Several days had passed. No further progress had been made since then, of course — but his head was full of romantic words that kept ringing through his mind.
Alfredo seemed to have noticed his mood as well, and would often smile along with him.
That violet-like girl had been moving his heart this way and that.
But the Grand Duke of the North was a man who kept public and private matters strictly separate.
He had survived the frigid winters of the North, maintained his composure against the demon-like nomadic tribes that kept pushing southward, and commanded his armies as the finest of commanders — the Margrave!
"Your Grace?"
And beyond that, he had overcome the hellish winters of the North through ingenuity and sheer effort, and had worked tirelessly to ensure that no one in any city of the North starved to death.
In a region where most people died before reaching forty, he had achieved the kind of legacy that allowed people to live out their natural lives in peace.
"Your Grace? Are you listening?"
Hexon seemed to be rambling on about something.
That wasn't important.
In the Hall of Winter, there was no time to entertain trivial opinions. Through careful selection and focus....
"Your Grace?"
"Ah — yes. Right."
"Please share your thoughts."
"On what?"
Hexon made a peculiar expression.
He glanced sideways at the others in the room.
Berdo's expression was equally peculiar.
When did you all get into the Hall of Winter?
He wanted to ask, but it seemed he was the one who had lost his composure.
Hergel wore the same peculiar expression. These people.
"Truly worthy of the Grand Duke."
"Wh — what is?"
"They say the blood of the wolf gazes upon only one woman and thinks of her forever. Is this not proof that the blood of the wolf runs through Your Grace's veins?"
"You're mocking me, aren't you? Right now?"
Hexon was the first to let out a small laugh.
Laughter spread through the Hall of Winter.
Berdo laughed the loudest. Hergel didn't even bother trying to suppress his.
"Is it that obvious? Even to you all?"
"Your Grace. Of all the sides of you we have ever witnessed, this is the most wolf-like you have ever been — there is nothing to worry about."
"That's still mockery, isn't it?"
"Ha ha ha! Truly the authentic Duke of the North!"
He let out a laugh before he could stop himself.
Right. Let's laugh. Laugh first, then get to work.
They all burst into laughter together in the Hall of Winter.
No one quite knew what they were laughing about.
No — it seemed he was the only one who didn't know. I need to get back to business. This won't do.
He collected himself. There was a separate reason the ministers had gathered in the Hall of Winter.
The negotiations with the Imperial House had finally reached their conclusion.
The Grand Duke's fury had been no act. That much, it seemed, had been duly reported.
Dorgon and the Owls had shared the same assessment.
The Imperial House appeared to have decided that the Grand Duke's anger needed to be appeased, at least for now.
The one most displeased by it all, apparently, had been the Crown Prince.
"Independence — I didn't think it would be decided this quickly."
"Indeed."
"Have you looked into what problems might arise at this juncture?"
Hexon said he had engaged in serious discussions with the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the North's independence.
When comparing the North's current situation against the South's, he had concluded that a direct comparison between the two was impossible.
"In practical terms, we are already in a state of de facto independence, so there are no issues of justification or other political complications whatsoever."
"And the reaction within the North itself?"
"The same. There is, in fact, a degree of ill feeling among Northerners toward Southerners."
"Even so, you must treat Daniela well."
Ha ha ha! Laughter erupted again.
The mood lightened for a moment.
It was, in truth, an accurate point.
Among the people of the North, there were those who had originally come from the South and been driven out, and there were cases where they had built families and passed their lineage down through the generations.
And there was, to some degree, discrimination against Northerners.
It hadn't reached the point of outright hostility — but there was an atmosphere of mutual dislike.
The political justifications and grounds had been established, so there were no issues on that front. But what remained now was the matter of money.
"The economic situation is much the same. We have been receiving economic reports on the South continuously, yet a proper comparison has proven difficult."
"Still, there must be some results to show for it."
"There are."
Hexon had mobilized nearly all of the personnel in the Ministry of Internal Affairs to conduct a thorough investigation of the South's economic conditions.
There had been a reason documents kept going back and forth.
Hexon had worked hard. But there would be no vacation or retirement. Bear that in mind.
"It isn't a definitive figure, but we were able to estimate a ratio of roughly five to one."
"That much of a difference?"
