Chapter 74

Chapter 74
Chapter 74
“…?”

Dane fixed a gaze on Lucian that screamed he had to have misheard the boy’s words.

Shortly after, as the realization set in that Lucian was even younger than he had first assumed, Dane’s features twisted into a heavy grimace.

“What sort of idiocy is this?”

“You believe it to be idiocy?”

“Your Excellency, this isn’t a topic to be brushed aside as some prank. Are you unaware of the gravity the Grimaldi lineage holds within the North? If you present a fraudulent surrogate, you had better be ready to endure the resulting storm.”

“A storm, you say.”

Harald didn’t offer a verbal rebuttal; instead, he gave a dry chuckle and signaled toward Lucian with a glance. It was the cue for Lucian to disclose his true status himself, given the turn of events.

Offering a silent nod of thanks to Harald for the opening, Lucian spoke with firm assurance.

“I am Lucian Valdek, grandson to His Grace Duke Klaus and the legitimate successor of Grimaldi.”

“…!?”

Dane’s pupils shook with pure astonishment as he stared at Lucian.

After a heartbeat, having barely gathered his wits, a roar burst from Dane’s throat.

“That is absurd! More than ten years have passed since the Lady of Grimaldi departed the North! And now, a grandson simply appears out of thin air?”

Lucian gave a derisive snort at the aggressive outburst. Dane appeared so shaken that he seemed unable to find a starting point for his objections.

“What part of this is absurd? Are you claiming I am an impostor, rather than a true grandson? Or are you suggesting that even if I am of the blood, I lack the right to lead?”

“That is…!”

Dane’s mouth worked wordlessly as he struggled to argue both points at once.

He could potentially challenge the former, but voicing the latter in this company was treacherous. The House of Calix, to which he owed fealty, also traced its claim to the Grimaldi bloodline through a female ancestor. Using flawed reasoning here risked damaging his own master’s claim to rule.

“…The former. What evidence do you possess that you are indeed the grandson of His Grace Klaus?”

“Are you aware of the house his daughter wed into?”

“Who is ignorant of that? The Grand Ducal House of Valdek, the backbone of the Empire…”

Once more, Dane’s voice died away.

It was common knowledge to every person in the Empire that the lion served as the emblem of House Valdek. And there stood Lucian, a lion insignia clearly stitched onto his collar. Moreover, he had just declared himself a Valdek in a room full of witnesses.

‘Curse it! Is he truly of Valdek?’

Bearing in mind how immense a disgrace it was to feign one’s lineage—and what a profound slight it was to the opposing party—the chance of this being a fabrication was minuscule.

As Dane sank into a troubled quiet, Lucian offered a chilling grin.

“Is something wrong? If you have further points to make, proceed. Do you not wish to thoroughly confirm that I am a Valdek?”

“…Why have you appeared in the North only at this hour? You have never once graced the North with your presence in your entire life.”

Finding no stronger path of attack, Dane struck out sideways. It was a slight intended to show how ridiculous it was to invoke the Grimaldi legacy now, after never showing any care for the North previously.

Nonetheless, Lucian made his claim without flinching.

“To take back the Grimaldi name, which belongs to me by birthright, naturally.”

“You are a Valdek! You are no Grimaldi!”

“By what logic, then, does Calix assert a claim to the Grimaldi title? I trust you won’t offer some feeble excuse regarding a marriage pact from hundreds of years ago. If we follow that line of thinking, my rights take precedence over any others.”

“No! Even if that were true, you lack the standing to take the Grimaldi name. Northern matters must be settled by Northerners. You are not a man of the North, are you?”

The logic was fragile, but Dane was acting out of desperation. The moment he conceded Lucian’s rights in this place, it was certain his master would cast him aside. He needed to secure some bit of leverage before he departed.

“If we were discussing physical assets like gold, territory, or estates, you might claim them as you wish. But you have no standing to claim the heritage of the ancient crown. Because you are a foreigner who is ignorant of the Northern ways!”

“Well put.”

Harald, who had remained quiet until this point, gave a nod and entered the fray.

“Regardless of whether he shares the blood of the late Duke, he is an outsider. Not a Northerner. Northern concerns must be resolved by Northerners.”

“T-That is… true?”

Dane looked toward Harald with a confused gaze. Why was this old man suddenly siding with him? Particularly after he had been a constant obstacle to House Calix’s ambitious designs.

‘Now that I think on it, this old man’s pride as a Northerner was always intense. Perhaps he believes Calix is a better choice than a foreigner claiming Grimaldi….’

“In other words.”

Harald went on with a frosty smirk directed at Dane, who was secretly nursing false expectations.

“There shall be no issue if he proves his worth as a combatant in the Northern fashion.”

“What…!?”

“One week from today, Lord Lucian and I shall clash. Whether he is a genuine son of the North or not will be determined then.”

“This is insanity! What does a man’s skill in combat have to do with his birthplace!? House Calix will not recognize this!”

“And what do you intend to do if you don’t recognize it?”

“Pardon?”

“At the very least, I recognize it. Whether others choose to is their own concern. It is not a matter for House Calix to command.”

Dane ground his teeth at Harald’s blunt declaration. As the man said, this wasn’t about whether House Calix gave its approval. It was about whether the common folk of the North would view Lucian as a fighter or a stranger.

If Lucian validated himself through Northern custom, many would secretly respect him, no matter what House Calix proclaimed. They would view him as a relative who, though not raised among them, honored their ways.

‘It is a checkmate.’

There was nothing left for Dane to do. Regardless of his protest, the fight between Lucian and Harald would proceed, and a following would inevitably gather around it.

“If you have nothing further to add, leave. Seeing your faces any longer turns my stomach.”

