William Kingsley threw down his sword. "I am done with this!" he said.
The intermediate knight before him, responsible for teaching him the art of swordsmanship, shook his head. "Your father ordered you to continue training, Your Honor."
"Why do I need to learn swordsmanship? I am the successor to my father, the great Count Victor Kingsley! I could just hire a great knight if I wanted. I have better things to do!" William complained, dropping to the ground and refusing to get up.
As the son of Count Victor Kingsley, William lived in luxury. Over a decade ago, he fell in 'love' with Edith, the daughter of Viscount Tristan Hawke. Though she already had a fiancé, William, accustomed to getting everything he wanted, forced himself on her, and his father took care of the rest.
Edith had always been his type—delicate and weak, with feminine allure. He 'used' her for a few years until, just two weeks ago, he 'accidentally' struck her head so hard she was unconscious for two days; after awakening, she sneaked away and returned to her father's territory. When Count Kingsley found out, he was furious. From that day on, William had been forced to train every day until exhaustion.
"Why should I be punished? It was her fault! I only hit her with the back of my hand!" William felt aggrieved. He usually left women in far worse shape, and no one cared. But now, after barely striking Edith, his father was punishing him as if she were worth the trouble.
"Master, what you did was extremely unwise. Young Mistress Edith is the daughter of a viscount. Your father is close to securing his position as crown prince, but nothing is certain yet. The House of Lords is divided, and if Viscount Hawke is offended by your actions, he may shift his support to Count Henry FitzAlan. Stand up and use this opportunity to learn swordsmanship!" the knight demanded.
"Damn you! I won't stand up—not this time!" William yelled, anger simmering.
At this, the knight threw down his sword and picked up a wooden stick.
"What are you planning to do? I am your master!" William looked at the knight warily.
"Your father ordered me to use any means necessary." Without further warning, the knight swung the stick.
"AEEEEEEE!" William howled, unable to react as the stick struck him between his legs.
"You bastard… That was on purpose, wasn't it?" he spat, writhing on the ground.
"You have one breath to stand up, or you may not marry any woman ever again," said the knight, his disgust barely hidden. As an intermediate knight, he feared no consequences from 'accidentally' injuring this nobleman's son to the point of infertility; the count had, after all, ordered him to use any means necessary.
"Okay, okay!" Clutching himself, William stood up and promptly vomited. The pain from the blow had radiated up to his stomach.
"Good. Take up your sword. We have ten hours left today," said the knight.
...
Count Victor Kingsley was the king's second son—or at least, that was the official story. In truth, he was the eldest; the crown prince was the illegitimate child of the queen and a lowly baron. Although this fact was widely known, it remained unspoken due to the strange customs of the nobility. Despite the rumors, the crown prince's status endured and was accepted with silent tolerance.
At least, that was how it had been three months ago.
Count Kingsley formally challenged his elder brother's eligibility in the House of Lords a year earlier, arguing that the crown prince's prolonged illness rendered him unfit to rule. The noble houses were split, but by a slim margin, they voted to investigate. The crown prince's sickness had long been an open secret yet remained unacknowledged by the royal family.
Following the vote, investigators quickly found evidence of poisoning. However, the doctors—already in Count Kingsley's pocket—attributed the prince's condition to prolonged yang deficiency, omitting any mention of poison. Over the past few months, the matter had seesawed in the House of Lords, culminating in a final vote to declare the crown prince ineligible. The decision was imminent, with the vote likely to unseat the prince, but uncertainty lingered. The nobles agreed on his removal but were divided on who should succeed him—Count Kingsley or Count FitzAlan.
...
"How much?" Count Kingsley, a man with blonde hair and a short white beard, demanded of the old man before him—Viscount Tristan Hawke.
"It's not about money," Viscount Hawke replied, shaking his head.
"Then what do you want?" Count Kingsley asked, frustration creeping into his voice.
"Your son forced himself on my daughter and now even beats her. The doctor said she was lucky to survive! I won't accept anything for this—your son must be puni—"
Count Kingsley cut him off. "How about Rank 2 trade rights on the Silverleaf Road?" He didn't yet have the power to grant this, but he would once he became the crown prince.
"No, never!" the viscount replied firmly.
"Last offer: Rank 4 trade rights and 50,000 gold in compensation," Kingsley said, silently cursing his son.
The viscount finally smiled and signaled to a servant. The servant disappeared into a room and emerged with Edith. Her face was pale, and upon seeing Count Kingsley, the little color left in her drained, leaving her as white as a sheet.
"Let's go," the Count ordered, standing.
"Please, Father, save me!" Edith begged, her voice breaking.
"For the good of the family, your sacrifice will be remembered, my brave daughter," Viscount Hawke said, turning his back on her and gesturing to the servant, who began to drag the screaming young woman away.
...
"This is… Count Kingsley's castle!" Leo thought. Thanks to Caelan's intelligence gathering, he had learned that Edith had been forced to break her engagement with him. As he came to conquer the kingdom, he planned to save her along the way.
