Grandfather Laughed
The Grand Duke was momentarily speechless. But he quickly steadied his breathing. He forced his expression to calm.
"You're spouting sophistry."
The Grand Duke didn't directly counter the justification Kyle had put forward. When those in power were losing the logical argument, they had only one simple recourse: forcibly twisting the conversation to a topic where they held the advantage.
"Whether there was an act of high treason hasn't even been investigated yet."
The Grand Duke's voice sank heavily.
"But the fact that you ripped off an unarmed servant's arm and smashed the faces of a family knight and the head chef is an undeniable truth that just happened moments ago."
Once more, a heavy pressure crushed down on the office.
"You're the one who disrupted the family's discipline and order," the Grand Duke said coldly. "Before holding the lowly ones accountable, it's the duty of the family head to first address your responsibility for imposing cruel private sanctions solely because of blood ties."
Kyle sneered inwardly. Just as expected.
A shallow pretext of conducting an investigation later. Using that to buy time, while binding Kyle in the meantime so he couldn't resist at all. That was the scheme.
The Grand Duke raised his hand. And declared firmly.
"A formal investigation will proceed through the knight order."
His eyes sank coldly.
"But until the results come out, you're under forced confinement."
The Grand Duke continued.
"As of today, your quarters are fully sealed off, and without my permission, you're forbidden from taking even a single step outside."
It was practically house arrest.
At that declaration, a faint relief and sneer spread across Derek's pale face behind him. The Grand Duke also showed subtle signs of relief inwardly. Locking the uncontrollable wastrel eldest son in his room like this. Then, the succession preparations for his second son, Karon, could proceed without interference. That was his judgment.
It was right at that moment.
Creaaak—
The heavy oak door of the office burst open roughly. No servant's announcement. No knight's report. The only one bold enough to fling open the Grand Duke's office so rudely. In all the northern territories, there was just one such person.
"Heard a damn entertaining story from outside."
A thick voice laced with a gravelly rasp. The one striding in was an old man with a full head of white hair. But the word "old man" fell woefully short of capturing his appearance. A massive frame like a giant grizzly bear. Scars wrapping his entire body. Fierce beast-like eyes flashing through his wrinkled face. The former Grand Duke. Balgrim Hartvalt.
He had pioneered the barren northern tundra with his bare hands. Slew countless monsters and barbarians. The living legend who laid the foundation of House Hartvalt.
"Kuhahaha. A real gut-buster of a story."
Former Grand Duke Balgrim chuckled with a throat-scratching rasp.
The oppressive presence of Grand Duke Roderick that had weighed down the office until moments ago melted away like spring snow before Balgrim's savage aura.
The Grand Duke panicked at his father's unexpected arrival. He hurriedly rose from his seat.
"F-Father. What brings you here so suddenly?"
But the former Grand Duke didn't even glance at his son Roderick, who was offering greetings. His gaze fixed on one person alone. His grandson standing tall in blood-soaked shoes. Kyle Hartvalt.
Balgrim stroked his chin beard with interest. Then abruptly questioned Kyle.
"You said some lowly scum spat in your food?"
A direct, no-nonsense query.
"If we search your room now, that evidence would turn up for sure, right?"
Kyle shrugged off the overwhelming presence his grandfather was exuding. And answered calmly.
"I left that filthy hunk of meat on my room floor, so go check it out right now and it'll be obvious."
At that response, the former Grand Duke's lips twisted up in a grotesque grin.
"Good."
Balgrim laughed.
"Then one more question."
His eyes flashed.
"If your old man tries to sweep away that hunk of meat for the family's reputation and erase the evidence entirely, what're you gonna do?"
The Grand Duke's shoulders twitched. His father had openly exposed the secret plan he'd harbored inwardly.
The gazes of the Grand Duke and Derek simultaneously turned to Kyle's lips.
Kyle shrugged.
And answered indifferently.
"Nothing I can do about it."
It was far too compliant an admission.
"If His Excellency the Grand Duke, lord of the territory, says there's no evidence, what can a powerless heir like me do to argue?"
