“It was a time before I had inherited my title. Yes, back when I was merely a Royal Guard serving the king. During the fierce succession battle, I marched alone into the opposition’s stronghold and declared: If anyone has the courage to lay down their life for their lord, stand before me. Ah, those were the days of true valor. But nowadays, the young ones rely on luck at every opportunity…”
“Stop—! Please, stop, Your Grace.”
“Lucia, what is this about? I still have much to say…”
“We are on official business, Duke.”
The Black Wing Duke, who had been monologuing for about twenty minutes, cleared his throat.
“The crucial matter now is that Prince Alan publicly threatened the person known as the Hero of the North. He used the royal guards as if they were his personal enforcers.”
“The vice-captain is correct. Prince, do you have any explanation?”
“…This is a misunderstanding. I merely made him pay for the insult to the royal bloodline.”
At Alan’s words, the Black Wing Duke turned to Khan, who had been listening to his long-winded tale with a nodding head.
“Is that true?”
“Well, I’m not sure if it was an insult. He stopped me and asked for my name, and I said I didn’t feel like telling him. Is that disrespect?”
“If you’re a subject of the kingdom.”
“I am a warrior of Hoarfrost Gorge, so I am not included in that.”
“Well… that’s technically correct.”
“Duke…!”
Prince Alan, who was about to voice his grievances, found his mouth covered by the Black Wing Duke.
“Prince, in this matter, you are at fault. Regardless, he is a key figure in suppressing the rebellion in the north. No matter your royal blood, this time you were out of line.”
“I am a prince of Argon!”
“Just a prince. Not the king, nor the crown prince.”
Prince Alan’s mouth shut tight. The words of the Black Wing Duke, who was practically the teacher of all royal blood, carried that much weight.
“What would you have done if he had responded aggressively to your rudeness?”
“I would have taken his head.”
“That is precisely why you haven’t become the crown prince.”
“What do you mean by that!”
Bang—!!
At the sudden impact from the nearby clash, Prince Alan staggered. Adrian quickly grabbed him, but even Adrian’s face was painted with shock.
“Your hospitality is quite rough.”
Khan calmly muttered these words, having caught the Black Wing Duke’s lightning-fast punch with his palm while remaining in place.
Realizing what had happened, Alan’s face grew rigid.
“I apologize. As his guardian, I wanted to correct the child’s mistake.”
“If that’s the case.”
The kingdom’s strongest knight had launched a surprise attack, which Khan had effortlessly blocked. That alone allowed Adrian and Alan to fathom a glimpse of Khan’s prowess. If Khan had truly intended to harm Alan…
“None of the lackeys under your command would have been able to stop this man. Even if they did manage, it would be after the prince was already dead.”
“If he tries to take my life, he won’t escape unscathed either.”
“Of what use is that? Are you suggesting the entire Royal Guard be mobilized just to take down this one man? That would be a significant loss and, in death, you would become a laughingstock.”
The unfiltered reality turned Alan’s face even more sour.
“So, let’s pretend this never happened. You’ve just met for the first time here, and now you will begin proper conversations. Understood?”
***
After the situation was mediated by the Black Wing Duke, a spontaneous gathering was arranged where light drinks and conversations were shared.
“Ha-ha-ha! This fellow is so different from the youngsters nowadays. Quite polite and straightforward!”
“And you, sir, are a rare example of a proper adult. I don’t see many like you around here.”
“Really? Is that so?”
“What you said earlier truly resonated with me.”
“Ha-ha-ha! Even my own children don’t take such words seriously, let alone expect to hear them from someone I just met!”
“They’re just young and distracted. Honestly, the problem with the youngsters these days is that they’re too unfocused.”
“Exactly, exactly!”
As the Black Wing Duke and Khan suddenly found common ground in their discussion about the “youth nowadays,” Aries, watching them with a deadpan expression, casually remarked,
“You two are similar.”
“…”
“…”
The atmosphere immediately chilled. The sudden silence made Leo, who was sitting next to Aries, glance around in surprise. Aries, however, continued eating her meal nonchalantly.
Unable to stand the silence, Leo was about to speak when the Black Wing Duke burst into hearty laughter.
“I was just thinking it would be nice to have a younger brother like him! The young lady has a keen eye!”
“I’m not a young lady.”
“And she’s right. This fellow’s temperament matches well with mine. I heard you’ve known Pashantu since childhood, right? Maybe that’s why?”
“In Hoarfrost Gorge, everyone knows each other; it’s nothing special.”
“Is that so? Perhaps I’ll visit Hoarfrost Gorge sometime if I get the chance.”
You’ll regret it. Khan chewed a thick piece of meat a couple of times before swallowing it.
“Hmm. I’d like to spend the night chatting with you about various topics, but… circumstances don’t allow it.”
“That can wait until we’ve finished our business.”
“Indeed. So, let’s get to the main topic…”
The Black Wing Duke, who had been sitting slouched as if drunk, suddenly straightened his posture.
“First, it’s proper to hear from Prince Alan. Though I have a rough idea.”
“I intend to subjugate the wyverns. In the name of the royal family, and on a grand scale.”
“And, of course, the glory for it will belong entirely to the prince.”
