Note: The Novel Will Be Corrected Until Chapter 105, After That Chapter It Will Be All MTL
C4 - 5 - 6
Chapter 4 marked the end of the three months Logan had promised his father.
As he descended the ancestral mountain and took the road back to the family estate, servants and vassals who came across Logan, or even those who saw him from a distance, avoided him well in advance.
It wasn’t solely because of Logan’s notorious reputation.
“What, a beggar?”
“Why is there a beggar in the estate…?”
“Shh, quiet! That’s the young duke.”
“That beggar…person?”
“Shh. Shut your mouth, girl!”
No matter how softly they spoke, their words were clear to Logan, whose senses had been greatly sharpened.
But he did not particularly care.
Right now, all of Logan’s focus was on one thing.
‘The time is nearly upon us.’
Although his memory wasn’t clear, leading him to come back a bit early, he knew that within a week an incident would occur—an incident crucial for achieving his next goal.
‘Money.’
The event that would enable him to get that money was not far away.
‘I can do it.’
Woong.
The robust Force, responsive to his will, and his transformed body filled him with confidence that he would easily accomplish his next goal, thanks to his visibly enhanced abilities.
* * *
“Ahh. Have you been rolling around in squalor for the past three months?! What exactly did you do up in those mountains?!”
“I told you, I was training.”
“Ahh. What kind of training do you get by rolling in the mud? Oh, my nose.”
Rick grumbled as he vigorously splashed water and worked the scrubbing brush.
Despite showing open reluctance to approach the dirty(?) Logan, the greyish-black water that rinsed out left him speechless.
“Ah. Anything happen while I was gone?”
Logan asked awkwardly.
“Nothing much. Without you, sir, the estate has been so quiet… Ahahaha. What I mean is… it was boring. Yes, that’s right. Boring.”
The unexpected reply came after.
The head young master had fled a sparring match with the younger young master.
Disliking comparisons, he had given up everything and gone into seclusion.
A coward was not fitting of the successor to a knight’s family.
During these three months of seclusion, weird rumors had spread within the family estate.
Pfft.
“That’s ridiculous. Well, I have a good idea who’s behind this.”
“Don’t you said that you don’t care about rumors? Right? You shouldn’t get worked up.”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s okay. Everything will be sorted out soon once I meet my father.”
Logan knew that his father, a high-ranking knight, would definitely be aware of his awakening.
Once his father realized this, such rumors would dissipate.
However, Logan’s complacent thoughts shattered in just one day.
On his way to report the end of his seclusion training and meet his father.
Logan encountered an unexpected situation in front of the residence.
“What did you say?”
“According to the family rules, even direct blood relatives cannot meet the family head without prior notice.”
Looking behind him with an incredulous expression, Rick mumbled in a hesitant voice,
“That rule is indeed from hundreds of years ago…”
What is this absurdity?
“I met him just like that three months ago?”
“Then, the guard in charge at that time didn’t do his job properly, sir.”
Logan looked intently at the knight in his forties blocking his way.
‘This never happened in my past life…’
Having made different choices from his previous life, it was natural that the future would change too, but he had never anticipated that his reception would deteriorate like this.
Just then, Logan’s heightened senses overheard the conversation of soldiers hidden within the residence.
“Is the knight insane? He’s still the young duke.”
“I don’t know. He’s always been reckless. He’s retiring soon. You bet on that side, didn’t you?”
“Really think he’ll turn back? Will he start a rampage?”
“He’s a coward who cowers even from a fourteen-year-old. So, wouldn’t he turn back?”
“Well, whatever happens, it’s going to be the knight’s responsibility…”
“We were on a break, so we didn’t know.”
Now, at this moment. Logan could fully sense how low his reputation had fallen from this conversation.
“The soldiers are absent right now, no one can deliver the message inside. Please come back another time, sir.”
The knight’s face, brazenly smiling on top of it all, twisted Logan’s temper.
‘Hah, are you watching this guy?’
By nature, Logan was anything but meek.
His years as a mercenary and rebel, after leaving his comfortable family life, had given enough patience even to a ruffian that would have otherwise been unrivaled.
He didn’t feel like indulging in such petty provocation…
But something was bothering him.
