Chapter 78
vC8um2‘It’s over.’DdG
RMXbcGPalmir knew it instinctively.rKC7q
OGx5iSrAlthough many things had changed over the years, the north was still a land of warriors.3Dg
EeRPNo matter what the cause of the duel had been, the weak were always despised.hGPI
GauAnd even more so when the defeated one had fallen to a mere rank-and-file soldier, something that should never happen according to common sense.ewwkne
t7VLAl“Tsk, tsk.”qdE
nXcnCQaAt the sound of the tongue click, Palmir lifted his head without strength.J7Ji
xktLucian’s eyes, looking down at him, were chilling to the point of being unsettling.JmF
uH6Nix9“You lost.”wzr
XJhDv0“I-I…”AlaLBns
p8u“Excuses are unnecessary. Do you have anything to say? The duel is already over, so say whatever you want to say.”8ff4tf
Rosjqy“…”k43eeGG
ss1SPalmir opened and closed his mouth several times before lowering his head completely.izfqhjo
MmsPHe had mountains of things he wanted to say, but what use were they now?DzpW
wM6ykIAfter such a miserable defeat, any words had lost their weight.oADY1
NGMJg4Even if he tried to negotiate, it was clear they would drag him along from start to finish without giving him any leeway.sla
t15J‘A negotiation like that is worse than no negotiation at all.’757GD
y8LHSo there was nothing left for him to do but withdraw.4Y3
6qiTo leave after the humiliation of losing to a squad captain, having gained absolutely nothing.amP9CE1
aPj2g2hTo report the situation and face his lord’s anger head-on.Wvd
xsMClenching his teeth at the miserable reality, Palmir muttered,VVR
MlCXiZs“This matter… the house of Count Calix…”PNX
FpLLQ“Kuku.”oh9
UoLND“…”1ZYm
FOy“Ah, sorry. Go on.”XOl
zNMGAt Lucian’s mockery, Palmir lowered his head, his face flushed red.9qwu
McUw5VHe had tried, even if only one last time, to rely on his lord’s authority, but he hadn’t managed to intimidate anyone—he had only provoked laughter.lNBDf
9Gi1fXTRealizing that any further words would only make him look worse, he turned around and left almost in a run.whc
qgV2vm“What an insipid fellow.”6DB
KY8xXLucian smiled disdainfully as he watched Palmir walk away, then shifted his gaze toward the other spectators.ZmC
bv11sd9The looks that until moments ago had been filled with contempt instantly changed to respect as soon as they met his eyes.RYc
uo3xebSFaced with such an extreme reaction, Lucian felt satisfied.ArpO08
HyRDf“The grandson of the Grimaldi lineage who defeated a knight of the house of Count Calix. A perfect scenario.”PCaC
X3Su3The humiliation of a single knight would not shake the house of Count Calix.Gv6jZ
K2jnYM3It was a family that had been rooted in the north for hundreds of years; at most, they would suffer a blow to their prestige.oTCa
UmOLWhat mattered was who was responsible for that blow—Lucian.TBbOV
17ELucian had already issued a challenge centered on the name Grimaldi. It was only natural that everyone would watch with anticipation to see how the house of Count Calix would respond.DcoPz
wHtNme“They’ll want to crush everything and move on, but the public’s gaze won’t allow it.”pXqe9h
mrbUlGuIf they pretended nothing had happened, anyone would think Calix had taken a step back. Whether they liked it or not, the house of Count Calix would have no choice but to act to resolve this matter.qT63E
Ii7vKTy“It will be interesting to see how they move.”8Psu
VODLucian suppressed the smile that threatened to form on his lips and directed his gaze toward his guests.6Gu
MjvSUntil Calix’s response arrived, it was time to start consolidating allies.3L5bur6
Xxijub***xghXHx
m0YcoX“Heh, heh…”XOUD
WYNCmA dry laugh escaped the lips of Norvek, the current head of the house of Count Calix. After stroking his beard for a long while, he spoke in a hollow voice.6F7
JsG“So you just came back like that? After losing so pathetically to a mere squad captain, without being able to say a single word?”1PkivY
RQyHearing the disappointment-laden tone, Palmir felt a chill run down his spine.2BxJw7
saOEzThinking he would be discarded if he didn’t explain himself, he shouted hurriedly.Bj0xm
pXgk“He wasn’t just any squad captain. He was someone who had properly learned a sword style. At his level, he could even be of noble origin fallen into decline…”uuQ
JGu“Palmir, you know that’s not what I mean.”Z0tVd
u5J“…”QdfzR
isw“What matters is that you were defeated miserably and that, as a result, you couldn’t even begin negotiations before fleeing. And on top of that, you stained the name of Calix.”2J7
