Gwayne was starting to find this Viscount Andrew an interesting character.
He was more like a merchant than a noble.
But at the same time, he wasn't a particularly skilled merchant, at least not in Gwayne's estimation.
A skilled merchant wouldn't lay cards like transactions, leverage, and debts on the table this early. A proper noble wouldn't deign to bring up such matters at all. The smartest move for Viscount Andrew right now would be to continue providing aid to House Seawright without showing his hand, while quietly extending his influence among the sheltered knights and soldiers.
He should use his noble status to legally establish his "creditor's claim" against House Seawright, and ideally get that claim brought before the High King. After that... whether Rebecca was willing to repay the debt would no longer matter.
The laws of this kingdom and the rules of its noble system would take care of the transaction for him.
Of course, Gwayne could also understand Andrew's position.
House Seawright's decline was common knowledge, and now that their core territory had been completely destroyed, just how much "repayment capacity" Rebecca actually had was genuinely uncertain.
"House Seawright doesn't leave debts unpaid," Rebecca said, though her words lacked convincing weight. "Don't worry, we have the means. Though we've lost our most prosperous region, some of the mountain forests on Seawright territory's outer edges are still intact. And as long as I, the heir, am still alive, there's always a loan waiting for House Seawright in the Mithril Vault. If it comes to it..."
Gwayne cleared his throat twice, cutting Rebecca off.
He felt he'd watched enough of this performance and had a decent grasp of the situation. The memories in his head were also more or less organized.
He rose to his feet.
"Rebecca, don't be hasty. Viscount Andrew, think bigger."
Andrew glanced at Gwayne. This "possibly ancient hero" did exert a certain pressure on him. Regardless of whether the man was genuine, the viscount reined himself in.
"My apologies. I am, admittedly, a touch... greedy."
That he openly admitted to "greed" caught Gwayne slightly off guard. He raised an eyebrow.
"Well, you're honest. But that's fine, pursuing profit is nothing to be ashamed of. We just need to be clear about the situation. A viscountcy has been destroyed. A dragon has appeared within the kingdom's borders. Monsters from the Dark Tide era have resurfaced. In the face of all this, talking business is... premature."
Before Andrew could respond, Gwayne continued.
"Of course, now that I've finished with the high-minded rhetoric, let's address the practical concerns. You're worried that your aid to House Seawright will pile up endlessly, leaving you with nothing to show for it. So let me tell you plainly. House Seawright is not only capable of settling any debt, but if you seize this opportunity, we can bring you unlimited returns."
Viscount Andrew met Gwayne's eyes.
"Please, go on."
"Me, personally,"
Gwayne pointed at himself.
"I am your greatest investment."
Andrew's expression froze for several seconds. Then he tugged at the corner of his mouth with some difficulty.
"Grand Duke... my Lord, I'll accept for the moment that you truly are the Grand Duke. But I must point out, you've been gone from the world for seven hundred years. Andraste is already in its Second Dynasty. Whether it's your title or your estates, they've all been re-enfeoffed, inherited, consumed, or... reclaimed by the crown. Naturally, I hold you in the highest personal esteem, every citizen of Andraste does. But I'm not just a private individual. I'm a lord, and I must consider my territory and my people..."
Gwayne shrugged.
"Think a little more broadly, Viscount. Are gold, silver, and physical land really the only things with investment value?"
"You mean...?"
"I hold the Right of Eternal Conquest," Gwayne raised the sword in his hand.
"When Gwayne Seawright bears the Pioneer's Sword, he has the right to settle and develop any unclaimed land. This includes but is not limited to undeveloped areas within Andraste, wilderness beyond all national borders, the Gondor Wasteland, and any other regions free of legal dispute. As long as a degree of control can be maintained over the pioneered territory, wherever the Pioneer's Sword goes becomes House Seawright’s domain, and the High King of Andraste must recognize and guarantee Gwayne Seawright's lordship rights at all times."
As he spoke, he watched Viscount Andrew's eyes grow wider and wider, then deliberately slowed his pace.
"The Right of Eternal Conquest were signed by Charles I, the founding king of Andraste. They are jointly recognized by the western Dothraki Horde, the eastern Storm Imperium, the southern Highland Kingdom, the Silver Dominion, and the northern Free Cities. The term is unlimited, as long as the authorized pioneer, which is to say myself, remains alive, they are permanently in effect. This decree wasn't actually issued to me alone. Each of the Seven Generals of that era received a corresponding authorization. It's just that by today... I'm the only one left who can exercise it."
At this point, Gwayne broke into a wide, cheerful grin.
