Alicia Heinal.
Daughter of an ancient lord, endowed with an unprecedented legitimacy with Endre, born from a concubine.
Her blood also connected her to the Shazad, a family from the center of the country.
The Shazad blood, tracing back to Alicia's maternal grandmother, signified an unbreakable bond of trust between the two families.
But the concept of politics, as practiced by the nobility, was something beyond humanity.
Because her blood was blue.
"Declare it!"
Shazad decided that the immediate gain was more important than blood in the distance.
Endre had promised.
Because he had said he would give things that no prudent vassal would dare to promise.
Shazad accepted the response and handed the dishonorable knight to Alicia.
Alicia was deceived, and Bayezid was mocked.
The contest was not honorable.
"...It's not over yet."
And in the midst of this dishonorable battlefield, where everyone fell silent, there was one who rose quietly.
Joseph of House Bayezid.
A young man who unintentionally became the representative of the North in this duel stained by the houses of the Center.
He stood up heavily.
"I request a brief postponement so that we can discuss this situation among ourselves."
His voice was not very loud, but enough to cut through the silent hall.
Understanding the anger in Joseph's words, the priest could only wipe the sweat from his forehead, helpless.
"So be it."
"Thank you. Priest."
Joseph's eyes, burning with a dark gleam, sought someone.
A man down there, looking determined.
Endre Heinal.
"The knight on Alicia's side has withdrawn, Lord Joseph, and although I understand your feelings, this duel has ended!"
"Are you sure this is an honorable duel?"
The embers have cooled, but they retain something warm inside.
Now it was Joseph's voice.
"I don't intend to just accept the result you've decided."
"..."
Joseph's determined declaration must have struck a nerve.
That this moment marks the beginning of a clash between the center and the north that has so far gone unnoticed.
"How can I convince you...?"
With victory close, Endre shouted triumphantly, but the momentum faded.
Because he saw something burning in the eyes of the dark-shadowed man.
"Bayezid..."
The words echoed in Endre's head as he saw Joseph's jet-black eyes staring at him.
The North must pay.
Whether with honor or dishonor.
"Speed up the duel."
Joseph thought.
The best had become impossible, but the worst had to be avoided.
"I won't allow Alicia's honor to be tainted by this dishonest act."
Honor that you can't even prove.
It was a disgrace that couldn't be described with the word dishonor.
Therefore, Joseph chose to end the duel here and now, one way or another.
A clumsy stop would be fatal, and an unfinished duel would cripple Alicia irreparably.
At this point, only absolute defeat could have a negative outcome.
Only then could we plan for the future.
"...Is there anyone else who wishes to represent Lord Jubert? If so, I will accept their request."
Joseph turned his head upon hearing the priest's words to look at Alicia, but she just clutched her heaving chest with a pale face.
Barely holding on, Alicia had just been dealt a blow.
If it ended like this, she couldn't even prove her honor.
"Someone..."
Joseph thought as he looked at the stunned Alicia.
Thank goodness.
I didn't write this, but I gladly accept it.
"I have a replacement."
A duel is something honorable.
Therefore, only those who had proven themselves worthy or whom an honorable person had entrusted with the honor could set foot on an honorable battlefield.
"Who is it?"
I speak on behalf of the honorable.
Who, then, will wield the sword for me?
"..."
Joseph stood still, running a hand over his face, and looked at his squire, Vlad.
He was nodding.
"Bayezid will put a new duelist in place of Jubert of House Shazad, who has decided to withdraw."
People couldn't help but be perplexed at Joseph's words.
Who would he send in this situation?
"I, Joseph of House Bayezid, am an honorable warrior who nominates to defend Lady Alicia's honor..."
Joseph stopped at the highest point instead of Alicia.
His finger pointed at someone.
"Vlad of Soara."
"...!"
With stunned silence.
Everyone present turned their heads to follow Joseph's pointing finger.
A figure that no one had paid attention to, that no one had even thought about.
The only man who could, therefore, enter the battlefield honorably.
Vlad of Soara, squire to the knight Jager.
"Uh..."
The blond boy that Joseph had at his fingertips just blinked, not knowing what to do.
The boy was standing at the first and foremost point where the center and the north met.