“…I understand. But before I go, at least release the captured knights. Though they joined the uprising, they are men who pledged their lives to House Calix. We shall oversee their discipline ourselves.”

“I’ve displayed their heads on the ramparts, so feel free to collect them. I placed them on the far right side, so you’ll come across them shortly.”

Dane’s eyes stretched wide in revulsion. They were foes, so their death in battle was expected, but to execute knights and exhibit them on the wall?

He was so furious that a profanity nearly broke from his lips, but sensing that Harald’s temper was just as sharp, Dane managed only a final remark.

“House Calix will not overlook this.”

With those parting words, Dane turned his back and exited the lord’s hall.

Just before Dane’s form vanished through the doorway, Harald whispered under his breath.

“You’d better not. Because I won’t overlook it either.”

Lucian, who had been observing the exchange from the perimeter, shared a subtle smile. He felt he was beginning to grasp the method to dismantle House Calix.

—

After Dane departed the lands, Harald sent the announcement to every corner of the region. The word spread that the true heir of Grimaldi would face Harald in combat to prove his worth.

Upon hearing the sudden report, the leaders of the surrounding lands began to grow restless.

“The true heir? Was there any house other than Calix that could claim the Grimaldi bloodline?”

“Have you truly forgotten that the daughter of Duke Klaus wed into House Valdek?”

“Valdek? No, why would a Valdek bother with this frozen North? They could live in luxury within the Empire.”

“How should I know? But regardless of the motive, is it not true that his claim is valid?”

“I suppose. If the claim is legitimate, there is no closer living relative.”

“Truthfully, isn’t it also a bit much for House Calix to use the Grimaldi name? How many generations has it been since that wedding?”

If the reports were accurate, the very foundation of House Calix’s plan to unite the North would shatter. Whether the families were loyal to House Calix or opposed to them, everyone was forced to be on high alert.

Still, some of the veteran lords merely scoffed when they heard the talk.

“What a foolish rumor. Pay it no mind.”

“My Lord, shouldn’t we at least dispatch a witness to see the result of the fight…?”

“It isn’t necessary. Grandson of the late Duke or not, they say he is a mere sixteen-year-old child. He will be fortunate to survive a single clash against Harald the ‘Wolf Slayer’.”

“He doesn’t strictly need to win, does he? He only has to demonstrate his fighting spirit, so the Viscount might restrain himself.”

“Don’t be naive. Harald is a genuine warrior. He is the sort who views fighting with less than full strength as a slight. There is no chance a stubborn man like him would go soft on an adversary.”

Whatever the truth behind the whispers, if he truly stepped up against Harald, there was no way a sixteen-year-old boy could prevail. Believing this, the elder lords lost interest and didn’t even bother sending an observer.

In a strange twist, the common folk living under Harald’s rule shared a similar outlook.

“My Lord, are you really intent on fighting our Excellency?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Please, consume some of this. It is fresh deer blood.”

“…Why fresh deer blood?”

“There is nothing superior for a man’s strength. You might be badly hurt, so you must be fully prepared.”

Lucian was left speechless. Even though he had declared he was fighting their master, not one commoner seemed anxious for Harald. Instead, they were only concerned with how Lucian would be beaten and if he would be permanently crippled in the act.

Some townspeople even voiced open respect for Lucian’s bravery.

“You are truly something. To challenge the Lord just to prove you are a man of the North!”

“If I may give a tip, do not attempt to match his raw power. If you can, you must target the openings between his wide swings.”

“….”

Lucian and his comrades could only manage forced laughs at the kindness. The pity and encouragement were too genuine to be mocked.

“This sort of behavior is strange. I’ve led the charge in two major battles, yet here I’m viewed as a total beginner.”

“News from the outside world often gets lost in the North. Huge events might arrive, but the Imperial court deliberately stifled the reports of the last rebellion’s end.”

“Well, even with that in mind, there’s no denying that Viscount Harald is a formidable man.”

Lucian thought back to the axe Harald had wielded before. It was a straightforward strike without much deception, but its sheer force made one hesitate to even try and block it. Any typical knight would be crushed by his aura and sliced in half while attempting to stop those massive blows.

‘But I am no typical knight.’

Shutting his eyes, Lucian searched within. The flow of magic, which had always been steady and well-channeled, had grown significantly since his ‘Eye’ was unlocked. His strengthened physique was also at a point where it could process far more energy than ever before.

‘I might finally encounter a foe who doesn’t fall in one hit for the first time in a long while.’

Reflecting on this, Lucian noted his own rising competitive drive and offered a dry grin. Somewhere along the path, feelings he couldn’t have conceived of when he was frail had started to take hold.

—

On the day of the contest, Lucian waited for Harald in the town square, his palm resting on his hilt. Usually, a duel between nobles would occur in a private training yard, but this occasion was a departure from the norm. Given the goal of the fight, it was better to have a large crowd.

‘Fortunately, it seems plenty of lords are curious about the outcome.’

Lucian’s eyes shifted toward the knights mingled among the gathered townspeople. They weren’t soldiers under Harald’s command, but representatives sent from various territories to record the result of the duel. Even though only a week had passed, the number of arrivals was impressive.

‘It signifies they are that focused on my presence. It’s a solid beginning.’

Just by generating this much focus, half the goal of this combat was already met. All that was left was to best Harald and demonstrate his power to the Northerners.

It was just as Lucian, adjusting his grip on his sword, was starting to feel impatient.

Rumble—

With the sound of the inner fortress gates sliding open, Harald emerged with his axe resting across his shoulder. Lucian watched Harald with a welcoming look, but then blinked as he spotted Torik bound and being dragged along beside him.

Wait, why is the prisoner who should be in the cell coming out too?