Chapter 128
6NJoNot only Brunda, but also the warriors beside him twisted their faces strangely.IOS
PoaaMore than anger, it seemed they had never considered the possibility that Lucian would strike back.cVx6Dq2
FQB“…Huh, shamelessness is also a trait of a true warrior.”tbyjshp
sUii2cBrunda, who had been thinking for quite some time about how to retaliate, barely managed to say those words.nNWS0CD
TUsNPerhaps because he had forced them too much, he couldn’t control his expression and his lips continued to tremble.JlaDGLs
9AwgrrBut it lasted only a moment. Regaining his composure, Brunda approached Lucian and extended his hand.nkUVX
qOnW4“Pleased to meet you, warrior. I’m Brunda, son of Ivar, the Red Axe. What is your name?”5jChI
UCSIIR2“Lucian. Lucian Grimaldi Valdeck.”DSwH7
xzKU0SCLucian replied with his name while extending his hand. As soon as their hands clasped, Brunda let out a loud laugh.GP9hPS
DZqB9K“Foreigners sure have long names! What a hassle to recite something like that every time!”Ix8KU
gnsha“In official events, I’m not the one who says them, a servant does. So it doesn’t bother me.”IKk
TgWi“Ah, because you’re someone important? Sorry, I didn’t recognize you.”2wEpPM
5iM“No need to apologize. I don’t plan to acknowledge your status either.”v6hu
Wg24“Hoh, now that’s a problem…”JvHq5F
I0F1ayABrunda left the sentence hanging while curling the corner of his lips. At the same time, he began to squeeze Lucian’s hand.kcIV
xXaJRPIt wasn’t just physical strength. He was channeling his mana to maximize his muscles.EYd
gbVyIt wasn’t just a warning; he clearly intended to crush his hand.qGb4WQ
YI2aZ8“This is our land. Even if we don’t acknowledge you, you should acknowledge us. Don’t you think?”ojdg2eE
O9nEs“Who knows.”N8vVH
Fjh3Despite the terrifying pressure crushing his hand, Lucian’s face remained completely calm.RAEC3
bWAHe had already predicted how the other would act the moment he offered his hand.TyYKt
qcJdcq1He even gave a slight smile and tilted his head.nTmD41Y
iQ1“I don’t see it that way. Seems we don’t agree.”yaS3K
KU63gZX“…!?”PZf
cyQSeeing Lucian’s expression unchanged, Brunda’s eyes widened.L6l
refcxPBut before he could say anything, this time Lucian began to apply force.3JfCfh
h5KYZItBrunda almost screamed. That small hand, barely half the size of his own, seemed capable of ripping everything beneath his thumb.qHT
6FHt‘This bastard…!’wTOzp6
92mlTerrified, Brunda resisted with all his strength. At first, he tried to hide it, but soon it became impossible, and he openly tried to pull away.xkqA3pu
ohSvHowever, no matter how much he tried, his hand remained firmly trapped.OvzQAK3
nR2lQoAfter watching him for a moment, Lucian lowered the hand with which he held him.ayN9CpU
okwD7z“Guh!”4uir
e3sW6TiThud.YyA
yBB“W-Chief warrior?!”rzBG5Ni
VnJHAs a scream escaped Brunda’s mouth, unable to endure the pain, the warriors behind him widened their eyes.c3SQax
bgPueOnly then did they seem to realize something was very wrong.HwbT
QnZWhen they tried to intervene, Brunda, half-kneeling, shouted.CLmUl4
9Ef“Stop! Stand down!”MaB2
ekZY8“But…!”v6QuwST
TknN“I said stand down!”gWlI
li2VNtyDespite sweating from the pain, Brunda refused help. Seeing the hesitant warriors unable to act, Lucian let out a slight chuckle.l2MUS
gKYg“You’d be better off accepting help.”ni5iD9
2ty“Shut up!”JQB
DBiMi“A one-on-one duel also requires capability. If you don’t have it, the normal thing is to ask for help and stay alive—even if you lose face in the process.”TLbwd
CZ0Lucian’s words made Brunda glare up at him in fury. He looked exhausted, but determination still burned in his eyes.lAc0Bu
7PZPM“I… can’t…!”k2Zz
iVxJLE“Then you’ll die.”aM4
LbNHUrA“I’d rather… die…!”uHrx
bX2zoo8“Oh.”4IZk
RjOLucian let out a sound of admiration. However, although his lips showed interest, his gaze was ice-cold.NrVS
E0jwcgC“In that case, with pleasure.”AOkCO
GzPYXCrunch.sG3ATX
Hm6rCy“Ghk!”rAK
gsG4S8VAn unbearable pain forced Brunda to fall to his knees. The force crushing him was incomparably greater than before, pressing his bones without mercy.CFo
