A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

“Ah…”

Only Lothier stepped aside with a complicated expression, avoiding eye contact. agent Seeing that, the pilgrims were convinced and all entered at once.

The pilgrims looked at each other cautiously, then stepped forward. arrow Just in case, they glanced around, but no one stopped them.

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Even though they were residential areas for commoners, the style was as classic and elegant as that of the nobility.

The pilgrims who gazed upon the ancient capital of the northern kingdom let out exclamations of awe.

In the distance, the inner city walls were even more beautiful than the outer wall. arrow And as the finishing touch, within the inner city stood a palace.

The first thing that caught their attention were the exquisitely detailed buildings and the neatly paved streets.

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It didn’t look like it was built from stacked bricks, but as if a giant pure pearl had been carved directly.

Everything around it was beautiful, but in front of that white palace, everything else seemed to lose its shine.

Someone murmured as if hypnotized, staring at the palace.

“The White Palace.”

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“…It’s even more impressive than I imagined.”

A sincere exclamation escaped Lucian’s lips. adjust He had heard it was more beautiful than the imperial palace, but he didn’t expect it to surpass it completely.

The pilgrims who had visited before were savoring its beauty once again, while those seeing it for the first time trembled with emotion.

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What kind of technology had they used to build something like this a thousand years ago?

As he looked around, unable to take his eyes off the surroundings, Lucian noticed something strange.

Even if it wasn’t habitable, it was still a city open to tourism.

‘The security is excessive. altitude It’s almost like a military strategic point.’

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If the general public was allowed to enter, there was no reason to maintain such strict surveillance.

“Yes?”

“Sir Lothier.”

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“…Your Highness, I’m sorry, but I’m in charge of the defense of a territory under the direct administration of the Empire. atom I cannot reveal confidential information to outsiders.”

“The security seems too strict. absorb If this is a tourist site that allows pilgrim visits, why such caution?”

Lucian looked at Lothier, who flinched at being called.

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“That’s not an incorrect argument. alien I shouldn’t lightly dig into the Empire’s secrets.”

His expression was firm, as if he held no grudge over what had just happened. amber His words weren’t illogical, so Lucian smiled slightly.

“I appreciate your understanding.”

“But this territory has been granted to me as a fief. artist If there’s an obvious danger and you deliberately hide it, and something happens because of that, don’t forget that it will also be your responsibility.”

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If an incident happened in the future, it would be enough to say, “he hid it!” for all the responsibility to fall on him. antenna From the moment he invoked imperial secrecy, there was no room left for excuses.

At Lucian’s calm reply, Lothier’s face twisted. accent Justifications can always be shaped as needed.

“…”

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It was a city granted by the emperor to ensure support for the first prince.

Even Glenn, who stood nearby, sided with Lucian and pressured Lothier.

“Sir Lothier, not even to me you can say it?”

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If a mere knight, out of personal resentment, made that favor seem lesser, it would be no small loss.

“If there’s no reason to hide it from me, explain it to His Highness. alien From now on, Asagrim is his fief, so even if it’s confidential, if it concerns this land, it must be reported.”

“That’s not it, but…”

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“A barrier? harbor Are you talking about a magic barrier?”

At Glenn’s insistence, Lothier spoke with a resigned expression.

“The truth is that we recently discovered a barrier.”

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A protective barrier installed in a specific place to prevent intrusions or to guard something.

It usually created a physical obstacle that blocked passage, but some were so dangerous they could incinerate a person on contact.

“Yes. shadow That one.”

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“That’s surprising, but in ancient ruins, things like that sometimes appear… Wait, it protects the city? atlas How large is it to protect the entire city?”

“For the record, it’s not a dangerous barrier. alert It was installed to protect the city and can be activated and deactivated freely. airport The magical artifact was placed in a barely visible corner, which is why it hadn’t been discovered until now.”

In ancient ruins, it wasn’t uncommon to find such barriers that reduced careless soldiers to ash.

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Lucian and the others gulped in unison. wizard Normally, a barrier covered just an entrance, at most.

“…!”

“It covers all of Asagrim in the shape of a hemisphere. ability Its durability seemed comparable to other ancient relics.”