No one…
‘…cares.’
Around the knight, inside the residence.
Many family members were either shamelessly watching or pretending to look away, blatantly or subtly. Nearly all, if not all, were ignoring the knight’s actions that crossed the line.
Logan was aware he had acted in ways that invited disregard and that his reputation was at rock-bottom, but feeling it this directly was different.
‘Was it to this extent? This is a bit troublesome…’
The plan he had thought of when coming to see his father.
The plan to receive acknowledgment by showing his father the changed Logan and then gradually overturning his reputation—at this moment, it was discarded.
‘There’s no need to delay.’
Though he had dismissed this mentally, the young heart within his still young body fanned the flames of calculated anger into his eyes.
“What’s your name, knight?”
“Dominun, sir.”
The knight replied with a broad, dismissive smile, now openly disrespectful.
“Right, Dominun. You humiliated me using an outdated family rule.”
“Yes?”
“I, Logan McLaen, demand a duel with Knight Dominun to redeem the unjust humiliation.”
The knight’s face froze upon hearing Logan’s indifferent follow-up words.
Slap.
A sparring glove that Logan removed from his coat struck against Dominun’s chestplate and dropped to the ground.
Everyone was speechless until the thrown wooden sword hit the floor, rolling away in silence.
“What use is a faint that can’t even move a wrist. You call yourself a knight and this is the best you can do?”
Logan’s mocking voice broke the silence of the training ground, stirring astonishment among the crowd.
“That’s impossible!”
“The young duke did that?”
“I didn’t see it at all!”
While everyone, including the startled servants and retainers, sounded evidently shaken…
“Force user?”
“The young duke?”
“Huh…”
The most surprised were the knights watching.
For the past few years, Logan McLaen was nothing but an undesirable piece of dirt to them.
The direct descendent who, despite his lack of skill, only caused trouble and acted violent.
That hooligan, whom they wanted to avoid, had revealed an unexpected side of himself.
The knights, who usually maintained calm, looked at each other, even more agitated than the servants.
“Referee, I kind of want to give Dominun another chance. What do you say?”
Logan’s voice drew everyone’s attention amidst the murmuring crowd.
“…Yes, proceed. Dominun, are you okay with that?”
The startled referee, suddenly put on the spot, looked at Dominun with eyes still full of shock, and Dominun, his face redder and even more wretched than before, nodded heavily.
Eventually, the argument that started at the entrance of the estate led to the knight’s training grounds.
Sparring knights were abruptly turned into audience and witnesses, eagerly observing with great interest.
Of course, no one expected Logan to win.
Their interest was to see how well the young duke could stand against a knight or how miserably he would be knocked out.
No knight had missed seeing Logan’s public embarrassment when he was defeated by Ronian.
But…
‘I wonder if I’m really poor, or if Ronian is a genius.’
If Logan were to win this spar against a knight, what kind of rumors would spread?
Logan was already curious about what would follow before the duel even began.
The knight Dominun, proving to be a worthy sacrifice, spurred Logan’s fighting spirit excellently.
“…Take care of yourself, young duke.”
Still gritting his teeth in anger, Dominun’s tone was polite.
Despite starting the dispute, he lacked the nerve to curse at a direct family member in front of the many training knights.
“Let the official duel between Logan McLaen and Knight Dominun begin! For safety, the weapons will be limited to wooden swords! Do your best, both of you!”
A knight, who was suddenly put in charge of officiating during his training, looked unhappy. But there was nothing more he could do than take away the real swords and limit the weaponry.
Even so, knights capable of wielding the Force could kill with a wooden sword, so they were still anxious.
But there was no going back now with Logan’s firm resolve.
‘Whatever happens, it’s not my fault. Still, please take it easy, Sir Dominun.’
While he anxiously contorted his face, against his wishes, Dominun charged at Logan first.
“Taat!”
Emanating from his body, Dominun sprinted forward, emitting faint red wisps.
The Force leaking out from his body was evidence of his immature control, but to the uninformed, it looked rather intimidating.
‘I’ll fix that.’
Paang!
The wooden sword hurled at Logan split into three separate shadows, aiming at his upper, middle, and lower parts.
‘End it with one blow!’
