The Silence of Blue
Silence descended upon the training arena. The knights who had supported Karon looked particularly pale. The structure of loyalty they had taken for granted—the act of aligning themselves with Karon in anticipation of his succession—had all been defined by the former Grand Duke as treason and a collapse of discipline.
'Insane.'
'I have to keep my mouth shut.'
Not one of the hundreds of knights filling the spectator stands dared to speak. Even those who had been quick to invoke the "honor of a knight" were nowhere to be found. Kyle watched the pathetic state of these knights and twisted his lips into a sneer.
'What a sight to behold. A group of hypocrites who follow a hypocrite, all shutting their traps at once.'
Just moments ago, these were the same men whose eyes had rolled back in rage, ready to tear him to shreds. When Baren Kreuz’s head had gone flying, they were the ones shouting about the rules of the duel and the prohibition against murder. But the moment Balgrim spoke, their tongues had frozen. Kyle found the silence amusing.
'So, these are the followers of a romance fantasy male lead, huh?'
In the original novel, from the memories of his previous life, even the behavior of these knights had been portrayed quite romantically. Karon Hartvalt. A man recognized by countless knights even before he was officially declared the successor. A male lead who, despite the disadvantageous position of being the second son of the Grand Duchy, gathered people through sheer skill and character.
The loyal knights who had been with him since before he became Grand Duke. The original story had packaged it beautifully. Trust forged in hardship. The foresight to recognize the next Grand Duke early. The loyalty of those who stood by their lord before he ascended the throne. It sounded quite plausible when dressed in such flowery prose.
But reality was different. Karon was not yet the Grand Duke. He was not even the official successor. He was merely the second son of the Grand Duchy. Yet, the knights of the Hartvalt family were pledging their loyalty to Karon as an individual, not to the Grand Duchy itself. While receiving the Grand Duchy’s salary. Wearing the Grand Duchy’s uniform. Carrying the Grand Duchy’s sword. Enjoying authority in the name of the Grand Duchy.
'And yet, they do this.'
Their true loyalty lay with Karon alone. 'In the Joseon Dynasty, they’d be no different from the cronies of Grand Prince Suyang.'
In reality, they were nothing more than the seeds of treason. Evidence that the family’s military power was rotting from within. If dressed in romance fantasy prose, it was a romantic epic of loyalty. But peel back the skin, and they were nothing more than a swarm of parasites clinging to a successor candidate.
Kyle slowly scanned the knight brigade’s seating area. Every time his gaze touched them, several knights flinched. Some glared with rage. Others avoided his eyes, paralyzed by fear. There were even a few with vacant, stupid expressions, not yet fully grasping what had happened. Kyle raised his blood-stained sword tip toward them.
"Why is everyone so quiet?" His voice echoed through the arena. "Just a moment ago, you were acting like you’d tear me apart."
The knights’ faces stiffened. Kyle chuckled.
"Scared?"
"Young Master!" A young knight, unable to suppress his anger, tried to jump to his feet. But a middle-aged knight beside him grabbed his shoulder. The young knight gritted his teeth, but he could not rise further. Seeing this, Kyle’s smile deepened.
"Good." He rested his sword on his shoulder. "I’ll accept challenges every single day for the next three weeks."
The arena buzzed again.
"This is only the first day."
Kyle tapped the floor lightly with a blood-stained finger.
"I was given one month. I spent a week training, so there are still twenty-three days left."
His eyes swept across the knight brigades.
"Whether you’re Karon’s dog or whatever, I won’t know your true colors unless you reveal them yourself. So, unless you announce yourself as a traitor like that Baren fellow, I won’t know. It doesn’t matter which one of you it is."
Kyle laughed. "Anyone who wants to challenge me, step forward. I’ll take you on, regardless of where your loyalty lies."
It was a blatant provocation. But this time, the knights could not easily explode into rage. The shock of Baren’s death was still fresh. Kyle watched their silence and mocked them inwardly. 'So much for their legendary loyalty; they’re all tight-lipped now.'
Watching this from one side of the arena, Leina Garo'en lowered her eyes in silence. Loyalty. The word lingered strangely in her ears. Leina was not loyal to Karon. She hadn’t aligned herself with him in anticipation of him becoming the next Grand Duke.
Whoever became the successor of the Hartvalt family, she considered it a matter outside her concern. She was a knight of the Hartvalt Grand Duchy. Therefore, the object of her loyalty was the Hartvalt Grand Duchy. And the Grand Duke who currently represented that family. That was all.
But the reality revealed in the arena today was different. The Golden Lion Knight Brigade. The Red Griffin Knight Brigade. The Blue Tiger Knight Brigade. The White Dragon Knight Brigade. The various knight brigades that represented the Hartvalt Grand Duchy. On the surface, they all claimed to be the sword of the Grand Duchy.
They called themselves the shield of the North. They lived with honor and loyalty on their lips. But inside, they were already fractured in many directions. Those who followed Karon. Those who had aligned themselves with Karon’s mother, Grand Duchess Enora. Those who tried to maintain relationships with the family elders. And those who couldn’t mix with any of them.
Leina was closer to the latter. She had always been on the periphery simply because she was a woman. Even when evaluated as excellent, she was excluded from important operations. Even when she achieved merit, all she received was light praise. Her promotions were delayed, and no authority was granted to her.
