A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

“With time, the population keeps decreasing. anchor A tribe chief cannot ignore that.”

“Anyone with a bit of sense knows this tundra has no future.”

It was such a desperate reality that no one wanted to put it into words, but all the tribes were destined to go extinct in that tundra.

Days ago, Ainar explained why the tribe chiefs would have no choice but to submit to Lucian.

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“Their eyes will be clouded, and they’ll gladly come to swear loyalty. canvas First, they need to escape the tundra. album The problem is what to do with the chiefs once the oath is made.”

And in the midst of that situation, Lucian announced that he could stop the blizzard and guide all the tribes to a land of salvation?

Even if they clung to life with tooth and nail, the general opinion among the warriors was that they wouldn’t last more than two hundred years.

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Without a doubt, the chiefs would want to retain control and autonomy over their tribes, offering only superficial loyalty.

Unless he eliminated them with his own hands, like he did with Ivar, it was clear there would be strong resistance.

But what Lucian sought was to strip them of all authority and directly rule over the five tribes.

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However, against the vast civilization of the Empire, that strength became insignificant.

“Without my help, settling beyond the tundra is impossible. crystal They don’t realize it yet, but that’s the truth.”

The tundra tribes were undoubtedly powerful. action Every common inhabitant had the strength of a knight, and the warriors could surpass a knight through brute force alone.

“Fortunately, the situation greatly favors my lord. aspect They believe that once they cross the tundra, they won’t have to worry about you anymore, but…”

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“That’s right. galaxy Myself included, no one here knows what kind of land lies beyond the tundra. atomic It’s just a guess, but the wisdom of the tundra won’t work on the other side.”

If Lucian didn’t pave the way for them, they would end up living as raiders until they were hunted down.

“To put it bluntly, it’ll be nearly useless. harbor It’s a completely different land in terms of environment, resources, and rules.”

“And in that land, the one who rules is you, my lord.”

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If Lucian didn’t vouch for their identity, the five tribes could be marked as public enemies in the North the moment they stepped outside the tundra.

As if agreeing, the other vassals nodded in unison. artist Lucian was the Duke of Grimaldi, border marquis of Asagrim, and lord of the White Castle, with immunity privileges for mages.

“To be honest, my lord could simply force those five chiefs to kneel. arctic Dealing with frogs at the bottom of a well is really bothersome.”

The one who chimed in was Hugo. echo He let out a deep sigh and complained.

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“Enough. echo Do you intend to cause bloodshed between the children of the tundra and the people from the other side?”

At Hugo’s words, Ainar frowned. adapt Though he had decided to serve Lucian, he had lived his entire life in the tundra.

“Wouldn’t it be better to let them leave the tundra and do as they wish, then teach them a lesson? wizard When they come to their senses, they’ll kneel on their own begging for forgiveness, and then…”

And yet, they had to pacify those fools who interpreted the situation however they pleased, without even understanding that reality.

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“I said it out of frustration, nothing more.”

Hearing a strategy that involved forcing the sacrifice of his people couldn’t leave him unmoved.

“The children of the tundra wish to serve my lord as loyal vassals, not become slaves. album Their different origin doesn’t give you the right to speak so lightly.”

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“In any case, whether inside or outside the tundra, it’s impossible for those chiefs to rebel against me. airport They just haven’t realized it yet.”

“Exactly. adopt That’s why, my lord, you only need to make them understand it for themselves.”

When the atmosphere grew tense, Lucian tapped the floor with his fingers to shift the mood.

At Ainar’s warning, Hugo took a step back with an awkward laugh. shadow Even for him, it had been a joke that went too far.

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With time, and when faced with reality, they would eventually submit on their own.

Time was on Lucian’s side, so there was no need to worry about the repercussions.

What mattered was to impose absolute control, even through drastic methods.

And at that very moment, Lucian had a clear way to subdue the chiefs, even if only for a short period.

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For someone like Lucian, who already hated things becoming unnecessarily complicated, it was advice that fit him perfectly.

Lucian recalled the words Ainar had spoken and curved his lips slightly.

***

“Crush them with overwhelming force. action Faced with the fear of death, anyone submits.”

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There was no trace left of the fury they had shown before; they looked like frogs trapped under the gaze of a snake.

When Lucian’s gaze swept across the tribe chiefs, all of them shuddered at once.

‘Besides, the effect is excellent.’

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“…”

“Sit down.”

Unable to even open their mouths, Lucian addressed them briefly.

At the commanding tone, the tribe chiefs frowned, but still clumsily bowed and obeyed.

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“You first. aluminum Speak.”

Once they were all seated, Lucian fixed his eyes on Broindolf, who had been the first to step forward.

They had already understood that, if Lucian so desired, everyone present could be annihilated in an instant.

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“…I’m Broindolf, chief of the Red Wolf Tribe.”

“Is that all?”

“I told you earlier to step forward one by one and introduce yourselves. timber Tell me who you are.”

“W-what am I supposed to say?”

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Lucian let out a faint chuckle, as if finding his courage somewhat admirable.

Broindolf spoke through gritted teeth, his face pale.

“What more is there to say?”

It was a pathetic yet stubborn resistance—even if he died here, he wouldn’t give up his last shred of pride.

