Chapter 299

The deputy couldn’t help but feel a surge of relief and joy at seeing his commander, Felix, genuinely smiling—a rare sight. Yet, at the same time, he found himself unable to understand the reason behind it.

“But won’t we still have to endure heavy losses on our side...?”

Clashing with the elite forces of prominent northern families was a dangerous proposition. The deputy knew full well the strength of Harald’s Black Moon Knights, and even with the airships, dealing with Ragnar alone was already an overwhelming challenge. It was this reality that made Felix’s smile so puzzling.

“Why should we bear such losses?” Felix asked, cutting him off with a raised finger.

“What...? But aren’t we here to ensure peace in the north—?”

Again, Felix interrupted, his tone calm and decisive.

“There’s no need for that. The presence of the airships alone will suffice. Send a missive to the Imperial Court.”

The deputy stopped trying to understand. Trusting that his commander had a clear plan, he grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen, ready to take down Felix’s words.

“Make sure to ask whether it’s truly worth risking enmity with the Harald family. And stress this point carefully.”

Finally, the deputy began to grasp Felix’s strategy.

“You’re discouraging intervention,” he remarked, his tone tinged with realization.

Felix nodded and elaborated further.

“Add this: even if the Narsio family is preserved, the likelihood of them exerting meaningful influence in the north is nearly nonexistent. Note that their survival holds no tangible benefit for the Empire.”

“I’ll mark it as urgent and send it immediately,” the deputy responded.

Felix’s satisfaction was evident in his smile. It felt like a long-held weight had finally been lifted—a sense of catharsis that came from knowing the plans of certain "others" would not come to fruition.

The Imperial courier pigeons should deliver a response within four days.

The Empire’s courier pigeons, renowned for their speed, were said to traverse ten thousand leagues in a single day. Still, Felix understood that Ragnar wouldn’t simply wait during that time.

They’ll have to wrestle with their thoughts after seeing the airships.

A prolonged standoff seemed the most likely outcome. Once the Imperial Court received the missive, Felix was certain they would issue a retreat order—predictable, given their consistent self-interest.

“I’ll take my leave,” the deputy said, finishing the missive and bowing slightly before exiting.

Soon after, the sharp cry of a pigeon split the air, carrying the letter into the sky.

***

Theo quietly waited in the military camp after confirming the presence of airships in the Narsio stronghold.

The soldiers, who had marched for two days to reach this place, were allowed to rest.

On the third day, he continued to wait.

If the airships had seen Harald's banner, they would have certainly sent a missive on the first day.

In other words, this was to give the Golden Lion Knights time to retreat.

“I’ve heard that an imperial carrier pigeon can deliver a response within four days.”

Theo was well aware of the efficiency of the imperial courier system.

And today, at last, the moment had come.

“All forces, advance,” Theo commanded.

The war drums roared loudly.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

The ground forces first moved to encircle the Narsio territory, positioning themselves in the plains just below the mountains.

“This wall is pitiful compared to Ragnar’s,” one of the Drake Unit members scoffed.

“We could break through it with a single charge,” another chimed in.

The Drake Unit members sneered as they looked at the archers stationed atop Narsio’s walls.

Meanwhile, the faces of the Narsio soldiers, staring at Ragnar’s army, were filled with grim determination for a desperate last stand.

Keeeeeek—!

A sharp, ear-piercing roar split the sky.

The soldiers of Narsio, as if mesmerized, looked up at the sky and immediately turned pale.

“What... what is that?”

“A dragon?”

“Why is a dragon here!?”

An overwhelming figure floated in the sky, so large that it blocked out the sun, casting a massive shadow over the land.

As Umbra descended with a gale, landing within Ragnar’s camp, the once-burning resolve of Narsio’s soldiers began to wane.

Waaaaaah!

The Ragnar soldiers erupted in cheers as Theo dismounted from the black dragon.

Theo raised his hand once, and silence fell over the camp again.

Mounting a prepared horse, Theo rode forward, his eyes fixed on Narsio’s command tower.

Kalen glared at Theo with a venomous gaze, his expression still brimming with confidence.

At the sight of his smug face, Theo smirked.

“He still hasn’t grasped the situation, has he?”

Standing next to Kalen was a man clad in polished ceremonial armor adorned with the golden lion emblem on his left chest. His expression betrayed no emotion as he gazed at Theo.

Theo took a deep breath.

“Narsio, hear me! Is it right for allies to spill blood over the conflicts of two families? If you still hold honor in your heart, withdraw your allies and fight this war on your own!”

Theo’s powerful voice echoed across the area.

“Hah! Don’t spout nonsense! A mere boy dares to speak of honor—” Kalen sneered, his words dripping with scorn, but he was abruptly cut off.

Step.

Felix took a step forward, silencing Kalen mid-sentence.

At the same time, Felix’s cold gaze pierced through Kalen.

“Surely you don’t mean to suggest that His Majesty the Emperor’s noble sword should be used in a civil war when the matter could be resolved otherwise?” Felix asked icily.

A chilling atmosphere enveloped the area.

Kalen felt momentarily speechless. Felix’s words were tantamount to declaring that the Golden Lion Knights would not participate in this war.

