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It didn’t take many days to discover the Kaitana tribe’s territory.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if ‘discover’ was the right word. After all, the empire just stood still while the nomads practically shoved it in our faces. If these bastards had fireworks, then they probably would’ve used them to advertise their location.

Still, we moved immediately since we did pinpoint their location. Both the Kaitana tribe’s willingness to surrender and the empire’s willingness to accept them had already been publicly displayed on the Hitra front. At this point, playing hard to get would just be a hassle for both sides.

“This is my first time handling diplomacy, so I’m a little nervous.”

I casually spoke to the 4th Manager who was beside me as I moved with the Masked Unit.

Although having the Masked Unit by my side was reassuring, they were so serious all the time that the journey had been unbearably quiet. Whenever I tried to start a conversation, they’d react like they were being blessed by a saint. The 4th Manager was the only one who replied normally.

“I’m sure you can handle anything, Master.”

See? Even now, she was awkwardly trying to offer normal words of comfort and encouragement.

“If they dare to insult you, we’ll erase the Kaitana Tribe from existence—“

“Don’t.”

Of course, relatively normal was still far from actually normal.

I looked at the 4th Manager with a somewhat bitter feeling. Maybe because of all the high-risk missions she had been assigned in the past, her default solution for any problem was overwhelming force.

But the world wasn’t something you won over with brute strength alone. Sometimes, a gentle word and genuine sincerity could accomplish just as much, if not more.

I should have kept her with me.

This was all because the Special Service Agency snatched away the children I raised. The orders came from the imperial family, but it was still the Special Service Agency’s fault.

Would there ever come a day when these kids returned from their foster parent and back to me...?

***So there was an art to bowing properly.

“Welcome. It’s an honor to meet such esteemed guests.”

As if they had been waiting for our arrival, an unarmed nomad approached as soon as we entered the Kaitana tribe’s territory. Judging by his elaborate clothing and numerous ornaments, he must be a high-ranking member of the tribe.

For a second, I was speechless. It felt so strange to be greeted so warmly by a nomad.

“Thank you for such a warm welcome. I was worried we might be unwelcome guests.”

“Not at all. If anything, we’ve been anxiously waiting for your arrival.”

The moment I broke the awkwardness, he responded even more directly. I could practically hear the desperation behind his words... Or was I just imagining it?

“Now, let me guide you. Our chief might feel left out if I deal with such esteemed guests alone.”

“Thank you for your kindness. Where should we surrender our weapons?”

“Weapons?”

The nomad who was about to turn and guide us tilted his head, and then burst into laughter.

“Haha, you can just come in as you are! Why bother disarming?”

What the?

I was again at a loss for words at this boldness of not even collecting our weapons. Even when visiting friendly nations, standard protocol dictated that armed envoys were disarmed or at least restricted. However, the Kaitana tribe was taking no measures at all.

Were they confident even against an armed delegation, or did they just trust us that much? Either way, they weren’t normal folks.

“You must have had a hard journey. Ah, it’s such a shame that we had to meet under these grim circumstances.”

“The worse the situation, the more good relationships stand out. Please don’t worry about it.”

As we followed the nomad, I responded appropriately to his casual remarks.

I could see the nomad becoming even more pleased at my response. It was, after all, a subtle way of telling him that the war had made their surrender even more valuable to us.

“Ah, I see! That is true wisdom. Indeed, good relationships do stand out more in bad situations.”

Of course, the more valuable they became to the empire, the higher the price the empire would be willing to pay for them.

The nomad, who had been constantly smiling, opened his mouth again as if he had remembered something.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t asked for your name yet. I’m Krzan Bete, the younger brother of our chief, Kaitana Krzan Daran.”

“I’m Carl Krasius of Wiridia. I’ve received the grace of His Majesty the Emperor and been granted the title of Count.”

The nomad—Bete’s smile deepened upon hearing my name.

“We truly have an esteemed guest.”

I silently smiled at those words.

This much information was enough to give to a guide who wasn’t the negotiating party.

***The tribal chief wasn’t much different from Bete. No, he was even more desperate, perhaps because the future of his entire tribe depended on this meeting.

“The Ga’ar tribe is an evil that disrupted the order of the North and the world. We finally caught our breath when that evil was subjugated by the empire’s might, but we didn’t expect its remnants to appear after just three years.”

“You must have had a hard time.”

“It was exhausting, but what choice did I have? My people depend on me. I had to endure for their sake. Fortunately, thanks to the empire’s intervention, we can escape from the hands of that evil—“

The tribal chief, who was cursing both Kagan and the new Khan with exaggerated tones and gestures, also appealed that he had made a tearful decision for the safety of his tribe. He seemed to be trying to imprint on me the fact that ‘We have nothing to do with that bastard.’

