NOVEL NEXT Chapter 108
Arthur Harker swiftly adjusted the details of the agreement. Jeffrey accepted the various conditions presented by Count Harker with an attitude that seemed free of complaints.
In essence, all the treaties were items created under the assumption that the alliance would develop into a comprehensive confederation among the Southern Lords. The authority to summon the alliance was granted to all lords within it.
To join the alliance and receive the protection of the allied forces, one had to comply with the summons of the alliance, and if it was deemed that the alliance was forcibly convened in a situation where it was unnecessary, one had to formally dispute it through proper procedures.
Only one person could make judgments and decisions regarding such disputes. That was the leader of the alliance who held the overall command authority when the allied forces were summoned. And that leadership position was granted to Arthur Harker. Of course, Sally Jeffrey would also be guaranteed the position of deputy leader when the alliance expanded later, but the difference in status between the leader and deputy leader was enormous, akin to that of the President and Vice President of the United States.
“Well, it seems we are all in the same boat now.”
Jeffrey said as he happily shook hands. Harker also sighed with relief and nodded.
“We’ve been in the same boat from the start.”
“The ship called the Empire has so many cabins that sometimes I forget we’re on the same ship.”
“I hope this will be a reminder not to forget that fact.”
“I agree, Count. I look forward to your leadership as the leader moving forward.”
Once both men had fully signed the alliance agreement, Jeongjae was finally able to show them Rose’s letter regarding Jenis Harker, feeling relieved.
Count Harker appeared genuinely surprised, wearing a worried expression as if seeing Rose’s letter for the first time, and Jeongjae pretended as if he had just received the letter from Rose as well.
Although Jeffrey didn’t openly show any emotions, it seemed he somewhat expected Jeongjae and Harker to be putting on an act due to the complicated smile on his face.
“Did you know something like this was going to happen, Count?”
Sally Jeffrey asked Harker, flipping her curly hair back. Count Harker tilted his head with a worried look.
“I knew that there was such a background to her bloodline. However, I never expected it would manifest.”
Count Harker mentioned a nuanced position, mixing truth and lies. Revealing that he himself was a vampire could likely be a very bad choice.
Sally Jeffrey peered down at Rose’s letter with a thoughtful expression before shrugging.
“Well, from the content, it doesn’t seem likely she’ll face any legal penalties. So you don’t have to worry, Count.”
“How can I not worry? After all, her being summoned to trial is essentially the same. The judgment is delegated to the Imperial Assembly, meaning no judge would dare to deal with this issue.”
Jeongjae thought there was some truth in Harker’s words. Even if Jeongjae were a judge, he would surely avoid dealing with such a matter at all costs.
Countless nobility and high officials stared intensely at Jenis Harker with suspicion. Unless a convincing explanation was given, regardless of the verdict, she would bear the weight of numerous scrutiny and political burden.
As long as the Imperial Family was defending Jenis Harker, no matter how burdensome it might be for the Crown Princess to intervene in a judge’s decision, the imperial bureaucrats would naturally have to acquit Jenis. But could a handful of judges be responsible for such a significant decision and provide a satisfying explanation to the nobility?
In the end, this was an issue that only the Imperial Assembly could handle. Jeongjae admired how quickly Rose decided to refer this matter to the assembly. If it had been an immature member of the royal family who relied solely on their authority, they might have tried to bypass the cumbersome assembly procedures and resolve the issue by their own power.
Jeongjae couldn’t shake the thought that Walter might very well have done just that. Walter had a mindset more akin to a soldier prioritizing immediate efficiency rather than calculating political dynamics.
It’s not that it couldn’t be done. In most cases, it was deliberately not done. But even so, Walter, who was always weak against Rose, would obediently follow her when she insisted that he needed to consider political issues.
“Well then, can we consider the alliance agreement completed as it stands? It was a satisfying pact,” Jeffrey said with a complex expression. Jeongjae thought it smart that she didn’t seek to renegotiate the alliance due to this new circumstance.
It seemed that Jeffrey was confident this matter would conclude without Jenis suffering any serious repercussions. If he had learned about the incident before the final signatures were made, he might have secured some more advantageous conditions in exchange for advocating for Jenis in the assembly, but Sally Jeffrey didn’t have the capacity to present attractive terms enough to amend the already made agreement.
After all, Rose would stand on Jenis’s side.
“Then, what will you do about attending the assembly?”
Jeongjae asked cautiously. Naturally, these two were also essential members of the Imperial Assembly. The Duke and Count exchanged glances for a moment before simultaneously turning to Jeongjae and speaking.
“Isn’t the Baron going to attend anyway?”
“Oh, yes, that’s true.”
“Duke, our alliance shouldn’t just end between the two of us.”
“I agree, Count. I had thought we would need to explicitly state the facts of the alliance in the Imperial Assembly one day. We shouldn’t appear as if we have some ulterior motive to the Imperial Family.”
“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand how that answers my question.”
“The baron’s role was crucial in making this alliance happen,” Sally Jeffrey explained. Arthur Harker nodded in agreement.
“So this time, we want the Baron to attend the assembly on behalf of the two of us, no, on behalf of the Southern Alliance. It’s a bit forced, but if both of us take our signatures, we should be able to claim two votes.”
“Is that a legitimate act?”
Jeongjae asked with a voice full of skepticism. Harker shrugged.
“It is legal for busy regional nobility to appoint a proxy to vote in their place. As for a practice where two legislators appoint the same person as a proxy … there are no precedents, so no laws regarding it. But we also can’t definitively say it’s illegal.”
