Chapter 100
Before attending the Lord’s Council, I had an audience with the High Priest.
It was to build a temple in the territory and be assigned priests.
The temple side readily agreed to et .
“Johnson Territory. I see. So there are brothers of faith even there……”
“Yes, it is a place that has long been beyond the reach of rcy.”
The High Priest of Saint, Ollemio, was a man in his 60s with a gentle air.
His long white beard was especially impressive.
He looked like the friendly neighborhood grandfather who smiled warmly and shared rice cakes or grains.
In truth, he was well-known for his high reputation.
Even with the temple’s backing, it wasn’t easy for a city of this size to remain neutral.
If you ate sothing wrong, it could bring disaster, so it was better to simply watch quietly.
Still, even for such a High Priest, it seed that dispatching priests to Johnson Territory was no ordinary matter.
“Of course, it is truly delightful when new brothers are embraced in the arms of the Goddess, however……”
“Is there a problem?”
“I do not know if there will be brethren who would willingly go out for missionary work there. It is such a dangerous place.”
He said he could recomnd it to the priests under his na.
But he could not force anyone to be dispatched to a territory where they might die at any mont.
Though he was surely the leader of the priests, he explained that he did not rule over them.
And even if it were a strict superior-subordinate relationship, given his nature, he would never think of forcing such a dispatch.
“First, I will ask the brethren for their wishes.”
“Yes, I would be grateful.”
The conclusion was to wait for now.
He said he would ask the priests whether they were willing to be dispatched there.
This part couldn’t be helped.
It wasn’t a matter that could be forced.
If soone wasn’t willing to work actively for the sake of the territory, there was no reason to bring them.
‘I didn’t think of this. Well, this place already had a bit of a reputation.’
-What a pity. Johnson Territory is still a livable place.
Because it was a region with a bit of a notorious na, we seed to be suffering disadvantages even in matters like this.
‘Do I have to give up after all?’
Unless one had an unusual personality who enjoyed hardship in the wilderness, they wouldn’t willingly volunteer for Johnson Territory.
In a ti like now, when the demand for priests was so high, who would choose such penance?
Still, just in case, I decided to wait.
Soone with burning faith might step forward.
“To hold a council in a place like this. Is the Lord’s Council always like this?”
“Well, it isn’t exactly a place where great debates take place. I think it was like this before too.”
After eting the High Priest, I imdiately moved to the council hall.
Since it was called a council, I expected a formal and rigid atmosphere, but it was far from that.
Because the place where the council was held was not a chamber, but a vast hall.
“Here.”
“Yes, confird.”
The guards of the hall checked the seal of the territory.
Then, a servant who had been waiting nearby loudly announced our entrance.
“Lord of Johnson Territory, Iron Johnson, is entering.”
It was the first ti we attended the Lord’s Council.
Yet, the fact that they recognized the seal of our territory ant they even morized the noble registry from the Kingdom days.
I had heard the Lord’s Council was always held in Saint, and indeed, even the servants here were exceptionally formal.
“I see, so this is how it works.”
As I entered the great hall, other lords who had already arrived were freely conversing.
There were separate tables prepared with drinks and light refreshnts.
I had heard that banquets of the Kingdom were sothing like this.
Rather than a council, it was closer to a social gathering, preserving much of the old feeling.
But only to that extent.
It didn’t feel extravagant, nor was the atmosphere overly frivolous.
At Kingdom banquets, n and won would gather in such places to dance, but here it was simply lords chatting together.
Even the attire was free and varied, so even though I entered wearing armor, I didn’t particularly stand out.
“Johnson Territory?”
“The northern bulwark, is it.”
“So it hasn’t fallen.”
“This is the first ti Johnson has attended, isn’t it?”
“But the lady accompanying him is……”
“My word, is that Yuria McBane?”
For a mont, gazes gathered on and a stir rose.
It seed strange to them that the lord of Johnson Territory, who had never once attended, was now appearing at this council.
The phrase “so it hasn’t fallen” was also striking.
That must be roughly how southern lords thought of Johnson Territory.
