Chapter 243: I Want You
Valgard Gram.
There was no one among the Gram family who did not know that name.
He was the champion and godslayer of Altema in the past, when the Gram Empire existed.
He also showed tremendous influence as a member of the Gram Empire, which was more powerful than the current Zaium.
Most of the records of the great war 200 years ago were lost, but the Gram clans that were scattered into three kingdoms kept their memories of their ancestors intact.
One of them was the unique chain training, which allowed the Gram clan members to use ether more efficiently than other knights.
It was to create another ether heart near the heart and resonate it with the original to amplify the output.
However, doing so did not increase the actual ether output much.
There was a limit to how much ether the human race could use.
In the past, those who received the power of gods or dragons could overcome that limit, but there was no such person in the current Gram clan.
And today, Count Aihon Gram felt it.
An outsider who used the same chain training as his clan.
And he even forced his ether heart to resonate with his own.
That meant that his chain training method was superior.
An, ancestor Are you really our ancestor?
Are you my grandsons grandson? I dont know if you are my direct descendant because our bloodline is so mixed. Anyway, I am Valgard Gram and I am alive for sure. If you have any questions, bring your clan members here. Right now.
Who would dare to disobey his command?
Aihon Gram ran out of his office in a hurry and returned shortly with a group of people.
Leobold drank the tea that Arma brought him and waited for their conversation to end.
There were shouts and screams, and sometimes sounds of hitting.
I hope you didnt go too far. They are people who have to work right away.
I have a proxy, so it doesnt matter if some of them go straight to the hospital.
You really want to use androids, dont you?
In fact, he could easily handle the administrative work of a small kingdom like Bagran with dummies or androids.
But this was not Earth.
There was no need to hastily integrate humanity and there was no plan for megacities.
The goal was to unify the entire Astera continent into a human empire and raise the level of civilization, but that required a change in perception of its members.
They had to learn how to act by experiencing the rapidly developing society themselves.
It was more difficult than Earth in some ways.
On that side, he could create megacities by using assassination or war and protect humanity with that, but this side required a change in perception of all members.
It was especially hard for elves.
Their oppressive and supremacist attitude made Leobold clench his teeth.
Arma suggested using the power of religion.
How about declaring yourself as a hero from another world and acting like a god?
The only true god is Prohphet.
Sometimes lies are necessary. Even Cain is called faith. Why cant you be master?
Well
If he used Arma and everything in the pioneer fleet, he could show powers that were no different from gods.
He could cure incurable patients, mass-produce invincible armies, and even eliminate hunger in Astera completely.
This was better than the powers of various gods in Asteras pantheon.
The drawback was that he lacked understanding of ether and soul, but he could narrow the gap as research progressed.
In other words, he could pretend to be a real god without any problem.
Theres a dragon next to you and a champion of Altema who challenged gods in the past. It would be strange if youre not a god.
Zigarions ability did not look like a dragons, but he was still a dragon anyway
Leobold laughed after hesitating for a moment.
Im not a god, Im a human. But if people misunderstand me like that, I dont need to correct them.
Shall we add some seasoning?
Not too much.
Just by observing his actions, they might doubt if he was not a god.
If Arma added some seasoning to that, he would soon be revered as a god-emperor.
The god and emperor of humanity
Astera was different from Earth, so there was a high chance that they would accept such absolute power without any problem.
The important thing was Leobolds decision.
His inner self was not a god or anything but a human being, and it was gradually wearing out.
There is no eternal power, so he would have to let go someday.
He did not want to choose a method that had a lot of side effects in that process.
The method he used on Earth was enough once.
In that sense, too much power was not good.
It would be convenient to unify Astera, but he would have to let go of it little by little after unification.
Absolute power would devour the flesh and soul of the ruler.
Leobold suddenly asked.
Arma, do you remember? What I would do when everything was over.
You said you wanted to let go of everything and rest. Go to a quiet place and farm and fish.
Did I say I wanted to raise a child?
Yes. A child who looks like you.
It would be hard to educate a child in such a place.
Arma smiled softly and hugged Leobold from behind, then kissed his cheek.
I will help you live that life when everything is over. But you still have things to do, dont you?
Thats right I have to meet the Prophet.
When he met him, Leobolds, or Yu Ji-has journey would probably end.
The noise subsided and Valgard opened the door and came out.
It seems to be settled enough.
Then can I consider the nobles of Rozelon as mine?
Thats up to these guys. Hey.
Valgard gestured with his chin and the nobles who looked like members of the Gram clan came out in a group.
We swear loyalty to Count Leobold Vandus, the regent.
We swear eternal loyalty.
They had so much spirit in their actions and eyes that it would be strange if they didnt.
After all, their ancestor from 200 years ago appeared and confirmed his power.
It was not bad.
Leobold decided to give them at least a way to live.
Money was nothing but a number that he could increase whenever he wanted anyway.
As promised, I will return the direct territory. However, I will pay you a compensation for your efforts during this time. It may not be as much as you expected, but its not a small amount.
Thank you for your consideration.
Elhon Gram bowed his head as the representative, and Leobold smiled with satisfaction.