“… I am gathering forces for this purpose. Not just any forces, but real warriors who can prove their mettle against wyverns. Like the champion you treasure, or the Executioner sitting here.”
“Borrow Pashantu? That’s not difficult. She’d jump at the chance. But if I, as her nominal employer, am not inclined, then what?”
“That would be unfortunate. But you must understand, duke. The kingdom’s subjects are currently in great turmoil due to the unprecedented disaster brought by the wyverns.”
The Black Wing Duke openly snorted at Alan’s words. It was ridiculous to him that an ordinarily arrogant prince would now bring up concern for the kingdom’s subjects.
“Of course, I am not asking for your help for free. The Yorthus Marquisate and three other count families have promised compensation.”
“The forces supporting you. However, you should know that it’s not tempting enough for me.”
“Perhaps your champion might desire it. If it’s promised to aid her in her duel against you, she might accept.”
“And what about this man?”
The Black Wing Duke turned the conversation to Khan.
“With his skills, there must be plenty of people willing to offer a fortune for his services, even disregarding his barbarian origins. How much are you prepared to offer?”
“… That will be a matter of negotiation from this point forward.”
“You’ve already disrupted the initial stages by threatening him—a hero who brought order to the chaos in the north, no less.”
“Of course… I’m prepared to make up for that slight.”
At these words, the Black Wing Duke smiled in satisfaction and winked at Khan, indicating he had done his part. Khan responded with a slight chuckle.
“My services don’t come cheap.”
“What do you desire? From what I’ve heard, you’re not interested in gold. Would an extraordinary weapon suffice?”
“What you call an extraordinary weapon might be very different from what I consider one.”
“Don’t underestimate the royal power. We can provide you with far more than enough weaponry.”
“We’ll see.”
The Black Wing Duke openly snorted at Prince Alan’s words. The notion of the usually arrogant Alan suddenly expressing concern for the kingdom’s subjects seemed absurd to him.
It was as if Khan’s smile was saying, “Can you even prepare such things?”
Khan’s reaction was justified. Not only had he handled countless endgame items through games, but also possessed experience with bizarre cursed swords and divine axes.
To meet his standards, the support from Prince Alan’s factions alone wouldn’t suffice. At the very least—
“The royal treasury. That’s what it will take.”
“You insolent…!”
The one who exploded in anger was Adrian.
“How dare you! To open the royal treasury?”
“Don’t like it? Then forget it.”
“Prince! We don’t need this uncivilized brute’s help. I will personally subjugate the wyverns!”
“Well… good luck with that. Not that I think you’ll succeed.”
Smirk.
As Prince Alan raised his hand to stop the conflict between Adrian and Khan, he displayed a curious smile.
“I understand that you have immense confidence. So now, let me ask you this. If you believe that you are worth opening the royal treasury for, and if you genuinely desire it, who do you think has the slightest chance of granting that wish? For reference, his Majesty and the Crown Prince will not be involved in this matter at all.”
With a self-assured gesture, Alan placed his hand on his chest.
“It is I. In this time when His Majesty and the Crown Prince are absent, I am the one closest to the line of succession and the only one who can open the royal treasury.”
“Oh?”
“Furthermore, I am the one most likely to take on the role of regent shortly…”
“Prince Alan.”
The vice-captain of the Royal Guards, Lucia, who had been standing silently behind Alan, uttered a low admonition, and Alan feigned understanding.
“Well, that’s the gist of it. If you indeed covet the treasures of the royal family, I believe you now understand whose hand you need to grasp.”
With that, Alan fell silent, leaving it up to Khan to draw his conclusions. Alan’s way of subtly offering the possibility without explicitly promising the royal treasures was emblematic of noble cunning—or even more insidious.
He was fully aware of the power his status held and had craftily created an escape route for future accountability.
Such political maneuvering was so ingrained in him that only those well-versed in similar tactics would recognize the trap hidden in his words.
‘Damn it…’
Leo let out a silent sigh.
‘My lord is undoubtedly brilliant, but this is different.’
Born into an imperial noble family known for its cunning, Leo quickly recognized that Prince Alan’s words were a trap.
Prince Alan probably intended to borrow Khan’s strength and then later claim that he never had the authority to open the royal treasury in the first place. He would argue that he never explicitly promised the royal treasures. Those unfamiliar with politics might call it a sham, but that’s politics. Even the Black Wing Duke, who seemed unusually favorable towards Khan, would have no choice but to side with Alan.
‘Even for a mighty warrior, or perhaps because of his overwhelming strength, my lord wouldn’t be familiar with noble politics.’
Now was the moment for Leo to step in. While he couldn’t help Khan in combat, he was confident he could assist in these matters. But Leo’s thoughts were only half correct.
It was true that Khan wasn’t familiar with noble politics. However, through many backstabbing experiences, he had long since mastered how to deal with nobles. The method was simple—
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be you.”
“If not me, then who…”
“There are other royals with a claim to succession, ones who would see it as much more urgent than you.”
Flip the table and create a new setup to play by your own rules.
“So, let’s make it clear here. Will you open the treasury or not?”
With just a few words, Khan shifted the situation, forcing the opposite side to compete among themselves to offer him the compensation. He then crossed his arms and smirked.
“If you refuse… you know what happens.”