Derek inwardly cheered. The Grand Duke swallowed a sigh of relief. No matter how wildly the madman raged, he'd have to tuck tail before the family head's authority. That's what he thought.
But the next words from Kyle's lips shattered their shallow relief to pieces.
"Instead."
Kyle smiled.
"I'm just worried that the kitchen chief bastard who spat in my food is gonna meet some unfortunate accident one day, out of nowhere."
A playful tone.
"Ah, no matter who it's because of, what a tragic thing, right?"
But the content was utterly chilling. A murder threat. If power buried the truth, he'd settle it with covert personal slaughter. It was no different from such a declaration.
Silence fell.
In that silence, Former Grand Duke Balgrim's shoulders began to shake.
"Kuhahahahaha!"
A hearty burst of laughter exploded. A laugh that seemed to rattle the windows. The former Grand Duke clutched his belly laughing. Then he looked at Kyle.
"Good. Damn good!"
Balgrim's eyes gleamed ferociously.
"Not those disgusting, rotten mackerel eyes from before."
He grinned in satisfaction.
"Now you've got the eyes of a real predator, brimming with killing intent!"
At Balgrim's praise, the Grand Duke and Derek's faces stiffened rigidly. The former Grand Duke rejoicing at the wastrel's horrific murder threat. That reaction boded ill. If he took the wastrel's side, the succession would be in jeopardy.
Having reined in his laughter, the former Grand Duke turned to the frozen Grand Duke.
"Roderick."
"Yes, Father."
"Sweep this incident under the rug."
At that order, the Grand Duke panicked. But he also felt deep relief inwardly. He mistakenly thought the former Grand Duke was concerned about the blemish on the family, just like him. Saving the family head's face. Covering up Kyle's rampage.
"Understood, Father."
The Grand Duke bowed his head.
The former Grand Duke snorted derisively. And looked back at Kyle.
"But your way of handling things is right a hundred, a thousand times over."
Balgrim's voice boomed through the office.
"A mad dog that bites its master gets butchered on the spot. That's the northern way."
His gaze flicked to Roderick.
"If Hartvalt blood endures mockery from the lowly and meekly waits for some knight order investigation."
Balgrim sneered.
"That would be the real shame of the North."
The former Grand Duke openly mocked the Grand Duke's petty politicking. And justified Kyle's violence.
Derek's complexion turned ashen.
But the former Grand Duke's eyes soon sharpened fiercely.
"Just one thing I'll ask."
A heavy presence crushed down on Kyle's entire body.
"Do you have the strength to see that policy through to the end?"
The air grew thick.
The former Grand Duke's voice rumbled low.
"Anyone can spout pretty words and justifications."
Balgrim's eyes flashed.
"But if you're truly the eldest son inheriting Hartvalt blood, you'll have to prove that declaration with the power called force."
Prove it with strength.
It was the wisest means for Kyle. The law of the jungle where only the strong survive and rule.
Kyle flashed a predatory smile. And met the former Grand Duke's gaze.
"One month."
Kyle held up a single finger.
"One month is plenty."
He demanded calmly.
"Don't lock me in my room for that month. Give me the minimum treatment and support befitting the eldest son of House Hartvalt."
At that bold demand, the Grand Duke listening beside him couldn't hide his displeasure. He finally interjected.
"Support, you say."
The Grand Duke said coldly.
"You want me to hand over the family's precious elixirs to a fool who can't even wield a sword properly?"
Contempt laced his voice.
"Or are you scheming for a high-level swordmaster tutor?"
A obvious ploy from the emboldened wastrel backed by his father. That's how the Grand Duke saw it.
But Kyle let out a scoffing laugh.
"I don't need some sword tutor."
Kyle said.
"There aren't any worth teaching me anyway."
The Grand Duke's eyebrow twitched.
Kyle continued nonchalantly.
"I'll gratefully take any elixirs you give, but what I really need isn't that cheap crap."
"Then what the hell do you want?"
Kyle's blood-red eyes gleamed.
"An environment where I can fight."
The air in the office froze oddly.
Kyle continued calmly.
"The servant whose arm I tore off and the knight whose jaw I smashed."
His lips curled up.
