Chapter 31: Breaking the Covenant (2)
The royal palace of the Daon Kingdom.
A cold, tense atmosphere lingered there.
“‘Kyle Ragnar has entered the Royal Capital’ you say…… Then why wasn’t he brought into the palace imdiately?”
The King Clover asked while glaring at Commander Deyra.
He had given the order to bring Kyle into the palace the mont he arrived in the Royal Capital, yet for so reason Commander Deyra had failed to carry out the mission properly.
“He said that Your Majesty, in your benevolence, would never deny him ti to recover from travel fatigue…… so I could not bring myself to forcefully bring him.”
“Kyle Ragnar used the word ‘benevolent’ to describe ?”
“I heard it clearly with my own ears.”
As Commander Deyra bowed his head and spoke, the King Clover’s expression finally softened.
“Hoho, it seems his temperant has llowed quite a bit over the past fifteen years.”
“If you give the order, I will bring Kyle Ragnar into the palace at once.”
“That’s enough. There is no problem if his entry is delayed by a day. He should be given ti to recover from his fatigue.”
The corners of the King Clover’s lips curled upward.
Since he had referred to him as a benevolent monarch, the King was certain that Ragnar would bow his head upon entering.
“Inform all the ministers. Tell them to gather in the Great Hall tomorrow morning. Shouldn’t we witness the historic mont when Ragnar bows his head to the royal family?”
“I will convey it as such.”
Commander Deyra bowed and withdrew from his seat.
Soon after, the King Clover let out a pleased chuckle and sat alone in the Great Hall, indulging in his imagination.
‘I should retrieve the covenant docunt from the royal treasury first.’
The covenant docunt created through a special technique by the Founding King and the first Head of the Ragnar Family.
There was much to prepare in order to revise the contents of that covenant.
The King Clover raised his voice and summoned the Chief Chamberlain outside.
“Hey. Send letters ordering the Mage Tower Lords to enter the palace. We will need their help to revise the contents of the covenant docunt.”
Though it did not possess a Master, the Daon Kingdom had higher-quality mages than other kingdoms.
Five Mage Towers, and their respective leaders—the Mage Tower Lords—were 6-circle mages who had reached the ranks of archmages.
However, compared to the power of the Tylers Empire, even those mages possessed only middling skill.
Only at around the 7-circle level were they evaluated as being comparable to a Master.
In the end, it ant that neither knights nor mages of Master rank existed in the Daon Kingdom.
But from tomorrow onward, the story would change.
With the Ragnar Family coming beneath the heel of the royal family, it was only a matter of ti before the kingdom’s power was reinforced.
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
“I am looking forward to tomorrow. I will finally see Ragnar bow his head to the royal family.”
After the Chief Chamberlain withdrew, the King Clover clenched his fist tightly.
He was exhilarated by the thought that he could achieve a feat no king in history had ever accomplished.
At the sa ti, he dread of rewriting the covenant docunt entirely to his own liking.
Thus, the King Clover remained in the Great Hall all night, unable to sleep.
He waited endlessly, anticipating the sight of Kyle Ragnar bowing his head when morning ca.
And when dawn broke, the doors of the Great Hall opened, and the ministers appeared one by one.
Following the King Clover’s command, the ministers who had entered the palace early in the morning stood in two lines and waited for Kyle to arrive.
Not long after, Commander Deyra entered the Great Hall with confidence and bowed his head.
“News has arrived that Kyle Ragnar has just passed through the main gate of the royal palace.”
“He keeps his promises well. Ministers, hear !”
The worry that Kyle might not co early in the morning lted away like snow.
The King Clover rose from the Throne, looked at the ministers, and spoke with authority.
“Give your orders.”
“The Ragnar Family will finally bow its head as vassals of the royal family. Today is a aningful day on which I, Clover Daon, will accomplish what no one has achieved in two hundred years. When everything is finished, prepare a banquet and hold an event to commorate this day.”
As he spoke with his arms spread wide, the royalist nobles revealed expressions of rapture.
On the other hand, the faces of the faction of opposing nobles standing across from them turned ashen.
At present, the only ans of restraining royal authority was the Ragnar Family alone.
But if the Ragnar Family bowed its head, the foundations of the Daon Kingdom could be shaken by the King’s unilateral rule.
As the reactions of the two sides diverged sharply—
‘The King is getting ahead of himself.’
There was soone who had entered the palace and was observing the situation, the only noble with territory in the north.
