"Cavalry? How many?"
Marquis Northhill shot up from his chair, eyes blazing as he glared at Count Rivervale and said word by word,
"You useless fool—why didn't you say that earlier?"
"But…"
Count Rivervale stammered for a long time before finally managing to say, trembling,
"There's… there's only about two hundred of them."
"Only two hundred cavalry?"
Hearing that, Northhill exhaled in relief. Two hundred riders—manageable.
Though he had only recently inherited a small marquisate within the Mandrake Duchy, behind him stood one of the three great families of the Selphis Kingdom—the Fis family.
He was the youngest son of the current Duke Fis.
Their bloodline was entwined with the Selphis royal family itself; even the current king had to call him "cousin."
With such a pedigree, had he been eligible for succession, he would never have come to this remote, barren land called Mandrake.
But since he was here, he feared no one.
Even when Brenda had ruled, she had to show him respect—let alone now, when the so-called "new duke" was just a boy.
"Did they say what they came for?"
"They said… everyone in the city must gather in the central square to hear him announce new policies."
"I see."
Northhill rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Then we'll meet this new Grand Duke of Mandrake ourselves."
Time passed, and in the central square of Mandrake City, Hel stood waiting long before the people arrived.
Behind him stood rows of puppet soldiers, motionless and cold.
Before him, citizens arrived one after another—each household had sent one representative.
Mandrake City had a population of just over a hundred thousand.
With only one person per household, the square wasn't overcrowded.
When nearly everyone had gathered, Hel raised the staff in his hand.
[Basic Wind Magic: Amplification.]
He cleared his throat, and his voice echoed across the square:
"Citizens of Mandrake. I am the new Duke of Mandrake—the new ruler of this land.
I have come here today for one purpose only: justice.
From this day forward, no one within the Mandrake Duchy may conduct usury or high-interest lending of any kind.
All existing debts will be reviewed, and any unlawful contracts will be declared void.
Those found guilty will face severe punishment."
Hel's gaze swept over the crowd.
He met the openly hostile stares of several richly dressed nobles in front but remained calm.
"Secondly, I will investigate the legitimacy of all new noble inheritances in Mandrake.
Every noble in this duchy owes loyalty to me, the Grand Duke of Mandrake.
Any titles obtained by illegal means will be revoked.
Lastly…"
He unrolled a parchment.
"I hereby proclaim the New Laws of Mandrake."
The laws Hel and Niv had drafted together followed a clear principle: to limit noble privilege.
From now on, nobles would no longer possess judicial immunity, monopoly rights, or tax exemptions.
Their lands would be converted into equal-value gold as compensation,
and all territory within the Heim Duchy would be reclaimed by the state.
These same restrictions also applied to wealthy merchants—none were exempt.
Henceforth, all land would belong to the Duchy of Mandrake.
Beyond restricting privilege, Hel's reforms also included many amendments to existing laws.
After all, law represents the will of the ruling class—and when nobles held power, their laws naturally served their own interests.
But Hel knew that preserving noble privilege only led to stagnation.
If "he" did nothing, "he" would merely become another puppet for the aristocratic elite.
That was not the future Hel desired.
Thus, this reform was both necessary and just.
It was reasonable, because it ensured Mandrake's long-term stability.
It was lawful, as it followed the Empire's constitution.
And it was proper, because Hel had not simply executed the nobles outright—at least, not yet.
Reasonable, lawful, and proper.
Hel's conscience was clear.
And should anyone dare stand in the way of his reform, they would soon learn how merciless "he" could be.
The speech was not long.
When Hel finished, he simply dismissed the crowd.
That same evening, word of the New Laws spread across the entire duchy.
The wise immediately understood: Mandrake was about to change forever.
For the common folk, it felt like hope—perhaps at last, a ruler who would protect them.
But that spark quickly faded under the weight of reality.
Hel might speak with conviction, but he was still just a child, they said.
Surely, these laws were the fantasy of a naïve youth.
The nobles of Mandrake would never tolerate such defiance.
To the people, Hel's reform was nothing but an empty dream—a beautiful lie.
At the Northhill estate, nearly all the titled nobles of Mandrake City had gathered again.
The newly appointed knights and barons—mere honorary lords—weren't even invited.
"Gentlemen," Northhill began, clearing his throat.
"I trust you all witnessed our new duke's little performance today. Tell me, what do you think?"
"A nobody, daring to strip us of our rights! Does he not fear the Noble Council's censure?" an older noble barked.
"Hah! The Noble Council? If the Selphis Noble Council still had any authority, would we even be here discussing this?" another scoffed.
"Indeed," a third sneered. "They say he's already been ennobled by the Empire as a Count.
If that's true, why hasn't he gone there to enjoy his title? Why meddle in our lands?"
"Enough."
Northhill slammed his palm on the table, silencing the room.
When all was quiet, a thin smile curved across his lips.
"Since we all understand that this new duke's background is… complicated, we can't act openly.
But—" his voice dropped to a low, cold tone—
"if he wants fairness in Mandrake, then let's show him… what fairness truly means."