain voice among the feudal lords. If they could replace the head of that family, dealing with Calix would become much easier.
“I’ll soon be holding a banquet and sending invitations to the lords of the North. By then, I want the head of the Beor house to be someone favorable to me.”
It was, in essence, an order to go and immediately provoke a successful rebellion. It was an excessive demand, bordering on the unrealistic, but Torkel nodded with a firm expression.
“Understood. We’ll meet again at the banquet. By then, I’ll come to greet you together with my friend.”
With those words, Torkel turned around and left.
Blood was still running from his ear, but instead of trying to stop it, he simply held it carefully so it wouldn’t stain the floor.
When Torkel disappeared, the vassals approached Lucian.
“My lord, is it really all right to let him go like that? After all, he’s the heir of Baron Harald. If he dies wrapped up in a rebellion…”
“Even if it’s a rebellion, since he’s an outsider he’ll be in a rear position where he can always flee. He won’t die.”
For the side that achieved success, having the involvement of an outsider in the family’s internal affairs exposed would be a disgrace.
Unless they were as foolish as Harald’s eldest son, they would keep him at a distance while they overthrew their own clan.
Of course, before that, he would first have to convince them to start the rebellion.
“He didn’t say a single word about being unable to do it, even after handing me that information with such confidence. Let’s see what happens.”
If he failed, he would be nothing more than an insolent talentless fool who dared to test his lord.
If he succeeded, he would prove that there was still plenty left to squeeze out of him, just as he had said.
Lucian only needed to wait calmly and see the outcome.
“By the way, there’s something I want to show you. When the sun goes down, come inside the White Palace. Right now, this is more urgent than that fellow.”
“You found it?”
“Come in later and see it with your own eyes.”
Lucian left those meaning-laden words to Hugo and Raymond, whose eyes were shining, and went back inside.
That night, when the two men saw the secret space beneath the throne, a scream escaped their mouths.
____
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