Duke Pendragon

Fwoooosh!

The Spirit of the White Dragon was on an entirely different level from the spirits of Morgan and Argos. The spirit materialized as a translucent flame that was visible even to the commoners.

The spirit soon gathered into a large phantom of a dragon and floated over one side of the large stadium. Dragons were known as the relatives of the arrogant gods and the giants, and the image of the brilliant dragon, composed of Dragon Fear, caused the humans to shudder in fear and freeze in place.

Naturally, spirits could not kill, but they exuded an enormous pressure on the mind. Similar to how prey acted in front of a ferocious predator, thousands of humans were suspended in place with instinctive fear and awe in front of the dragon’s spirit.

“Do not point your blade carelessly.”

Raven spoke in a low voice and skimmed through the knights who were surrounding him and the two girls.

“Hm…”

The knights were intimidated by Raven’s deep, blue gaze and they quickly sheathed their swords.

Woosh!

Then the spirit disappeared instantaneously.

“Ugh…!”

“Gua..gh….”

The crowd was finally freed from their physical and mental stranglehold. They let out gasps and came to their senses. But no one dared to speak or act hastily, and Raven’s voice pierced through the quaint silence.

“Are you ready to listen to some nonsense now?”

“Ugh….”

The general had spoiled his pants unknowingly, and he stepped back with a moan. Raven turned his eyes to Count Louvre.

“Are you ready to listen to me as well, High Lord of Alice?”

Count Louvre’s face had turned pale after the series of shocks, and he burst into laughter after throwing off his gold crown.

“Kuha! What do you want me to listen to? It doesn’t matter to me even if you are the true master of the Pendragon Duchy. Will you threaten me? With the power of your dragon, your family, and the prince? Then I will call for all the knights and soldiers of Alice and start a war with the Pendragon Duchy.” Count Louvre spoke in a sober voice while glaring at Raven.

But Raven stood steadfast and replied in a cold voice, “It was a fair match and the result of an honorable duel. Are you not willing to accept the results, and will you go as far as to start a war, High Lord of Alice?”

“…….”

Count Louvre shut his mouth, but his eyes retained the burning gaze. He himself was a knight of the empire, and he knew the weight of the duel. Moreover, the responsibilities as a territory’s High Lord did not weigh less than the grief of a father who lost his son.

“Even considering its nature as a duel, it’s another matter entirely to drive the heir to a great territory to death. The life of Alice territory’s successor is absolutely not mediocre!”

A knight plucked up their courage and spoke up. Other nobles nodded their heads or murmured words of agreement.

Raven glanced coldly towards the nobles. Half of them were nobles of the great territory of Alice or nobles who had a relationship with the territory. They were bound to be on the side of Alice.

“What if Morgan Louvre was an evil man who deserved his death? What if the events today were a matter of legitimate revenge?”

“What…?”

Count Louvre’s face distorted immediately.

“Do not insult my son!” Count Louvre shouted like a madman in an uncontrollable rage.

Boom!

Raven stamped his foot loudly. Count Louvre faltered, and Raven pressed on.

“Your son murdered innocent people! Including the son and daughter-in-law of Argos!”

“……!”

Count Louvre was about to hammer down with burning anger, then hesitated. Raven dealt the final blow with vigor in his voice, his loud voice resonating throughout the entire stadium.

“Listen, everybody! Morgan Louvre is a felon who terrorized and murdered innocent people, including the son of Argos’ and his wife! I already know that countless virgins have been sacrificed in his hands!”

Raven’s cry rained down as a great shock to the people of the stadium. The crowd burst into chatter with expressions of disbelief.

“W, what is he talking about?”

“His Grace Morgan really did that?”

“It did seem a little weird, that the black tiger was emitting such ferocious energy…”

“What are you talking about? It’s obviously a lie. Why would his Grace Morgan do such things? It’s not like he’s lacking anything.”

The people whispered in low voices, perhaps because of the intimidating display of the White Dragon’s spirit from just a short while ago.

Count Louvre went into a frenzy.

“Bullshit! Give me proof! How dare you…!”

“There is evidence!”

A thunderous cry shook Count Louvre’s eyes.

