Chapter 256.1

Volume 3: Chapter 256 – Clouds of War (1/4)

After occupying the Holy Shushunu Kingdom, moving their capital to it, and renaming it, Revea Su, the goblins hurriedly established their borders.

It has only been one month since the relocation of the capital during last year’s winter, and it was currently the spring of the King’s Calendar’s second year. With the exception of the vassal states, the territories were decided with no contention. At the same time, the treatment of the Holy Shushunu Kingdom’s royal family was also decided.

“I will not be taking your lives. Your country may also remain.”

That was under the premise that they would obey the decisions made by the king, which then begged the question of which territories and how much of it would he given. There was also the issue of the people possibly fearing the goblins, and thus, fleeing the capital to migrate. There were many issues that needed to be dealt with if the royal family were to be allowed to live.

In the end, the Goblin King solved the problem by deciding everything on his own, and giving the royal family a land they could control directly. It was a small territory, even smaller than the territories of the three great nobles, along with which was also the permission to hold the smallest military force necessary to function as a country. Like this the Holy Shushunu Kingdom was allowed to continue existing in the form a minor nation.

As for the remaining nobles, the goblins dealt with them appropriately.

“…You’re recognizing their right to own land?”

One of the great nobles, Barad Agarmua, snorted.

“Yes, but the inheritance tax will be increased greatly,” Pale said.

“…”

The nobles were optimistic that they wouldn’t be receiving any heavy punishments since the royal family were allowed to live. Even the House of Ririnoie, which caused the most damages to the goblins, did not have their lands seized.

As such, the nobles believed that since they weren’t directly involved in the war that they wouldn’t be affected much.

However, they were forgetting one important thing.

The Kushunora House may not have been asked to pay for their sins with blood, but they were indeed asked to compensate monetarily. From that Barad realized what the goblins were trying to do.

The goblins were trying to get what they could.

The Ririnoie House was the strongest militarily, but its head, Blanche, was already dead, and her subordinates, the sorcerer cavalry (mana guard), were half destroyed, and the Short Sword Battle MaidenValkyria that were affiliated with the guild were now the goblins’ dogs.

As for the Kushunora who knew the flow of money, they could pay up. Then what about himself? Barad had to recall his own standards.

The landlords and the lawyers.

When he thought of that, he more or less understood what the goblins wanted.

It was hard to believe, but apparently, the goblins weren’t judging them by relying on the voice of a god or the mere opinions of those in authority, no, they were judging them according to the law.

Other than Shushunu, the territories usually gave the right to judge to its lord. Naturally, decisions made from such a judicial model would be arbitrary, but it was the norm for this age. It was hard to believe, but these monsters they looked down upon actually held values similar to theirs. Barad was shocked.

And at the same time, he felt fear.

They would recognize their territories, but the inheritance tax would be increased.

Right now, what he was worried about the most was the fact that his son wasn’t as talented as him, and his grandson was still too young to be taught.

From the sound of these people’s remarks, they have more than likely spread out their intelligence network already and seen through his weakness. Now, they were trying to suppress him by warning him.

Barad couldn’t stop himself from sweating.

Never before had he felt fear like this. Even confronting Claudia the War Princess wasn’t as terrifying. His legs shook vigorously, as though the world were coming to an end, and then he collapsed onto the ground in fear.

“…How far have you…?” Barad said inadvertently.

“What are you talking about?” Pale’s cold eyes stabbed into him.

“No. I wouldn’t want to put on the years, now, would I?”

“It would be best if we could be understanding of each other.”

The face of a veteran politician was already gone from his face. With a pale face, Barad promptly fled from her presence and excused himself. There was still time, Barad told himself on the way back in his carriage.

He had to prepare for the future. He had to raise his grandchild and build a force that could allow them to maintain their authority even with a smaller territory. If not, the Agarmua will slowly be strangled.

—Just like the Kushunora!

Some time later, Barad sent a letter expressing his intent to resign and hand over his position to his son.

Pale, who suppressed the three great nobles without rallying the military, did not forget to sell favor to the Shushunu royal family by adding the territories they took as tax from the inheritance tax to the new Shushunu territory.

While maintaining a good relationship with the fallen royal family, she exposed the uncertain factors within the kingdom and devoted her time to warning them. By showing that she could crush them at any time, the nobles that haven’t been cornered financially became docile and ceased any thoughts of opposing the goblins.

But despite all that it was true that there were still those who refused to submit to goblin rule.

One such force was the adventurers guild.