"Given the South's economic structure, yes. Merchants and nobles hold an almost complete monopoly on wealth, and the portion that should be cycling back into essential consumption is nearly absent."
Five to one. If the gap was truly that wide, he thought, the economic scale would not be sufficient to absorb the goods accumulating within the North.
Hexon agreed.
"Furthermore, the state of the roads and other infrastructure is considerably lacking. Even the Barth estate can only be maintained at a minimal scale — it cannot be compared to our mastone mines."
Berdo's words confirmed his conviction.
The North's economic problem.
In more technical terms: stagnation of the real economy and the pressure of inflation.
It was to resolve that problem that he had considered trade with the South.
But what he felt now was clear — with this degree of disparity in economic power, trouble was inevitable.
It was unavoidable that the North's gold and assets would be drawn southward, but it would plainly take far too long before any meaningful returns materialized.
And he could not pour money in without limit. What he wanted was the kind of consumption that would necessarily stimulate the North's economy.
"How are preparations for establishing the Central Bank coming along?"
"It will be established shortly. Preparations are complete — but who would be suitable as the person in charge?"
"Jackson handled things well this time around. It's about time Jackson got a promotion. Leave it to Jackson."
But the important thing was to take the first step.
With the Central Bank's establishment ready, leaving it to Jackson seemed the surest course.
A man with no flexibility would manage things on his own terms. And if problems arose, he could step in immediately.
And he would need to proceed with the Barth estate trade on a limited basis.
"Extend loans to the South gradually, and secure what can be secured through such means. For now, let's proceed slowly, with House Barth as the primary focus."
"Understood, Your Grace."
Now the important matter was diplomacy.
Zamuchin had not yet returned.
The nomadic lands were vast, and there were many people to see.
Those who could be won over needed to be won over, and dangerous tribes needed to be preemptively struck — gathering that intelligence appeared to be taking considerable time.
Still, Hergel was managing things well in the meantime.
"The agreement has taken effect immediately, so things are proceeding without issue. However —"
"However?"
"The noble assembly of marquis rank and above that House Barth had convened — you recall it?"
"I do. That's no longer necessary, though."
"The Crown Prince has given his approval, it seems. It will be held at the Imperial Palace itself, in about a week's time."
That was puzzling.
Wait — the fact that it was being held at the Imperial Palace rather than the Barth estate was significant.
He would need to get detailed information from Dorgon or the Owls.
But he could make an educated guess.
The Crown Prince was taking the lead on his own terms. The intent to pressure the other nobles.
"Shall I attend?"
Hergel was taken aback.
Hergel said it wasn't necessary to go to such lengths, but when he ran the calculations, it was clear which option was more advantageous.
He had already pushed the pressure quite high — there was a need to ease off once.
Withdrawing troops was not a good choice. Not in the current situation.
"The South has already been under considerable pressure, and it needs to be eased at least once."
"That is so, but there is no need for Your Grace to go in person...."
"Would it not be better for me to go and settle things directly?"
Hergel conceded the point.
But it seemed there was something else Hergel was worried about. The other ministers appeared to share the concern.
"It is impossible to predict what discourtesy the Crown Prince might show Your Grace at that gathering."
"That's nothing to worry about. If independence is now recognized, does that not put me on roughly equal footing with the Crown Prince?"
"Hmm — in terms of justification, the ruler of a grand duchy stands directly below the Emperor, so one could indeed consider them of equal standing."
"Then that settles it. Tell Leo to prepare."
He left those final words behind and stepped out of the Hall of Winter.
The Crown Prince is starting again.
The pressure on the other nobles needed to be eased.
All objectives had been achieved. The configuration had been designed to pressure the Imperial House — that time had passed.
"Are you there?"
"You called?"
The Owls. Dressed in the uniform of the personal guard, yet faithfully bringing intelligence from the Imperial Palace. And monitoring internal movements, among other things.
"The Crown Prince coming — that doesn't seem like the Crown Prince's own idea. It's because of that de Bosch girl, isn't it?"
"That is our assessment as well. Word is also circulating that House de Bosch will be participating."
"Their rank shouldn't qualify them, yet they're forcing their way in. Now I see it. Now I understand."
This was not a result born of pressure from House Barth or the North.
It could, of course, be a vague misreading on his part. But given the current configuration —
"It seems they intend to elevate House de Bosch."
That, he would not allow.