Chapter 154:  The Skull Monster (2)

Fwwoosh! Fwwoooosh!

The blue flames swirling around the monster’s staff filled the entire conference room with a ghostly glow.

“Hiiieeek!”

The retainers’ faces turned pale as they crawled under the table to hide.

“Eeeek! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“I don’t care if you’re from Ignima—this kind of barbarity won’t be tolerated!”

The knights infused their swords with mana, glaring fiercely at the figure.

They all tried to keep a strong front, but sweat was beading on their foreheads, and their bodies trembled faintly.

‘This is insane… it's a monster.’

‘Did he come here alone out of sheer confidence?’

A mage’s way of handling mana was fundamentally different from a knight’s, so it was difficult to gauge the other’s strength precisely.

But even so, the sheer pressure emanating from those intense, pure flames was more than enough to understand that this man’s skills were far from ordinary.

At the same time… all eyes turned to Hardin.

His brow was furrowed deeply with tension.

Normally, Hardin would’ve already thrown the first punch without a second thought.

For instance...

You thieving bastards! Prisoners? Pay a ransom if you want to take them!

What, you think being from Ignima makes you special? You think you’re untouchable?!

It only took a moment to imagine exactly what Hardin might do.

‘If that happens, it’s over.’

‘We can’t let that happen, no matter what…’

Up until now, Hardin’s outbursts had somehow been contained, but this was not one of those times.

The Skull Monster before them wasn’t just any ordinary figure—and more importantly, behind him stood Ignima, one of the Empire’s Seven Great Houses, even if he was from a cadet branch.

One misstep—one poorly chosen word—and their entire house could be ruined.

It was then—

Step, step.

Hardin began walking toward the Skull Monster.

“……”

Fwoooosh!

The flames flared even hotter, and the distance between them shrank rapidly.

“H-Hardin!”

“Please stop, Brother!”

Malion and Cobalt tried to stop him in a panic, but Hardin didn’t halt.

He walked all the way up to the Skull Monster, until they were nearly face to face, their gazes locking in a suffocating standoff.

Then—

“Oh come on, no need to sound so scary.”

“…What?”

Hardin raised the corners of his lips into a small grin, rubbing his palms together as he spoke.

“Eheh. I’ve got a sense for these things, you know. A sense. Even if you’re from a cadet branch, you're still from the great Ducal House of Ignima. You think I’d dare say a word against you?”

“…What exactly are you thinking?”

Hardin waved his hands dismissively and continued.

“What else? A noble guest from Ignima has come all this way—we should give you whatever you want. Should I bring out the prisoners right now? So you can take them with you immediately?”

Was he just bluffing?

Whoosh!

The Skull Monster let out a scoffing laugh and, in an instant, dispelled the blue flames clinging to his staff.

Hardin immediately turned his head back and said to Cobalt in a voice that sounded oddly mocking.

“Father. You're not going to take ransom for the prisoners, right? I mean, it’s not just anyone—we’re talking about the great ‘Ducal House of Ignima,’ aren’t we?”

“Ah, w-well… yes, I suppose that’s how it should be.”

If possible, he had intended not to take ransom—or if he did, to accept a modest amount.

There was no reason to provoke a giant like Ignima over a few coins.

However...

‘Hardin is saying that?’

It was hard to understand why Hardin, of all people, was suddenly being so agreeable.

While everyone blinked in confusion, the Skull Monster spread his palm and spoke.

“I must decline that.”

“…Decline what?”

“My lord has instructed me to pay a fair price.”

“Oh, you really don’t have to. It’s not worth that much anyway,” Hardin replied with a shrug.

But the Skull Monster tapped his staff against the floor.

And then—

Wooooong!

A blue crack appeared in midair.

Clatter-clatter-clatter!

From it, a massive pile of gold coins cascaded down.

Just at a glance, the pile had to be worth well over several million gold.

The mountain of coins grew until it blocked the entrance to the conference room, leaving everyone speechless.

“Wha-what…”

“Insane…”

With a relaxed tone, the Skull Monster said,

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. I’ll be retrieving the prisoners right away.”

And just like that, he turned his back and exited the room.

“All that… was ransom for the prisoners?”

