Back on the battlefield, Harry stood atop a hill, the corpses of fallen knights scattered in the distance. The power of his actions, the ripple effects of his decisions, could already be felt spreading like wildfire.
And as the sun dipped below the horizon, Harry tightened his grip on his golden blade, ready for the next stage of his conquest.
A Great Knight is, after all, a Great Knight.
With his sheer strength, Harry had already established himself as invincible. It didn't matter who the opponent was, as long as Harry stood, no one dared to challenge him.
In fact, Harry could have avoided any battle entirely. The mere announcement of his status as a Great Knight would have been enough to intimidate his enemies into submission. Those who dared provoke him as a knight would never have had the courage to face a 'Grand Knight'.
But Harry chose a different path.
Rather than flaunting his power, he deliberately kept it a secret. He withheld the news of his promotion, staying silent even as his enemies provoked him, all to lull them into a false sense of security. He allowed them to underestimate him, to believe he was vulnerable. And when the moment was right, Harry struck like lightning, crushing his foes with devastating precision.
----
Earl Thorne sat in his chambers, the battle report spread before him. His brows furrowed as he read the detailed account of Harry's campaign.
The report was almost surreal.
In one decisive campaign, Harry had utterly defeated the knight lords who had once resisted Thorne's rule. Their forces were crushed, their families broken. Yet, instead of wiping them out entirely, Harry had chosen to spare them.
Now, the prisoners; Henry, the Sim family, and several other noble houses, had all been sent directly to Thorn City.
Earl Thorne stared at the report in silence for a moment before handing it to David. "What do you think of this?"
David skimmed through the report, his face lighting up with confusion. "Isn't this good news? Enli and the Sim family have been our enemies for years. Now that Lord Harry has defeated them and sent them to us, it saves us the trouble of dealing with them ourselves."
Earl Thorne gave a weary smile and shook his head. "That's true, if you're only looking at the surface."
David frowned. "What do you mean?"
Thorne leaned forward, his tone dropping. "Let me ask you this: now that these nobles are here, what exactly should we 'do' with them?"
David opened his mouth to respond, but then hesitated, his eyes widening slightly as the implications sank in.
"Got it now?" Thorne sighed, rubbing his temples. "These people are nothing but trouble."
If these lords had simply died on the battlefield, Thorne's problems would have been solved. Their deaths could have been pinned on Harry or attributed to the chaos of war. But instead, Harry had taken care to 'preserve' their lives and send them to Thorn City in perfect health.
On paper, they were prisoners of war. In reality, they were a political nightmare.
Earl Thorne had no clear options.
He couldn't 'kill' them. These were nobles of the Kingdom of Meissen, protected by the laws of the realm. Executing them outright would spark outrage among the other noble houses. Thorne's reputation would be irreparably damaged, and he'd likely lose the support of key allies.
But he couldn't simply 'release' them either. These were his political enemies; people who had actively worked to undermine his authority. Setting them free would only embolden them, giving them the opportunity to rally more opposition against him.
Keeping them imprisoned wasn't much better. Detaining nobles without proper cause was a serious offense that could bring scrutiny from the royal court.
Every choice led to disaster.
The more he thought about it, the more Thorne felt trapped. Harry's actions had placed him in a no-win situation, and the Earl couldn't help but feel that his young ally had done this deliberately.
Earl Thorne's troubles didn't end there.
While the coalition of nobles had been destroyed, Harry's power had grown exponentially in its wake. The battle had allowed Harry to annex the lands of several defeated lords, rapidly expanding his territory and influence.
Harry now commanded a substantial army, a wealth of resources, and an unwavering loyalty from his followers. And as a Great Knight, his strength alone was enough to make him the most dangerous force in the Black Forest region.
Thorne set the report down, a bitter expression on his face. "Harry may have dealt with the coalition, but now he's a greater threat than they ever were."
David hesitated. "But… Lord Harry is still your ally, isn't he?"
"For now," Thorne replied, his voice low. "But alliances can shift. Power changes people."
He glanced out the window toward the horizon. "Harry doesn't need me anymore. He has everything he needs; lands, soldiers, strength. And when someone like him no longer needs an ally, they start thinking about what they 'want.'"
David's face paled as the weight of Thorne's words sank in.
Harry's rise had been a blessing for Earl Thorne in the short term, but in the long term, it threatened to eclipse him entirely.
And in the back of Thorne's mind, one question lingered: 'How long before the hunter becomes the hunted?'
The previous noble coalition, despite its size and power, was fractured from within a patchwork of lords with conflicting interests and fragile alliances. Earl Thorne had known that with careful strategy, it could have been dismantled over time, one piece at a time.
But now, the game had completely changed.
