Chapter 384: A New Master (2)
Aintrier’s city gates were divided into two major sections.
Most people used the smaller gates on either side for entry and exit, while a massive main gate existed—one reserved only for the most special of individuals.
Arthur stood before that gate, and the massive iron doors responded to his presence.
Kuuung!
“......!”
All eyes turned toward the slowly opening gate.
It was the so-called Golden Gate, once a symbol of authority granted only to VIPs recognized by Azonne.
Since the change in leadership, it had remained firmly shut.
The very act of the gate opening drew great attention from those near the castle, but the shout from the gatekeeper stirred even greater curiosity.
“The master of Aintrier?!”
“No way… that person is…?”
News had spread that a new master had taken over after Azonne’s death, but the identity of that person had remained veiled.
This was the first time they had appeared in public.
Word spread like wildfire, and people inside and outside the castle rushed toward the gate in a frenzy.
Crowds swarmed around the Golden Gate. Thousands of eyes locked onto one man.
When Arthur turned and gestured behind him, new figures approached from the carriages. A girl in a wide-brimmed hat and a dwarf.
“...Who are they?”
“Witch? That’s a dwarf, right?”
A witch and a non-human—races that Aintrier had once harshly rejected—now stood boldly at the front gate.
Some frowned, but since they stood beside the new master, no one dared say anything.
Instead, curiosity bloomed. Why had he brought them?
“L-Lily!”
That same question was shared by the witches hiding inside the carriages.
Why was Lily standing so proudly at the front, surrounded by such a massive crowd?
‘What in the world is going on?’
Revina had heard bits and pieces about Hell Grime’s current state during the journey here.
But both she and the other witches had been imprisoned for so long that they still believed witches merely had a chance at surviving in Hell Grime—they didn’t truly understand the world outside.
“Huh??”
“More people are coming out.”
At the witches’ exclamations, Revina nodded and cracked open the window slightly.
From behind the majestic gate, a delegation emerged to greet Arthur.
The moment the witches saw them, their shoulders shrank, and they began to tremble.
White robes, staffs in hand—
“…Mages?”
To the witches, they were the very embodiment of terror. But that fear was short-lived, as their eyes slowly widened.
The terrifying figures…
“Welcome.”
“Welcome.”
“Welcome.”
…approached Arthur and deeply bowed in greeting.
Arthur gave a small nod in return.
The scene was so hard to believe that the witches’ mouths fell slightly open.
Then they heard voices from the delegation.
“We didn’t expect Lord Halyans to come in person.”
“I heard Lord Arthur would be arriving, so of course I had to.”
“Did things go well?”
“You’ll be satisfied.”
“We’ll know once we check. Has the Lord of the Ivory Tower been contacted?”
From that exchange, Revina learned that the head mage present was an elder of the Ivory Tower—A figure of Demtor.
Just as Revina’s eyes filled with shock, an old man approached Arthur.
His appearance caused a stir among those near the gate.
The elder smiled at Arthur and offered a polite bow.
“We’ve been waiting for you.”
“You came yourself, Master of the Lenon Trading Company.”
“Of course. When you call, I must come.”
The Master of the Lenon Trading Company.
His name had come up often among the guards; even the witches were familiar with him.
The Iron-Blooded Merchant, Italus. Aintrier’s second-in-command.
Gaining courage, Revina opened the window a bit more.
She saw Italus, who occasionally glanced at Arthur, seemingly cautious of the dwarf beside him.
“I greet the King of the Dwarves.”
At those words, Dorneth tilted his head.
“Who is that again??”
“Italus—the one I mentioned before. He oversees the dwarf workshops.”
“Ah, the one who once enslaved dwarves?”
“N-no, not anymore.”
Italus looked visibly flustered, prompting Dorneth to smirk and say,
“I know. I’ve already heard. So, where are the dwarves now?”
Whether it was due to facing the Dwarf King, Italus couldn’t move a muscle.
Even the other company leaders who had come with him were visibly tense, cautiously watching Arthur.
The same went for the surrounding crowd. Everyone stared silently, but no one dared to speak first.
Watching all of this, Revina suddenly threw open the carriage window completely.
She wasn’t sure where the courage came from.
And it wasn’t just her—the other witches in the carriages began opening their windows one by one.
The world that once terrified them no longer felt so threatening.
With Arthur by their side, they felt safe.
Even after revealing their faces, no one paid them any mind.
“Ah…”
Then, as if on cue, merchants approached the carriages with food gifts in hand.
Polite hands reached through open windows, offering the witches gifts.
“Welcome to Aintrier.”
“We truly welcome you.”
“Welcome!”
Revina and the witches accepted the gift bundles in a daze.
The merchants’ smiles were a bit stiff, but there was no malice behind them.
It was nothing like the atmosphere they once knew—where the same merchants had enslaved them.
Revina stared blankly at the gift in her hands.
“This… is Aintrier?”
The city that had once imprisoned and oppressed them…
But that city no longer existed.
It had completely transformed into a new place—One where witches and non-humans could walk freely.
To Revina, it felt like a whole new world.
And when she realized that the man before her was the reason for this change, she truly understood what it meant to call someone a benefactor of witches.
