Building A Human Empire By Creating A Clan [EN]: Chapter 51

Creating Retainers to Build a Human Empire 53

Scheme to Kill with Another’s Knife

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The first thing I did upon arriving in Sodomora was secure lodging.

As befitting a large city, the accommodation industry was booming, with advertisements plastered everywhere.

Some touts even waved flags embroidered with their names in gold thread.

Pasimea clicked her tongue at the sight.

“What a waste of money. Didn’t you say it’s a tough time to make a living?”

“For the lower classes.”

“Ah.”

You can’t judge a country’s wealth solely by the development of its capital.

Living in such a metropolis was a privilege in itself.

Of course, extreme poverty existed in the city as well, but it was generally better than outside the city.

The ruled class living outside the city were no better than monkeys.

“Wealth doesn’t just fall from the sky. It’s not like you guys who are born from nothing to something. It’s exploited from somewhere and placed here.”

Southern Wallachia, where Sodomora was located, was certainly fertile.

As fertile as the Great Plains, to the point where even if you sowed seeds haphazardly, you’d have a bountiful harvest.

However, other regions besides the south were not so fortunate.

“The north is unsuitable for farming, and livestock farming is also lackluster. The west and east are just ordinary farmlands or forests. Even looking throughout Wallachia, there are no mining areas like the Lagoa Mines in the Great Plains.”

Only a few small mines with limited reserves were scattered here and there.

“And has industry developed? Industry is also fragmented in each territory, operating on a small scale. Even if they were to sell goods to their neighbors, they wouldn’t even break even due to the exorbitant tolls. So, the prices are high, the supply is erratic, and the quality is poor.”

If such a country enjoyed wealth in its capital, what could be the reason?

“Levy high taxes and buy what’s needed from outside?”

“That’s right. Exploiting from below and buying from neighbors. That is the tradition of Wallachia. Thanks to this wonderful tradition, Wallachia’s taxes are rising day by day, and the volume of in-kind exports is also increasing.”

The funny thing is.

The trading partner was mostly Germania.

“Isn’t Germania an enemy country? Not just any enemy, but one with an unforgivable relationship where you wash blood with blood?”

“Would that grudge be more important than adorning oneself?”

Because industry hadn’t developed.

Things that Wallachia didn’t have but Germania did,

Things that Wallachia had but Germania had in higher quality,

The Wallachian nobles were not stingy in buying them.

“The more I see, the funnier this country is.”

“They have no qualms about selling their own people to monsters, so adorning themselves with cosmetics from enemy countries is something they can easily overlook.”

I stopped walking.

The place I stopped was in front of the main gate of a large mansion with a spacious garden.

Such a mansion in a city of hundreds of thousands.

One could easily guess the owner’s power.

“This isn’t an inn, is it?”

“It is the finest inn here.”

A man standing at the main gate approached us.

He was suspicious of us loitering nearby.

The man was a guard in light armor.

However, his level was quite high for a guard.

【Lv. 20】

A level comparable to Count Dorin’s knight.

Judging by this, he was not just a guard but a lower-ranking knight.

But even a lower-ranking knight as a gate guard was a luxury that northern nobles couldn’t imagine.

“Where are you from? If you have no business, leave.”

The knight placed his hand on his waist and issued an imposing order.

Calliope and Pasimea didn’t budge.

It would be ridiculous to them.

“Tell the Duke that a guest has arrived.”

The knight flinched.

The knight looked at me with a ‘could it be?’ expression.

I smiled faintly and met his gaze.

Then the knight lowered his stance and asked.

“…Your name?”

“Edar Lundringen. The owner of the Great Plains and Northern Wallachia. And tell him that Serdret’s eldest son and bastard has come, and he will know.”

The knight widened his eyes and looked at me again.

“P, please wait a moment.”

The knight hurriedly entered the mansion and soon returned to guide us.

We followed the guide through the spacious garden and into the mansion.

The first thing you see upon entering is a war painting.

The oil painting hanging on the wall depicted a knight confronting an enemy.

I stopped walking and looked up at the painting.

“I don’t know who it is, but it’s painted magnificently.”

“It is the founder of the Second Wallachian Dynasty. His name is Halden Barzavici.”

And the founder of the Masbach Dukedom.

“How did you know?”

A voice was heard from above the stairs.

An old man with his hand on the railing was looking down at me.

“You said you were Edar Lundringen.”

【Lv. 63】

Looking at the old man’s level, I smiled brightly.

“Nice to meet you, Duke Masbach.”

“…Call me Mazenkin.”

The Duke’s pupils dilated slightly.

The eyes facing me also trembled slightly.

