Chapter 28

Chapter 28
## Chapter 28

“What the—!?”

“Good heavens!”

The House of Valdek knights, who had been in hot pursuit of the runner, slammed on their brakes, paralyzed by the sight of a full-grown man being launched into the sky.

The figure in the dark hood, propelled upward, performed two mid-air rotations before finally crashing back to the earth.

Thud!

“Gah…!”

By some stroke of luck—or perhaps a curse—he hit the ground on his back rather than his neck. He survived the impact, but the sheer force knocked him unconscious on the spot.

Lucian shifted his gaze between the sprawled body and his own splintered weapon, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

“Tsk. That was actually a decent blade.”

Sending the man flying with raw power had been the goal, but he hadn’t anticipated the metal shattering. He’d thought he’d selected a sturdy sword, but it appeared the opponent’s equipment was also of high caliber.

Lucian tossed the useless hilt aside and turned his attention to the stunned Valdek soldiers.

“Why are you standing there? He’s still breathing, so get him tied up!”

“…And who might you be, sir?”

“I am Lucian Valdek. Have my father’s subordinates forgotten what his son looks like?”

“The—the Third Young Master!? Please forgive us!”

The captain of the unit, who had initially bristled at the authoritative command, bowed deeply the moment Lucian revealed himself. He barked orders to his subordinates to secure the captive immediately.

Scanning the perimeter, it appeared the Black Lions had successfully rounded up the remaining fugitives as well.

“Young Master!”

Hugo, finally catching up a moment behind Lucian, looked pale with fright.

“What were you thinking?! That was incredibly reckless!”

“Relax. I didn’t act on a whim; I made my move after weighing the variables.”

“Variables? You hadn’t even gauged how skilled the enemy was!”

“Unless they are masters, the options available during a mounted clash are quite limited.”

When two riders collide at high speeds, the mechanics of the fight are predictable. Without solid ground underfoot, any miscalculation in force can result in the rider being unseated by the rebound. Furthermore, the velocity makes intricate swordplay nearly impossible.

‘At most, you’re looking at a basic thrust or a swing. Trying to use a short blade like a lance while galloping is a recipe for a counter-attack.’

The only viable move was a perfectly timed slash. Lucian had simply executed his swing with flawless synchronization. In a head-on collision of steel, the person capable of generating the most explosive strength in a fraction of a second wins.

Given the purity of his internal energy and the refined techniques of Felicia, Lucian was never going to lose that exchange.

‘This body is truly remarkable. If I’d attempted that in my previous life, I’d be nursing torn muscles for a week, but now I don’t even feel a twinge of soreness.’

While Lucian was busy appreciating the perks of his gifted anatomy, a new voice cut through the air.

“It has been quite some time.”

A man with deep crimson hair approached on horseback, his voice carrying a heavy weight. Lucian instinctively lowered his head; the man looked exactly like the figure in his inherited memories.

“It has indeed, Eldest Brother.”

Tristan Valdek.

The First Young Master of the House of Valdek, easily identified by his mother’s hair color. Although he shared the fewest physical traits with the Grand Duke, he was the individual currently positioned closest to inheriting the mantle of Family Head.

Tristan, maintaining his trademark frigid expression, stared down at Lucian.

“I have much to discuss with you, but let us move inside the fortress first. We can talk as we ride.”

—

The group followed Tristan and his retinue toward Bornholm Castle.

The paths surrounding the fortress were well-kept, yet a palpable sense of dread was etched onto the faces of the locals watching the soldiers pass.

“The mood here seems rather grim.”

“There have been a few skirmishes between the garrison and the mercenaries lately. They were minor, but it seems even small sparks make the commoners jumpy.”

“That’s because they can’t tell the difference between a minor spat and the start of a massacre. They likely fear a bloodbath could erupt at any second.”

“Utter nonsense.”

When Lucian spoke on behalf of the townspeople, Tristan’s eyes narrowed in irritation.

“There will be no bloodbath. If things escalate, my knights and I will simply wipe out those insolent mercenaries like vermin. True conflict only happens between equals. It’s annoying that they are the only ones who don’t understand their place.”

The tremor of suppressed rage in his voice made it clear that Tristan held a deep-seated grudge against the hired blades. Lucian pulled his horse closer to his brother and lowered his voice.

“Are the mercenaries being that difficult to handle?”

“Difficult doesn’t cover it. They are being outright defiant. Do you know who those men were—the ones you and the Black Lions just apprehended?”

“Who were they?”

“Agents of the Empire Liberation Front. They were caught scouting the immediate vicinity.”

Lucian’s face darkened at the news. If enemies were wandering so close to the castle walls, it meant the security net was riddled with holes.

Since the loyal men of the House of Valdek wouldn’t be so sloppy, the blame clearly lay with the mercenaries’ lack of cooperation.

“It’s a farce, really. My elite forces are tied up in the high-risk sectors, so I can’t personally oversee the front gates of Bornholm. I placed the mercenaries in the safest, most fortified positions to compensate, but…”

“And they’re striking for higher pay, refusing to budge until the gold increases.”

“Precisely. If it were up to me, I’d have their heads on pikes along the battlements. To demand a premium for guarding the safest zones? Those greedy wretches!”

The sound of Tristan grinding his teeth was audible. It was clearly a blow to his pride to be held hostage by men he considered beneath him, especially when he thought he was doing them a favor by giving them easy work.

However, from Lucian’s perspective, Tristan was the architect of his own misery.

‘He made his desperation too obvious. No mercenary worth their salt would pass up a chance to squeeze a desperate employer. Plus, sticking them in “safe” zones was a tactical blunder.’

