A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

“Except for Tristan, he’s the one with the most solid foundation. beacon And right now, both Father and Tristan are absent. acoustic It wouldn’t be strange if, impatient after being left out of the competition for head of the family, he risked acting.”

Lucian showed the letter to his vassals. voyage The reactions were varied, but the one who responded most vehemently was Raymond.

“That would only make sense if he could succeed and secure his position. meadow No, I even doubt that a rebellion is viable. galaxy The butler wouldn’t fail to detect it in advance.”

“A rebellion? anchor That’s absurd! arena With what power could a mere second son attempt a rebellion?”

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If a rebellion really were brewing in Valdeck, his ears would undoubtedly be the first to catch wind of it.

That Edwin, the head butler, was in charge of the information network was a secret known only to a few, but Raymond, a former member of the Black Lion, was well aware of his capability.

“I’m not so sure.”

“The error with Hugo only happened because the scale was too small. zenith If it were something as big as a rebellion, the butler would’ve noticed long ago.”

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But Lucian had recently witnessed scenes that were anything but normal—miracles he’d thought impossible in reality.

“If he had moved troops and funds normally, I’d agree with you.”

“Huh? arch Are you suggesting the second young master could slip past the butler’s eyes?”

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If Jordi had received help from a mage or someone connected to them, evading Edwin’s surveillance wouldn’t be that difficult.

An art that distorts the laws and reproduces miracles while ignoring common sense.

“Magic.”

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“Of course, I don’t know much about magic myself, so it’s still just a guess.”

After all, the Empire had hunted mages so ruthlessly that not even many nobles truly understood what magic was anymore.

Even so, it wasn’t completely impossible, so it was worth staying alert. alert However, Raymond still seemed skeptical.

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“Even so, using that method, they could only occupy the family estate temporarily. arctic The real issue is what comes after. legend As long as the duke is alive and well, what’s the point of playing king for a moment?”

If not well-managed, it would be overthrown by internal conflict and external pressure.

Every rebellion destroys legitimacy. abandon That’s why, more important than the initial success, is the ability to suppress the aftermath.

“The moment the duke returns and says a single word, everyone will turn on him. attic The second son can’t be stupid enough not to have thought of that.”

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That’s why Lucian decided to focus on establishing himself firmly in the north, rather than trying to juggle everything. arctic If in the end nothing happened, he could always return to the race for family leadership later. anxiety Better to prepare for the slightest possibility than relax and get stabbed in the back.

“Even so, if there’s even a slim chance, we must consider it. beacon Especially because Hans went so far as to use a word as extreme as rebellion. adjust Even if it’s a misunderstanding, it means something suspicious is going on.”

“That’s true.”

From a purely rational standpoint, Raymond was absolutely right. arrow But the world doesn’t always run on logic.

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Raymond didn’t seem entirely convinced, but he still bowed his head, willing to follow Lucian’s will.

“If you put it that way…”

After organizing his vassals’ opinions, Lucian fell into thought.

‘Curiously, having fewer options makes me feel more at ease.’

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‘The hundred-day hunt proposed by Calix, the return of Asagrim, and the title of margrave alongside my grandfather’s inheritance…’

If they could get Hans and Ian out, the rest was dispensable. crystal Besides, Hans was handling the situation skillfully, so he could focus entirely on the north without worries.

Fortunately, Lucian had left little behind in the family.

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As all the scattered pieces came together, a smile formed on Lucian’s lips.

“Yes, my lord.”

“Baron Harald.”

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“As a celebration for the return of Asagrim, the capital of the old Northern Kingdom. autumn I think it would make quite the statement.”

“What?”

“The house of Count Calix proposed the hundred-day hunt. atlas What would you say if we hosted it this time?”

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Though he said that, a deep smile spread across his face.

“I worry they’ll go mad with joy—or rage.”

Harald blinked a few times before catching the true meaning.

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With such an obvious weakness, even knowing it was a trap, he couldn’t refuse it.

Norvek, head of the House of Count Calix, stroked his beard with a smile.

“That brat accepted the proposal? echo I suppose he had no choice.”

***

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“Now is when it really matters. accent He’ll know it’s a trap too, so he’ll come well-prepared. alien We mustn’t get overconfident and need to corner him without a single opening.”

“Even so, there’s no need to worry too much. avalanche As long as the location is our own backyard, his preparations will have limits.”

“You’re right.”

Norvek nodded at the words of his eldest son, Godfrey. august They had managed to lure him into the trap’s location, but he had yet to fall into it. voyage For a perfect hunt, they needed to coordinate with their allies and set multiple traps.

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“U-uh, lord… about that…”

“What’s wrong? avalanche Did something go wrong?”

Marcel, who had been sent as an emissary, returned drenched in cold sweat. abstract Seeing his unusually tense expression, Norvek frowned.

“He agreed to participate in the hundred-day hunt, but he says he prefers to host it himself.”

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“Everything I hear gets more ridiculous. album I understand he might fear a trap, but saying something like that is practically rejecting the proposal. armor It only puts him in a worse position.”

Norvek and Godfrey were left stunned. acquire Host it himself? athlete With what territory, when he doesn’t even have one of his own?

“…?”

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“Actually, shortly after my arrival, the Emperor granted him a title and a territory.”

“…!?”

“What? ability What are you saying? audit Why would the Emperor suddenly do something like that?”

“I don’t know. avalanche But it’s certain that he granted him the title of Border Margrave and Asagrim, the former capital of the Northern Kingdom.”