I read that the emotion he was feeling was bewilderment.

“Serdret’s descendant?”

Instead of answering, I tilted my head to the side.

“As far as I know, his successor is not even twenty years old? You, the eldest son, look different.”

“If I look different, are you referring to my age?”

“Age? No, it’s not that.”

‘He read my level.’

The Duke had read my level.

Because he was among the top-ranking strong individuals among humans.

He must have felt the level of my soul and was surprised.

“It’s hard to put into words. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before.”

He pressed his forehead with his index finger as if feeling slightly confused and shook his head.

“I understand. I hear that often.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. It seems that way.”

The surprise didn’t last long.

Compared to Raeragon and Vlad, the reaction was weak.

His soul or martial prowess was too weak to fully feel my level.

He just thought I was a young man with a strange atmosphere and brushed it off.

He quickly calmed down and came down the stairs.

“Have you ever seen this oil painting before?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“But you knew it well. How did you know?”

“I learned it from someone I know.”

As I trailed off my answer, he showed interest with a ‘ho ho’ sound.

“Then what is the background of this painting?”

“I heard it was the Battle of the South Gate. It was a great battle that ousted the tyrant of the First Dynasty and inaugurated the Second Dynasty.”

The name changed to Masbach when the Second Dynasty ceded the throne to the Third Dynasty.

“Yes, that’s right. Accurate!”

The Duke clapped his hands.

A satisfied expression and smile.

His eyes were full of goodwill towards me.

“Did you learn it in Germania?”

“To be exact, it was Serdret. Isn’t it natural to teach important facts to someone who will inherit the family?”

“Important… Indeed.”

The laughter grew louder.

He was pleased that Serdret knew the secret history of the Masbach family and that he valued the Masbach family enough to teach it.

‘It’s a lie, though.’

There’s no way.

Not even Serdret or anyone in Germania would know.

Even if they did know, there was no reason to tell me.

Why would they need to know about the descendants of a ruined dynasty?

Even if they were a great noble of Wallachia.

‘It’s just that I know because I’ve been here several times.’

I had repeated several playthroughs [multiple attempts to complete a game].

Among them, wouldn’t I have once ruled as king in Wallachia?

I had even opened the Fourth Wallachian Dynasty at one point, so I knew a few secrets of influential nobles.

‘You were the one who told me the origin of this oil painting. Duke Mazenkin.’

Whenever I visited this place for the first time, you always proudly recited it.

You wouldn’t remember at all, but I remembered it clearly.

Because I had heard it so often that I was sick of it.

‘A history that is not at all glorious.’

The Second Dynasty said it was established by ousting a tyrant.

But that was not true but a distorted history.

The tyrant was rather a king close to a wise ruler.

‘The only king who reduced the interference of other races and rejected the Wolf Cult.’

The Wolf Cult, dissatisfied with this, bribed the nobles.

The nobles who were bribed formed a group and ousted the king.

The behavior at that time was so cruel that the entire clan was annihilated.

Unlike the subsequent dynasties, the First Dynasty did not leave any descendants.

‘On the other hand, the Second Dynasty purely ceded the throne because it was incompetent. So, by changing the name of the family, they are preserving their lineage like this.’

The Duke was proudly talking about such history.

Of course, not as it was, but with a splendid distortion added.

He wouldn’t even know that it was a distorted history.

Even if he knew, he wouldn’t care much.

‘What would a guy who sells his country and his own people be ashamed of?’

I knew that he was a scoundrel who would sell his country if it benefited him.

I cut off the story after listening to it for what felt like the hundredth time.

“I’m a little tired because of the long journey.”

“Oh, this old man was being too talkative. Wait a moment.”

As he clapped his hands, servants approached as if they had been waiting.

“Escort the honored guests to their rooms.”

“Should we escort everyone to the same room?”

“Hmm?”

The Duke followed the servant’s gaze and made an ‘ah’ sound.

“That’s right. What are you going to do with those?”

His gaze was directed at the siblings.

The children standing behind the retainers.

They flinched at the Duke’s glare.

They couldn’t hide behind and lowered their heads, trembling.

‘Those, so he doesn’t see them as people after all.’

The emotion in the Duke’s eyes as he looked at the children was disgust.

Not because the siblings were unwashed and wearing rags.

But as if seeing a bug on the table.

He didn’t see them as people in themselves.

‘That’s how all the nobles in this world are.’

Because they believe that being born a noble is God’s providence [divine will].

Power is also given by heaven, and the lowly are punished by God.

So, the lowly, determined by God’s providence, are not the same humans.

‘The other races intended to create a false god with that.’

