Surviving as the Fallen Northern Grand Duke

Chapter 24: Imperial Order

Whooosh!

As about thirty mages simultaneously used fusion magic,

Drip, drip!

The glaciers that had been frozen solid along the coast began to melt.

The citizens of Newdale murmured as they watched the incredible sight.

“Wow… That’s amazing… Were mages always this powerful?”

“I know, right? I’ve always heard that mages were geniuses, but I never imagined they were this strong.”

“Ah, you people, what are you talking about? Do you think those mages are just ordinary folks? The Northern Grand Duke personally paid extra to bring them here. That’s why they’re so powerful. This is definitely not the average strength of mages.”

The Newdale watchmen, wrapped in thick blankets, sat together and observed the work being done.

Steam rose in the air.

They even held warm cups of tea in their hands.

“Hey! You there! Yeah, you! Where do you think you’re sneaking off to, you pirate scum?”

Whenever they spotted a pirate trying to slack off, they swiftly sent them back to the worksite.

I smirked.

I was deeply impressed by how effective these unexpected supervisors were.

‘As expected, the best overseers are the ones who hold grudges against the workers.’

The citizens of Newdale, who had been exploited by pirates for years, drove them to work with burning determination.

Fwoooosh!

Once again, fusion magic shone brightly.

The thirty mages had been hired using the vast treasure hoard the pirates had amassed over the years.

Unless it was a war between nations, it would be rare to see this many mages working together.

Thanks to them, the construction of this ice-free port would be finished in no time.

Whoosh!

I lightly swung my longsword and descended to the worksite.

There, the craftsmen of Newdale were busy giving instructions.

“Hey, you idiots! Hurry up and get rid of the moisture!”

At the command, nearly a hundred pirates rushed forward, carrying tools to scrape away the dampness.

Grrrrr…

The pirates clenched their teeth and worked with bloodshot eyes.

And if any of them showed signs of rebellion…

Shing!

The knights of Axen swiftly subdued them.

The pirates spent the entire day removing moisture, transporting stones for the docks, and constructing infrastructure according to the craftsmen’s meticulous instructions.

“Wow, having five hundred workers really speeds things up.”

As I marveled at the rapid progress, the key figures of the Duchy of Axen gathered around me.

Victor, Krum, Mangala, Erina Trotsky, Matthias, and Bjorn.

If only Noich, the ever-nagging butler, were here, it would be the perfect dream team.

After inspecting the worksite, they all reconvened in the meeting room of the flagship.

“But…”

Erina seemed to have something on her mind.

“Your Grace, didn’t you mention during the battle that you were forming a navy? You were pleased when you saw the pirates and said you had acquired a navy.”

“That’s right. But why?”

“Then is it really okay to push them this hard? They’re only getting a single piece of bread a day while being worked to the bone. By the time they’re ready to serve in Axen’s navy, won’t their bodies be completely broken?”

It was a reasonable concern.

As I had said, these men would eventually become part of Axen’s forces, so was it okay to treat them this harshly?

However,

I grinned.

My mind was already elsewhere.

“I need to create a navy, that’s true. But…”

“But?”

“After thinking about it, I realized I don’t necessarily have to build the navy with just these pirates.”

“What?”

“When I spoke with Mayor Bruno, I found out that many of Newdale’s young men are just idling around. They’ve managed to scrape by for now, but a lot of them will soon be penniless.”

“……”

“So, I’m going to recruit them and form the navy. I’ll only keep a handful of smart pirates to teach them navigation. The first mates and captains, mainly.”

Even after hearing my plan, Erina still seemed uncertain.

“Then what happens to the rest of the pirates?”

“What do you mean?”

“Once this construction is finished, where will they go? If they aren’t enlisted in the navy, they’ll surely return to a life of crime.”

“Oh, that? Of course, they’re going to prison.”

“What?”

“So make sure to keep your mouths shut. They think they’ll be free once this job is done, which is why they’re working so hard.”

“……”

The prisons near the imperial capital were notoriously harsh, so for these pirates, this construction site was probably the easiest life they would ever have.

As I turned my head, I thought I saw Erina shaking hers in disbelief.

“What? The Grand Duke of Axen has been missing for over ten days?”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

In the imperial palace of the Prohatska Empire, Knight Bichen was sweating as he delivered his report.

The emperor, Freud Pontiac, raised his voice.

“You mean to tell me that no one knows where the Grand Duke has gone?”

“…I regret to say that is correct, Your Majesty.”

Hah.

A sigh of frustration escaped the emperor’s lips.

Noticing the emperor’s mood, Bichen cautiously added another comment.

“From what I have observed, Grand Duke Johan Kraubitz does not travel with many attendants. He usually only takes a handful of his closest knights.”

“Is that so?”

After hearing Bichen’s report, the emperor pondered the strange actions of the Northern Grand Duke.

Normally, the lords of vassal states traveled with dozens, even hundreds, of attendants.

However, that eccentric Northern Grand Duke was said to wander around with only a handful of people.

‘So that’s why it’s difficult to track his movements…’

This realization engraved two thoughts into the emperor’s mind.

One, that the Northern Grand Duke was confident in his strength to the point where he didn’t need many attendants.

