Chapter 8: Change (1)

In the study of Lord Lawrence.

A meeting was in full swing there.

"What about the Barco family's movements?"

"It seems they have made a decision. According to recent information, the Barco family has taken out a large loan from the Golden Bank. Given that the Barco family has no significant source of income, the only reason they would prepare to this extent is for war. We must quickly secure capable mercenaries before they do. War is now just a matter of time."

"......Huh."

At the words of Doppeler, the family's vassal and strategist, Lord Lawrence could not hide his troubled expression.

"Ultimately, it comes down to war."

One year ago.

The conflict began then.

The Lawrence family, along with other families, is located to the northeast of the Kingdom of Cairo. Due to the mountainous terrain, there is not much arable land.

Lawrence, however, possessed more fertile land compared to other territories, and it was said that most of the crops produced in the northeast originated from Lawrence.

One day.

The Barco family presented a document.

It turned out that the ancestors of the Lawrence family had incurred a debt, with the fertile land as collateral.

The conflict erupted.

Lawrence could not comply with the document's demands, as the facts were not clearly established, while the Barco family pressed their claims based on the document.

At the time, no one thought the situation would deteriorate to this extent.

The Barco family's document was of uncertain authenticity, but the problem was that a relative of the Barco family held a position in the central government.

The Barco family's rights were recognized.

Faced with the judgment to either repay the massive debt or surrender the land, the Lawrence family closed its doors and raised its voice in defiance.

When the matter could not be resolved.

There was only one way to solve the problem.

War.

The Barco family prepared for war.

Lawrence had tried to negotiate multiple times, but now there were rumors that the Barco family had borrowed money from the Golden Bank.

Doppeler said,

"War cannot be avoided. It would be better to prepare for a determined resistance rather than accept the Barco family's demands and lose the foundation of our family. Fortunately, the marriage with the Dmitri family is a positive factor. Although the Dmitri family is of commoner origin, they are a well-known wealthy family in the northeast. We don't know what collateral the Barco family used to borrow money from the Golden Bank, but they likely don't have as much money as the Dmitri family."

"That's true. That's why I sent my only daughter to the fool of the Dmitri family."

"My lord, it was a decision made for Lawrence. As a lord, you made the right decision, so don't blame yourself."

"......I understand."

His expression, however, was different from his words.

Thinking about his daughter Flora's future, his heart still ached.

'If we give the land to Barco, our family will be finished. Other families will tear us apart like hyenas. For my daughter, this is the right decision. If our family's status falls, Flora's future, admired by all, will be hopeless. At least if we are still standing firm, she will be treated well in the Dmitri family.'

He swallowed his pain.

This is reality.

To solve the problem at hand, sometimes one must make a decision, knowing it will be painful.

The meeting concluded.

Once the marriage with Dmitri is finalized.

Then they will hire mercenaries and prepare for war.

Even if Barco has strong military power in the northeast, the support from Dmitri cannot be ignored.

Just then.

Bang!

"My lord! Something terrible has happened!"

A soldier burst into the study, passing by Flora.

The news he delivered to Lord Lawrence was shocking.

"......Is that really true?"

"Yes."

"Cough."

It was hard to believe.

Roman Dmitri.

They say a tiger's cub is never a dog, but according to rumors, Roman was a typical arrogant brat.

Yet, he had supposedly wiped out the Blood Gang.

It didn't make sense.

Not only was it hard to believe that Roman had such military power, but the Blood Gang was a decentralized organization with an unknown base.

If it were an organization whose base could be easily exposed, the Blood Gang would not have survived until now.

He asked for details.

From beginning to end.

What the soldier had seen.

"Roman Dmitri's visit to the territory was uneventful at first. Since he was engaged to Flora, we allowed him to enter and exit the territory without suspicion. About an hour later, while I was returning to the barracks for a shift change, I witnessed Roman dragging a man by the hair in Lawrence Square. The man turned out to be the leader of the Blood Gang, Ben Miles. I don't know what happened between Roman and the Blood Gang, but Roman read out the charges against the Blood Gang in front of the people of Lawrence and executed Ben Miles on the spot."

It was beyond comprehension.

A shocking story.

The eradication of the Blood Gang was certainly something to be happy about.

However, this issue was not simple.

Even if Roman was Flora's fiancé, he acted rashly by handling the matter on Lawrence's land.

As expected.

Doppeler spoke from the side.

"Without the permission of Lord Lawrence, the lord of Lawrence, this is a murder that cannot be overlooked."

His firm voice.

Lord Lawrence's expression became complicated.

The order of things?

That's not important now.

His son-in-law.

He wanted to see Roman Dmitri's face, who had dealt with the Blood Gang.

