Chapter 28: Departure


    Several days had passed since Eurius’sing-of-age ceremony.


    “If that’s his choice, we have to respect it!”


    The emperor had no choice but to grant permission to Eurius’s persistent request.


    He liked Eurius’s spirit, which reminded him of his own youth, and he thought it was a good opportunity for him to build his achievements.


    “As soon as the northern road construction is finished, send the first prince Eurius to the development area!”


    With the emperor’s approval, the first thing that started was the arrangement of the troops that would escort the first prince.


    In fact, there were already enough troops deployed in the north to finish the road construction and guard against the barbarians from the north.


    Eurius only needed to choose a few people who would escort him safely to the north and stay with him there.


    “I’m honored to apany you, Your Highness!”


    Heinz, the knight, couldn’t hide his joy at the thought of finally repaying Eurius for his kindness.


    ‘One escort knight is enough for him.’


    He had to win over the hearts of the northern people as well. He didn’t want to cause unnecessary factional fights with the northern knights, so he limited his close aides to Heinz alone.


    ‘The rest is just a matter of traveling there…’


    He could persuade the northern people when he got there. But right now, his interest was in another connection.


    ‘The Blue Dragon Merchant Guild has gained a lot of influence in the northtely, right?’


    Trading with the Blue Dragon Merchant Guild was also an essential task for him.


    He nned to meet with the guild master for the first time on his way to the north.


    ‘I’ll let Marius know in advance about the contact.’


    While Eurius was making ns, there was a ce that was not idle either.


    ‘As expected, my prediction was not wrong.’


    It was none other than Duke Wilhelm. He thought he had to rate the first prince’s talent higher than he expected, and then this happened.


    ‘Quite a sharp move. The first prince is not an easy kid after all.’


    The north was risky, but the duke already had a rough idea of the first prince’s strength through his son-inw, Count Carlos.


    Besides, the empire’s troops were strong. He would have many knights escorting him, and if he had some ability to protect himself in a battle, how hard could it be to deal with a few uncivilized barbarians?


    At least in the duke’smon sense, there was little possibility that the first prince would lose in this northern venture.


    The worst case scenario he could think of was that he would face difficulties in subjugating the immigrants and request additional troops, prolonging the situation. The development itself would not be a problem.


    ‘And then he wille back with that as his achievement.’


    The duke decided to try to set up something himself this time.


    ‘Then I have to prepare something appropriate for him.’


    He tried to interfere with the first prince’s ability as much as possible in his sess in the north.


    And he also had to prepare another support n for the second prince Leonhart to achieve somethingparable to the northern campaign.


    Count Wace was also biting his nails nervously. He had been having trouble sleepingtely because of his sense of crisis.


    ‘I’m sure I’ve already lost the duke’s trust!’


    All matters rted to the first prince were discussed with him first by the duke, weren’t they? But this time, there was no sign of calling him at all.


    ‘Lately, nothing has gone well for me in the north.’


    From road construction to Blue Dragon Merchant Guild’s rise to Eurius’s sudden remark, Wace felt a headache whenever he heard


    the word ‘north’.


    ‘But leaving the pce might be a blessing in disguise.’


    No one in this world could harm a royal family member inside the pce.


    ‘But outside, it’s not impossible.’


    In fact, even outside, it was impossible to harm a first prince who would surely have strict escorts. But Wace knew one ce that could make that impossible possible.


    ‘I should contact Samarqand.’


    Wace made up his mind.


    He nned to get rid of Euriuspletely this time.


    ‘The north is a very dangerous ce. You made a wrong choice this time, Prince Eurius.’


    A chilling light shed in Wace’s eyes.


    It was a unteral method that he didn’t tell the duke, but if he seeded, his position would rise again greatly.


    The north of the empire was wide, even though it was called that on this continent.


    The road construction connected only between central and north, but it was only to connect the advance base for the development of the north and the capital.


    The basic purpose of the empire’s development was to secure the idle ins in the north.


    Above that were the mountainous areas where the immigrants lived, which were hard to conquer and had nothing to gain.


    But the problem was those immigrants. Even if they developed the ins, it would be useless if they couldn’t stop their raids.


    So the empire’s n was twofold.<ol><li><ol><li> To develop the ins gradually using the northern advance base.</li></ol></li></ol><ol start="2"><li><ol start="2"><li> To fend off or even uproot the immigrants who came to raid in the meantime.</li></ol></li></ol>


    It was a long-term n, but Eurius didn’t n to stay there for years.


    ‘I just need to find some people who can help me in the north and stabilize it a bit.’


    It was about time for Nuada, who would be the loser of the north, to rise. He would take care of the north anyway.


    ‘He is not only strong, but also wise.’


