Chapter 111

Jonas and Max, who had safely returned under Leandros's protection, neatly drew up a draft map of the Dikenter Mountains.

Based on the map, he selected suitable areas for leasing by combining what he had experienced in his past life, the demonic beast information he had read in the original work, and the Duchess's diary found in the secret room of the study.

Of course, he also delivered copies of the map to the merchant representatives.

Some of the representatives who saw the map copies came directly to his office.

They asked why the prime locations had already been claimed by other merchant groups.

The responses he could give them were divided into two categories.

If the merchant group had a friendly relationship with Aisling or was of considerable size, he would gently console them while recommending the next best locations.

If not, he would respond with a regretful face.

"What can I do when others promptly came with money? I tried to maintain some decorum, but they were so aggressive. If any group gives up their spot next year, I'll definitely contact you."

But the merchant representatives weren't fools either.

They could quickly detect that these were merely courteous words without any sincerity.

And so, three of the nine merchant groups that had come to the castle left without any gain, while two other groups belatedly selected lands and concluded contracts.

It was a much more positive result than expected.

Moreover, since this time it was just leasing the land, the contracts weren't complicated.

Compared to the contract he had concluded with Aiden after days of arguing in his previous life, this was as easy as eating rice cakes while lying down.

A few days later, as he returned from sending off the six satisfied merchant groups, Arndt carefully asked him.

"I heard you're going to provide the manor as an outpost for all six merchant groups, Your Grace."

"They're likely to have a lot of personnel, and it seems reasonable for everyone to be together in case of any contingencies. Why?"

"Does that mean you have no plans to expand the territory for the time being?"

Territory expansion.

If he gave away the manor, there would indeed be no place for the territory residents to return to.

"I understand that most of the Hartmann ducal territory is under review for return by the royal palace. So even if the territory residents wanted to relocate, couldn't they?"

"That's right. But if you're undertaking such a big business, wouldn't it look strange if foreigners, not territory residents, were sitting in the manor...?"

Arndt was trying to express himself as indirectly as possible, but what he wanted to say was clear.

"So you're saying I should manage the territory too? But I haven't learned how to do that. Even if I start learning now, it would take years."

And he had no intention of spending several years making Leandros the protagonist.

Even if he started learning now, the story would end while he was still learning territory management.

He didn't want to struggle as a duke managing territory after reaching the ending.

Arndt hastily apologized.

"I apologize if it was presumptuous, Your Grace. It's just that managing the fief is both the right and the duty of the family head, and I've heard that people still question whether Your Grace has truly inherited the family."

"No, I understand. I fully understand. But for now, just managing the castle is overwhelming."

"I thought there wouldn't be major issues with running the castle since Lady Arnold is also here. I'm sorry for bringing it up unnecessarily."

"That might be the case, but there are many more important matters right now."

Such as how to nurture Leandros.

How could he be presented to the world in a more protagonist-like manner?

How could he be transformed from a hidden master buried in obscurity like now into a hero celebrated by the world?

This was unexpectedly difficult.

Leandros himself wasn't a character who actively stepped forward.

So either he had to push him from behind, or fate had to guide him.

Wasn't there something that could create a buzz among people with a bang?

After all, a protagonist should save at least one village to spread rumors and become known as an honorable knight...

Wait.

"...Should I urge the return of the territory?"

"Pardon?"

"No, it's territory that belongs to Hartmann anyway. It's property I should rightfully take after my restoration. If the royal family keeps it, I won't be able to face the ancestors of the Hartmann family, will I?"

"Why did you suddenly change your mind?"

Arndt asked with puzzlement, but he seemed pleased inwardly.

Though his eyes questioned what scheme was behind this, the corners of his mouth were twitching upward.

"I just reflected that I should become a proud descendant of the Hartmanns. Now that I think about it, I should write a letter to the royal palace."

"What? So suddenly?"

"Yes. And if a reply comes, put it on hold. I'll be leaving the castle with Leandros in a day or two."

"No, where are you going?"

"To the north."

"So suddenly?"

"The north is a self-governing territory, right?"

At the sudden question, Arndt answered as if wondering why he was asking this again.

