The territory of Sunset Fortress is one of the largest towns in the Rhine County, positioned alongside Graystone Fortress, Black River Fortress, and Moonlight Fortress, making it one of the four great towns of the county.
Nessa, as the eldest son of the Baron, has the right of succession to the title. According to the hereditary system of this era, he was expected to inherit the position of Baron without any surprises. However, Nessa showed no interest in politics, diplomacy, livelihood, or statistics. He even clearly told his father that he had no desire to inherit the title and simply wanted to live as a free knight. His primary passion was knightly skills, especially swordsmanship and lance techniques.
In the Swordsmanship Hall, Nessa, dressed in his knight's attire, practiced alone with his broadsword. His sword flashed as he moved swiftly, accompanied by quiet grunts, but his face remained grim, his mood irritated.
"Clack, clack, clack..." The sound of footsteps came from outside, and soon Narl's voice reached him, "Nessa, the young master requests your presence in the plaza immediately."
"Get lost!" Nessa, already frustrated, shouted angrily at the mention of Gracan's name.
At that moment, Draven, wearing his large winged helmet, appeared. Without saying a word, he drew his sword and swung it directly toward Nessa's head.
A pressure that Nessa had never felt before struck him instantly. He quickly raised his own sword to block it, but the impact was so strong that his sword flew out of his hands, and he stumbled backward. Before he could stabilize himself, a cold gleam flashed, and a sword was pressed against his throat.
"This is an order, not a suggestion," Draven's cold voice rang out.
Yesterday, Gracan had made a deal with Draven over a meal to help handle the unruly knights.
...
In the plaza, Gracan remained silent, his face calm as he stared at the entrance, seemingly waiting for someone.
Sein, kneeling before him, trembled uncontrollably, not daring to lift his head. Feimon closed his eyes, lost in his thoughts, while Arthur, a more experienced and shrewd knight, kept giving subtle signals to Kodo, urging him to speak up.
Kodo, responsible for maintaining security in Sunset Fortress, was hot-headed and impatient. He immediately stepped forward, pointing at Gracan as he began to speak loudly, "Gracan? Are you making fun of us? There are so many things happening in Sunset Fortress every day. You call us here, and we wait for so long with no explanation. What do you want?"
"If you don't have anything important, I'll be leaving," Kodo said, preparing to turn around and leave with his men.
Gracan smiled slightly. "Please wait, Kodo."
"Hmph!" Kodo, seeing an opportunity to exit, arrogantly said, "Wait another twenty minutes."
At that moment, the sound of a pained scream rang out. Draven, holding Nessa in his grip as if he were a helpless chicken, dragged him into the plaza. With a loud *thud*, he tossed Nessa at Gracan's feet like a discarded animal.
The scene stunned Arthur, Feimon, and the others. A grand knight...
Nessa raised his head, eyes burning with resentment as he glared at Gracan, shouting, "Gracan, you have no right to inherit the barony! What gives you the audacity to boss us around?"
Gracan glared coldly at him. "That will change soon enough."
Nessa suddenly sneered. "If you have the guts, don't bring the grand knight to intimidate me. Dare to duel me?"
As he said this, Feimon, Arthur, and Kodo all smiled. To become the lord, one must have strength to back it up.
Gracan nodded. "Let's do it now."
Standing up, Gracan unsheathed his sword and looked down at Nessa, the older knight who had already gained his knighthood.
"Draw your sword."
Nessa, showing confidence, picked up the sword handed to him by Feimon's men, and with a sneer, he thrust it forward.
Gracan didn't move. He held his sword vertically, and with a light tap on Nessa's blade, it produced a sharp *clink* sound. An unusual force pulled Nessa's sword away, causing him to lose control and veer off-balance.
Taking advantage of the opening, Gracan advanced rapidly, his sword spinning in the air, creating a dazzling display of sword flowers as it surrounded Nessa. The sound of blades clashing filled the air as the two exchanged blows. In a matter of moments, Nessa's sword was knocked from his hand, and Gracan's blade was held against his throat.
"You lost," Gracan said coldly.
Nessa stood stunned, his eyes wide in disbelief. How was this possible? Just a few days ago, Gracan was only a squire, yet now he was so powerful, completely overpowering Nessa in both strength and speed.
The knights watching the scene were equally shocked. Gracan's swordsmanship was clearly on par with that of an intermediate knight.
Glancing at the assembled knights, Gracan spoke up.
"Everyone, I've called you here for an important matter. First..." He paused, then kicked Sein on the head with a loud *thud*, shouting, "Get over there and kneel properly!"
The burly, bound giant, once a fearsome rogue in Sunset Fortress, now moved like a sheep, rolling over and kneeling in the center of the plaza.
"Tell us everything about your dealings with Yuri. If even one word is a lie, I'll use your skull as a bowl!" Gracan's voice was cold as he sheathed his sword.
Sein immediately confessed to all the details of the transaction between the Wild Wolf Mercenaries and Yuri, including the embarrassing story of how the ambush had been wiped out.
Seeing the once-feared leader of the Wild Wolf Mercenaries trembling like a lamb, tears and snot streaming down his face, everyone was left speechless. Gracan was indeed formidable—both in strength and in intelligence.
"Gracan is truly a brilliant, wise, and great leader," Feimon said, placing his fist over his chest in a knight's salute.
Arthur, however, looked around with a conflicted expression, weighing his options.
The baron, injured and near death, would soon pass away; Nessa, once a strong knight, had now been defeated; Yuri's future was uncertain, given his brutal treatment of his family. Only aligning with Gracan, the one who had the grand knight's support and was on good terms with Lord Leanne of Graystone Fortress, offered a future.
"I, Arthur, swear loyalty to Gracan, the next baron!" Arthur declared, already deciding that Gracan was his choice for the next baron.
Kodo, his face fluctuating with emotions, looked around uneasily. After what had just happened with Gracan, he felt the cold sweat on his back, realizing the gravity of the situation. Gracan's dominance had left him with no room to oppose.
Finally, seeing no other option, Kodo grudgingly pledged his loyalty.
With the three knights now subdued, whether they were sincere or not, the situation was stabilized. Gracan smiled and nodded.
"Since that's settled, I won't hold your tardiness against you."
"We'll need your help to strengthen and expand Sunset Fortress in the future," he added.
The three knights lowered their heads, feeling the weight of the situation. If Gracan truly chose to hold their tardiness against them, they would have no escape. After all, one grand knight could easily defeat them all.
At that moment, a sharp voice rang out from the plaza entrance.
"Gracan, who do you think you are? My father's still alive, and you're already so eager to seize the title?"
Yuri, followed by six knights, arrogantly marched into the plaza. Upon seeing Sein kneeling in the center, his expression changed dramatically.