‘…Arthur Clayton.’
Lily and Natasha had told her—never trust humans, except for one.
When their eyes met, Revina bowed deeply.
The carriages carrying the witches slowly passed through the gate into the city.
From their open windows, they eagerly took in the sights of Aintrier.
Seeing their bright, curious expressions, Arthur smiled with satisfaction.
It had worked.
He had arranged this event in advance, and it went exactly as planned.
Arthur turned to Italus, the one who had prepared it.
“The witches seem pleased. Thank you for your efforts.”
“It brings me joy as well.”
“I expected your son, the deputy company leader, to come. I didn’t think you would appear in person.”
The Lenon Trading Company had moved to a new city to escape Azonne’s suppression.
Their new base, recommended by Arthur, was the starting point of the magical ship Gridment—“The City of Strays.”
With massive capital behind them, they were quickly expanding their influence.
At Arthur’s words, Italus gave a bitter smile and answered,
“Such important guests are coming—I had to come myself.”
He was, of course, referring to Dorneth, the King of the Dwarves.
Since most of the company’s products were crafted by dwarves, gaining Dorneth’s favor was essential.
Dorneth was now beaming after opening one of Italus’s gift boxes.
An expensive set of gifts clearly meant for a lady.
The target of the gift was obvious.
“Looks like you’ve scored some points. Thank you for the advice.”
“You only need to focus on Lady Sharbadin. Do that, and most problems will solve themselves.”
At Arthur’s whispered advice, Italus nodded with a serious expression.
“By the way, what about the castle?”
“I kept what was necessary and cut off what wasn’t.”
While Arthur had left temporarily to meet with the group, he had entrusted castle management to the Lenon Company.
And since Italus, the Iron-Blooded Merchant himself, had taken charge, Arthur believed any remnants of Azonne would’ve been thoroughly purged.
“Can I ask one more favor?”
“Of course. Anything.”
“I want to show the witches around Aintrier.”
“You mean a tour?”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll assign guides immediately.”
“Me too! Me too!”
Lily, with a mouthful of cookies, waved enthusiastically. She clearly wanted to join the city tour with the witches.
When Arthur nodded, Lily hopped into Revina’s carriage,
and under the guidance of Lenon’s staff, the carriages slowly moved toward the plaza.
After sending off the witches, Arthur turned around.
Before him stood the wide-open main gate—
Once, it had only opened for those who pleased Azonne. Arthur stared at the gate for a moment, then gave his command.
“From today onward, this gate will remain permanently open.”
“Surely not…”
Italus trailed off in disbelief, but Arthur nodded.
“It’s best to eliminate remnants of the past as soon as possible.”
Italus let out a soft groan. That gate was a symbol of power.
Yet the man before him had just announced he would discard that very power.
Arthur slowly looked around.
Countless eyes were watching him—
Merchants, residents, elders, children…All people who now called Aintrier home.
Standing in their midst, Arthur raised his voice loudly.
“From this day forward, all gates will be open to everyone!”
This was the first step in Arthur’s planned unity. He started by tearing down Aintrier’s symbol of hierarchy.
The right to enter and leave the city—equally given to all.
He had erased social classes and declared equal rights.
Naturally, the people erupted in cheers.
UAAAAAHHHHH!
Thunderous roars echoed from all directions. But Arthur didn’t stop there.
Having abolished status discrimination, he immediately took the next step.
“All races are friends of Aintrier! Elves, dwarves, witches—treat them all as equals from now on!”
A bombshell declaration that aimed to change the entire perception of Hell Grime.
Yet no one publicly opposed it. Not the company leaders, not the mages. All bowed their heads to Arthur’s words.
Because his words carried weight.
He was now the master of Aintrier—who had brought everyone under his rule.
***
Thanks to Arthur’s declaration, Aintrier was abuzz with excitement.
As everyone chattered and speculated about the day’s events, Arthur rode with Halyans in a carriage toward the castle.
“A very impressive declaration. Though, I doubt Demtor will be pleased.”
“If they want to ally with us, they’ll have to change their mindset.”
Halyans gave a bitter smile and nodded.
With the alliance mostly secured, there was no need to challenge Arthur’s decisions.
After all, he was the rightful master of this place.
Just before reaching the castle, Halyans pulled a small booklet from his robe and handed it to Arthur.
Arthur opened it and nodded as he reviewed the contents.
A list marked in red lines.
The trading companies Arthur had once placed on a blacklist.
They had served as limbs of Azonne. Arthur had asked Halyans to take care of them.
“We wiped them all out. Not a single building was left standing.”
Mages were terrifying. Especially to powerless merchants.
Those listed in the booklet—accused of conspiring in the death of Sub-Tower Master Nagrok—had been targeted by the mages.
With Azonne gone, the targeted companies crumbled overnight like a dream vanishing at dawn.
“We’ve also imprisoned the company leaders.”
“Were their assets confiscated?”
“They’re stored in the castle vault.”
Arthur nodded and handed the booklet back, then looked out the window.
Halyans cautiously asked,
“Then… does this mean the alliance with the Ivory Tower is officially fulfilled?”