Dominun couldn’t forget the humiliation he had just endured.
Heathers critics and the ambitious juniors.
He had already decided to retire when he resigned himself to the lowest rank, number 53, in the knights’ order upon reaching forty.
He was just enjoying his last life as a knight, handling moderate responsibilities.
But the young duke’s words ignited the knight’s last bit of pride.
‘M I’m not washed up!’
Although lacking talent among knights, Dominun had his own unique move that came from his experience.
Having decided on retirement already, he intended to swiftly overpower the young duke and teach the naive young lord his place with that move.
Confident in his secret move, the Triple Kill (三重殺), Dominun launched his attack, sure of his victory as the young duke before him seemed unable to move.
However…
Thwack!
“Kuk!”
The impact and the sharp pain in his wrist forced out a grotesque scream he could not contain.
Thud.
Degurrurr.
With a brief cry, the knight’s wooden sword, flung from his hand, rolled across the ground.
For a moment, the training ground fell silent again.
“What’s the point of a feint that doesn’t even move a wrist? Is this really the best of a so-called knight?”
Logan, still poised, broke the silence with his derisive voice, as everyone erupted into astonished exclamations.
“No way!”
“That young duke?”
“I didn’t even see it?”
Despite the voices of the astonished servants and vassals…
“A force user?”
“The young duke?”
“Huh…”
What shocked the assembled knights the most was the unexpected demeanor of Logan.
Over the past few years, Logan McLaen to them was equivalent to unwelcome filth.
The direct lineage who just caused trouble and violence without any real ability.
To see that ruffian unfolding in an unforeseen way was a revelation.
Unlike the knights, who maintained calm, they were now bustling with agitation, flabbergasted, more than the servants.
“Referee, can we perhaps give Dominun another chance? What do you think?”
Logan’s voice now drew the already mesmerized and chattering crowd’s focus to one place.
“…Yes, let’s proceed. Dominun, do you agree?”
Startled out of his wits, the referee looked at Dominun with eyes that couldn’t hide his astonishment. Dominun, his face now an even redder and twisted rage, nodded with heavy resolve.
------------------
Chapter 5: “It’s just luck. Only luck.”
Dominen couldn’t help but turn a blind eye to reality.
If he admitted the truth of his situation now, all that would await him was ruin.
Thus, the noble young man before him had to be weaker than himself.
No, it was right for him to be weaker.
Dominen, having brainwashed himself, gripped his wooden sword with bloodshot eyes once more.
“Uwaaaah!”
With a mighty yell, his body flushed red as he rushed towards Logan.
‘Overhit. He’s overexerting himself.’
But the target simply chuckled.
Overhit was a technique that put a serious strain on the body in order to draw out more power than one’s natural abilities allowed—instantly.
While it could increase the force of a single blow, the gap between Logan and Dominen’s skills couldn’t be closed by such means.
‘It’s a mess of your own making.’
Logan’s eyes shone coldly and in an instant, his sword whipped through the air like the wind.
Pfft.
“Keu, Keugh. Again…”
Crash!
“Ah, still…”
Thud!
“How can this be…”
As the sparring continued, Dominen’s eyes grew unfocused, his gaze dimming, and his injuries multiplied.
Each wound wasn’t fatal, but the power behind them was enough to incapacitate Dominen in a fraction of a second.
The only reason he was still conscious was because Logan controlled his strength.
And the one who probably felt this the most was his opponent.
“How can this be…”
No matter how much he deceived himself, fleeing from reality, he had to face it now.
The noble young man he’d thought to be a mere fool was far stronger than he was.
Not just in physical capabilities, but even the realm of swordsmanship surpassed his own.
‘It wasn’t that I was careless.’
In that moment, Dominen lost his fighting spirit.
Had he been the kind to not bend in the face of stronger adversaries and keep his fighting spirit aflame, his skills wouldn’t be stagnant even after ten years.
“I admit defeat…”
Pfft.
“Cough!”
Before Dominen could finish his words of surrender, the wooden sword struck his mouth.
From that point on, Logan’s wooden sword, unlike before, struck mercilessly, not sparing any vital points.
Flurry of blows.
‘It can’t end easily.’
He had spent ten years as a mercenary in his previous life.