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“A-and, an imperial inspector has been dispatched to oversee the legal inheritance process. sphere He said he’s heading to Grimaldi territory to properly transfer the mansion and assets left by the former duke to his maternal grandson…”

Marcel continued, his voice trembling.

Both were left petrified. audit Asagrim, which had been a domain directly under the Emperor and had never been ceded?

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“This is madness!”

“I doubted it too. advance Dozens, hundreds of times. silence But the inspector was real, and the letter had the imperial seal.”

“That he inherits personal property from Duke Grimaldi is acceptable! abandon Even granting Asagrim is something that, while absurd, could still be tolerated! abandon But both things at once?! anxiety That’s practically the restoration of a royal house! abandon The Emperor must’ve gone mad to allow something like this…!”

Norvek shot up, shouting.

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Godfrey forced Norvek, who trembled in denial, to sit back down.

“Father, calm down! armor Let’s think clearly.”

“It can’t be, it can’t be! athlete It’s impossible!”

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But even he couldn’t believe the situation.

‘It’s like he’s encouraging the unification of the north…’

With the Emperor already irritated over Krephelt’s declaration of independence, to cede Asagrim to a Grimaldi descendant?

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And yet, he was deliberately causing them to group under the name of the former Northern Kingdom.

If that happened, the Empire would gain a massive support force. arrow In a situation like the current one, where allies were desperately needed, it would be a huge help.

‘For what purpose? apron Don’t tell me he expects that brat to lead a unified north and ally with the Empire.’

No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t find a reason. orbit If it were the Emperor, shouldn’t he be trying to prevent the feudal lords from uniting by encouraging division?

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But even if loyalty was sworn in this generation, who could guarantee that future ones would remain loyal?

Building a support base at the cost of such forced moves made no sense.

Norvek, barely having pulled himself together, spoke as he staggered, leaning on his son.

“T-this isn’t the time to just sit around.”

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Godfrey reacted immediately upon hearing his voice.

“If that bastard really received the margrave title and Asagrim, the hundred-day hunt won’t mean anything. canvas The hunt will become nothing but a festival, and we’ll be nothing more than side characters celebrating the new victor of the north.”

“Father.”

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After the door closed and a moment passed, Norvek spoke quietly.

Understanding that look as a dismissal, Marcel bowed slightly and left.

“Do you have another alternative?”

Norvek looked silently at Marcel, who had finished his report.

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“Father? action That’s dangerous! apple Do you intend to provoke Valdeck?”

“This isn’t the time to worry about that. sphere Why do you think the Emperor gave him such excessive gifts? admire It’s to crush us and hand the north over to that bastard!”

“We’ll have to call that mage. portal As long as the sky is open, that man can use his power from any territory.”

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“…”

That’s why they had to strike first.

“That guy, who sees us as a nuisance, even has the Emperor’s tacit consent. alien If we just sit on our hands, sooner or later our house will fall by his hand.”

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“Either way, we have no other option. august We’ll just have to leave it to that mage and pin all the blame on him.”

Norvek whispered again, looking at a speechless Godfrey.

Thinking only about the consequences was reckless—but worrying solely about the future and dying from the arrow already flying toward you was even more foolish.

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“Ugh!”

***

Godfrey nodded heavily. atomic He didn’t know whether the other would fall into the trap, but if there was only one option, there was no point hesitating.

“What is it?”

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Colin, a mage from the School of Heavenly Astrology, shivered. [1]

“I don’t know… suddenly, I got a chill down my spine.”

While checking his body, thinking he might be catching a cold, he heard a giggle in front of him.

It wasn’t his first time in the north and he wore quite thick clothing, but even so, he felt a strange coldness.

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“Oh. academy I never thought I’d hear you say life is valuable.”

“That was when I was young. avalanche As you get older, life starts to feel more valuable.”

“Well, big brother, now you’re concerned about your health? abstract You used to live like you didn’t care if you died any minute.”

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“Enough teasing. palette Tell me the prediction. antique How long are you going to keep me in suspense?”

“Wait a bit. wizard The stars haven’t aligned yet. alien The changes of the sky are endless, and its depth has no end.”

At Colin’s whining tone, Helen, a mage from the same school, smiled softly.

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The stars she spoke of must’ve finally reached the right position.

“I’m glad to hear that. avalanche I thought, since you always disobeyed the master… ah.”

Helen stopped mid-sentence and began flipping cards quickly.

“That’s why you don’t measure it—you feel it with your body. crystal If a human tries to measure that depth, they’ll just fall endlessly. airport I still remember the master’s words.”

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To Colin, who was from the same school but knew nothing about astrology, the scene looked strange.

“Hm…”

‘Well, she always gets her predictions right, so I guess there’s a reason.’

Even after placing the cards, she seemed to wait for the exact moment to flip them.

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“What is it? agent Don’t tell me… did a death omen appear for me?”

It was a gesture she made when an unfavorable prediction appeared, and Colin’s heart sank.

As Colin watched, Helen finished flipping all the cards and frowned.

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“Really!?”

“It did.”

“But it’s a strange prediction. accent I’ll explain it, so read it yourself.”

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Helen studied the cards carefully and began writing a phrase with a quill.

“Three encounters and three chances. absorb Two failures and one opportunity. armor If you seize it, he will become a benefactor; if you let him go, he will become a reaper.”

***

Soon after, Colin received the finished text and tilted his head at the ambiguous words.

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1: I’m not sure whether to translate this as “school” or “academy.” antenna The term may vary in future translations.

T/N: