137 The Stolen Legacy
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The continent had been shaken when the Great Treaty was broken and the Empire's forces retreated.
However, the aftershocks had been far less severe than they had been in his past life.
Why?
Because this ti, the Empire's full strength remained intact, and the First Prince survived.
Still, Krefeld had declared independence, and the Empire couldn't let that stand.
The Emperor needed to crush them to restore imperial prestige.
'The timing makes sense. If the Empire is planning a second invasion, it's possible the Emperor requested specifically…'
During the previous war, the Emperor had personally praised William for his leadership.
It wouldn't be surprising if he now wanted William sent to the front lines again.
With that assumption in mind, William entered his father's office.
But then—
"There's a problem in the North."
William blinked.
"…Excuse ?"
His thoughts ground to a halt.
Not the Emperor.
Not the Krefeld conflict.
The North?
"Father, if you're referring to the North, then… does this concern my maternal family?"
The Grand Duke nodded.
"Yes. That's why I called you here."
William exhaled slowly.
"With all due respect… I am a Hern now. Whatever happens to my mother's family… it's regrettable, but it has nothing to do with ."
He wasn't heartless.
But his ties to the North had long been severed.
"It's unexpected, I know," the Grand Duke admitted. "But this isn't just about your family na. Soone has stolen what rightfully belongs to you."
William narrowed his eyes.
"…Stolen?"
"The Calix County has begun rallying the other northern houses under its banner. They claim they wish to unite the North and restore the glory of the old kingdom."
William's mind raced.
Calix County.
He had heard of them before.
Not a major power. Certainly not on par with Grimaldi, his mother's noble house.
They were a moderately influential family in the North, but nothing more.
Now, they wanted to unify the entire region?
"That's… ambitious," William murmured.
"Yes. Too ambitious," his father agreed. "Which is why they've resorted to… alternative ans."
"aning?"
The Grand Duke's expression darkened.
"Calix County doesn't have the legitimacy to unite the North under its own na. So they're using soone else's."
William's instincts flared.
Sothing was wrong.
"Whose na?" he asked sharply.
The answer ca without hesitation.
"The House of Grimaldi."
William's breath hitched.
"…What?"
He stared at his father, struggling to process the words.
The Grimaldi family was gone.
William was the last living heir.
So who was claiming that na?
"So bastard is parading around under your family's crest, claiming the right to rule the North," his father said grimly.
William felt a slow, simring rage start to burn in his chest.
Soone was using his mother's na.
Using his na.
As if he didn't exist.
As if he didn't matter.
William smiled, though there was no warmth in it.
"Interesting," he murmured.
"Let's go see who's been playing pretend."
"What right does he have to say such things?"
"He's not entirely without qualification. The House of Count Calix produced several knights for the Royal Guard back in the days of the Northern Kingdom. Even after the kingdom fell, they forged ties with the House of Duke Grimaldi through marriage."
In other words, the blood of the Grimaldi family still ran through the veins of the Calix household.
At the very least, this wasn't so baseless attempt to invoke the na of a ducal family without any connection.
The real issue, however, was the comparison—who had the stronger claim? William or this distant branch?
"When was the last ti the House of Duke Grimaldi and the House of Count Calix were connected?"
"A hundred years ago. A daughter of the ducal family married into the Calix household."
"Hah."
A hollow chuckle escaped William's lips.
Not only was their relation through the maternal line, but it had been a full century since that connection was made.
If William had died and left no heirs, the claim might have carried so weight. But with him alive and well, the idea that a distant eighth cousin could claim inheritance over him was absurd.
"This is beyond ridiculous. At the very least, they should have asked for my consent."
"They'd have just used the excuse that you're 'not truly of the North.' These kinds of word gas are common in politics. The fact that it happens often doesn't make it any less shaless, though."
For the first ti, a hint of irritation crept into the Grand Duke's usually calm voice.
Only then did William fully grasp the weight of this situation—not just for the Grand Duke, but for the Imperial family itself.
"And what does His Majesty say about this?"
"He is, of course, greatly displeased. He wants this matter resolved before it escalates further. The problem is, the Imperial family doesn't have the luxury of dealing with it right now."
"Because of the rebellion in Krefeld?"
"Exactly. Even though we managed to suppress it with minimal losses, the fact remains that the first attempt to quash the rebellion failed. For the sake of the Empire's prestige, we need to reassemble the allied forces and make the rebels pay the price."
Having already suffered a failure, the Imperial family's goal was to gather overwhelming strength and crush Krefeld completely.
Naturally, that ant they couldn't afford to divert resources to external matters.
If they mishandled things, the Imperial family's already weakened authority could take an even greater hit.
"The biggest problem is Count Calix. He claims this isn't a rebellion against the Empire, only a move to restore the North's lost glory. He insists this is rely a ans to end the region's constant internal strife."
"I find that hard to believe."
"So do I. His Majesty shares that sentint. It's nothing more than an excuse—an attempt to secure his own power without interference. But the situation is frustratingly delicate."
With the Imperial forces focused on Krefeld, they had no way to intervene in the North.
And Count Calix, despite his ambitions, was taking care to maintain an outwardly respectful stance.
If the Empire moved against him too aggressively, it might not be just the Count who retaliated, but the entire North.
"That's why you need . As the closest living relative to the Grimaldi Ducal House, I can shatter Count Calix's justification."
"Exactly. However…"
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