But they really didn’t have anything to do with him. The Kaitana tribe had remained neutral during Kagan’s reign, and now they were only here because of the new Khan’s spicy fist. They hadn’t caused any harm to the empire, so there was nothing to hold them accountable for.

“With a leader like you, I’m sure at least a minimum order is maintained in the chaotic North. The heavens have been kind.”

“Haha, you flatter me.”

I smiled slightly as I spoke, and the chieftain let out a hearty laugh before taking a swig from his leather flask.

“Whew, Bete must have brought good alcohol because we have an esteemed guest. Normally, that brat won’t stop nagging me to drink less.”

The tribal chief’s manner of eating the meat on the table was far from noble etiquette, but there was a raw honesty to it.

I took a few sips of alcohol like the chief. I didn’t think the Kaitana tribe was plotting anything to begin with, but there was nothing more to worry about now that they’d even provided food. For nomads, breaking the sacred rules of hospitality was as good as asking for death.

Was I worried for nothing?

I almost felt embarrassed for saying earlier that this was my first time doing diplomacy.

I thought it would be easy, but I didn’t expect it to be this easy. At this rate, even an automatic door would take longer to open.

“His Majesty is deeply concerned about the chaos in the North.”

“Such heavenly compassion. We’re truly moved that he worries even about lowly beings like us.”

Anyway. The tone of the conversation shifted as I mentioned the Emperor, planning to start wrapping up the conversation. An envoy representing the empire mentioning the Emperor meant that it was time to get down to business.

“His Majesty’s compassion doesn’t end with just concern. He wishes to embrace the North and care for the good subjects who yearn for peace.”

“What a beautiful story.”

The chief fell silent after saying that. He was probably calculating how much influence the Emperor intended to exert over the North, how much resources would flow in, and how many rights and how much safety the Kaitana tribe, as the first to surrender, would be guaranteed.

However, there was no need for complex calculations. I was about to tell him everything.

“However, the North has its own ways. His Majesty wishes to respect the existing order. There are already those who distance themselves from evil for the sake of order in the North. How could His Majesty ignore such people?”

At these words, the chief’s expression brightened again. If the empire respected the existing order, at the very least, the title of chief and the Kaitana tribe’s influence would remain intact. For the chief, preserving just that was attractive enough.

“Of course, Count Kaitana is one of them.”

“Ah—what an honor—huh...?”

The chief, who was reflexively showing humility, suddenly stiffened as if he belatedly noticed something off. The way he was barely moving his eyeballs to gauge my expression seemed like he was checking if he heard correctly.

Of course, he heard right. From today, he was a count.

I can’t casually throw around the title of a marquis.

At first, I thought about giving Kaitana the marquis title, but there were still many tribes I hadn’t contacted yet. It would be troublesome if I acted hastily and then met an even better tribe.

For now, a count title would do. He’d be delighted if he thought he was going to be a count and then got promoted to a marquis.

The opposite would be terrible, though.

***I couldn’t organize my thoughts. In the midst of excitement and confusion, just one word was swirling in my head.

Count.

Me, a count. I, a mere tribal chief, was now a noble of the empire.

I carefully lowered my trembling hands under the table and lightly licked my rapidly drying lips.

A nomad as a noble?

It was unbelievable. A nomad who was merely a target for subjugation or at best lived off the supplies the empire generously threw our way becoming an imperial noble? And not just a viscount or baron, but a high-ranking noble like a count?

When he said they’d respect the existing order, I thought they’d just prioritize supplying us with resources and use us to control other tribes. Besides, that had been the empire’s method until now. I didn’t dare hope for more than that.

But the empire dangled before our eyes a treasure we didn’t even dare to dream of, an attractive treasure promising to include us nomads in the empire’s ruling class.

It can’t be a lie, right?

A diplomat wouldn’t blatantly lie. They might beat around the bush to avoid responsibility, but they wouldn’t lie outright. Even I, a nomad, knew that much.

Moreover, the person who came as an envoy was a big shot. Using such a big shot for a lie? That’d be too much of a waste of manpower.

This offer won’t be just for me.

As I started thinking based on the premise that the empire’s words were true, my thoughts branched out in another direction.

They wouldn’t place just one noble in this vast North. They’ll sprinkle appropriate titles to tribes that surrender like us, and countless nomad nobles will be born.

This changes everything.

Now, the hierarchy in the North wouldn’t be determined by the strength of tribes. It would be determined by who held the highest title.

Of course, the strongest tribes would likely receive the highest ranks, but differences in strength could be made up for with other things.

For example, active cooperation and active loyalty.

Or, to put it more bluntly, the favor of the empire—the imperial family.

...Well, well.

Who could resist such an offer? There’d be no going back once we’d tasted something like this.

We’d be a traitor if we joined too late, but we’d be a founding hero if we joined first.

Starting today, I am a founding hero.