That experience taught him the importance of reinforcing the hierarchy within organizations, especially among rough men armed with weapons, and showing an example was the most effective method.
The knighthood was, broadly speaking, a gathering of ‘rough men with weapons.’
‘I’ve shown enough mercy by giving him multiple chances.’
The next step was…
‘Punishment!’
Logan swung his wooden sword even faster, recalling the experiences of his past life.
“Ugh…”
“So brutal…”
The observers expressed sympathy as they watched the duel unfold, but nobody actively tried to stop it.
It was already known why Logan had challenged the knight.
No one there wanted to cross the grand duke’s heir just to help a knight who was about to retire.
Everyone had recognized that the grand duke’s son’s skills had far surpassed those of an average knight.
“Ugh…”
“Those skills are genuine.”
“How could he improve this much in just three months?”
“He could’ve awakened his Force, but even then…”
“Could swordsmanship itself change so drastically?”
Logan heard all the whispers around him.
And the moment he felt his performance had achieved its intended effect, he halted his relentless assault.
“Urgh…”
Thump.
A gasp, and a lump of flesh that was once a knight collapsed to the ground, unrecognizable even by his own family.
But no one paid it any mind.
* * *
‘Logan the Grand Duke’s son defeated the knight!’
The rumor spread like wildfire through the inner walls of the city.
It was an unbelievable event, but with so many witnesses and it being such a hot topic, everyone was buzzing about it.
Meanwhile, the protagonist of this chaos was finally having a private meeting that he had been attempting to arrange for some time.
“You’ve done well. It seems you’ve awakened. Did something happen during your training?”
‘He was watching, as expected.’
It wasn’t the question he’d anticipated, but Logan answered promptly.
“…I just let go of my greed and decided to relinquish everything. With that mindset, during practice, at one point, I felt the Force filling me completely, almost like a lie.”
To the average person, this sounded nonsensical.
But in reality, it was an insight Logan had acquired when he became a Force user in his previous life.
It was during the time he had sworn to give up everything for the sake of avenging his family.
A truth he had only come to realize after suffering and enduring extreme training well into his forties.
Any typical knight who had to overcome his own limits to awaken the Force after enduring such grueling practice might find it absurd.
However, Sir Padric McLean, a senior knight, slowly nodded his head as if he understood.
“A realization of emptiness… It looks like you’ve indeed changed.”
Just as Logan felt that things were proceeding smoothly, his father said,
“And after such an epiphany, the first thing you do is assault a knight?”
“He committed a crime worthy of such treatment. You heard the whole story from the soldiers, did you not?”
“Yes, I heard it. But was it necessary to go that far on the spot?”
“Yes. It was.”
“Why?”
“He attempted to deceive and mock the bloodline of his lord. If left to his own devices, he would have become poison, undermining the discipline of our house.”
Logan spoke without hesitation, and Padric scrutinized his son’s expressionless face.
Feeling the intense scrutiny, Logan’s mouth went dry with tension.
Smirk.
“Dominen was greatly at fault, indeed. He forgot his duties and tried to deceive you.”
‘…That easy?’
Logan felt his tension dissipate momentarily.
“So, I won’t punish you specially. However…”
‘Surely you won’t let this pass so easily.’
Just as Logan tensed up again, focusing intently.
“You were too harsh with your hands. Restrain yourself for a while.”
“…Yes?”
Taken aback by the unexpected command, Logan could only respond blankly.
“What? Would you rather be punished?”
“No, sir.”
“The warning about restraint is not praise for your actions. Do not mistake it and never engage in such matters again without permission. You have not yet officially been given a position.”
“I understand.”
“And… There is something else you should know.”
“Yes?”
“The Ulfs family’s Lady Riina will soon be visiting.”
“Ah…”
The moment he had been waiting for had come.
“Yes. You and Riina will both be of age next year, so it’s about time. She’s coming here personally without using communication artifacts and brings with her a handwritten letter from Kairon Ulfs, so it must be about that matter.”
The ease of his current situation seemed to be because of this reason.
‘But… It’s probably going to be the opposite of what father thinks.’
Annulment.
An event that would once again thrust the family’s honor into the dirt.