Kalen’s eyes sharpened as he glared at Felix.

“Do you intend to disregard the noble command of the Imperial Court?” Kalen growled.

At those words, Felix’s brow twitched ever so slightly.

“The noble command of the Imperial Court…”

Felix knew full well who had issued such a command, and it was far from noble.

Suppressing a surge of irritation that bordered on rage, Felix pulled a scroll from his chest.

“This is today’s decree. The Imperial Court has designated us as the arbiters of this territorial dispute.”

“...!”

Kalen’s face turned ashen in an instant.

The decree meant that the airships, and by extension the Golden Lion Knights, could no longer be used as reinforcements.

With trembling hands, Kalen took the scroll and began to read. The further he read, the more his pupils trembled, while Felix silently smirked to himself.

“The Imperial Court has abandoned me...”

The contents of the decree barely registered in Kalen’s mind. All he could process was the undeniable fact that the Imperial Court had turned its back on Narsio.

His head spun, and a splitting headache followed.

“We, as arbiters of this territorial dispute, will ensure that justice is served,” Felix declared.

The words were as damning as a death sentence.

Kalen’s trembling eyes locked onto Felix.

“Settle this matter through an honorable duel between the involved parties, or formally submit the case for adjudication by the Imperial Court,” Felix added.

Though his tone was not overtly mocking, the subtle derision in his expression was unmistakable.

Crack.

Kalen’s fists clenched so tightly that blood began to drip from his palms.

“Imperial Court adjudication? What a farce!”

It was precisely because the Imperial Court’s administrative reach did not extend effectively to the north that they had failed to exert influence in the region.

Even if a favorable ruling were somehow issued in Narsio’s favor, it would be no more than a worthless piece of paper.

Who would dare oppose Ragnar and ally with Narsio after such a ruling?

Moreover, Kalen had no confidence in winning a trial in the first place.

A loss would give Ragnar a flawless justification, one so complete that the Narsio bloodline could be wiped from existence.

“This bastard has ruined everything... He’s torn my grand plans to shreds!”

Kalen’s bloodshot eyes flared with murderous intent.

It was only now, after four days of inaction, that he realized the reason behind the delay: to receive this decree.

His hand instinctively reached for his sword hilt.

「Do you think you can handle it?」

Felix’s frigid telepathic voice pierced Kalen’s heart like a dagger.

Kalen had the strength to cut down the knight commander standing before him, but doing so would spell the end of Narsio.

“No… what’s the point now…”

The family’s extinction was already all but assured. The only difference was that now, there remained a slim chance to save the bloodline.

If nothing else, he could ensure that one day, the Narsio banner might fly again.

Kalen slowly regained his composure.

“Withdraw the airships...” Kalen muttered despondently.

“Very well,” Felix replied with a faint smile, stepping down from the command post.

“Prepare to retreat. Maintain a reasonable distance to observe, then return to the Imperial Capital,” Felix ordered.

Kalen’s slumped shoulders were a pitiful sight.

Theo, watching from a distance, smirked.

“Everything is going according to plan.”

Theo raised his hand, signaling the Harald family’s Black Moon Knights to withdraw to the rear.

Wooong!

Moments later, the airships lifted into the sky and began to move toward the outskirts of the territory.

Theo turned to reenter his camp and prepare for the territorial battle, but a sudden sound stopped him in his tracks.

Creak.

The tightly closed gates of Narsio’s fortress opened, and a lone rider approached Theo.

It was Kalen.

“He must have thought of something,” Theo mused.

Clop, clop.

Kalen’s slow, somber advance felt mournful, as if the very sound of his horse’s hooves carried a sense of despair.

It was clear he had some scheme in mind—one final attempt.

“He knows he can’t win in a direct confrontation. The answer must be simple.”

Theo already had a good idea of what Kalen’s proposal would be.

“You look like you’ve aged ten years in a matter of days,” Theo remarked mockingly.

Grind.

Kalen gritted his teeth at the jab but couldn’t help feeling a begrudging admiration.

The aura emanating from Theo was now almost equal to his own.

But it wasn’t just his aura that impressed Kalen.

“This young whelp managed to read the entire situation so perfectly?”

Despite leading such a powerful force, Theo had waited for four days instead of attacking immediately.

Even his current calm expression suggested he knew everything about the Narsio-Imperial situation.

Memories of Tammuth, Timothy, and even Wellington briefly flashed through Kalen’s mind.

“This boy should have been my son…”

The thought was a bitter one. Wellington was the only heir who had come close to matching this level of ability, and even that was a painful memory.

Kalen’s face contorted momentarily before returning to its usual stern expression.

“...There’s no need for unnecessary bloodshed, is there?” Kalen asked.

“What do you mean?” Theo replied with feigned ignorance.

Kalen’s face twisted again, his frustration evident. He knew Theo understood perfectly but was playing dumb on purpose.

“Let’s settle this with a champion’s duel.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

At that, Theo merely smiled. It was the best option Narsio could take under the circumstances.

“If he wants to save his household, he has no choice.”

Theo paused briefly, contemplating whether to annihilate Narsio entirely or to spare them through a duel.

The decision didn’t take long.

“Very well. The duel will take place here in the center.”