Vlad confirmed his identity, causing Endre to erupt in protest about the perceived injustice.
“He’s not a knight, he doesn’t deserve this!”
“Honorable duels are not exclusive to knights; anyone able to wield a sword can partake.”
“The opponent is a knight! Facing a squire against a knight is a dishonor to Arnstein!”
“You!”
Joseph stomped, cutting off Endre’s words, then spat out words burning with rage.
“Did you do this thinking of Bayezid’s honor?”
The master tilted his head, the usurper drooling greedily.
“You mock Bayezid with such shallow waters!”
Only Joseph, from the prestigious Bayezid family of the North, could stand tall and proud. His blood was the most honorable.
“I vouch for his honor!”
And he was more than qualified to vouch for anyone’s honor.
“I’ll replace him, please accept.”
“Uh, um…”
Joseph was not wrong. If he vouched for him, even a mere squire could challenge to a duel.
“Agreed?”
Endre glanced at the knights behind him for a moment, then nodded as if it didn’t matter.
“If this is what you must do, I understand.”
What could a simple squire do? Even if the lad were a knight and not a squire, Pablo de Arnstein wasn’t one to be trifled with.
“We accept your offer, Lord Joseph.”
“Then let the duel commence.”
It was already an uneven playing field, but Joseph had just tilted it. It was a small twist, executed by a young lad named Vlad, but it would suffice.
He wasn’t seeking victory in the first place.
“I just need to buy time.”
Joseph had come to Deirmar to secure something safe. A man named Joseph of Bayezid was always prepared for the worst.
He could only hope the lad would hold out.
“Hmm. Hmm. Mmm.”
[Calm down, Vlad.]
Vlad tried to stay calm amid the sudden situation, but it wasn’t easy.
“Now, must I duel?”
“Yes.”
“And with a knight?”
“Yes. Breathe and calm down.”
Jager was adjusting Vlad’s armor, making it as secure as possible. People couldn’t take their eyes off Vlad—a knight performing squire duties was an unusual sight.
“I won’t… die, right?”
“At worst, I’ll intervene.”
“And what’s the worst that could happen?”
“…”
Vlad steadied his sword as he watched Jager adjusting the straps on his armor without answering. He had always done so, but in the end, it seemed he could only rely on himself.
“Vlad.”
“Lord Joseph.”
Joseph, who had descended from the throne, forced himself to control his agitated breathing and embraced Vlad.
“Oh-oh-oh… Lord Joseph. You don’t need to do all this.”
“Give me ten minutes.”
“What…?”
To others, it seemed like he was encouraging his squire to face the harsh battlefield, but there was a secret dialogue between them.
“I had a plan from the beginning. I’ve already given orders to Vordan.”
“Ten minutes… Will that be enough?”
Vlad knew. Joseph wasn’t a man who acted impulsively in a fit of anger.
“It’s better if you resist.”
Upon Joseph’s reply, Vlad turned his head and looked around. There was no trace of the knight, old, fat, and always denigrated.
“Understand, I owe you something.”
“To whom?”
Instead of answering Joseph’s question, Vlad fixed his eyes on the woman sitting alone at the highest point.
He locked his gaze with her watery eyes, blinking incessantly.
“I’ll do my best to endure for ten minutes, if I can.”
“Be careful.”
It was an out-of-context response, but knowing that Vlad often spoke to himself, Joseph simply nodded.
This is too heavy for him. He has reasons to be nervous.
Vlad tilted his head toward the aquamarine-haired woman with teary eyes.
“…”
He regretted confusing her for a maid, regretted intruding into her parents’ tomb.
And thank you for not saying it.
So, I’ll do the best I can.
“Representatives from both sides, approach!”
What matters to a knight is his lord’s command first, his own honor next. Vlad accepted the burden of following Joseph’s orders and defending Alicia’s honor.
“After…”
With shaky steps, the lad, carrying a bright, though borrowed, honor, entered the battlefield.
All present watched him—allies, enemies, and even those unrelated.
The world observed the boy.
“I am Vlad of Soara.”
Vlad of Soara.
A name written in the world by a faithful priest, with God’s permission.
The boy gave his name to the world by his own will.
Today, the boy deserved to shine.
Because, for the first time in his life, he wielded the sword for someone other than himself.