"Bring Roman Dmitri here immediately. I want to see him in person and hear the details of this matter."

It didn't take long for Roman to be brought in.

Since Lawrence's guards had already secured Roman, he appeared in the study as soon as he was called.

Roman was not alone.

He was accompanied by the knight captain Jonathan, which disappointed Lord Lawrence.

'As expected.'

This was not a problem that could be solved by an individual.

It seemed that the Dmitri knights had helped to deal with the Blood Gang.

"Roman Dmitri, I see you. Skip the formalities. Explain the situation. Why did you come to Lawrence and commit such a cruel act?"

A sharp question.

Roman's expression was calm.

Despite the gazes of those around him, his voice did not waver.

"The incident began a few days ago. The Blood Gang was oppressing innocent citizens of Dmitri, and I executed them on the spot. In response, the Blood Gang targeted my life. While I was on my way to a destination, I was attacked by the Blood Gang, and I decided that I could not leave them as they were. That is the full story of what happened in Lawrence. Upon hearing that the Blood Gang had a base in Lawrence, I attacked and captured their leader, Ben Miles."

"I am asking about the rights in Lawrence. You have no right to execute anyone here."

"I understand."

Rights.

They are important.

It is a matter of principle, and Roman did not intend to cross the line.

Until he confirmed a fact while gathering information on the Blood Gang.

"However, I had doubts about whether the Blood Gang would be properly punished in Lawrence. Ben Miles is not an unknown figure. Although he was not officially identified as the leader of the Blood Gang, he was a well-known figure in Lawrence due to various crimes. How did Lawrence deal with him? They turned a blind eye. Despite being caught multiple times for various incidents, he was released on bail several times. That's why I made the decision. I could not trust Lawrence's methods, so I had to handle the matter in my own way."

"How dare he!"

"Mr., Mr.!"

A bold statement.

Doppeler's face turned red as he shouted, and Jonathan, flustered, tried to stop Roman.

The other party was Lord Lawrence.

A baron's family, higher in status than the Dmitri family.

Yet, despite facing such a person, Roman showed a defiant attitude rather than admitting his fault.

Roman said,

"To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I thought I would be praised for dealing with the Blood Gang, but I didn't expect to be questioned about the procedure. I not only solved the problem that was discussed in the northeast but also took the blood on my hands to resolve an issue that Lawrence had been ignoring. My lord, did I really do wrong?"

Lord Lawrence's expression hardened.

He looked at Doppeler.

"Is what he says true?"

"What do you mean...?"

"Is Ben Miles a known figure? Is that really true?"

Doppeler was flustered.

Ben Miles.

He knew of him.

Although he did not know he was the leader of the Blood Gang, he had heard his name due to his notorious reputation.

Doppeler's hesitant reaction.

No answer was needed.

Lord Lawrence's gaze turned to Roman, who was looking up at him.

"I will not make this an issue. Although you had no right to execute anyone in Lawrence, if we had handled the matter properly, this problem would not have arisen. I will provide compensation for this matter later."

"Thank you."

"Dismissed."

"Yes."

Roman bowed.

Jonathan, who had been walking on thin ice until just now, hurriedly followed Roman out of the study.

The moment they left and the door closed.

Thud.

"Ha ha ha ha ha, that was a good one. That's Roman Dmitri, right?"

Lord Lawrence.

His face broke into a wide smile.

A tiger's cub is indeed a tiger.

Looking at Roman's confident attitude, Lord Lawrence evaluated him as his future son-in-law.

"That's right. A man should have such confidence. A successor who is willing to get his hands dirty for the innocent citizens. Who calls him a fool? He's a man, a very impressive man."

He laughed.

Roman's words were sophistry, and he should have been punished.

But he couldn't.

Thinking of Roman as his son-in-law, a warmth he didn't know he had filled his heart, and a smile spread across his lips.

His direct gaze.

His confident attitude.

Impressive.

When he heard that Roman was a fool from the Dmitri family, he had a terrible image in mind, but the reality was completely different.

"My lord, we cannot let this pass."

"Where in the world is there something that cannot be done? He will soon be Flora's husband. For a man to accomplish great things, he needs such decisiveness and execution. And he didn't kill innocent citizens. Since he dealt with the Blood Gang, which had been troubling us, it would be right to praise him as he suggested."

"But..."

"Let's let this pass. I feel very good. Roman is a man who suits Flora."

He was excited.

The political marriage with Dmitri had always pained Lord Lawrence.

But now it was different.

Flora.

He wanted to see his daughter.

He wanted to tell her how impressive Roman was.

"Bring Flora here immediately."

Until then, he didn't know.

The marriage between the two families.

It was already a done deal.