In his past life, he remembered his father’s fury over this matter, although he himself, still reeling from the injury to his pride, had been much more senselessly violent.
And yet, Logan remained silent, sealing his lips.
* * *
Three days after the incident with Dominen.
The inner city buzzed with another rumor about the grand duke’s heir.
Lady Riina Ulfs had come to visit the Mclains.
‘Finally…’
Preparing himself for the awaited news, Rick, his face brimming with joy, came to him.
“Wow! How lucky you are!”
“What are you talking about?”
“I just heard from the other servants, they say she grew up to be unbelievably beautiful!”
“So? What about it?”
“The daughter of the Ulfs family! Your fiancee! When I last saw her as a child, she was just… oh.”
“She’s already here in the citadel? I better get ready.”
“…That’s it? That’s all?”
“What more should it be?”
“Wow! My fiancee, renowned for her beauty across the kingdom! Envy me, lads! Isn’t that how it should be?”
“…What exactly do you think of me?”
“Well, a brat… Ha ha. No, just kidding. Sorry, I mean… Sorry.”
Logan sighed quietly, recalling memories of the past.
Riina’s visit.
That event, which would unexpectedly lead to the declaration of their annulment, had also been the trigger for his unspeakable deeds following the downfall of his sanity.
‘Well, if I don’t repeat that, it won’t matter.’
The estate was bound to be in an uproar anyway.
The servants didn’t much care why the Ulfs family’s daughter was visiting; they simply hoped for a marriage or engagement to lead to celebration.
Indeed, under the lord’s orders, the servants were already preparing for a banquet.
However, once the annulment was declared, all those plans would be scrapped and chaos would ensue.
The one person who knew of the future held a bitter smile amidst the commotion.
‘It’s all pointless. I just need the money.’
He had to turn what was once the catalyst for his gravest sin into a new opportunity.
If he left it as it was, the money would simply vanish, and he needed to seize it at all costs.
Reviewing his plans and refreshing his memories from his previous life, he heard the voice indicating it was time.
“My lord, your father asks for you.”
“…Understood.”
Unlike the jubilant Rick, Logan’s footsteps as he left the room carried an unusually combative air.
* * *
“Lady Riina Ulfs has arrived!”
Boom.
With the servant’s resounding voice, the grand hall’s door opened, and a party entered.
“Wow…”
“Unbelievable…”
“The lord is so fortunate…”
As Lady Riina and her entourage became visible, awe echoed throughout the hall.
Aware of the attention poured onto him, Logan couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
‘Riina Ulfs.’
Porcelain-white skin and jet-black eyes like obsidian.
Her silver hair cascaded down near her waist, complementing her pure white dress as she gracefully moved forward.
Accompanying her was a knight in armor adorned with a wolf emblem and four servants.
The procession was unusually small for a house as rich as the Ulfs earldom, one of the kingdom’s major powers, but no one felt it lacked grandeur.
Such was the overpowering presence of Riina Ulfs, who walked at the forefront.
Gulp.
As someone swallowed hard in the silence, Riina approached Padric to offer greetings.
“It has been some time, my lord Baron. I trust you have been well.”
Without missing a beat, her melodic voice spread through the hall, causing another murmur of admiration.
‘As always, impressive…’
Only one person, Logan, who had made a grave mistake swayed by her beauty and voice, slightly furrowed his brow.
After formal yet amiable greetings were concluded, she, with the help of her servant, read aloud from the baron’s letter.
“…Because of unavoidable circumstances, we respectfully request to annul the engagement. Kairon Ulfs. That is all.”
As she finished reading, the air in the hall plummeted into a chilly silence.
To summarize the content of the lengthy and florid letter that took over thirty minutes to read…
We had believed you’d be an Aura user by now, but after more than twenty years, you’ve shown no progress, and your son, our proposed match, is in the worst condition imaginable. There’s no reason for us to demean ourselves by associating with your family any longer.
So, let’s end this here.
…that was the message.
The previously smiling Padric’s face now stiffened, and everyone held their breath, waiting for his lead.
“To announce an annulment without a particular reason, does the Ulfs family intend to insult the Mclains?”
Padric’s voice, chilling with fury, enveloped the grand hall.