"Knock them out!" Leo ordered Sir Garren, the super knight accompanying him. Leo could afford to be generous with the power of a super knight at his side. These ordinary soldiers posed no threat to him, so bloodshed was unnecessary.
Sir Garren merely released a slight aura toward the two guards, and they collapsed to the ground immediately, overwhelmed by it. The aura of a super knight was incomprehensible to mortals. If a super knight didn't restrain their aura in the presence of weaker beings, it could crush their souls or even cause instant death. Sir Garren did not damage the fragile souls of the two guards.
"Just knock everyone in the city unconscious!" Leo ordered, intending to find Edith without further complications. He didn't want trouble. Although Count Kingsley was most likely the next crown prince, he was not yet the king.
Sir Garren extended his aura over a wider area this time, ensuring no one in the city would remain awake.
"Let's go!" Leo strode toward the gate.
…
"He must be William," Leo remarked, looking down at the unconscious man lying on the ground.
"According to Caelan, he's a predator who preys on women," Leo shook his head, unimpressed.
He wasn't here as a knight of justice. Leo had little interest in punishing a random nobleman who bullied the weak; most nobles were like that. But William had crossed the line by forcing himself on Leo's fiancée. There would be no forgiveness for that.
"Kill him and crush his soul," Leo ordered. He had no intention of letting William awaken. To Leo, William was less significant than an ant, not worth the effort of a confrontation. It was better to end him quickly.
Sir Garren released a concentrated aura, targeting William. His body twitched, and then he was still—dead.
"Alright, let's move on!" Leo sighed in disappointment. He hadn't found Count Kingsley, nor had he found Edith. He intended to go to the capital to 'persuade' the king to surrender his throne.
"Sir, a group of armed soldiers has entered the city—five of them knights," Garren reported.
"Hmm… it must be Count Kingsley returning. Let's meet them! Carry me," Leo instructed.
Garren bowed and complied.
…
Count Kingsley shouted, "To the castle, quickly! The treasury! Go!" He ordered a knight, who bowed and rushed toward the castle to investigate.
When Count Kingsley and his men arrived minutes earlier, they were greeted by an unexpected scene. First, he noticed the guards asleep, which made him furious, but soon he realized that everyone in the city was unconscious. His first thought was that a powerful magician had invaded. However, his fear of losing his accumulated wealth outweighed his survival instinct. Nearly all his resources were in that castle; without them, he would lose everything—including his chance to secure the crown prince position in the upcoming vote.
"Sir, look!" one of the knights pointed.
Count Kingsley followed his gaze and saw two men approaching. The man leading was dressed in exquisite armor and carried an ornate sword. Both were crafted like art pieces, seemingly unsuited for battle. Neither displayed the aura of a knight.
"What's going on? They have no aura… could they be magicians who did this?" Count Kingsley thought, alarmed. Though he could sense other knights, he couldn't detect magic in magicians.
"That sword and armor must be too fragile for combat; they're likely just decorative. The man in front must be the magician responsible for this!" Count Kingsley speculated, horrified.
"Everyone, bow to this great magician!" he commanded, alerting his knights. They quickly deduced the same and bowed.
Count Kingsley, despite his birthright as the legitimate eldest son of the king, had waited patiently for years, amassing wealth and influence before challenging the crown prince's claim to the throne. Cautious by nature, he decided not to risk offending this mage, uncertain as he was of the stranger's power.
Count Kingsley and his three knights bowed deeply to Leo.
"Count Kingsley, don't you remember me?" Leo asked, puzzled. He had met the count in his youth, but the man showed no sign of recognition.
Count Kingsley's mind raced, but he couldn't recall any powerful magician matching Leo's appearance.
"I'm sorry; my memory has deteriorated with age," Victor replied. Although his memory had worsened, he would not forget someone this powerful.
"Where is Edith?" Leo asked directly.
"Edith? Viscount Hawke's daughter?" Victor inquired, trying to hide his surprise.
"Yes, where is she?" Leo confirmed.
"Quickly, go bring her!" Victor ordered one of the knights. He had no idea why this powerful magician wanted Edith, but he was more than willing to hand her over to earn the man's favor. His path to the throne would be far easier with such an ally.
Moments later, the knight returned, leading Edith, her face streaked with tears.
"Long time no see, Edith!" Leo greeted her.
The girl looked at him, recognition dawning in her eyes. "Leo?"
Upon hearing the name, Count Kingsley felt a jolt of recognition. Memories he had thought long forgotten came rushing back. "Leo? Leo Fitzroy? What is going on?" he wondered, his mind reeling.
"Sir Garren, take her, and let's go somewhere quiet," Leo ordered, his voice calm.
Sir Garren complied without hesitation, lifting both Leo and Edith with ease. Then, with a single, powerful leap, he ascended thousands of meters into the sky, vanishing from sight.
Count Victor and his knights stared, speechless. The sheer magnitude of the jump was incomprehensible.
"Perhaps… perhaps it was a spell of some kind?" Count Victor muttered, desperately trying to rationalize what he had just witnessed.