K0z81Then Brunda understood Lucian’s intent.o9IV
Kvbn‘It’s not just to cause pain… just like I tried before, he wants to leave my hand useless…’21Aeouv
4SRUpon realizing that, he felt his heart sink. If he couldn’t use his hand, not only would he lose the right to compete for clan leader, he wouldn’t even be able to call himself a warrior.xGe
9CRyIbjHe’d be beneath his other brothers—even beneath Gunstein.TUntT
SuNPWhen fear, arriving just after pride, took over his entire body—OcAKAK
n8OrBm“Stop!”kxb7J7F
padGThe tent suddenly burst open and someone entered.Ipe
zPhrH7The warrior, who seemed older than Brunda, stared straight at Lucian and spoke.Q13
1D3IhX“That’s enough. Are you going to spill human blood before even tasting a bite at a banquet?”iJYp9Z
l28“And who are you to say that?”Vn1RDyG
RTQ5co“Ainar. Brother of the idiot you’re holding. Same father, different mother.”RxJ
CznrGx“Ghk…”iCT794U
vRzBrunda’s face turned red with shame. He looked mortified to have embarrassed himself in front of Ainar, his rival.DY8B
Rko98hLucian observed Ainar for a moment before replying.liD
0otFY“The one who wanted to see blood first was your brother.”m3m
QKnKMc“The weak always act in haste. The strong, on the other hand, stay calm. What reason would a strong one have to act like the weak?”QC1l
O562“Oh.”WcjHeHi
qwPQA second sound of admiration escaped Lucian’s lips. If the previous one had been almost a mimic, this one carried genuine surprise.5fEnkoO
8T4It was hard to believe someone who had never studied rhetoric could speak so eloquently.mesBVyV
3MMxS“You’re a smooth talker.”JTxup
gc0jUw“I speak honestly.”tbuY
GrZWII“Well then.”Rwg
3q2Lucian let go of Brunda’s hand as if he had no choice. Only then was Brunda able to withdraw his fingers, already half cracked, clutching them with his other hand.vpbWh8
Pi4OVlqAinar briefly clicked his tongue as he looked at his half-brother.NVD
dgpFC“Sit down.”T6mY
wzHr“…”IJVfH18
RHV5Brunda trembled with humiliation, but sat without saying a word. He understood that no matter how much he protested, all he would achieve was losing even more dignity.3iBeak
n5KXOnce the commotion died down, another group entered the tent, led by someone different.LciArh
22iUnlike Ainar, who had intervened as a brother, this one seemed to be looking to gain something from the situation.QNjskKH
bf2oYThe four heirs to the succession right were gathered in one place, and an awkward silence spread for a while.RTDk
Z38tT7“Looks like we’re all here.”beR
c8ZHWith a deep voice, the last attendee made his appearance.emxsFB
ss9PcUUpon seeing the elderly warrior with half a severed left ear and only one eye, Lucian immediately knew who he was.z9pLYa
ZVq34Gunstein’s father.c0dvcmy
VeclFjThe chief of the Blue Dragon Clan.qdtyKV
L1iN8Marius’s declared enemy.za0LMZ
JiLfsAnd the man guarding the Dragon’s Heart that Lucian had to obtain.cgFJh
6AS74s‘Ivar of the Red Axe.’ewifywz
GxWgSOKIvar walked firmly between the attendees and sat in the seat of honor.RXd
oBZHgV0At that moment, everyone except Lucian jumped to their feet and shouted in unison.pYJp2ML
haOJa2B“The ignorant descendants of the dragon salute the great Blue Dragon!”dqYBR
bt6***DupWV8
5sG3“…”zlkdp
T7DyDOU“…”RxbrB
wgaPDAfter the thunderous greeting, the banquet was shrouded in silence.VjAa1
qSC8All eyes turned to Lucian, who remained seated in complete calm.TKRe9Y
cZo6PRkThe pressure was clear—stand up and pay your respects too.V5z0zY
h9lcooBut Lucian, resting his chin in his hand with blatant indifference, said.TGNG7l
oy7o“How long do you plan to keep them standing? Their legs must be hurting. You could at least accept their greeting.”Hkyi1
jX9“…!?”iu3
Mp0vThe heirs to the succession were stunned by his attitude, as if none of it concerned him.LiLyX31
gVKWa8Even Ivar, who had remained impassive until then, slightly furrowed his brow.CQmCN
cLdZUnable to bear it, Brunda explained the situation bluntly.HeZDXdY
aGE9v1“Everyone’s waiting for you to pay homage to the chief.”E0IJ6po
IKXlQ3x“Homage? Me, to the chief?”4MSYw2W
