Chapter 174:  Master of the Trade Route (11)

The Nord mountain range had long been considered one of the most remote places of all.

A rugged, snow-covered mountain range that no one really had any reason to visit.

Except for the occasional artists seeking to experience the majesty of nature, it was rarely touched by human presence.

But—

Things changed the moment the word spread that a place could become ‘profitable’.

Clatter―――!!

A dirt road that once had no reason to be paved was now neatly covered with a well-maintained path.

A creaking wooden bridge, worn down by time, had been reborn as a sturdy stone arch.

No matter how remote a place may be—

Just as the Empire reigned over this vast continent, any location it chose to claim would take on an air of dignity.

Carriages now rolled over the newly paved road.

Their destination was three plains lying at the entrance of the Nord mountain range.

Or perhaps, they could no longer be called plains.

Two of them were already bustling with construction.

It had only been two weeks.

The moment the ruler of the North, Duke Luton, gave the order, a construction war began.

As if to prove their own capabilities, the grounds were paved in no time, and the single-story buildings were already halfway complete.

“They’re all working fast.”

A man stood watching the city in upheaval.

With beautiful silver hair inherited from his mother and intense golden eyes from his father.

Clad in a white suit, with red wine held between his fingers—he was Eric Luton.

“They say the completion date will be soon as well. Everything’s expected to be done before February, when full-scale trade begins.”

Count Dilman, who had come with him to the Nord mountain range, gave his report calmly.

A dignified middle-aged man with intense brown eyes, he had always supported Eric, the legitimate heir.

“Edward and Lady Echina’s momentum is formidable. The second son is drawing attention with the slogan ‘The continent’s first Mithril City.’”

Mithril City.

The birth of a commercial zone built with utmost safety in mind, fully covering the perilous mountain range.

“Apparently, not only the capital but several major cities are flocking to work with the second son. Quite a few merchant groups have already signed contracts.”

“That’s true. And among the intermediaries, Roger Julius is one of them.”

Eric narrowed his already sharp gaze further as he looked out toward the Angde plains.

There, the sharp spire of a cathedral jutted into the sky, creating a grand view.

It was a picturesque sight that harmonized beautifully with the eternal snow of the Nord mountains.

“Roger Julius… isn’t he the head of the Erian Foundation? Could he have formed an alliance with the second son?”

Dilman fell into thought, a serious expression overtaking his face.

At that, Eric gave a gentle smile to his follower and shook his head.

“Who knows. But for an alliance, Roger’s support seems a bit… excessive.”

Sensing that the relationship between the two was more than a simple alliance, he took a sip of his wine.

His pale skin and the deep red wine contrasted eerily, creating a strange, haunting aura.

“It feels like offering a wooden horse from an ancient myth.”

“But Edward must have at least suspected that much. He’s already been stabbed in the back once by Roger over the mining deal.”

Eric agreed, setting his glass down by the window.

And, as he watched the half-finished, massive Fern commercial building, he added,

“That’s exactly why it’s so strange. The opponent clearly tried to cut off the lifeline of his family business, and now he’s offering support?”

“It could be a temporary alliance to keep Your Grace in check.”

The silver-haired man turned his head toward Count Dilman.

“If that’s really the case, then I ought to praise my brother—for putting aside personal feelings for the sake of the bigger picture.”

Eric stood with the radiant northern sun at his back.

His face, shadowed by the halo of light, carried a subtle but chilling edge.

“But, neither Edward nor Roger, as I know them, are men of righteousness.”

“You mean the two of them will end up destroying each other?”

Eric, now full of conviction, returned to the table.

Then, among the plains carved out of the Nord mountain range, he gently traced his finger over the Fern Plains.

“Yes, outwardly, the ideal outcome would be Edward collapsing, but…”

His finger soon came to a halt at the Angde Plains.

The place bearing the names of his sister and her most powerful patron.

“For some reason, it’s Echina that bothers me more.”

Count Dilman let out a quiet sigh, understanding exactly what he meant.

He too had witnessed the secretary candidate’s abilities firsthand.

“In any case, there’s no need for you to dwell on their cooperation. One of them will fall on their own.”

