Duke Pendragon

"Your Excellency."

"You're here. Hmm?"

Otto frowned when he saw Fiona enter his office. His daughter was wearing a blue-colored chestplate crafted from Mirin's steel, and a humongous greatsword hung on her back. The length of the weapon's blade was 120cm, and 150cm including its handle.

Otto guessed that something was off from her unusual appearance, and he spoke with a sigh.

"There's still some time remaining. The distance from the imperial castle…"

"But we should still prepare for it. The other knights all walk around armed, so it would be weird for me not to. Well, at least it will help keep me on my toes…"

"Help you keep you on your toes? Didn't you say you would conquer both the Knight King of Valvas and King Pendragon not too long ago?"

"Well, that's…"

Fiona awkwardly scratched her cheeks without saying anything. She couldn't bear to say that she felt a little nervous after hearing her brother's advice before he left for Fort Efork.

"Anyways. Do you think they will mobilize the imperial legions?"

"There's been no reported movement from the legions, though I'm not sure as to whether it's good news or bad news."

"Really? Then, does that mean troops from the Pendragon Kingdom…?"

"It's even quieter over there. If they were planning to march towards Mirin, they would need to start preparing a month before they set off."

"I see. Well, you're not going to stop anyone from coming, right?"

Otto was relieved and flabbergasted at the same time. His daughter didn't consider the circumstances at all, but instead only thought about fighting. He felt relieved that her daughter was faithful to the Mirin family's philosophy – that true warriors spoke with their swords. However, he could only sigh that she was so eager to fight even though she had zero experience in war.

"Alan Pendragon and Elkin Isla will be arriving as special envoys to the emperor. I'm not sure if they are planning to mobilize the imperial legions afterwards, but we cannot stop the two of them from coming since they are coming as the emperor's envoys."

"That's a relief!"

Fiona's expression became brighter.

According to what her father was saying, it was likely that things would turn out the way her brother Lucas wanted. If the two most prestigious knights in the world came to Valeran Castle, she could formally challenge them to a duel.

And after beating them one by one, she could take Alan Pendragon as her husband as her prize for victory. Of course, she would be disappointed if he was weaker than how she imagined him to be.

"What are you calling a relief? Since they are coming as the emperor's special envoys, it means we cannot act against them recklessly. As soon as we touch them, it will be no different from declaring an all-out war with the empire."

"A duel should be fine, right? Or maybe a spar?"

"What…?"

Otto was surprised. He came to a realization once he saw the smile on his daughter's face, which was always expressionless. She meant it when she declared she would beat Alan Pendragon and Elkin Isla.

"Ha…"

Otto started sighing, then stopped.

'Come to think of it…'

It wasn't a bad idea.

He could guarantee his daughter's skills. She was able to sense and manipulate spirit freely since the age of twelve. Even he had barely felt spirit at the age of sixteen. It took him four more years to control the energy to utilize it with his blade.

His daughter Fiona was a prodigy.

Moreover, regardless of how proficient one was in controlling the spirit, the difference between knights ultimately stemmed from their physique. Although she looked rather slender with a height of 1.8 meters, her body was erupting with pure muscle inside her armor. She never skipped training.

Her limbs were long and flexible, and her desire for victory and perseverance was the greatest among those Otto had seen. Fiona was a mixture of monstrous talent, solid physique, and strong mental strength. She was the perfect warrior.

'Perhaps…'

Perhaps she could really win.

Maybe not against King Alan Pendragon, but she could have a chance against the Knight King of Valvas. Even though he achieved great things seven years ago to be recognized as a hero, the knight king had not participated in a single duel in the past seven years, let alone any battles.

Although he recently overpowered members of the Shadow Brotherhood, Otto himself could have done it as well. Since assassins were specialized for covert killing, it would be absurd for them to win against a reputable knight in a one-on-one confrontation.

"Fine. Do as you please. However, you cannot kill them."

Otto was quick to make a decision. Fiona's smile deepened after hearing her father's approval.

"Yes, father!"

***

"And the situation?"

"Everything is proceeding smoothly. As you know, King Pendragon and the Knight King of Valvas are headed to Mirin. They will soon arrive at Valeran Castle. They will take care of the rest."

"No, it's not a matter to be resolved by itself. It doesn't matter who, but someone will need to die. You should know, right?"

"Three unprecedented monsters are gathering in a single place. It would be strange if there weren't any accidents."

"Hmm…"

A man with an extravagant appearance squinted at a figure sitting in front of him. He looked to be around his 30s, and his expression was as arrogant as his tone.

The other figure's face was covered with a strange mask, and only their eyes could be seen. The mask possessed an expression that was neither crying nor laughing.

Although the figure dared to cover their face in front of him, the man didn't care too much. He knew the identity of the figure, or rather, figures very well.

"And what of the ones who headed to the Pendragon Kingdom? Did you receive any news?"

"….."

The masked figure didn't answer immediately, and since their face was covered, their expression couldn't be seen either. Nevertheless, the young man felt slightly offended. It felt as if the face inside the mask was mocking him.

"Excuse me."

The masked figure finally answered. It was unknown whether they were apologizing for the delayed answer or for mocking the man. The figure continued.

"Do you know the biggest strength of us brothers?"

"I'm not here to play the guessing game."

The young man frowned, and the masked man bowed once before responding.

"No matter how far away we are, our feelings and thoughts are completely conveyed. So…"

"You don't need to contact each other?"

"Yes. That's it."

"Hmm."

The young, handsome man looked at the figure as if he felt somewhat doubtful. Of course, he knew about the man and his 'brothers'.

But the ability he spoke was like…

"It's not magic. It is a blessing given to us brothers… as well as a curse."

