Lucian gazed quietly at Lothier.
A knight's oath of loyalty, once sworn, could not be taken back.
If it had been spoken aloud, it was fair to regard it as sincere, without falsehood.
But there was one problem with accepting that loyalty so readily.
"You already have a lord to whom you've sworn loyalty, do you not?"
He was the garrison commander entrusted with guarding the Imperial demesne.
Naturally, he would have pledged his loyalty to the Emperor long before Lucian.
And now, only now, he claimed he would change the object of that loyalty.
"Strange. Since when does a knight have the right to defect at will? As long as his lord fulfills his duties, a knight is supposed to serve his lord with utmost devotion—at least, that's what I understand."
At Lucian's cold voice, Lothier let out a sigh.
"Am I displeasing to you?"
"Answer my question first."
"Your Highness, I am ignorant of shifts in political affairs, and I know next to nothing about politics. But even someone like me, when pushed this far, can grasp how the situation is turning."
"What is it you're trying to say?"
"Has His Majesty truly… passed away?"
Ordinarily, a knight does not even speak of his lord's death.
Simply uttering it is considered an act of irreverence.
All the more so when that lord is the Emperor of the Empire—yet here he was, asking so bluntly.
He must be truly worn down.
Lucian pondered briefly, then decided to reveal everything honestly.
Since things had come to this, he intended to put an end to all conflict here and now.
"I don't know for certain either. As you know, news from the outside reaches the North slowly. Still, when I last saw him, His Majesty did appear gravely ill."
"As I thought…"
Lothier's face darkened.
It was something he had half expected, but Lucian's testimony seemed to solidify his suspicions.
As though steeling himself, Lothier bowed his head even deeper and spoke.
"If His Majesty has passed away, then I currently serve no lord. I have fulfilled my duty as a knight, and now I wish to serve a new master."
"Is there not His Highness the First Prince, or His Highness the Second Prince?"
"If they had intended to make use of me, they would have sent a messenger long ago. Yet there has been no word at all. From the looks of it, they seem to have forgotten my very existence."
In truth, it was nothing to resent.
How many knights were there in Tibrone alone who served the Imperial family?
If a prince were to remember the name of a single knight who was not even a knight commander, that alone would be an honor spanning generations.
The real problem was Lothier's situation—cut off from the capital, forgotten, and severed from the Imperial court.
When there was no one left who remembered him, and he could not even hold his post, who would spare him a thought?
By the time the chaos in the capital settled, their place would surely have vanished without a trace.
"Above all, as a captain, I am responsible for the lives of my men. How could I abandon the comrades I've fought alongside all this time just to elevate my own honor?"
"To anyone listening, it would sound as though this were the very heart of a battlefield."
"Life itself is a battlefield, so there's little difference. Whether one dies while wandering about worrying over the next meal, or dies on the battlefield pierced by an enemy soldier's spear—it's the same death either way."
If the garrison were to collapse like this and leave them unable to make a living, that too would ultimately be his own responsibility.
At the same time, it was an implicit demand: in exchange for pledging loyalty, he wanted wages paid so the garrison could survive.
It was shameless, but honest—and Lucian responded with the same honesty.
"I cannot trust you. Up to now, the attitude you've shown has been exceedingly negligent and uncooperative."
"Even if I had ten mouths, I'd have nothing to say in my defense. You're absolutely right."
"There's no way to know whether the two princes have truly forgotten you. In the worst-case scenario, you could end up serving two lords at once."
"That too is a valid point."
"Then let me ask you this. If one of the princes were to call me to account, to reprimand me as an unscrupulous man who forced loyalty upon you—what would you do then?"
Forcing an oath of loyalty from a talented individual who has been isolated with nowhere to go was not unheard of.
Granted, Lothier was not such an exceptional talent, but in politics, people were always quick to attach plausible justifications that sounded good to others.
If someone were to invoke Lothier's oath of loyalty as a pretext to keep the overly rising Lucian in check, it could cause serious trouble later.