"That's right. If we were to consider it now, it would almost be appropriate to call it a small independent kingdom in the north. Due to the barrier of the mountains, there's no way it could assimilate with the kingdom. But why do you ask?"

"What do you think if the Duke of Hartmann could come to control such a north?"

"That's an absurd speculation. Surely you're joking?"

"Hahaha."

"...It is a joke, right?"

Arndt asked, faltering.

His face clearly revealed emotions like 'How is that possible, could it be from the revelation, the north is something I never imagined.'

He wanted to tease him a bit more, but fearing he might cause the young man to faint, he provided an explanation.

"It's about mithril. You need it to process demonic beast by-products and make anything, right? While looking into that, I heard that the situation in the north wasn't normal, and it reminded me of a part of the revelation I had forgotten."

"W-what revelation? What part was it?"

"There's not a single person in the north."

"...Pardon?"

"Exactly as I said. There's not a single person, and only demonic beasts that shouldn't exist are roaming around. I don't know how it came to be that way."

In fact, he did know.

But there was no need to deliberately bring madness to Arndt by telling him horrifying details.

In his previous life, he had been exhausted from dragging around two madmen.

"Since I don't know the cause, I don't know the solution either. So what I can do for the north is to assess the current situation and consider what can be done for normalization."

"Young master..."

"So if possible, it would be good to get the royal family to revoke the self-governance rights given to the north."

In his previous life, he had obtained temporary control over the north by using Yurik's actions as leverage.

But at that time, he had only thought of it as a tool for walking the tightrope between the nobility, the royal family, and the temple.

But now the situation had changed.

There were too many issues that couldn't be resolved with mere temporary control.

Arndt tilted his head and then said worriedly.

"Though I still don't fully understand, is that possible?"

"That's why I'm going to see for myself."

Since he was doing it anyway, he might as well do it properly.

* * *

The luggage for the northern trip was strangely sparse.

Since he didn't eat meals, he packed as little food as possible for himself,

And having painfully experienced the cold in his previous life, he had wrapped himself in winter clothing from head to toe in advance.

"Your Grace, you could wear it after crossing the entire mountain range."

"No, this is comfortable."

Arndt seemed to find him pitiable, having turned halfway into a snowman, and recommended several times that he take off his clothes.

But he rejected Arndt's suggestion and looked at Leandros.

Leandros looked at the food bag, which contained almost 1.5 portions, and then glanced at him with a peculiar face.

"No problems?"

"It seems not for now."

"Then we're really going. Arndt, please take care of the castle while I'm gone. Lady Arnold, I entrust Arndt to you."

"I'll m-maintain d-discipline in the c-castle."

"...Please maintain it moderately. Moderately."

What kind of atmosphere was the Hartmann Castle during the time the former Duchess was alive, to talk about maintaining discipline?

But deciding not to ask about that specifically, he waddled out through the castle gate with Leandros, still wearing thick clothes.

When the shadows of those seeing them off behind him faded, and they arrived at the deserted manor.

Leandros spoke first.

"We shouldn't be visible from here."

"Is that so?"

Upon blowing the black horn, Sleigh emerged from the shadows of the nearly collapsed, abandoned house, prancing.

As always, Sleigh, who had happily rubbed his head against him, stared quietly at Leandros.

Leandros didn't back down and engaged in a staring contest before opening his mouth.

"This horse."

"?"

"It has good ears."

"Ah, yes. Thank you."

Why suddenly?

But Sleigh seemed to like that, strutting around proudly for a few steps.

Just like when they left for the east, they both mounted Sleigh.

As Leandros settled behind him, he asked.

"May I ask one thing? What business do you have in the north?"

"It's because of mithril."

"Isn't that a mineral monopolized by the northern self-governing territory? Are you looking for a way to trade directly with the north?"

"No, rather than that... It's a bit difficult to explain. It would be better to see it directly."

Where should they go?

After pondering while stroking Sleigh's mane, he whispered something, and Sleigh neighed powerfully and dashed forward.

A familiar unpleasant sensation enveloped his body,

And the next moment, as he opened his eyes to the cold wind slapping his face, a familiar landscape he had seen before unfolded.

