Chapter 74
m8bVok“…?”uoQ
DMsQD6Dane looked over at Lucian, his expression showing he hadn’t understood what he’d just heard.uxI8vwY
hbBCQG5Then, noticing Lucian was younger than he’d imagined, he sharply furrowed his brow.zJT
qcu“What kind of nonsense is this?”RBV0SX
2SOGpOH“Does it sound like nonsense to you?”htJDc
A6W17“Your Excellency, this is not something to be taken lightly. Do you know what weight the name Grimaldi carries in the north? If you present a representative without legitimacy, you’ll have to bear the consequences.”8fUUx
fLF8“Consequences…?”qohQvP
Wu8Instead of replying, Harald gave an ironic smile and signaled to Lucian with his eyes.18ayzf
lR01pYSince they’d come this far, he was telling him to reveal his identity himself.RosL
qrsZNDOSilently appreciating the opportunity, Lucian spoke firmly.Haw
xbZF“I am the maternal grandson of Duke Klaus, the rightful heir to the Grimaldi name. My name is Lucian Valdeck.”8kVb2IO
7jcO“…!?”6R5EvMQ
A3ZmDane flinched and looked at Lucian, eyes trembling.5mo
ZXnrzjAfter a few moments, he managed to collect himself and shouted.toO
sLc“That’s impossible! The young lady of the Grimaldi family left the north over ten years ago! And now you claim a grandson exists?”3u84Gk
7tRK4zAt the agitated reaction, Lucian let out a nasal laugh.yDQu
vKe9hHe seemed so worked up, he didn’t even know where to start refuting it.86jH
4ap8y“What exactly is impossible? That I’m not truly her grandson? Or that, even if I were, I lack the proper legitimacy?”EXr
PNLF“That…!”CUydUIQ
hw3xtQeDane hesitated, on the verge of saying “both.” Maybe the first could still be debated, but the second was harder to argue on the spot.4wa85
1g0AY4dThe house of Count Calix also descended from the Grimaldi line on the maternal side.jXc5y
qlYoA clumsy argument could even cast doubt on his own lord’s legitimacy.29lF
7aYiNyt“…The first. Where is the proof that you are truly Duke Klaus’s grandson?”e8kH
ctuNeS“Do you know who the young lady of Grimaldi married?”qKfzM5
fJN“How could I not? She married into the great ducal house of Valdeck, a pillar of the Empire…”YE5vXp
COiOnce again, Dane was left speechless mid-sentence. The Valdeck house symbol—the lion—was known across the Empire.VmdFOq
Zm9WvwAnd Lucian wore that emblem openly on the collar of his clothing.TcGQd
OxqbBPUWhat’s more, he had spoken the name Valdeck publicly himself.m3aBav
BbgifsK‘Damn it… Is he really a Valdeck?’YEZvqS
ji6Considering the dishonor of lying about one’s own lineage and the offense it would cause the other party, it was hard to believe it was a bluff.3Mt3NN
4DY0okWhile Dane remained silent, mind in turmoil, Lucian smiled coldly.WMe
u7qJW“What’s wrong? If you have more to say, say it. Don’t you want to verify whether I’m truly a Valdeck?”SmJz9Bo
Ode8W“…Then why have you come to the north now? You’ve never once set foot on this land since you were born.”jJqE86
cA8iBAt a loss for what else to say, Dane threw out that indirect accusation.lmP
UyiCHe was trying to rebuke him for suddenly bringing up the Grimaldi name when he had no ties to the north—but Lucian answered without flinching.W3R
sfInk“Because I came to reclaim what’s mine—the name Grimaldi.”mMQm8jd
6V7MlAY“You’re a Valdeck, not a Grimaldi!”IMzA
1hR2“Then what right does Calix have to claim the Grimaldi name? I hope you’re not going to use that ridiculous excuse of a centuries-old marriage. If we’re going to measure rights, mine should be above anyone’s.”b4x1ts
WT3sEr“No! Even so, you have no right to claim the Grimaldi name! The matters of the north must be decided by northerners! And you are not one!”Bh3glPo
UUCZgThe reasoning was weak, but Dane was desperate.5WDu
Pa6The moment he acknowledged Lucian’s legitimacy, it was clear his lord would cast him aside.bcS
JQOHe had to leave at least a sliver of an escape route before returning.jWWZFO
Xp3“If it’s about material things like land, property, or mansions, you can claim them all you like. But you have no right to claim the legitimacy of the ancient royal lineage. You’re an outsider who doesn’t even know the customs of the north.”4ENJb7l
P4id“That’s correct.”6nSccO
8jjYHarald, who had remained silent until then, nodded and stepped in.vzZgS
uIMm“No matter how much of the old duke’s blood he carries, he’s still an outsider. He’s not a northerner. The matters of the north must be decided by northerners.”5brFF
BcMzT“I-i—is that so?”0P3nIL