As the atmosphere turned to a razor edge, as if something might break at any moment…
“…Surely there’s no such intention, Lord Baron. Concerned you might think so, I asked to become the envoy. I wanted to clarify any misunderstandings.”
Her voice was broken.
“I spent close to a year here during my childhood, and those days are still vivid in my memory.”
Her eyes shimmered with tears.
“The precious moments I had in this peaceful, beautiful place with Lord Logan, I did not want to let go of those, despite being young.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as Riina looked toward Logan.
-------------------
Episode 6
“Ah…”
“Hmm…”
“Oh dear…”
As the number of people nodding their heads increased while alternating glances between Logan and Riina,
“Damn it…”
Logan struggled to suppress the curse that reached his throat and tried his best to manage his expression.
The young Riina had indeed been a lively and cute child.
The two had been close friends and spent a lot of time together during a certain period.
But had time changed her?
– Do you really think you suit me? Know your place and get lost. Why carry a sword when you even lose to children…
During his previous life around this time.
Her whisper that had pushed him to the edge and exploded with emotion.
The memory of that day, still vivid in his mind, was just nonsense.
Yet he had to restrain himself for now. It wasn’t the time to stand out.
As he nodded with a hardened expression, the atmosphere in the great hall shifted in an odd direction.
“But as a body bound to the family, not following that command was not an option, so I thought the best I could do was to meet Baron Padrick and Young Master Logan personally to apologize.”
The tears on the lovely lady’s face were indeed a powerful weapon that could shake any man’s heart, regardless of his age.
“Oh dear…”
“The grace of the young lady…”
“Such rumors might have become understated…”
Excluding the servants, only two in the grand hall remained unmoved by that face.
“So, Miss Riina, what’s the reason for the Wolves’ persistence? I’d like to hear the unavoidable reasons.”
At the words of one of the two, Riina paused momentarily.
‘Well done!’
He never thought he’d cheer for his stepmother.
Logan forcibly controlled the spasms in his eyebrows as his stepmother, Merian, intervened.
“…I apologize. It’s a story I am not privy to. I have no words to give.”
“You claim to have no idea despite it being your own marriage prospect?”
“I am a woman. A body to be married off and become part of another family. My father does not discuss important family matters with me.”
“Then are we to take it that you’ve come to inform us of the annulled engagement without any reason?”
As the verbal battle between the two ladies ensued, Padrick’s face grew taut with sternness once again.
“Instead, we intend to clearly identify that the cause of this annulment lies with Riina Wolves and our family, and we will apologize and compensate for it.”
Riina’s plaintive voice continued.
However.
“Compensate… Are you saying you’ll end the harmed honor of the Maclaine with just a word of apology?”
A chill-inducing icy tone. Padrick’s expression became unshakable as well.
Riina bit her lip hard, hesitated for a while, and then struggled to speak again.
“…The Wolves family is willing to pay three million gold in compensation for this annulment.”
‘Yes!’
Logan’s eyes sparkled at the words he had been waiting to hear, and everyone in the great hall turned their gaze back to the upper seats.
Objectively, Riina’s hesitation was understandable, but in reality, it was no different than saying take the money and leave us.
Furthermore, the person hearing those words was none other than Padrick Maclaine, the head of the Maclaine family; the aftermath was predictably severe.
“How dare you!!”
His voice boomed like an erupting volcano.
“Gah!”
Some of the lower-powered retainers staggered, and even those who were somewhat trained paled in the face of the murderous aura that filled the hall.
“Ugh…!”
“Lady, get behind me!”
As Riina’s complexion also turned pale in an instant, her guardian knight, Rockfern, leaped forward and shielded her.
His simple movement cut through Padrick’s momentum and relieved Riina of suffocation.
“Knight of the Wolves, Rockfern implores Baron Maclaine. Please calm down and let us continue our dialogue!”
A voice as resonant as Padrick’s rang through the great hall, easing the dangerously tense atmosphere.
Padrick then paused his fury and glared at the knight.
“A senior knight? At that young age? Quite impressive.”
He looked to be in his thirties.
The knight named Rockfern, to everyone’s surprise, matched Padrick in ability.
Certainly a prodigy who would be expected to become a future Aura User.
