Chapter 71: Orleans Base

Lucius and Crane walked through the vast corridors of the castle with Lord Strauss.

—Impressive.

The corridor was filled with paintings and ornaments, all undoubtedly valuable.

Years ago, Lucius couldn’t appreciate their value. He wasn’t knowledgeable about art, but he could immediately tell that these works were meticulously crafted.

“If you want any of them, feel free to take it. They’re just things to adorn authority.” 

Lord Strauss urged Lucius, who kept looking around.

Lucius shook his head. 

“No, they hold value because they’re here in this castle.”

For nobles, their luxurious lifestyle wasn’t just about extravagance; it was symbolic. 

It was a sign of prosperity and development when the citizens thrived and various things were produced. If nobles bought these items at high prices, artisans would become wealthier, further contributing to development. This cycle applied to everything, from food to infrastructure.

Lord Strauss was surprised to see that Lucius understood the meaning so well.

“…You’ve really grown. Well, we’ve arrived.” 

Lord Strauss said as they reached their destination.

Lucius and Crane were led into the room where the meeting would take place. It had a large round table.

Lord Strauss sat at the far end, and Lucius and Crane took their seats as prompted.

As soon as they were seated, Crane spoke up. 

“Lord Strauss, it’s been a while.”

“Saw a chance to meet with you. How’s your father, Latos?”

“My father is still the same as usual.” 

It seemed like the two were familiar with each other.

“I see. Latos must have plenty of worries as the current head of the Orleans family.” 

Lord Strauss remarked.

—Is Crane the son of the current head? That means…

The previous head of the family, the old woman Gufel, once said that the current head of the family was her son. 

If that was so, then Crane was Gufel’s grandson.

There was a resemblance in their noses, now that he thought about it.

Contrary to Lucius’s surprise, Crane’s expression remained impassive, as if suppressing some emotion.

“That’s right. Now, the reason I’ve asked for your time today is none other than the matter concerning Lucius.” 

Crane said, as if wanting to change the subject.

Lord Strauss seemed to have sensed something and decided to proceed with the conversation.

“…Indeed. I’ve heard the story from Gufel. She’s sending Lucius there.” 

Lord Strauss said, looking at Lucius.

“Indeed. I’d like to ask for your permission.”

Lord Strauss nodded, sending his gaze to Lucius. 

“Lucius, do you know about the Orleans family’s managed land?”

Judging from the story, it didn’t seem like an ordinary territory.

“No, I’m not familiar with it. Is there a problem?” 

“Hmm… Let me rephrase the question. Lucius, do you know what lies at the end of Silverwood?”

It was a strange question.

“Yes, I’ve heard from my father that if you head into the depths of the forest from Silverheart Village, you’ll find nothing but the sea and uninhabited wasteland. And beyond the wasteland is already the west.” 

“I see. That wasteland is the land managed by the Orleans family. It used to be the location of the former capital of the Northern Province.” 

Lucius knew that Orleans’s base was in the north, but he didn’t expect it to be adjacent to Silverwood.

However, Silverwood was vast. Even if it was next to each other, it was still quite distant.

What caught his attention the most was the mention of the former capital.

“The former capital?” 

According to the textbooks he read, Barondia, the former capital, should have been in the same location for over 400 years. Anything before that was ancient history.

He vaguely remembered the location before the capital was relocated, but he couldn’t recall it precisely.

Crane stepped in to explain.

“The capital, which flourished for over 200 years, suddenly faced a disaster where the dead returned as monsters. It collapsed within a day and became the city of undead, Burgia.”

“The dead returned as monsters? What does that mean?”

“It means just that. You’ll understand when you see it.”

“…I see. But why is the Orleans family in such a place?” 

Lucius couldn’t see any value in a land where undead roamed.

“The Orleans family was originally formed to investigate the cause of the undead. Over time, they expanded to research all sorts of magic techniques for monsters and rituals.” 

“I see. So Crane is currently researching dragon rituals.” 

“…That’s right. The problem is that the undead still roam freely. Naturally, there are dangers. If you desire the magic sword, be prepared to fight the undead.” 

That was the most important thing. It was about securing the magic sword through a contract with Chi You.

“There’s no problem even if monsters live there.” 

Lord Strauss understood that the discussion had concluded and nodded.

“In that case, I’ll allow Lucius to set foot in the undead city of Burgia. But remember, that place is cursed. Lucius, be careful not to let your guard down; it’s a place where you can easily lose your footing.” 

Lucius understood the reason for them visiting Lord Strauss.

It was the structure where, as a former capital of the North, it was nominally the territory of the Norris-Windsor family. In other words, it was a directly governed area, and the supervision was entrusted to the Orleans family.

“I understand. Thank you very much.”

“It’s already late today. You can stay in the castle. I’ll arrange for you to leave tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you for everything.”

Lord Strauss spoke to Lucius, who bowed his head. 

“…By the way, Lucius.”

“What is it?”

“I heard from Robel before you came. It seems you have some interesting ideas to develop Silverheart territory.”

I wondered why he knew, but it was natural upon reflection.

Beforehand, they must have communicated through telecommunication techniques.

The son of a lord going to meet a noble from a friendly family—it would be more of an issue if they didn’t inform them beforehand.

“Yes. The Forest of Monsters can be both a resource and a disaster.”

“Hmm. When the time comes, I’ll offer support. It’ll be good for the entire North.”

Lucius bowed his head again.

“In that case…”

Lord Strauss cleared his throat meaningfully.

Then, he glanced at Lucius.

“I want your opinion on something.”

“What is it about?”

“You know that the main industry in the North is wheat, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“The East specializes in tea and iron production, the South in wheat as well as agriculture, forestry, and animal husbandry in general, and the West in relics, textiles, and minerals.”

Any noble, even a child would know that.

“The North lacks industries. We’ve been working hard to develop all kinds of industries to solve that. But… without mineral veins, fertile land, or ruins yielding relics, the North has always been left behind compared to other provinces.”

It was also an indirect reason for not producing a king.

In simple terms, the North had neither the privileges nor the money that could be used in political negotiations.

But would producing a king solve everything?

That was impossible.

Industries would not develop just because they mimicked the form.

“Yes, I know.”

“Anything will do. Is there any wisdom that could be passed on to the next generation? Even if Olivia were to become queen now, the North wouldn’t be saved.”

Lord Strauss was desperate.

Even if Lucius’s business went well, Silverwood might flourish.

But that would only be a local economic boost in the North.

Lord Strauss was thinking about revitalizing the entire North.

But he didn’t have an answer even when asked immediately.

“I’ll gather my thoughts by tomorrow before we depart.”

Bright blue eyes full of hope were directed at Lucius.

“I’m counting on you.”

That night, a room in Lord Strauss’s castle was assigned to Lucius.

He sat at the desk and thought about the industries in the North for a while, but his thoughts couldn’t be organized.

Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep with his head on the desk.

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