Chapter 36

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A few days later, the dukes and elders of the dukedom gathered in one place.

It was the day when they regularly reported the situation of the territory to the duke.

They had come, but they had to take care of their own interests first...

They revealed their discomfort without reservation and cleared their throats.

They had witnessed with their own eyes the outcome of Count Corvino, who had tried to drive out Elly for being the daughter of a thief.

Worse still, the nobles who had agreed with him could not escape a similar fate.

At that moment, the dukes had to keep their mouths shut, thinking they might end up like the count.

But what couldn't be done was just that.

Currently, the duke had cut off all information going out.

While they were keeping it hush-hush now, if he really brought that girl in as a successor...

The royal family wouldn't just sit idly by.

The dukes, who did not have the deep loyalty to withstand a conflict with the royal family, were pondering how to get out of this situation.

Thanks to his father, who had been the duke's personal physician, Diern was able to barely participate in the dukes' meeting.

He, too, had ears, and he knew well how things were unfolding.

'Is the dukedom really going to fall apart?'

Even if he got a part of the arms trade, if the Schuetz family fell, everything would be over.

No matter how he thought about it, he felt he had chosen the wrong side.

"Count, shouldn't we look for other ways?"

Diern whispered to Count Quintar, who was sitting next to him.

"Everyone is whispering that the Schuetz family might fall..."

"Be quiet. It's just a necessary phase."

However, Count Quintar did not lose his composure.

He had a way out.

He had blinded the eyes of Wiborg, the empire's best blacksmith, and secretly diverted weapons used in war.

While it was for his own benefit, he could say it was out of loyalty to the royal family.

The count exhaled a satisfied breath and looked at Diern.

"Don't worry too much. I have a plan."

Diern quickly regained his calm at the confident attitude.

At that moment, the door opened, and the duke entered.

The dukes stopped their murmurs and straightened their postures.

Duke Schuetz always looked the same—bored and uninterested.

However, he exuded an intimidating presence that no one could approach.

After the duchess's death, he had taken on an even deeper aura of menace.

Every time they met his red eyes, which symbolized the Schuetz family, they had to swallow hard.

However...

Today, for some reason, the atmosphere was much more lenient.

The fact that his usually furrowed brows were relaxed was already a mystery.

'Has something good happened?'

The dukes busily rolled their eyes.

In the duke's hand, which usually held a cigarette, was a small vial that seemed out of place.

Inside was a tiny pill.

What could it be that he was holding it like that?

"Let's begin."

The dukes, who were about to ask about the contents of the vial, snapped back to attention at the duke's words.

"First, I'll report on our territory..."

Various explanations followed.

Erhardt slowly nodded while rolling the vial in his hand.

"I see."

The duke's short answer made the duke who was reporting open his eyes wide in disbelief.

If the progress had been poor, he would have faced a harsh fate.

In a situation where silence alone would have been a relief, hearing a positive response from his lord was a great comfort.

The duke who received what amounted to praise sat down happily.

Soon, another duke stood up to report on his territory.

The duke also gave quite positive responses, saying "Good" or "Next."

Ante, who was standing behind the duke, marveled inwardly.

'What is that vial?'

What could make the duke so lenient?

While Ante was trying his best to deduce the contents of the vial, it was now Count Quintar's turn.

Count Quintar stood up with a more confident attitude.

"Recently, we in Quintar have combined the weapons we have been producing to create a new weapon. We eliminated the drawbacks and maximized the strengths."

Count Quintar was very confident.

"The duke will be very satisfied."

Count Quintar signaled to Diern, who was standing next to him.

Diern, who had been dazed, finally came to his senses. He lifted the object he had placed at his feet and placed it on the table.

It was a long object wrapped in black cloth.

"For a long time, we in the north have had to fight many monsters. As a result, swords have become an inseparable part of our lives."

"Get to the point."

Erhardt cut him off with a monotonous voice.

"Having held a sword for a long time, I thought our swords were too heavy. Then I had this idea: what if we made a lighter sword?"

Count Quintar smoothly removed the black cloth.

A finely polished sword was revealed.

In the center of the hilt, the lion crest of the Schuetz family was engraved.

"We in Quintar wish to present this to the duke."

The dukes gathered in the meeting room opened their eyes in surprise.

The duke's sword could only be made by Wiborg.

Ordinary swords could not withstand his powerful aura.

However, Wiborg, who had fallen into deep despair, had long put down his hammer.

This caused significant problems not only with the duke's sword but also with the production of weapons in the north.

But who could replace Wiborg?

Blacksmiths who knew their skills did not dare to step forward.

However, the monsters were becoming more rampant, and the damage to the territory was severe.

Someone had to make them.

When everyone was at a loss, Quintar took over the position.

While Quintar had a long history of making weapons, they were more known for their craftsmanship than their mastery.

Unlike Wiborg, who maximized the essence of weapons, they focused on making practical swords.

Fortunately, Quintar had a long history of wielding a hammer and produced fairly usable products.

However, the duke's sword was not included in the "fairly usable" category.

Only Wiborg could make the duke's sword.

In such a situation, Count Quintar presented a sword to the duke.

The implications were clear.

Despite the shock of the people, Count Quintar waited for the duke's response with a confident face.

Erhardt, who had been silently looking at the sword, rolled the vial in his hand and said,

"Baron Amanta."

"Yes, Duke."

"How is the development of the new mineral you recently discovered?"

It was not a mineral but a monster, but Duke Schuetz deliberately did not mention it.

He didn't know where the rats were hiding.

Baron Amanta, who quickly caught the intention, answered.

"It is proceeding smoothly."

Count Quintar barely suppressed a snicker.

He knew that Baron Amanta had used the newly discovered mineral to make arrows.

But the Black Lions, the duke's personal knights, all used swords.

What was the point of making something impractical?

'Besides, Wiborg will soon...'

Count Quintar smiled sardonically.

"I'm curious what 'smoothly' means."

It was a clear provocation. Even Diern, who was sitting next to him, was startled and opened his eyes wide.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. I'm asking in what way it is proceeding smoothly."

Count Quintar waved his hand as if to say, "What are you so surprised about?"

"I heard that so far, only arrows have been made. And the Black Lions all use swords."

"..."

"Arrows? That's ridiculous. Maybe for a hunting competition."

Baron Amanta frowned at the obvious mockery.

But Count Quintar's words were not entirely wrong.

The atmosphere became heavy.

In the suffocating silence, the dukes' wary glances darted around the room.

Erhardt was looking down at the sword presented by Count Quintar with a blank expression.

The vial, which had been rolling in his hand, had stopped moving.

His unreadable red eyes slowly closed and then opened again.

"Diern."

At the low, deep voice, Diern trembled as if struck by lightning.

"Yes, yes, Duke."

"How is Wiborg doing?"

"Well, he... as usual, refuses treatment."

At that moment, Count Quintar's menacing gaze fell on Diern.

It was a threat to answer well.

"Yes, as you know, psychological factors are a significant issue, so we can't force him, Duke."

"I see."

Erhardt nodded briefly.

That was the only thing he could do for Wiborg.

He knew all too well the pain of losing someone dear in an instant, the bone-deep longing.

Erhardt signaled, and Ante handed the sword to the duke.

Indeed, compared to the heavy swords, Count Quintar's sword was very light.

As the duke was about to test the edge of the sword, there was a knock on the door.

The dukes were puzzled.

Everyone knew the meeting was today.

What could be so urgent to interrupt the meeting? The duke signaled.

The attendant, who was standing next to him, opened the door, and someone entered the meeting room as if they had been waiting.