    In fact, no matter how wild and fierce the north was, it couldn’tpete with the Scharnos Empire.


    But the problem was that it was also hard for the empire to stop the immigrants who fought guerri warfare in the mountains.


    ‘In the end, peace is the answer, so this time it will go in a simr way?’


    Of course, if a country like the empire had enough talent, it could deploy arge number of central knights and push out the mountains, but there was no ruler who would do such a massacre.


    ‘I’ll help Nuada and make him rule over the north.’


    This was the core of his n for the north. But as an first prince, he had to gain the trust of the people there first before he could act on his own.


    ‘And while I’m at it, I’ll also take some benefits for myself.’


    Finally, the day came for Eurius to depart for the north.


    “I trust you to do well. The current governor of the north, Count Anderson, is an experienced veteran. He will be of great help to you.”


    The emperor gave him a light encouragement and advice.


    “I will keep that in mind.”


    After bowing, Eurius left the pce and headed to where his preparations for the northern journey were.


    It was different from when he studied abroad in the Holy Kingdom. The scale itself was different.


    Dozens of knights surrounded the carriage tightly, and Heinz, the knight who was in charge of his security, joined him as he got on the carriage.


    “I heard that the northern knights are really rough. I’m worried if Your Highness can adapt to them.”


    “What’s there to worry about? I’ll find out when I get there. Anyway, I’m not going to the north to have afortable life.”


    Eurius answered with a rxed tone.


    Heinz was worried, but he thought differently.


    ‘Heinz seems to be from around the capital. He might have a hard time this time. I hope he can endure it.’


    The north and central-south were quite different in climate, terrain, and even people’s personalities.


    ‘Even if they are from the same empire, their tendencies vary depending on the region. How much more different would they be from the immigrants who have apletely different lifestyle? That’s why everyone treats them as barbarians.’


    He thought about various things as he got on the carriage.


    The first destination was Stefan, a city that could be called a trade point between central and north.


    There, he nned to execute his first step of the northern n: contacting the Blue Dragon Merchant Guild.


    And while he was leaving, a small change also started in the north.


    This was a mid-slope of a mountain range in the north.


    …


    Creak creak.


    There was a huge rock as big as a house that swayed slightly in the strong wind and made a noise.


    And in front of it stood a man.


    His stature was imposing. A giant body that was a head taller than others, a straight nose, and strong eyes!


    He looked like he was in his thirties?


    ‘Finally, this day hase.’


    The man recalled his past for a moment.


    “Never anger the mountain god!”


    “A disaster wille to our vige!”


    These were the words he had heard from the adults since he was a kid.


    His tribe lived in a branch of a deep mountain range. Not far from their vige was this huge rock that swayed whenever the wind blew.


    Their vige was in an area where strong winds blew between the mountains. The wind whistled through the valley and made the rock sway.


    Creak creak.


    Whenever they heard that sound, his friends and family always trembled with fear.


    “The rock of divine punishment will fall and destroy our tribe!”


    “The wind is a warning from the mountain god!”


    The old men of the tribe always told such stories and scared the children.


    In fact, the rock swayed severely but never fell for hundreds of years. It was a huge threat to their tribe if it fell, but it never did.


    But his thoughts were different from others since he was young.


    ‘Why do we have to live in fear?’


    Every time a blizzard came, his family, rtives, andrades all shivered with fear of the rock of divine punishment.


    ‘What an iprehensible worry.’


    As his head grew up, he soon found himself sneering. The rock just swayed a bit, but it never fell for hundreds of years.


    ‘How foolish it is to always fear a disaster that will nevere?’


    He grew up with such thoughts.


    His height grew more and more, and his body became stronger. People soon chose him as


    the best warrior of their tribe without hesitation.


    And finally!


    He stood in front of this rock with an absurd name: rock of divine punishment.


    Boom!!!!


    Was it called thunderbolt out of nowhere in the east?


    It felt like lightning struck the rock with an intense shock.


    The man slowly turned around.


    His tribesmen who followed him were all speechless at that sight.


    “……!?”


    There was no other word than astonishment.


    ‘The rock of divine punishment turned into dust with one punch?’


    That’s right!


    The solid rock that had stood still for hundreds of years turned into dust with one punch from this man.


    Not just broken.


    The entire rock was shattered and some parts turned into dust and flowed down.


    It was unbelievable that a human hand made of flesh and blood could do such a destructive power!


    The man silently clenched his fist again and raised it high in the sky.


    At that moment, hundreds of shouts echoed in the valley!


    “Woaaaaaaah!!!!!”


    “Nuada!”


    “Nuada!!”


    “He is indeed our new chief!”


    This man’s name was Nuada.


    ording to Eurius’s prediction, he was the man who would rule as the Winner of the north in the future.