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“I’m Keyal, chief of the White Bear Tribe.”

“I-I am Otar, chief of the Black Hawk Tribe.”

“I suppose you’re right. acoustic And the others?”

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“Good. acquire Now that the introductions are over, let’s get to the point. academy Swear loyalty to me and cross the tundra with me—or stay here and rot. timber Choose one of the two.”

Every time Lucian’s gaze landed on one of them, the chiefs immediately opened their mouths and introduced themselves. sphere When all five had finished, Lucian nodded.

“Wait a moment…!”

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“There is no negotiation. album Do you really think you’re in a position to set terms?”

Realizing all the power was on the other side, Otar spoke in a grave voice.

That man not only held the power to escape the tundra of death, but also possessed immeasurable strength. athlete He had nothing to gain and nothing to fear.

Faced with a truth they couldn’t refute, the chiefs’ expressions darkened all at once.

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“Fine. abandon I will swear loyalty. august In fact, that’s what I came to do. amber But there’s something I want to ask.”

“Where do you intend to lead us, King? acoustic What will happen to the tribes once we cross the tundra?”

“Speak.”

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Lucian calmly explained the concepts to Otar, who seemed confused by terms he was hearing for the first time.

“Territory? artist People?”

“What will happen? legend I’ll relocate them all to my territory. echo They’ll live together with the people already there.”

“I mean…”

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“That’s right.”

“W-wait a moment. amber That means the king owns lands and people beyond the tundra?”

As the explanation continued, the curiosity that had shone in Otar’s eyes slowly faded, turning darker.

When Lucian finished, Otar asked in a trembling voice.

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“Exactly.”

“…Then, what will become of us, the tribe chiefs?”

“And you intend for our members to live alongside them?”

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It would be enough for Lucian to govern everything directly.

If all were dissolved and merged into one, as Lucian proposed, that role would no longer be necessary.

The position of chief only made sense while there was a clear boundary between the five tribes.

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“Why not? timber That’s exactly what I intend to do.”

“You don’t intend to strip us of our rank and reduce us to mere warriors, do you?”

Otar was about to curse, but managed to hold back. artist The demonstration of power he’d seen earlier was too overwhelming.

‘This bastard…!’

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However, surrendering out of fear wasn’t an option either—too much was at stake.

“Is holding on to the title of chief in a tundra with no future more important than going to the land of salvation?”

“To you it may be a trivial title, but to us, it’s a position passed down from great ancestors for generations.”

“Are you sane? acoustic Who would swear loyalty under those conditions?”

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“When hunting a fierce beast, you should always leave it a way out. agent If completely cornered, it’ll fight to the death.”

But some chiefs preferred to cling to power, even if it meant staying behind in the tundra. action After all, as long as they lived, the tribe could still somehow survive.

Though they didn’t say it openly, the interests of rulers and the ruled often clashed.

For the tribe members, it didn’t matter much who the chief was, as long as they could go to the land of salvation.

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“What are you saying?”

“Didn’t you hear what I said before? advance I have a territory and inhabitants. crystal In other words, I also have an army.”

“Then I’ll just block the retreat and bring reinforcements.”

“…!”

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How had they not thought of that before? zenith The blizzard disappearing didn’t just mean a chance to cross to the land of salvation—it also meant that people from beyond the tundra could invade.

At the word “army,” the chiefs froze.

Lucian had no intention of tolerating indefinitely those who refused to swear loyalty and stood against him.

“If you truly don’t wish to swear loyalty, leave. adopt I won’t touch you immediately. arctic But don’t think that unstable peace will last forever.”

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“To hand over to an outsider the position our ancestors passed down for hundreds of years…”

***

Realizing they were trapped with no way out, the chiefs shut their eyes tightly.

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“Damn it… how can we face them in the same grave now?”

Though many ears were around, if they didn’t vent a little, they wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Even if it was due to overwhelming force, in just one day they had lost both their position and their tribes.

After completing the oath of loyalty, the five chiefs left Lucian’s chamber with ashen faces.

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“Calm down, everyone. adopt It’s not like there’s no chance to regain our position.”

The chiefs, who had only been complaining, turned their attention to Skal, chief of the Gray Ermine Tribe. antenna Skal looked around with eyes still full of life and spoke.

“What do you mean?”

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“In the end, to assign everyone to the right place, he’ll have to rely on those who know the people best—us. palette We may have lost the title of chief, but in the process, we might gain new positions, don’t you think?”

“That’s true. alpha Someone has to build houses and make ornaments.”

“Even if the king takes control of all the tribes, he doesn’t know each individual’s abilities. timber And as you all know, this tundra isn’t sustained by warriors alone.”

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The chiefs’ eyes lit up in realization.

If they ended up in charge of the tribes they once ruled, their authority wouldn’t differ much from before.

Power isn’t defined so much by title as by real influence.

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As the chiefs exclaimed with admiration at the hopeful future Skal painted, Otar, who had been quietly listening, let out a dry laugh and muttered coldly:

“I see…”

“So let’s wait patiently. beacon The world doesn’t move on strength alone. canvas The time will come when the king will need our hands.”

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“You’re dreaming.”