<Chapter 5>
The Head of House Hybern.
The butler, Aguile, who was looking at Kazen, trembled uncontrollably.
Unlike the somewhat alien presence he had in the past, Kazen’s atmosphere had now completely returned to its old formidable one.
Kazen, the ruler of the Mondelia Mountains.
Having served Kazen his entire life, Aguile was the first to sense his change.
“Is everything ready?”
“Yes, my lord. Everyone is waiting.”
Today was the day of House Hybern’s monthly assembly.
All the vassals, who were scattered across the vast territory, gathered to report their accomplishments.
Kazen silently placed the Lion Crown, the symbol of the kingdom’s standard bearer, upon his head.
“Let’s go.”
As he stepped out of the lord’s chamber and passed through the long corridor, the servants hurriedly kneeled down in respect.
Wearing the Lion Crown and holding the Golden-Maned Lion Banner, Kazen was no longer just the head of a noble house.
He embodied the authority of the kingdom itself.
The immense military power associated with the Golden-Maned Lion Banner was comparable to the king’s own authority.
Creak.
Clatter.
The vassals seated in the grand assembly hall all stood and bowed deeply.
Though they were all valiant knights, none dared to look directly at the Golden-Maned Lion Banner.
Seated at the head of the assembly, Kazen finally hung the Golden-Maned Lion Banner on its stand, signaling that the vassals could straighten their backs.
“You look well, Sorod. I hear you have a son?”
Receiving Kazen’s gaze, the knight Sorod scratched the back of his head.
“Yes. It is quite embarrassing.”
“Haha!”
As Kazen burst into laughter, applause and chuckles erupted around the hall.
Sorod, who was approaching fifty, finally having a son was a joyous event for everyone.
“Eden will be gnashing his teeth. Losing the bet means a year without drinking, does it not?”
Sorod grinned mischievously at Eden.
“It’s a good thing. Half of the Henneth vineyard would have been emptied by him anyway. The people of the territory will consider it a blessing.”
“Haha!”
Kazen continued exchanging greetings with the other vassals.
His deep concern for even the smallest details of his vassals’ lives was the foundation of their unwavering loyalty to House Hybern.
But the monthly assembly was not merely a gathering for pleasantries.
“What is the situation in Podom? Is it still the same?”
Sorod handed Kazen a report with a grim expression.
“It has worsened. They are pouring in like a flood. The number of refugees now surpasses that of the local residents.”
The knight Weger, who stood beside him, added,
“Their movement is even reaching our Ritta region. The refugees are steadily moving south, my lord.”
“Hmm…”
As Kazen frowned and pondered, Sorod’s eyes hardened with determination.
“We cannot stand idly by any longer. We must erect barricades and station guards. If we accept any more refugees, we cannot guarantee the territory’s security.”
Weger nodded heavily in agreement.
“We have been providing relief to these refugees, who do not pay taxes, but our own people are growing increasingly dissatisfied.”
Kazen firmly shook his head.
“Are you asking me to create borders within the kingdom? Though they are wanderers now, they are still subjects of the kingdom. House Hybern, as the kingdom’s standard-bearer, cannot abandon its people.”
“But we cannot keep accepting them indefinitely!”
“That’s right, my lord. If this continues unchecked, it is only a matter of time before disaster strikes!”
“Enough. Has there been any news from Duke Bowen?”
Sorod let out a long sigh.
“Do not expect a favorable response from him. Baron Darione’s house is already bankrupt. If he had any competence, he wouldn’t have let so many of his people become vagrants in the first place. There are even rumors that he has liquidated his estate and fled the kingdom.”
Kazen stared at Sorod in disbelief.
“Is that true?”
“It is still just a rumor, but given his recent actions, it is highly likely.”
“Unbelievable.”
Baron Darione was deeply in debt to numerous guilds and banks across the kingdom.
For him to flee the kingdom, abandoning such an immense burden of debt—
Had he truly been that desperate, forsaking both his noble honor and the dignity of a baron?
“Hmm…”
Kazen let out a frustrated sigh.
A heavy silence fell over the assembly hall.
As the kingdom’s standard-bearer, Kazen spoke of duty and responsibility, but there was no clear solution.
The only option was to continue integrating the influx of refugees without causing conflict with the local residents.
But then…
Creak.
The doors to the assembly hall slowly opened, and a boy walked in.
Seeing him, Kazen clenched the arms of his chair so tightly they threatened to break.
“Ruin!”
At Kazen’s cry, every head in the room turned toward him.
Grand Prince Ruin.
Though many had heard of the name, only a handful had ever seen his face.
Among those who had, only Kazen’s closest vassals, the butler, and his direct blood relatives could claim such knowledge.
Though it was never openly spoken about, everyone knew that the Grand Prince had been confined.
Whether it was due to an incurable disease or a curse…
As long as the head of the house remained silent, no one dared to question the Grand Prince’s condition.
And yet, here he was, appearing at the monthly assembly.
Creak.
For the first time in over a decade, the long-vacant chair was occupied.
The seat adorned with a lion’s mane, the rightful place of the heir to House Hybern.
This was Ruin’s first act as the legitimate successor.
Though Kazen was bewildered, he struggled to suppress his turmoil.
“How are you even here…?”
Just yesterday, Ruin had been lying motionless like a corpse.
His body had been withering away, looking as if he could take his last breath at any moment—yet now, he stood before them, perfectly healthy.
“Do I not have the right to sit here?”
At Ruin’s unexpected question, Kazen was momentarily speechless.
Surely, he was not questioning his eligibility to attend the assembly?
Kazen simply could not comprehend the nonchalant smile on Ruin’s face.
“For now, we must examine your condition. Butler!”
