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When Derek watched the Barbarians leave the country, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Before long, the dispossessed nobles returned one after another, leading hastily assembled armies to reclaim their lands.

Naturally, a group of people was bound to suffer.

Titles would be stripped and lands confiscated, though the specifics would depend on the circumstances.

And from now on, no one would dare underestimate the Barbarians. Border defenses would certainly be strengthened.

For the time being, several thousand-man units from the Second Legion took over the area to guard against another Barbarian invasion.

And what awaited Derek was a bright future.

The other Chiliarchs handling the handover could not have been more friendly.

Everyone knew that their status would be different from now on.

When Derek returned to Ironwall City with the military orders, he received an even more enthusiastic welcome.

The two thousand-man units were even permitted to enter the city directly and attend a banquet.

In a sense, he had saved the city.

The boundless glory made Derek feel a little lightheaded, but the memories of his previous life kept reminding him that the more glorious the moment, the more humble he had to be.

When all eyes were upon him, envy was inevitable.

For now, every jealous gaze was hidden beneath his dazzling brilliance. But once that glory faded, it might bring trouble.

Humility and restraint could avert many problems.

Of course, a young man should still fight for what was his when the time came.

Perhaps that was what it meant to act boldly while keeping a low profile?

Derek gained new insights every moment. Drawing on what he had seen and heard in his previous life, he gradually adjusted the way he conducted himself.

This earned him the praise of many.

It reached its peak when he was received by the Governor.

The war was over, and the halo of being the foremost figure in the Northern Province returned to the Governor's hands.

He was the ruler of millions in the Northern Lands and, in most cases, could determine the fate of any individual.

Even earls with real power had to defer to him.

By law, he was the Governor of the kingdom and the highest authority in the region.

He could deploy armies, govern civil affairs, collect taxes, and even exercise the King's authority to summon nobles in his stead.

His position carried immense power, yet the Governor himself was merely a court noble.

This was also the King's means of checking the Governors. While in office, they wielded enormous authority, but after leaving office, it was difficult for them to preserve that same splendor.

But these were not things Derek needed to consider. The one who could decide his fate right now was the Governor before him.

So he kept an extremely low profile. When the Governor came out to greet him, he put on an appropriately nervous and humbled expression.

"Knight Derek, I have already sent documents detailing your merits to the Royal Capital by fast horse. Your reward will be issued soon.

"Now... allow me to welcome the meritorious hero of the Northern Lands with a feast."

"I would not dare. This battle was not my achievement alone. We had the assistance of our comrades in the First Legion and Second Legion, the Iron Lion Legion and City Guard who stood firm without retreating, and the support of the Northland Nobles.

"This was the achievement of us all. How could I dare claim it for myself?"

Derek's words truly took everyone by surprise.

They had all witnessed his might beneath the walls of Ironwall City that day and had assumed he was an arrogant sort.

Even if he had acted a little haughty, most people would have accepted it for the moment. After all, he was indeed a hero of the war. But if it continued for too long, resentment would surely arise.

How could it compare to this? Every noble present wore a smile.

Regardless of the truth, with Derek saying this, everyone had a share of the credit. The punishment for the dispossessed nobles could be reduced further; perhaps a fine would be enough to settle the matter.

And had Derek lost anything?

Nothing at all. He would not receive any less credit than he deserved. In fact, to make their own share of the credit seem greater, everyone would have to praise his achievements with all their might.

The King's reward would not be small either, or the hearts of the Northern Lands would become unsettled.

That was called a win-win.

Governor Jeffrey gave him a deep look, his grip tightening slightly.

"Well said. I had long heard of the bearing of the Northland Knight. Today, I have finally witnessed it for myself."

Governor Jeffrey warmly led Derek into the banquet hall, personally seating him in the first position below the host and personally helping him remove his armor.

It was political theater, but for Derek, it was also something worth boasting about. Naturally, he cooperated from beginning to end.

"My lords, thanks to the efforts of the gentlemen of the Northern Lands and the aid of Knight Derek, we have driven back the Barbarians. Drink."

The Governor truly deserved his reputation as a politician. He had somehow turned a bad thing into a good one.

Anyone unaware of the truth might have thought the Locke Kingdom had invaded the Barbarians.

But everyone was willing to play along. The early stages of the war had been far too humiliating, so naturally it had to be covered up.

Amid it all, Derek gained a deeper understanding of politics.

Sometimes, black was not necessarily black. It could also be white, let alone gray.

Military merit! Reputation! Achievement!

These were all things he could rely upon to climb higher, but they were far from the only things.

If he wanted to truly grasp power, these alone would not be enough.

And these were things he needed to slowly learn, to adapt himself to the rules of this world.

The banquet ended amid a joyous atmosphere, and the Northern Province was filled with song and dance.

The traces of the recent war seemed to have been thoroughly erased.

Everyone did their utmost to downplay the war's existence.

A few unlucky people had died, and a group of commoners had been carried off.

The nobles were still nobles, and the Northern Province was still the Northern Province.

Derek finally met his second brother. Sergei had swiftly been appointed a Centurion, crossing the threshold into the ranks of junior officers.

The Iron Lion Legion was the standing legion of the Northern Province and would expand whenever war broke out.

It had already expanded from three thousand men to five thousand, and another wave of expansion would likely follow.

Sergei still had a chance to advance further, though that would require Baron Ferrera to exert some influence.

But at the moment, he was more concerned about his younger brother.

"Derek, you're truly famous this time. Everyone has been asking me about you."

Sergei was extremely excited. His younger brother had made a name for himself, and he had benefited from it as well.

He asked Derek in detail about the entire course of the war, then showered him with praise again.

Looking back on it afterward, the Barbarians had not lost unfairly.

Derek had plotted step by step, completely luring the Barbarians into a trap.

And the fighting strength of the soldiers under his command had exceeded all expectations. That had been the decisive factor in the war.

So from the very beginning, the Barbarians had been destined to suffer a crushing loss. The only question was how crushing.

"I think this war isn't over yet. The Barbarians' actions were very strange. There may be more trouble waiting for us. Second Brother, you must not let your guard down," Derek voiced his concern.

This time, Sergei took his words seriously. Derek was no longer the child he used to be.

He trusted Derek's judgment, though he had no idea what the Barbarians were truly planning.

The two brothers discussed it for half the day, but failed to find any concrete lead.

But soon, shocking news arrived.

It was followed by two successive orders from the Royal Capital.