For them, the northern struggles were soone else’s problem.
Unlike the Lord of Haken, who held firmly the central region of the Ribella Peninsula, southern lords were not so troubled by monsters.
Of course, at the beginning of the Great Cataclysm, their side must have been in chaos too, but the current generation beca lords after the world had sowhat stabilized.
With the strength their territories had built, they could easily defend against the occasional monster incursions, so understanding the life-and-death struggles of the north was impossible for them.
‘This is irritating.’
Thinking I was the only one suffering, I couldn’t help but feel displeased.
“Oh, is this wine?”
I pushed down the rising irritation and confidently walked to a table.
As I approached, a servant naturally handed a glass.
I took the glass and had it filled with wine.
It was a red wine with an exceptionally clean finish.
Even to soone like , who knew little of wine, it seed quite refined.
“It’s wine from Borde Mountain. The lord there is quite serious about wine.”
“Borde, that’s the territory just south of Haken, right?”
“Haken Territory is the bulwark of that region. The south is relatively safe.”
“If they can grow grapes, they must be living quite well.”
Yuria, who also received a glass, explained.
It was wine from Borde Territory, famous for its vineyards.
Among the lords, it was recognized as a fine luxury.
The people of my territory also liked alcohol, so perhaps I should bring so back?
Once we started sending Mana Crystals toward Haken, we might have so leisure.
I wasn’t sure about Rudick or Limond, but Leisha, Celine, and Irene would surely welco this wine.
In my previous life as well, I hadn’t t many won who disliked wine.
“But the High Lords haven’t arrived yet?”
“Ah, that side has its own kind of power struggles, you see.”
“Is that so? Wasting energy on pointless matters.”
Looking around, I saw that quite a few lords had already entered.
But strangely enough, I didn’t see any familiar faces.
I didn’t know about the other High Lords, but the Lord of Haken had arrived here before us, and yet he hadn’t entered. That struck as odd.
When I asked Yuria about it, she said that there was a sort of power struggle even in this, so they tried to enter as late as possible.
The last to arrive was the main character? Sothing like that?
At banquets like these, it was a kind of unspoken rule that the higher one’s status, the later they arrived, but in a situation without a king or a court, it all just seed childish.
“The Pillar of the Mid-lands, Lord of Haken Territory, Lord Uldea Haken, is entering.”
He wasn’t much different, as right after that comnt ended, the Lord of Haken entered.
The extra epithet attached in front must have been a mark of respect for a High Lord.
After all, in this council, the High Lords were exceedingly special beings.
And as I expected, when the Lord of Haken appeared, several lords went to greet him.
They must have been lords within Haken’s sphere of influence.
“So you are here as well.”
“Yes, I just arrived.”
After exchanging a few words with the lords, the Lord of Haken walked toward .
It felt as though he was looking out for , who stood apart from the other lords.
Was this the New Face privilege?
-Or more like the future son-in-law premium, don’t you think?
‘Damn, is that really it?’
If I said I wouldn’t marry Irene, would he draw his sword on ?
Hadn’t he already squinted at Yuria the mont he saw her?
I flinched for a mont but continued the conversation as naturally as possible.
“You said you would have an audience with the High Priest. Did you achieve your purpose?”
“I’m not sure. It seems we’ll have to wait.”
“I see.”
As he chatted with , the Lord of Haken clicked his tongue as he looked around the hall.
It seed he realized he was the first among the three High Lords to enter.
So that talk about power struggles must have been true.
-Humans are sensitive to hierarchy by nature. They all have strong pride, so they don’t want to yield.
‘True, and since the three High Lords’ strength is said to be about equal, it makes sense.’
Humans loved making hierarchies no matter what world they were in.
“The Ruler of the Great Plains, Lord of Vines Territory, Lord Mishel Vines, is entering.”
And at that mont, another High Lord entered the hall.
Mishel Vines, the Lord of Vines Territory.
He looked like a man in his late forties with a generous fra.
By generous fra, I ant he had quite a belly.
He was clearly a lord, not a knight.
