Assisting Nemhil, Her Background

Fredrinn, Nemhil, and her knights began to hold an official discussion regarding the procedure mandatory to truly establish what he envisioned. He also took several of his policies to be implemented here.

The knights obviously noticed the difference in the way Fredrinn led the discussion. When their Lady led a conference, she was always warm-toned and somewhat sentimental, but Fredrinn was stern and cold.

Nemhil watched as the Lord led the discussion on top of an ascendance stage. He may looked mean, but she could see from the faces of her people that this type of disposition was very reassuring. Cold means composure, and composure means confidence!

"Knights of Lady Nemhil, from what I have observed, you are too kind! Remember, unless they are willing to serve under your Lady, they do not deserve your empathy, sentiment, or care unless it is aligned with your Lady's interest! And I mean interests that are purely for the sole purpose of your Lady, not those 'allies'!"

Some knights held wry looks on their faces, and even Nemhil lowered her head. Fredrinn, noticing this, inwardly nodded.

A ruler must keep the dynamic of punishment and reward. They also have to acknowledge the reality that empathy is meaningless unless it is for their own people.

The heroine Valkyrie, Nemhil, who was kind to her people, seems to misunderstand the term 'allies'.

"Allies are those whose interests align with us, not our brothers and sisters. However, I did not mean to blame your Lady. After all, she was indeed a benevolent ruler, a Lady loved by her people."

The sentiment knights cheered, while some sharp-witted ones had their eyes brightened, including Northon, who stood beside her Lady. Lady Nemhil's violet eyes were also lit up by Fredrinn's praise, and she was working hard to absorb as much wisdom as she could from Lord Fredrinn.

"I came here to support your Lady. To ensure that she, along with her people, would prosper under this harsh environment. I'll be cooperating with your Lady to make sure that none of you will ever be deceived again! I'll show the other end of the rope, where you'll taste the savory of victory without even lifting a finger! Where you'll be able to scrape as many benefits as possible without hurting your conscience and your muscles!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we call scheming!"

Thus, the first education speech of Fredrinn begins! To reform a territory, it's not about the resources and the environment, but the people!

His time in Nemhil's territory was spent on reforming everything. Nemhil, who stood beside him as he implemented several perfected laws that had already been tampered with several times by his men, was surprisingly quite adept in this. Occasionally, she would blurt out which laws were imperfect and had several flaws.

She's not cunning, but she's smart!

The knights went in full swing with spirited strides, smiling sunnily everywhere. The divisions established in the Village of Peace were also built here. Furthermore, with Nemhil's people, who were much more talented than his own, there was no shortage of manpower. They even volunteered excitedly to contribute.

At the top of the main hall, where Lady Nemhil and her furthermost trusted people often gathered, Fredrinn and Nemhil silently watched as the territory brimmed with vitality.

"Lady Nemhil, don't you want to know why I'm willing to go to such a length for you?"

Nemhil's first reaction was fear, having been betrayed several times these past months, but when she looked at his deep eyes, her fear somehow faltered, replaced by valiancy and determination.

"Lord Fredrinn has completely changed the fate of my people from the doomed trajectory. Whether the reason was evil or pleasant was another matter; all I know was the undeniable truth that my people were saved by the arrival of Lord Fredrinn."

Nemhil's pale face, which was amplified by the cold weather, was graced with a smile. Fredrinn chuckled slightly, "Lady, I'm not that evil. You know my capability. If I truly want to do it, why bother with all of..."

Fredrinn paused, gesturing the whole scenery below, and continued, "This?"

Nemhil's valiant complexion turned puzzled, "Then, may I ask, what do you truly seek from this allegiance, my Lord?"

Fredrinn was about to answer instinctively when he stopped himself. Well, that wasn't a bad answer, but it was a little bit... Shameless.

In the end, he confessed honestly, "My Lady, you may noticed that you lacked the heart of a master. In my opinion, you, my Lady, were too empathic and kind. You were easily deceived by your selfish allies and you were even left alone to fend yourself against the barbaric Outcasts. Don't tell me you didn't know all this, especially since you know exactly the consequences if this border was breached."

"It could potentially kill millions, yet the king remained placid as if this has nothing to do with him."

"In a simpler term, Lady Nemhil, I want you to be mine."

Fredrinn paused. Nemhil also paused. They looked at each other like a pair of statues, not knowing what to say next. Fredrinn was fine, but Nemhil's face gradually matched that of her rose hair. If not for her noble disposition, she really wants to run away.

In the end, it was the man who broke the tension, albeit in a slow, small tempo, "I want you to be mine as a form of coalition between you and me. So while you handle issues that fit your forte, I'll take care of other things."

Fredrinn also remembered something, "I also want to integrate my village into yours. This territory may be isolated and harsh, but the sheer advantages of its terrain dwarfed the cons. So Lady Nemhil, let's cooperate well in the future."

"My Lord, you can't just brush off things you said. Care to explain the meaning of your previous statement?"

