Chapter 298: King of the North
The kingship of the North was very stable, because when the Supreme King was born, in just one night, all the people of the North would unite under the banner of the Supreme King.
The kingship of the North was also very unstable, because the Supreme King was not inherited by bloodline. The one who succeeded the throne of the Supreme King could only be called the King of the North.
Compared to the marquises, the King of the North merely had one more claim to rule. The land he directly governed was only slightly larger than a marquisate.
The birth of the Supreme King was unstable as well. Perhaps it was some unknown warrior, perhaps a minor noble, or perhaps a great noble. Therefore, when the Supreme King died, the descendants of his bloodline might not necessarily possess strength equal to his position.
For example, the current King of the North, Aureus Fernando.
At nearly sixty years of age, his body was a little hunched, and his eyes looked cloudy.
He received Hode and Cooper in Frozen Furnace Castle.
Hode stared at the people in the hall without the slightest fear.
On the throne directly in front, King Aureus sat. Hode could not feel any strong battle aura from him; he sat there like an ordinary old man.
Even the two guards beside him, clad in plain leather armor, carried a stronger presence than the noble king himself.
These were two dangerous men.
Hode was certain of it.
According to the evaluation of Greenwood, they should be considered Fourth-Tier Knights—Warriors of the North—moreover, ones very close to the Fifth Tier.
Below these two stood twelve elite warriors, six on each side.
Hode suddenly thought, perhaps the people of the North had underestimated this king.
“They have not underestimated me.” Aureus suddenly spoke, immediately drawing Hode’s gaze toward him.
Hode opened his mouth, but Aureus interrupted, saying, “I cannot see through your heart. It is just that everyone who meets me always thinks so.”
“An ordinary, weak man, yet forty-one years ago, at not even seventeen years of age and without passing the Northern Trial of Adulthood, I ascended the throne, and to this day have not died upon it. How could that not make people feel it strange?”
“In truth, it was only because the five of them, including your elder brother, believed none of the other marquises deserved to sit upon this throne. So they let me, a weak man, take it instead. At least, such a weak one as I could be replaced at any time.”
His voice carried the rasp of an old man, making Hode feel he resembled an ordinary elder of Greenwood.
But Hode dared not truly believe his words. There were no true fools who could become nobles, especially not one who had survived so long as the King of the North.
“Hode Hoover, greets the mighty King of the North.” Hode spoke, his eyes locked tightly on Aureus, without even bowing.
Aureus did not mind, and just like his impassive guards, seemed long accustomed to such behavior.
He said, “Hode Hoover… Hode, I seem to recall. Your mother should be named Polina?”
Hode answered, “Yes, Polina Fernando, your third daughter.”
Aureus said, “So it was her. With age, memory grows unclear. I only heard the report that someone from the Hoover Family requested an audience, but I did not expect it to be one carrying my blood.”
He straightened slightly, leaning forward, and looked carefully at Hode.
His bones made faint creaking sounds, as though even the slightest movement was taxing for his aged body.
“Ha, she bore a good child. You are a true warrior.” Aureus let out a sigh of admiration.
Yet Hode was unmoved.
In York Territory, his heart had been pierced so easily by Agamemnon that he did not believe himself worthy of being called a warrior.
He spoke with absolute honesty, “I am no warrior. I made a bargain with some people and require your help, that is why I have come to seek you.”
Aureus’s expression froze.
The Northerners indeed revered strength and power, but not always to such a degree.
After a pause, his expression grew subtle. He said, “Do you need my help, or do you mean to sell me out?”
Hode felt no surprise.
He only thought that his sleepless night and the decision to state his purpose directly had indeed been the right choice.
He looked at Aureus and said, “That depends on how you choose to see it.”
Aureus leaned back against the throne, raising a hand slightly to signal him to continue.
Hode said, “Greenwood has already completed its unification. At the behest of its ruler, their merchants have established close trade with the North. You must be aware of this.”
Aureus said, “Though Rat Path was driven out of Greenwood by a certain existence, they never gave up probing for news. So anything they could uncover is needless chatter for you to repeat.”
Hode narrowed his eyes and asked, “And the Lords of Annihilation? To what extent has Rat Path learned of them?”
Aureus’s gaze sharpened, the cloudiness in his eyes vanishing, becoming as sharp as a wolf of the ice plains in its prime, as he stared fixedly at Hode. He said, “Whatever you can learn from any noble of the North, that is the entirety of what there is to know.”
Hode’s body grew taut. In a deep voice, he asked, “If the power of the North was united, could it drive away those Annihilation Fiends?”
Aureus said, “They are already preparing the Crown of the Supreme King.”
Hode said, “But Greenwood’s people told me the power of Annihilation is beyond our imagination. Even if they did not say it outright, I am certain they intend to wait until the Northern Kingdom is destroyed by the Fiends, and then, in the name of driving them out, conquer the North.”
Aureus remained silent, his eyes locked on Hode, while Hode met his gaze without flinching.
After a long moment, Aureus’s sharpness faded, his eyes growing cloudy once more. He said, “I can see your words hold some unknown, but regarding the Lords of Annihilation, you are sincere.”
“So, the unknown part must be the aims of those from Greenwood.”
Hode slowly nodded, saying, “Some in Greenwood disdained to bargain with me. The ones who made the deal with me were another group. They want me to have you permit mercenary taverns to be established in the North, and to allow these people free passage here.”
Aureus asked, “Only that?”
“Only that,” Hode said. After a deep breath, he added, “You must know Greenwood’s current state. There is no king. All matters are managed entirely by the Senate and the Church. The one who dealt with me was a senator, whose authority covers these mercenary taverns.”