4C4hdiHLucian let out a nasal laugh and tilted his head.G5O3GPc
rAk“How absurd. Why should I?”Emo2yld
p5Bdgss“You bastard!”CwaiWh
kYbCA warrior jumped to his feet, furious. He was the same one who had watched from the sidelines when Lucian and Brunda clashed without intervening.xuz
XF6n7Vq“You occupy this seat in Gunstein’s place! That means you must pay the homage that was due from him!”tyOUv
vTkLC“That logic is strange. I didn’t replace Gunstein. I only took the rights he possessed.”v5AWH7
W5Gta“It’s the same thing!”iATVK84
nlR4d“No. Gunstein pays homage because he’s the chief’s son and a member of the clan. I am neither his son nor part of this clan, so I don’t see why I should.”eFUhUQ
ydpT“…”JTaRf9M
NcKHhThe warrior was left speechless, unable to reply.e95nrV
SMOCome to think of it, Lucian wasn’t wrong.K7nr
VKYrJUvWhoever defeats a warrior inherits their status, not the personal obligations that warrior had before. No one could arbitrarily impose duties within the clan.mtXGIah
UhZgIt was a self-evident truth, but no one had known how to process it in such an unusual situation.Ko4Fdaj
kRb“But even so…”CShFyXQ
DM8oZ“That’s enough.”Ue0G
aRoIvar’s voice, which had remained silent since he sat, rang out coldly. The warrior shut his mouth and sat back down.igqNDN
QtkcSOtAfter a brief pause, Ivar stared at Lucian.JOylAkc
dOHBE0“You’re right. It’s not obligatory to pay me homage.”pL0
Vy2“I appreciate it.”kwqFPK4
vXkh“But there’s something you should know.”d2Iy
KtYz“I’ve tolerated many of your mistakes.”Kwdsv
3AiyMGb“And if you don’t show even the slightest respect, even my patience has limits.”VlmrXX
7W0“Mistakes? What mistake have I made?”4Ct
fkYLucian shrugged, genuinely confused.hNDsEJ
aYyMLHThen Ivar pointed without hesitation behind Lucian.9AGRpK
dsED“Among other things, the most ridiculous one is bringing a concubine to this place.”IMXm3
sv9XJ6At the word, Lucian’s group jumped and turned their heads.NMIL
lYvPIvar’s finger was aimed directly at Felicia.pyvrdi
U1ZXXXT“I don’t know how libertine your homeland is, but here, only warriors may enter. If you’re not looking to insult us, get your concubine out immediately.”fKcdmG
TpxHUe“Then there’s no problem.”uTJo
yjg“She’s not my concubine. She’s a warrior.”AP737
pXF90“…What?”IV5Mrwx
L63YIvar repeated with a grotesque expression, unable to hide his confusion. The other heirs and warriors reacted the same way.mNBwyR2
ebhAkHP“Did I mishear?”lk6iD4H
VVn“A woman, a warrior?”6gYP
xnpiK“You heard right. She’s a warrior and my guard.”oeA
fGzxDD“Pfft!”cSQnbz
RBFmnd“What an excuse!”doA0T
mWw4Ak“A woman as a bodyguard?!”c2FW
yIQK“Now I’ve seen everything!”xVlN2wb
TFfnr“Hahaha!”Eqw3RE
t6u1Laughter erupted throughout the tent. No one seemed to take it seriously.Upy2b8q
OYZ9Z8“So you let yourself be protected by a woman?”kN9rzP
c6JL“You give her a sword and ask her to guard you?”2xa9c
SzXo“We fight together, so it’s not incorrect.”pzx
yLCty“If I’m going to entrust my back to someone, it’ll be her.”SVwDT
WyNf“This is a masterpiece. A true masterpiece.”rOJ2Lqa
tr6kS8A thick smile spread across Ivar’s face. Inside, he mocked Lucian’s foolishness.LObRhoq
1EW4“Alright then.”JzCK
hv4“How strong is this woman?”ff5Jo0
ZVOe“Is she stronger than you?”7FrFM
KXnL“She’s stronger than you.”GtI
qP8i“What?”5N6OXYy
FGer“Much stronger than you.”sgod
3Qrl0“To be precise, she’s stronger than everyone here.”jin
NVKbJbThe laughter stopped instantly.HpfT
fuKUY4xThe warriors’ faces twisted as if they’d just been handed an unbearable humiliation, and they reflexively reached for their waists.8FG0T
07IIf not for the banquet, they would’ve already drawn their weapons.RSkO
CpfF3aQIn the midst of the suffocating tension, Ivar fixed a killing glare on Lucian.twZ
ufQW9“Can you take responsibility for those words?”BosgwM
vMWMLucian responded without a second’s hesitation.ueYioxa
IH8nl“If even one of the warriors here can withstand a single blow from her sword…”97oe
dZbfXb“I’ll lay my head on the table.”5vAt
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