97 — 10 (7)

Mihoff had grown weak after starving for a long period. She was not a seasoned person capable of judging Louis’s true intentions. What Mihoff knew was the blade and the life-and-death moments forged by swords; this kind of exchange was unfamiliar to her, and her mental fortitude had not been trained to withstand something like this.

‘…What does he want? What am I supposed to give him?’

It did not take long for her thoughts to reach that point. For the first time in her life, she realized that she had to adapt herself to someone—and that aside from doing so, there was no way to escape this place.

Louis watched as the sharp, dagger-like gleam in her eyes gradually dulled. Since he had begun handling people in earnest, he knew exactly what that state meant. He had prepared thoroughly because he had judged Mihoff more highly than expected, and it was a slight pity that he had even prepared the necklace. Still, deciding it was time to conclude matters, he took out the necklace and placed it before her.

“Th-this is…”

“It’s your younger sister Reiner Ermia’s necklace. She said it’s a venerable heirloom passed down through House Reiner.”

With a clinking sound from her shackles, she cautiously but firmly clutched the necklace, as if she would never let it go. Louis did not miss something blooming on her despair-stricken face and judged that now was the moment.

“Reiner Ermia is with me. Under my patronage, she is receiving many benefits. She’s sixteen years old. In a few more years, it will be time to think about marriage, and I could even find her a good match. To be blunt, I want you to understand that in this region, I am the only one who can make that happen now. Depending on your choice, your younger sister’s happiness may continue—or it may be ruined.”

There was nothing to deliberate. Like someone who had wandered a long, dreadful Sahara only to finally find an oasis, Mihoff answered immediately—the very answer Louis wanted.

“Thank you for taking care of my younger sister. If what you desire is to use me as a piece on the board, then I will devote all the skills I possess to serve Duke Pontina Louis.”

Louis smiled deeply. In truth, given that her loyalty to Marquis Gangpireu had not been particularly strong, this treatment was excessive for her. However, Louis—unaware of that fact—knew that warriors, especially Sword Experts, did not easily change their liege, and so he had taken excessive measures. Still, he had obtained exactly the result he wanted.

Far from being in vain, Mihoff now felt that Louis was an existence on an entirely different level from Marquis Gangpireu. Fear mingled with a vague sense of admiration—an ambiguous emotion that made it hard to complain that Louis’s measures were excessive.

“Can you swear an oath here, Reiner Mihoff?”

Her voice was somewhat weakened, yet she spoke as solemnly as she could.

“Of course. As you wish, I will swear my loyalty here—both mine and my house’s.”

Louis ordered the table to be cleared away. The soldiers swiftly carried the wooden desk out as soon as the command was given. Between the barren stone walls, Louis remained seated, while Reiner Mihoff knelt.

The old jailer wore a satisfied smile as he undid the chains binding her hands. Kaiser, standing nearby, instinctively released killing intent, but Mihoff made no move at all.

Watching from the side, Jodan muttered, “Now that’s quite a picture.” Compared to a bunch of burly men, this was certainly preferable. In short, Mihoff benefited from her appearance. Jodan also knew Mihoff’s gender, but since Louis had shown no objection—if anything, seeming unconcerned—he, as Louis’s aide, followed his lord’s will.

In truth, the gender of a warrior leading troops could become a very delicate issue. If a prejudice-ridden noble were to see a woman like Mihoff performing the formalities expected of warriors, they would foam at the mouth.

After a short while, the oath was concluded.

“Welcome, Reiner Mihoff. I find you very pleasing. If you show me no falsehood, your house will claim glory under my protection.”

“There is something I must confess.”

“I would like to speak with her alone.”

“I believe I know what you mean. As for that, I am already aware, so let us withdraw.”

Mihoff found it strange. Marquis Gangpireu had treated her like dirt, only pretending to trust her out of necessity because of the war. Yet Louis’s attitude was excessive—more than she deserved after living her life disguised as a man.

She snapped the hidden needle she had been carrying.

After finishing matters in Grad, Louis was moving toward the city of Pontina. This was the capital-equivalent city among all those he controlled, possessing the richest manpower. The city even bore the family name—Pontina—reflecting how closely its history was intertwined with that of House Pontina.

What Louis had done so far could be seen as the work of building trust. From here on, however, things became critical, because how he spent the points gained from the war would determine the direction of this vast territory.

Louis now had eleven cities to manage—a scale entirely different from when he had governed only Proia. That did not mean it was eleven times harder than before. The reason was simple: as the territory expanded, he had also taken in people worthy of being entrusted with it.

Moreover, the gold obtained from conquering cities was immense—an amount that might or might not be earned after a full year of domestic development, and even then only if Louis had heavily invested points into Commerce. In the long run, finances might tighten, but as a short-term gain, it was undeniably massive.