He picked up the jacket that hung on the coat rack.

As the Archduke wasn’t someone who kept a secretary at his side, he dressed himself.

“It’s almost time for you to leave.”

“Indeed. I got lost in thought.”

Eric clasped his hands behind his back in a leisurely posture.

He decided to put aside all thoughts of the man who had been bothering him.

“Are all the contracts I mentioned finalized?”

“Yes. The Northern Sea Union’s merchant guild will likely give their consent soon.”

The Grand Duke of the North had no particular concern about his two younger siblings’ rise.

After all, competition simply meant this: as long as he did well, everything else would fall into place.

――――――.

And just like that, the moment the door to his temporary office opened—

A splendid sight awaited him.

『The Grand Duke of the North is coming out.』

A lively round of applause erupted.

As Eric descended the spiral staircase, the influential figures waiting in the lobby of the temporary residence began to shower him with applause.

“Thank you for the invitation, Your Grace.”

“You look even better than before.”

From the head of the Northern Merchant Guild—

To leading representatives of transportation and merchant houses from the east and the capital.

Even major figures from the capital’s top construction companies and the Third Prince’s casino enterprise were present in full force.

“It’s a pleasure to see you all. I can’t tell you how delighted I am that you made the effort to come all the way to this remote region.”

Eric stopped midway down the spiral staircase and addressed the business partners he had invited in advance to work together.

“You must’ve felt uneasy on the way here. I’m sure you saw the surrounding plots already rising with new buildings.”

Those who were well aware of Eric’s ambitions chuckled lightly, saying he was teasing them too much.

The atmosphere was almost reminiscent of an imperial banquet.

“But, remember—only small doves take flight first off the edge of a cliff.”

Count Dilman approached and handed him a fresh glass of champagne.

The wine he now held was crystal clear—so unlike the red wine he had been sipping alone in his office.

“A massive bird like the albatross takes several seconds just to flap its wings, after all.”

The Grand Duke of the North raised his glass.

Reflected in his glass were the faces of countless business magnates.

“If they’re doves, then we’re the albatross. Isn’t it natural for large-scale ventures to take more time to prepare?”

While Edward and Echina had been making visible progress—

This was the moment that revealed why he alone had remained composed all along.

His cards were none other than a massive terminal and a casino hotel.

A network of highways branching out from the newly paved roads along the middle ridges of the Nord mountain range.

He had scaled the project so that they could stretch not just through Nord, but even connect directly to the capital.

On top of that, he was building a massive casino and hotel, backed by the Second and Third Princes.

In an astoundingly short span of time, he truly intended to transform this rural land into the heart of Nord.

“Look forward to it. I’ll show you that you’ve boarded the right ship.”

Once again, thunderous applause erupted.

Eric closed his eyes as though savoring a beautiful piece of classical music.

――――――

One month later.

Already, completed buildings lined the Fern territory.

Of course, the high-end properties situated closest to the trade route were still only halfway done.

But here and there, some of the low-rise commercial buildings had already been completed.

“A magnificent view.”

Edward stood on the second floor of a finished commercial building, admiring the cityscape.

The second floor he stood on had already been roughly cleaned for upcoming sales.

Taking a deep breath, as if already feeling the heat of the upcoming auction, Edward exhaled slowly.

“How’s Eric?”

“There was a reason he stayed so quiet. He’s planning a large-scale carriage terminal and hotel casino.”

Edward didn’t look surprised—he had already heard bits of information.

Still, his expression remained unmistakably displeased.

“I assume the lack of leaks was thanks to strict information control?”

“Yes, it seems the loyalty toward Eric is quite high.”

So many major players had gathered, yet no information had slipped out before now.

He couldn’t help but wonder whether such massive facilities could actually be completed in just a month.

“It’s unlikely they’ll finish everything within the remaining month. But I imagine he’s prepared to take that penalty.”

“Correct. Even if he doesn’t finish it all within two months, it aligns best with the final goal the Grand Duke has in mind.”

A city most fitting for Nord.

That was the very outcome the Grand Duke desired.

Even if the timeline were slightly exceeded, so long as the goal was met, the benefits would return to the Duke’s house in full.