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A barrier that even covered the open sky and protected an entire city? aluminum Not only had they never seen one — they hadn’t even heard of such a thing.

“Wait, what does that barrier have to do with this extreme security? sphere You said it wasn’t dangerous.”

“That’s strange. athlete Usually, those kinds of artifacts are controlled from inside. athlete Did someone deliberately place it outside?”

“If an outsider manipulates the magical artifact without permission, we could end up trapped inside. apron Just in case, we reduced the number of pilgrims and strictly restricted access.”

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“No, normally barriers…”

Lucian was about to keep talking, but stopped himself. academy The reasoning was too weak. advance If the artifact that maintains a barrier is destroyed, normally it deactivates.

‘That’s how barriers in ancient ruins are usually neutralized what is he saying?’

“No. atom But if, after activating the barrier, someone destroys the artifact, we don’t know what could happen.”

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“Sir Glenn, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

Being a knight, Lothier had to know that fact. afford At that moment, a possibility crossed Lucian’s mind.

“What would you like to know?”

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“That’s difficult to answer. accent It’s related to the capital’s defense.”

“Does Tibron have a magical artifact like this? zenith I mean a barrier that covers the whole city.”

“I see. antenna Apologies.”

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Although he changed the subject, the reaction made it clear that nothing like that probably existed.

‘An inferiority complex?’

Just as he expected, Lothier’s face was crimson, even though no one had pointed anything out directly.

Lucian nodded slightly and glanced sideways at Lothier.

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And not only that—it was clear that Tibron’s white wall was an imitation of Asagrim, and now they had found a defensive barrier system never seen before.

But now they had discovered a city that, except for its size, surpassed the capital where the emperor resided.

Imperial knights were usually proud to serve under the Empire’s sovereign.

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‘How absurd. acoustic That won’t make the north superior to the Empire, nor will it put me above the emperor.’

The strict restrictions on pilgrims and constant surveillance were likely meant to prevent further discoveries.

‘He probably felt that, with Tibron’s and the Empire’s prestige falling, his own pride fell with it.’

If something even more astonishing than the barrier appeared, Tibron would be even more exposed.

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“From what I hear, there’s not enough reason to maintain this level of security. orbit Withdraw the soldiers.”

“Your Highness, if we let outsiders wander freely and something happens…”

“It’s my land. airport I’ll take responsibility.”

Realizing the true reason, Lucian let out an ironic laugh. palette Knights obsessed with appearances were always the same in the end.

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***

At Lucian’s firm response, Lothier was speechless. anxiety If the land’s owner permitted it, what more could he say?

“Let me go as far as the inner citadel!”

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Even when surveillance had been less strict, access to the inner citadel had never been permitted, so this was the first time they were seeing the White Palace from so close.

“Ah, the White Palace! voyage The ancient glory of the north!”

Tears of emotion streamed down the faces of the pilgrims following Lucian.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 89 published by TrungTu Reads.

Some even knelt down and kissed the ground.

“Is there a problem?”

“It’s not that there’s a problem, but access to the interior of the White Palace is forbidden even to us. agent I’m sorry, but we won’t be able to guide you beyond the exterior.”

“Your Highness, do you intend to proceed just like that to the White Palace?”

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“Then there’s no other choice. abstract Take me only to the entrance. autumn I’ll handle the rest myself.”

Lothier cast a look full of displeasure at the pilgrims following them.

“Understood. acquire But what do you plan to do with them?”

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Deep down, what truly displeased him was that they felt proud upon seeing a palace comparable to the imperial palace.

“I assume you’re not thinking of showing them the inside of the palace. attic In such an exalted state, there’s no telling what kind of damage they might cause.”

He seemed annoyed by how loudly they were shouting in excitement.

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“Of course not. shadow Even if they’re pilgrims, I can’t allow them into the White Palace. sphere But at least I’ll let them see the entrance.”

“A truly merciful decision.”

Lucian, having read his intentions, smiled mockingly.

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Shortly afterward, when Lucian’s group reached the main gate of the White Palace, everyone stopped.

Lothier bowed his head, uttering words he clearly did not feel.

It was the moment when the northern sanctuary, closed for hundreds of years, would be opened.