And the other…

‘Is he deliberately hiding his movements?’

Yes, that seemed to be the most reasonable explanation.

Right now, the most talked-about region within the empire was undoubtedly the northern Duchy of Axen.

Not only had it recently experienced a series of significant events, but it had also established the ‘Axen Academy,’ attracting the brightest talents from across the empire.

It was clear that the Grand Duke was trying to maintain a certain level of fame without standing out too much.

And from the Grand Duke’s calculated actions, the emperor could deduce one thing.

“…Does he intend to shift the empire’s center?”

Emperor Freud Pontiac was well aware that the founding of ‘Axen Academy’ was no ordinary event.

After all, Johan Kraubitz had gathered the noble scions from across the continent, forming connections with all of them.

As a result, word had spread that Axen was a much more livable land than expected.

‘I heard that the number of immigrants moving to the Duchy of Axen has increased.’

It was truly astonishing—a policy designed to attract people to the harsh, northernmost region of the continent.

Undoubtedly, the recent development of new agricultural techniques to increase food self-sufficiency was preparation for this change.

Thus—

Thud.

The emperor could no longer contain himself and stood up from his throne, pacing.

A low voice escaped from between his teeth.

“This… I can’t just sit back and observe any longer.”

Yes, as the emperor of the empire, he had to ensure ‘balance’ just as much as he pursued ‘prosperity.’

So, the emperor finally made a decision.

“Send a letter to King Johan Kraubitz of the Duchy of Axen.”

The time had come.

“Summon him to the imperial palace. Order him to visit the capital, pay respects to the emperor, and personally report on the current state of Axen.”

***

“One-tenth.”

“Is that really all?”

Mayor Bruno of Newdale asked again, unable to believe it.

Johan simply smiled and replied.

“We don’t collect that much tax in Axen to begin with. And the taxes we do collect are used to maintain the military, with any surplus saved up. We operate transparently.”

Swish.

Hearing this, Bruno looked at the man in front of him again.

‘He looks absolutely ruthless… The kind of man who’d squeeze every last drop out of you if you crossed him…’

Yet, he was saying they would only collect a mere ten percent of the total production.

Compared to the two-thirds they had previously been forced to hand over to the pirates, this was an astonishingly small amount.

Johan added another remark.

“What? Did you think I was going to treat Newdale as a colony and exploit it?”

“N-No, that’s not what I meant… It’s just that most other nations on the continent do that, so I assumed…”

“I told you before. This is about integrating Newdale into the Duchy of Axen. That means Newdale’s citizens will have the same rights and duties as all other Axen subjects.”

“……”

“And as I mentioned earlier, Newdale’s citizens will also be under the protection of the Axen military.”

“…Thank you.”

Bruno, his voice trembling, quickly signed the territory integration document.

After all, this was an opportunity he couldn’t afford to miss.

‘This is a win-win.’

Johan felt rather pleased.

The citizens of Newdale, who had been wandering aimlessly before settling on this remote island, had now become official subjects of the Duchy of Axen, gaining formal status and protection.

It was a privilege that ordinary drifters could never obtain.

Not only did they get to pay lower taxes than the continental standard, but they also received military protection—what could be better than that?

And from Axen’s perspective, the gains were tremendous as well.

First, Axen could now import food from Newdale’s vast lands.

Second, since many skilled artisans lived in Newdale, high-quality craftsmanship would now flow into the duchy.

And that wasn’t all.

The construction of the ice-free port was nearly free.

‘There are also enough ships to form both a navy and a merchant fleet.’

By acquiring thirteen sailing ships, Axen had instantly laid the foundation for trade.

“Erina, how’s that coming along?”

Johan asked in a hushed voice.

Erina Trotsky nodded and replied.

“It’ll take some time, but the kids are smart, so they’re catching on quickly. Don’t worry. Six months should be enough.”

Johan had actually asked Erina to train administrative personnel.

He had heard that in her previous life, Erina had worked in the finance department of a major corporation.

So, he had her select the brightest young people in Axen and teach them the basics of accounting.

‘Trade is about to explode soon. We’ll need an administrative team for sure.’

He chuckled.

What other lord could say they had doubled their territory overnight?

And not only had the land expanded, but the overall potential of his domain had jumped several levels.

Then—

“Ahem. If we really think about it, didn’t I suggest expanding our territory through conquest at the last meeting? In the end, things turned out exactly as I predicted. Furthermore…”

Krum began his usual self-congratulatory speech.

“Come to think of it, I also landed the final blow on the Silver Chimera. At this point, I should be aiming for the position of knight commander—”

Victor swiftly handled him.

And with that, the group returned to Axen’s ducal castle.

The journey wasn’t too taxing, as the northern coast was relatively close to the ducal castle.

Just as Johan was about to take a warm bath—

“Northern Grand Duke Johan Kraubitz, receive the imperial decree!”

Huh?!

“Grand Duke Johan Kraubitz, you are hereby commanded to immediately enter the imperial palace and report to His Majesty the Emperor on the governance of Axen’s territory!”

After seventeen years of living in the frigid north, Johan Kraubitz had finally been summoned to step into the central aristocracy.