s7l“T-that…!”KRy
wiyPalmir tried to add something else, but he froze the moment he raised his head. Norvek’s gaze reflected not only disappointment, but a clear killing intent.mKuwD
lu2“If you were going to lose, you shouldn’t have fought in the first place. You should have endured no matter how the opponent acted. But you attacked without evaluating the difference in strength and caused this disaster.”bgD9cHa
luyt5“…”2In
gnnurR“Thanks to you, only he benefited. Now he’ll be able to gather allies without any obstacles. I sent you to put a bell around his neck, and you ended up removing even the chains he already had.”GrI
oFHUnder the rain of sarcasm, Palmir kept his head lowered, unable to retort.dUNhf8
t8YNo one knew better than he did how much Lucian had gained from this incident.Om9A
zgKGNorvek observed him in silence before clicking his tongue and issuing his dismissal.IgbT
cWRy“Enough. You’ve worked until now. Go rest.”kYT3Wkm
HprnN3N“…!”FVSj
vCfPUZThe ambiguous tone made Palmir shudder. It sounded considerate, but in reality it meant he would never again receive an important assignment.lzIM5MS
xAEQLvGTerrified, he tried to say something more, but when he saw that all expectation had completely vanished from his lord’s eyes, he left the office without strength.TpDsOH
e4ePPwTap.h3AoL7
VG2“Fuuu…”0uxzl5
kzOnzBAs soon as the door closed, Norvek let out a long sigh.usnQt
H0MVRFinally showing a weakness he never revealed before his vassals, the person who had been by his side the entire time exclaimed in surprise.SoEKh
6ESPBu9“Father, are you all right?”uGeq1
YTavWMf“How could I be? The situation has become complicated. In the worst case, we could truly lose the name Grimaldi.”HHD7qH
Dk5zAt Norvek’s words, Godfrey, his heir and firstborn, blinked.7Ex4p
PTwloK“It’s true that he dealt us a blow, but for you to react like this? At most, he’s only just begun to gather strength.”8N1
DB6Rc“The problem isn’t his strength. It’s that the balance of power between him and us has changed.”0Qw6S
ViKG6S“The balance of power? What do you mean?”pfvo
nKBq9“He is Valdeck. No matter how much he tries to look northern, at his core he is still a southerner. That fact itself was our greatest weapon.”uiF
0vZEven if he was the grandson of the former duke, he was still a boy who knew nothing about the north.dN3O
6A9Z75pHe shared only the blood, but completely lacked a northern identity.0Dj
jzkIt might seem like a minor detail, but it was a phrase capable of shaking the hearts of other lords.EiH
KjV“Think about it. Even if he has legitimate rights, if in essence he is a southerner, do you really think the other lords would side with him?”OITRPB
kXyYg“Of course not. No one in their right mind would do something like that.”LSZt
Ut8Godfrey shook his head immediately.m4NjHD
Bs3l1Q4The north was uneasy precisely because it distrusted the imperial family’s movements.dQfR
3KuTJbHanding over the Grimaldi inheritance to someone without northern identity—someone closer to the Empire—would be madness for any northern lord with half a brain.z37IsSx
fy4sv“Exactly. Even those who deeply hate our family know that siding with the Empire out of spite would be foolish. That’s why I could rest easy until now.”aYP1wVL
SzUNo matter how hard one tried, one couldn’t change their place of origin.DX8cp
29xEEven when he heard about the duel where Lucian intended to prove himself as a warrior, Norvek reacted with indifference.BavnJ
DgKusLRAfter all, his opponent was none other than Harald, the “Wolf Hunter.” Even if the boy was only sixteen, it was clear that Harald would have no mercy and would charge with killing intent.wAV
myIe“Of course, there was concern that, out of resentment toward us, he might abandon his old convictions and fake a defeat. That’s why I sent Sir Palmir to watch him. But this… this is… Heavens above…”ZBg
1TNrH“Father?”nuC
EPhBang!M2DBB
aSTS6y3“Why the hell did this crap have to happen!?”Inal
4SIYbpNorvek jumped to his feet, as if about to spit fire. He was so furious that even after kicking the table, he couldn’t calm down and ended up stomping on the floor.4UGPI
fzDmlR“He’s sixteen! An age where he should barely be trembling after seeing blood for the first time on a battlefield! And he defeated Harald, the Wolf Hunter!? And not just that—Harald even used the family artifact!?”7RhE8
x1P1Hkm“F-Father, please calm down…”JGFl