Louis gazed at the information window with swelling anticipation. He had 40,000 points available. Since the policies he chose would bring about drastic changes, Louis resembled a chef standing before top-grade ingredients just before beginning to cook.

‘It’s about time to decide.’

The dilemma of direction was always the same: satisfaction, food, money, the army, investment in himself, research, Wonders. One thing was certain—spreading investment evenly yielded low returns. If he was going to do it, he had to focus boldly.

What tempted him most were reinvesting in Leader Traits, Research, and Wonders. The benefits of Leader Traits hardly needed explanation. Though they required a large number of points, the skills Louis had invested in were Military Charisma, Talent Insight, Swordsmanship Experience Bonus, and Mana Absorption.

All of them synergized, and Louis’s growth had been so rapid that he was already eyeing the Sword Expert level. The more he invested in himself, the more clearly he could distinguish talent, and the more he could pursue his own safety without relying on others.

Louis drew out his mana. A bluish aura rippled across his palm like a wave, following his hand as he moved it. This was the very thing countless swordsmen longed for.

‘I want more.’

That bluish energy held infinite allure. Louis purchased expensive mana stones daily and absorbed them. If he were to raise his Leader Traits again, he wanted to invest the fourth tier into mana as well. Honestly, he wanted to boldly reinvest in Leader Traits, but he was also concerned about neglecting other areas.

‘Then… let’s form alliances.’

What if he received help from other factions where he was lacking, and traded where exchange was possible? With that thought, the answer became simple.

‘Hoo… good. First, let’s open Leader Traits, Tier 4.’

When Tier 4 of the military-related Leader Traits opened, previously sealed sections became available. Several group-related traits were listed, but Louis’s gaze fixed on one point.

Found it. Mana Addiction. Required points: 20,000—twice as much as before.

For 20,000 points, the effect was quite simple: each time mana was absorbed from a mana stone, additional mana would be granted. Still, once greed for mana had taken hold, Louis’s resolve did not waver. He immediately spent 20,000 points and invested them into Mana Addiction.

He now had 20,000 points remaining. He did not feel that the sharply reduced total was a waste. Sword Expert was now right before his eyes. To test it immediately, he grasped a blue mana stone he had not fully absorbed earlier.

The vivid blue light, refreshing even to the mind, was steadily drawn inward according to Louis’s will. Perhaps this sensation itself was why he had readily reinvested here.

His bodily senses slipped beyond control, as if he were floating in midair. It was a method on an entirely different level from the one-sided mana training swordsmen practiced, and since it could not be taught to anyone, it almost felt regrettable that only he could experience it. A cool, refreshing sensation swept continuously from his toes to his head. Then, abruptly, Louis halted the absorption.

The mana stone still glowed blue, not yet fully drained, though clearly weaker than before. Once completely absorbed, it would lose all light—having been taken entirely into Louis. In any case, he had stopped because this was not a time for cultivation. He had only been checking whether the trait worked properly.

The conclusion: it had increased. Previously, once a fixed daily limit was reached, mana would no longer be absorbed. Now, the intensity of intake had risen.

‘If I hadn’t invested those 20,000 points into myself and instead into the territory, I wouldn’t need to struggle to form alliances at the Prince-King’s party. Still, I should make the most of this banquet. I ought to offer Prince-King Orpendius a drink.’

The banquet was not for someone’s birthday, but to celebrate Louis’s succession. In other words, Louis himself was the protagonist. If at least two of the Seven Houses attended, he was confident he could form alliances with them—and naturally, Prince-King Orpendius was among the options. He found himself genuinely curious about what kind of people they would be.

‘All right. Now I can invest the remaining 20,000 points into a single area.’

Research was viable, and Wonders were viable. For Wonders, enough Science had accumulated that it was simply a matter of choosing. If he chose Research, he had to pick one of four: Theology, Administration, Guild Enhancement, or Metallurgy. Theology meant strengthening sanitation and medical technology.

Louis’s territory still suffered from a severe shortage of clergy, enough that warning indicators remained lit. Second, Administration referred to managerial efficiency; reforming it would improve efficiency in producing, transporting, and distributing food. Third, Guild Enhancement meant reorganizing merchant guilds within Louis’s territory to improve efficiency and supplement gold income. Fourth, Metallurgy increased blacksmith efficiency, but Louis already had talent in that area, so it was not yet urgent.

Looking over the list of Wonders, Louis decided that Research should come first. He coveted the Wonder known as the Hanging Gardens. To obtain its blueprint, prerequisite research was required—namely, Administration.

The Hanging Gardens not only generated significant tourism effects in the city, but also increased food production substantially—no, tremendously. He had yet to see it with his own eyes, so he would have to observe just how much food production increased, but one thing was clear: the immediate step was to invest points into Research.