Aureus closed his eyes, leaning his head against the throne. With one finger tapping lightly on its armrest, he said, “Yes, I know. In Greenwood there is the Church and the Senate. By my bedside lie all the scriptures of the Church. They are noble. But the senators, who mainly govern state affairs, are selfish. So the one who made a deal with you must naturally be expanding his own power.”
He stopped tapping, opening his clouded eyes to look at Hode, asking, “And the payment you receive for completing this task?”
Hode said, “Three hundred elite warriors, fully armed, and five thousand York gold coins.”
Aureus said, “Five thousand York gold coins? That is a grand price. Even all the taxes I receive in a year would only suffice to trade for two thousand.”
Hode said, “What he wants is the claim to the entire North.”
Aureus said, “That is worth nothing. He could just as well hold a sword to a great noble’s throat and force him to yield. The nobles of the North are strong, but in the end, they are still men.”
Hode was stunned.
Aureus continued, “As long as the King of the North nods, they would no longer need to seek out each noble one by one. So in the end, these gold coins are practically a gift to you.”
“Have these rewards already been given to you?”
Hode shook his head and said, “No. And I hope they can be exchanged for ballistae instead. Such things can be used in war.”
“Ha, it seems you are already preparing for the wars to come.” Aureus chuckled, then added, “And you also believe I will surely agree to your request?”
Hode said, “Whether you grant my request or not will not affect the coming war. If you agree, I will bring the ballistae and three hundred fully armed elite warriors to fight. If you refuse, then I will fight to the death as a descendant of the Hoover Family.”
Aureus’s laughter weakened, like an old man short of breath. He said, “You are indeed a true warrior.”
Hode remained silent. His family was gone. Sold into Greenwood, the master he had once wished to serve was gone. The Church, who bought him a second time, cast him out. The elder brother he was fortunate enough to contact was of unknown life or death. The only reason he continued to live was to carry on the bloodline of the Hoover Family.
Yet the North itself was on the verge of annihilation by the army of the Lords of Annihilation. Even if he survived, it would only mean dying pointlessly. Without strength to participate in the war, he would be no different than a wolf of the ice plains struck down by the roadside.
And could the fleeing descendants of the Hoover Family still be called the honorable Hoover Family?
Could such a warrior truly be called a warrior?
Aureus’s clouded eyes fixed on the silent Hode as he went on, “You are Polina’s child, and so my bloodline as well. My other descendants cannot be called warriors. How could such people inherit my place? Perhaps it was that this land of the North remembered the contributions of the Fernando Family, and so sent you to me. Child, the blood of the Fernando Family flows within you as well. With a single nod, you could become Hode Fernando. When I die, this throne would be yours.”
As he spoke, Aureus lifted his arm. The skin on the back of his hand was shriveled, the hand itself little more than bones wrapped in skin.
“Look, my life is nearing its end. When that time comes, you will be crowned king.”
Aureus’s words carried the allure of food to a starving man. Hode swallowed unconsciously.
But then he recalled the way Cooper had tried to rouse his spirit. At last, he said, “I am sorry, great King Aureus. My return is only for the hope of meeting an honorable death. Perhaps, when people speak of this war, they will mention the name of the Hoover Family.”
At that thought, he remembered how, since Puniel mentioned the Hall of Heroes, Cooper had been trying—both intentionally and not—to gather news about the Church of the Sanctuary and the Hall of Heroes.
With a hint of release in his voice, he said, “And if I could die bravely in battle, perhaps I might even enter the Hall of Heroes.”
Aureus narrowed his eyes and asked, “The Hall of Heroes?”
Hode answered casually, “The people of Greenwood say that those who die bravely in battle can enter the Hall of Heroes. There, one may drink without end and feast without limit. The heroic spirits have no limit of lifespan, and can fight in their strongest state against heroes of past and future, while praising each other’s valor.”
“But how could such a place truly exist? It may just be a story spread from Greenwood’s monastery.”
Aureus slowly said, “So it is…”
Hode nodded, then looked at Aureus with earnest eyes. He said, “I refuse to become Hode Fernando. I choose to fight to my life’s end as Hode Hoover. But I ask you to grant his request—to allow the mercenaries to walk freely in the North. As that senator said to me, their strength too can be united to fight against the Lords of Annihilation.”
Aureus nodded and said in a calm tone, “Very well, I agree.”
Hode froze. That plain tone nearly made him fail to react.
Aureus continued, “But for the next few days, I invite you to remain here in Frozen Furnace Castle. After some time, you may go and give him your reply. You can tell him it cost you a great price to gain my agreement. That will prove your worth to him, and compel them to raise the payment promised to you.”
Hode hesitated slightly.
Aureus raised his hand, and from the shadows a servant stepped forth, supporting his arm.
Turning his back to Hode, Aureus walked toward the rear hall, his voice echoing back, “I only wish for you, who carry my blood, to gain greater benefit. And of course, if in these days you could also leave behind more of my bloodline, I would be even happier. Among my children, none are warriors like you.”
“Of course, you may leave at any time if you wish. I will not stop you. And what I have promised, I will give command for in three days’ time. I will have the people of Rat Path deliver my orders across every land of the North.”
…
In the end, Hode chose to remain in Frozen Furnace Castle.
His journey to Greenwood had exhausted him. Only in the chill winds of the North did he feel a measure of comfort. After all, he did carry the blood of Northern nobles.
“This king is generous,” Cooper whispered to Hode. “I will go and enjoy his hospitality first. Should anything happen, at least you will have a chance to live.”
With that, Cooper unceremoniously pulled two women, clad only in thin Greenwood silk, into his arms, throwing them upon the bed. Soon laughter and Cooper’s wild cries filled the chamber.
Hode shook his head. Entering the pool under the service of women, he sank into its warm waters. Their soft hands caressed him, and before long, Hode drifted into sleep.