"You would have nothing to lose. You'd return to the lord you were meant to serve in the first place, and your treatment would be far better than before. But I would be branded a scoundrel who forced loyalty from a man who already had a master."
"If, by some chance, that truly comes to pass, I will personally attest to Your Highness's innocence."
"Then you would become the scoundrel who served two lords, and the honor of your house would fall into the dirt."
"If I offer my head in apology, the family will endure. After all, the one who committed the crime would be me alone."
Lucian looked at Lothier with slightly widened eyes.
At first, he wondered if it was merely something said on impulse—but seeing the utterly unmoving expression on his face, it seemed to be sincere.
At the very least, his sense of responsibility is worthy of acknowledgment.
He was neither particularly deep nor especially wise, nor did he possess abilities that set him apart from others.
But he was not the kind of man who would swear loyalty once and then speak differently behind one's back.
Even if things went wrong later, he would shoulder all responsibility alone and depart.
After a brief moment of deliberation, Lucian decided to deal with the most important matter first.
"For now… let us take a look at that defensive device you discovered."
***
Lothier readily led Lucian to the defensive mechanism he had found.
Though he had not been given a definitive answer, Lucian's response itself was already tantamount to a half-acceptance.
Following Lothier's guidance, Lucian arrived before the device and frowned.
"Isn't this the barrier device I saw before?"
Atop the walls of the northern inner fortress stood a magical apparatus—multiple fragments fitted together into a spherical form.
At a glance, it looked like a bizarre ornament, but in truth it was the device that activated the Asagrim barrier.
"Do you remember how to operate it?"
"Of course."
"Then would you demonstrate it yourself?"
Lucian tilted his head slightly but stepped forward toward the magical device as Lothier suggested.
When he lifted the part that protruded most noticeably among the fragments, the device trembled with a click.
Wooooom.
"Good thing there aren't any residents inside yet."
Watching the device vibrate violently as it spread a curtain of energy, Lucian clicked his tongue.
It was certainly a useful function, but the moment it was deployed it was so loud that every enemy would notice at once.
A brief commotion arose from the White Palace, but since it was a phenomenon they had already witnessed once before, no major confusion followed.
"All right, that's it."
"Well done. Then I'll take over."
Lothier stepped up beside Lucian and began working the magical device.
No—working was hardly the word. His movements were rough, more like he was tearing it apart.
"Hey, if you break it—"
"It'll be fine."
Clack, screeeeek.
Ignoring Lucian's concern, Lothier continued manhandling the device.
The fragments began shifting back and forth, left and right, like pieces of a puzzle.
At the same time, something strange began to happen to the barrier spread around Asagrim.
Krrrzzzzzt.
"—."
With a sound like lightning burning through tree branches, the barrier flashed.
On closer inspection, violet bolts were flickering around Asagrim.
Seeing the bizarre change, Lucian stared in astonishment as Lothier calmly explained.
"This magical device doesn't just raise a barrier to block enemies. Depending on how it's operated, the nature of the barrier changes. I've altered its properties just now—anyone who touches it will be burned alive instantly."
"And how did you discover this? From the look of it, that's a function you'd only find by handling it pretty roughly, prepared to break it."
"I tried throwing it to the ground to break it, but instead of breaking, only the barrier's properties changed. After slamming it down several times, I finally gave up and decided to properly learn how to operate it."
Lucian looked at Lothier with a thoroughly exasperated expression.
If a high-performance magical device of this caliber were to be destroyed, there was no telling what kind of backlash it might cause—even to the one handling it. And yet he had tried to break it.
It seemed Lothier had been quite shaken by the realization that Asagrim had once been a city superior even to Tibrone.
"Well then, my role here is finished."
After giving Lucian a rough explanation of how to operate the magical device, Lothier spoke calmly.
He meant that his value had now been fully demonstrated, and whether Lucian chose to dismiss him or employ him was no longer his concern.
Lucian deactivated the barrier, then met Lothier's eyes.
"Lothier Therman, from this moment on, you are a knight in my service, and the soldiers you commanded are now my soldiers. As your lord, I promise to grant you treatment befitting that role."
