The Medien Clan.

As the second-largest clan in Valvas after Valencia, their name was derived from the middle name of Mara Valencia.

“What do you seek to ask, Cavalier Urso of Medien?”

Urso turned towards Isla at Count Herreran’s words.

“Years ago, Your Excellency spoke to us Medien and the Valencia Clan. You said that it was absurd. That the Herreran family was not protecting the one who claimed to be the descendant of the Knight King.”

“…..”

Count Herreran’s expression darkened.

It was true. In order to avoid a recurrence of what happened to Matthias, he clearly told the two clans that the young man had no relationship with the Herreran County.

“So twelve cavaliers from the Medien and the Valencia Clans went to visit the one that was believed to be the descendant of the Knight King. However, none of them came back alive. We found their bodies on a trail of Uelba Mountain, along with the body of an unknown man.

They must have found Cain.

“The unidentified man had died while fighting with the cavaliers of the two clans. There were traces of it. It seemed he kept fighting even while suffering fatal injuries. He must have been a great cavalier indeed.”

“Hooh…”

The men gathered in the hall began to murmur. If it was true that the unknown man had fought against more than ten cavaliers from the Medien and the Valencia Clans, it was safe to say that he was strong enough to be counted in one hand,even in the entirety of Valvas.

“The problem was that his identity, which was initially unknown, was later revealed. The elder of Medien, Figero Ong, who was also once a respected cavalier, saw the body of the man we had recovered and informed us of his exact identity, and where he was from.”

Urso slowly raised his hand and pointed it towards Count Herreran before continuing.

“He was a man named Cain, who belonged to the swordsmen of the Herreran family just over 30 years ago.”

“Huh…!”

“Such a thing…”

Loud sighs could be heard from all over the hall.

“My lord…”

Teyo also stared at Count Herreran with an astonished expression. Their meeting had been short, but Teyo also knew Cain. Cain was a cavalier who came under Count Herreran a couple of years earlier than himself. He was a man of few words, and he rarely demonstrated his abilities.

Cain had left the Herreran County, telling everyone that he had to return to his hometown because of his old mother’s worsening health. Then, he never came back.

The other young cavaliers, including Teyo, had called Cain a traitor and a coward. But now he was being told that Cain had been tasked by the count to protect his nephew. He had died while fighting against the Cavaliers of Median and Valencia to protect Count Herreran’s nephew.

‘Huh! Then that means…’

Teyo’s eyes turned.

One person was standing still with a look of indifference as if all of this had nothing to do with himself.

‘Then that means… Cain was protecting this man and…’

There was no other explanation. Although he had not belonged to the Seven Clans, Cain was a cavalier serving Valvas’ only lord. It did not make sense that he had suddenly hid his tracks.

“At that time, we believed your words and kept quiet, Your Excellency Herreran. There was no way to verify the truth because none of them had come back alive. But just today, a man appeared, a man who is supposedly your nephew and the descendant of the Knight King. You even swore in the name of the Herreran family.”

Urso spoke in a solemn voice, then loosened the sword that hung on his belt.

Boom!

As he struck the sheathe against the floor, a heavy sound rang throughout the hall.

“So…”

Urso continued with a voice as fierce as his eyes.

“I ask you in the name of the Medien Clan. Reveal the relationship between that man and Cain, and the reason you have deceived us for decades.”

“…..!”

The hall was silent.

A critical situation was playing out in the middle of Count Herreran’s manor. The Medien Clan might officially declare war against the Herreran family.

But Urso’s demands were justified. He and the Medien Clan had every right to know the truth. Everyone’s gazes turned towards the old count at the same time. Count Herreran stared at Urso with vain eyes.

He tightly grasped the cane in his hands, then turned his gaze and glanced at someone for a moment before opening his mouth with a long sigh.

“I…”

But at that moment, someone’s cold, heavy voice interrupted the count’s words.

“Cain was like my father and teacher.”

“…..!”

Urso’s eyes turned sharply. Isla continued, welcoming the fiery gaze with cold, deep eyes.

“Twelve cavaliers came after me. After our griffon crashed, Cain and I were forced to fight with them on our way out of Mount Uelba.”

Speaking in a low voice, Isla slowly untied the strings and took off his robes.

“At first, they stepped out like cavaliers. They revealed their names and clans and challenged us one by one…”

Thud.

The robe fell to the floor. Then, Isla continued while untying the belt of his leather armor.

“Four cavaliers fell at Cain’s hands. However, he was also seriously injured and could not fight anymore. So…”

After taking off his leather armor, he took off his southern shirt, which was similar to a gown, then pulled it back to his waist. Soon, his naked upper body was visible, which was full of wiggling solid brown muscles.

“Hmm!”

“Hut…!”

Hundreds of pairs of eyes widened with groans.

“I fought against them. But when I knocked three of them down, the rest of them came at me together. And I… I survived.”