The coalition was gone, and in its place stood a single dominant force: the Harry family. Unified, strong, and led by a Great Knight, they were an entirely different beast.
Earl Thorne sighed, his gaze drifting toward David, his son, standing awkwardly nearby. He shook his head slightly, a mix of frustration and resignation in his expression.
If Harry ever turned against them, if he decided to rebel, Thorne didn't think for a second that David could stop him.
The "friendship" they had shared with Harry was insignificant compared to the overwhelming threat his strength now posed. The reality was harsh: in the face of power like Harry's, alliances based on goodwill or sentiment could crumble in an instant.
And yet, despite the growing shadow of Harry's influence, Earl Thorne had no choice but to swallow his unease and continue to thank and reward him publicly. That had been their agreement from the start: Harry would handle the coalition of nobles, and Earl Thorne would manage the aftermath.
But when they'd struck that deal, Thorne had never imagined this.
At the time, he had assumed Harry's role would be to slow the coalition's advance, maybe win a few small victories, and hold them at bay. He hadn't expected Harry to utterly dismantle the coalition, wiping them out and claiming vast territories in the process.
The situation now was suffocating.
Earl Thorne sat in his study, mulling over the events of the past few weeks. The more he thought about it, the more dire the situation seemed.
Harry's strength as a Great Knight was undeniable, and as long as he wielded such power, Thorne would remain at a disadvantage. There was no military force in the region; perhaps even the entire kingdom; that could realistically oppose Harry.
Thorne furrowed his brow, thinking deeply. How could he counterbalance Harry's growing influence? How could he ensure his own position wasn't eclipsed entirely?
But no matter how many scenarios he ran through in his head, no solution presented itself.
It was as though he were trapped in a chess game, his pieces cornered, while Harry methodically removed every move he could make.
Just then, a servant entered the room, bowing respectfully. "My lord, a messenger has arrived from Lord Harry. He's brought prisoners and a letter."
Earl Thorne took a deep breath, steadying himself. The moment he'd been expecting was here. "Send David to greet them personally," he instructed. "And make sure we welcome the messenger properly."
Moments later, the letter from Harry was placed in Thorne's hands.
Earl Thorne hesitated, staring at the sealed envelope for a moment. He'd anticipated a list of demands, perhaps a request for lands, troops, or additional resources. After all, Harry had fulfilled his side of the bargain, dealing with the noble coalition that had threatened Thorne's rule. Now it was Thorne's turn to deliver.
Bracing himself, he broke the seal and began to read.
But as he scanned the letter, his expression shifted from expectation to confusion, and then to disbelief.
The letter wasn't a request for personal gain. Harry had made no demands for himself. Instead, the entire message was focused on securing rewards for his subordinates.
"Appoint Knight Apprentice Salah, the demihuam Maro, and others as Barons," the letter read.
Harry went on to name several individuals, recommending titles and honors for each. Even Marina, a humble maid who had served Harry, was included in the list. She was to be given the title 'Lady Marina', elevating her status far beyond anything anyone could have imagined.
Earl Thorne reread the letter, still trying to process what he was seeing.
"Salah… a baron?" he muttered, his tone filled with disbelief. He had met Salah before, a competent knight apprentice, to be sure, but not extraordinary by any stretch. He wasn't even an elite apprentice. How could Harry justify such an elevation?
And Marina? A maid, now a lady of title?
As he set the letter down, Thorne couldn't help but feel conflicted. Harry's actions were both puzzling and strategic. By rewarding his followers so generously, Harry wasn't just securing their loyalty, he was building a foundation for something greater.
These new barons would owe their entire status and fortunes to Harry. Their loyalty would be unshakable, their allegiance guaranteed. Harry wasn't just rewarding his subordinates; he was constructing a web of power and influence that would cement his control over the region for years to come.
Thorne couldn't help but admire the brilliance of it. At the same time, it left him feeling uneasy.
For all his generosity, Harry hadn't asked for anything for himself. And that, more than anything, was what unsettled Thorne. A man like Harry didn't act without purpose. If he wasn't asking for anything now, it was because he was planning for something far greater in the future.
"What do you think of this?" Thorne asked David, passing the letter to him.
David read it quickly, his brows furrowing. "Isn't this… a good thing? Harry isn't taking anything for himself. He's just rewarding his followers."
Thorne shook his head, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "No, David. This isn't just about the rewards. It's about what they mean. Harry is securing his future. He's creating a network of loyal vassals. These titles might seem small now, but in time, they'll make him untouchable."
David frowned, the realization slowly dawning on him.
"Harry isn't just a warrior," Thorne continued. "He's a tactician. He's playing a game far bigger than we imagined. And the worst part is…"
He trailed off, his gaze hardening.
"...we're the ones who handed him the board."