Her name was on the roster of the Golden Lion Knight Brigade, but in reality, she was always alone. It was the same in other brigades. The Red Griffin. The Blue Tiger. The White Dragon. None of the brigades accepted her as a colleague. They saw her as a woman before they saw her as a knight.
As she was pushed into a corner, there were always those who approached her. Those who said they would open a path for her if she got close to them. Those who said they would recommend her for a high-ranking position if she were only obedient to them.
Those who said they would put in a good word with the Grand Duchess. Those who said they would arrange an opportunity for her to look good to Young Master Karon. All of it was disgusting. Leina had rejected every one of those advances.
The result was that she was treated like a janitor. A monitor for the good-for-nothing Young Master. A training assistant in name, but in reality, a humiliating janitorial and surveillance assignment. That was how she had drifted to this point.
But now. That good-for-nothing had said it. That a knight of the Hartvalt Grand Duchy must be loyal to the Hartvalt Grand Duchy. It was such an obvious statement. It was such a fundamental statement. But Kyle was the one who had properly brought up that obvious truth in this arena. And the former Grand Duke, Balgrim Hartvalt, had supported him.
Leina looked at Kyle. His blood-soaked left arm. The sword wound on his side. His eyes, which did not hide his killing intent. His attitude, which did not waver even after cutting Baren’s throat. A disgusting good-for-nothing. That perception had not yet vanished. She had not forgotten the base words and hands he had once directed at her. That disgust was not something that could easily disappear.
However. The voice he had used just a moment ago was strange. It felt as if he possessed some kind of philosophy, some kind of conviction. He didn’t seem like a mere good-for-nothing. What was it that Kyle was pursuing? Was he really just a mad, good-for-nothing? Or was there something else? She wanted to find out.
Leina’s gaze settled quietly. 'I will watch,' she thought to herself. 'And I will definitely challenge him.' Thinking this, she gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. She would not face Kyle while he was injured as he was now, but when he had fully recovered.
Meanwhile, on the upper dais, another gaze was directed at Kyle. Leon Hartvalt. The third son of the Grand Duchy, he was glaring at Kyle, gritting his teeth. His young face was filled with undisguised displeasure.
'Damn it, that guy, despite being a good-for-nothing...'
He had dared to receive praise from his grandfather, who was called the Great Grand Duke. That fact pricked Leon’s pride. To him, Kyle had always been a being he could look down upon. Trash who only possessed the bloodline of being the eldest son of the Grand Duchy.
Filth that hindered the path of his older brother Karon. A failure who was less than himself. Such a being was now standing at the center of the training arena. Making the knights shut their mouths. Making even Grand Duke Roderick unable to speak freely. Receiving the attention of the former Grand Duke, Balgrim. That made Leon uncomfortable.
But there was something he was missing. Kyle didn’t look grateful to Balgrim. He didn’t bow his head because he had been praised. He didn’t look for approval. Balgrim, too, didn’t look like he wanted anything from Kyle. He didn’t act like a grandfather doting on his grandson.
There was a wager between the two that was not yet over. Kyle had not yet proven himself. Balgrim had not yet acknowledged him. They were simply feeling interest in one another. But the very fact that Balgrim’s attention was directed at him was a humiliation to Leon.
Meanwhile, Roderick Hartvalt was gripping his armrest as if to crush it. His eyes were fixed on Kyle. Anger and disgust. And an indelible anxiety. Kyle’s actions were shaking the order of the Grand Duchy. He had exposed the loyalty structure of the knight brigades. By doing so, he had made support for Karon smell like treason. What that good-for-nothing was doing was not a mere disturbance. He was cleverly utilizing the truth.
Roderick ground his teeth. 'I cannot leave him like this. If I continue to allow public duels, things will get out of hand.' In a place where knights, soldiers, elders, and relatives were all watching, Kyle would continue to create narratives. Roderick opened his mouth coldly.
"From now on, duels will not be open to the public."
The arena buzzed at those words. Kyle’s gaze rose toward Roderick. Balgrim watched Roderick without a word. Roderick continued in a voice that suppressed his emotions.
"Through today’s commotion, I have sufficiently confirmed your skill. Future duels will be conducted under the supervision of a referee, with only necessary personnel in attendance."
It was a plausible statement. There was a justification. But the intent was clear. He was trying to prevent Kyle from exposing the flaws of the knight brigades and the Grand Duchy on a public stage any longer.
That was when it happened.
"That referee. I will take on that role."
A low, heavy voice that even felt somewhat solid reached them. An old man slowly rose from among the elder knights. Gray hair mixed with white. An old scar crossing one eye. Even though it had been over five years since he retired, his back was straight, as if he had continued his training diligently.
"My god."
"Sir Graham?"
Several knights in the arena held their breath. Kyle recalled who he was. 'It was Graham Berk.' He was one of the legendary elders of the Grand Duchy, one of the three swords and confidants of Balgrim during his active years.
"Sir Graham?"
Even Roderick was slightly surprised, as if he hadn’t expected it, as Graham spoke.
"Yes. I will take it. However, before I take on the role of referee, there is one thing that seems to need pointing out."
Roderick’s eyebrows twitched. "What do you mean, Sir Graham?"
At Roderick’s words, Graham quietly raised his hand and pointed to Roderick’s side. "Young Master Leon over there seems to have quite a lot of dissatisfaction."
Leon’s face turned deathly pale.