Chapter 74

“…?”

Dane looked over at Lucian, his expression showing he hadn’t understood what he’d just heard.

Then, noticing Lucian was younger than he’d imagined, he sharply furrowed his brow.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

“Does it sound like nonsense to you?”

“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.”

“Consequences…?”

Instead of replying, Harald gave an ironic smile and signaled to Lucian with his eyes.

Since they’d come this far, he was telling him to reveal his identity himself.

Silently appreciating the opportunity, Lucian spoke firmly.

“I am the maternal grandson of Duke Klaus, the rightful heir to the Grimaldi name. My name is Lucian Valdeck.”

“…!?”

Dane flinched and looked at Lucian, eyes trembling.

After a few moments, he managed to collect himself and shouted.

“That’s impossible! The young lady of the Grimaldi family left the north over ten years ago! And now you claim a grandson exists?”

At the agitated reaction, Lucian let out a nasal laugh.

He seemed so worked up, he didn’t even know where to start refuting it.

“What exactly is impossible? That I’m not truly her grandson? Or that, even if I were, I lack the proper legitimacy?”

“That…!”

Dane hesitated, on the verge of saying “both.” Maybe the first could still be debated, but the second was harder to argue on the spot.

The house of Count Calix also descended from the Grimaldi line on the maternal side.

A clumsy argument could even cast doubt on his own lord’s legitimacy.

“…The first. Where is the proof that you are truly Duke Klaus’s grandson?”

“Do you know who the young lady of Grimaldi married?”

“How could I not? She married into the great ducal house of Valdeck, a pillar of the Empire…”

Once again, Dane was left speechless mid-sentence. The Valdeck house symbol—the lion—was known across the Empire.

And Lucian wore that emblem openly on the collar of his clothing.

What’s more, he had spoken the name Valdeck publicly himself.

‘Damn it… Is he really a Valdeck?’

Considering 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.

While Dane remained silent, mind in turmoil, Lucian smiled coldly.

“What’s wrong? If you have more to say, say it. Don’t you want to verify whether I’m truly a Valdeck?”

“…Then why have you come to the north now? You’ve never once set foot on this land since you were born.”

At a loss for what else to say, Dane threw out that indirect accusation.

He 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.

“Because I came to reclaim what’s mine—the name Grimaldi.”

“You’re a Valdeck, not a Grimaldi!”

“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.”

“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!”

The reasoning was weak, but Dane was desperate.

The moment he acknowledged Lucian’s legitimacy, it was clear his lord would cast him aside.

He had to leave at least a sliver of an escape route before returning.

“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.”

“That’s correct.”

Harald, who had remained silent until then, nodded and stepped in.

“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.”

“I-i—is that so?”

Dane 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?

‘Come to think of it, his identity as a northerner is unquestionable. Maybe he prefers Calix over some outsider claiming the Grimaldi name…’

“That is to say,”

With a cold smile, Harald continued, shattering Dane’s expectations.

“If he proves himself a warrior by northern tradition, then there’ll be no issue.”

“What…!?”

“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.”

“That’s absurd! What does personal strength have to do with place of origin? The house of Calix cannot accept such a thing!”

“And what will you do if they don’t accept it?”

“Huh?”

“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.”

Faced with Harald’s unilateral declaration, Dane clenched his teeth. As he said, this wasn’t a matter of whether Calix accepted it.

It was a matter of whether the northerners would see Lucian as a warrior or a stranger.

If Lucian proved himself according to northern tradition, many would recognize him in silence, regardless of what Calix said.

Even if he wasn’t raised in the north, he was still a blood relative following its customs.

‘We’re cornered.’

At 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.

“If you have nothing else to say, get out. Looking at your face any longer turns my stomach.”

“…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.”

“Their heads are already hanging on the wall. Far right side—you’ll see them right away.”

Dane’s eyes widened in horror.

That they died in battle was one thing—but to be decapitated and have their heads displayed, even as knights?

For a moment, he was about to curse, but realizing Harald’s fury wasn’t something to provoke, he barely managed to say.

“The house of Count Calix won’t forget this.”

With those words, Dane turned and left the lord’s manor.

Just before his figure disappeared through the door, Harald muttered quietly.

