“It seems it was just a stroke of luck.”
It was clear that the supplies were originally sent to support them, but upon hearing of Schrantz’s victory, they were repackaged as victory celebration gifts.
‘Well, merchants will be merchants.’
Hubert quickly grasped their underlying motive.
The Endran Ducal House likely wanted to emphasize how highly they regarded Schrantz by framing it this way.
However, even though he saw through it, there was no reason to make a fuss.
‘I was worried about how long it would take to bring in food for the prisoners, but now that’s solved.’
Regardless of the reason, the supplies would come in handy.
With the immediate shortages covered, there was no reason to refuse.
“Please convey my deepest gratitude to Duke Endran.”
“Of course, Young Master Hubert!”
Kevin didn’t show it outwardly, but inwardly, he was overjoyed.
‘My future is set!’
The supplies meant for the territorial war had now become victory celebration gifts, carrying even greater significance.
This would further elevate the Endran Ducal House’s influence over Schrantz, and Duke Endran would surely be pleased.
* * *
While Hubert was conversing with the head of the Adoran Merchant Group, Ian made a brief stop at the barracks.
The soldiers had endured much, so he treated them to alcohol and meat.
He even visited the families of the fallen soldiers to offer words of comfort.
‘I’m exhausted.’
As a member of the family, he had taken on these responsibilities, but it was still tiring.
After finishing everything, Ian was on his way back to the lord’s castle.
“Hmm? Oh, now that I think of it, that house is near the barracks.”
Recognizing a familiar home, Ian ordered the coachman to stop and stepped out of the carriage.
He knocked on the door.
“Coming!”
A woman’s voice called from inside, and soon the door opened.
The woman who opened the door was startled to see Ian.
“Young Master?!”
Ian had arrived at Sera’s house, and the person who opened the door was Rimil, Sera’s mother.
Her shock at the sudden visit was understandable.
“Sorry for dropping by unannounced. Is Sera here? If she’s asleep, I’ll come back later.”
“No, she’s still awake. I’ll call her right away.”
Rim went inside to fetch Sera.
Crash!
A loud noise soon came from the inner room.
Sera, who had been resting in her room, rushed out upon hearing that Ian had come.
“Young Master, what brings you here…?”
Sera was flustered by Ian’s unexpected visit.
Ian smiled at her and spoke.
“Thank you. My father’s survival is thanks to your efforts.”
If Sera hadn’t succeeded, Hugo would have met his fate during the territorial war.
Despite the high risk of failure, Sera had managed to create the half-elixir.
Thanks to her, Hugo regained consciousness and was recovering quickly.
When Ian expressed his gratitude directly, Sera waved her hands in surprise.
“Oh, no, Young Master. It was my duty.”
“Regardless, you’ve done something remarkable. There will be a reward, so keep that in mind.”
“Th-thank you, Young Master.”
Sera bowed her head in gratitude.
Then, she cautiously asked.
“Young Master, you didn’t come all this way just to say that, did you?”
Ian had once visited her before for something trivial.
“I happened to have business nearby, so I thought I’d stop by to thank you as well.”
Ian really had come for business.
Just like the time he visited to arrange her education when she became his vassal, this visit was no different.
He realized it might seem too casual.
“Couldn’t you have sent someone or called me when I come to work tomorrow?”
“I could have, but I wanted to thank you in person. And I’ll be busy for a while, so I might not have time to see you later.”
“Please don’t do this again. People might misunderstand.”
She was concerned that Ian’s reputation might suffer if people saw him as too informal.
‘Is it burdensome for me to visit directly?’
Ian interpreted it differently.
He imagined how he’d feel if the company’s vice president suddenly showed up at his house late at night and understood her discomfort.
And she was a woman, after all.
A grown man visiting a house with only women could easily lead to misunderstandings, as she said.
Especially since he was the young master of the territory.
Any man who had feelings for her wouldn’t dare approach her now.
‘I might be ruining an innocent girl’s reputation.’
“Alright, I won’t do it again.”
Acknowledging that his actions might have been burdensome, Ian promised not to repeat them.
Sera sighed in relief, thinking her advice had led Ian to change his behaviour.
It was strange how misunderstandings kept arising between them, yet their conversation flowed naturally.
“Anyway, you don’t have to come to work tomorrow. I’m granting you two weeks of leave in my name. Spend some quality time with your mother during the break.”
“Thank you, Young Master.”
With his business concluded, Ian boarded the carriage and headed back to the lord’s castle.
Meanwhile, someone from the house across the street watched them.
Hannah, Nea’s mother, had heard the carriage and looked out the window to see what was happening.
She had heard that the mother across the street managed the herb garden at the lord’s castle and that her daughter was an alchemist.
They were well-known figures in the area, so Hannah had naturally learned about them.
‘Since the young master has won the territorial war, I’ll be able to live with Nea like that mother and daughter, right?’
Nea’s letter had mentioned that once her work was fully completed, they could live together.
Like the mother and daughter she saw before her, she too would soon be able to live with her daughter as before.
But not knowing when her work would end, her longing only grew.
Seeing the affectionate mother and daughter across the street made her miss Nea even more.
She looked up at the night sky.
It was a full moon.
‘Nea, come home soon.’
The full moon seemed to reflect her daughter’s face.
About ten days had passed.
Count Duser, who had been staying at the camp in the pioneering village, arrived in Rosen.