The Viscount Rak, lord of the most affluent and comrcially developed city in the north, let out a scoff.
Originally, he had no intention of entering the palace, but at Pramo’s request, he had hurried to the Royal Capital yesterday.
‘He said Ragnar would never bow his head. The Head of the Family is not soone who would ever speak falsehoods.’
He was a thirty-three-year-old man with gentle eyes and blue irises.
With a sharp jawline and a sturdy build, he was also a lord who was no weakling in martial prowess.
Clenching his fist tightly, determination was evident on Viscount Rak’s face as he stared at the entrance of the Great Hall.
At that mont, a chamberlain guarding the entrance of the Great Hall opened his mouth.
“Kyle Ragnar requests an audience with His Majesty the King.”
“Let him enter!”
With the King Clover’s permission granted, Kyle—dressed neatly—and Seros, wearing a sword, appeared in the Great Hall.
At that sight, the ministers’ eyes widened.
Except for the Royal Knight Order, no one was allowed to enter the Great Hall while carrying weapons, yet Seros entered boldly with his sword worn at his side.
Kyle, who could not possibly be unaware of that fact, wore an indifferent expression.
“It has been a long ti, King.”
As Kyle stood before the King Clover and spoke, the expressions of the ministers twisted.
The sa was true for the King Clover.
“What is the aning of this rudeness!”
“Isn’t it the King who is being rude right now?”
“What did you say?”
“You should at least be grateful that I am still using honorifics.”
“Kyle Ragnar!”
The King Clover sprang up from his seat at Kyle’s flat tone.
Even then, there was no change whatsoever in Kyle’s expression.
He had even stopped using honorifics toward the King now.
“You have done quite a lot while I was away from the family. Instead of providing support, you even raised the tax rate on the northern territories to try to isolate Ragnar.”
“You’ve gone mad!”
“Could I not go mad? You looked down on Ragnar.”
At Kyle’s behavior of pouring out words the mont he faced the King Clover, the royalist ministers were unable to regain their composure.
Because the King Clover had shown such confidence, they had naturally believed the negotiations would end successfully.
However, due to Kyle’s uncooperative attitude, a sense of unease began to sprout in a corner of the ministers’ hearts.
At last, the King Clover could no longer contain his anger and pointed at Kyle.
“What are the Royal Knight Order doing! Arrest Kyle Ragnar at once for daring to utter reckless words to the Ruler who governs this country!”
“Do not forget that the covenant is still valid.”
The first clause of the covenant docunt.
The Daon Family and the Ragnar Family shall not be hostile toward one another.
This was the most important pact, and as long as the pact docunt existed, neither the king nor Kyle could point their swords at each other.
Kyle, who had been looking at the box placed atop King Clover’s knees, sneered at him.
“Why? Did you think I would bow my head and accept all of your demands?”
“Kyle Ragnar! What on earth are you thinking, spouting such nonsense!”
“I only ca to reestablish a new relationship.”
“Are you thinking of declaring independence from the Daon Kingdom!”
“Shouting won’t change anything.”
“You insolent wretch!”
At the sight of King Clover shouting at the top of his lungs, Kyle picked at his ear with a finger.
‘Idiots like that never understand through words alone.’
There was no aning in arguing verbally.
Trying to persuade soone thoroughly wrapped up in a sense of authority with words was a foolish act.
Actions taken through force, not words, were far more effective.
Kyle turned his head and issued an order in a low voice.
“Seros, bring the pact docunt.”
“I’ll be right back.”
As Seros began to move, King Clover flushed red and shouted toward the Royal Knight Order.
“Execute that man on the spot and force Kyle Ragnar to kneel before !”
At King Clover’s shout, the Royal Knight Order surged forward.
Seeing that, the ministers, seemingly unwilling to be dragged into a battle for no reason, scread in fright and ran toward the walls.
anwhile, Seros drew the sword worn at his waist, showing a dumbfounded expression as he looked at King Clover.
“Who’s executing whom?”
Shock soon spread across the face of Commander Deira, who had been standing before the king.
A distinct black light.
It was undoubtedly a Blade, said to be the exclusive domain of a Master.
If the knights were to rush at Seros like this, the outco was obvious without even watching.
Commander Deira urgently gave orders to the knights.
“Stop! Knights, fall back!”
Seeing the knights’ hesitation, Seros showed a dissatisfied expression.
“You were so spirited a mont ago. If a knight draws his sword, he should charge in boldly. Isn’t that right?”
“…….”