I suppressed the rising displeasure.

Without showing it, I smiled and replied.

“Please have them washed and sent to the room.”

“To the room?”

The Duke made an ‘oho’ sound and looked at me with sparkling eyes.

His eyes were asking if that was my preference.

For a moment, the thoughts of the two retainers were seething.

“…”

I didn’t answer, smiling with my eyes.

The Duke accepted the suspicion as a certainty and followed with an eye smile.

It was an expression of respecting my unique taste.

“Guide them to the best room.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“…”

I followed the servant before the Duke could ask anything more.

The room the servant guided me to was spacious and full of splendid decorations.

I knew that this room was one of the rooms the Duke used.

Because I had stayed in it several times before, so I was familiar with it.

‘His flattery must have pleased him.’

Normally, he would have given me a smaller and simpler room than this.

Judging by the fact that he gave similar rooms to the retainers, he seemed to like me quite a bit.

‘Well, that’s not all.’

He must also have the intention of trying to look good in his own way.

Toc, toc…

I turned my head at the sound of knocking on the window.

Beyond the closed glass window, a kite was sitting and looking at me.

As our eyes met, it flapped its wings, showing the letter it held in its feet.

Opening the window and letting it in, it spoke in Griff’s voice.

“Edar-nim, it’s ready.”

“The surveillance?”

“Of course, I took care of it. Who do you think I am?”

As I smiled and nodded, Griff expressed concern.

“However, no matter how I think about it, you brought too many retainers. I hope there were no problems in the territory.”

“It’ll be fine. The Council of Nobles is in chaos, and Serdret has been quiet lately, hasn’t he?”

“Well… that’s true.”

The reason I accompanied Calliope and Pasimea was a disguise.

It was to focus surveillance on me and the two retainers.

In the meantime, retainers led by Griff and Gerhard infiltrated Sodomora disguised as guests.

“Did you confirm the location of the bloodkin’s base?”

“Yes. I also found the item you specified.”

The kite handed over the ring and several letters held in its claws.

I received the ring and read the contents written in the letters.

‘As expected.’

I raised the corners of my mouth at the contents that were no different from what I had expected.

“It was quite difficult to bring it secretly.”

“Good job. No one was hurt?”

“There shouldn’t be.”

I scanned the city buildings stretched out beyond the window.

Vlad’s bloodkin [vampire relatives] and servants were taking root in those buildings.

Mosquito bastards in human form were waiting for their time.

Waiting for their father Vlad to descend on this city.

‘The top priority of this visit is to catch them.’

I didn’t visit Sodomora for a simple purpose.

Attending the Council of Nobles was the apparent reason.

The reason the council called me was obvious, and there was no substance.

It was to make it clear whether I would become a vassal or an enemy.

‘Because I occupy Northern Wallachia and am Serdret’s bastard. They’re just trying to pressure me to choose a side.’

And they’re hoping I’ll sprinkle gold as a bonus.

Under the pretext of strengthening friendship as fellow nobles.

‘There’s no reason for me to be loyal to Serdret, so the choice I’ll make is obvious. Becoming a nominal vassal is not a problem at all. It’s not like I’m paying taxes in a situation where the Council of Nobles is wielding the country.’

Sprinkling gold is rather what I wanted.

If Wallachia’s defenses are relaxed by sprinkling that, and if it makes me a little less annoying, what can’t I give?

Therefore, the problem was not the Council of Nobles but Vlad’s bloodkin.

‘Hugo was the one who induced the agenda to be put on the table.’

Count Hugo Chaiken.

It was a familiar name.

‘A servant of Vlad’s bloodkin.’

I had met him in several playthroughs.

I couldn’t help but meet him if I was involved with Wallachia.

Because he was the one who established the Fourth Dynasty.

‘He said that he met the bloodkin while hunting in his youth and became a servant. Then he must already be used as a servant.’

I stroked my chin, recalling Hugo’s behavior.

‘The only reason I would be involved with him from the start is Vlad. He’s a coward who has his territory at the southern end and has never fought with Germania, so there’s no reason for him to check me.’

My relationship with Vlad,

The relationship between Vlad’s bloodkin and Wallachia,

If you don’t know this, it may seem like you’re checking a foreigner.

But since I know this, I also know the purpose and reason for the check.

‘He’s planning to incite the council and drive me into a corner. It’s a futile act. You’ll be the one driven into a corner.’

I took out a cigarette and put it in my mouth.

‘The calculation is already over.’

The kite soared.

I closed the window and turned around.

Soon, there was a knock, knock, and the door opened.

The servant bowed deeply and came in.

“His Excellency is looking for you.”