‘But that doesn’t mean he will really become one. Like me…’
Regardless of Padrick’s bitter reflection, a senior knight was indeed someone capable of single-handedly protecting Riina, the younger daughter of the Wolves family.
But this knowledge only fueled his killing intent.
“The life of a promising Wolves. That would be a fair exchange for the tarnished honor of the Maclaines.”
As Padrick’s killing intent focused on one point, Rockfern’s complexion turned deathly pale in an instant.
On the surface, they were of the same rank, but Padrick had been a senior knight for over 20 years.
He had also never slacked in his training since, thus accumulating a different level of strength.
Rockfern was acutely aware of this more than anyone.
“I trust you will not do so.”
“Regretful. If you even guess a little of my mood now, you would know that your hope is vain.”
“Our family head asserted with certainty that your lordship knows what honor is, and not to oppress a young lady or a junior. I trust in these words.”
As Rockfern referenced the Earl of Wolves and spoke of honor, Padrick’s gaze wavered.
“It is not our intention to buy honor with money. Instead, we want to show our sincerity to preserve the friendship between both families in light of the unavoidable circumstances.”
Riina’s words added on, and Padrick gritted his teeth.
‘Cairon Wolves…’
Pressuring the other party any further would only label him as one who knows not honor.
Even though it was the other side that first insulted him and his family, the target was merely a knight over thirty and a girl not yet an adult.
‘Is this what they aim for, sending only them?’
Padrick swallowed his anger quietly as he thought of his old friend and fellow student with silver hair.
The suffocating tension that had dominated the hall began to dissipate as if it were all a lie.
“…Such a daring child has grown into a confident young lady. Accompanied by a sturdy shield.”
Observing Riina’s complexion returned to normal, Padrick declared with a stern face.
“Although the reason for the visit is not beautiful, a guest is still a guest. The Maclaine does not oppress visitors.”
Riina and Rockfern breathed a sigh of relief at that when.
“However, we will not accept the unilateral proposal of the Wolves.”
Padrick’s resolute declaration once again hardened their expressions.
“The Maclaine family has only one request as compensation for the broken engagement.”
Riina and Rockfern waited anxiously for Padrick’s words with tense expressions.
“Envoy Riina Wolves, apologize politely to my son, the party concerned. We will decline any other compensation.”
The calm voice of a man who understands honor filled the hall.
“…As expected of the family head.”
“That’s the true nobility.”
“Indeed…”
As the majority of the retainers nodded, Logan, who had been quietly observing the situation, decided to intervene to overturn the atmosphere.
‘I must obtain it.’
Money.
That was his goal in this incident, what he was determined to secure, and what he needed for the future.
‘Think of apologizing with words and let it go? Madness.’
Three million gold was nearly a year’s worth of Maclaine’s budget, inclusive of support from the Kairos family.
In his view, his father and the agreeing retainers all seemed out of their minds for refusing that compensation.
Only a few administrators seemed to share his sane thinking, showing rotten expressions.
‘How can a near-bankrupt family refuse money like that? Without support, we’ll face bankruptcy any moment.’
Therefore, he had to secure that money to lay the foundation for overcoming future crises.
“What is it, Logan? Speak your mind.”
“I’d like to accept the Wolves family’s conditions of apology.”
“What?!”
Naturally, this rational approach ignited his father’s anger.
“Are you saying that you will overturn my decision, Logan?”
Padrick directed his furious gaze straight at him, his face fixed with severity.
Although his tone was calm, the sharp aura that covered Logan pressed him threatfully.
‘Gah! Indeed…’
A senior knight was a senior knight. Clearly, his current self couldn’t handle the pressure.
The problem was that even this father of his was nothing more than a minnow in the grand scheme, barely registering as a strong figure kingdom-wide.
In front of top-tier knights or Aura Users classified as superhumans, he couldn’t even present a name card.
Not to mention, in the empire, there existed not just Aura Users but legendary Aura Masters.
‘If I can’t withstand even this much… I won’t be able to achieve anything in the future.’
Logan clenched his teeth and endured the pouring aura.
Although it was a small achievement, the core lodged in his heart provided aid to Logan.
“As the party involved in the annulment, I believe I have the right to voice my opinion. Moreover, I think my suggestion would benefit the family more.”
