There were opportunists everywhere—and in Lania, they lived in the South.
During the Elonia campaign, they had contributed almost nothing, guided as always by their instincts for self-preservation.
Yet despite their inaction, the southern nobles still produced the majority of the kingdom's agricultural wealth.
Astrid exchanged a glance with Duke Capone and sighed. The duke, too, shook his head in resignation.
"Sigh… No doubt they'll come charging in, demanding their share under the claim of equal rights."
They would likely dredge up centuries-old achievements and argue that, despite their contributions, they had been denied lands in the past due to territorial shortages.
Many of the southern nobles had long left the management of their estates to stewards, choosing instead to entrench themselves in the capital's politics.
Some among them were even old royal relatives—ones who viewed Astrid's regency as an irritant, if not a threat.