Alicia Heinal.
Daughter of an ancient lord, endowed with an unprecedented legitimacy with Endre, born from a concubine.
Her blood also connected her to the Shazad, a family from the center of the country.
The Shazad blood, tracing back to Alicia's maternal grandmother, signified an unbreakable bond of trust between the two families.
But the concept of politics, as practiced by the nobility, was something beyond humanity.
Because her blood was blue.
"Declare it!"
Shazad decided that the immediate gain was more important than blood in the distance.
Endre had promised.
Because he had said he would give things that no prudent vassal would dare to promise.
Shazad accepted the response and handed the dishonorable knight to Alicia.
Alicia was deceived, and Bayezid was mocked.
The contest was not honorable.
"...It's not over yet."
And in the midst of this dishonorable battlefield, where everyone fell silent, there was one who rose quietly.
Joseph of House Bayezid.
A young man who unintentionally became the representative of the North in this duel stained by the houses of the Center.
He stood up heavily.
"I request a brief postponement so that we can discuss this situation among ourselves."
His voice was not very loud, but enough to cut through the silent hall.
Understanding the anger in Joseph's words, the priest could only wipe the sweat from his forehead, helpless.
"So be it."
"Thank you. Priest."
Joseph's eyes, burning with a dark gleam, sought someone.
A man down there, looking determined.
Endre Heinal.
"The knight on Alicia's side has withdrawn, Lord Joseph, and although I understand your feelings, this duel has ended!"
"Are you sure this is an honorable duel?"
The embers have cooled, but they retain something warm inside.
Now it was Joseph's voice.
"I don't intend to just accept the result you've decided."
"..."
Joseph's determined declaration must have struck a nerve.
That this moment marks the beginning of a clash between the center and the north that has so far gone unnoticed.
"How can I convince you...?"
With victory close, Endre shouted triumphantly, but the momentum faded.
Because he saw something burning in the eyes of the dark-shadowed man.
"Bayezid..."
The words echoed in Endre's head as he saw Joseph's jet-black eyes staring at him.
The North must pay.
Whether with honor or dishonor.
"Speed up the duel."
Joseph thought.
The best had become impossible, but the worst had to be avoided.
"I won't allow Alicia's honor to be tainted by this dishonest act."
Honor that you can't even prove.
It was a disgrace that couldn't be described with the word dishonor.
Therefore, Joseph chose to end the duel here and now, one way or another.
A clumsy stop would be fatal, and an unfinished duel would cripple Alicia irreparably.
At this point, only absolute defeat could have a negative outcome.
Only then could we plan for the future.
"...Is there anyone else who wishes to represent Lord Jubert? If so, I will accept their request."
Joseph turned his head upon hearing the priest's words to look at Alicia, but she just clutched her heaving chest with a pale face.
Barely holding on, Alicia had just been dealt a blow.
If it ended like this, she couldn't even prove her honor.
"Someone..."
Joseph thought as he looked at the stunned Alicia.
Thank goodness.
I didn't write this, but I gladly accept it.
"I have a replacement."
A duel is something honorable.
Therefore, only those who had proven themselves worthy or whom an honorable person had entrusted with the honor could set foot on an honorable battlefield.
"Who is it?"
I speak on behalf of the honorable.
Who, then, will wield the sword for me?
"..."
Joseph stood still, running a hand over his face, and looked at his squire, Vlad.
He was nodding.
"Bayezid will put a new duelist in place of Jubert of House Shazad, who has decided to withdraw."
People couldn't help but be perplexed at Joseph's words.
Who would he send in this situation?
"I, Joseph of House Bayezid, am an honorable warrior who nominates to defend Lady Alicia's honor..."
Joseph stopped at the highest point instead of Alicia.
His finger pointed at someone.
"Vlad of Soara."
"...!"
With stunned silence.
Everyone present turned their heads to follow Joseph's pointing finger.
A figure that no one had paid attention to, that no one had even thought about.
The only man who could, therefore, enter the battlefield honorably.
Vlad of Soara, squire to the knight Jager.
"Uh..."
The blond boy that Joseph had at his fingertips just blinked, not knowing what to do.
The boy was standing at the first and foremost point where the center and the north met.
