Lord of Caldera

As the young nobles anxiously exchanged glances, the Duke addressed Rey.

"As I mentioned before, the grudge between our houses is settled."

"Yes," Rey replied.

"Don't dwell on the Count's death. It was a fair duel."

"Yes."

"…No spokesperson?" the Duke asked.

When Rey faltered, Sylas stepped in with a wry smile. Hiding things was no longer necessary, but even he hadn't expected it to be this direct.

"Since the grievance has been settled, we only need to work out the terms for trade."

The young nobles' eyes lit up at the mention of trade with the elves. Trade was as appealing as obtaining magical artifacts, if not more.

The Count who had promised them artifacts was dead, so Rey would need to offer a new incentive. But as they eagerly awaited the next step, the Duke interrupted.

"No, there is one matter left to resolve first."

"One matter left?" Sylas asked.

"I said I would settle the grudge with the Herning family. But I never said I would forgive the other houses."

The Duke's cold gaze swept over the young nobles.

"Your families also share responsibility for the suffering my people endured."

"…?!"

Their faces turned pale. Why was the Duke now turning his ire toward them?

"M-Misunderstanding, Your Grace!"

"The actions of our predecessors have nothing to do with us!"

"Ridiculous excuses from those who dared bring their armies here."

Their desperate attempts at explanations fell flat. Matters of ambiguous responsibility were ultimately subject to the will of those in power. If the Duke was unwilling to forgive, no excuse, however logical, would sway him.

"S-Sir Rey. No, Count!"

The nobles turned to Rey. For the elves to advance, they would need to pass through the Herning family's fortress.

If Rey didn't open the path, the elven army couldn't move. Considering her ties with the other families, it was obvious…

"Will you allow us passage?"

"Yes."

"Count!?"

The casual response stunned everyone, but Rey remained unfazed. The Duke glanced briefly at the noble heirs and asked,

"Is that all right? None of you have sworn loyalty to this family, nor are you vassals?"

Sylas answered in Rey's stead. "The relationship between House Herning and these families is no more than close neighbors. None have pledged allegiance, and none are recognized as vassal houses."

"Then there's no problem with wiping them out."

The notion of "extermination" was a nightmare. Had anyone else said it, they might have laughed it off. Even the Imperial family would have difficulty wiping out entire noble houses. But the elven Duke had the authority—and the army—to do so, having the power to destroy even the Count's house.

"If he means that," thought the nobles, "we're finished."

A cold sweat soaked their clothes. A combined army of four noble houses would be meaningless before the elven forces, and they could already envision their families falling, one by one.

"Please wait a moment."

At that moment, Leon stepped forward.

"From what I've gathered, it sounds like loyalty to House Herning would bring forgiveness."

"That's correct," the Duke nodded at Leon.

"The grudge between the Hernings and the elves is resolved. A vassal shares the successes and failures of their lord; the same applies to grudges."
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"In that case…"

Leon took a deep breath and stepped forward, kneeling before Rey—a gesture a vassal would make before their lord.

"I, Leon Winslow, pledge my loyalty to the head of House Herning on behalf of my family. Please accept me."

"I accept."

At Rey's calm response, Leon rose and stood beside her. Sylas then turned to the remaining three nobles, who looked stunned.

"What about the rest of you?" he asked.

The noble heirs stared at Sylas, feeling as if they'd been struck. Only now were they beginning to understand the situation.

"With the Count gone, Rey is the head of House Herning. But she's more like a knight than a lord and would likely follow Sir Sylas's orders if he commanded her, even as Count. In truth, this loyalty is to Sir Sylas."

It was all part of Sylas's plan, but when had it begun? They had once seen him as nothing more than a young man with a skilled knight by his side.

Seeing their confusion, Sylas shrugged.

"From the silence, it seems the others wish to remain loyal to the Empire."

"Commendable," the Duke remarked, his mouth curling into a mocking smile.

"Then disappear with your loyalty. You will become legends, retold as tales of valor."

"…!"

"I should be on my way. Leaving an army idle is a costly endeavor, after all."

It was a clear threat to invade their lands next. Damian, one of the three nobles, clenched his eyes shut.

"If there's no other way…"

Just as the Duke stood to leave, Damian stepped forward and knelt.

"I, Damian Orfus, as acting head, pledge loyalty to House Herning!"

"What…?"

"Please accept me under your command!"

Ignoring the shock of his peers, Damian called out. Rey looked at him with a stoic expression.

"Do you have the authority to redirect your family's loyalty?"

"I pledge it under my name. I will persuade them."

"Very well."

With Rey's permission, Damian stepped over to join Sylas and the others. Now, only two remained.

"Will you continue to honor your loyalty to the Empire?" Sylas asked again.

The two remaining nobles' choice was clear. That day, House Herning took all four families under its command.

Late at night, once everyone had left, Sylas and the Duke remained in the drawing room, raising their glasses to each other.

"Will that be enough? They wouldn't be above rebelling."

"Without perks, it might erupt someday," Sylas replied. "But there will be."

The Duke narrowed his eyes. "So there's something to gain?"

"Trade alone will suffice," Sylas said, taking a sip of his wine.

"You may not realize it, but this is the first official trade agreement between elves and humans."

"That's true."

"This means the profits will be immense."

It was a premium of sorts. Goods made by a race still possessing magic—these were not plundered but pristine, new merchandise. Even by merely handling trade as intermediaries through House Herning, the profits would be staggering.

If his guess was right, each family's wealth might double.

"An elven army capable of annihilating families, and the risk of halving their assets if they disrupt the alliance—they'd have to be mad to rebel. Right now, they may feel humiliated, but when the gold starts flowing, humiliation will be the least of their concerns."

Soon, they would likely beg to increase their share of elven goods for their families.

"And in this trade, the elves will receive the resources they need?"

"Yes, enough to meet the Duke's desired resources three times over."