Chương 635: B9 - Chapter 13: Merit Festival IV

After Krazal accepted his title and bowed to the queen, he returned to his seat, his expression almost as sour as Odyr's had been. But before he had even made it halfway, he stopped of his own volition. Leo watched the man take a few deep breaths before turning. When he faced the crowd a moment later, none of his earlier irritation remained.

"Everyone..." he called, his voice carrying.

"Please give me your attention for a moment." The crowd stilled, all eyes fixed on this new lord. Leo couldn't be certain, but he sensed that many had mixed feelings about the bestowal of land and titles. And how couldn't they? For the first time, they would be officially ruled by a foreigner. One who wasn't even of their race. It must have felt almost like an occupation.

"As you all just heard..." Krazal continued, ignoring their looks.

"I have become the Lord of the Tanaro region, including the formerly great city of Granisburt." The crowd murmured, clearly wondering what he hoped to accomplish by reminding them.

"Alas, the region is not what it once was. Its cities have fallen into disrepair, the roads have grown unsafe, plagued by a monster population left unchecked, and even the river has burst its bounds and flooded vast stretches of land..." The crowd grew quiet. They hadn't expected to be reminded of their country's pitiful state, even on such a day.

"I have seen it all," Krazal continued.

"We, the Bloodletters, have seen it clearly. And we will not stand idly by!" His voice rose toward the end, building to a crescendo. Leo found himself leaning forward, as if drawn in by a magnet. It was the same for the crowd.

"I hereby announce..." A deliberate pause.

".... the deployment of five thousand trained soldiers to restore order to the region. They will be divided into one-hundred-man squads, each led by a Grand Mage." The crowd perked up at that. Safety was of utmost concern in these uncertain times, which meant the Bloodletter fief had just become one of the most desirable locations in the kingdom.

"Aside from that, we vow to send more than a thousand skilled craftsmen to help reconstruct the cities and villages, and even cultivate the fields. Many of them will settle long-term to help with upkeep." The crowd grew even more excited at that. But Krazal still wasn't finished.

"Most importantly, my house, the great House of Bloodletter, hereby solemnly promises to cultivate fields here in Rukia that will produce at least twenty-five percent of our household needs. We further promise that the jobs created by this effort will be open exclusively to Rukian natives, all of whom will receive fair compensation and even settlement rights within our region." This, above all else, riled up the crowd.

Many seemed on the verge of leaving the festival at that very moment, just to be the first to migrate to this new promised land. Whatever reservations they might have had before, in the face of such conditions, no one could remain obstinate. Krazal smiled pleasantly.

"I hope to welcome many of you to my new fief soon." With that, he returned to his seat, completely ignoring the scowling Myr. The old woman clearly wasn't pleased by Krazal's blatant poaching. But what could she do? Deny a newly crowned lord of Rukia the chance to address the crowd, even briefly? Suppress news of the benefits he was offering? It was absurd. Even suggesting such a thing would provoke immediate hostility.

The crowd's presence, which had thus far served as a shield for the crown, had suddenly become a double-edged sword. It kept the guests from acting too unreasonably, but it also forced the crown to show the same restraint. After Krazal, the other lords of Valour followed suit. House Cairnwyc and House Ossyrian allowed the crown to choose for them and received suitably prosperous regions. Both attempted to appoint stewards, but only House Ossyrian succeeded.

Their chosen candidate was a retired Elder of the family who, despite his age, possessed both the strength and bloodline to serve as their representative. Myr tested him as she had Odyr, bearing down on him with her pressure. However, the old veteran was not easily cowed. As a Bone Mage, famed for their resilience, he barely reacted. Leo noticed another pattern. Following Krazal's example, each lord addressed the crowd.

Officially, they spoke of restoring the land, but even a blind man could see what was truly happening. They were competing for manpower. After all, land was worthless without people to settle it. Watching it unfold, Leo began to understand the struggle taking place behind the scenes. He had assumed the crown was being unreasonable, but now he was no longer certain. The very moment these houses took office, they began chipping away at the crown's influence by enticing citizens to leave the capital.

In such an environment, Myr's displays of dominance, however petty, served to reinforce the crown's authority. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. This was not merely Rukia being small-minded, but the queen doing everything she could to curb the new lords' momentum. She could not allow any of them to grow too powerful too quickly. The crown had only just settled upon her head, and her position remained anything but secure.

Judging by the crowd's frenzied reactions, however, Leo doubted her efforts were having much effect. Each offer grew more ludicrous than the last, culminating when the two Korrovan Slavelords accepted their titles. They promised every family with at least one True Mage a personal servant. The crowd was divided. Slavery was foreign to Rukia, and many seemed repulsed by the offer. Yet Leo saw just as many considering it carefully.

The strongest protests came from the other lords, who accused the Slavers of going too far. Their objections were quickly dismissed. The queen had already promised to recognize their ownership, provided they never enslaved Rukian natives. After that, there was little anyone could say. It was not for the other lords to decide how the two distributed their property, especially when they had made similarly extravagant offers to entice the citizens. One by one, every mercenary leader chose the reward of title and land.