SZvZkTDane looked at Harald in disbelief. Why was this old man, who had constantly gotten in the way of Calix’s plans, suddenly seeming to side with him?cNnUp84
YlphBC‘Come to think of it, his identity as a northerner is unquestionable. Maybe he prefers Calix over some outsider claiming the Grimaldi name…’lnQ3rC0
BTkfL“That is to say,”O8NtT3A
9Ql5kWith a cold smile, Harald continued, shattering Dane’s expectations.JXfG2M
hJmOH1u“If he proves himself a warrior by northern tradition, then there’ll be no issue.”tV4OmT
eDD90“What…!?”kQSdZF
OUF4l1o“In a week, Count Lucian and I will have a duel. That will decide whether or not he is a true son of the north.”6BPW
6aZrta“That’s absurd! What does personal strength have to do with place of origin? The house of Calix cannot accept such a thing!”TCXHcp
StOVBFh“And what will you do if they don’t accept it?”UYoj4G
spMW“Huh?”BXm
nPcqKe“I, at least, will accept it. Whether others do or not is up to them. It’s not something the house of Count Calix can impose.”vzAXixS
80xeuFaced with Harald’s unilateral declaration, Dane clenched his teeth. As he said, this wasn’t a matter of whether Calix accepted it.baFHc
Ms4eDDIt was a matter of whether the northerners would see Lucian as a warrior or a stranger.Lek
9Bl5UxCIf Lucian proved himself according to northern tradition, many would recognize him in silence, regardless of what Calix said.KusNw
RKZwXsTEven if he wasn’t raised in the north, he was still a blood relative following its customs.ZBrVZ
ZBV‘We’re cornered.’XJe
BHgAt this point, there was nothing Dane could do. The duel between Lucian and Harald would happen no matter what, and afterward, factions would naturally begin to form.6LzoN
DDkRxd“If you have nothing else to say, get out. Looking at your face any longer turns my stomach.”7Uc
FjadSC“…Understood. But before I go, at least return the captured knights to us. Even if they took part in the rebellion, they swore loyalty to the house of Calix. We’ll see to punishing them.”fBesql
spPl1BL“Their heads are already hanging on the wall. Far right side—you’ll see them right away.”cFGxxiH
D41zrGDane’s eyes widened in horror.yOqv
gMkNZQThat they died in battle was one thing—but to be decapitated and have their heads displayed, even as knights?cYUvl
vdppC1For a moment, he was about to curse, but realizing Harald’s fury wasn’t something to provoke, he barely managed to say.5kOT
MlKmyT“The house of Count Calix won’t forget this.”4ADILTq
eXZWith those words, Dane turned and left the lord’s manor.dGktWr
lJ3Just before his figure disappeared through the door, Harald muttered quietly.wdV
vanYlxN“Of course not. I won’t forget it either.”V5v6
wCLkAoLucian, who had been silently listening to the entire exchange, gave a faint smile.la0Tg
s8MZHe finally felt like he was starting to see clearly how to bring down the house of Count Calix.2iiya
Y2ke***vkwUku
jQfprJAfter Dane left the territory, Harald spread the rumor far and wide.H98h6
39HQF2That the legitimate heir of Grimaldi would duel Harald to prove his worth.BsVrHo
7xZsRFaced with such a sudden rumor, the lords of neighboring territories began to stir.iiE0AV
YcYp47L“Legitimate heir? Was there anyone else besides the house of Count Calix who could claim the name Grimaldi?”7TFEPbe
IuGe“Have you forgotten that Duke Klaus’s daughter married into the Valdeck family?”6uZF
IQIu8Im“Valdeck? But what business would Valdeck have in this inhospitable north? They could live comfortably flaunting their status in the Empire.”V6eke
e2bnG“I don’t know. But whatever the reason, isn’t it true that he has a legitimate right?”2KsFRP
oYziJIy“Well… if it’s true, there’s no one more closely related than him.”uAe2r
mVHHFg“To be honest, isn’t it ridiculous that the house of Count Calix uses the Grimaldi name? The last marriage connection was already several generations ago.”ShR
68UIf the rumor turned out to be true, the very foundation upon which the house of Count Calix claimed to unify the north would collapse.Rqa
7t3QBoth the families allied with Calix and those opposed to him had no choice but to remain on alert.8IMenq
4ZCLHowever, some old lords simply scoffed at the rumor.GSOlHOM
x9WG“What a ridiculous rumor. Ignore it and let it run its course.”yHf
ifw“My lord, at the very least we should send someone to witness the duel firsthand…”C3oY
lyAeQ“There’s no need. Whether he’s Duke Klaus’s grandson or whatever, he’s still just a sixteen-year-old brat. If he manages to survive even one exchange against that wolf-slayer Harald, it’ll be a miracle.”h7s