But Ruin’s clear eyes were fixed not on Kazen, but on the documents atop the round table.
Silently, he began reading through them.
Kazen observed him in fascination, as if watching an unfamiliar creature.
For the duration of a tea’s worth of time, Ruin meticulously reviewed the documents.
Then, suddenly, he looked up and met his father’s gaze.
“I would like to review the family’s financial records.”
“What?”
Kazen blinked in confusion as Ruin tilted his head with an unreadable expression.
“Am I not qualified?”
The heir of House Hybern, who serves as the acting head in times of emergency, had every right to inspect the family’s financial records. The real issue, however, was whether reviewing the finances would be of any help in dealing with the current crisis of overflowing refugees.
Still, since the request had been made under his authority as the heir, there was no legitimate reason to refuse.
“Bring the financial records.”
The butler, Aguile, quietly bowed and exited the room, returning shortly after with a stack of financial ledgers in his arms.
“Are you planning to review all of them now?”
The budget managed by House Hybern was vast. Reviewing all financial statements would require at least three full days.
“I only need a general overview.”
Swiftly, Ruin began flipping through the pages.
The knights gathered in the meeting room exchanged puzzled glances. Was he actually reading as he turned the pages, or just skimming through?
“Ignore me and proceed with the meeting.”
But how could they continue when the heir, who had never before attended the monthly meetings, was suddenly reviewing financial records instead of participating in discussions? Even Kazen, the head of the house, could only stare blankly at his son.
After about an hour, Ruin finally closed the ledgers and fell into deep thought.
Kazen’s deep voice broke the silence.
“Now, tell me. Why did you suddenly request to see the family’s financial records?”
Ruin answered calmly.
“As the heir, I have a proposal for you. First, the knights’ training sessions are too frequent. They must be reduced. Instead of constant drilling, the focus should be on maintaining combat readiness. Training should be cut by at least half for the time being.”
“What nonsense is this?”
House Hybern was the banner of the kingdom, a family known for its unmatched martial prowess. And yet, Ruin was suggesting they curb their knights’ training?
“Second, I propose banning the import of luxury goods into the estate. Our noble kin indulge in far too many extravagances.”
Ruin turned his gaze toward the knights.
“Third, the number of warhorses and weaponry maintained by the retainers is excessively large. There’s no need for the military to bear such immense upkeep costs during peacetime.”
Sir Sorod protested.
“Heir, what are you saying? A knight who does not prepare for war has no right to enjoy peace!”
But Ruin was unfazed, systematically pointing out all the financial leaks within the family.
The gathered knights felt frustrated. With the refugee crisis already overwhelming them, why was the heir suddenly fixated on numbers?
Kazen, too, looked skeptical.
“If we suddenly implement drastic budget cuts, there will be inevitable backlash. The estate is already unstable due to the refugee influx. We cannot afford further turmoil.”
Ruin met his father’s gaze with calm determination.
“Then how will you handle the Panaeum Mine?”
“What?”
The room fell silent.
“Handle the mine? Where is this coming from?”
“House Darione’s bankruptcy was caused by their mismanagement of their territory. They recklessly spent all their profits from the Panaeum Mine, relying solely on its iron ore production without reinvesting in new mining veins.”
Everyone in the room already knew this.
Darione had exhausted their resources without opening new veins, blindly spending gold until their finances collapsed.
Now, the mine was a dried-up husk. There was no reason for House Hybern to even consider acquiring it.
“No one here praises Lord Bowen’s failures. Why should we take responsibility for an abandoned mine?”
“Then continue accepting the refugees indefinitely.”
Kazen frowned.
“What does acquiring the Panaeum Mine have to do with accepting refugees?”
Ruin leaned forward, his voice steady.
“These people weren’t always refugees. They were miners, merchants who supplied them, blacksmiths who used their iron, and even the lumberjacks who provided charcoal for their forges.”
Kazen finally understood what Ruin was implying and let out a dry chuckle.
“The mine is dried up. Even if we buy it, how do you expect us to develop a new vein?”
Unlike House Darione, which had built its wealth through commerce, House Hybern was a noble line of knights.
The kingdom had entrusted the mine to Darione because they had the expertise to run it.
House Hybern, on the other hand, had little experience dealing with merchants or managing business ventures.
“Why should we develop the mine ourselves? There are people desperate enough to do it for us.”
Ruin’s eyes gleamed.
Kazen recalled the creditors who were hunting Lord Bowen down.
Still, he hesitated.
“You told me to buy the mine, but now you say the creditors will develop it? Who would invest in a property they don’t own?”
Ruin sighed inwardly.
This knightly family, full of muscle-brained warriors, had clearly neglected financial strategy for generations. No wonder their once-mighty lands had gradually shrunk over the centuries.
“The people most desperate to buy the mine are Lord Bowen’s creditors. They will do whatever it takes to extract value from it—whether by bringing in foreign experts or even blasting the entire site open to find new veins. Their only path to recovering their money is reopening the mine.”
Ruin’s eyes sharpened.
“But they can’t act, can they? Why? Because a private merchant cannot claim ownership of a kingdom’s resource. That’s why—”
Ruin turned to Sorod.
“You should stop worrying about fortifying our borders and instead track down Lord Bowen or any heir with a legitimate claim to his estate. And, Father, you must leave for the capital immediately.”
“…The capital?”
“We have the perfect justification: the refugee crisis, the instability in our lands, and the need for urgent intervention. Use this opportunity to secure the mining rights directly from the king.”
The room fell into stunned silence.
A mage.
A being who perceives the world through logic and foresight.
Ruin was a Grand Mage, one who had reached a pinnacle that no sage in history had ever surpassed.