Fredrinn showed a rare look of embarrassment, to which the Lady muffed a laugh. He coughed, "I apologize. It was truly a misunderstanding."

It seems like he underestimated the valiant Nemhil. She was truly brave and valiant, not hesitating at all despite her own embarrassment. He still had a lot to learn!

"Well, This Lady did promise the Lord to do whatever the Lord asked, so perhaps it's not impossible."

Fredrinn was bewildered. Even with his refined composure, he couldn't help but widen his eyes. This Lady... Why are you so straightforward and brave? Perhaps this is the advantage of pursuing a valiant woman?

Nemhil stood proudly as her flushed face showed a rare look of arrogance.

She may be kind, but a coward? No chance!

After a few rounds of bickering, they finally faced each other as they sat to begin another part of the discussion. Fredrinn's sharp features turned serious, "My Lady, care to tell about the enemies you mentioned before?"

It's time to get the thing he wanted the most: intelligence!

Lady Nenmhil went silent. Her eyes are shaded with exhaustion as she creases her eyebrows, expressing her helplessness.

"My Lord, since you have shown your utmost sincerity to gain my trust, then I also have to show mine. Truthfully, I was one of the contenders for the throne."

Fredrinn did not respond. Nemhil, catching his consent, took a deep breath. The silence was thick but comforting. Soon, she concreted her resolve as she continued,

"Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Nemhil Van Huartd, the 18th descendant and the 5th daughter of King Nasheel. I was a princess before the crown prince forcibly pushed the propaganda of a tampered rumor that tarnished my reputation, which the king judged as a violation of those who wished to inherit his throne. Thus, I was sent to the border with some of my trusted subordinates as proof of my liability to contend."

"Currently, all of the parties sided with my eldest brother and my other brothers and sisters wished for my death, for I was the one who the queen favored the most. I have proclaimed my stance as a bystander to the fight for the throne, but they still see me as a threat."

Nemhil ended with a sigh. The life of a princess is not carefree at all, and her every action is scrutinized by her siblings. Perhaps if the outcasts did not launch an attack, her current circumstance would be the best for her, but alas.

Opposite of her, Fredrinn doesn't seem surprised. It didn't take a genius to understand her significance. If not, there's no way she would be targeted by so many parties. Why go to such a length for someone insignificant?

"So you are a princess. Should I call you Dear Princess now?"

Fredrinn teased slightly, but the rose-haired lady puffed her chest proudly, "Indeed. I am a princess! That dastardly eldest brother was the one who ruined that title for me!"

Now out of her impending doom, Nemhil showed her true colors. She was not only valiant in battlefields, she's also valiant in talks! Fredrinn chuckled. Viscountess Nemhil was way more interesting than he thought.

"How about the king? Or even the queen? Surely such an open scheme wasn't allowed."

Subtle manipulations of reputation may be acceptable, but such a straightforward method would definitely backfire on the contenders.

At this, her proud chest deflated, and she haggardly put her chin on her hand, "It's because of that flimsy uncle of mine! He convinced my father that the people would be dissatisfied with my reputation, and would result in a coalition of the masses to throw over the current regime, possibly erupting in a civil war. The most ridiculous part was the fact that my father believed it! Can't you believe it? Such a dumb reasoning, yet he believed it!"

Nemhil was about to continue when Fredrinn interjected sternly, "Dear Princess, what if it was not your uncle who forced your father to believe it? What if it was the 16 duchies and the 10 Supreme Commanders who enforced your tarnished reputation? Perhaps your uncle merely acted on their whim."

The lady immediately exploded, "No way! The Grand Knights have transcended mortal affairs, while the duchies have their interests aligned with the king, who wishes to maintain stability rather than conquest. There's no reason to launch a coup!"

However, despite her own reasoning, Nemhil, who now has somewhat acknowledged the true nature of humans, could not refute it in her heart.

"My Lady, it's not a coup. It's much more than that."

Actually, this has been a very normal issue in several kingdoms in the past. When the kingdom was founded, the first leader was usually someone charismatic and especially powerful. Then, under his lead, the kingdom would dominate the land and gather several forces as his subordinates.

However, this could only be maintained when the hierarchy was clearly divided by power, to which the king in this system was the one who dominated. In most cases, as the king kept changing, there was bound to be retaliation when a weak, incompetent king was in charge, resulting in the fall of the nation.

Simply, the founder may be strong and capable of commanding those under them, but can the kings and queens after them do the same?

That's why kingdoms usually fell a hundred years after their establishment in the mortal world since kings that are competent have a limited lifespan.

"My Lady, a duchy has at least hundreds of knights under its lead, and there are as many as 16 duchies, not to mention the 10 Supreme Commanders. We haven't even included the nobles under these duchies. If gathered, there was bound to be a temptation to overthrow the current royal family."

Princess Nemhil would turn pale at the thought of this, but Viscountess Nemhil merely put up a thoughtful look.

"That's plausible."

"Of course, this was all pure speculations, so no need to take it serious."