Chapter 83 : Chapter 83

Chapter 83 : Western Noble Coalition (1)

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“You successfully completed the request. Thank you.”

I returned to Manoa and met with Baron Renwood.

Leaving my solver’s badge with him before heading to Turoko Kingdom was a good choice, it seemed.

Baron Renwood didn’t seem to know that I had stopped by another place before going to Turoko.

There was no benefit in mentioning that I delayed the request, so I simply bowed my head at his praise without further comment.

“It’s thanks to your trust, Baron. Thank you.”

I responded to Renwood with polite words. Haha, he let out a hearty laugh.

He was undeniably a bold noble, but he didn’t seem to dislike formalities either.

“So… how was it?”

“Are you asking about the Turoko Kingdom? Or are you curious about Lynette Everharter?”

“Let’s hear about the Turoko Kingdom first. Lynette can come after.”

Renwood didn’t hide his interest in both Turoko Kingdom and Lynette.

I explained Turoko Kingdom to him in detail.

He listened with great interest.

“…I see. Quite a fascinating political structure, isn’t it? A kingdom where royalty exists but doesn’t rule.”

“They’re also preparing to implement a system to abolish slavery soon.”

“That’s remarkable. There’ll be discontent among the existing nobles and wealthy, but if the system takes root properly, the potential is immense.”

“What potential do you see, Baron?”

“Talents restricted by their status will flock to Turoko. It’s a fine system. Even someone like you, more capable than me, is sitting below me.”

“You’re more than capable yourself, Baron.”

“Haha, you don’t deny that you’re better.”

Though his jests sometimes stung behind a smiling face, Renwood was a noble with a sharp mind.

Turoko’s situation—transforming its political system to gather talent and grow strong enough to counter the Empire—could be seen as audacious by the Empire.

Yet Renwood listened without any apparent aversion, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses.

“It’s radical but a good system and Lynette, who gave up immense royal authority to walk alongside her people, is impressive.”

“How was Lynette doing?”

One thing was clear: there was some connection between Renwood and Lynette.

When discussing Turoko Kingdom, he conversed skillfully, even adding jokes, but when Lynette’s name came up, his face flushed in an instant.

“Lynette seemed busy and tired, but she appeared to find fulfillment in building the new Turoko Kingdom.”

“Hm… That’s very like Lynette.”

As I calmly shared my impressions of Lynette, Renwood’s expression turned somewhat wistful.

“If I had become your adopted son, would Lynette have been my mother?”

“What? What are you saying?”

I threw a joke to break the increasingly awkward atmosphere.

Though meant to make him laugh, the Baron reacted as if pricked by a needle, visibly startled.

“Lynette and I aren’t like that! It’s been ages since we last saw each other. We just spent our childhood together. Like, childhood friends!”

Now his ears were red, beyond just his face.

As Renwood passionately explained, I nodded quietly, and he calmed his excitement, looking embarrassed.

Ahem, clearing his throat, Renwood spoke in a calmer tone.

“Sorry. I felt a bit of a disgrace.”

“No, I understood your feelings well, Baron.”

“Ha… You’re quite the joker.”

“I guess I got carried away because you’ve been so kind to me. My apologies.”

As I took a step back, Renwood gave a gentle smile.

“No, it’s fine. It’s been a while since I’ve talked like this with someone, so it’s not bad.”

“Thank you for not taking offense, Baron.”

“Enough of that.”

Still smiling, Renwood continued.

“Shall we be honest today? I already knew you approached me for a reason. And I decided to engage with you after thoroughly investigating you.”

“You looked into me?”

“Yes. I checked your background and abilities and calculated that your strength would be useful to me.”

‘Nobles really aren’t easy.’

Renwood was being genuinely open.

As expected, I hadn’t thought an Imperial noble would be easy to deal with.

The long delay in giving me a request after I applied for a designated one might have been due to his vetting process.

“And you achieved results far beyond what I and my allies expected. Since we’re being honest, I’ll admit I didn’t expect you to break Turoko’s curse.”

“If I had failed, we wouldn’t be sitting here talking like this, would we?”

“Even if you failed, it’d be fine. Someone like you is rare. I’d have just given you another request.”

“That wouldn’t have been bad, but honestly, this is better.”

“Haha, right. You deserve a reward for this mission. First, merit points.”

Renwood took out the solver’s badge I had entrusted to him.

He signed it with a quill pen on the table.

Perhaps it was a special pen, as blue text appeared on the badge.

My merit points recorded on the badge increased by 100P.

Though the request brought no direct benefit to Renwood or Manoa, it was more points than I expected.

“You don’t seem surprised?”

“I’m surprised, but I’ll take it as a reward for passing your test.”

“Haha, exactly. I noticed you’ve been diligently collecting merit points. Do you have something in mind? A position in the Empire, perhaps?”