Logan defiantly met his father’s gaze.
“…Help? You are mistaken. Logan. The Maclaine is not so destitute that we would sell our honor for money.”
‘No, we are in need. Without Kairos’s support, we’ll go bankrupt immediately.’
Logan wanted to shout that out loud, but it was not something he could say in public.
Therefore, he brought up another reason why they couldn’t help but accept the knightly family’s terms.
“It’s precisely because of that honor!”
“You’re saying overturning my words would actually be for honor’s sake?”
“Albeit reluctantly, the Earl of Wolves ranks higher than our family. And they also rule as lords over the Eastern Border.”
“So what?”
“While the Wolves family is a dominant power in the East, they are not the lord we serve. If you just accept an apology and conclude the matter, I fear rumors might spread that our family has been subjugated by the Wolves.”
Murmurs arose in the previously silent hall.
Luckily, it seemed to have some effect.
Specifically, the administrators, always troubled by budget issues, showed signs of cheer on their faces.
Taking advantage of this, Riina, formerly withdrawn, stepped forward.
“Wolves is not a family ignorant of such propriety. We respect the honor of the Maclaine to the utmost…”
But.
“Coming here to demand an annulment and then talking about propriety, isn’t that a bit funny, Miss?”
Before she could reach her main point, Logan interrupted her.
The gaze he directed at his fairy-pretty ex-fiancee was filled with cynicism.
Her face, ‘acting’ sorrowful, was aggravating.
Just glancing at her recalled memories that were still unpleasant, even as flashbacks.
In his past life, he was dragged out to face the public during his house arrest, and he received an apology in public according to his father’s declaration.
His pretty and lively childhood friend, now breathtakingly beautiful, had bowed her head crying before him.
Her reason was the annulled engagement, causing heartache, and his own pitiable situation brought tears to his eyes as well.
He thought his beautiful fiancee was genuinely mourning their ‘unavoidable’ fate.
“Please make one last memory with me. Would you come to my room tonight?”
And looking into her beautiful eyes as she whispered to him, he decided to elope out of love.
His life was already ruined as a Maclaine son; he was willing to risk everything for the woman he loved.
And that night.
When he secretly snuck into her room, he found her strangely cold, smiling as she ripped her own clothes with a dagger.
“Screaaaaam!”
The young lady’s scream echoed through the manor, and she threw the dagger at him.
As he instinctively drew his longsword and knocked away the dagger, Rockfern burst into the room and subdued him.
All the servants of the house witnessed the sight.
The sight of the eldest son wielding a longsword and being restrained by a knight, in front of a beautiful young lady with torn clothes, crying, in her room at midnight.
“Oh, no! Riina. Why are you doing this? You called upon me!”
Logan’s desperate cry was nothing more than an excuse.
Already condemned, not even his family believed him.
And.
“Do you really think you suit me? Know your place and get lost. Losing to a child, why do you even carry a sword… Thanks to you, this is easy. Thank you.”
The small whisper he heard as he was taken away.
At that voice, Logan’s reasoning broke, and his defiance was taken for truth.
As a result, the Maclaine family had to apologize to the Wolves and even pay a hefty compensation.
The problematic delinquent of the family being banished was just an afterthought.
The incident, which Logan experienced before he was of age, influenced his life significantly thereafter.
In a very negative way.
‘I became distrustful of women because of you, you damn wretch.’
He ground his teeth inwardly while outwardly he maintained composure and spoke again.
His past life grievances were just that, past. The pressing matter was different.
“If you’re truly sorry, wouldn’t it be normal to accept compensation? Right now, Miss, it seems like you actually want us to refuse that compensation.”
With that, the mood in the great hall shifted once again.
“That’s right?”
“Certainly quite…”
“It does look like persuading us not to accept it.”
Noticing the hall’s buzzing, Riina bit her lip hard, a momentary flash of confusion on her face.
“Representing the Wolves family, I will offer a sincere apology once more as the party involved in the engagement. Regardless of which choice your lordship makes, I will ensure the promised amount is paid.”
The sorrowful expression of the beautiful woman once again targeted the high seats.
Faced with her gaze, Baron Maclaine’s face turned frighteningly rigid.