Everything was just as Gawain had expected.
News from the south would unsettle the King and the nobles, and with the warning from the resurrected ancient, this tension might rise to a level of panic, but it would just stop there.
Those who had not experienced the Dark Wave and could not imagine it would not be compelled to take action. Even if Gawain brought some swords and armor corroded by the elemental power as evidence, it would not be enough to drive them to make a higher level response.
After all, there existed some cases of "unusual phenomenon" where swords and armor were corroded by magical power, thus they could not be definitive evidence that the Dark Wave would make a comeback. In fact, even Gawain himself was making some bold speculations based on the information from his memories. He was not even very confident himself that the end of the world was coming.
There was nothing wrong with Francis II's response. He could not simply put the entire kingdom into a state of preparedness for battle based upon his sudden news alone. Even if he wanted to, the large, backward feudal system did not allow him to do so. And even if the Dark Wave really came, it would not be wise to conduct combat preparations now across the whole kingdom. The monsters in the south and the magical power surge were only a sign. They were not even the vanguard of the Dark Wave. The real Dark Wave might take months, or even years to happen, (if it was going to happen), but before then, it would be only calm.
During the period of calm, to require the kingdom to be battle ready when no evidence could be found, perhaps the Moen family back in their heydays might be able to do so, but the Second Dynasty now… had already lost its ability to rally supporters.
Francis II even ordered the Duke of the East not to make a move.
A resurrected founding duke's prestige might be very influential, but if to use such prestige to interfere in the kingdom's order would probably be an overreach. Gawain understood this very clearly. The power of his words here was as good as a flower scepter, pretty but powerless. The basis of the Cecil Clan was almost gone. It had no land, no soldiers, no generals, and even the travel expenses to the capital were borrowed from others. For a clan that had always been quite pragmatic, this was quite an awkward situation to be in.
So Gawain held down Rebecca, who still wanted to say something, looked at the King opposite and said, "We have delivered the report and brought up a warning. It is up to you to decide how you are going to deal with this specifically."
"We will take your warning seriously," duke Victoria Wilder said in a cool voice. "All investigations will begin immediately after the meeting, and we will bring the news to you at the quickest time."
"Investigation… Well, I guess that's the only way." Gawain nodded, and he changed the topic. "That's all for now. Let's now talk about Cecil Clan's matters."
This time, the atmosphere became tense instantly.
"Relax, don't look like "the old ancestor popped out of the coffin and is demanding that the paper money burned over the years be cashed out to him," Gawain joked, waving his hand, and then he realized that no one seemed to get his corny joke…
It was very awkward.
"I know what happened a hundred years ago, and frankly, I really want to kill that degenerate descendant." Gawain's face twitched, and he dived straight into the topic. "So I have no intention to reverse the verdict. I just want to get back something that belongs to me personally."
Francis II and the dukes looked at each other. Their expressions seemed relaxed. Gawain went ahead to talk about the earth-shaking event a hundred years ago, and they all seemed relieved. After all, it was so pressuring for anyone to start speaking on this sensitive topic that their blood pressure could rise to two hundred. It was truly a breath of relief that this living ancestor could be so empathetic towards the younger generation.
But after heaving a breath of relief, they became tense again. What were those things that belonged to Gawain Cecil?
Everything belonged to the feudal lord. This was the rule of the aristocracy. Everything in the old Cecil Clan, including the fief, vassals, and the titles, etc., all belonged to Gawain Cecil. Which one was he referring to?
Everyone was tense in their bodies where others could not notice while only Francis II looked quietly at Gawain, and nodded calmly.
"Relax. Most of my things from when I lived have already been passed on to my heirs. That worthless descendant squandered some things, and I can't force them to be returned," Gawain laughed. "What I'm referring to is that which cannot be inherited, for example… my right to develop new regions."
The nobles and the advisors looked at each other. Then the scholarly, well brought up gentlemen and ladies were immediately reminded of the ancient and sacred decree on pioneering.
It was a glorious commemoration of the Second Settlement. It was a testimony to mankind's bravery in surviving the most desperate situations, the ordinary people's vow to not yield to the natural forces. Up till today, it was still part of the basic laws of the four nations. It was a law which would no longer have a chance to take effect, but one that also no one dared speak out to repeal.
The original version of the pioneering decree was even engraved separately on a platinum plate, enshrined in the halls of every nation.
But everyone only kept it as a memorial! It was for posterity! It would be a symbol of the proper continuation of the legacy!
Suddenly this was going to take effect again?!