That was why Eric kept pushing forward, even if he couldn’t meet the deadline.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter. Even if he scales it up, the fact that we stuck to the schedule means we’ll get the higher marks.”

The second son let out a short laugh and turned away.

Then he descended the stairs to take a look around the steadily rising city he was building.

“I’ve already explained to our sponsors that our greatest strength is swift completion—so there won’t be any problem.”

But—

He soon came to a sudden halt.

――――――!!

“Lord Edward! Something terrible has happened!!”

His close attendants burst into the commercial building in a frenzy.

They rushed up the stairs in a panic, frantically calling for their lord.

“What’s with the fuss?”

It was Secretary Tir who asked first.

However, the attendants were so desperate they didn’t even seem to register him. All they did was look for the young lord.

“It’s… it’s…!!”

“The Imperial Construction Oversight Task Force has been dispatched!!”

The Construction Oversight Task Force.

Infamous across the Empire, it was rarely sent for inspections involving nobility.

Their presence usually meant that one had effectively fallen out of the Imperial Family’s favor.

That was how ruthless their investigations were—so meticulous it bordered on cruelty.

They were notorious for ferreting out even the smallest flaws in buildings and relentlessly questioning everyone involved.

“That can’t be… Why would those bloodhounds show up here?”

And yet, now they had been dispatched to Edward, who was aligned with the Third Prince?

From the second son’s point of view, it made absolutely no sense.

“We don’t know either…!! But they were clear—they said they came on official assignment.”

“My lord, I think it would be best if you went down and confirmed it for yourself.”

Following Tir’s advice, Edward quickly descended the stairs.

And the moment he stepped out onto the street with his attendants, exiting the commercial building—

“……!!”

He froze as he spotted a group glaring daggers at the architects from the Western Grand Duke’s house.

A middle-aged woman whose stern expression screamed trouble from a mile away.

On her name tag, written in bold letters: Chief Investigator Teyna.

“The chief herself came…?”

Edward turned to his trusted aide, Tir.

His eyes demanded an explanation: What is going on?

“Tir, did we not get any word from the Third Prince? He said he’d notify us if anything came up!!”

The only reason he had been able to comfortably engage in shady dealings and expand his operations so boldly—

Was because of the solid information network provided by the Third Prince.

But now, for the first time, even the prince had failed to alert him of an ambush.

Tir, the chief secretary, could only let out a heavy sigh.

“My apologies… Not a single word came from His Highness.”

Edward was about to ask who, if not the prince, could have orchestrated something like this.

And then, suddenly, he realized exactly whose doing it was.

“If it’s an order from someone above the prince… no, it can’t be…”

His lips began to tremble.

“Yes. It appears to be the work of Roger’s side, likely using his ties to the Empress…”

As the secretary gave the report with a pained expression—

The second son didn’t even wait to hear the rest. He immediately rushed toward the Angde Plains.

He intended to threaten them into calling off the task force.

However, his stride was abruptly halted by none other than the chief investigator, who had come under a special imperial order.

“Prince Edward, where do you think you’re going? Stop right there.”

At the commanding tone, the second son turned back, his face twisted with fury.

Most noblewomen would have cowered at the sight of his menacing expression.

But the chief investigator didn’t even blink.

In fact, she seemed quite used to seeing such contorted faces from those under investigation, and calmly declared,

“We are here under a direct order from His Majesty. We will be inspecting the mithril buildings located in a subzero-temperature zone.”

With one hand, she skillfully unfolded a handwritten decree from the Emperor himself.

And with it, she delivered a single blow that pierced straight into Edward’s chest.

“All construction is to cease for the duration of the one-month investigation.”

The crime of neglecting the injured miners in the coal village for the sake of his own gain.

The mithril entrusted by a boy who had suffered injury but still believed in the Luton family.

Edward had abandoned the mine and come to the North to pursue development with that very mithril.

And now, his dream was being undone—undermined by the mithril he had brought with him.

“Roger… That damn bastard Roger…!!”

Yet Edward failed to reflect even slightly on the path he had taken.

He could only howl at the retribution now crashing down upon him.

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