Chapter 22 : The Stolen Legacy of the Duke

After gasping for a while, Raymon pulled out a document from his chest.

“This… this is the information I have.”

“Let me see it.”

Ethan took the document from him and looked at the title.

[Technical Transfer Agreement Record]

“What is this?”

“…Did you know that the Ten Branch Families took the Duke’s techniques?”

“Yeah. I heard they stole and learned them clumsily, right?”

To think they could use a high-level breathing technique in such a sloppy way.

Even if the Duke’s intermediate Knights had been given the breathing technique, they would’ve used it better than that.

That’s how the Ten Branch Families split up and took the Duke’s techniques.

While the branch families were analyzing the Duke’s techniques, the Seven Royal Houses sent a letter.

“A letter?”

“At that time, weren’t most of the high-ranking Knights in the Duke’s family killed in the war against the Dragonkin?”

Ethan nodded.

It wasn’t just the previous head and the one before him who lost their lives in the war against the Dragonkin.

The Knights who followed them also suffered near annihilation.

“Maybe that’s why they made such an arrogant proposal. They demanded all of the Duke’s techniques. Otherwise, they threatened that something could happen later…”

“You handed them over, didn’t you?”

Raymon nodded.

“Honestly, the reason we branch families could even form the Elders’ Council wasn’t because we were that capable.”

He wasn’t wrong.

The Elders’ Council was a group hastily put together from the ten largest branch families, who had been lucky enough not to be drafted into the war against the Dragonkin.

In other words, it was a collection of people who knew nothing about war.

“At the time, we had no power to stop the Seven Royal Houses. Most of the Knights in the Duke’s house were gone, and we weren’t that influential either. Honestly, we had no choice.”

“This is a complete mess.”

This wasn’t charity, it was just stupidity.

Hearing that the Duke’s techniques had leaked everywhere made Ethan’s head boil with anger.

Was there ever a family as naive… no, as much of a pushover as this one?

“So, did you just hand them over for free?”

“It wasn’t entirely without compensation. Our branch families couldn’t decipher the mysteries contained in the techniques we got from the Duke’s family. The Seven Royal Houses agreed to annotate and interpret them for us.”

To think they learned high-level techniques but couldn’t use them properly because they lacked the talent?

He began to wonder if these people were even human.

Only now did Ethan start to understand why the sons of the Baron’s family used mana so clumsily.

They weren’t just foolish; their talent was far below average.

‘Ha. And here I thought the family’s techniques were at least practical.’

He had wondered if maybe part of the technique had been lost, resulting in them learning an incomplete breathing method, but that wasn’t even close to the truth.

“So, did you get the annotated version?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Actually, it wasn’t for free.”

“Then?”

“They started selling the annotated versions for money.”

“Ha.”

Ethan let out a hollow laugh.

Raymon, his face red, continued.

“The price of the annotated versions depended on the grade of the technique. The ones related to high-level techniques were so expensive the price was through the roof.”

“On top of that, they even started selling training manuals that mixed secret techniques from the Seven Royal Houses with some of the Duke’s techniques. Father… began squeezing the territory dry to buy those.”

At this point, it was beyond foolish; it was pitiful.

How could they obtain the techniques, fail to understand them, and then pay to buy annotated versions?

To Ethan, it was as absurd as the distance between the Western Continent and the Eastern Continent.

“Sheesh.”

At Ethan’s sigh, Raymon hurried to explain.

“We had no choice but to buy them. The power gap was too big, so we couldn’t even resist.”

“Yeah. I get it.”

The Seven Royal Houses may have been a pack of idiots, but in the Heidern Kingdom, they were still influential enough to strut around with pride.

A branch family that couldn’t even learn high-level techniques properly was easy for them to crush.

So, after handing over the techniques like pushovers, they had no choice but to buy the annotated versions with money.

“Besides, it wasn’t just the Seven Royal Houses who wanted the techniques to spread; the royal family wanted it too. They claimed it was to quickly build up strength in case the Dragonkin attacked again.”

They lost not just power but justification as well.

Ethan let out a bitter laugh.

The Seven Royal Houses and the Heidern Royal Family.

Even in his previous life, and now again, they showed both admiration and envy toward the Duke’s family.

As soon as the Duke’s family was shaken, they threatened to hand over the techniques, and even went so far as to alter them with their own touch.

“So, did you ever buy the annotated version?”

“The price was so high we haven’t been able to buy it yet. We do have a few of the altered training manuals, though. Would you like to see them?”

They looked ready to hand over everything, even their guts.

Ethan nodded.

“Show me.”

“Here it is.”

Raymon pulled out a book that looked like a training manual from his chest.

Just what kind of hybrid was this, mixing the Seven Royal Houses’ secrets with the Duke’s techniques?

Ethan turned to the first page of the manual…

‘Ho.’

His eyes began to shine.

The Duke’s techniques.

He could feel the desperate effort to add their own color to the techniques, even through the book.

Ethan’s impression of the manual was very simple.

“This is really crude.”

If he were to be extremely generous, maybe he could use it as an example for the Duke’s trainee Knights—of what not to do when mixing techniques.

‘If you’re going to mix them, at least use techniques of the same caliber.’

The mysteries contained within were on a completely different level—how could the Seven Royal Houses’ techniques be combined with those of the Duke’s family?

The Duke’s high-level techniques, if you truly understood their mysteries, were advanced enough to be used all the way to becoming a transcendent.

In fact, not just the direct descendants who learned the family’s secret techniques, but even Knights who only learned the high-level techniques would sometimes reach the level of a transcendent.

That’s how outstanding these techniques were.

But mixing them with the likes of the Seven Royal Houses’ secrets could only result in a crude hybrid.

There was a bit of creativity, but that was all.