“How much even is that?”

While everyone stood frozen, staring blankly at the mountain of gold—

‘Ignima, huh…’

So they were involved in this whole thing too?

Hardin’s expression, which had been full of smiles just moments ago, darkened into something fierce as if he had never smiled at all.

---

A few months after the war with the Count of Tread had ended.

Screech, screech!

The sun hung high in the sky, brightening the world, and seagulls soared across a cloudless blue sky.

And—

“Alright, we’re bringing the ship in!”

“Fold the sails, the sails! Slowly! Slowly! This way!”

At the trading port of Mudside, merchant ships bustled in and out of the docks as if the war from just a few months ago had been a lie.

Compared to before the war, the number of ships and people staying in Mudside had increased by at least thirty percent.

And that wasn’t all.

“I’m the master of the Rodem Merchant Guild. I came to negotiate a contract for port usage rights…”

“Yes, please line up over there.”

The port administration office was flooded daily with merchants and noble retainers looking to establish new contracts.

With Daphne's victory in the war against the Count of Tread, their reputation had soared, and so too had Mudside’s renown as a safe haven.

And on one corner of the coastal area just outside of Mudside…

“Meals are here! Everyone, eat up!”

“Oi, food’s here! All of you, get down here!”

“Yes, yes, understood, sir!”

Sweating profusely, carpenters were hard at work repairing and remodeling the warships from the Count of Tread’s fleet.

And overlooking all this from atop a watchtower—

“Uwahaha! Uwahahahaha! This is great! Just great!”

Hardin stood with his arms crossed, letting out a hearty laugh.

“You’re in that good of a mood, Brother?”

Malion, standing right next to him, adjusted his glasses as he asked.

Behind them stood the former Commander Mulgybson and a few other retainers.

They had come up to the watchtower to get a full view while inspecting the state of Mudside.

In response, Hardin smacked Malion’s shoulder with a loud smack! and replied cheerfully,

“Of course I’m in a good mood! Why wouldn’t I be?”

In fact, Hardin wasn’t just pleased—he was downright giddy just looking at the scene below.

“The number of port users has gone up by more than thirty percent. And once those ships are fully remodeled, we can send them out for trade. Think of how much money that’ll bring in.”

Just a few years ago, the family had nearly collapsed because they couldn’t scrape together a mere hundred thousand gold. Compared to that, this felt like a whole different world—like heaven and earth had flipped.

Of course, it still paled in comparison to the golden age of Venetus, but…

Still, this was something. This was something.

‘What do you think? Isn’t it impressive, everyone?’

As Hardin raised his nose in the air with a smug look on his face—

You call yourself a man of Daphne and you're satisfied with this measly result?

Varlach… My Venetus never looked like this.

There you go again, couldn’t just stay quiet and enjoy the moment, could you? Had to sprinkle ashes on the freshly baked bread with that mouth of yours.

Aren’t you all being a little too harsh?

The voices of his father, eldest brother, second sister, and even his mother gently trying to rein them in seemed to echo in his head as if they were right there.

‘Man… you’re all so cold-hearted.’

As Hardin chuckled to himself, Malion’s voice came from beside him.

“Brother, are you alright?”

Malion was staring at Hardin rather intently.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Just now… your expression looked really off.”

“……”

“How should I put it… It looked a little sad, maybe…”

For a brief moment, Hardin’s eyes widened slightly, but he quickly responded with a dry smile.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“…I see.”

Tap.

Hardin lightly tapped Malion’s calf with his foot, and Malion gave a reluctant nod.

Then, Hardin shook the expression off his face and furrowed his brow deeply as he said—

“Get your head on straight. Hm? We’ve still got a long way to go.”

“There you go again… You’re not a coachman, you know…”

Zap.

As Hardin shot him a sharp glare, Malion backed off with a mock gesture of sealing his lips shut.

Hardin crossed his arms again and said,

“This is a critical time right now.”

Saying things like how this level isn’t what he envisioned for the family, or that there’s still a mountain of work ahead—at this point, he’d only be repeating himself.

But even so, being satisfied with where they were now… There were still things right in front of him that rubbed him the wrong way.

‘Those bastards had the nerve to show their faces before us.’