However, apart from shock, the expressions on people's faces hid faint relief, and this change in expression did not escape Gawain's eyes.
So he also relaxed himself and began to discuss with the people present about the permanent right to develop regions.
Gawain believed that this would not be too difficult.
Compared to a living ancestor returning to the world to ask for the cashing out of paper money burned for the past hundreds of years and also the vast expanse of land he had seven hundred years ago, that could have been a nation by itself, a permanent right to develop regions was hardly anything. Though it might sound scary, it would not affect the vital interests of anyone present, and since there would be no conflicts with their interests, it would be easier to discuss with each noble (including the King himself).
And this was also the result of Gawain's deliberate push.
He had kept a high-profile along the journey, spreading all kinds of news, and even when he entered the capital, he took out the banner from seven hundred years ago, appearing in an overbearing manner. This was meant to make people think that the living ancestor was trying to reverse the verdict for the Cecil Clan and recover all the clan's fief, thus making everyone come up with a way to respond so as to cross verbal swords when the time came to protect their own interests.
However, Gawain's objective was only the permanent right to develop regions.
This difference was basically equivalent to shopping for a watch, where the original price was 860,000. After a discount of 25%, it would feel like one had gotten a great deal.
One would even begin to suspect if the watch might be a fake.
But even if the watch that costs 25 was fake, the ancestor was real. If he really just wanted to have his permanent right to develop regions… what could they do?
—Insert 'Okay Okay Okay We'll Give. Take It Old Man. Go Open Up The Lands And Don't Come Back.jpg'
If Gawain had not done any groundwork before and brought up the permanent right to develop regions from the beginning, perhaps things would not have gone so smoothly. The greedy nature of the aristocracy would want to extract a piece for themselves even on such a matter, but with so much preparation done, it became much easier to talk about the pioneering right.
The King and the dukes present did not have much of a discussion before agreeing that the right to pioneer itself should be recognized. It must be recognized even if they did not want to since it was not only Anzu that agreed and signed the permanent right to develop regions, but in fact the four major human kingdoms at the time had also recognized this decree. These witnesses also included the elves from the Silver Empire in the south of the continent…
Those secretive and particularly longevous elves.
They had an average life expectancy of 3,000 years or more. They were extremely particular about caution and good faith that they were known to be very stubborn. When signing the permanent pioneering law back then, the elves were one of the witnesses. In order to make this decree more solemn and credible, a copy was even written in the elven language and given to the Silver Empire for safekeeping.
Although everyone knew that it would be impossible for the first generation of pioneers to live for so long, the humans insisted on putting a "permanent" label on it and to have a longevous race to be witnesses. Probably a human quirk…
Anyway, the representative of the elves at the time said that "humans are truly strange" as they brought their copy back to their kingdom. Then the Elf Queen happily stamped her copy. After seven hundred years had passed, the Elf Queen, who was only a young and ignorant elf who recently ascended to the throne, was now… still the Elf Queen…
She could still remember the stamp she made back then. How could they not recognize this law?
In any case, Gawain mentioned that if Anzu would not recognize the right to pioneer, he would take his clan around the continent to the Silver Empire since there were still undeveloped areas around the forest of the elves. There were also some acquaintances of his there. They would surely get along with the Cecil Clan…
The founding ancestor having to leave the kingdom because he could not stand being demeaned in his own kingdom, took his clan to another race's territory to live in the trees. How could people show their faces around if word were to spread about this?
So everyone present agreed that the right to develop would be preserved, but the concrete details about the places where he could develop… this would make the next round of discussion.
"There are no more uncultivated lands in the kingdom. Every inch of land has its owner." The King's Hand, Eden Alfred stood up. This steady man, Francis II's right hand. He knew well about all the states of the kingdom. "Beyond the kingdom, there are few uncultivated lands in the border areas with other countries. Even if there are, those are places that cannot sustain life. Take the buffer regions by the Gondor wastelands. duke, where do you intend to open up lands?"
Gawain waved his hand. "Bring the map."
When the map was presented, Gawain looked at the map and could not help but frown slightly.
Even though the world had convenient magic, assistive abilities such as bird's eye, forest sensing, and surveying that could help people draw maps, the map before him was still very crude. There were even some problems with the scale.
Compared with the "satellite view" in his head, this was almost as good as a doodle.
Perhaps it was because magic was too convenient that it affected the development of many things?
Gawain pondered, comparing the map with the accurate one in his head. Then he pointed his finger to an area on the rough map. "I'll start from here."
It was a mountain range on the borders of the Gondor wastelands and Typhon.
The Dark Range.