The knights remained silent, unable to respond at all.
Having lost interest in them, Seros soon turned his gaze to Commander Deira and slowly approached.
“With the kingdom’s top knight being this pathetic, it’s no wonder the kingdom is in this sorry state.”
“Do not insult my country!”
“Look at your level. What good is stuffing yourself with every elixir under the sun? Your vessel is utterly lacking.”
Crunch—
Commander Deira ground his teeth at Seros’s words, but he could not offer any real rebuttal.
Because what he said was true.
In his youth, Commander Deira had absorbed all manner of elixirs, yet in the end he failed to reach the rank of Master.
No, to be honest, even among Exford Upper Level knights, he was at the very bottom.
Even so, as the commander of the Royal Knight Order tasked with protecting the king, he could not retreat.
“……I will face you.”
“Do you think you’re capable of that?”
It bordered on arrogance, but Seros had every right to say it.
He had already reached the realm of Master, and moreover, he was a powerful warrior who had survived countless victories against other Masters.
With the exception of a single person.
‘It’s only because he’s my lord that he can treat
like this.’
Only Kyle could find fault with Seros or issue him orders.
An absolute powerhouse revered by all the knights of the Tylers Empire under the na Ian Kailers.
Even if he had now returned to Ragnar while hiding his identity, that truth had not changed.
While Seros was briefly lost in such stray thoughts, Commander Deira pointed his sword at him.
Snapping back to his senses at the sight, Seros let out a scoff and moved again.
Seros vanished like a ghost and in the next mont appeared behind Commander Deira.
“Tsk, tsk. You can’t even keep up with my speed, yet you talk about facing soone…….”
Before Commander Deira could even turn around, Seros kicked his back.
Commander Deira was sent flying straight toward where Kyle was standing.
Kyle then caught the flying Commander Deira by the neck with one hand.
“The Zaira Family took the lead and was the most aggressive in isolating Ragnar, wasn’t it? It wouldn’t be bad to make an example of you.”
“Kuhk!”
Seeing his son’s neck being gripped, Duke Zaira, who was pressed against the wall, went berserk and tried to rush forward.
However, the ministers grabbed Duke Zaira’s arms and legs, desperately holding him back.
In the anti, Kyle spoke quietly to Commander Deira.
“Don’t make this troubleso. Just go to sleep for a while.”
Kyle then released Commander Deira’s neck and struck his abdon.
Deira collapsed forward, having lost consciousness.
‘Interesting. With this level of ability, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to acquire power on par with a Master.’
Talent: Swordsmanship A-grade
Potential: Swordsmanship A-grade, Mana Sensitivity S-grade, Magic S-grade
Unawakened Ability: Essence of the Magic Swordsman SS-grade
Kyle smiled broadly after grasping Commander Deira’s abilities the mont he seized his neck.
He instantly realized why Deira had ended up as such an awkwardly placed knight.
However, to others, it only looked as though Commander Deira had been defeated, and King Clover showed a flustered expression.
“K-Knight Commander!”
Seros ignored King Clover’s almost screaming cry and headed straight for the Throne.
He snatched the box that King Clover had been holding so dearly in his arms and then approached Kyle.
“My lord, I have brought the pact docunt.”
The mont Kyle received the box from Seros, he felt countless presences rushing toward the Great Hall.
Kyle stared at the entrance to the Great Hall and issued an order.
“Do not let anyone enter the Great Hall.”
“I will make sure not even an ant gets through.”
As Seros strode confidently toward the entrance of the Great Hall, the knights, sensing the gap in power, recoiled in terror and stepped back.
Thanks to them parting like the sea, Seros reached the doors without exerting much effort.
While Seros blocked the doors of the Great Hall, Kyle took the pact docunt out of the box.
Seeing Kyle, King Clover distorted his face and shouted.
“What are you trying to do!”
“Ever since no Successor of the Frostfire erged from the Ragnar Family, the Daon Family has repeatedly used this pact docunt to threaten us.”
There was only one way to break the pact.
The first Head of the Ragnar Family had created a chanism that allowed his descendants to escape the pact.
But even he would not have known.
That the Frostfire would fail to be passed down for a hundred years.
Looking at the parchnt, which appeared new due to magical treatnt, Kyle began to read the very last clause aloud.
“‘The annulnt of the pact docunt may only be carried out by one who has inherited the Frostfire of the Ragnar Family.’”
“N-No!”
At Kyle’s words, King Clover descended hastily from the Throne with a horrified expression.
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