"There'll be plenty of knights with ties to them, or who've hated me in this mansion from before."
Kyle smiled.
"Set up the stage so those bastards can come at me with swords anytime."
And he added.
"Oh, but spare me the Sword Masters."
Kyle wagged a finger.
"Ideally, limit it to mid-level knights max."
To anyone else, it sounded insane. Mid-level knights. They were proper knights who handled aura. To take their wrath bare-handed.
Derek was convinced Kyle had finally lost his mind completely.
Kyle didn't care.
"In return."
He said.
"Just guarantee the bare minimum to recover my body after fighting those bastards."
Kyle's demand was bizarre. Not protection or power. Not even a stay of punishment. He was asking for enemies to fight.
"Kuhahahahaha!"
At those words, Former Grand Duke Balgrim couldn't hold back and burst into laughter again. Not protection, but enemies. Not power, but battle. That answer set his retired heart pounding madly.
Balgrim rummaged in his bosom. And tossed a small vial of elixir shimmering with a dull light to Kyle.
"Take it."
The vial flew through the air. Kyle caught it effortlessly.
Balgrim said.
"It's a crude low-grade elixir barely worth calling emergency medicine to me, but it'll be damn useful for filling up your empty aura."
Kyle looked down at the vial in his hand.
"A gift from your granddad."
Balgrim's voice lowered.
"And a warning at the same time."
His eyes blazed fiercely.
"If you betray my expectations in a month and turn into a crawling worm."
A murderous pressure crushed the office.
"I'll rip off your limbs myself, just like you did to that servant."
A savage threat.
But Kyle smirked, clutching the elixir vial. Not a trace of fear.
This was all natural order. His grandfather's brutal condition. To Kyle, it was the most obvious deal.
"Got it."
Kyle smiled.
"No need to worry—my limbs won't get torn off."
"Good!"
Balgrim nodded in satisfaction.
"Hope that confidence holds!"
Kyle's unhesitating response satisfied the former Grand Duke even more.
Balgrim commanded the Grand Duke.
"You hear that, Roderick?"
"Yes, Father."
"Don't confine this one starting today."
At that, the Grand Duke's face hardened.
But Balgrim didn't stop.
"First, give him time for training for a week!"
"F-Father?"
He ignored the Grand Duke's confusion.
Balgrim continued.
"Support him doing whatever he wants for that week."
And he twisted his lips.
"But from a week later, open the knight order's training arena."
His voice boomed through the office.
"Any knight with a grudge against him can formally challenge him to a duel. Set up the stage."
"Duels?"
The Grand Duke panicked.
"No, even if he's a wastrel, that's…."
The Grand Duke hesitated.
Balgrim's words meant tossing Kyle to the knights. Any who hated him could challenge legally. Beat him legally. Wound him legally. It sounded like turning him into a sandbag.
The Grand Duke didn't love Kyle. But wastrel or not, he was the eldest son of House Hartvalt. Handling him like that would tarnish the family's face.
"My word is the law of the North!"
But the Grand Duke's objection was crushed by the former Grand Duke's thunderous roar.
The Grand Duke bit his lip. Swallowed his discontent.
'Oh! So the wastrel's ended up in an even worse spot?'
Derek feigned surprise outwardly. But inwardly, he cheered.
An incompetent wastrel who couldn't even form aura properly. Facing challenges from bloodthirsty proper knights. No doubt he'd be bawling in tears before a few days passed, let alone a month. Far harsher punishment than locking him away.
"I'm off."
Balgrim turned.
"Remember."
His gaze turned to Roderick.
And he warned coldly.
"Pull any funny business, and I won't stay quiet!"
With that, Balgrim left the office first.
The heavy presence receded.
Only a weighty silence remained in the office.
Kyle toyed with the elixir vial in his hand. And gave a slight bow to the Grand Duke.
"Then I'll take my leave."
"…Yeah, get out."
The Grand Duke's voice dripped displeasure.
Kyle walked out of the office slowly, ignoring the glare.
The elixir vial shook in his hand.
A predatory smile spread across Kyle's lips as he walked the corridor.
'Legal hostility from all those knights toward the heir. The hyenas will come swarming.'