Summoned to Rosen, Count Duser initially thought that the allied forces had finally conquered Schrantz and that he had been released.
However, the scene that unfolded before him was entirely different from what he had imagined.
The lords gathered in the negotiation room all wore grim expressions, while Hubert sat at the head of the table with a relaxed smile.
Moreover, the negotiation room was surrounded by Schrantz knights and soldiers.
“W-what on earth is going on?”
Count Duser looked even more well-fed than when he had been captured, having gained weight from being treated too well.
Naturally, the other lords were baffled by his appearance.
Unlike them, who had suffered greatly, Count Duser seemed to have lived comfortably, leaving everyone speechless.
“Ah, you’ve finally arrived.”
Ian was also present at the meeting.
Since he had been involved from the beginning to the end of the territorial war, Hubert had ordered him to join the negotiations.
Of course, Ian was neither a lord’s representative nor an heir.
His role was simply to assist and observe the proceedings from the sidelines.
“Now, now, please take a seat, Count Duser.”
Ian politely pulled out a chair and guided him to the remaining seat. Count Duser, glancing at the other lords, sat down.
“My father hasn’t fully recovered yet, so I’m here in his place. I hope you understand.”
This was true.
Hugo, who still needed assistance to stand, was in no condition to lead negotiations.
Thus, he had handed over the responsibility to Hebel, who had led the war from start to finish.
However, Hugo had also left strict instructions to ensure that Schrantz would never be threatened again.
“I dislike lengthy talks, so I’ll get straight to the point. Return all the territories you’ve taken from Schrantz in the past and pay the war reparations we demand.”
At Hubert’s gesture, Jurdan, standing behind him, distributed surrender documents outlining Schrantz’s demands.
The contents were as follows:
—
Article 1:
The parties referred to as ‘Party B’ (hereinafter referred to as the Earldom of Erce, the Earldom of Filchner, the County of Duser, and the County of Darion), who declared war on ‘Party A’ (hereinafter referred to as the Earldom of Schrantz) without just cause, shall acknowledge their wrongdoing and publicly express regret.
This territorial war was entirely the fault of the Great Schrantz Alliance, and all responsibility lies with you. This must be acknowledged both internally and externally.
—
Article 2:
‘Party B’ shall return all territories unjustly taken from ‘Party A’ in the past. The return must be completed within two months of the signing of this document.
—
Article 3:
All prisoners of war held by ‘Party A’ shall be returned within six months. If ‘Party B’ holds any prisoners from ‘Party A,’ they shall be returned immediately upon the signing of this document. Soldiers whose homelands are among the returned territories shall be transferred to ‘Party A,’ but until the territories are returned, they shall remain under ‘Party B.’ Knights from the returned territories may choose their allegiance freely, unlike soldiers. ‘Party A’ shall care for the prisoners and may charge ‘Party B’ for all expenses incurred during their captivity. ‘Party A’ shall thoroughly investigate the homelands and intentions of the soldiers to avoid any mistakes.
Article 3 largely reflected the treasurer’s input.
The intention was to offload all costs related to the prisoners onto the other parties, minimizing Schrantz’s workload.
Even after the territories were returned, the prisoners would remain in captivity, allowing Schrantz to extract further funds.
Ian had readily agreed to this clause, as it would save money.
The lords, upon reading this clause, were shock at the idea of having to pay for soldiers who would eventually become Schrantz’s own.
It was an undeniably ruthless clause.
—
Article 4:
‘Party B’ shall financially compensate ‘Party A’ for all damages incurred during this territorial war. The amount of compensation shall be determined by ‘Party A’ and specified separately in each document. ‘Party B’ must pay the full compensation within five years. If payment is impossible, ‘Party B’ may negotiate with ‘Party A’ for a one-time extension, not exceeding five years. If the compensation remains unpaid even after the extension, it shall be paid in the form of territories.
However, the value of the territories shall be determined by ‘Party A.’
Article 4 was an enormous demand.
Even if the compensation couldn’t be paid in cash, it could be paid in territories, but Schrantz would determine their value.
No matter how fertile the land, if Schrantz demanded it at a low price, there would be no room for argument.
—
Article 5:
Upon the signing of this surrender document, neither party shall attack or provoke the other in any manner for a period of three years.
However, if ‘Party B’ violates any of the terms outlined in Articles 1, 2, or 4, it shall be deemed an attempt to evade responsibility, and ‘Party A’ shall have the right to annul the agreement and resume the territorial war.
—
The Earl of Filchner and the Count of Darion read the terms and sighed, but as the defeated parties, they had no choice but to accept.
However, there’s always someone who finds fault with everything.
Upon reading the terms, the Earl of Erce flew into a rage.
“Do you think this is reasonable?!”
All eyes turned to the Earl of Erce, who had jumped to his feet in protest, forgetting his position.
“Why are you acting this way?”
“Why? Even though you’ve won, isn’t this demand too excessive?”
The soldiers in the negotiation room forced him back into his seat, but his protests didn’t stop.
This surrender document was particularly harsh on the Earldom of Erce compared to the other members of the Great Schrantz Alliance.
Ian turned his gaze to the Earl of Erce and asked, “Is there a problem?”
“A problem? Of course, there is! Are you trying to destroy our house?!”
While the others could bear some losses, the Earl of Erce was in a different situation.
Signing this document would leave the Earldom of Erce with almost no land.
Over 70% of the current Earldom of Erce’s territories were lands taken from Schrantz during past territorial wars.
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