“No, I want to give a grand speech in the plaza before the Imperial Capital.”

The plaza before the Imperial Capital wasn’t open to just anyone.

As the heart of the Empire, even nobles needed the Emperor’s approval to use it.

But with 1,000P in merit points, you could speak there once.

Typically, it’s used to loudly proclaim loyalty to the Empire to catch nobles’ eyes, but I had no such intention.

“A speech? To prevent the war?”

“Yes, one speech might not change much, but I still want to try.”

“Hahaha, interesting. Truly interesting.”

Baron Renwood laughed heartily, his mouth wide open.

His demeanor was much more relaxed than our first meeting.

After two encounters, he seemed to feel a sense of familiarity with me.

Taking advantage of the loosened atmosphere, I mentioned another promise he had made.

“Didn’t you say that if I resolved Turoko’s issue, you’d offer help beyond merit points?”

“I did. What do you want? Tell me.”

“When I gather 1,000P and stand in the Imperial Capital’s plaza, stand behind me. That’s all.”

“Hoo…”

Renwood’s eyes changed.

Standing beside me during a speech wasn’t just about taking up space.

If the Baron stood by me, it would be tantamount to declaring his support for me to the entire Empire.

For a noble with much to lose, it wasn’t a decision to make lightly.

“I have an even better proposal. Want to hear it?”

“What is it?”

“If things go well, you could have not just me but a dozen nobles standing behind you during your speech.”

* * *

“It suits you perfectly. Relax your expression. You need to look natural.”

“This is my first time wearing something like this… Is this okay?”

“Don’t act natural—just be natural. Like when you talk to me!”

“I’ll try.”

Renwood’s proposal was for me to attend the Western Noble Coalition.

This quarter’s meeting was happening in Manoa, where Renwood’s influence was stronger.

He planned to introduce me to the nobles in the coalition.

“Don’t worry too much; it’s just an introduction. You’re not the star of this event, and there are others being introduced like you. Don’t aim to gain something specific today—just get a feel for the coalition’s atmosphere.”

I nodded to Renwood but didn’t fully believe him.

It was a gathering of influential nobles.

I couldn’t take it as lightly as he suggested.

He was likely saying it to ease my tension.

- The Western Noble Coalition. Quite a grand debut stage for you, Polarin.

I had gotten information about the Western Noble Coalition from Labella.

As the name suggests, it’s a coalition of nobles from the western part of the Imperial Capital.

Not all Imperial nobles share the same interests.

They group together based on their titles, their territories’ main products, or their regions, working for their own benefit.

It’s not uncommon for a noble to belong to multiple coalitions.

Labella called the Western Noble Coalition a “radical noble coalition.”

They weren’t blindly obedient to the Emperor and weren’t shy about voicing their opinions.

Unlike the relatively fertile south, the war-obsessed north, or the east with no intention of uniting, the western nobles had their own distinct character.

With neither particularly fertile land nor struggling territories, the Western Noble Coalition, which could have been in an ambiguous position, defined themselves as “revolutionaries.”

Not actual revolutionaries, but nobles who considered not just the Emperor but also the people’s perspectives.

- It won’t be bad for you, Polarin. The Western Nobles have been most vocal recently about opposing the war.

After hearing Labella’s explanation, I had a decent grasp of the coalition, but that didn’t make my tension dissipate easily.

- The first time someone is invited to a coalition meeting is called a debut. The impression you make there determines whether you stay closely tied to the coalition afterward.

- If a prominent noble in the coalition invites you, it makes things easier, but… unfortunately, Baron Renwood, despite being a good person, is just a baron. Your role will be crucial, Polarin.

After hearing Labella, Renwood’s friendly smile felt less reliable.

I wished he had some ace up his sleeve.

“The clothes look great. Even if you didn’t bring any, I had a set prepared, but take it as a gift later.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Did you buy them? I heard you spent quite a bit at the auction house. No, wait, these aren’t clothes you can buy with money. A gift from Princess Labella?”

Renwood seemed like a kind, laughing man, but his sharp remarks made it hard to let my guard down.

Yet, with the tension of my upcoming debut, it was hard to focus on his words.

I’d have felt more at ease if he’d told me to fight with a sword.

The thought that this debut could significantly impact stopping the Empire’s war kept my nerves on edge.

“A top-grade linen shirt, like it’s woven from the purest snow. The sleeves are perfectly puffed! The subtle silver accents are so refined. As expected, the Princess’s taste is beyond what nobles can match.”

“Yes… I really like it.”

“And with your well-trained physique, the silk vest fits perfectly. Green silk, inspired by Manoa’s colors? It highlights your balanced, muscular frame!”

Ugh, it’s overwhelming.

I wished the Baron would quiet down for a moment.

…But I couldn’t knock him out.

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