A barren fence under a sky that was neither dark nor bright, a grayish color.

Beyond that, tents could be seen swaying in the harsh blizzard.

A small village with not a single person roaming around.

Only a suspicious pole sticking up in the middle of the village fluttered a white cloth.

"This is..."

"A mobile village in the north. The north is an environment where it's difficult to settle in one place. There won't be any people, so let's go in anywhere. We need to change clothes."

"It certainly doesn't feel like anyone is here, but do we need to change clothes?"

"The winter clothes I'm wearing now are just clothes to wear outside the north. Made by people vulnerable to the cold, so to speak. We'd freeze to death soon."

Urged by him, Leandros reluctantly entered the nearest tent.

After forcibly appropriating northern-style clothes there, they immediately left the village.

Leandros continuously looked around, even on horseback.

"It's an environment where you can't distinguish between day and night."

"I don't think it was always this kind of environment. The north is a bit different from other regions. Because of the mountains blocking the way, it wasn't an environment where people could freely come and go."

"According to history books, as the kingdom expanded its territory and unified various regions, the indigenous people of the north particularly strongly resisted. The Founding King tried to conquer the north, but due to the mountains and climate, he gave up and instead unified it by guaranteeing self-governance."

Oh my. His smart child.

No, not his child, strictly speaking, his brother's child, but still.

"It's a structure that's difficult not only to enter from the outside but also to leave from the north. So even if something happened here, the outside wouldn't know much about it."

"Are you saying something happened here?"

"Think about it. What if you were the Northern Margrave governing this place?"

The white expanse of snow.

Countless snowflakes falling and the crunching sound of frozen snow being stepped on.

Ice, frost, and more ice everywhere.

"Wouldn't it be desperate?"

"I can understand that. But you're not explaining what happened here. What does that have to do with..."

An alien sound interrupted Leandros's words.

A sound similar to a bear's growl, but much more chilling.

They paused briefly to look around, but there was nothing.

Only the air was strangely rigid.

Leandros dismounted and slowly drew his sword.

Not far away, a faint movement on the white snow field caught their eye.

A pair of murky red lights appeared from the heaving snow.

Only when they recognized them as eyes did the overall outline become visible.

The four front legs with a faint blue tinge were covered in snow-white fur,

Between the eyes, a horn protruded like that of a unicorn.

The two hind legs were sturdy and thick, covered with fur.

A repulsive appearance as if a unicorn, polar bear, and flea had been mixed together.

The creature, stirring the snow with its six legs as it approached, made a strange sound like thousands of mice squeaking together.

A low groan was heard from Leandros.

"Is it a demonic beast?"

"It wasn't originally from the north. Demonic beasts wouldn't deliberately settle here by climbing over the mountains."

"Then you're saying it was artificially created, but how could one create demonic beasts in a place like this?"

"How else?"

He answered emotionlessly.

"There were things that originally lived here."

"But here..."

Leandros couldn't continue his words, but he seemed to understand what Leandros wanted to say.

Originally, nothing lives in such a cold land.

No deer, bears, or wolves.

Livestock such as chickens, pigs, and cows couldn't survive in such an extreme climate either.

What existed here were humans, humans, only humans.

From the beginning, there had only been humans.

And in the future, there would only be entities that had once been human.

Leandros's black eyes widened.

"From the beginning, people..."

The disgusting creature resembling a bear leaped fiercely.

On the sharp horn, though faded, a faint reddish-brown mark remained.

Watching the demonic beast charge, he drove in the final nail.

"Looking at the north, it's understandable why the royal family targeted and ruined the Hartmann ducal family. Crown Prince Yurik was very interested in controlling demonic beasts."

Leandros's face distorted, albeit slightly.

The north where humans had gone extinct, the royal family, and the Hartmann ducal family.

The execution of the former Duchess who had taken in Leandros.

The end of peaceful daily life.

Days of taking in her son, fighting, fleeing, and hiding.

A look that asked if he was truly the cause of all that.

He could only offer a smile to him.

Leandros's shout echoed across the vast snowfield.