“Of course not. I won’t forget it either.”

Lucian, who had been silently listening to the entire exchange, gave a faint smile.

He finally felt like he was starting to see clearly how to bring down the house of Count Calix.

***

After Dane left the territory, Harald spread the rumor far and wide.

That the legitimate heir of Grimaldi would duel Harald to prove his worth.

Faced with such a sudden rumor, the lords of neighboring territories began to stir.

“Legitimate heir? Was there anyone else besides the house of Count Calix who could claim the name Grimaldi?”

“Have you forgotten that Duke Klaus’s daughter married into the Valdeck family?”

“Valdeck? But what business would Valdeck have in this inhospitable north? They could live comfortably flaunting their status in the Empire.”

“I don’t know. But whatever the reason, isn’t it true that he has a legitimate right?”

“Well… if it’s true, there’s no one more closely related than him.”

“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.”

If the rumor turned out to be true, the very foundation upon which the house of Count Calix claimed to unify the north would collapse.

Both the families allied with Calix and those opposed to him had no choice but to remain on alert.

However, some old lords simply scoffed at the rumor.

“What a ridiculous rumor. Ignore it and let it run its course.”

“My lord, at the very least we should send someone to witness the duel firsthand…”

“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.”

“He doesn’t need to win. Just proving his strength is enough. Maybe the baron will go easy on him.”

“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.”

Whatever the truth of the rumor, if he truly faced Harald, there was no way a sixteen-year-old boy could win.

Convinced of that, the old lords lost interest and didn’t even bother to send messengers to observe the duel.

Curiously, even Harald’s own retainers reacted in much the same way.

“Young master, are you really going to fight our lord?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Please take this. It’s fresh roe deer blood.”

“…And what do I need roe deer blood for?”

“Nothing’s better to boost a man’s vitality. You might get seriously hurt, so you should be well prepared.”

Lucian was speechless.

Though he had announced he would duel the lord, not a single retainer seemed worried about Harald.

On the contrary, they were all worried about how Lucian would lose—and how badly he might be injured.

Some even openly admired his bravery.

“It’s impressive! Challenging the lord to prove you’re a warrior!”

“If I may give some advice, don’t face him head-on with brute strength. Try to exploit the openings between his heavy movements.”

“…”

Faced with such sincere concern and support, Lucian and his group could only let out dry laughs.

It didn’t feel like mockery—their worry was genuine.

“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.”

“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.”

“Even so, we can’t deny that Baron Harald is a formidable fighter.”

Lucian recalled the axe Harald had wielded before.

There were no flashy techniques—just honest, straightforward movements—but the sheer power left no room to deflect or avoid them.

Any average knight would have been overwhelmed and split in two trying to block a single strike.

‘But I’m not an average knight.’

Lucian closed his eyes and looked inward.

The path he had already forged had widened further after opening the eye.

His strengthened body could now endure far more magical energy than before.

‘For the first time in a long while, I might be facing someone who won’t go down in one strike.’

Realizing that thought, Lucian gave a bitter smile.

It was a feeling he could’ve never imagined back when he was weak.

***

On the day of the duel, Lucian waited for Harald in the plaza with his hand resting on his sword.

Normally, duels between nobles were held in the training grounds, but this time was different.

Given the purpose of the duel, it was better to have as many spectators as possible.

‘Thankfully, it looks like quite a few lords are interested in the duel.’

Lucian’s gaze drifted to the knights scattered among the crowd of retainers.

They weren’t knights under Harald’s command, but representatives sent from other territories to witness the outcome of the duel.

It had only been a week, so there hadn’t been much time to dispatch observers, and yet the turnout was considerable.

‘That means my existence has sparked their interest. It’s a good start.’

Just by drawing this much attention, the duel’s objective was already halfway fulfilled.

All that was left was to defeat Harald and prove his strength to the northerners.

Lucian idly played with the hilt of his sword as he waited, beginning to feel a little bored when—

Rumbleee.

With the sound of the fortress gate opening, Harald appeared, resting his axe on his shoulder.

Lucian looked at him with welcome, but then blinked in surprise upon seeing Torik bound beside him.

Wasn’t that man supposed to be in prison? Why was he coming with him?