"Thank you, Your Highness! I, too, will serve you with unwavering loyalty!"
Lothier dropped to one knee and shouted with a trembling voice.
It was filled with the relief of someone who had barely survived after standing on the edge of a cliff.
Watching him, Lucian fell into thought.
Now what should I use them for?
He was not an outstanding talent, but he was a seasoned knight with long experience.
And at a time when even an extra pair of hands was valuable, there would surely be a place where he could be put to proper use.
After all, if they were to be paid wages, they would naturally have to work accordingly.
For the time being, Lucian decided to convert the Asagrim garrison into a security force.
With the residents who would soon be arriving, a unit dedicated to maintaining public order was urgently needed—and there was no one better suited for the role than them.
"They know every corner of Asagrim far better than I do."
They were men who had roamed Asagrim for a long time, keeping watch for illegal intruders.
Lothier, the garrison commander, had even discovered a barrier device that had been hidden like a mere ornament.
Whether criminals or spies, once they set their minds to tracking someone down, there was no one they could not catch.
After all preparations were complete, Lucian finally allowed the residents to enter Asagrim.
"My goodness, it's so beautiful! So the pilgrims weren't exaggerating!"
"To think I'd ever get the chance to see the White Palace from this close…"
"Dear, how much did we say we could resell a house here for?"
"Shh, hush! What kind of nonsense are you spouting where everyone can hear?"
"I was a little worried, but at this level, I think we could open a shop right away."
Though the city possessed nothing but its reputation, not a single person seemed anxious.
The name Northern Holy Land carried that much power to draw people in.
Still, once various inconveniences began to surface in earnest, even the allure of a holy land would not last long.
Before that could happen, Lucian poured in the funds he had prepared in advance and pushed forward with his urban development plan.
"What about the merchant guilds scheduled to visit?"
"They're due to arrive tomorrow. Other merchant groups will be arriving one after another as well."
"Good. Until a proper commercial district is established, keep trade flowing without interruption."
"However, a few guilds have asked whether we might grant them exclusive trading rights…"
"Are they insane? Tell them to stop talking nonsense if they don't want to die."
While Lucian processed the ever-piling documents, the selected administrators were forced to move just as frantically.
Those in charge of internal affairs—tax officers included—were pulling repeated all-nighters, barely getting a wink of sleep.
"Hey. Why are the population figures and the collected taxes not matching at all?"
"Several new settlers have arrived in the meantime, so it can't be helped."
"Can't be helped? Shouldn't that be added to the report immediately?"
"Don't talk nonsense! I'm already dying from the lack of manpower as it is!"
"…For now, let's report this urgently to Your Highness and recruit new administrators. Or bring a few over from the previous territory."
Thus, days of frantic busyness continued for both lord and retainers alike for three full months.
Fortunately, after those three months, the workload began to ease, allowing them a moment to catch their breath.
Since everything was being done for the first time, there was much that required attention—but that also meant the administration was transparent.
There might be mistakes, but there was no embezzlement or corruption. Once the framework was established, things could only begin to run smoothly, like water flowing downstream.
Still, if it takes this long, recruiting mages within this year will be difficult.
No matter how important magical research was, it could not take precedence over the residents who sustained the territory.
Naturally, magical research had to wait until the people were fully settled—but with things being this exhausting, even that was proving difficult.
Just as a weary Lucian leaned back in his chair with a bitter smile—
"Your Highness."
"Colin? What is it?"
Colin, the chief mage, came to see Lucian with a tense expression on his face.
At first, Lucian wondered if he had discovered something while researching the books in the treasury.
However, the words that came from Colin's mouth were entirely unexpected.
"One of my fellow disciples has come seeking an audience with Your Highness."
"What? One of your fellow disciples?"
"Yes. She belongs to the same Celestial Studies faction as I do and researches astrology. Her name is Helen."
At the mention of astrology, Lucian blinked without thinking.
What he needed right now was magical research—not divination.
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