I look forward to your cooperation in the future.
Thats how the small rebellion of the Roseron nobles ended.
There were some nobles who refused to give up their land at a low price, but they quieted down when they saw the delegation letter.
Leobold succeeded in completely dominating Roseron in this way.
***
The Roseron direct territory was as large as the Lantis County.
It was not all flat land, and it included some hills and forests, where the nobles had installed various facilities for their business.
For example, hunting grounds for nobles only.
Leobold ordered them to be cleared away.
He was going to build a huge food plant in the future, so he didnt need those things.
The only problem was manpower.
Money was nothing but numbers, but if he hired a large number of workers, there was a possibility that the prices in Roseron would soar.
A moderate inflation was inevitable, but if too much gold circulated, it could easily become like Spain.
Arma suggested forcibly settling the refugees from the east.
According to satellite confirmation, there are at least 10,000 refugees wandering around the eastern region without settling down. It would be a great help if you guarantee their survival rights and settle them down.
Why cant they settle in one domain?
They probably think its better to live freely even if its hard than to be ripped off by harsh taxes.
That was the fundamental reason why they wandered around.
It was not guaranteed that they would have survival rights even if they stayed in a domain.
Leobold had taken over the core areas of the east, but there were still many small domains and the refugees perception had not changed.
They were out of the system, so to speak.
Leave Grunden out and entrust this mission to Catina and Elwin. They can use some coercive means, but they cant execute them on the spot.
Yes, I understand.
The refugees who wandered around in the wilderness were unlikely to be obedient.
They were even hunted by nearby domains because they were regarded as less than human.
In Bagran, slavery was not officially recognized, but it was not strongly rejected either.
If you had money and power, you could easily get slaves.
Leobold wrote a pardon on the spot and stamped his seal.
Show them this pardon and come to the public office. We will guarantee you a minimum of survival rights. If you provide labor for a year, we will give you citizenship of the direct territory. Of course, you will also be paid wages.
No one would refuse free labor, but from the perspective of a powerful person, it was dangerous to keep that situation going for a long time.
Slaves cost more than you think and had low productivity.
They wouldnt work hard because it wasnt their own business.
It was much more efficient to give them appropriate rewards than to limit them if you wanted to boost their work motivation.
And it was also important to settle the refugees and increase the population and infrastructure.
Leobold decided to make slavery completely illegal.
He couldnt just tell the western lords to give up their land, so he wanted to create some friction and induce conflict.
There is also a possibility that they will resist by citing Zaium, which legalized slavery.
This is not Zaium, so tell them to buzz off.
Zaium, which was busy with succession struggles, would not bother Leobold over slavery.
There was also a tendency in the interior that they could not get over this assassination.
Zaium was weaker than Elvrande, but it was dangerous to be weak even though their involvement was certain.
It would give a wrong signal that they would stay still even if they suffered such things in the future.
Therefore, a crusade against Elvrande was gaining momentum among the noble soldiers who wished for Count Croitz.
It was doubtful whether it would be possible, but anyway war was inevitable according to the mainstream opinion.
It wouldnt be bad to fight here and weaken Elvrandes power.
It would be neat if he fired a missile, but Leobold wanted an external means.
Arma summarized the claims of the potential successors in Zaium.
Currently, Zaium wants Master to participate in the war. However, they are hesitant because they think that they want his blood even though all his kin have died.
It would be too much to push him into the battlefield as the last member of his family.
Especially if he was Leobold who had killed the emperors assassin and gained fame.
However, he wanted to participate in the war.
It was troublesome if Zaium collapsed too much.
He wanted them to maintain a moderate size until he started the full-scale conquest, but there was a risk of shaking due to this war.
Arma reported that Barak, the crown prince and the current leading successor, would ask Leobold to join the war.
There are also other successors, but Baraks support is the highest. He is hawkish and backed by Duke Prozan.
Its not a bad judgment to think that there will be more opportunities if the war continues, but he needs to have the ability to match it.
Leobold didnt point that out, but wanted to get a reward.
Tell them I want land and title if Baraks side contacts me.
Since you are in charge of diplomacy, you will be awarded at least the title of count.
It was almost common sense that it would be an insult to give a trivial title to someone in that position.
Zaium was a country with a lot of titles, so it wouldnt be hard to get them.
However, even if he got a title, he couldnt compare with the real power holders like Duke Prozan or Count Croitz.
Get the title of imperial count and establish a base in Zaium And it wouldnt be bad to reduce Elvrandes power as well. Proceed.
Soon after, a royal decree was issued in the name of diplomacy.
The main contents were the opening of the direct territory, the settlement of the refugees, and the complete illegality of slavery.
Arma predicted that there would be a lot of backlash on slavery, and he was right.
The western lords had a lot of slaves.
Duke Townsend and two counts and several nobles had thousands of slaves and used them frugally.
They couldnt give up the labor they provided, so they fiercely resisted.
Even if there is a kings seal, it is not a royal decree. I dont know why this diplomat is acting like this.
How can we free the slaves right now when we have to sow soon?
Just ignore it. A mere diplomat cant tell us what to do in our independent domains.
There was not much Leobold could do once they started to ignore him.