Raven walked without hesitation, keeping the eyes of the countless crowds fixated on him. The eyes of the people widened when they saw where Raven had stopped. It was the tent where Louis Slynne was being treated after receiving severe injuries. The figure of Louis was quite miserable, sweat covering his entire body. He was still unconscious.

“Raise him up.”

“A, wha…” The servants were at a loss at Raven’s words.

Raven slapped Louis on the cheek.

“Open your eyes, Louis Slynne.”

“Ug! Ugh…”

Louis barely managed to open his eyes. However, he gasped for breath and tears started to fall due to the intense pain he was experiencing through his entire body.

“W, what are you doing? He is seriously wounded… wha..”

The physician stepped forward in panic. But he backed off at Raven’s icy gaze.

Raven then spoke to Louis, “Last fall, in the woods north of Edgel. Do you remember what happened?”

“Kugh…. W, what…”

Louis stammered, not knowing that it was Raven who was standing in front of him.

“The young couple. You tied the man to a tree after cutting off his leg, and defiled his wife in front of him, didn’t you? Taking turns between you and Morgan.”

“Ugh….”

Louis trembled and looked up towards the icy blue eyes. The young man, who appeared as a weak brat only a few days ago, was now reprimanding him with an indescribable, dignified look.

‘W, what is going on…’

Besides, what was with the strange, frigid gaze?

Raven’s eyes carried the spirit of the White Dragon, and it penetrated Louis’ mind as if strangling his soul.

But Louis was still a knight of the Great Territory of Alice. He wasn’t sure how the brat had found out, but as soon as he admitted the truth, the entire Slynne family, including himself, would be incriminated.

“Ne, never. As a proud knight of Alice, I would never do such shameful…”

“Tell the truth. I already know that you’ve attacked, killed, and defiled travelers. I know that you killed other groups of nobles and defiled other women besides the son and daughter-in-law of Argos.”

“N, no! Kguh! W, what bullshit are you spouting! I have never…”

“Ryan Dawson! Where is Dawson, the knight of Verod territory, subordinate to the territory of Alice!”

Raven cut off Louis’ defense and shouted. The crowd began to roar, and a man who was sitting near the distinguished seats stood up.

The man seemed to be in his mid-40s and he had a dark, expressionless face. But those that were near him could see the trembling of his hands.

“Knight of Verod, Dawson! Two summers ago, were your daughters not defiled and murdered by Morgan Louvre and Louis Slynne?! And were you not recommended as the knight of Verod as remuneration for remaining silent!? Here, now! Confess in front of the High Lord of Alice!”

“Ugh….!”

How the hell did he know?

“Is that true, Sir Dawson?”

“Well, say something.”

The surrounding nobles urged Dawson.

“……..”

The quivering eyes alternated between Count Louvre, Louis, and Raven in turn. The expression of the High Lord was grotesque.

Ryan Dawson finally lowered his head at the blazing eyes of the High Lord, who was pressuring him silently, threatening him as someone who had nothing more to lose. Then, the faces of his youngest daughter, who was always cheery and bright, and his eldest daughter, who was supposed to have married into a well-off family this spring, passed before his eyes.

His two beautiful daughters had come back lifeless with their eyes wide open, their lower bodies covered in blood. That was when he noticed a silver button in his eldest daughter’s hand. A button engraved with the symbol of the High Lord’s family, something only the direct descendants of the Louvre family were allowed to wear. He felt as if the sky was crumbling down. He headed to the castle in Edgel, prepared to get his revenge even if it meant his own death. There, it was Louis Slynne who appeared before him.

Louis Slynne asked him. If he would die there and then for the sin of threatening and disrespecting the High Lord’s family, or if he would shut his mouth and become a knight of Verod.

That day, Ryan sold the lives of his two daughters. And today, one of the devils, who threatened him and killed his daughters, perished.

“I…. I, I…”

Ryan Dawson was unable to speak, all sorts of emotions and thoughts swirling in his mind.

Then, one person, one person who had a similar expression to Ryan Dawson met their gaze with Dawson. The old tiger was looking at him with a deep, gloomy expression even though he had just won the competition.

Ryan Dawson felt a stabbing pain in his chest as soon as he saw the gaze and the tragic smile hanging around the heavily wrinkled mouth. It was a bitter sorrow that only a father, a father who had unjustly lost his child, could know.