The Ducal House of Ignima.

There was no solid evidence, but judging from what they’d done afterward, it wasn’t hard to guess the truth.

The way the Count of Tread suddenly blocked the port and launched an aggressive invasion—it all reeked of their involvement.

Grit.

Hardin clenched his teeth.

‘These guys… In my past life and this one, they’ve never been anything but trouble.’

Back when Daphne was still one of the Empire’s Seven Great Houses…

Because they were the closest in proximity, the two houses had constantly butted heads over various rights and privileges. Ignima had stirred up endless chaos.

Though the Seven Great Houses never went to full-scale war with one another, it was common to hear things like knights from both sides getting into brawls, or soldiers clashing in gang-like skirmishes.

Especially when Hardin had been Varlach, his relationship with Ignima’s Great Young Master had been nothing short of hostile. But digging up every little memory from back then would be endless, so he left it at that.

Even the fact that they hadn’t lifted a finger during the Shagrath Subjugation was more than enough for Hardin to harbor deep resentment toward them.

‘Those bastards… They definitely played a part in bringing our family to ruin.’

He recalled a line from his eldest brother’s final words written in The Great Sage’s Record.

And one more thing I ask of you… Please, do not get involved with the Seven Great Houses ever again.

Don’t get involved with the Seven Great Houses.

After that, the illusion spell had faltered, and he hadn’t been able to hear everything clearly…

But even that much was enough to understand what his brother had meant.

When the waves come crashing, don’t face them head-on—dodge.

That is the wisdom of those who have lost their strength, a necessary rule for survival.

But…

‘I’m sorry, Brother. I just can’t live like that.’

Seven Great Houses or whatever—if they’re trying to devour us… then all I have to do is grow this family bigger, stronger, to the point where they can’t.

And besides, those words were meant for future descendants, not me.

If my brother had known I would return to life, he never would’ve left such a will.

If it were the older brother I knew, he would’ve told me to beat the Ignima bastards down and tear them limb from limb.

Hey now, when did I ever say something like that? Varlach! Varlach!

He could almost hear his brother’s voice shouting in his head… but it wasn’t anything serious, so he brushed it off.

In any case, the conclusion was simple.

‘All I need is to gain greater power, as quickly as possible.’

Power. Power is everything.

An overwhelming strength so absolute that not even a drop of blood would come out of Ignima if he stabbed them.

Besides...

Grrrrrrgh, grrrrrrrghhhhhh!

He recalled the last moments of Count Vernian of Tread, who had transformed into a Demonkind before his death.

The scent—like Black Lotus and blood, mingled into something sharp and pungent—rushed up vividly in his mind.

‘No matter how much power you have, it’s never enough.’

That was something he had learned… and even his past life had taught him well.

Hardin let out a deep sigh and turned his head sideways as he spoke.

“Sir Mulgybson.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Mulgybson, who had been silently listening, nodded in reply.

“That thing I asked about last time… how’s it going?”

“So far, around 150 people have volunteered. Some of them have completed all the necessary steps and are scheduled to begin basic training within a week.”

“What about the Knight Order?”

“A handful of mana users volunteered—about four or five. Most of them were 1-star level. From what I know, Manton is currently handling that.”

“…I see. If anything problematic or unusual comes up, report it to me immediately.”

“Yes, sir.”

If the port continued to grow like this, the number of people flocking to Daphne’s land would naturally increase.

To maintain public order and prepare for future threats, the size of both the army and the knight order would need to expand accordingly.

But such an effort required a tremendous amount of time and labor… and the scale of the military force had already grown beyond what Hardin could personally manage. That’s why he had delegated the responsibility to Mulgybson and Manton, aiming to make the system sustainable.

Just then—

“Um, Young Master…”

“Yes?”

“I’m not sure if I should say this, but… is it really alright to keep going like this?”

“What do you mean?”

Hardin tilted his head in response to Mulgybson’s worried expression and question.

“I understand your intent in expanding the military, but… I wonder if the pace might be too aggressive.”

“Too aggressive? What makes you think that?”

“I’m concerned… there may be financial issues, perhaps.”

Financial issues, huh…

A serious look spread across Hardin’s face.