But it was important to sow the seeds of conflict in this way.
He had to tap the backs of the nobles who hid their heads like turtles. Shouldnt they be eaten or left alone?
The nobles knew that too, and showed no reaction.
They wouldnt even give him the slightest pretext.
Leobold gave them three months.
Assume that you are ready to face any punishment if you still have slaves in your territory after three months.
Silence.
There was no response at all.
Leobold did not yield to that and called Count Eihon and Viscount Conrad.
The former was needed for the actual management of the direct territory, and the latter was needed for the revision of the related laws.
Perhaps because of Valgards intimidation, their attitude was more obedient than ever.
Count Gram will take care of the management of the direct territory. You must have heard the details from Valgard, so I trust you will do well.
Despite falling from the actual owner to the manager, Count Eihon kept bowing his head.
It was a mystery how Valgard, who was clearly a descendant of his ancestor 200 years ago, was still alive, and why Seopjeong treated him as a subordinate.
But he had agreed to learn a new way of using Ether Heart from Valgard, so it wasnt a bad outcome.
From now on, the Gram family would produce a large number of knights with excellent skills.
On the other hand, Viscount Conrad was originally Eolins confidant as the chief steward of the palace.
But he surrendered to Leobold as soon as she left, and was able to maintain his original position.
He was a nervous man with a goat beard, but no one could match him when it came to laws and codices that recorded them.
I order you to revise the laws and codices. Create a new category of slave in the rank, and record that it will be completely abolished after three months.
You cant abolish something that doesnt exist.
Slaves were like nonexistent beings in Bagran, and they had to admit that they existed first in order to bring them into the light.
Viscount Conrad understood his intention and nodded.
I will revise it so that one can be freed from the slave rank by providing labor for one year in the direct territory.
Youre easy to talk to. I think Ill have a lot of work for you in the future.
I will follow you faithfully.
Thats how the matter of the direct territory was settled for now.
The practical work was up to the people below.
The process of clearing the land, settling the immigrants, building houses, and installing facilities.
All of that.
It wouldnt be easy to create something new from a land that was almost barren, but Leobold believed that it would go well as long as he had Arma.
Now I have to do my job.
That job was killing elves.
***
The assassination incident had subsided, but its aftermath was not over yet.
Dozens of countries in the eastern continent lost their kings or leaders, and this was still not healed.
Naturally, voices began to rise that Elvrande should be punished.
It was mostly among the nobles of Zaium.
If they realize that there is no aftermath after assassinating His Majesty, Im afraid what they will do next time.
Your Highness, Crown Prince. Revenge is our duty as survivors. No matter what sacrifice we have to make.
There was a stage for dialogue with Elvrande, but they denied their crime and came forward.
We dont know anything about it, so dont accuse us rashly.
-Isnt Goliath used in the crime Zaiums official machine? The corpse? How can anyone confirm that its not just an elf caught and displayed?
They could stick out their duck feet even though dozens of royal families were destroyed by this incident. It meant that Elvrande was strong enough.
To put it crudely, it was a stance of trying to fight if they wanted to fight, and Zaiums nobles couldnt tolerate it.
The negotiation that was barely arranged broke down in less than an hour, and the nobles raised their fists and shouted for revenge.
The only good elf is a dead elf!
Lets fight them! We have to avenge His Majesty and show our strength!
But it had been only about a year since the Easthart War ended, so they didnt have enough resources.
Also, too many knights of Zaium died in this incident, causing concern about a power vacuum.
Twenty high knights who guarded the palace died at once, which made Barak Crown Prince hesitate.
In the meantime, voices began to rise that Leobold Bandas Count of Bagran should be brought in.
How can we leave the hero who killed the monster of Elvrande alone? We should use him greatly on this occasion.
If he joins us, Elvrande wont be able to look down on us. Your Highness, please recruit him yourself.
But there were also voices of opposition.
It was too cruel to ask him to go to the battlefield again after losing all his blood and flesh in the war. That was the opinion of Duke Prozan and Count Kroitz.
Barak Crown Prince pondered, but decided to ask him directly.
He was in a situation where he had to go to war anyway, and it was a pity to leave such a knight alone.
An envoy was dispatched, and he was able to talk directly with Leobold through the communication device.
I regret that your family is on the verge of ruin due to the war. But I promise to give you more than that reward if you make a solid contribution in this war. So help me, help Zaium.
If he refused when the crown prince came out like this, the aftermath would be no joke.
And Leobold didnt want to refuse either.
Then please give me the title and land of an imperial count. I will kill the elves as you command and come back.
The title is fine, but the land? Where do you want?
Leobold told him where he wanted, and Barak Crown Prince hesitated a little.
It was a big risk to give him a military stronghold that leads to the imperial road.
But the other party was just a nobleman of a small kingdom and a subordinate.
No matter how great his martial prowess was, he couldnt do anything stupid against the empire.
Barak Crown Prince decided to grant him generously.
I agree. When you return with your achievements, I will hold a grand banquet and bestow you the title and land of an imperial count.
I will do my best for the glory of the empire.
To be precise, it was for the unification of Astera.
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