“Keughh!”

Ryan Dawson bit his lips hard to the point of bleeding, then shouted with a face full of deep tears.

“I swear to you with the honor of a knight and of a failed father! The words of His Grace Pendragon are all true!”

“W, what?”

Count Louvre, Louis, the nobles, as well as everyone else in the stadium, could not hide their shock. A knight of Alice was defending the words of Alan Pendragon, whom he had no relation with.

“My, my beloved daughters. Morgan Louvre killed them! After defiling them numerous times! My… my youngest daughter… my little Viola was only 15 years old… Kuha..! Kuhahahaha!”

Ryan burst out into crazed laughter, causing the crowd to be stunned even further. He then turned his gaze towards Count Louvre.

“Oh, esteemed High Lord! The words of His Grace Pendragon are all true! You are a wonderful lord, but the same was not true for your successor! Your son was the devil! He killed my daughters! He defiled them and killed them!”

“Ugh….”

Count Louvre was dismayed by the words of the knight, who had just been one of his numerous lowly subordinate knights until a moment ago.

“Kuhehe….That’s right, I’m a devil, too. I sold my daughters’ lives in exchange for becoming a knight…. Kuhe! Uehehe! Forgive your father! No, don’t forgive your father! Kuhahaha…..”

Raven looked at Ryan Dawson with a complicated expression as the knight sank to the ground while shedding tears.

He had heard about Ryan Dawson from Argos in the past. The knight had come in a drunken state to find Argos the night Argos was arrested and had his tongue cut off. Everyone else spat at him and cursed him, but the knight named Ryan Dawson had thanked him with a red-face and in a drunken state.

He thanked Argos for partially avenging his daughters, and he cried in front of Argos while telling the story about his daughters. While telling Raven the story, Argos had laughed and said that the knight named Ryan Dawson would complete his revenge in his stead. Thus, when Raven had pretended to head towards the distinguished seats while drawing Morgan’s attention, he had also asked around the nearby nobles and the soldiers if a man named Ryan Dawson was present.

After hearing the responses of several people, Raven was completely convinced that the plan was about to become even more perfect.

So, he laughed while looking at Morgan. Of course, Morgan seemed to have interpreted the laugh in a different way.

“Kuhehehe! Kuhaaa…Ughgh..!”

“……”

People couldn’t find a word to say when the knight began to cry while banging his chest, after laughing frantically. But one thing was for certain. The words of Alan Pendragon were all true.

“His Grace Morgan… was such a wicked man?”

“His Grace my ass. He’s the devil disguised as a man!”

“N, now that I think about it, weren’t there quite a few cases over the years where women and travelers were attacked and killed in the woods?

“That’s right! Our village miller’s daughter-in-law and daughter died that way three years ago. Don’t tell me….”

A murmur of anger and suspicion began to grow among the common people like a wildfire. And the reverberation spread to the nobles of Alice, as well as other high-ranking nobles from other territories.

“Excuse me. I, Iron Elven, the Governor-General of Edenfield and loyal sword of the emperor, dare ask. Your Grace Pendragon, and Argos. Could you testify about everything you have said thus far, including today’s events, in front of the emperor? That your words do not contain a single lie?”

“L, Lord Elven!” Count Louvre cried out.

Governor-General of Edenfield, Viscount Elven was the highest-ranking noble present, excluding himself.

“…..”

But the Elven family had served the empire for generations in the imperial city, so he did not budge an inch at Count Louvre’s words. Unlike most of the others here, he had little connection with Count Louvre and had come to Edgel due to a simple invitation. In addition, the veteran noble spent decades in the political arena of the imperial city, where ferocious wolves and tigers roamed. He already noticed that the tide had turned to Alan Pendragon.

And… Raven guessed the circumstances from hearing Elven’s question and responded in a dignified yet courteous manner.

“I can swear on the honor of the Pendragon Duchy and on the name of the White Dragon, Lord Elven. Once again, I swear that everything I have said is true. Also, I intend to request the emperor to look into this situation as soon as I arrive in the imperial castle.”

“Hmm!”

The nobles’ expressions changed at Raven’s words, including Elven. At this moment, Alan Pendragon took control of the situation, and also grasped the legitimacy and the cause of the situation.

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