‘And they didn’t even mix in proper secret techniques.’

Even among the secret techniques suitable for direct descendants, it looked like they only mixed in the lowest or lower-level ones.

‘Well.’

If you’re selling to the Ten Branch Families, you’d have to be crazy to offer a product with high-level secret techniques mixed in.

No one but a fool would do that.

If such results existed, they’d only pass them on secretly to the core members of the family.

‘Not that it would matter even if they tried mixing them.’

No matter what tricks they tried, they’d never surpass the Duke Ardan family’s secret techniques.

Ethan closed the book and looked at Raymon.

He’d thought he was just an idiot, but he’d actually brought some useful information.

The Ten Branch Families and the Seven Royal Houses.

He now had evidence of their connection, and documents that showed exactly what kind of relationship they had.

“Not bad.”

“Th-thank you.”

Raymon bowed his head politely and handed over several more documents.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a ledger showing the financial flow of the Baron’s Territory.”

Ethan clicked his tongue as he looked at the ledger.

Not only had they squeezed taxes beyond the maximum rate, but there was a steadily growing pile of so-called protection fees coming in from dozens of groups every month.

This wasn’t all Helmut was raking in.

He was also taking about 2% of the total taxes collected throughout the Ducal Territory every month.

All under some strange name, like Balanced Development Support Fund or whatever.

‘If the weakest one takes 2%…’

The Ten Branch Families.

That meant they were taking at least 20% of the Ducal Territory’s taxes.

The Ducal Territory and the Baron’s Territory.

There was no comparison in size or population.

Even just 2% of the amount was close to 30% of the Baron’s Territory’s tax revenue.

‘So that’s why Poerte was able to develop like this.’

Poerte.

It was just a small city attached to the Baron’s Territory.

He’d wondered why it was so prosperous, and now he understood.

After developing an entire city, there was still money left to save up steadily.

“All this money they’ve been saving up was basically for buying techniques, right?”

“…Yes. We’ve purchased a few training manuals so far, but Father was never satisfied. What he really wanted was the annotated version analyzing the mysteries of the high-level breathing technique.”

“So that’s why he stashed away a hundred platinum coins?”

“That’s probably it. It’s said that the annotated version explaining the mysteries of the Mana Breathing Technique is very expensive…”

Ethan nodded.

Black Magic, Blood Magic, White Magic, martial arts, spirit arts, and so on.

There were countless professions that used different energies, but they all had one thing in common.

‘In the end, they all have to use mana.’

Everything was ultimately an energy created by twisting the nature of mana.

So, a breathing technique for accumulating mana was the most basic and essential foundation.

That’s why annotated versions related to Mana Breathing Techniques were so expensive.

‘A hundred platinum coins.’

That’s ten thousand gold coins.

That was roughly the annual tax revenue of the wealthy Baron’s Territory.

On top of expanding the private army and developing the territory, they’d managed to save up that much.

You’d believe it if someone said this was a rich Viscount Territory instead of the Baron’s.

“I appreciate the information you gave me.”

“Th-then, will you… spare my life?”

“Well, I’ll let you live.”

It was the Baron and his two sons who had completely disregarded him, not this eldest son.

There was no need to kill him. Of course, not killing him didn’t mean he’d guarantee his safety.

It just meant he’d let him live.

“Is there a detached building here?”

“Y-yes, there is.”

Perfect.

After gathering up everyone related to the Baron’s family, he could lock them up there and release them later.

“If you want to live, stay in there with your family and don’t come out.”

“Y-yes!”

“Then, you may go.”

Raymon hurriedly left the office.

It had been two days since Ethan occupied the Baron’s Territory.

In that time, rumors had spread all over Poerte.

News was out that the Kargas Baron’s family had been completely taken over by the Grand Young Lord.

On the first day, people were skeptical, but by the second day, the rumor was almost certain.

Even just among the Knights and soldiers serving in the inner castle, people were talking about how the Baron’s family and their relatives were all locked up in a detached building.

Not only that, but there was word that all sorts of luxury goods from the inner castle were being distributed daily through the Misas Merchant Guild.

Judging by these developments, it was clear something had happened in the Baron’s family.

So what would become of the Baron’s Territory?

The people, who had been crushed under excessive taxes, were listening closely to news of a new lord in the inner castle.

Meanwhile, Ethan was welcoming a special guest in the office.

“Oh! Grand Young Lord! It really is you!”

An old man was speaking to him, tearfully.

He barely remembered anything before he collapsed. But there was no way he wouldn’t recognize this old man.

In his previous life, this man had risen from commoner to Count through his fame in administration, and even ended up as chief administrator of the Duke’s family.

“Praxian?”

“Yes, that’s right! I can’t believe you still remember this old man’s name…!”

The old man called Praxian trembled with emotion.

‘It’s been a long time.’

Back when he ruled the Ducal Territory in his previous life, he had entrusted countless tasks to this man.

That’s how much he valued him.

He never imagined they’d meet again like this.

“Have you been well?”

“Though I was driven out of the Duke’s family, I’ve been getting by, Grand Young Lord.”

“Driven out?”

“Yes. Not just me, but most of the administrators were.”

“Since when?”

“…About a year after you collapsed, Grand Young Lord. After that, the branch families’ tyranny couldn’t be stopped.”

Even if the branch families lacked martial strength, that didn’t mean the gentle administrators could resist.

The Elders’ Council, which temporarily took over as head, could easily drive out the family’s administrators.

He could quickly grasp the situation.

‘Just when I needed someone to handle administration.’

To have someone to manage affairs appear at just the right time.

Ethan felt satisfied that the ties he still had to the Ducal Territory hadn’t been completely severed.

“Do you like tea?”

Ethan’s eyes shone as he looked at Praxian.