Vlad confirmed his identity, causing Endre to erupt in protest about the perceived injustice.
“He’s not a knight, he doesn’t deserve this!”
“Honorable duels are not exclusive to knights; anyone able to wield a sword can partake.”
“The opponent is a knight! Facing a squire against a knight is a dishonor to Arnstein!”
“You!”
Joseph stomped, cutting off Endre’s words, then spat out words burning with rage.
“Did you do this thinking of Bayezid’s honor?”
The master tilted his head, the usurper drooling greedily.
“You mock Bayezid with such shallow waters!”
Only Joseph, from the prestigious Bayezid family of the North, could stand tall and proud. His blood was the most honorable.
“I vouch for his honor!”
And he was more than qualified to vouch for anyone’s honor.
“I’ll replace him, please accept.”
“Uh, um…”
Joseph was not wrong. If he vouched for him, even a mere squire could challenge to a duel.
“Agreed?”
Endre glanced at the knights behind him for a moment, then nodded as if it didn’t matter.
“If this is what you must do, I understand.”
What could a simple squire do? Even if the lad were a knight and not a squire, Pablo de Arnstein wasn’t one to be trifled with.
“We accept your offer, Lord Joseph.”
“Then let the duel commence.”
It was already an uneven playing field, but Joseph had just tilted it. It was a small twist, executed by a young lad named Vlad, but it would suffice.
He wasn’t seeking victory in the first place.
“I just need to buy time.”
Joseph had come to Deirmar to secure something safe. A man named Joseph of Bayezid was always prepared for the worst.
He could only hope the lad would hold out.
“Hmm. Hmm. Mmm.”
[Calm down, Vlad.]
Vlad tried to stay calm amid the sudden situation, but it wasn’t easy.
“Now, must I duel?”
“Yes.”
“And with a knight?”
“Yes. Breathe and calm down.”
Jager was adjusting Vlad’s armor, making it as secure as possible. People couldn’t take their eyes off Vlad—a knight performing squire duties was an unusual sight.
“I won’t… die, right?”
“At worst, I’ll intervene.”
“And what’s the worst that could happen?”
“…”
Vlad steadied his sword as he watched Jager adjusting the straps on his armor without answering. He had always done so, but in the end, it seemed he could only rely on himself.
“Vlad.”
“Lord Joseph.”
Joseph, who had descended from the throne, forced himself to control his agitated breathing and embraced Vlad.
“Oh-oh-oh… Lord Joseph. You don’t need to do all this.”
“Give me ten minutes.”
“What…?”
To others, it seemed like he was encouraging his squire to face the harsh battlefield, but there was a secret dialogue between them.
“I had a plan from the beginning. I’ve already given orders to Vordan.”
“Ten minutes… Will that be enough?”
Vlad knew. Joseph wasn’t a man who acted impulsively in a fit of anger.
“It’s better if you resist.”
Upon Joseph’s reply, Vlad turned his head and looked around. There was no trace of the knight, old, fat, and always denigrated.
“Understand, I owe you something.”
“To whom?”
Instead of answering Joseph’s question, Vlad fixed his eyes on the woman sitting alone at the highest point.
He locked his gaze with her watery eyes, blinking incessantly.
“I’ll do my best to endure for ten minutes, if I can.”
“Be careful.”
It was an out-of-context response, but knowing that Vlad often spoke to himself, Joseph simply nodded.
This is too heavy for him. He has reasons to be nervous.
Vlad tilted his head toward the aquamarine-haired woman with teary eyes.
“…”
He regretted confusing her for a maid, regretted intruding into her parents’ tomb.
And thank you for not saying it.
So, I’ll do the best I can.
“Representatives from both sides, approach!”
What matters to a knight is his lord’s command first, his own honor next. Vlad accepted the burden of following Joseph’s orders and defending Alicia’s honor.
“After…”
With shaky steps, the lad, carrying a bright, though borrowed, honor, entered the battlefield.
All present watched him—allies, enemies, and even those unrelated.
The world observed the boy.
“I am Vlad of Soara.”
Vlad of Soara.
A name written in the world by a faithful priest, with God’s permission.
The boy gave his name to the world by his own will.
Today, the boy deserved to shine.
Because, for the first time in his life, he wielded the sword for someone other than himself.