iTLC0“How do you expect me to calm down?! What do you think everyone’s going to say now when they see that southerner?! They’ll call him a hero! A warrior among warriors, the heir of the royal Grimaldi bloodline!”9vq
OV3wbxAs if the lingering nostalgia for the old Northern Kingdom weren’t enough, now the royal blood had shown legendary strength.vkwP8YD
DWsxTDIt was obvious they would revere him relentlessly, claiming that he was, after all, worthy of the Grimaldi name.OnQU
4SrhSFor Norvek, this wasn’t just anger anymore—it felt like he was going to cough up blood.e4L
0Kbjh“If only it were just that! Because of that idiot Palmir, now that man and we are on equal footing! He’s become the perfect foil to Calix! Now the feudal lords will flock to him like rats that found food!”vYcWfP
sTsVk2“Even so, he’s still just a boy. It’s true his strength is impressive, but we can’t say he’s skilled in politics. As long as he doesn’t fully understand the north, he’s bound to make mistakes eventually. The best course is to wait calmly.”SWcYAB9
BHp“What naive words! We don’t have the luxury of that! There are factions that bear grudges against us because of failures like Torik, and they’re sharpening their fangs against us…!”5zFIh7
5c1“Father!”rb3
prhGodfrey’s shout startled Norvek. He had been so agitated he almost let something slip that should never be said out loud.gYnp
A7vatDs“Cough… cough. Anyway, the point is we have much less time than we thought. If we don’t stop him soon, even the foundations we’ve built could collapse.”JErKzD
2A04Uao“Then, at this point, let’s take action directly.”bIIwk
cbzyrRz“Directly?”WdBJx
qoQWTe“I mean, by using tradition.”pJZJHN
PGSgcGodfrey gave a faint smile when he saw Norvek blink in confusion.rbhND
tpP“If that man claims to respect the north so much, shouldn’t he be willing to follow its traditions?”vCbIb
TlZ***iC7EiB0
yqicAfter his duel with Harald, Lucian spent his time receiving visitors who came one after another.atEJp
T1DAs expected, most were knights sent as representatives of their respective lords.CH02
thQaGenerally, these knights could be divided into three groups.Y7O
VnVj‘Those who support me, those who stay neutral to avoid offending anyone, and those who hate Calix to the bone.’r85HQN
KwCNYbtThe first group was easy to understand. They were the ones who viewed the unification of the north under Calix with suspicion, but had no clear plan of their own and were just watching from the sidelines.kdPb
WviSince they already despised Calix from the beginning, as soon as Lucian appeared as an alternative, they didn’t hesitate to approach.Af8kqf
fjgmlL“My lord respects Lucian’s legitimate rights. It’s only natural that the name of Grimaldi belongs to him.”4Jlfh
cE5k“That is a truly fair decision. Please extend my thanks to your lord.”ZrQOfJ3
JxMB“I will. In fact, we always found it ridiculous that Calix used the name Grimaldi. What right did they have to it?”Nyy
fKhdALucian expressed his gratitude, though in reality their support was limited to public declarations.6hOA
meqNIn the heart of the north, where the name Valdeck carried no weight, what really mattered was military power—so the results felt bittersweet.YFxfN
dalh0Still, their political support was no small gain.8vHbp9P
o6IWzThe second group was even more blatant than the first.gIAmYS
n1yUf“We don’t deny the young lord’s rights, but it’s not as if Calix is completely without claim either. It’s an extremely delicate matter, so we can’t get involved.”LMlUcV
lHHrPM0“Sounds like when it’s all over, you’ll just quietly side with the winner.”3RRto
m5aViqW“Cough, cough. We merely entrust judgment to the just gods. We pray the Eight Gods of the Sky guide us on the right path.”eGH
P5O8zlThough their intentions were obvious, most of them came from minor domains close to Calix, so their stance was understandable.GjA4l
eITThis wasn’t just any conflict—it was a clash between Calix, the dominant power in the north, and the third son of the ducal house of Valdeck.1APwloD
GnFJVOne wrong move could directly affect their own lands and people.xHPzE1
asxIEgWhat Lucian hadn’t anticipated was the existence of the third group.r4vW6
baz“If you raise the Grimaldi banner right now and punish Calix, my lord and I will follow you without hesitation! Just give the order!”lnmjc3
4UWu“!?”O11
xZj“Do you doubt my words? Then, as proof of loyalty, I’ll cut off this arm right here! If that will earn your trust, this right arm is nothing…!”ikWC
pAM5“No, wait a moment!”JDl
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