"The old fellows who signed those documents certainly never imagined I'd one day throw open my coffin lid and walk out."
Before the stupefied Viscount Andrew could speak, Rebecca had already burst out.
"Gr-Great Ancestor!! Is this... is this real?!"
"Hestia, who was in charge of her history lessons?"
Gwayne couldn't help pressing a hand to his forehead and side-eyeing Hestia.
"Or has this decree been repealed? Because if it has, this is going to be pretty embarrassing, though surely the heads of state wouldn't have been bored enough to convene a conference hundreds of years later just to revoke a pioneering act that was already irrelevant?"
"Uhm... Rebecca's history lessons... were actually taught... by me, though her grades were never good," Hestia explained, her face flushed.
Then she quickly answered Gwayne's question. "And the decree you mention has of course not been repealed. While the Seven Generals were still alive, no one dared repeal it. And after the last pioneer died, the decree became part of the legacy of glory, a symbol of humanity's resolve to rebuild civilization. That made it even less likely to be repealed."
Viscount Andrew picked up the second half, "Not only has it not been repealed, historians and scholars have written extensively about it..."
Gwayne shrugged.
"So my sudden resurrection is certainly going to be both a surprise and a shock for them, this seven-hundred-year-old law finally has a use again."
Viscount Andrew stared at Gwayne, his gaze lingering especially on the Pioneer's Sword.
"I admit, this is indeed a... perspective I'd never considered. With the Right of Eternal Conquest, you do have the potential to revive House Seawright. But if you'll forgive my bluntness, this would be a very long-term venture. Do you know how much claimable unclaimed land exists along the kingdom's borders?"
"I have some idea. My descendants filled me in on the way here," Gwayne glanced at Hestia and Rebecca beside him. "Essentially, anywhere that can sustain a population has already been enfeoffed. Unclaimed lands are all dense jungle, toxic marshes, or border zones adjoining the Gondor Wasteland."
"So what do you intend to do?" Viscount Andrew spread his hands. "Where will you rebuild your family?"
"That's for me to figure out," Gwayne smiled.
But what surfaced in his mind was an image of the earth seen from high above, a satellite map of insane precision and breadth, the likes of which no human of this era could possibly obtain. It was stored deep in Gwayne's memory.
It might be several years or even a decade out of date (since he'd lost his connection to that overhead viewpoint), but it was more than enough to chart his future path.
"All you need to do is carefully consider... just how much investment value a founding Grand Duke who participated in the Second Expansion and still holds the Right of Eternal Conquest might represent."
Andrew lowered his head, thinking seriously about this for the first time.
After a long pause, he broke the silence.
"If your Right of Eternal Conquest is truly recognized by the crown, then this humble viscount would be happy to provide whatever assistance he can."
A textbook piece of smooth noble diplomacy, no openings left, no rules broken, while still projecting a measure of deference.
Rebecca's eyes went wide. "Are you saying that the Right of Eternal Conquest acknowledged by the founding king and the leaders of every nation might not be recognized by the current High King?!"
Gwayne looked at this not-quite-mature descendant of his with an amused smile.
"Of course he wouldn't want to recognize them. In fact, there's a very good chance he won't even acknowledge my identity. Even if Charles Martell himself popped out of his grave to vouch for me, the High King and his advisors would probably still pray from the bottom of their hearts that I'd drop dead on the spot and get re-buried in that old tomb on the kingdom's southern border."
"Why?!" Rebecca felt her worldview under assault. "You're a founding duke! You're enshrined in the halls of honor! The king and the nobles pay tribute to you every year, don't they want you to come back and help the kingdom again?"
Gwayne was about to explain when Amber piped up from across the table.
"Because they'd lose their three-day holiday!"
As she hollered this, the half-elf deliberately waggled her eyebrows at Gwayne, earning herself a furious glare from Hestia.
"Ignore her, that was a joke I told her earlier," Gwayne waved it off. "The real reason... Hestia and Viscount Andrew have probably already figured it out?"
Hestia sighed.
"A king will honor a hero, because the hero's image and prestige can be used to consolidate his rule. But he would never want that hero to actually return. Once the hero comes back, that image and prestige are no longer things he can control..."
Because Andrew was present, Hestia left some even more treasonous words unspoken.
Especially when this king descends from an illegitimate child, and his claim to the throne was never fully legitimate to begin with.
"So the problem we need to solve is actually quite clear," Gwayne said, looking down at the Pioneer's Sword at his waist. "It's simply this... making my Right of Eternal Conquest take effect."