The government hall of the residence.
"What happened?" Kino looked at Paladin, who was covered in wounds, tightly bound, and lying on the ground, coughing up blood intermittently, with strawberry hard candies scattered around him.
Fick, accompanied by seven or eight attendants, kicked Paladin in the face, sneering, "Hey, seems like you couldn't control your dog, let him—"
Kino interrupted, "Did I ask you to speak?"
Fick's words were cut off, and he glared at Kino.
Kino turned to Paladin. "Speak."
Paladin spat out blood and hoarsely said, "He was bullying a child by the roadside. I couldn't bear it, so I fought with them. During the struggle, I accidentally killed one of his attendants."
Kino pointed at Fick. "Sounds like this is your fault."
Fick's eyes widened. "Say that again?!"
Kino replied, "Your people were bullying civilians. As the centurion of Twilight City, Paladin had a legitimate reason to intervene. And in a battle, the one who dies is always in the wrong—the weak are the ones to blame."
Fick erupted in fury. "Say it again??!!"
Kino, now with a puzzled expression, said, "Is it that you're hard of hearing, or my Glandian is just too poor? Why do you ask me to repeat myself every time I speak?"
Fick's forehead bulged with veins as he bellowed, "I am the son of a warrior under the banner of the Troy family! Fick Troy! Remember my name, you cur!"
Kino's smile slowly faded. "You don't understand what courtesy is, do you?"
Just as the atmosphere turned tense, a hearty laugh rang out from outside the door: "Hahaha, my son is a bit unrefined, please don't hold it against him, Officer Kino."
Kino looked toward the door as a man over 1.9 meters tall walked into the hall. His thick beard, round face, and heavy eyebrows gave him the appearance of a kind-hearted bear.
The man wore a badge on his chest, featuring a crossed sword and shield, marking him as part of the renowned Troy family, one of the five noble families of the kingdom.
The King's Lands, as they were known, referred to the five great noble families who fought alongside the "Old King" during the Eight Kings War in the year 2188 of the Fallen Gods era.
The Old King, also known as Dagoland I, ascended the throne in the first year of the Fire Calendar after the war, and the nobility, especially those from the King's Lands, were granted privileges that surpassed those of ordinary nobility.
These five families were: Regnom, Hechi, Eryc, Dagon, and Troy.
Together with the royal family, these five clans form the core of Dagoland's ruling class, which continues to thrive to this day.
The Troy family, known for their sword and shield, revered martial strength, and their vassals were warriors of the kingdom.
Twenty-six years ago, in the year 500 of the Fire Calendar, after the death of the previous king, Dagoland the 24th took the throne amidst a turbulent political climate. During this period, the Eastern Empire launched a massive invasion, which later became known as the Laurel War.
Throughout the war, the five noble families fought valiantly, with the Troy family at the forefront. They proved their loyalty but paid a heavy price. Not only did they lose many soldiers in battle, but their lands became the epicenter of the Beast Plague, a viral infection that ravaged their people.
However, the gods appeared to play a cruel joke on them.
While the Beast Plague was thought incurable, it actually bestowed unusual strength upon its victims. The ferocious plague beasts were a prime example of this.
Later, the Crimson Church's plague physicians discovered a unique factor, a purified blood that could suppress the contagion. If refined to a high quality, it could even reverse the symptoms, allowing the infected to switch between their human and beast forms, retaining their sanity.
The Troy family accepted this fate, no longer resisting the plague but using the blood therapy to their advantage. Over time, their descendants and vassals willingly became infected, creating a new generation of powerful plague warriors, and the family's strength rose once again.
Because of the difficulty in extracting this special factor, the blood was costly.
For commoners, the low-grade purified blood cost iron moons and only suppressed contagion. For the Troy family's infected, the high-grade purified blood could cost silver moons, with the best costing gold moons.
To the vast fortune of the noble families, this expense was a trivial matter.
Based on their strength after transformation, the Troy family categorized their extraordinary members into seven ranks: Fighter, Beast-Human, Misfortune, Demon-Wielder, Abomination, Cursed, and Night Wraith.
The lowest rank, Fighter, could still rival dozens of elite soldiers in combat.
The Night Wraith, ranked seventh, had only one recorded member in Troy's history, and their combat abilities were unknown—those who saw them were already dead.
The tall man approaching Kino was wearing a badge indicating that he was from the third rank, Misfortune.
His son, Fick Troy, did not wear the sword and shield badge, suggesting that he was still too young for the infection.
As a member of the King's Lands, the Troy family held a privileged position just below the royal family.
Twilight City was part of the Fire Province, one of the kingdom's six administrative districts, with the highest-ranking official in the province being the Governor—currently the head of the Troy family.
It was no surprise that Fick Troy could have his attendants kill Paladin in the streets. As a son of the Troy family and in the Fire Province, a mere centurion from Twilight City was likely considered of little importance.
...
The tall man walked toward Kino with a friendly smile. "Greetings, Officer Kino, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Brook Troy, the military leader of Twilight City. I had business when you took office, so I didn't have the chance to visit. Please forgive me."
Kino smiled. "No trouble at all, I appreciate the sentiment."
"Hahaha, I heard from my subordinates that my son had some unpleasantness with your centurion," Brook said, eyeing Paladin with a grin. "The deceased was one of my son's attendants, and he carried a rune weapon. For a centurion to defeat him with a steel knife is quite the feat."
Kino smiled. "Paladin is an exceptional centurion. During the defense of Shilin Town, he stood by my side, never retreating. If you admire him, perhaps we can resolve this amicably. I will personally bring him to apologize."
Brook continued smiling, his demeanor still kind but laced with a subtle malice: "I have some reservations. Half of Twilight City now knows that one of my family's attendants was killed in the street by your new centurion, like a dog being slaughtered. If I let this slide, it could tarnish my family's reputation."
Kino glanced at Fick. "I've already told your son that this is not Paladin's fault. Of course, as the deceased is of higher rank, I will ensure Paladin sincerely apologizes and offer compensation to your family. You may name your price."
Brook's smile deepened, becoming eerie: "You misunderstand, Officer Kino. Perhaps in your eyes, a life is something to be measured in moons, as though the life of my attendant has a price, like meat on display. But you've forgotten one thing: honor."
"Do you know what the Eastern Empire feared most during the Laurel War twenty-six years ago? They did not fear the fiery sun of Dagoland's royal family, nor Regnom's dragon knights soaring through the sky, nor Hechi's alchemists on magical potions, nor Eryc's shape-shifting soul sorcery, nor Dagon's abyssal sea power. They feared the Troy family. They feared us."
"Because we never compromise. The entire family is bound together by iron and blood. For every drop of blood spilled, we repay it tenfold." Brook gripped his sword hilt, and his eyes gleamed with deadly intent. "When a family member is harmed, the Troy family's rule is clear—our motto is: Blood for blood!"