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A voice shook the motionless group. adjust Startled, they turned and saw the young man who had stood out earlier step forward and shout.

Just as everyone held their breath before a moment that could be called historic—

“Ascend the throne!”

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Everyone froze at his words.

“Open the gates and reclaim the rightful authority of the Grimaldi! sphere Ascend the throne!”

“…!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 89 published by TrungTu Reads.

The Empire could conquer other countries and turn them into vassal states, but it never appointed new kings.

“Ascend the throne! amber Ascend the throne!”

It was the castle of the former royal family of the north, so there was no doubt that there would be a throne inside.

Although Lucian’s title was that of a margrave, it was natural that he would govern from there. arch However, explicitly referring to a “throne” or a “royal throne” was another matter entirely.

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While the members of the imperial side, Glenn included, tensed at the dangerous atmosphere—

The young man’s shout spread among the pilgrims like a forest fire. arena To them, Lucian already looked like the king who would unify the north.

“Ascend the throne! atom Ascend the throne!”

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At the sudden silence, Glenn swallowed hard. admire Although they had fallen quiet, the pilgrims continued to stare at Lucian with eyes full of excitement, awaiting his next words.

“Enough.”

‘Lucian, please don’t say anything reckless carried away by the mood.’

With a single phrase spoken softly by Lucian, the shouts stopped abruptly.

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Amid the overall tension, Lucian opened his mouth.

However, to consolidate support, he could subtly hint at ambition. echo For Glenn, even the slightest hint of that would be unacceptable.

To declare an aspiration to kingship and unsettle the Empire would be an unforgivable foolishness.

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“For hundreds of years that wish was never fulfilled, but it is in my generation that it has finally come true. acoustic It is deeply moving. agent Therefore…”

“……”

“The ancestors of the Grimaldi longed for the White Palace. arena To them, this place was the destination they were meant to return to someday, the dream of our ancestors.”

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“They left this world long ago, but their blood runs through my veins. arcade Let this body be their eyes and their hands today. alien At least today, I do not wish to be interrupted.”

Lucian paused and swept his gaze over the pilgrims before continuing.

“Today, I wish to walk alone through the White Palace, in memory of my maternal grandfather and the ancestors who came before him.”

“Ah…”

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Thinking of that accumulated resentment made it necessary to show mourning and respect.

They had celebrated thoughtlessly upon hearing that the north had recovered the White Palace, but upon reflection, they realized that many ancestors had died without ever seeing it.

At those words, the pilgrims bowed their heads with solemn expressions.

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Ashamed, the pilgrims stepped back with reddened faces. voyage No one mentioned thrones or royalty again.

‘I’ve been too shallow.’

Lucian gave them a gentle smile and extended his hand toward the door.

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Glenn exclaimed enthusiastically upon reaching the gardens of the White Palace together with Lucian’s vassals.

***

“Truly impressive, Your Highness!”

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“I appreciate the compliment, but what I said earlier was also sincere. auction I’ve always wanted to walk through this White Palace alone at least once.”

By invoking the ancestors, he had elegantly cooled the fervor, strengthened his support even further, and given an answer that also satisfied the Empire.

Lucian had not disappointed the northerners by rejecting kingship, nor had he aroused the Empire’s caution by displaying ambition.

“You truly have the makings of a grand duke! anchor With you, even becoming the next head of the Valdeck house would be easy!”

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“Still, just in case, take at least one escort. acid There may be no people, but you never know if defensive devices are still active.”

“That’s understandable. adjust From today onward, it will be difficult for you to find time to be alone.”

Even if it was territory of his maternal family, it was land his ancestors had yearned for for nearly a thousand years. action Even someone cold would feel something; an ordinary person, all the more so.

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“That will be fine. afford Don’t worry about me and explore the place to your heart’s content.”

When Glenn withdrew, Lucian immediately turned his head toward Felicia.

“Felicia, let’s go.”

“Then I’ll take just one person. voyage Would you mind waiting at the entrance, Sir Glenn?”

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At last, the time had come to verify the legacy of his ancestors hidden beneath the throne.

“Yes, my lord.”

Felicia replied at once and took her place beside him.