Mercenaries are essentially paid to die so the employer doesn’t have to. By pointedly keeping them away from the front lines, Tristan had inadvertently signaled that the actual combat zones were death traps.

In that context, the mercenaries didn’t feel lucky; they felt like they were being fattened up for a slaughter or saved for a moment when things got truly suicidal.

‘Tristan likely intends to use them that way eventually. The problem is he underestimated their ability to read the room.’

Veteran mercenaries have survival instincts that put high-born nobles to shame. If they catch a whiff of a suicide mission, they either desert or demand a fortune to stay. To a lord, it looks like insolence; to a mercenary, it’s just business.

“The situation is grim, but I don’t expect a miracle from you. You were likely pressured into coming here by Jordi and Joshua anyway,” Tristan remarked, his tone flattening. He wasn’t trying to be cruel; he was simply being blunt.

“Just go and keep a leash on those sellswords. Make sure they don’t vanish when the fighting starts. If a member of the family is nominally in charge, they’ll find it harder to slip away. When the blades start swinging, they’ll fight to stay alive regardless of the contract.”

Basically, he was being cast as a high-born sentry meant to prevent desertion. Lucian let out a dry laugh. It was fascinating how little they expected of him.

“I think you’ve misunderstood a few points, Eldest Brother.”

“Misunderstood?”

“First, I wasn’t forced here; I came of my own volition. Second, unlike you, I actually have a strategy to fix this mess. And third, I’ve already secured Father’s financial backing for these talks.”

“…!”

Tristan’s mask of indifference shattered. He could ignore the bravado, but the mention of their father’s treasury was a different matter entirely.

“Father gave you the authority to negotiate?”

“He did. In fact, I have a letter from him addressed to you.”

Tristan snatched the parchment from Lucian. He checked the wax seal before tearing it open, his face twitching as he scanned the lines.

“…This is definitely Father’s hand.”

“You’re double-checking the handwriting even with the seal intact?”

“What the hell happened at the estate while I was gone?”

“Oh, a bit of this and a bit of that.”

Lucian gave a non-committal shrug. He owed the Grand Duke an explanation, but he felt no such obligation toward Tristan.

After a long, piercing look at Lucian, Tristan finally gave a stiff nod.

“Fine. I won’t go against Father’s wishes. Proceed as you see fit. However!”

A dangerous glint sparked in Tristan’s eyes—the look of a man who had actually killed, unlike the other Valdek brothers.

“If you jeopardize the family’s standing just to satisfy some pathetic craving for fame, I will break you. Even if Father looks the other way, I will see to it that you pay the price. Is that clear?”

Lucian actually grinned. Tristan was already speaking as if the lordship was his. Without flinching, Lucian locked eyes with his brother.

“I’m not the type of fool who would sabotage what I intend to own.”

“….”

Tristan stared, momentarily robbed of words. It was a thinly veiled declaration: Lucian wasn’t just here to help; he was a contender for the throne of the House of Valdek.

After a tense silence, Tristan gestured toward a nearby landmark.

“…The mercenaries are holed up at the Kingfisher Inn by the central fountain. If you’re so intent on talking to them, start there.”

“I appreciate the tip. I’ll be back with a resolution shortly.”

Lucian wheeled his horse around and trotted toward the fountain. Hugo and the five Black Lions followed in his wake.

Tristan watched him go, his mind reeling.

‘How can a person transform that much?’

He had released enough killing intent to make a green recruit faint, yet Lucian hadn’t even blinked. The memory of the boy who used to tremble like a leaf in his presence felt like a hallucination.

‘No, I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.’

Bravery could just be delusions of grandeur. True competence is measured by results, not posture. He would wait to see if Lucian actually delivered.

But if he did manage to settle the mercenary crisis…

‘…I might have a real fight on my hands for the succession.’

—

Once they were clear of Tristan’s hearing, Raymond, who had been simmering in the back, pulled up alongside Lucian. His expression was thunderous.

“Third Young Master, we need to talk. Now.”

“I’m on a tight schedule, Raymond. Let’s push this to later.”

“No, we are discussing this now. What was that stunt back there? Charging into the fray like a madman?”

“It was efficient, wasn’t it? We captured everyone. The outcome was perfect.”

“The outcome isn’t the point! If you had been crippled or killed…!”

“But I wasn’t. I’m perfectly fine. Let’s not kill the vibe by dwelling on what-ifs.”

“Third Young Master!”

Raymond’s shout went ignored as Lucian mimed cleaning out his ear. If the situation repeated itself, he knew he’d do the exact same thing. There was no point in making a false promise to play it safe.

“Enough. We’re at the fountain. How will it look to the mercenaries if they see us bickering? They’ll think the House of Valdek is in shambles and that we have no control over our own men.”

“…!”

“So, let’s save the lecture for later. Right now, we need to look like a united front.”

Raymond ground his teeth, but he couldn’t argue with the logic. He took a stabilizing breath and retreated, though he had to get the last word in.

“I’ll drop it for now. But if you do that again, I am becoming your shadow. I will follow you into the damn washroom to make sure you don’t find a way to endanger yourself while using the facilities. Consider yourself warned.”

“…That’s genuinely unsettling.”

Lucian felt a chill. Knowing the intensity of the Black Lions, he didn’t doubt Raymond for a second.

Deciding he’d have to find a way to appease the man later, Lucian pushed open the heavy doors of the inn. The sight that greeted him caused him to grimace instantly.

“What a complete disaster.”