Chapter 72.1

The Northern Plague (1)

When I served tea brewed personally in the celadon I had made myself, Gard and Entir’s expressions softened visibly.

Even their obsession with the magic stones embedded in the ceiling seemed to have faded away.

“Wow…! To think we’re drinking tea personally brewed by Count Jin himself.”

“On top of that, isn’t this celadon also made by President Jin himself? It was definitely worth the long journey to get here. Hahaha!”

The two of them continued to savor the tea I had brewed, marveling over its taste repeatedly.

“Whoa…! It’s hard to believe this is the same kind of tea. How can it have such a deep flavor? I don’t think I’ll ever forget this, even when I return to the merchant guild.”

“They don’t call him the best chef in the North and the developer of Arad Salt for nothing.”

Thanks to that, the awkward atmosphere from earlier had eased considerably.

“This color looks just like real skin. Should I touch it once?”

“Did he grind up human skin to make this?”

“Don’t touch that!”

“Man, you’re being way too strict. I can just buy it, right?”

“It’s not for sale! Absolutely not!”

“Ah, come on! What’s this? Is it enchanted or something?”

I could still hear the rowdy chatter of Carpe and the mercenaries outside my office, along with Theo’s voice trying to mediate.

“To be able to drink tea from the southernmost tip while in the North… this is a rare experience.”

Entir deliberately ignored the commotion outside and continued our conversation.

“I’m glad it suits your taste. I only serve it to very important guests.”

“It’s truly an honor to be treated as a valued guest by Count Jin. Hahaha!”

Starting the conversation with casual small talk was customary.

Of course, in the North, where pragmatism ruled, it was perfectly acceptable to get straight to the point. However, since Entir was an imperial citizen, it was natural to follow this approach.

“Hayas tea comes from Scania, one of the island nations in the Kingdoms’ Union, right?”

Since the situation wasn’t particularly urgent, nor was I especially busy, I decided to indulge in this non-Northern style of conversation.

“By the way, Hayas tea was always expensive, but it’s gotten even pricier these days.”

We started our conversation while sipping on Hayas tea, a specialty product from Scania, an island country located at the southernmost end of the Kingdoms’ Union.

“It seems Bardenheim has been causing a lot of trouble for the Empire lately?”

I fixed my gaze on Entir.

When it came to affairs concerning the Kingdoms’ Union, the Bishop Merchant Guild, which traded continent-wide, was more knowledgeable than Gard.

‘Ever since I saved Arina, the original flow of history has been completely derailed.’

The butterfly effect that started in the North was now influencing the entire continent.

Apart from the fate of certain individuals, natural disasters, and the development timeline of certain technologies, I could no longer rely on the timeline of the original history.

Because of this, I had to regularly assess the political landscape of the Empire and the continent.

“Indeed. While there hasn’t been an all-out war, large-scale skirmishes are occurring one after another along the Empire’s western border.”

Entir couldn’t hide his smile, likely thinking about his wife, who was currently stationed on the western front.

“The Kingdoms’ Union seems to be overdoing it a bit, don’t you think? Even if the Emperor is bedridden, they’re taking it too far. It’s not as if Crown Prince Canbraman is incapable of acting as regent.”

At the mention of Canbraman, Entir’s eyebrows lowered slightly before quickly returning to normal.

“It’s probably because of the Northern Grand Duchy.”

“The North? Are you saying it’s because of us?”

“Yes. The Kingdoms’ Union is doing everything in its power to prevent the Empire from seizing the North.”

No matter how hostile the Kingdoms’ Union and the Empire were, they never stopped merchants from trading with each other. No, they couldn’t stop it.

After all, most of the royalty, nobility, and even the imperial family of Arcadia were connected through political marriages.

While one side fought, the other side continued to engage in trade, and neither the Pope of the Holy See, the Emperor of the Empire, nor the Archbishop of the Imperial Church could stop it.

“Recently, the Renslet name carries more weight in the Kingdoms’ Union than it does in the Empire.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, absolutely. At the banquets and balls held in Bardenheim, nobles can’t even dream of being treated as true nobles without Arad Salt and celadon from the Renslet family.”

Hearing this, I felt a growing desire to establish direct trade with the Kingdoms’ Union as soon as possible.

“Bardenheim, the capital of the Union, is a city as prosperous as the Imperial Capital. If Renslet is being recognized there, it’s as good as being acknowledged in all of Arcadia.”

In other words, the North’s products were not only flowing into the Kingdoms’ Union but also reaching them through the Empire.

Just as spices and silk from the East had once reached the North.

Just as tea from the distant southern kingdom was now present in my office.

“The kingdoms within the Union are desperate to prevent the Empire—specifically, the Imperial Family—from monopolizing the North’s celadon, fertilizers, and Arad Salt.”

It seemed the “enemy of my enemy is my friend” strategy I had proposed at the High Tower was working exceptionally well.

‘I need to go a step further and establish direct trade routes with the Kingdoms’ Union…’

At the same time, I strongly felt the need for routes to directly trade and communicate with the Union’s more Northern-friendly kingdoms.

It was frustrating that I couldn’t do anything because of the colossal presence of the Empire blocking the way.

‘If I could establish a direct connection with the Kingdoms’ Union, I could halt the Empire’s growth far more effectively.’

In the original timeline, the Empire experienced its golden age under Emperor Canbraman, also known as the “Brilliant Emperor.”

After effortlessly annexing the North, the Empire achieved unprecedented growth in magic engineering, enabling it to centralize its power.

With unified administration and military might, they crushed the Noble Assembly and the Church, ultimately subjugating the Kingdoms’ Union as well.

Having laid this foundation, Canbraman’s son, the Benevolent Emperor Julian, solidified the “Thousand-Year Empire” into an unshakeable force.

‘The current North is in a far better position than it was in the original timeline. But… it’s still not enough. It’s still too unstable.’

My gaze shifted to the map hanging on the wall of my office.

It depicted not only the entire continent of Arcadia but also a detailed map of the North.

My eyes locked onto a spot on the map—a coastal area to the northwest of the North, Jin County.

‘The plan to create an ice-free port using the barrier magic of the greenhouse farms… I will make it happen within the next few years, no matter the cost.’

I had already conceived the plan back when I was appointed as a Count.

But to expand the greenhouse barrier over the frozen seas to reach the southern warm waters would require an astronomical amount of money.

Not to mention, there were the monsters and barbarians inhabiting the frozen sea to deal with.

“If the Empire ever makes a serious attempt to swallow the North, the Kingdoms’ Union will respond with a large-scale offensive—not just these slightly larger skirmishes but a near-full-scale war.”

Even as I stared at the map, recalling the events of the original history, Entir continued speaking.

“Will it really go that far?”

“Yes. The only ones who don’t realize it are the Northerners themselves. The Renslet name is currently the most closely watched in all of Arcadia.”

“I’m happy that our North is being recognized this much. But at the same time, it’s unsettling.”

“Indeed, Count Jin.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The moment I expressed my unease, Gard, who had been quietly sitting across from me, responded as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“The Empire… to be precise, the Imperial Family… is up to something.”

As expected, he had recently returned after leading a delegation to the Imperial Palace.

As the head of the Rune Merchant Guild, which served as an official merchant group, he had naturally conducted business in the capital during his visit.

“Did you notice anything unusual during your time at the capital?”

I asked Gard with a serious gaze.

“There was no specific information.”