And even Zeke's former allies, the lords of the Sanctuary, came forward and accepted new positions. Then Silas Dorn stepped onto the stage. Bound by his ties to Tradespire, he had no choice but to accept the tax exemption, looking as though he wanted to cry. Surprisingly, most of his anger seemed directed at Zeke rather than the crown, though he held his tongue. By the time most of the guests had chosen their rewards, Zeke's corner remained the only one from which no one had risen.

Myr looked pointedly in their direction as she asked who would come forward next. Zeke did not move. Instead, Irisen did. Her long purple hair trailed behind her like a curtain as she strode toward the stage. A hush fell over the venue. Her approach was unlike any before it. Even Myr reacted differently. There was no pressure, no silent threat, no contest of power. The reason was obvious. Unlike those before her, Irisen was a true hero of Rukia.

Whether in appearance, strength, conduct, or lineage, she lacked nothing. Leo had no doubt that many of the half-elves gathered here saw her as the ideal role model to aspire to. She stopped before the stage, ignored Myr, and bowed to the queen. Then, without waiting to be addressed, she declared her intention.

"I wish to transfer my Merit." The venue seemed to hold its breath as the two powerful women regarded each other—one the queen of their hearts, the other the queen of their nation.

"…Why?" the queen asked after a moment. It was the first word she had spoken since the ceremony began, and even Leo could sense the layers of meaning beneath that simple question.

"Because I am undeserving of it," Irisen replied without hesitation. A faint struggle crossed the queen's face as she held Irisen's gaze. In the end, however, she looked away without answering. Irisen sighed softly. She clearly understood what that meant. Myr stepped in once more.

"To whom do you wish to transfer your Merit?" she asked.

"Your husband, perhaps? The prince?"

"No," Irisen said coolly.

"I wish to bestow my Merit upon Ezekiel von Hohenheim." Myr shook her head, her expression troubled.

"You know that is impossible. Merit can only be transferred within the family. If we broke that rule now, Lady Irisen, how would we explain ourselves to those we rejected before you?" Irisen stared down at the old woman.

"I was captured during the very first battle."

"I am well aware of what—""I am not finished," Irisen cut in mercilessly.

"It was Ezekiel who rescued me. He put me back together after the Empire's Mind Mages tormented me. Then, he saved my sister and protected our sanctuary. And yet you claim he is unworthy of receiving his rightful reward for any of it?" Myr sighed and shook her head.

"Alas, child, rules are rules. The moment we begin bending them, we become little better than beasts." Irisen's expression turned icy, and Leo could practically feel the violence gathering in the air. However, before anything drastic could happen, a call rang out from beside him.

"Irisen." At the sound of Zeke's voice, the anger drained from her. She turned toward him. Zeke regarded her with a faint smile.

"It's fine." Irisen held his gaze for a moment before turning back.

"Very well." She ignored Myr and addressed the queen directly.

"If that is how you want it to be, Your Majesty, you may keep your rewards. I will not be complicit in this farce." The crowd reacted more strongly than it had to even the most lavish promises. Mouths fell open, and gasps echoed through the venue. Irisen clearly did not care. Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away. Leo could not tear his gaze from her. Her presence was simply that magnetic. Once again, he was reminded that this woman had spent years trapped in an isolation cell.

She was a person of principle, possessed of an iron will. Only someone like that could turn her back on wealth, honor, and even her own countrymen without hesitation, just to uphold her code of conduct. The queen looked displeased. She had clearly not expected Irisen to take such drastic action, and whatever region she had intended to place under her protection would now be left without a guardian. It was undoubtedly a heavy blow. The queen's eyes sharpened as she glared at Zeke.

Sitting nearby, Leo could almost feel the heat of her gaze. For once, he was glad not to be in his brother's shoes. Despite every attempt to defuse the tension, Zeke somehow drew the blame for everything. For his part, Zeke did not even look at the queen. While she glared daggers at him, he studied his fingernails. Leo knew his brother well enough to recognize the deliberate slight. With Zeke's perception, there was no chance he had failed to notice her stare.

"That is truly regrettable..." Myr announced once the crowd had settled somewhat.

"Truly regrettable. But no matter how much it pains me, we cannot bend the rules, even for our own." Her gaze returned to the remaining recipients, passing briefly over Leo before settling on Cassius.

"Lord Cassius," she called.

"Will you not ease the minds of our citizens by coming forward to accept your reward?" Leo saw the conflict on Cassius' face. A man as kind as he could hardly resist such an appeal, especially with thousands of his countrymen watching him with hopeful eyes. Unlike Irisen, he lacked the heart to disappoint them openly. Yet neither did he wish to appear disloyal to Zeke, who had done just as much for him and his wife as he had for Irisen.

"I—" he began, then stopped, uncertain how to proceed.

"There is no need for this, Lady Sala," a voice said. Leo started as Zeke rose. Every eye turned toward him as he strolled past the lords at a measured pace. Irisen commanded attention through her striking appearance and iron will. Zeke drew it in another way. Leo could not explain it, but there was something in his bearing—an indefinable majesty that made him impossible to ignore. His brother stopped exactly four paces from Myr.

"I think," he began, sweeping his gaze across the gathering, "everyone would feel more at ease if I accepted my reward first. Wouldn't you agree?"