“But it seems likely to cause a dispute.”
“Dispute? Who would dispute? If an ordinary baron committed such an act, that might be a problem, but Jeffrey Duke and Harker Count? Especially since the one acting as their proxy is the most powerful baron in the world?”
Sally Jeffrey clearly summarized the situation. Jeongjae, still looking a bit perplexed, nodded along appropriately.
“So, does that mean you two will still be staying here?”
At that moment, Count Harker leaned in closer to Jeongjae and whispered.
“Dracula is targeting the Moriarty Machine.”
“Oh, yes. That’s dangerous.”
Jeongjae stepped back immediately upon hearing Harker’s words. Harker’s words were concise and impactful. If Dracula knew of the Moriarty Machine’s existence, the vampire lord’s purpose for targeting this small Harriet’s Territory would be perfectly clear.
It was understandable that Dracula would request the castle itself while insisting he wouldn’t harm the intelligent beings. Jeongjae, having moved away from Harker, cleared his throat before explaining his thoughts so that both Jeffrey and Jeongjae could hear.
“Recently, wasn’t there an attack from the vampire lord on this land?”
“It was a tragic event.”
“In any case, to protect my daughter, you barons cannot remain idle. But if that is the case, the territory becomes completely defenseless against that vampire’s assault. Both I and the Duke have our own troops stationed near the territory, however, we cannot just leave them without leadership, leaving only forces abandoned in Harriet’s Territory. It would mean losing the only protection this territory could receive.”
“We in the House of Duke Jeffrey expect that protecting Harriet’s Territory will symbolize the first joint operation of our alliance. Furthermore, considering the circumstances, it truly seems that this land genuinely needs military protection while the Baron is away.”
Upon hearing both their explanations, Jeongjae bowed respectfully to the two high nobles. Indeed, without Jenis being here, if Jeongjae poached out of the territory, then it would be important to take proper precautions against that.
Simply having an army isn’t necessarily a reassurance, but Van Helsing is here. He wields the Cross of the Holy Order and is the vampire hunter who knows Dracula better than anyone.
Unless the group of heroes could be brought here immediately, there wouldn’t be a more reliable person to entrust the safety of the territory to than this one.
“I truly thank you. Then I will trust you to keep watch.”
Jeongjae raised his head to glance at the small Harriet Castle. It was a minor castle for a single flag to be planted upon, yet already four flags were fluttering.
At the top was the Victoria flag, the emblem of the Harriet family, right beneath it flew the green flag of Eramenia, left by Margaret. The cross banner of Harker and Jeffrey’s grain pattern flag also fluttered atop the main building together.
Jeongjae, set to leave, found a certain assurance in just looking at those flags flying in the distance, as if feeling he was under great protection.
Margaret must have put up those flags for that very reason. The Eramenia Army was reputed to be extraordinarily sharp and incredibly strong, considered by many as symbols of victory and hope.
“Then we should quickly send a reply by pigeon and prepare to move. As for you two… please feel free to make good use of the small castle. Even if the accommodations may be cramped, surely there will be two rooms available while I’m gone…”
If both the rooms previously used by Jenis and Jeongjae were empty, then both Jeffrey and Harker could barely manage to stay in the castle. Harker chuckled as he saw Jeongjae deep in thought.
“I’m sure there’s no one that can’t sleep just because the bed is uncomfortable! You know what our castle is like after all!”
“Indeed, Count. If that’s the case…”
Jeongjae turned to Jeffrey. The Duke merely smiled and shook his head.
“Our house may be a bit extravagant, but I’m not the type who can’t sleep without a triple-sized bed or something like that. I think the facilities at this castle are sufficiently pleasant, so please don’t misunderstand me too much.”
That was enough, as far as Jeongjae was concerned. Truth be told, he had subconsciously worried that perhaps Harriet’s Territory was a bit too shabby when viewed from the perspective of Duke Jeffrey’s magnificent residence.
Yet, despite the splendor of the everyday environment, Sally Jeffrey seemed to possess a remarkable flexibility to adapt in any situation.
Having seen Margaret, who lived hundreds of times more extravagantly at the Eramenia palace, or Rose, who was raised delicately within the royal family, snuggling ungracefully on a cold, hard street, Jeongjae thought little of how bizarre that was.
Of course, those two shouldn’t become the standards by which to judge ordinary matters in this world. Jeongjae had grown conscious of how his interactions were mainly limited to very particular individuals, often leaving him with an unstable set of knowledge regarding common sense.
“Then I’m going to head back to the administration office to prepare and leave right away. You two… if you have any final matters, feel free to wrap them up.”
Jeongjae slowly made his way toward the castle. He was returning to the formalities again. His posting in this territory had begun in late autumn, and now it was deep into early winter, so his time away from the duties had not been long.
Yet, why did it feel like he had been away for so long? Just now, the event where Jenis had shed tears in front of him and left seemed like such a distant memory.
He felt a bit nervous about what sort of conversation he would have upon meeting Jenis again. She might very naturally speak as if nothing had happened, but unexpectedly, she might demand a proper answer for what he had mentioned.
Considering how observant Jenis Harker was, with her unpredictably candid demeanor, he had little doubt she would be forthright in expressing her thoughts regarding any given situation, unlike the predictably straightforward Margaret.
At times, it felt like there was a snake coiled within that girl. She knew how to perfectly control and utilize that snake. After all, it wouldn’t be surprising if she managed to take control of the vampire traits sleeping within her the instant she became aware of them.