1uO1miy“He doesn’t need to win. Just proving his strength is enough. Maybe the baron will go easy on him.”OnD1xuQ
fvgU“Don’t be stupid. Harald’s a true warrior. He considers holding back an insult. A stubborn man like him won’t show mercy to anyone.”Fcu
myFoeWhatever the truth of the rumor, if he truly faced Harald, there was no way a sixteen-year-old boy could win.3we5nF
PJMKn5Convinced of that, the old lords lost interest and didn’t even bother to send messengers to observe the duel.2gqn
sWh1CvCuriously, even Harald’s own retainers reacted in much the same way.cGog
bQVuZ“Young master, are you really going to fight our lord?”CNVRv
KbE“Why do you ask?”Fjbw1
paD“Please take this. It’s fresh roe deer blood.”Nhf2imk
vkK“…And what do I need roe deer blood for?”KomTC
3tRshq“Nothing’s better to boost a man’s vitality. You might get seriously hurt, so you should be well prepared.”5ukrSy
ZgjBLucian was speechless.5p3Es
MViKThough he had announced he would duel the lord, not a single retainer seemed worried about Harald.62IvnZE
NkwOn the contrary, they were all worried about how Lucian would lose—and how badly he might be injured.b3DRo
q5At1AZSome even openly admired his bravery.lqH8
llb“It’s impressive! Challenging the lord to prove you’re a warrior!”Yyb
w2CxjSv“If I may give some advice, don’t face him head-on with brute strength. Try to exploit the openings between his heavy movements.”9AAo
Y18F9“…”FYcGiYX
g4JOFFaced with such sincere concern and support, Lucian and his group could only let out dry laughs.172HV
UA6It didn’t feel like mockery—their worry was genuine.775UGW0
G5W3Ax“This kind of treatment is new to me. Still, I’ve fought on the front lines twice, yet here I’m treated like a rookie.”WncpFf
HeRb“The north tends to be quite cut off from external news. Big events make it in, but the suppression of the last rebellion was deliberately hidden by the Imperial Palace.”qlg
5Rg48g“Even so, we can’t deny that Baron Harald is a formidable fighter.”Lmx07C
a9q4Lucian recalled the axe Harald had wielded before.5mHWrZg
ExBagyThere were no flashy techniques—just honest, straightforward movements—but the sheer power left no room to deflect or avoid them.Y9R
Ib2kLSAny average knight would have been overwhelmed and split in two trying to block a single strike.lCM
WNKg0‘But I’m not an average knight.’AAoK
VfQ6XxHLucian closed his eyes and looked inward.ieNB
vBW7YiThe path he had already forged had widened further after opening the eye.2z6
AIRHis strengthened body could now endure far more magical energy than before.cCZA7Nl
82W8UU‘For the first time in a long while, I might be facing someone who won’t go down in one strike.’PeRaq
ZZXpY8XRealizing that thought, Lucian gave a bitter smile.1XFHz
zzXIt was a feeling he could’ve never imagined back when he was weak.uidNBx
PhzS9***lEihWvZ
dZVvOn the day of the duel, Lucian waited for Harald in the plaza with his hand resting on his sword.UNhh12V
PVgNormally, duels between nobles were held in the training grounds, but this time was different.yK297P
2sNg6Given the purpose of the duel, it was better to have as many spectators as possible.gKn
VVF‘Thankfully, it looks like quite a few lords are interested in the duel.’VJtis
9syLLucian’s gaze drifted to the knights scattered among the crowd of retainers.v3IVKjr
komJThey weren’t knights under Harald’s command, but representatives sent from other territories to witness the outcome of the duel.HNGB5xp
qbVOPIt had only been a week, so there hadn’t been much time to dispatch observers, and yet the turnout was considerable.5B4Z7R9
Da8L‘That means my existence has sparked their interest. It’s a good start.’KfMsX9v
lRIZJust by drawing this much attention, the duel’s objective was already halfway fulfilled.I3KZWN
6ZFGRAll that was left was to defeat Harald and prove his strength to the northerners.eOYZTdP
OcsjcBLucian idly played with the hilt of his sword as he waited, beginning to feel a little bored when—j4CUygv
z5PMljIRumbleee.RPLTe1
4uba5With the sound of the fortress gate opening, Harald appeared, resting his axe on his shoulder.n29
5mrLucian looked at him with welcome, but then blinked in surprise upon seeing Torik bound beside him.rn8rj
ntyWasn’t that man supposed to be in prison? Why was he coming with him?ny2k
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