‘He has the full air of a rchant, that man.’
Vines Territory, which possessed the largest plains in the south.
It also produced the most food.
Territories like Haken, where farming was difficult, must trade for food here.
New Level, with its many mountainous areas, was the sa.
Not only Vines but the territories around it were fertile, so in terms of productivity, this region was the most outstanding.
As a lord with plenty, even his steps were full of confidence.
‘Oh, is that Eline?’
Among the companions of the Lord of Vines, I saw a familiar face.
Eline, the Guide of the Dog Tribe.
This puppy lady attended the Lord’s Council together with the Lord of Vines.
‘Why would a beastman like Eline attend this council?’
-Because of the Empire scum, I bet.
‘Ah, right. The Empire was sworn enemy to the beastn.’
The Boar Tribe and the Empire.
That combination made any beastman shudder, so it made so sense that Eline was here.
“The last bloodline of the Kingdom, Lord of New Level, Lord Deron Royal Level, is entering.”
And then, the last remaining High Lord entered the hall.
Deron Level, Lord of New Level.
The “Royal” inserted in the middle was a form of honorific, aning royal blood.
Whatever had happened, in this council they acknowledged his royal lineage.
‘Level is Level, so I suppose it isn’t unthinkable to accept that. The kingdom is gone anyway.’
Deron Level was a young man.
Compared to Lord Uldea or Lord Mishel, he was about a generation younger.
In fact, he seed to be of a similar generation to .
It looked like their side also went through generational change rather quickly.
‘Still, a High Lord is a High Lord, I see.’
Though Yuria had described him as incompetent and debauched, Deron appeared outwardly quite fine.
His upturned eyes looked sharp, and the smile on his lips seed full of confidence.
He wasn’t particularly handso, but given his position, he would surely be well-regarded.
At least he lacked any obvious flaws.
‘And surely many won follow him.’
-The strong male draws many females. That is nature’s way. Especially in a world like this.
‘True enough.’
Unless one belonged to the Fox Tribe, who placed special importance on marriage, it wasn’t strange to have multiple won as long as one had ability.
The question was only how much ability one had.
‘But he seems decent enough. I don’t sense the baseless arrogance unique to incompetents.’
At least, he didn’t seem like the useless, greedy man Yuria had described. That struck as odd.
Perhaps it was the Fox Tribe’s unique confirmation bias at work?
They were certainly sensitive in matters like that.
“You are late. Weren’t you here long before, waiting for the council?”
“Ah yes, but I was slightly delayed after paying respects to the High Priest.”
“The High Priest? I was told the last one to have an audience was the Lord of Johnson.”
“Haha, must you split hairs like that? I may be a little late, that is all.”
“Hmph, it does not look good that the youngest lord enters last.”
“But he is royal blood, isn’t he? Entering last is only fitting.”
“That damned ‘royal blood’……”
When the Lord of Vines entered, the Lord of Haken had only clicked his tongue, but now he picked a serious quarrel with Deron Level.
It seed that for High Lords, the pretext of being the last royal bloodline ant little.
Or maybe he just personally disliked Deron Level.
‘Right, wasn’t there said to be subtle conflict between them? Their demand for Mana Crystals from us must be tied to that context too.’
I thought to myself that these n lived to squabble, and I was nodding when my eyes suddenly t those of a woman entering with Deron Level.
In that instant, my breath caught, as though my chest were being crushed.
The woman who just looked in the eyes was soone I—no, Iron—knew all too well.
‘…His forr wife.’
-That female.
Though her face was completely different, I knew.
That woman was Iron’s forr wife.
Iron’s beastlike senses, his primal instinct, and his flashing intuition all told so.
She was without doubt Iron’s forr wife.
“Hm.”
When our eyes t, she smiled brightly and bowed her head.
Did she know I had realized who she was? Or was it just a light greeting to a lord she was seeing for the first ti?
What was certain was this—
The woman who had concealed her identity and married was now one of the Lord of Level’s closest aides.
After realizing this, I too could not take my eyes off Deron Level.
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