The masked man answered as if reading his mind, and the young man flinched in response.

"Were you surprised that I called it a curse?"

"Hmm, I merely thought of it as a convenient ability."

"It definitely is. However…"

The figure paused for a moment, then spoke with a glare.

"Please pardon me, but how would Your Excellency feel if someone else was reading your thoughts?"

"What?"

"Not only thoughts, either. Emotions, and even pain are all conveyed. No matter where you are, everything is transmitted without delay. If one suffers an injury, everyone feels pain. In the past, one of us even died."

"….."

The young man closed his mouth while gazing at the figure's blazing eyes.

Now he understood why it was called a curse.

"His soul is still lingering around us. That is why we cannot sleep. The pain we felt, the fear, it still lingers in our minds and our bodies. That is why…"

"You want to get revenge on Pendragon. And that is why you accepted my commission."

"Yes. Your Excellency is with us."

The man felt slightly annoyed at the figure's wording, but he spoke with a grin.

"Only until we achieve our objective. Anyway, I wasn't expecting Alan Pendragon to come back alive, but maybe it's better this way. It wouldn't be truly finished without him anyways. Don't you feel the same way?"

"We feel both joy and fear."

"Ha! Fear? You brothers?"

It was a little ridiculous. The brothers led the most secretive, powerful assassination organization in the world. How could they be afraid?

"Our status isn't as noble as Your Excellency's. Moreover… one of us saw him fight in person. The feeling from back then was conveyed to the rest of us."

"…It's to that degree?"

The young man's expression turned rather solemn. He had also seen Alan Pendragon in the past but had never seen him fight. He had only ever heard stories.

"Would it be better explained if I told you that the shock and fear was similar to when we received the death of one of our brothers?"

"Hmm…"

The young man's expression became a little grim, and the masked man spoke with a shrug.

"But there is no need for you to worry. The outcome will not deviate from the plan."

"It better. All of this is for the good of our glorious empire. And…"

The young, handsome man emptied the wine in his glass and stood up.

Tap. Tap.

He turned around after reaching the front of a large, fancy desk made of maple. He continued.

"The sacrifice of Mirin and Pendragon is just the cornerstone."

"How could I say otherwise, Your Excellency."

The masked man politely bowed his head, but his eyes contained a mocking laugh. Unlike before, the figure was truly ridiculing the young man.

However, Jamie Roxan did not see the figure's hidden expression. He simply laughed in front of a flag embroidered with the symbol of 'Roxan', the largest and most powerful great territory in the Aragon Empire.

***

York Town was always bustling with activity and life. It remained unchanged even in the winter, when ships could no longer travel through the inland sea. The reason for this was due to the city's strategic location. It was a key location connecting the empire's largest port city of Leus, the great territories located inland, and the Pendragon Kingdom. As such, even though trade with the South was temporarily halted in the winter, trade along the coastline remained as busy as ever.

In addition, York Town could be considered a spectacular place with many sights to see in the Pendragon Kingdom. With the city's development, various amenities were created. It was only natural for wealthy merchants and nobles to set the city as their vacation spot. Even in winter, there was no time to relax for the city's various personnel.

In the meantime, the top figures of the kingdom were visiting, including the queen and the princess. It was the first time in a long time, and the mayor announced that a magnificent banquet would be held to welcome the visitors.

Invitations were sent out to rich merchants and nobles living in York Town, as well as lords of nearby lands.

It was natural for dozens of nobles to hurry to the city to meet Elena, the kingdom's influential figures, as well as the young princess. In particular, this was the first official appearance of the young princess in the noble society, so the nobles were eager to attend.

Dozens of people always accompanied important figures of high-ranking nobility. The number of employees and escorts accompanying them would hover around fifty. In addition, higher-ranking nobles would be accompanied by even more people.

As a result, as many as 2,000 visitors made their way to the city in less than five days since Elena Pendragon and Elsia Pendragon arrived.

"P, please. Line up!"

"You must sign your name on the sheet! The representative of the family…"

The guards of York Town were once again fighting a never-ending battle at the nobles' entrance today.

"Sir Osh, at this rate, I think we will have to keep going even after the sun goes down."

One of the guards spoke tearfully, and the knight-in-charge responded with a frown.

"We can't help it. It's Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Elsia. In addition, all of these people will be entering the official residence."

"Still…"

The sun was slowly descending, but the procession of carriage stretched on for what seemed like an endless distance. The end could not be seen. Most families arrived with at least two carriages and a dozen figures including their servants and escorts. It was difficult to confirm the identification tokens of every single person.

"All of them belong to families that received invitations, right? Would it not be better to simply check their representative and confirm their names on the list? I heard the port is a mess as well."

The soldier possessed a lot of experience in York Town. At his advice, the young knight pondered for a moment before raising his voice with a determined look.

"Check the family name, and confirm the number of people before writing it down on the list!"

The troops stationed around the official residence would once again confirm their identities, so this much would be fine for the sake of efficiency.

"Phew!"

The expressions of the soldiers brightened, and they once again faithfully carried out their duties.

"Which family are you from?"

"Eastwen. Sir Carl Lloyd, the eldest son of Baron Lloyd, and accompanying members."

The soldier tilted his head after seeing the small group. Unlike others, there was only one carriage. However, the soldier skimmed the invitation and checked with the list before raising his head.

"There it is. Please stamp your seal here and enter."

The invitation was good, and the family's name was on the list.

"Thanks."

The man riding the carriage nodded and smiled before pressing his ring against the list.

"No need to mention it. Next!"

Unfortunately, the soldier missed a crucial detail due to his exhaustion. The ring containing the seal of the Lloyd family was hanging rather loose from the finger of the young man…