“Hmm…”

No one could speak as they saw the upper body of Isla, which was riddled with large and small scars. How could a human survive with such grave wounds?

“But I did not kill them all. No, I guess it would be correct to say that I was not able to kill them.”

Recalling the events of the day caused his entire body to ache.

“Did you say that no cavaliers returned alive?”

With his upper body revealed, Isla drew his hand to his waist. After combining the two halves of his spear, he continued after stamping the spear on the floor.

Boom!

“Then that means that either someone lied, or someone else saw fit to kill the injured cavaliers. And I recall that one of the cavaliers I was not able to kill was a man with the surname Urso.”

“W, what…?”

Urso’s expression distorted.

His brother had been among the Medien Cavaliers killed in the incident. Unlike himself, his younger brother had talent as a griffon rider. He had always been proud of his younger brother.

But to think his brother had attacked someone as a group when it was not war, and that he had been killed by someone else besides his opponent… It was unbelievable.

“Keugh…”

Urso lowered his head with one hand wrapped around his face. But soon, he shook his head and vented his anger.

“Lies! You are lying! Everything you say is a lie!”

Paat!

The sword that escaped from the sheath scattered fierce light and its sharp edge aimed towards Isla.

“…..”

Isla observed him without saying a word. For the first time, a thin smile appeared around his mouth. But it was too bitter and cold.

Urso’s reaction was remarkably similar to the reactions of the Medien and the Valencia Cavaliers when they heard Cain’s story.

“That’s a good attitude.”

Wooong…!

As the spear moved, a resonant cry dispersed through the air. After taking on a unique stance, Isla spoke.

“If you are a Cavalier of Valvas, you are expected to prove your words with the spear and the sword.”

Woosh!

An icy spirit flowed through Isla’s body and his spear, exuding into the atmosphere.

“My name is Elkin Medien Valencia Isla. I am a griffon knight of the Pendragon Duchy and a cavalier. My great-grandfather is Knight King Mara Valencia.”

Isla’s cold eyes and the sharp tip of his spear pointed towards Urso.

“…..!”

All the men gathered here were warriors. The highly trained cavaliers of the crowd felt the cold, flamelike spirit and frowned. Those who were relatively weaker felt an electrifying sensation as the spirit washed over them.

A duel between cavaliers was common in Valvas.

However, they had never experienced a fight of this caliber before. They were fighting with the name of their clans on the line, in the middle of a lord’s manor. If things went awry, the duel could involve their entire clans.

Whing! Whing!

Urso also swung his sword through the air a few times, then spoke as he took on a stance.

“Cavalier Artu Urso of the Medien Clan. You will have to prove what you are saying.”

Everyone was surprised by the sudden development, including Count Herreran and Teyo.

“My lord…”

Teyo quickly turned towards Count Herreran. They had to put a stop to the duel. They could not allow the messenger of the coalition to shed blood here, especially since he was also the Pendragon Duchy’s knight and Count Herreran’s nephew. Whether he won or lost, the results of the duel would spread like a fire to the whole of Valvas, quickly dragging everyone in.

In addition, among the men watching the fierce standoff between the two, cavaliers from other clans were present.

“You must stop them, my lord.”

“No…”

Count Herreran shook his head.

“This is already out of my hands.”

“But…”

“Don’t you see why I declared that he was my only nephew and the descendant of the Knight King?”

“Well…”

Teyo’s eyes quivered at his lord’s words. During the decades he served Count Herreran, he had never expected such a situation.

“I drove out my sister with my own hands. His father was also killed due to my mistake. And Median and Valencia know that. Do you really think they will stand still when something like this has happened?”

“…..”

“Teyo, we have already boarded the griffon’s back. Only he… Angela’s son and the legitimate heir to the Knight King… Only he can resolve this situation. Right now… there is only one thing we have to do.”

As he continued to speak, vitality started to appear in Count Herreran’s eyes little by little

Although he was old, he had spread his name as a renowned cavalier and griffon rider in his earlier years. After regaining the same, youthful, fierce light in his eyes, Count Herreran spoke in a determined voice.

“Gather all forces. From this moment, the Herrreran County will become a cavalier of the successor to the great Knight King.”

“…..!”

Teyo’s eyes widened in shock.

The two cavaliers charged at each other.

***

“Hmm? Why is it so quiet?”

A man spoke curiously as he travelled horseback on the main road, which was quiet unlike usual. On the left chest of his leather armor was a symbol of a red eagle with a sword in its beak.

“That is a little strange. It is too different from usual. Hey, let me ask you a question.”

The other cavalier, who was riding by the man’s side, called out to a passerby.

“What? Oh…”

The passerby looked annoyed as he turned his gaze towards the two, then became wide-eyed. Then, he bowed his head with a flustered expression.

“What do you want to ask? Cavalier of the Red Sword Eagle.”

Red Sword Eagle.

It was the symbol of the Valencia Clan, the most famous group of cavaliers in the empire, the representatives of Valvas.