Chapter 89
At first glance, it sounded like they were simply willing to take whatever land was left.
But that wasn’t the case.
Staying in the South ultimately meant claiming land adjacent to it.
In other words, it was a declaration that they had no intention of going north of Wilkeron.
‘The granary region is concentrated in the east. The land closest to the South is also in the east. In the end, what they really want is control over the food supply.’
They were people who had known hunger for too long. Naturally, that would be the first thing they coveted.
“If you only go after the choicest pieces, you might end up with an upset stomach.”
At that moment, the leader of the Kalik tribe let out a short chuckle and joined the conversation.
“You already have the best circumstances among the three tribes with your desalination technology, and now you wish to monopolize the food supply as well?”
As expected, the Kalik tribe also had their eyes on the granary region. That area didn’t just produce wheat and barley; there were also vast fields of potatoes and turnips. Fruits thrived there as well.
Whoever seized that land would have control over the entire nation’s food supply—of course, it was tempting.
‘Meanwhile, the west has the mines.’
The Kalik tribe was a warrior clan. Claiming the western lands wouldn’t be a bad choice for them.
‘Though, naturally, the existing lords would strongly oppose it.’
Siren relaxed her body and tried to assess everything objectively.
For now, Yasamin had already beheaded the King of Wilkeron and seized the royal palace. He was also, on paper, married to a princess of legitimate lineage.
Officially, he was also the Grand Duke of the South.
In other words, he was more than qualified to become the new king.
‘When a new king rises, new noble houses follow.’
Typically, when a conqueror emerges, they distribute some of the existing land among their followers. However, a country is never divided up in this manner.
The backlash from the existing nobility would be too severe, and such instability would create issues in governing the nation.
If minimizing that resistance was the goal…
“Does the leader of the Kalik tribe perhaps intend to establish a ducal house?”
If this wasn’t just a reckless endeavor, then there was only one logical conclusion.
No one had told her outright, but Siren had deduced it on her own.
“Ohh. That is indeed my intention.”
“In that case, since your strength lies in military power, the west would be a better choice. Take the mines for yourself.”
At Siren’s proposal, the leader of the Kalik tribe stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming. His expression suggested he was intrigued and wanted to hear more. Siren gestured toward the spread-out map.
“If you look here, you’ll see that there are ten major mines in this area. If you’re planning to establish a noble house… securing the mines would be a better way to maintain both wealth and military strength. Even if it means giving up the granary region, I would still recommend this option.”
“Hmm. The mines, you say….”
He seemed to have taken a liking to the idea, but he still dragged out his response. He couldn’t just jump on it immediately—he needed to hear what the other tribes thought first.
“The Aquafuran tribe is in favor.”
The leader of the Aquafuran tribe was the first to voice their agreement.
“The Nu tribe is also in favor. The mines are of no use to us, after all.”
High Priest Hies eventually gave his agreement as well, albeit somewhat coolly.
It was clear they weren’t happy about handing over the mines, but at the same time, they saw no benefit in keeping them, so they were willing to let them go.
‘Most of the nobles in the west built their wealth on mining and commerce. There’s no way they could stand against the military strength of the Kalik tribe.’
Siren’s lady-in-waiting, Larisa Orm, was also from the west.
In the future, when the Kalik tribe establishes a noble house, they will undoubtedly need a guide. At that time, recommending Larisa seemed like the best course of action.
“Well then, I’m curious to know who will take the North. Any tribes interested?”
Yasamin, who had been observing the discussion, tapped the map. At this, High Priest Hies and the leader of the Aquafuran tribe exchanged a long, steady gaze.
Both had their own reasons for being unable to leave the South.
‘The Nu tribe is sustained by faith. Unlike the Kalik tribe, they can’t establish a ducal house. Nor can they demand that the Sun God be declared the state religion—if they did, the other tribes would immediately protest. Making it the state religion would eventually, with time, lead to it becoming the sole faith, after all.’
The belief in the blazing sun had originated in the South.
They couldn’t possibly abandon their roots and move to the frigid North.
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